Patient Advocate Services
Helping You Navigate Your Healthcare Journey
All of our patients have an experienced patient advocate to guide them through their journey. From understanding what insurance will cover and how to pay for surgery to what to expect before and after, the advocate also provides personalized assistance with coordinating care across the team and getting answers to questions along the way.
The patient advocate is a key player on your team, providing knowledgeable support, compassion and encouragement through every step of your journey.
Benefits of a Patient Advocate:
Meet Our Orthopedic Clinical Manager & Joint Care Coordinator
Lena Rangel, RN
Lena
Rangel has been at Lakewood Regional since 2012, and in the orthopedic department since 2015. She enthusiastically describes the work she does as, “I support and educate elective hip and knee patients through the process and program. I love
to kick off the blindfold of the unknown and help to decrease the patient’s anxieties about surgery. I am a phone call away from our patients and coaches, and encourage them to know that the only “dumb” question is the one not asked.
I also teach patients what to look for and what to do about any complications when they are home with their coaches. When I follow up at 72 hours and 30 days via phone, I’m able to assess their progress, see what their needs are and follow up
with any agency that is not meeting our expectations and level of service. This helps to prevent complications, delays or regression and keep the patient moving toward the goal. Then at 90 days we ask them to come back and celebrate their success
at our reunion breakfast. The best reward is to see patients strutting their stuff! It is such a reward to know that their quality of life has improved!”
