Valve Repair First in New England Done With Robot...(eart-shaped pillows that they tell peopl...),Health

As Holland was considering whether to choose this procedure, nurse advocates at Patient Advocates gathered technical data, spoke with medical professionals at Massachusetts General and produced other research for him. Patient Advocates administers The Baker Co. self-insurance health plan, and medical advocacy is a core service provide to the members of such plans.

"Patients deserve access to the most leading-edge procedures available, which is why we work so closely with centers of medical excellence such as Massachusetts General," said Jim Ward, president and founder of Patient Advocates. "Not only is careful treatment research and analysis the right thing to do for patients, that advocacy also can create substantial cost savings.

"When patients receive the right care, they get healthy and return to work as quickly as possible," Ward said. "You don't have the expensive and unnecessary secondary treatments that happen when things aren't done right the first time."

Many members of health plans administered by Patient Advocates travel to centers of medical excellence for treatment, and patients receive support throughout that process.

"We often travel to Boston with patients to help them navigate the health care system. They appreciate that we're working to make sure everything goes smoothly," said Rosemary Simmons, RN, a nurse-advocate at Patient Advocates. "In this case, Tom felt comfortable enough with the procedure, after learning about it and seeing the research, that he didn't feel like he needed to have someone with him."

In recent days, Holland has been taking his boat out on the ocean to check on lobster traps. He has nothing but praise for the medical professionals he worke
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