You Don't Have to Navigate Healthcare Alone
Whether you're facing a new diagnosis, managing a health condition, caring for a loved one, navigating disability concerns, supporting an aging parent, or feeling overwhelmed by the healthcare system, support is available.
Healthcare can be complicated.
Understanding your options shouldn't be.
Healthcare can be complicated.
Understanding your options shouldn't be.
WHAT IS HEALTH CARE ADVOCACY?
A Health Care Advocate helps individuals and families understand, navigate, and organize their healthcare journey.
The goal is not to make decisions for you.
The goal is to help you understand your options, ask informed questions, access appropriate resources, and make healthcare decisions with greater confidence.
As a Registered Practical Nurse, Certified Return to Work Coordinator, and Social Advocate, I help individuals and families navigate both healthcare challenges and the social factors that can impact health and well-being.
Because health challenges rarely happen in isolation, and both the medical and social aspects of care deserve attention.
The goal is not to make decisions for you.
The goal is to help you understand your options, ask informed questions, access appropriate resources, and make healthcare decisions with greater confidence.
As a Registered Practical Nurse, Certified Return to Work Coordinator, and Social Advocate, I help individuals and families navigate both healthcare challenges and the social factors that can impact health and well-being.
Because health challenges rarely happen in isolation, and both the medical and social aspects of care deserve attention.
HOW I HELP
Healthcare Navigation
✅ Understand diagnoses and treatment recommendations
✅ Prepare for healthcare appointments
✅ Navigate specialist referrals
✅ Understand tests, results, and recommendations
✅ Organize medications and health information
✅ Prepare questions for healthcare providers
Caregiver & Family Support
✅ Support aging parents
✅ Navigate caregiving responsibilities
✅ Understand community resources
✅ Power of Attorney and future care planning discussions
✅ Family healthcare advocacy
Post-Surgery & Recovery Support
✅ Discharge planning and home safety review
✅ Pain management and physiotherapy compliance check-ins
✅ Early identification of post-surgical complications
✅ Support when a loved one is recovering but struggling to follow their care plan
✅ Coordination of follow-up care and recovery resources
✅ Family guidance and advocacy throughout the recovery journey
Disability & Workplace Support
✅ Short-Term Disability
✅ Long-Term Disability
✅ Workplace accommodations
✅ Return-to-work planning
✅ Workers' Compensation concerns
Health & Social Advocacy
✅ Mental health navigation
✅ Community resource referrals
✅ Housing and social support connections
✅ Understanding available services and supports
✅ Building confidence as a self-advocate
✅ Understand diagnoses and treatment recommendations
✅ Prepare for healthcare appointments
✅ Navigate specialist referrals
✅ Understand tests, results, and recommendations
✅ Organize medications and health information
✅ Prepare questions for healthcare providers
Caregiver & Family Support
✅ Support aging parents
✅ Navigate caregiving responsibilities
✅ Understand community resources
✅ Power of Attorney and future care planning discussions
✅ Family healthcare advocacy
Post-Surgery & Recovery Support
✅ Discharge planning and home safety review
✅ Pain management and physiotherapy compliance check-ins
✅ Early identification of post-surgical complications
✅ Support when a loved one is recovering but struggling to follow their care plan
✅ Coordination of follow-up care and recovery resources
✅ Family guidance and advocacy throughout the recovery journey
Disability & Workplace Support
✅ Short-Term Disability
✅ Long-Term Disability
✅ Workplace accommodations
✅ Return-to-work planning
✅ Workers' Compensation concerns
Health & Social Advocacy
✅ Mental health navigation
✅ Community resource referrals
✅ Housing and social support connections
✅ Understanding available services and supports
✅ Building confidence as a self-advocate
CHOOSE THE LEVEL OF SUPPORT THAT'S RIGHT FOR YOU
From appointment preparation to ongoing healthcare advocacy, Health Care Shield provides services designed to help you navigate healthcare challenges with clarity and confidence.
The options below are intended as a guide. During your free consultation, we'll discuss your unique circumstances and identify the support option that best meets your needs and budget.
The options below are intended as a guide. During your free consultation, we'll discuss your unique circumstances and identify the support option that best meets your needs and budget.
PERSONALIZED SUPPORT FOR YOUR HEALTHCARE JOURNEY
Support That Meets You Where You Are
Every healthcare journey is different, and so is every financial situation.
The pricing below is intended as a guide to help you understand the investment associated with each level of support. Following your free consultation, we will discuss your unique circumstances and determine the most appropriate support option for your needs, goals, and budget.
Free Consultation
Our conversation is an opportunity to discuss your situation, identify challenges, answer questions, and determine which support option may be most beneficial.
📄 Quick Reference Document — $20
Best for: A single healthcare appointment or specific concern.
You'll receive a personalized fillable document designed to help you prepare for an upcoming appointment with confidence.
Includes:
✔ Questions to ask your healthcare provider
✔ Important discussion points tailored to your situation
✔ Space to record notes and recommendations
✔ Guidance to help you feel organized and prepared
🛡️ Personalized Action Plan / Crisis Toolkit --
Starting at $100
Best for: A new diagnosis, difficult healthcare decision, or situation requiring more guidance and organization.
A customized action plan created specifically for your circumstances and delivered within 24-48 hours.
Include:
✔ Appointment preparation checklist
✔ Questions for healthcare providers
✔ Communication scripts for difficult conversations
✔ Healthcare provider tracking tools
✔ Resource recommendations
✔ Emotional support and self-management tools
✔ Personalized next-step action plan
🚨 Acute Crisis Support — Starting at $300
4-Week Intensive Support Period
Best for: A new serious diagnosis, hospitalization, multiple specialist appointments, urgent healthcare decisions, or rapidly changing medical circumstances.
Designed to provide personalized support during one of the most stressful periods of a healthcare journey.
Includes:
✔ Regular check-ins throughout the 4-week period
✔ Appointment preparation and question development
✔ Understanding diagnoses and treatment recommendations
✔ Healthcare system navigation
✔ Coordination support between healthcare providers and services
✔ Identification of community and healthcare resources
✔ Family support and advocacy discussions
✔ Attendance at select healthcare appointments when appropriate
Additional support needs will be discussed during your consultation and may affect pricing.
🩺 Chronic Case Management — Starting at $200
30-Day Support Package
Best for: Individuals living with ongoing health conditions who would benefit from regular support, guidance, and advocacy.
Includes:
✔ Four scheduled check-ins over 30 days
✔ Appointment preparation support
✔ Healthcare navigation guidance
✔ Assistance understanding recommendations and next steps
✔ Resource identification and referrals
✔ Advocacy coaching and support
✔ Ongoing accountability and encouragement
Need ongoing support beyond 30 days?
Ongoing Monthly Advocacy Support — Starting at $150/month
Continued support tailored to your individual needs, health goals, and circumstances.
🦴 Post-Surgery Recovery Support — Starting at $150
2-Week Recovery Support Period
Best for: Individuals recovering from surgery and families providing support during recovery.
Designed to help ensure recovery stays on track while identifying concerns early.
Best for: Individuals recovering from surgery and family members providing support during the recovery process.
This may include recovery support following:
✔ Hip and knee replacements
✔ Abdominal surgery
✔ Cardiac procedures
✔ Cancer-related surgery
✔ Cosmetic procedures such as tummy tuck (abdominoplasty) and breast augmentation, reduction, reconstruction, or lift surgery
Includes:
✔ Discharge plan review
✔ Home safety recommendations
✔ Recovery planning and education
✔ Pain management check-ins
✔ Support understanding post-operative instructions
✔ Guidance on safe movement, positioning, and activity progression based on healthcare provider recommendations
✔ Assistance with transfers and mobility considerations (e.g., bed-to-chair, bathroom safety, home setup)
✔ Early identification of concerns that may require medical follow-up
✔ Follow-up appointment preparation
✔ Family education and support
✔ Recovery accountability and encouragement
✔ Assistance identifying community supports and recovery resources
Designed to help individuals recover with confidence while providing reassurance, education, and support throughout the healing process.
Not sure which option is right for you?
Book a free consultation and we'll discuss your situation, answer your questions, and identify the level of support that best meets your needs.
HEALTH CARE SHIELD BOOKS
Prefer to start with a resource you can keep at home and reference whenever you need it?
📖 Health Care Shield Workbook
📖 Surprise, You Are Now a Caregiver Advocate
Written from more than 24 years of real nursing experience, these practical, plain-language resources help individuals and families become stronger, more confident healthcare advocates.
Whether you're preparing for appointments, organizing health information, supporting aging parents, or navigating a new diagnosis, these books provide tools you can use immediately and return to whenever you need guidance.
Coming Soon................
Be the first to know when the books are available and receive launch updates, caregiver resources, and advocacy tips.
Why Choose Health Care Advocacy?
Throughout my nursing career, I have seen firsthand how difficult healthcare decisions can be.
What surprised me most was not that people lacked intelligence or motivation. It was that many people were expected to navigate a complex healthcare system without the knowledge, support, or confidence to advocate for themselves.
Some of the most important healthcare decisions happen between appointments. Questions arise after you leave the doctor's office. Treatment decisions need to be made. Family members need support. Test results require explanation. New diagnoses create uncertainty.
These moments can leave people feeling overwhelmed and alone.
Sometimes what people need most is not more information. Sometimes they need someone to help them make sense of it.
That's where advocacy can make a difference.
Health Care Advocacy May Be Right For You If:
- You've received a new diagnosis
- You're supporting an aging parent
- You're caring for a loved one
- You're recovering from surgery, or supporting someone who is
- You're navigating workplace disability or return-to-work concerns
- You're struggling to coordinate healthcare services
- You're feeling overwhelmed by the healthcare system
- You're unsure what questions to ask or where to turn next
- You're looking for guidance specific to your unique circumstances
You don't have to figure it out alone.
- You've received a new diagnosis
- You're supporting an aging parent
- You're caring for a loved one
- You're recovering from surgery, or supporting someone who is
- You're navigating workplace disability or return-to-work concerns
- You're struggling to coordinate healthcare services
- You're feeling overwhelmed by the healthcare system
- You're unsure what questions to ask or where to turn next
- You're looking for guidance specific to your unique circumstances
You don't have to figure it out alone.
Everyone Deserves the Right Care and the Right Knowledge.
Healthcare can be complicated. Understanding your options shouldn't be.
With more than 24 years of healthcare experience and 7 years of disability management experience, I have worked across acute care, oncology, rehabilitation, community health, occupational health, disability management, and long-term care.
As a Registered Practical Nurse, Certified Return to Work Coordinator, and Social Advocate, I bring a unique perspective that combines clinical knowledge, healthcare navigation, disability management expertise, health literacy, and an understanding of the social factors that influence health outcomes.
My role is not to tell you what to do. My role is to help you better understand your options, ask informed questions, access appropriate resources, and feel more confident navigating your healthcare journey.
What You Can Expect
✅ More than 24 years of healthcare experience
✅ Disability management and return-to-work expertise
✅ Practical, easy-to-understand information
✅ Support navigating healthcare, disability, workplace, and social systems
✅ A culturally competent and inclusive approach
✅ Mental health awareness and a whole-person perspective
✅ Compassionate, judgment-free conversations
✅ A focus on education, self-advocacy, and informed decision-making
✅ Someone who sees you as a person—not just a diagnosis
With more than 24 years of healthcare experience and 7 years of disability management experience, I have worked across acute care, oncology, rehabilitation, community health, occupational health, disability management, and long-term care.
As a Registered Practical Nurse, Certified Return to Work Coordinator, and Social Advocate, I bring a unique perspective that combines clinical knowledge, healthcare navigation, disability management expertise, health literacy, and an understanding of the social factors that influence health outcomes.
My role is not to tell you what to do. My role is to help you better understand your options, ask informed questions, access appropriate resources, and feel more confident navigating your healthcare journey.
What You Can Expect
✅ More than 24 years of healthcare experience
✅ Disability management and return-to-work expertise
✅ Practical, easy-to-understand information
✅ Support navigating healthcare, disability, workplace, and social systems
✅ A culturally competent and inclusive approach
✅ Mental health awareness and a whole-person perspective
✅ Compassionate, judgment-free conversations
✅ A focus on education, self-advocacy, and informed decision-making
✅ Someone who sees you as a person—not just a diagnosis
Why Choose JA Smith Consulting & Nursing Services?
Trusted Guidance. Compassionate Advocacy. Real-World Experience
My Philosophy
"Lack of knowledge is the worst disease. Everyone deserves the right care and the right knowledge."
— Michelle Smith, RPN, CRTWC
READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?
Whether you need a quick reference document for your next appointment or ongoing support through a crisis, recovery, or chronic condition, you don't have to navigate healthcare alone.
You deserve the right care and the right knowledge.
Most importantly, never forget: You are the most important member of your healthcare team.
THE DIFFERENCE ADVOCACY CAN MAKE
"Michelle helped me better understand my healthcare options and gave me the confidence to advocate for myself. Her guidance and support made a difficult situation much easier to navigate."
— Health Care Advocacy Client
"I felt heard, supported, and empowered throughout the process. Michelle took the time to explain my options and helped me make informed decisions about my care."
— Consultation Client
"Professional, compassionate, and knowledgeable. The support I received helped me navigate complex healthcare challenges with greater confidence."
— Community Member