Student Advocates

Albert is a third year pharmacy student at the University of Wisconsin School of Pharmacy. He studied Integrative Biology and Anthropology at the University of Illinois – Urbana-Champaign and did additional graduate work at the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities. Since then, Albert has had the privilege of serving diverse patient populations across several community pharmacy settings. These experiences have helped him gain a humbling appreciation of some potential barriers to patient care. Albert aspires to help empower patients as they navigate an increasingly complex healthcare system. He continues to learn from and be inspired by his patients and mentors.

Alyssa is a second year law student. Alyssa graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies, Political Science, and Sociology. She also received certificates in Criminal Justice, African Studies, and Gender and Women’s Studies. Her 2009 internship as a Community Health Intern for the Milwaukee Area Health Education Center drew her to patient advocacy as she encountered health disparities and barriers to health care. Alyssa’s professional goals center on the interrelation of law and health policy. After completing her legal education, Alyssa hopes to pursue a career in health law seeking to bridge the disparity in access to care in maternal and child health.

Amanda is a fourth year Social Psychology Ph.D. student at UW-Madison. She was drawn to health advocacy through her personal experience with her father’s cancer battle that started in 2010. She has been directly involved in research and decisions regarding his treatments, as well as coordination of his care with multiple providers and insurance companies. By being involved in this complicated and emotional process, she has gained a passion for helping other patients through the process. She is excited to be a part of the Center for Patient Partnership’s Health Advocacy program so she can gain the skills necessary to do just that. She also hopes to learn ways in which she can help transform the healthcare system into one that is less challenging for patients to navigate themselves.

Amy is a second year student at the University of Wisconsin law school. She received her BA in International Relations from American University in 2006. After graduation, she worked as a paralegal for attorneys doing health care litigation and transactional work. She hopes that her role as an advocate will allow her to better understand the challenges patients face in our healthcare sysem.

Breanne – I am a second year law student and am very excited to begin work with the Center for Patient Partnerships. I became interested in healthcare advocacy through both a family experience and past employment. I have worked with children receiving healthcare through BadgerCare, as well as adult clients who have been denied Social Security/Disability benefits. In these contexts, I have seen the effects of a healthcare system that is either inaccessible or insufficient to meet patients’ needs. It is a personal goal of mine to work for change in the healthcare system so that all people may have access to the care they need. Mental health care and children’s healthcare are of particular interest to me.

Fatou- I was born and raised in Gambia, West Africa and has live in Madison Wisconsin for the past ten years. I earned my bachelor’s degree at Edgewood College in the field of Psychology with emphasis in Human Services. I have been working in the health care industry for about eight years as a caregiver, support personnel and recently as a Health Benefit Counselor. Thus I have seen firsthand the difficulties that patients are faced with in the current system. I’ve always had a strong desire to help people and to make a difference in many lives. All of these has drawn me to patient advocacy program which will enable to me widen my scope of knowledge and experience and to better help me to assist patients in need to navigate the health care system.

Jake is a second year law student at the University of Wisconsin Law School. His interest in health care arose from stories he heard from family members who worked in the health care industry. While Jake was an undergraduate student at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, his interest in health care was furthered through his philosophy and public administration studies. During his senior year, he completed a thesis on ethics in health care administration. He also served as an intern with the Public Defender’s Office while in undergrad, where he formed an interest in patient advocacy through his work with inmates facing physical and mental health problems. He looks forward to working with the Center for Patient Partnerships in the year ahead for the opportunity it presents to advocate for others and to gain experience in the health care field.

Meganis a graduate of Iowa State University and moved out to Portland, Oregon after graduating to explore the West. She moved back to Iowa upon learning of a family medical emergency and her life was quickly changed by a 5-year battle with her father’s head and neck cancer. During that time she and her sister were also running the 100-year-old family business in manufacturing. Managing her father’s illness she learned to navigate first hand several aspects of illness management, from health insurance, cancer treatments and surgeries, medical centers and eventually end of life in home care. Over this time she realized how many holes there are in the management of patient care and is eager to help create and be part of a movement to change these problems.

Randall was born and raised in metropolitan Milwaukee, and completed his undergraduate study at UW-Madison with a degree in Dairy Science with a basic science emphasis. He received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. He has been in private veterinary practice ever since. He has owned his own practice in suburban Madison for the past 24 years. He currently manages a staff of 15 including two associate veterinarians. In 2011, he completed a Master of Public Health degree through the UW School of Medicine and Public Health and a Certificate in Global Health through the Center for Global Health. As part of these programs, he completed a 400 hour internship at the City of Milwaukee Health Department and a three week study of health care systems in Uganda. Randy is married to Debbie, a nurse practitioner. They have three adult children, two of them having completed college degrees, and one grandchild. Randy’s interest in the Patient Partnership Program comes out of his training in public health and his experiences advocating for his own parents’ health care.