CarolAnne Dube

MSc, BCPA
Patient Advocates of Southwest Florida, LLC
CarolAnne

CarolAnne Dube

MSc, BCPA
Patient Advocates of Southwest Florida, LLC
Advocate Location
Punta Gorda , FL 33983
Specialty
Medical Guidance
Other Services
Special Care & Aging
TeleAdvocacy Available
Offers FREE Initial Consultation
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*Greater National Advocates Terms of Use Apply
How I Can Help
Navigating healthcare can feel overwhelming and confusing. As a Board-Certified Patient Advocate and founder of Patient Advocates of Southwest FL, LLC (PAoSWFL), I help individuals and families navigate the medical system with clarity, confidence, and calm.

Whether you're facing a new diagnosis, struggling with medical decisions, or advocating for a loved one, I provide the time, attention, and expertise needed to ensure you are truly heard and supported.

I offer:
- Expert healthcare navigation and care coordination
- Real-time hospital and ER advocacy
- Behavioral health and substance-use navigation
- Coaching that strengthens independence and self-advocacy

My approach combines compassion with fierce, knowledgeable advocacy — providing you with a partner who stands by your side throughout every step of your healthcare journey. No one should have to navigate it alone.
Important Information About Me
  • I offer a FREE Initial Consultation
  • I offer TeleAdvocacy Service
  • I am insured
  • My geographical area of practice is Southwest Florida
Why I Became A Professional Health Care Advocate
My journey into patient advocacy began the day I realized that even with decades of healthcare experience behind me, navigating the system for a loved one was far more difficult than it should be. Despite my clinical and administrative background, I encountered delays, bias, fragmented information, and moments when it felt as though no one was truly seeing the full situation.

Standing in that gap — between what should happen and what was actually happening — changed the course of my career. It revealed how overwhelming, isolating, and vulnerable healthcare can feel, even for those who understand it professionally. That experience affirmed something that now guides all of my work: every patient and every family deserves to feel heard, supported, empowered, and not alone.

This realization ultimately led me to become a Board-Certified Patient Advocate and to establish Patient Advocates of Southwest Florida, LLC (PAoSWFL). Through my work, I help patients and care partners navigate complex medical situations, restore clarity when information becomes fragmented, and ensure that decisions are made with a full understanding of the clinical landscape.

Over time, I began to recognize a pattern that repeatedly appears in complex healthcare situations: no single provider sees the full picture, and critical decisions are often made without a full understanding of the situation. This insight has led me to increasingly focus on restoring situational clarity — helping patients, families, and care teams understand the complete context of a medical situation before important decisions are made.

Drawing on a background in nursing, healthcare leadership, and real-world advocacy, I specialize in supporting individuals facing medically complex circumstances involving multiple providers, evolving diagnoses, and significant decision-making burden.

At PAoSWFL, I advocate with both compassion and resolve — serving as a clear voice, a strategic guide, and a trusted partner for patients and families who need more than the system alone can provide.
Contact Advocate
Formal Education
Alvernia School of Practical Nursing, Pittsburg, PA, 1977
University of Maine at Fort Kent, B.S. Business Management, 2001
University of Maine, Graduate Certificate. Healthcare Administration, 2003
Bay Path University, MS. Strategic Fundraising & Philanthropy, 2013
Faith Experience
  • Christianity
  • Protestantism
Additional Skills
Professional Expertise
Deep Knowledge of Healthcare Systems

• Complex Care Navigation: Guides clients through hospital systems, specialty care, treatment decisions, and care transitions with clarity and strategic direction.

• System-Level Insight: Extensive familiarity with hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, rehabilitation centers, and outpatient providers—allowing for effective coordination across fragmented care environments.

• Protection of Patient Rights: Strong knowledge of patient rights, HIPAA protections, and healthcare compliance, ensuring privacy, safety, and ethical care are upheld throughout the care journey.

Strategic Advocacy
• Situational Clarity in Complex Cases: Specializes in restoring clarity when medical information, diagnoses, and provider roles become fragmented across multiple specialties.

• Conflict Resolution & System Navigation: Experienced in addressing communication breakdowns, care delays, and systemic barriers so clients receive appropriate and timely care.

• Emergency & Hospital Advocacy: Provides real-time advocacy during ER visits and hospitalizations to ensure patients are heard, respected, and treated without bias.

• Behavioral Health Navigation: Supports families navigating substance use, mental health challenges, and behavioral health systems with both professional training and lived insight.

Client-Centered Communication

• Medical Translation: Transforms complex medical language into clear, actionable understanding so patients and families can make informed decisions with confidence.

• Deep Listening: Creates a trusted environment where clients feel heard, respected, and supported during vulnerable healthcare moments.

• Education & Empowerment: Equips clients and families with the communication tools and knowledge needed to engage effectively with healthcare teams.

Unique Attributes
Servant-Warrior Mindset

• Compassion + Courage: Combines a servant’s heart with a warrior’s resolve—bringing empathy, humility, and determined advocacy to difficult healthcare situations.

• Steadfast Presence: Approaches each case with calm leadership and unwavering commitment to protecting the client’s voice, values, and choices.

Lived Experience as a Source of Strength

• Personal Healthcare Navigation: Firsthand experience navigating complex medical situations deepens understanding of the emotional and practical challenges families face.

• Empathy Through Life Experience: Personal experiences with adversity and loss shape a compassionate approach that resonates with clients during their most vulnerable moments.

Transformational Communication

• Story-Driven Clarity: Uses real-world cases and lived experiences to illuminate healthcare challenges and help others understand complex situations more clearly.

• Educational Leadership: Develops articles, tools, and presentations that empower patients and care partners to navigate healthcare with greater confidence.

My work is gounded in the belief that when clarity is restored, better healthcare decisions become possible.
Professional Affiliations
- Maine Commission of Community Service (governor appointment), 2006-12. Chair 2009-12.
- Medical navigation experience with families experiencing a Substance Use Disorder (SUD) diagnosis of a spouse, child, brother, or sister.
- Extensive public speaking and presentation experience - local, regional, state, and national levels.
2025: Presenter - National Advocacy Summit: Las Vegas.