Trisha Torrey, Every Patient’s Advocate, an expert in patient empowerment and patient advocacy, is involved in the following activities:
Book Author:
- You Bet Your Life! The 10 Mistakes Every Patient Makes (How to Fix Them to Get the Health Care You Deserve) (updated and revised in 2013 from DiagKNOWsis Media)
- You Bet Your Life! The Top 10 Reasons You Need a Professional Patient Advocate by Your Side (2015 from DiagKNOWsis Media)
- So You Want to Be a Patient Advocate? Choosing a Career in Health or Patient Advocacy (2nd Edition – 2018 from DiagKNOWsis Media)
- The Health Advocate’s Start and Grow Your Own Practice Handbook
(2nd Edition – 2017 from DiagKNOWsis Media) - The Health Advocate’s Basic Marketing Handbook
(2nd Edition – 2014 from DiagKNOWsis Media) - The Health Advocate’s Advanced Marketing Handbook
(2014 from DiagKNOWsis Media)
Founder and Director:
- AdvoConnection.com
The AdvoConnection Directory matches patients and caregivers to patient advocates and navigators who can assist them with medical system navigation, health insurance claims, medical billing issues, family health mediation and more. - The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates
The Alliance membership site provides business support (legal, insurance, marketing and more) to private health advocates is the engine behind the advocate listings in the AdvoConnection Directory. - PracticeUP! Online (e-learning and bootcamps for health and patient advocates and care managers)
- DiagKNOWsis Media
Publishers of all of Trisha’s books, and sponsor of all patient-focused activities
Web Host, Creator, Developer:
- EveryPatientsAdvocate.com
- DiagKNOWsis.com
- HealthAdvocateResources.com
- HealthAdvocatePrograms.com
- HealthAdvocateCode.com
- PracticeUPOnline.com
Blogger:
- AdvoConnection.com (for patients)
- TrishaTorrey.com (for patients)
- APHA Blog (for advocates)
- Trisha’ TIPs (Tactics for Improved Practice Success)
Contributing Author:
- NextAvenue.org (PBS online)
- Bottom Line Health
Faculty: QuantiaMD.com Physician Community – Ask a Patient Expert
Board Member:
- Patient Advocate Certification Board (2012 to 2018, Board member and secretary)
- Journal of Participatory Medicine (editorial reviewer)
- ICOPA – The International Conference on Patient Advocacy
Expert:
- About.com Expert in Patient Empowerment (2007 to 2014)
- Interviewed and quoted by New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, Wall Street Journal, US News and World Report, Forbes, O Magazine, Health Magazine, NPR, USA Today, Bottom Line Publications, Angie’s List and others.
Newspaper Columnist:
- Syracuse Post Standard (2006-2012)
- Knoxville News Sentinel (2008-2009)
Radio Talk Show Host: HealthLink on Air (WSYR, Clear Channel Radio, 2006 – 2010)
Contributor: Our Bodies, Ourselves, 40th Anniversary Edition (2011) Contributed to chapters on navigating the healthcare system, and finding credible health information online.
Medical Journal Mentions:
- Perspectives in Clinical Research (January 2011) Patient advocacy groups: Need and opportunity in India (Kunal Shah and Sunil Garg)
- Journal of Clinical Oncology (April 2011) Centralized Review Offers Promise for the Clinician, the Pathologist, and the Patient With Newly Diagnosed Lymphoma (Elaine S. Jaffe, MD)
- Journal of Patient Safety (August 2011) The Partnership With Patients: A Call to Action for Leaders (Charles R. Denham, MD)
News – Expertise Citations: can be found here
Book Mentions:
- Nonsense: The Power of Not Knowing, by Jamie Holmes
- Fatal Care: Survive in the US Health System by Sanjaya Kumar, MD
- The Empowered Patient by Elizabeth Cohen, CNN Senior Medical Correspondent
- Think for Yourself (Restoring Common Sense in an Age of Experts and Artificial Intelligence) by Dr. Vikram Mansharamani
Organizations / Memberships:
- ICOPA: The International Conference on Patient Advocacy (developer)
- The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates
- Disruptive Women in Healthcare
- National Patient Advocate Foundation
- Patient Advocate Certification Board (retired)
- PULSE America (Persons United Limiting Substandards and Errors – patient safety organization.)
- CAPS: Consumers Advancing Patient Safety
- Society of Participatory Medicine (retired)
Prior to beginning her patient empowerment and advocacy work in 2004, Trisha was owner of IntegriMark Communications, LLC, in Syracuse, NY. IntegriMark was a marketing consultancy that focused on moving small businesses to the Web. She began her marketing career in 1985 after an eight year classroom teaching career.
Trisha holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Bucknell University (Pennsylvania) and a Master of Science degree from Elmira College (New York), both in education.
Her misdiagnosis, the impetus for her patient advocacy work, draws curiosity from her readers and listeners. It is described in depth here.
(updated January 2020)
