The Center for Patient Partnerships
Advocate
The Center for Patient Partnerships helps patients with life-threatening and serious chronic illnesses make informed decisions and get the care they need. As clients consider options critical to their health and health care, they need someone to listen, help clarify options, identify resources and encourage them to make decisions grounded in their own values.
Through its advocacy program, the Center builds capacity in patients by helping them learn about their illnesses and explore treatment options, access quality care, appeal insurance denials, determine eligibility for public and private benefits and sort out financial and employment issues. The Center does not litigate; our goal is supporting clients as they focus on healing.
Since 2001, the Center has served more than 900 clients. Most of these clients live in Wisconsin, but we advocate for patients world-wide.
Interested in advocacy services?
- Advocacy Services Phone Line: (608) 890-0321
- Advocacy Services E-mail: cppadvocacy@law.wisc.edu
Living with breast cancer? Need an advocate?
Komen Advocates are Dane County breast cancer survivors trained to assist you or your family as you make tough choices, deal with insurance issues, or sort out questions about finances or work. They are also there if you just need to talk. Services are free. Click here to learn more.
Already a client?
You may need:
- Directions
- The Center's Authorization to Release Information form
- The UW-Health Authorization to Release Information form
- Meriter Hospital's Authorization to Release Information form
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From client to advocate: Pete Daly
In 2002, Pete Daly was diagnosed with Stage III melanoma and told he had a 50 percent chance of survival. As with many patients, Pete's cancer diagnosis changed his life. He became a self-advocate, building his own health care team and working to secure the best health care he could find.
As an early client of the Center, student advocates were assigned to work with Pete. They helped him with his initial questions: What is this disease? What are possible treatments? How do provider charges compare against insurance payments, and what does that mean for me? Who is a good therapist for my family and me? How will I assemble my team?
Transformed by his experience, Pete soon began to take his lessons to others as a volunteer advocate and supervisor at the Center. The mysteries of melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer, have not escaped him. Facing the unknown, Pete's daily lessons carry over to his work, informing his relationships with patients and his supervision of student advocates.
Pete believes the Center reaches students at the right time, just before they begin their careers. He knows from experience the often immeasurable help that future professionals can provide patients who face life-threatening conditions.
Want to Help?
As the Center for Patient Partnerships grows, you can help educate, advocate and innovate to make health systems more consumer-centered. Though we do not charge for our advocacy services, we welcome contributions to the Center. Please join the mission by contributing!
