Jennifer Stephens

My passion for patient advocacy is professional but also deeply personal. A CAREGIVER'S EMPATHY. Navigating my husband's stage 4 colon cancer diagnosis for 5 years gave me a masterclass in the human side of medicine. FAMILY ROOTS. Growing up, I watched my mother juggle two jobs while providing daily care for my aunt. I learned early on how to support and protect a patient's dignity and autonomy. 26 YEARS OF INSIGHT. I know how challenging it is to navigate a health crisis from talking with thousands of patients, caregivers, and healthcare executives throughout my 26-year (!) career. I have evaluated, designed, and led health programs across hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, insurance firms, government agencies, and non-profits. One of my earliest career wins was creating a government-sponsored step-by-step guide for health organizations on how to make their facilities easy for patients to navigate. More recently, I served as principal investigator on a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded study on building patient trust in hospitals.

Johns Hopkins University, BA, Public Health Boston University School of Public Health., MPH, Social & Behavioral Sciences and Maternal & Child Health

EXPERT RESEARCH: author of peer-reviewed publications; peer-reviewed journal article review and translation; quality comparisons; compare providers like doctors, specialists, pharmacies, hospitals, nursing homes, and other facilities; evaluate providers based on quality, safety, cost, and patient experience; use medical research and clinical guidelines to summarize the pros and cons of a treatment based on personal preferences; compare insurance plans CAREGIVER: spouse, parent, adult child CANCERS: GI cancer, gastrointestinal cancer, pancreatic cancer, PanCan, colon cancer, colorectal cancer, rectal cancer, lung cancer, stomach cancer, metastatic cancer, stage III, stage 3, stage IV, stage 4, Fluorouracil (5FU), capecitabine, oxaliplatin, CTDNA, Signatera, Natera, CEA MENTAL HEALTH: ADHD, Anxiety, Depression AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE: Multiple Sclerosis (MS), lupus, myasthenia gravis (MG) CARDIAC CARE: heart conditions DIABETES ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY SICKLE CELL DISEASE STIs and HIV: gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, herpes, Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C (HCV), HIV, AIDS CLEAR COMMUNICATIONS: plain language, consumer-friendly communications, translate medical jargon, structure and manage family and friend updates and support trains (e.g., meal trains, cleaning, visiting) EQUITY AND DISPARITIES: working with underserved, underrepresented, and vulnerable populations LGBTQ+ FRIENDLY

• I offer a FREE Initial Consultation
• I offer TeleAdvocacy Service
• I am insured
• My geographical area of practice is national; in person services limited to DC and Maryland suburbs