Melissa and Jennifer have provided me with the education, tools, and support I needed to launch my patient advocacy business. They were encouraging, transparent, open, and fun! I loved the tools they provided and the structure of the Keystone Program. I would highly recommend them to those who’ve been thinking about this business opportunity. Without them, I would not be launching my business! They are the best! Thank you, Melissa and Jennifer!
Melissa Cardine
MSN, RN, WOCN, BCPA
Melissa has been a nurse for over 25 years. She received her Bachelor of Nursing in 1997 and Masters of Nursing in 2002. Her passion is listening to patients, families, and caregivers. She enjoys collaborating with other healthcare professionals. She has done that at every turn in a nursing career that spans from complex home health care services and hospital nursing to opening a nationally recognized outpatient treatment center. She believes that healing accelerates when patients and healthcare providers connect and build a common understanding of symptoms and goals. Unfortunately, the current healthcare system limits the ability of both the patient and their healthcare providers to achieve this with regularity.
In October 2015, her passion and the ideas she developed in her Master’s program, turned into action. She enrolled in a patient advocacy program and soon thereafter started The Bridge RN Patient Advocates. Through The Bridge RN Patient Advocates, she has found enormous success and has helped numerous clients along their healthcare journey over the past nine years. It prompted her to become further involved in the patient advocacy profession. She took and passed the exam to obtain the Board Certified Patient Advocate credentials in March 2019. She was selected to be a Board Member of the Patient Advocate Certification Board (PACB) beginning in November 2019. She was elected as President and served from November 2020 to November 2021. The PACB created and administers the certification exam to become a Board Certified Patient Advocate. She enjoyed shaping the process for patient advocacy certification and guiding the evolution of the profession through this position. Melissa is a wife and mother of three wonderful children living in Gilbert, Arizona. The past decade has been one of immense personal and professional growth for Melissa, but her passion for listening to patient stories is still the same as the day she first became a nurse.
Jennifer Whalen
DHSc, MHS, PA-C, BCPA
Jennifer has been working in healthcare most of her life and has a passion for providing outstanding patient care. She started working in health care as a CNA in nursing homes and as a medical assistant in primary care before attending the physician assistant program at Duke University. She worked for ten years as a clinical PA in urgent care, family practice and hospital medicine. Jennifer has experienced the frustration of the healthcare system from many points of view and wants to work to change the way health care is delivered. She stopped practicing medicine and enrolled in a Doctorate of Health Sciences program from which she graduated in May 2020. She met Melissa five years ago when Melissa was looking for someone to help grow her health advocacy business. Jennifer quickly became enthralled with the profession and the impact it was having on the lives of their clients and the success Melissa was having with her business. She knew she wanted to provide excellent educational opportunities to train new advocates and guiding advocates as they started new businesses. Jennifer became a Board Certified Patient Advocate in November 2019. She volunteers with Arizona Association of Patient Advocates, a non-profit organization to advance patient advocacy and healthcare in Arizona, as President of the Board of Directors and Newsletter editor.
Jennifer grew up in New Hampshire and spent ten years in Virginia before moving to Arizona seven years ago to be closer to family. In her spare time, you will find her traveling, playing with her foster kittens, or simply enjoying her family. Jennifer loves growing The Bridge Health Advocates and expanding the community of health advocates.
HEALTH ADVOCACY
Due to the complexities and short-comings of the healthcare system, health advocacy is needed now more than ever. Health advocates work directly with patients, their families and medical providers to promote the patient’s interests as they navigate the healthcare system. Nurses, case managers, physicians, PAs, and other medical professionals are especially well-suited for this rewarding career as they put their medical experience, insider knowledge of the healthcare system, and compassion to work for their clients. The health advocate profession is growing and evolving. The Bridge Health Advocates is excited to be part of that evolution as we work to train medical professionals to become health advocates.
MISSION
To transform the healthcare experience for patients, families and medical professionals by building a dynamic community of professional health advocates through unparalleled advocacy and business training.
Melissa and Jennifer founded The Bridge Health Advocates in 2019 to support Melissa’s vision to share her success and experience as a health advocate with other professionals. We bring the transformative experience provided by health advocates to as many patients as possible. The Bridge Health Advocates expands the health advocate profession by training new advocates, assisting those who choose to launch new careers as advocates and ultimately bring advocacy services to any person who wants them. Melissa and Jennifer have a desire to build a strong community of professional health advocates who will transform the healthcare experience together.
VISION
A world in which everyone has access to a health advocate and is empowered on their journey to health.
VALUES
At The Bridge Health Advocates, We Value:
Advocate Professionalism that requires integrity and strong relationships built on mutual trust and exceptional communication.
Compassion for our clients, families and healthcare providers emphasizing openness and empathy in our interactions so that all may feel empowered.
Innovation in healthcare to create significant change that solves problems for a better patient experience and better health outcomes.
Leadership that works to advance the health advocacy profession and improve the healthcare system.
Continuing Education for personal and professional growth with a commitment to lifelong learning.
A dynamic Community of professional health advocates connecting so that we may all be better together.
