AnnMarie Cross

Hi everyone, I’ve really enjoyed reading through everyone’s introductions—it’s inspiring to see the different paths that brought people into this work.

My name is ShaTonga, and I come from a mental health and social services background with over 25 years of experience. I’ve worked with youth, families, adults, and the elderly, mainly in case management, care coordination, and intensive family-based work. A lot of my experience has been supporting individuals with complex needs, helping them stay stable in the community, and working with families to navigate systems that can feel overwhelming.

My interest in patient advocacy also comes from personal experience. Supporting my mother through her healthcare journey really showed me how challenging it can be to navigate care, even with a background in this field. That experience pushed me to move more into advocacy and focus on helping individuals and families better understand and manage their care.

I’m currently working toward my certification in patient advocacy and building my own practice. I’m looking forward to connecting with others here and continuing to grow in this work.

Hi everyone, I’m Ginger. I’m a Registered Nurse with a Master’s in Nursing and over 40 years of experience in healthcare, and I’ve been working in rural healthcare since 2012. Over the years, I’ve seen firsthand the challenges these communities face—limited access to services, long travel distances, and navigating care across multiple systems. Much of my work has involved helping patients manage complex conditions while coordinating care and overcoming these barriers. Advocacy has naturally been a big part of my work, and in 2026 I decided to focus on it fully by starting my own patient advocacy practice. I’m especially interested in supporting rural and Medicare populations and look forward to connecting with others here.

Hi everyone! While a bit delayed, I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself—and to say welcome and thank you to everyone who has joined PA360° to be part of this community and these conversations.

My name is Melina Oien. I am a BCPA and hold a master’s degree in Health Advocacy from Assumption University. I’m a staff member at GNA, one of your admins here, and an independent patient advocate. Like many at GNA, my role spans a wide range of work—from program development and design, to building and managing outreach and partnership relationships, to supporting our Patient Advocacy Liaisons with more complex or extraordinary cases within the Advocacy Support Center.

In my direct 1:1 work, I focus on medical guidance, with a tendency towards pediatric and young adult patients with complex care needs, particularly rare disease navigation and management (from an advocacy perspective, not as a provider). The individuals I support often have needs beyond direct medical care that still significantly impact their health, so my work frequently overlaps with disability advocacy—connecting people to DSHS and other community resources, and helping navigate, expedite, and appeal within those systems too.

It’s a wild ride sometimes, but I truly love what I do. I'm always happy to connect, and am looking forward to seeing the community grow!

I can attest that when my husband was in the sub-acute rehab for 60 days, not a single staff member ever said, «Here's your toothbrush and spit cup.» If I wasn't there that day, the teeth didn't get brushed.

That was last year, and he just went through an extraction. UGH!

Shelbey, I've sent several people to your GNA profile recently. Hopefully they turn into business for you.

great article, Shelbey

Great job, Jeff!

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