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Resources

What is a Patient Health Advocate?

Professional patient health advocates are trained in many aspects of facilitation for your health and wellness. Advocates also specialize in various skills and services, which can include the following:

  • Help you learn more about your medical condition and treatment options

  • Help you make difficult medical decisions

  • Help you maintain a healthy pregnancy and raise healthy babies by working with a midwife, doula, or lactation specialist

  • Teach you pain management techniques

  • Accompany you to medical appointments or stay by your bedside in the hospital

  • Help you navigate the insurance maze

  • Help you file health insurance claims, dispute denials, and manage or reduce your hospital and medical bills

  • Help your family agree on decisions that need to be made for a loved one who needs health-related assistance

  • Find legal assistance after a medical error

  • Track paperwork and records

  • Help you file for social security disability or other assistance

  • .. or help with many additional services, too.

Patient Advocacy and Navigation Services » Medical / Navigational Assistance and Case Management

  • Diagnosis and treatment – review of recommendations and options, assistance with decision-making

  • Background research: diagnosis and/or treatment options

  • Records review and discussion

  • Preparation for appointments

  • Accompaniment to appointments

  • Hospital bedside monitoring

  • Pain Management and Palliative Care Consulting

  • Healthcare proxy and advance directive assistance

  • Caregiver support

  • Guardianship or Conservatorship Services
     

Medical Billing / Health Insurance / Medicare / Payer Assistance

  • Medical bill reviews and reconciliation

  • Helping you choose the right health insurance plan or payer for you

  • Filing and tracking medical bill paperwork and payments

  • Negotiations: disputes, denials of claims, and appeals, for hospital bills or other medical billing

  • Medicare or Medicaid recommendations and decision-making (Advantage Plans, Medigap, others)
     

 Home Health and Eldercare Services

  • In-home nursing care

  • Home therapy and rehabilitation

  • Daily living assistance

  • Assisted living and nursing home recommendations

  • Pain Management

  • Hospice services

  • End-of-life planning, including advance directives
     

 End of Life Planning Services

  • In-home nursing care

  • Home therapy and rehabilitation

  • Daily living assistance

  • Assisted living and nursing home recommendations

  • Hospice and palliative care services
     

Shared Decision Making » Pain Management and Palliative Care Consulting » Mental Health / Substance Abuse Services  » Dental Advocacy

  • Decision-making for dental health needs

  • Review and negotiation of dentist bills
     

Pregnancy, Birth and Pediatric Assistance

  • Midwife or doula services including home and water birthing

  • Lactation consulting

  • Birth coaching

  • Lamaze technique training
     

Mediation Assistance for Family Health Matters

  • When difficult health-related decisions need to be made for a loved one, including family disputes (moving a parent into a nursing home, choosing an out-of-town treatment facility, and others)
     

Legal or Fiduciary Assistance (Medical / Healthcare Related)         

  • Worker’s Compensation assistance

  • Disability filings and review including Social Security Disability

  • Malpractice and medical error review

  • Guardianship or Conservatorship services
     

Prevention Services     

  • Pain Management

  • Drug reviews

  • Health and wellness planning

  • Weight Loss

  • Health Education

  • Prevention resources

  • Find an appropriate provider or practitioner

Resources for NIWH Learners and Graduates

The National Institute of Whole Health provides a variety of support and services for its learners and graduates. As our focus is on serving those who serve others within medicine and health care, we have surveyed our learners to identify what types of support they prefer once they have completed the program. Below is a list of the resources and networking opportunities.

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NPI NumberNIWH provides post-professional health education training that, combined with an applicable degree and professional liability insurance, can be submitted for a National Provider Identification (NPI) number. This NPI number allows for secondary insurance billing and coding for patient health education services. For more information, please contact the NIWH Program Services Office at 888-354-HEAL (4325).

The NIWH Billing & Coding Manual is available for Providers Hiring or Utilizing the Services of an NIWH-trained Whole Health Educator. In addition, a specially prepared Billing and Coding Manual is available to all NIWH graduates who provide patient health education services and have applied for and received an NPI number. For all NIWH professionals working in or for a medical practice or clinic, NIWH provides a billing and coding manual for your office to direct bill for patient education services. If an NIWH graduate has their own NPI number, a specially prepared Billing and Coding Manual for Health Education services will be provided to you upon graduation. For more information, contact the NIWH administrative office at 888-354-HEAL (4325).

Professional Malpractice Insurance through the world’s largest organization representing qualified and credentialed educators and counselors. The American Counseling Association offers its members outstanding malpractice insurance through HPSO, Healthcare Provider Services Organization, which insures credentialed health education counseling professionals. For more information, contact the NIWH office at 888-354-(4325).

Monthly FREE Business Development and Practice Building Tele-Conference Seminars – This important graduate networking and support service for NIWH learners and graduates provides the knowledge and additional tools and networking necessary to understand and succeed in today’s health care competitive environments. As an outgrowth of the NIWH Whole Health Success workshops, you can sign up for the seminars by simply emailing Program Services at legal@niwh.org. You will be sent the conference call information and scheduled times and dates for the seminars. In addition, each month the program services administrator conducts a live Q & A call-in session for all new and current learners on any subject relating to the coursework, proctored exams, case studies, or the final paper project. E-mails with days and times and call-in information are sent each month to all learners and graduates.

The NIWH comprehensive, scientifically rigorous programs qualify our Whole Health learners to test out for the Chronic Care Professional national certification, and move on to the Registered Health Coach® program, which if successfully completed, leads to registration on the PartnersinImprovement® National Online Health Coach Registry®. Special NIWH discounts apply. 

In 2006, John Reed, MD, then Chief Medical Officer of the Health Support division of Healthways, Inc., one of the country’s largest integrative health insurance networks, worked with the National Institute of Whole Health to establish criteria for the credentialing of Whole Health Advocates and Health and Wellness Coaches into the Healthways WholeHealth Networks, and WholeHealth MD national integrative health networks. As a result, and because of the education and professional credentials required to enter any of the NIWH Whole Health programs, NIWH graduates are accepted into Healthway’s national networks, and their WholeHealth Living Network, as both a credentialed Whole Health Advocate and a Health and Wellness Coach. This Healthways enrollment opportunity is available only to credentialed NIWH Whole Health graduates. For details contact NIWH at 888-354-4325.

Career Guidance and Facilitation – All NIWH Whole Health graduates can request personalized Career Guidance and Facilitation after the successful completion of their program. This free service is designed to assist the health or education professional in identifying and achieving their individual career and work goals and how they may want to apply their Whole Health training in the current healthcare, education, or wellness environments; or how to go about setting up and successfully conducting their own practice or business.

The National Institute of Whole Health (NIWH) has partnered with WellPeople.com to bring the visionary, online Wellness Inventory to its Whole Health learners. A specially prepared video Wellness Inventory course is now part of the Whole Health programs. This Whole Person Wellness Program resonates with NIWH’s values and philosophy, as well as the mission of facilitating individuals’ Whole Health and the promotion of Whole Person Care and Whole Health Self-Care. NIWH graduates may take the Wellness Inventory training at a special 30% savings for NIWH learners. For details, call 888-354-HEAL (4325). For a special FREE course, graduates should contact NIWH at 888-354-4325.

NIWH is an approved provider of prerequisite coursework for nurses who wish to apply for the AHNCC Board Certified Nurse Coach certification. NIWH also provides mentor information for the required clinically supervised hours required for the board certification.

Nurse professionals can utilize the VSNA–ANCC approved Continuing Education contact hours they receive from the NIWH program to apply for the National Holistic Nurse Certification. 

True North Business Consulting – Under the direction of attorney Cynthia Pasciuto, an NIWH consultant, certified Whole Health graduates will be provided a free business consultation that includes a personalized assessment and strategy for developing a Whole Health practice or business. In addition, NIWH graduates have special access to outstanding online video-streamed resources, which include Marketing Strategy, Business Development, Networking and much more. If you are looking to develop or grow your practice/professional business this outstanding service will give you the information and guidance you are looking for. Cynthia Pasciuto is an Adjunct Faculty member at Bentley University in Waltham, MA and the Director of True North Business Consulting. To contact Cynthia please call the NIWH Student Services Office at 888-354-HEAL (4325).

Attention NIWH certified Nurse Professionals – Health Dialog is a national leader in telephonic health education and coaching, which invites its patient members to actively participate in their health and wellness decisions and healthcare choices. Health Dialog welcomes NIWH nurse graduates who have the Whole Health certification and appropriate work experience. If you would like more information about this exciting opportunity, call 888-354-HEAL (4325).

Michael Dresser Media Coaching – NIWH is proud to announce an exclusive partnership with the nationally syndicated radio talk show host and communications expert, Michael Dresser. Michael, who has spent over 29 years in broadcasting and the media, has interviewed over 30,000 guests and numerous luminaries from the political arena to the world of entertainment. Michael’s interviews of note include TV legend Ed McMahon, Tim Russert, Diane Ladd, Congress Ron Paul, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, Tony Robbins, Mark Victor Hansen, Rita Crosby and many more.  Michael is the host of the nightly radio talk show Dresser After Dark. He will be conducting live radio interviews with qualified NIWH interns and graduates who are seeking to promote their services, books or expertise in the field of Whole Health. He also provides promotional and publicity coaching. There is no cost for this outstanding radio exposure! For details and the NIWH-Dresser ID code, please contact the Program Services Department at 888-354-4325.

Debi Silber The Mojo Coach – Debi Silber, RD, MS, CPT, WHC – is a credentialed health professional, and NIWH Whole Health Coach graduate who has parlayed her training, skills and talent to become a nationally recognized self-improvement expert, author and success coach. She would love to share with other NIWH graduates the secrets to her phenomenal success and provide you with the tools, tips and target goals to create your own whole health focused success! Debi will help you leverage your Whole Health training to become a published author-writer, publish and market books; build a platform through social media, article writing, blogging, guest blogging and more; create products and programs to serve clients online; grow a successful speaking career; create group education or coaching programs; participate in online teleseminars, webinars and tele-summits to promote your Whole Health business. Watch Debi’s TEDx presentation. For a free phone consultation with Debi contact the NIWH Program Services Department at 888-354-HEAL (4325).

NIWH has partnered with MINDBODY, a practice management tool for wellness professionals. All NIWH learners will receive 3 months at 50% off their monthly software subscription. This outstanding partnership also affords NIWH-certified Whole Health graduates with a free demonstration of the MINDBODY practice software. MINDBODY's low cost practice management allows professionals to manage their schedules and clients/patients from any device. In addition, the MINDBODY app allows consumers to find your private practice and book an appointment with you.

All NIWH learners receive a 1-year complimentary membership in the Alliance for Professional Health Advocates, one of the largest Professional Health Advocate organizations in the U.S.  APHA offers many educational benefits, networking opportunities, free podcasts and webinars, as well as discounts on events, programs and business development programs. 

For NIWH Whole Health certified Nurses who wish to apply their Whole Health coursework towards the AHNCC Board Certified Nurse Coach certification, 60 Mentored Hours of Coaching with an AHNCC Board Certified Nurse is required to become board certified. Through its educational partnership with the Bark Institute and Dr. Linda Bark, NIWH graduates will receive a significant discount for the 60-hour Mentorship Coaching required for AHNCC. NIWH graduates receive a 15% discount on the Foundation I program. and a 20% discount on Foundation II, A & B, and Practicum I.

Re-Cert and Continuing Education for NIWH Graduates – NIWH Whole Health professionals will be required to recertify each year to maintain their Whole Health Education credentials for network inclusion and professional privileges. Eight (8) CE contact hours are required each year. These Whole Health CE contact hours may be completed online. A special, discounted continuing education fee of $99.00 covers the cost of the CE program and certificate. For NIWH learners who have not recertified since 2007, a special 10-course program is available, which allows the NIWH graduates to take advantage of all the outstanding professional credentials and opportunities available through NIWH. For more information, contact the NIWH Business Office at 888-354-4325.

Whole Health Success Tutorials – NIWH’s outstanding FREE Whole Health Success tutorial prepares graduates for professional success. After completing your program, you can receive personalized information, tools, tips and networking information necessary to create a successful private practice or land the “job of your dreams”. A personalized 45-minute consult to assist you with your individualized goals is provided. To schedule your no-cost tutorial, contact the NIWH Business Office at 888-354-4325.

Behavioral Engagement – Currently the subject of two pilot studies through CMU, and a current Research Collaborative with Michigan State University, College of Human Medicine, the Behavioral Engagement Certificate online Webinar and Video Training in “Communication Facilitation” is available to all NIWH learners and graduates at significant savings. This training is appropriate for all professional, as well as, personal communication applications and has been proven by over 35 years of research to immediately transform relationships when utilized and applied properly. The training is available online and is accessed at the learner's convenience 24/7. For more information, contact the NIWH Business Office at 888-354-4325.

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Since 1977, Pioneers of Whole Health™, Whole Person Health Care™, and Whole Health Education®

888-354-HEAL (4325)

781-237-7971

Text us at 508-479-4943

NIWH Conference Room Location
148 Linden Street
Wellesley Center, MA 02482

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