Like you, Gayle has had frustrating experiences with health care providers and insurance companies — as a patient, as a parent, and while helping her own parents. She believes that many of the problems people experience with navigating the health care system are a result of poor communication and coordination. It can be difficult to question providers, know what to ask, and be able to process the information. It is especially challenging to do so when you are emotionally overwhelmed by the situation.

Gayle clearly remembers the fear and confusion she felt when one of her newborn twins was in the NICU. She and her husband were lucky to have good health insurance, get paid time off from work, and have a strong social support system; so many people don’t. But there was still so much uncertainty:
What questions should we ask the doctors?
Do the answers make sense?
Did we get all the information we needed?
What is covered by insurance and what isn’t?
What do we do next? And how do we manage it all?

As a patient advocate, Gayle can provide help navigating the health care system, including:
building effective relationships with providers,
researching and identifying treatment options,
understanding your insurance, and
identifying support services.

A good advocate has strong problem-solving, communication, and analytical skills; is proactive and assertive; can research and synthesize information; and can connect people and ideas. Gayle’s personal and professional experiences have led her to develop those skills and strengths.

Gayle’s credentials:
Board Certified Patient Advocate, 2018
Certificate, Consumer Health Advocacy, University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Patient Partnerships, 2017
​Certified Senior Advisor, Society of Certified Senior Advisors, 2017
PhD, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, 1999
Master of Public Health, University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health, 1992
Bachelor of Business Administration, University of Michigan School of Business Administration, 1990

Gayle has over 20 years of experience as a health services researcher at University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health and Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. In addition to navigating the health care system for her own family, Gayle has experience advocating with the school system and in the community.