Stepping Stone Advocacy Resource Center

Healthcare Knowledge for the Journey Ahead

Helping patients and families recognize, understand, and navigate healthcare with confidence.

Knowledge Brings Confidence

Clear, Compassionate Healthcare Education When You Need It Most

Healthcare questions often arise during stressful and uncertain moments. This Resource Center was created to help you find trustworthy, understandable information that can guide your next step—whether you are noticing a new symptom, adjusting to a diagnosis, caring for someone you love, or trying to make sense of the healthcare system.

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Welcome to the Stepping Stone Advocacy Resource Center. Healthcare can be confusing, but understanding it doesn't have to be. This Resource Center was created to help patients and families recognize important health concerns, better understand chronic illnesses, support loved ones, and navigate the healthcare system with greater confidence.

Overlooked diagnoses that can affect quality of life

Overlooked Diagnoses: 4 Common Conditions That Can Impact Quality of Life

Learn about four commonly overlooked medical conditions that can affect daily life, independence, comfort, and overall well-being.

Family supporting a loved one experiencing confusion

Why Is My Loved One So Confused?

Understand what may cause sudden confusion, what warning signs to watch for, and when it is important to seek medical attention.

Patient advocate helping a patient navigate healthcare decisions

When Is the Right Time to Hire a Patient Advocate?

Learn when an independent patient advocate can help with medical decisions, communication, care coordination, and complex healthcare needs.

Nurse patient advocate supporting patients and families
Featured Resource

The Future of Nurse Patient Advocacy: Changing Lives, Changing Healthcare

Nurse patient advocates are helping transform the healthcare experience by improving communication, coordinating care, and ensuring patients and families feel informed, supported, and heard. Discover how this growing role is changing lives and shaping the future of healthcare.

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Browse the Resource Library

Find Guidance for Every Stage of the Healthcare Journey

Explore trusted guidance designed to help patients and families better understand medical care, insurance, senior living, hospital transitions, and healthcare coverage.

Medical billing and insurance advocacy support

Medical Billing and Insurance Advocacy: Why They Must Work Together

Medical billing and insurance concerns are closely connected. Learn why addressing both together can help patients avoid costly mistakes, delays, denials, and unnecessary stress.

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Understanding assisted living pricing and expenses

Understanding Assisted Living Pricing: Three Terms That Can Change Your Bill

Assisted living costs are not always as straightforward as they appear. Understand three important pricing terms that can significantly affect a resident’s monthly bill.

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Older adult recovering at home after a hospital stay

What Happens After a Hospital Stay?

The first 30 days after leaving the hospital can be overwhelming. Learn how patients and families can prepare for recovery, follow-up care, medications, and the transition home.

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Understanding Medicare healthcare coverage

Understanding Medicare: A Guide for Patients and Families

Medicare can feel complicated. This guide helps patients and families better understand coverage, important choices, and common questions when navigating the healthcare system.

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Trusted Healthcare Resources

Organizations We Trust

These organizations provide additional education, support, directories, and advocacy resources for patients, caregivers, and healthcare advocates.

AdvoConnection

Search an online directory of independent professional patient advocates.

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Alliance of Professional Health Advocates

Resources, education, and professional support for independent patient advocates.

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Every Patient's Advocate

Educational resources that help patients become informed participants in their healthcare.

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Greater National Advocates

Connect with independent patient advocates and explore additional educational resources.

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You Don't Have to Navigate Healthcare Alone

Still Looking for Answers?

Educational resources can provide knowledge and confidence, but sometimes you need someone to walk beside you. Whether you're facing a new diagnosis, coordinating care for a loved one, or simply trying to make sense of the healthcare system, our experienced patient advocates are here to help.

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LORI IS EXTREMELY TALENTED!

What a great use of Lori’s talents!

I worked with Lori for several years during my career as an orthopedic surgeon. I know her to be not only compassionate and understanding but also a tireless advocate for what is right.

In difficult situations she was unwavering in her quest to enable me to provide the best possible care for my patients. She knows the system and how to work through it (and around it whenever necessary

LORI JUMPED RIGHT IN

If you are in need of a patient advocate, I would highly recommend Lori Schellenberg. She is extremely knowledgeable, effective, and professional. Knows when to be strong and forceful yet loving and caring with your loved one and your family. I was concerned about an elderly family member who had several severe falls, was forgetting to take medication, not eating healthy and not keeping up with housekeeping yet insistent she was fine and staying in her home. Even though Lori lived out of state she made phone calls on our behalf, made several recommendations to help us provide what our loved one needed and was an intermediary when it was necessary. Lori’s knowledge of geriatrics, continuous care/assisted living facilities, the health care system, long term care insurance and hospice is invaluable. She helped us put together a plan that provided the best and continuous care necessary for our loved one and our family. We are extremely thankful for her help and look forward to continuing to work with her as our loved one moves through the next phases of her life’s journey, thus enabling us to create loving memories.

LORI JUMPED RIGHT IN

My husband underwent nasal surgery 6 months ago, after he had a negative sleep study test and was referred to an ENT doctor due to continued fatigue and snoring.

Unfortunately, he developed two different serious infections, and we were concerned about his ongoing treatment with the ENT. In fact, we were very anxious because he wasn’t getting better but the surgeon was not clear with us as to what to do next.

When describing what was going on, Lori jumped right in, when she found out my husband was actually at the surgeon’s office at that time, and still did not understand the situation. She recommended that my husband ask to have the surgeon come back into the room, and to call her so that she could speak to the surgeon with my husband in the room. Lori was very professional and knowledgeable in her approach with his surgeon. She established a treatment plan, in a way that my husband could understand, and why this was the plan. She also discussed the “what ifs” the current treatment plan did not work. He ordered further tests to be completed prior to his next appointment, if he did not improve.

She followed up with my husband and I to make sure we understood the plan.

By advocating for my husband, Lori relieved a lot of anxiety and stress that this current medical concern was causing, and they felt more confident in the surgeon’s care.

We highly recommend Lori and Stepping Stone Advocacy Services, if you are experiencing a medical condition, and don’t know where to turn for answers. She is experienced and professional, yet able to discuss medical terms in a way that we understood.