Our history:
WNC Health Advocates was conceived as Life o' Mike in May of 2008 by Leslie Boyd, six weeks after the death of her son, Mike Danforth, and received its 501(c)(3) status in late 2009. We began by holding health care rallies to educate the public about the need for health reform, although we never have endorsed a particular solution; instead, we hope to encourage policymakers to sit down and solve the problems in our system.
Our programs all are designed to help people who are in the health care system, to offer comfort and care and to educate health care consumers.
In early 2010, we moved into a small office in downtown Asheville, and a year later, moved to our current location in the Park Office Building, 70 Woodfin Place, Suite 230, off Charlotte Street in Asheville. We continue to seek ways to help people who are under-served in our system, and people who will continue to be without access to quality health care even after Jan.1, 2014.
Our programs all are designed to help people who are in the health care system, to offer comfort and care and to educate health care consumers.
In early 2010, we moved into a small office in downtown Asheville, and a year later, moved to our current location in the Park Office Building, 70 Woodfin Place, Suite 230, off Charlotte Street in Asheville. We continue to seek ways to help people who are under-served in our system, and people who will continue to be without access to quality health care even after Jan.1, 2014.
Our programs:
Patient Pals & Family Friends
WNC Health Advocates has a peer support program for people with one or more serious or chronic medical issues or disabilities.
We aim to reduce isolation and fear among people who have conditions, including psychiatric illness, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, mild dementia or other cognitive disorder or disability, thereby reducing depression and complications as people learn to improve self-management of their medical conditions. Patient Pals help alleviate feelings of isolation and frustration. They can help people develop a list of questions to ask the doctor and then accompany the person to the doctor to make sure all the questions are answered, taking notes to be sure the person understands the doctor’s answers.
Our trained volunteers also accompany their “Pals” to art exhibits, movies and walks outdoors, meet for coffee, call to check in and more.
Our Pals have experienced weight loss, improvement in diabetes, HIV, psoriasis, depression and more, just because they have someone who cares about them. Some relationships develop into longer-term friendships; other Pals move on to more independent lives.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.
We aim to reduce isolation and fear among people who have conditions, including psychiatric illness, HIV/AIDS, diabetes, mild dementia or other cognitive disorder or disability, thereby reducing depression and complications as people learn to improve self-management of their medical conditions. Patient Pals help alleviate feelings of isolation and frustration. They can help people develop a list of questions to ask the doctor and then accompany the person to the doctor to make sure all the questions are answered, taking notes to be sure the person understands the doctor’s answers.
Our trained volunteers also accompany their “Pals” to art exhibits, movies and walks outdoors, meet for coffee, call to check in and more.
Our Pals have experienced weight loss, improvement in diabetes, HIV, psoriasis, depression and more, just because they have someone who cares about them. Some relationships develop into longer-term friendships; other Pals move on to more independent lives.
Family Friends are there to help caregivers and other family members grow into their new role.
We need volunteers, who are asked to donate a minimum of one hour a week. Training is free and includes information on active listening, ways to help and when to know more help is needed.
And of course, we need funding.
To learn more, call Leslie Boyd at 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com.
Start From Seed
Start from Seed is a volunteer doula program aimed at providing non-medical, comprehensive support to low income, high-risk women and families of Buncombe County focusing on three areas:
1. We help new doulas with certification and training in return for their participation as a volunteer doula for SFS
2. We mentor volunteer doulas with their first few clients
3. Our volunteer doulas provide birth and postpartum doula services to low income, high risk moms, providing support and tools to empower them as a new parent.
A birth doula is a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; a postpartum doula provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.
Start from Seed clients are referred to us from the Buncombe County Department of Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership Program, Western North Carolina Community Health Services, and Mission Hospital. The Program is intended and designed for growing clients’ inner strength and helping them gain empowerment to help them cope with the emotional, physical and mental challenges of childbirth, labor, and motherhood.
Our new moms and their infants have many needs. If you would like to help them get off to a good start, please visit our Start from Seed web site: Start from Seed, or call Program Director Chelsea Kouns at 804-814-9946.
1. We help new doulas with certification and training in return for their participation as a volunteer doula for SFS
2. We mentor volunteer doulas with their first few clients
3. Our volunteer doulas provide birth and postpartum doula services to low income, high risk moms, providing support and tools to empower them as a new parent.
A birth doula is a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; a postpartum doula provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.
Start from Seed clients are referred to us from the Buncombe County Department of Health’s Nurse-Family Partnership Program, Western North Carolina Community Health Services, and Mission Hospital. The Program is intended and designed for growing clients’ inner strength and helping them gain empowerment to help them cope with the emotional, physical and mental challenges of childbirth, labor, and motherhood.
Our new moms and their infants have many needs. If you would like to help them get off to a good start, please visit our Start from Seed web site: Start from Seed, or call Program Director Chelsea Kouns at 804-814-9946.
True Stories
True Stories is our education program. We tell the stories of people's journeys through our health care system and we talk about the new Affordable Care Act, what it means to consumers and what does -- and doesn't -- do.
Who will be exempt from having to buy insurance? What will it cover? What is a health benefits exchange? Is there a "death panel?" Does the government want access to your bank account?
We offer answers to your questions by phone or e-mail, and we have a PowerPoint presentation.
For more information, call 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com
Who will be exempt from having to buy insurance? What will it cover? What is a health benefits exchange? Is there a "death panel?" Does the government want access to your bank account?
We offer answers to your questions by phone or e-mail, and we have a PowerPoint presentation.
For more information, call 828-243-6712 or e-mail lifeomike@gmail.com