Student Advocates

Ali is a second year law student at the UW-Madison Law School. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Pharmacology and Toxicology from UW-Madison in 2011. She became interested in the work of the Center  after observing family members attempt to navigate the complex healthcare system. She believes that the interdisciplinary approach of the Center is a vital component to bridging the vast communication gaps that exist in the delivery of health care to patients and is excited to further develop her advocacy skills as she prepares to enter the legal profession.

Amanda is a member of the Center for Patient Partnerships’ Health Advocacy Archive Project. She graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in Information Science. She volunteers for hospice where she first became familiar with the meaning of patient-centered, whole person care. She hopes to carry this model into her role as a patient advocate, and is interested in seeing how the practice of nonviolent communication can help clients find more peace and clarity during difficult times.

Cam is currently a Lemon Law attorney but is in the process of transitioning to patient advocacy. She has been a volunteer at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill Healthcare in various patient liaison positions and is a peer counselor for a bladder cancer support group. She has a particular interest in the use of support groups for chronic or life threatening illnesses. She spends much of her spare time and money networking shelter dogs and supporting the movement toward no kill shelters. Cam and her husband have four fantastic grown up human children (1 his, 3 hers) and two fantastic shelter Australian Cattle Dogs.

Cindi grew up in Rockford, IL but left the cold winters to earn her undergraduate degree in Speech and Language Pathology from the University of Virginia, and her master’s from The George Washington University. After practicing for several years she was drawn to the business side of healthcare and enjoyed a 25+ year career in sales and account management in group health and pharmacy benefits, occupational health and disability management, and mental health and substance abuse. After being an advocate for her parents and more recently her brother through extended life-limiting illnesses, Cindi is enrolled in the Capstone Certificate program to begin a third chapter of her career to support others in their healthcare journeys. Cindi is a proud mother of two sons, both in grad school, and an aging whippet, Millie.

Elizabeth is a second year student at the UW-Madison Law School. She majored in biology and completed the pre-med program at Carleton College. However, after personal experiences in the health care system, she decided to focus her career on reforming, instead of providing, health care. She spent last summer as a legal intern at ABC for Health helping clients secure health care benefits.

Vanessa is a second year law student at the UW-Madison Law School. She received a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the UW-Stout. Vanessa became interested in patient advocacy after completing several undergraduate courses which focused on the legal issues patients face resulting from health care related decisions. She looks forward to being able to help patients navigate through the health care system thereby easing their anxiety, confusion, and worry. Vanessa is also interested in the legal rights afforded to patients as well as the legal limits placed on medical personal and hospitals.