Media Contact: Danielle Marshall
Email: dmarshall@pacboard.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PATIENT ADVOCATE CERTIFICATION BOARD ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD MEMBERS
(November 12, 2019 – Ada, OH) The Patient Advocate Certification Board announces the election of three new members to its Board of Directors. The newly elected Board members are Melissa Cardine, Karen Carasik and Heidi Kummer.
PACB President, Dr. Christine North, announced, “I am pleased to welcome the three newest members to our Board of Directors. They each have a unique background, with diverse experiences that make them an asset to the PACB Board of Directors and to the organization as a whole”. PACB also added Felix Davies and Tara Bailey as Directors earlier this summer.
Tara Bailey, MPA, BCPA, CMC, CDP, CSA, RG, Treasurer
(2019-2022)
Since the early days of serving as a patient advocate for family, I obtained the PPAI Certificate in Professional Patient Advocacy and Hospital Patient Advocacy. When the Board Certified Patient Advocate opportunity came about, I jumped on the chance to increase my skills and credibility by being among the first wave of students to pass and receive the certification. I am committed to serving fellow advocates, as well as caregivers who find themselves in similar situations as I was in all those years ago. By serving on the Patient Advocate Certification Board, I hope to bring years of professional and practical experiences into educational and learning opportunities for those seeking to be certified in this vital and compassionate profession.
Melissa Cardine, MSN, RN, BCPA
(2019-2022)
For the past four years as the owner of The Bridge RN Patient Advocates, I have provided health advocacy services for my clients and have seen how this work has profoundly benefited their lives. One of the most important aspects of this profession is maintaining high standards for patient advocates, so that patients across the country will benefit from their expertise and commitment to the professional and ethical standards developed by this Board. I hope to help PACB further develop and expand the certification process and demonstrate its value.
Karen Carasik, Esq., J.D.
(2019-2022)
As a practicing attorney I was an Adjunct Professor of Law, supported not for profits and served on various National, Chicago and Orlando boards over the years. I hold a Florida health insurance license and was certified in Medicare. My personal experiences as caregiver and advocate for my parents required me to learn how to navigate “health care”. The complexity of navigating Patients’ Rights, Medical Records, Medicare, Hospitalization, CCRC, Hospice, SNF, Provider, Pharmacy and other issues makes PACB education and BCPA Certification a needed resource and benefit. I hope to help PACB grow the value of Patient Advocacy Certification.
Felix Davies, PhD, BCPA
(2019-2022)
I hope to contribute to US, UK and international patient advocacy by providing an alternative perspective from another country, culture and health and social care system; to support the development of patient advocacy in the UK by promoting patient advocacy and the PACB across the UK and increasing the professionalization and governance of patient advocacy in the UK by promoting PACB values, ethical standards and competencies. And to support international patient advocacy cooperation and collaboration for the benefit of all participating countries by representing the voice of health advocates outside the USA; drawing on my experience of working internationally and cross-culturally and drawing on my working knowledge of French, German, Spanish and Japanese language.
Heidi Kummer, MD, MPH, BCPA
(2019-2022)
Since leaving clinical practice, I earned an MPH (concentration in Health Law, Bioethics and Human Rights), served as Chief Operating Officer of a start-up and, perhaps most importantly, served as an advocate for seriously ill family members and friends. I am just transitioning to working as a full-time advocate. Joining the PACBoard provides an opportunity to collaborate and learn from the as yet small, but passionate group of people from diverse backgrounds, contribute to a cause I truly believe in and as such be both a stimulating as well as a rewarding experience in which I can utilize my broad clinical background and educational experiences to benefit the organization.
The 2019 Board of Directors includes:
Officers:
Christine North, PhD, MPH, BCPA, President
Lee Mulert, MBA, MS, CSA, Vice President
Lea Christo, MSW, LICSW, BCPA, Secretary
Tara Bailey, MPA, BCPA, CMC, CDP, CSA, RG, Treasurer
Directors:
Melissa Cardine, MSN, RN, BCPA
Karen Carasik, Esq., J.D.
Felix Davies, PhD, BCPA
Malynnda Johnson, PhD
Heidi Kummer, MD, MPH, BCPA
About PACB
In order to maintain the credential, Patient Advocates who earn the BCPA must either retake the exam or complete 30 Continuing Education credits every three years. Certified advocates are listed on the PACB website. The exam is available two times a year. The next testing period is scheduled for spring 2020. Contact help@pacboard.org to be notified when registration becomes available. Learn more at https://pacboard.org/getcertified/. The site also hosts news and developments about the organization and information related to exam registration and credential maintenance.
Patient Advocate Certification Board, Inc., is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization focused on development and maintenance of certification for the profession of patient advocacy.
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