Ekua Hackney-Stephens
MSN RN
CareBridge Nursing & Advocacy Inc.
Ekua Hackney-Stephens
MSN RN
CareBridge Nursing & Advocacy Inc.
Advocate Location
Long Beach , CA 90802
Specialty
Medical Guidance
Other Services
Special Care & Aging
TeleAdvocacy Available
Offers FREE Initial Consultation
*Greater National Advocates Terms of Use Apply
How I Can Help
I help patients and families manage complex or chronic health conditions, particularly when they are seeing multiple specialists or having difficulty coordinating their care.
Medical Record Review & Organization
I will help you gather and organize medical records from multiple providers and healthcare systems, identify important information, and create a clear medical history and timeline.
Preparing for Medical Appointments
I will help you organize your concerns, prepare questions, and gather the information you want your healthcare provider to know before your appointment.
Understanding Your Healthcare Information
I will explain diagnoses, test results, treatment plans, and medical terminology in plain language so you can better understand what is happening.
Communicating With Healthcare Providers
I will help you organize and communicate your concerns, questions, and healthcare goals to your medical team.
Care Coordination
I will help coordinate referrals, appointments, follow-up care, and communication between the healthcare providers involved in your care.
Finding Specialists & Healthcare Resources
I will help you identify appropriate specialists, healthcare services, and community resources based on your healthcare needs.
Second-Opinion Preparation
I will help you organize your medical information and prepare questions and records for a second opinion or consultation with another healthcare provider.
Hospital & Discharge Support
I will help you communicate with your healthcare team during a hospital stay, understand your care, prepare for discharge, and plan for the transition home or to another care setting.
Chronic & Complex Healthcare Needs
I will help you organize and manage healthcare when you are dealing with multiple medical conditions, specialists, treatments, or ongoing healthcare needs.
Family Caregiver Support
I will help family caregivers understand their loved one's healthcare, organize information, prepare for appointments, and find resources that may be helpful.
Medical Record Review & Organization
I will help you gather and organize medical records from multiple providers and healthcare systems, identify important information, and create a clear medical history and timeline.
Preparing for Medical Appointments
I will help you organize your concerns, prepare questions, and gather the information you want your healthcare provider to know before your appointment.
Understanding Your Healthcare Information
I will explain diagnoses, test results, treatment plans, and medical terminology in plain language so you can better understand what is happening.
Communicating With Healthcare Providers
I will help you organize and communicate your concerns, questions, and healthcare goals to your medical team.
Care Coordination
I will help coordinate referrals, appointments, follow-up care, and communication between the healthcare providers involved in your care.
Finding Specialists & Healthcare Resources
I will help you identify appropriate specialists, healthcare services, and community resources based on your healthcare needs.
Second-Opinion Preparation
I will help you organize your medical information and prepare questions and records for a second opinion or consultation with another healthcare provider.
Hospital & Discharge Support
I will help you communicate with your healthcare team during a hospital stay, understand your care, prepare for discharge, and plan for the transition home or to another care setting.
Chronic & Complex Healthcare Needs
I will help you organize and manage healthcare when you are dealing with multiple medical conditions, specialists, treatments, or ongoing healthcare needs.
Family Caregiver Support
I will help family caregivers understand their loved one's healthcare, organize information, prepare for appointments, and find resources that may be helpful.
Important Information About Me
- I offer a FREE Initial Consultation
- I offer TeleAdvocacy Service
- My geographical area of practice is Los Angeles and Orange County in person, Teleadvocacy nationwide
Why I Became A Professional Health Care Advocate
From a very young age, I cared deeply about helping others. That caring led me to become a registered nurse, where I found a meaningful way to care for and support children and adults with their healthcare needs. Advocacy naturally became an important part of my life, both personally and professionally. I advocated for both of my parents as they aged, including supporting my mother, who is now 99, and later advocated for my husband when he faced a Stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis.
My husband's diagnosis showed me firsthand how overwhelming it can be to navigate the healthcare system when someone you love is seriously ill. He was initially told that his cancer was not curable and that he had about two years to live. I sought a second opinion, which led to genetic testing and immunotherapy. During his treatment, I questioned a CT scan that was reported as normal and advocated for it to be re-read. The report was corrected. I also advocated for a change in oncologists when I felt his care needed a more holistic approach. Throughout his treatment, I kept track of his medical information, appointments, labs, and diagnostic tests. Three and a half years later, he remains cancer-free.
As a nurse, I advocated for patients living with sickle cell disease, helping ensure their unique needs were understood and their concerns heard. My work with people living on Catalina Island also taught me about the challenges that distance and limited access to healthcare can create.
These experiences taught me the importance of listening, understanding the challenges patients and families face, and helping them navigate the healthcare system. My journey as a nurse has come full circle. Independent advocacy is the next chapter of my story.
My husband's diagnosis showed me firsthand how overwhelming it can be to navigate the healthcare system when someone you love is seriously ill. He was initially told that his cancer was not curable and that he had about two years to live. I sought a second opinion, which led to genetic testing and immunotherapy. During his treatment, I questioned a CT scan that was reported as normal and advocated for it to be re-read. The report was corrected. I also advocated for a change in oncologists when I felt his care needed a more holistic approach. Throughout his treatment, I kept track of his medical information, appointments, labs, and diagnostic tests. Three and a half years later, he remains cancer-free.
As a nurse, I advocated for patients living with sickle cell disease, helping ensure their unique needs were understood and their concerns heard. My work with people living on Catalina Island also taught me about the challenges that distance and limited access to healthcare can create.
These experiences taught me the importance of listening, understanding the challenges patients and families face, and helping them navigate the healthcare system. My journey as a nurse has come full circle. Independent advocacy is the next chapter of my story.
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