Dear ,

Fall is always a time that has inspired me as Mother Nature provides a brilliant show of rapid change in the leaves changing color and falling. In years past, Fall was the time for our kids to go back to school and for planning to begin in earnest for the following year. For me, it was also a time for reflection and planning…what do I want to learn, do and be?

Here are a few of the things that I plan to tackle for myself this Fall:

• Update my Hospital Go Bag

Six years ago when I launched my book, I put together a Hospital GO Bag for myself and shared it with others. A Hospital GO Bag is something that is packed in case you are ever unexpectedly needing to go to the hospital. You (or someone you designate) can grab it and it would include things you would need in an emergency. It includes things like:

• Extra charging cable for my phone
• Lots of sanitizing products (wipes, bleach and non-bleach for hospital surfaces)
• Toothbrush and paste and something to sanitize the toothbrush for a hospital stay
• Non-slip socks
• A list of contacts (yes, hand written so it is easy for a friend/family/advocate to see and access)
• Personal Health Record – yes, written, with major health events, your current medications lists.
• Health Care Power of Attorney – just in case you need someone to speak for you.
• Finish my Next of Kin Box
• I bought a NOK Box, which basically lists ALL the information someone would need in case you die. I know that sounds morbid, but after my mom died unexpectedly, it took a lot of time and effort to find everything that needed to be taken care of. I never want my family to have to go through that. It is a lot of work and needs to be updated, but your family will thank you!
• Create of Health Life Line
• I thought it might be a good exercise in advance of a big upcoming birthday next year to borrow an exercise from family therapy and do a lifeline with major health events. It is a way of understanding your history visually. All you do is take a big piece of paper (or you can do it on the computer). On the left side is your birth and on the right side of the line is your current age. Then you plot major illnesses, surgeries, things that you remember impacting your life. If you have had experience with this, please contact me, I would love to hear about it! Check out this article to learn more about creating your own health map.

This week I had the opportunity to give a virtual presentation that focused on being prepared and learning more about your own health journey. It reminded me that we all can always learn more (and do more) when it comes to navigating our own health and supporting that navigation for others.   

If you are looking to learn and haven’t visited it already, HealthAdvocateX has more than 50 Classes (free to the public and BCPA CEs are available to professional advocates) in our Classroom.

Also, please mark your calendar for the launch of our Rare Diseases XCenter! Special thanks to HealthAdvocateX Board Members, Rose Hernandez, Lani Reilly and Nicole Rochester, MD who led this effort. See our article below on XCenter and register today for the live virtual panel November 6, 2025. I hope to see you there!

Here’s to your good health,

Robin and the HealthAdvocateX Team



Upcoming Events

November 6 - XCenter: Rare Diseases Panel Discussion

When: Nov 06, 2025 | 4pm-5:30pm (PT)

Where: Online via Zoom

Cost: This XCenter is FREE to attend for the general public. It is also available for 5.0 BCPA CE for $100 (HealthAdvocateX Professional members) and $125 (non-members).

The XCENTER Series – Rare Diseases is a multi-part series focused on the real-world challenges and opportunities in rare disease care. Through a combination of lived experience, expert insight, and actionable guidance, the series offers a deeper look at the systems, stories, and strategies that shape the rare disease landscape.

Attend the kickoff LIVE panel on November 6th, 2024 from 4-5:30 PM PST, or watch it on-demand after the event. All other modules/sessions will be available on November 7th on-demand in our virtual classroom.

November 10 – Community Conversation: Principal Illness Navigation & Principal Care Management Codes 101

REGISTER HERE

When: Nov 10, 2025 | 11am-12pm (PT)

Where: Online via Zoom

Cost: Free for the general public. $10 for HealthAdvocateX Members earning credit; $30 for Non-Members earning credit.

Discover the new Principal Illness Navigation (PIN) and Principal Care Management (PCM) codes, which now enable reimbursement for patient navigation services under Medicare. Dr. Morris will explain how these codes enhance care coordination for patients with serious or complex conditions, including cancer, and how community-based organizations and non-clinical navigators can participate through partnerships with billing providers. This session will also highlight training requirements, billing structures, and the broader movement toward equitable access to navigation services.

About the Speaker:

Dr. Bonny Morris PhD, MSPH,RN

As Vice President of Navigation at the American Cancer Society, I lead the strategy, development, and implementation of navigation programs, including ACS CARES (Community Access to Resources, Education, and Support), ACS LION (Leadership in Oncology Navigation) and the Patient Navigation Initiative capacity-building grants. My program development and research focus on multi-level strategies integrating digital health and patient navigation to optimize cancer care delivery. The collective goal of this work is to increase equitable access to high quality cancer care by providing strategic patient navigation funding and ACS program support to overcome patient, provider, and system barriers.

I leverage my multidisciplinary background to view program development and research through the lens of a clinical team member and patient advocate, considering key system and provider-level factors; an epidemiologist, focusing on rigorous study design and analyses; and a social and behavioral scientist, acknowledging the importance of community-level social determinants of health and patient-level factors impacting the cancer experience.

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

Community Conversation: Measles 2025: Lessons About Vaccine Advocacy

ACCESS HERE

The measles outbreak of 2025 in the US and Canada was the natural result of decades of shifts in views about the value and safety of vaccines. What were some of those factors? When faced with vaccine information/misinformation/skeptism, how health advocates respond matters. Learn the best techniques for building collaboration rather than sowing division when vaccination is the topic (these techniques apply to any vaccine discussion).

Learning Objectives: 

1. Identify the five main reasons behind vaccine skepticism.
2. Differentiate when motivational interviewing techniques are helpful in vaccine discussions and when simple answers are enough
3. Determine the best alternative to explaining why the misinformation is wrong, since this technique doesn’t work

Explore Our Online Classroom

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

Other Events and Annoucements

Complimentary Medicare Webinar: From Deductibles to Donut Holes: How to Decipher Your Medicare Choices

Register Here

Tuesday, November 4, 2025 | 1 pm ET | 12 pm CT | 11 am MT | 10 am PT

Open enrollment for Medicare runs October 15 – December 7, 2025. If you’re approaching age 65 or already enrolled, this complimentary 60-minute webinar can help you make more informed healthcare decisions.

Here are four major things you'll know at the end of twebinar:

• The differences between Medicare Part A, B, C, D, and Medicare Supplement (Medigap) plans
• What Medicare costs
• What traditional Medicare covers and does not cover 
• The changes occurring to Medicare in 2026 including provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act

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.

Land Acknowledgement Challenge

Will you help us? We invite YOU to research and submit the name of the people, your location and how you would word your own personal land acknowledgement. Our Board will be selecting and reading land acknowledgements from across the country at our Monthly Board Meetings. You can submit it here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/hadvx-land-acknowledgement