A fragmented healthcare system, a confusing patient journey, and out of control spending all contribute to the passel of problems. And it is usually the patients and their families who get lost in its overwhelming maze of unanswered questions and exorbitant bills.
Pure light at the end of the tunnel is an innovative company that offers more than just words on paper to the patient in need of a helping hand. Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates offers the patient and family the services of a professional, caring and highly experienced RN who walks them through the process of consultation and treatment, and will even accompany them on doctors’ visits. Peace of mind replaces the confusion and frustration of facing the system on your own.
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Going the extra mile to coordinate patient care
Not only does this shining light in healthcare offer a nurse advocacy program for patients, but 2013 saw Guardian Nurses create their Mobile Care Coordinator Program, mobilizing their RNs by putting them in branded SUVs. These nurses visit patients in hospitals, accompany them to physician visits, and visit them in their homes post-hospital discharge. Their goals, and the Program’s goals, are to improve the patient’s experience, improve clinical outcomes, and reduce costs.
Small but significant beginnings
Guardian Nurses was founded by a nurse who saw a need to guide patients through the healthcare maze. It was Betty Long, RN, MHA who started the company when she witnessed firsthand the struggles of a family member who tried the navigate the healthcare system on her own. Her aunt’s struggle through a jumble of tests, exacting treatments, conflicting opinions, difficult choices, and huge bills inspired her to compose a business plan. And, in 2003, the game-changing company was born.
The company’s inspirational philosophy and humanitarian-based mission of advocating for patients’ care was inspired by Florence Nightingale, the mother of modern nursing, whose passionate ideas revolutionized healthcare in her era. Guardian Nurses’ tag line Lighting Your Way Through the Healthcare System is an homage to the “Lady with the Lamp.”
It is with this same passion that Long leads Guardian Nurses. Their “high touch” approach to patient advocacy and care coordination changes lives and presents a proven and practical solution to effective patient engagement and care coordination.
Recognition as a leading innovator in healthcare
Guardian Nurses Healthcare Advocates has been officially recognized and honored with one of the 2017 Health Care Innovator Awards for finding innovative solutions to the challenges of quality, cost, and access to health care. These prestigious awards, given by the Philadelphia Business Journal, recognize business leaders who are making a difference. Long is one such leader and this nursing-owned and managed company is clearly making a difference to the patients with whom they work.
