Dear ,

Finding Space for Joy

The sun is finally shining consistently here in Michigan, and I couldn't be happier. There's something about May that feels like permission to breathe again, to open the windows, feel warmth on your face, and start thinking about summer plans.

With that in mind, I can’t help but think about how, as so many of us plan vacations, family gatherings, or even simple pleasures like evening walks or backyard barbecues, while so many of the clients we serve have stopped planning for joy. We all know that when you're deep in a healthcare crisis, managing treatments, navigating insurance, coordinating appointments, fighting for coverage, it becomes all too easy to let life shrink down to just getting through each day. The calendar fills with medical appointments and medication schedules. Summer stops being about possibility and becomes just another three months of managing an overwhelming situation.

So I sit on my back porch wondering, could part of our role as advocates be helping people reclaim the ability to plan for joy? I'm not talking about toxic positivity or pretending challenges don't exist. I'm talking about creating enough stability and support that someone can actually think beyond their next appointment. That they can say yes to a family gathering without panic. They can plan a small trip, even if it requires extra preparation. That they can sit outside on a beautiful evening without their mind immediately jumping to everything that's wrong.

Sometimes advocacy looks like fighting an insurance denial or coordinating complex care. Which we will be talking about more in this month's Skills Lab with Andrew Gordan, but sometimes it looks like helping someone create enough breathing room in their life that joy becomes possible again.

As we move into these warmer, brighter months, I want to encourage all of us to think about this as part of our work. When we help clients get organized, anticipate needs, and feel more in control of their healthcare journey, we're not just solving logistical problems. We're giving them back the mental and emotional space to be more than just a patient.

We're helping them reclaim their lives.

A question for reflection: Is there a client you're working with who might benefit from this perspective? Someone who's so consumed by crisis that they've forgotten they're allowed to plan for something good? What would it take to help them create that space?



May this month bring renewal to you and to those you serve.

With warmth,

Malynnda Stewart 

Upcoming Events

May 11 Community Conversation - Bridging the Gap: Reimagining Maternal Health Through Advocacy and Community

REGISTER HERE

When: May 11, 2026 | 11 AM–12 PM Pacific Time | 1–2 PM Central | 2–3 PM Eastern

Where: Online via Zoom

Cost: Free to the general public. Purchase 1.0 CE Credit for $10 for HealthAdvocateX Members; $30 for Non-Members.

This presentation explores how health advocates can help bridge the gap between clinical care and community-based support in maternal health. Participants will examine how to support families through pregnancy and postpartum using client-centered, respectful, and relationship-based approaches. The session will also challenge attendees to reflect on the language, systems, and assumptions that shape care and how advocates can disrupt barriers that impact outcomes. Grounded in the concept of “the village,” this conversation invites advocates to consider not only what they do, but how they show up for the families they serve.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe how fragmentation between clinical care and community-based support impacts maternal health experiences.
• Identify at least three strategies health advocates can use to support clients through pregnancy and postpartum in a client-centered and culturally responsive way.
• Examine how language, systems, and personal approaches to care can influence client experiences, and identify one way to apply more equitable and supportive practices in their work.

About The Speaker –

Kendra Smith, Birth & Postpartum Doula

Kendra Smith is a birth and postpartum doula and the “Nurturer in Chief” at Mother Nurture Doula Care LLC, based in Lansing, MI. Her work is rooted in supporting families through pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period with a focus on compassionate, client-centered care.

With a background in maternal and infant health, Kendra brings both professional insight and lived experience to her work. She is passionate about helping families navigate complex systems, feel informed in their decision-making, and experience care that is respectful and responsive to their needs.

As a mother of two, Kendra is deeply committed to getting back to “the village” and believes strong support systems are essential to healthier outcomes for parents and babies. Her work centers on bridging gaps in care, amplifying client voices, and fostering a more supportive and equitable maternal health experience for all families.

May 20 Skills Lab - Decoding the Bill: A Hands-On Skills Lab for Catching Errors, Appealing Denials, and Knowing Who to Call

REGISTER HERE

When: May 20, 2026 | 9am-10:30 am (PT)

Where: Online via Zoom

Cost: Free to the general public. Purchase CE Credit for $10 for HealthAdvocateX Members; $30 for Non-Members.

Medical bills and insurance denials are where patients lose the most money, and where advocates can make the biggest difference. This 90-minute interactive skills lab gives patient advocates practical, immediately usable tools for reviewing itemized bills line by line, spotting the errors that most commonly inflate charges, and building appeals that actually get overturned. Participants will work through real-world billing scenarios, learn which hospital and payer personnel to escalate to (and in what order), and leave with a repeatable workflow they can apply on behalf of their clients and communities starting the next day.

Learning Objectives:

1. Identify the most common billing errors on itemized hospital statements, including duplicate charges, upcoding, unbundling, charges for canceled services, and room/level-of-care discrepancies.

2. Request and interpret an itemized bill (UB-04 / HCFA-1500) and cross-reference charges against the EOB, medical record, and CPT/HCPCS codes to flag discrepancies.

3. Draft a structured appeal letter that includes the key elements payers and hospital billing departments look for: medical necessity documentation, supporting codes, contract/policy references, and a clear requested remedy.

4. Map the escalation path for billing disputes, identifying the right internal contacts (patient financial services, billing supervisors, patient advocates, compliance officers, CFO office) and external avenues (state insurance commissioner, hospital nonprofit compliance, No Surprises Act helpline) to use when initial outreach stalls.

5. Apply a repeatable bill-review and appeals workflow to their own advocacy practice, using templates and checklists provided during the session.

About The Speaker –

Andrew Gordon, LSW / Marshall Allen Project 

Andrew is a Licensed Social Worker, writer, advocate, and researcher dedicated to advancing transparency, affordability, and value in health care for patients, providers, and purchasers. He leads interview-driven research, engages industry leaders, and translates real patient experiences into clear insights that challenge the status quo. Nationally recognized, his current work is funded by a National Science Foundation grant through Princeton University. 

Andrew has a blend of health care and business training — a master’s in social work from Rutgers University and a bachelor’s in marketing & entrepreneurship from Rider University. Before finding health care, he worked at tech startups, including early sales roles at a Khosla Venture backed Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) company. 

He writes patient victory stories for the Marshall Allen Project Substack, reaching nearly 10,000 readers each month, spotlighting how everyday people push back and win against unfair bills and opaque processes. His goal: elevate voices, surface what’s broken, and equip stakeholders with actionable findings that improve access and value. 

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT – FABULOUS CONTENT STILL AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR ON-DEMAND/ CLASSROOM 

Community Conversation: Health Care Proxy: How to Make Sure You, Your Loved, or Your Client One Has One

ACCESS HERE

There are few roles that are as vital as a Health Care Proxy, but only one-third of adults in the U.S. complete advance care planning, which would include a proxy. In this Community Conversation we will be exploring what a proxy is, why it is vital in life or death situations, common myths and barriers advance care planning and who may make a good health care proxy. In addition, to basic resources and tools, we will include ‘How to Have A Discussion,’ about this delicate subject and where people may find independent health care proxies if family and friends are not a good fit.

Learning Objectives:

• How to start an effective conversation about advanced care planning
• Understanding how to evaluation who will make a good health care proxy
• Identifying how an individual can get what they want from a health care proxy

Explore Our Online Classroom

Did you miss one of our past events? Our online classroom is always open! Browse all courses available purchase with BCPA CE credit. 

Introducing: Founder's Journey

We’re excited to introduce Founder’s Journey, a new series where we take an in-depth look at the stories behind health advocacy organizations. In each feature, we sit down with a health advocate or founder to explore what sparked the very beginning of their company.



We’ll talk about what the organization does, who it serves, and dive a little deeper into the world of health advocacy—offering insight into the field and where it stands today.

For our first session, we’re delighted to be joined by Io Dolka, the founder of GreyZone Health. Tune into this conversation with HealthAdvocateX Board Chair Emerita, Robin Shapiro, as we explore the story behind GreyZone and what sparked its very beginning.

Congratulations Angie Ingraham!

Congratulations to our incredible Board Member, Angie Ingraham, on earning her MBA this month! 



Your dedication, leadership, and commitment to growth continue to inspire all of us. We’re proud to celebrate this milestone with you and can’t wait to see all the amazing things you’ll accomplish next.

Learn more about Angie's work here: True North Patient Advocates

OUR COMMITMENT

Approved by the Board September 21, 2022

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access (IDEA) Statement

Our mission is to help people transform into active participants and partners in their own health care. To make this possible, we must advocate for inclusion, diversity, equity, and access (IDEA) for all individuals.

We recognize that:

• Racism is a public health issue that impacts various intersections and communities differently.
• Each person is unique and therefore experiences health care differently.
• Every individual deserves health advocacy regardless of their race, ethnicity, language, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, spiritual practice, financial status, education, geography, disability, mental and physical status, age, weight, substance use disorder or other factors. 
• Our organization is uniquely positioned to raise awareness on IDEA in health and health care.

We are committed to:

• Raising awareness about the importance of IDEA in health and health advocacy in all aspects of care.
• Expanding diverse representation within our organization, expert presenters, and educational offerings.
• Intentionally messaging our values, sharing IDEA expectations for ourselves, affiliated advocates, and partnering groups.
• Creating space for respectful dialogue about representation, equitable access, and inclusive practices in health care and health advocacy.
• Educating our community and participating in opportunities about IDEA events and exercises to keep these issues in the forefront of our work.
• Implementing systems to ensure IDEA is pervasive in our organization.

We will reflect on our accomplishments with humility and grace. We will recognize our limitations and remain open to what we may not see or realize so that we can improve and or repair any harm. 



HealthAdvocate^X is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. We acknowledge that we are on the traditional land of the first people of Seattle, the Duwamish, Suquamish, Stillaguamish, and Muckleshoot People past and present, and honor with gratitude the land itself and each tribe. We invite you to join us in acknowledging and thanking indigenous people for their ongoing stewardship wherever you are located.