Professional Development & Careers
health advocate professionals
There are several types of jobs within this Health Advocacy umbrella including positions as health advocates, patient advocates, nurse navigators, patient liaisons, patient administrators and others. As of today, there is no professional certification/credentialing system in place for individuals engaged as Health Advocates but there are many educational options available.
interested in a health advocate career?
As Health/patient Advocacy is continuously recognized as an up and coming career and covered in media outlets like The Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, National Public Radio (NPR), Fox News and Kiplinger to name a few, more and more people become interested in becoming Health Advocates every year. Currently, there are no set educational standards or prerequisites one needs to obtain to embark on a career as a health advocate. Additionally, there is no professional certification/credentialing system in place by an independent body although a national patient advocacy credentialing effort is currently underway. Read more about it here.
Health Advocates are involved in a variety of different healthcare-related areas and come from various backgrounds and expertise. Those can include nurses, physicians, physician assistants, social workers, case managers, hospital administrators, patient care coordinators, insurance providers, home aid workers, as well as lawyers and paralegals among others.
There also are health advocates with or without the above credentials, who have personal experience through their own illness or from assisting a family member. Those individuals have become advocates for others going through a similar process or illness.
Currently, a broad spectrum of educational options exists with variable length of study, ranging from 2-3 week workshops to year-long educational certificates and a Master's program.
Learn more about current education options in Health Advocacy (provided by the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates).
Health Advocates are involved in a variety of different healthcare-related areas and come from various backgrounds and expertise. Those can include nurses, physicians, physician assistants, social workers, case managers, hospital administrators, patient care coordinators, insurance providers, home aid workers, as well as lawyers and paralegals among others.
There also are health advocates with or without the above credentials, who have personal experience through their own illness or from assisting a family member. Those individuals have become advocates for others going through a similar process or illness.
Currently, a broad spectrum of educational options exists with variable length of study, ranging from 2-3 week workshops to year-long educational certificates and a Master's program.
Learn more about current education options in Health Advocacy (provided by the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates).
Health Advocacy Careers
There has been a steady increase in advocacy-related career opportunities in healthcare and more specifically for health advocates, patient advocates, patient liaisons and nurse navigators as illustrated in the graphs below.
The Washington State Health Advocacy Association is focusing on promoting health advocacy in our state, empowering patients and improving patient outcomes. That is why we both appreciate and strive to support the health advocacy profession.
The Washington State Health Advocacy Association is focusing on promoting health advocacy in our state, empowering patients and improving patient outcomes. That is why we both appreciate and strive to support the health advocacy profession.
Sector Job Trends
