Posts by Jennifer Kean
Meet Rachelle Cardinal, RN
Rachelle Cardinal, RN, is a registered nurse and patient advocate with Umbra Health Advocacy. She brings 15 years of nursing experience to the clients and families she serves, and she has spent that time close to nearly every part of the healthcare system. Her focus is helping people navigate complex medical situations with confidence, clear…
Read MoreMeet Gina White, PharmD, BCPA
Gina White, PharmD, BCMTMS, BCPA, CSSBB, FACHE, is a consultant pharmacist, healthcare navigator, and patient advocate with Umbra Health Advocacy. She brings more than twenty years of experience across clinical pharmacy, healthcare administration, and care coordination to the families she serves. Her focus is medication safety and complex medical decisions, and she helps clients understand…
Read MoreMeet Patient Advocate: Laura Finnelly, RN, BCPA, CSCM
Laura Finnelly is a Registered Nurse (RN), Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA), and Certified Senior Care Manager(CSCM) with more than 30 years of healthcare experience. As an Umbra advocate, she helps older adults, veterans, caregivers, and families navigate Medicare, complex medical situations, and care transitions with clarity and confidence. An Air Force veteran herself, Laura…
Read MoreCase Study: How a patient advocate helped caregivers convince their mom she needed support
If you have an aging parent, you may have a hard time motivating them to do the things that will keep them well. You wonder, “How can I convince mom she needs support?” Their doctor tells them to do physical therapy. They go once and quit. You notice they have no food in the fridge…
Read MoreDental Advocate: Shelbey Arevalo, BCPA
Shelbey Arevalo is a Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA) with more than 16 years of experience in the dental and healthcare industry. As an Umbra advocate, she supports clients and families who feel overwhelmed, confused, or unsure about their dental care, insurance, or treatment options. Shelbey is one of the few advocates in the country…
Read MoreQuestions to Ask a Long Term Care Facility
What Questions Should You Ask a Long-Term Care Facility? Choosing an assisted living community, nursing home, or memory care facility is one of the most important decisions a family will make. The brochures all look beautiful. The tours all highlight the best features. But how do you really know if a place will provide good…
Read MoreInsurance Said No. An Umbra Advocate Overturned It.
An insurance claim denial cut off care a young man had relied on for 18 years. His family had already appealed and lost. Then they came to Umbra. A lifetime of care, ended overnight For most of his life, a young man with a complex genetic disorder relied on in home nursing care to stay…
Read MoreMeet Kim Cornish, LPN
Kim Cornish, LPN, is a licensed practical nurse and patient advocate with Umbra Health Advocacy. Over 18 years, she has worked across clinical, telehealth, and community health settings, including case management, chronic care coordination, behavioral health, and quality assurance. That breadth gives Kim a clear view of how the healthcare system works, and how to…
Read MoreWhen is it time for Memory Care?
Few decisions weigh on families more than recognizing when a loved one with dementia needs more care than home can provide. That often means moving to memory care. We talked with Lori Maloney, a long-term care expert and Umbra Health Advocate, about how families can recognize when memory care is needed and what to expect…
Read MoreMeet Patient Advocate, Caro Ruiz
Caro Ruiz is a patient advocate with Umbra Health Advocacy who specializes in health insurance. Over more than 20 years inside the health insurance industry, she held leadership roles at some of the largest health plans in Massachusetts, including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Tufts Health Plan, and Point32Health. Today, she uses that insider…
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