Connexion Replay: A Look At Health Leadership

Health Leaders wear many hats. Some lead support groups, some advocate for their loved ones at the doctor’s office, some work with legislatures to expand healthcare coverage, and more. In this session, the options and opportunities that are available to Health Leaders as they move through their advocacy journeys are covered. Watch below.

Key takeaways:

• Health Leadership can be defined as any action that speaks in favor of, recommends, argues for a cause, supports or defends, or pleads on behalf of others.
• There are 4 main types of advocacy: community awareness and education, legislative, digital creator, and healthcare collaborator.
• To get started doing community awareness and education, Raquel recommends becoming an expert in your condition and learn about how the healthcare system affects other patients.
• To get started in legislative advocacy, begin strategically using free social media platforms to get the word out.
• To get started as a digital creator, get started on 1-2 types of social media and think about what gap you can fill in the community space. Ask yourself-what are people looking for that you have experience in?
• To become a healthcare collaborator, attend relevant conferences, stay up-to-date on research, and engage with patient communities and nonprofits.

About the speakers:

• Laura Kompanik is the Director of the Social Health Network at Health Union.
• Racquel H. Dozier is a Lupus Advocate & Educator. She was diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in 2004. Once diagnosed, Racquel realized that there was little to no support or access to information about lupus. Racquel understood she could help lupus warriors and educate others about lupus and formed Lupus In Color, an international support, education and advocacy group. A former social worker, teacher and counselor, Racquel is currently an author, entrepreneur and true advocate for the lupus community.
• Elle Cole empowers moms and advocates for children with sickle cell disease. She is a mom of twin daughters, one of whom is living with sickle cell disease and type 1 diabetes. In 2020 she was awarded the Advocating for Another WEGO Health award. She is the author of several books, including A Sickle Cell Coloring Book for Kids, ABCs of Sickle Cell, and The Ultimate Sickle Cell Activity Book.
• Rachel Hill is the highly ranked and multi-award winning thyroid patient advocate, writer, speaker and author behind The Invisible Hypothyroidism. Her books are bestselling and adored the world over by the thyroid patient community. Renowned for sharing her personal experiences and knowledge in an honest and authentic way, Rachel’s thyroid advocacy work includes authoring books, writing website articles, appearing on radio, television and podcasts, as well creating as her popular email newsletters. She has also been a board member for The American College of Thyroidology, and a council member for SocialHealthNetwork.com.
• Erica Carrasco is a migraine blogger from Midland, Texas, now living in Fayetteville, North Carolina. She helps her husband, Stephen, raise their two teens, Marissa and Noah, through a life with chronic pain and neurological symptoms. Their daughter, who also lives with migraine disease, is a junior in high school learning how to thrive with Erica at her side. Erica lost three jobs in this career field because of migraine and now is learning how to let go and find a new purpose through migraine advocacy. Erica is a Speak Your Migraine Network advocate and shines a light on a life with migraine with her husband by traveling across the United States telling their story. Together they discuss what their family life is like and how important advocacy is to the migraine community.