Private Patient Advocacy for You and Your Family
Offering medical expertise, personal guidance and peace of mind for all your healthcare needs
The Best E-mail I’ve Ever Sent
I met Dr. Ticoras when my mom was having issues and we felt that no one was listening. In my frustration, I got online one night and just started searching for some kind of help. I had never heard of a Patient Advocate before. I stumbled upon Dr. Ticoras ad and I began to read. At the end, I felt like I had nothing to lose, I wasn’t being heard and thought I would send an email and see what happened.
It was the Best email I’ve ever sent! I received a reply in less than 24 hours. Dr. Ticoras was very kind. She spent several days getting to know our situation and frustrations. She then went right to work on helping us.
She met with my mother and I in person. She went over everything that my mother was going through. She was thorough in her assessment. She made sure that she understood what we needed, to better help us.
Dr. Ticoras spent 3 months walking with our family through this crisis. My mother was a Parkinson’s patient, who still had her mobility. But all the Non- Mobility issues that my mother was experiencing, had never been addressed by her doctor. We asked questions, but never got answers. In the end, I realized that my mother was in her late stages of life and we needed to do something else. When I couldn’t get the Doctors to listen to me, Dr. Ticoras stepped in and made sure that my mother received the care that she deserved. My mother spent 3 weeks in the hospital while I tried to get her into a hospice situation. I was having trouble with that too and once again Dr. Ticoras pulled us through! I finally found a situation that was going to work for us and she helped make that happen in less than a day!
Once my mom was transferred to a nursing home and hospice got involved, to our surprise mom was able to spend a couple days with us in a very lucid state. We spent 2 wonderful and beautiful days with my mom. We felt so Blessed to have been given these last few precious moments together. Unfortunately we had to leave for out of town before my mom’s passing. I was anxious about leaving. Dr. Ticoras was absolutely amazing. She checked on my mom at different times of day, just like I asked her to do. She called me with updates and reassured me that my mom was receiving very good care. My mother passed away while we were away. And because of Dr. Ticoras and all of her genuine care and support, I was ok with that. I know that my mom was never alone during her transition and she finally received the care she deserved. I know she was at peace.
I truly cannot say enough good things about GPS!
Dr. Ticoras is Very Knowledgeable, a great listener. She is gentle and kind, but make no mistake, she can also be tough and assertive when it’s required. Dr. Ticoras is very professional and she is a credit to her profession. I will never deal with another major medical crisis, without her on board. She is truly a guiding light in the midst of the storm.
T.C. Worthington, OH
When the Caregiver Needs Care
As the primary caretaker for my family, I was at a loss when I was suddenly faced with a serious medical diagnosis. We all wanted to be certain that I was receiving the best care and emotional support, while being well informed and confident in my healthcare decisions. That is where my advocate, Annette, stepped in. She provided knowledgeable, objective and timely translation of all my appointments and treatment regimens– not just for me, but for my family as well.
Additionally, she gave the emotional support I needed, while patiently and compassionately walking me through the storm. Having an advocate provided a comfortable connection between me and the healthcare system. She was able to listen objectively, take notes, prompt questions and confirm my understanding during physician visits. Her ability to put me at ease was a gift. With knowledge and understanding came less worry for me and my family.
B.V. Dublin, OH
Help, I'm Drowning
When I called Annette, I was feeling overwhelmed, underwater, and fearful of what the future might hold. I had no idea what steps to take next. There were so many decisions to be made about places, doctors and care. All of these decisions had to be made quickly, as well. I found it very difficult to make decisions when I was emotionally involved. Everything fell on me–the caregiver.
I felt like I needed to partner with someone during this difficult journey. I needed someone to be another set of ears and eyes in meetings and medical situations. I needed an objective person to help me ask questions because I was too involved to even think of the right questions to ask. I was so burdened that I couldn’t focus. A friend suggested that I get an advocate to help me.
Since Annette started working with me, we have overcome many obstacles and been faced with innumerable health care choices and decisions. Options regarding available treatments and optimal care are carefully researched, pursued, and discussed. Care appointments for my husband are coordinated, while vital medical team meetings and communications are handled efficiently by Annette, who always keeps me well-informed. With Annette’s medical knowledge and clinical experience, I am now confident in the choices I make for my husband today and for the future.
R.S. Canal Winchester, OH
My Smartest Healthcare Decision
Guided Patient Services (GPS) responded immediately in my moment of emotional crisis. As a recently appointed guardian for my 75 year-old sister stricken by a hemorrhagic stroke, I was physically removed by considerable distance in providing for her care. Annette Ticoras, MD at GPS agreed to consult with me and insure that my sister’s care was paramount. Through Dr Annette Ticoras’s guidance, I was ultimately able to relocate my sister and insure her a newer, superior level of care. Dr Ticoras and I had consistent patient care conferences where she interceded on my behalf with medical and healthcare professionals to insure accountability. We reviewed medical records and considered alternative care. We successfully moved from strategic initiatives to tactical implementation. I am proud to say that with Dr Ticoras’s professional guidance my sister is now receiving an amazing level of care.
Annette Ticoras, MD is a consummate professional based on her integrity, honesty, tenacity, and compassion. She is a respected medical leader who combines a sensitivity for clients with a deep level of experience in working in the medical community. Dr. Annette Ticoras is a highly skilled medical professional who brings a wealth of personal experience to her clients. She is thoughtful and creative. Dr Ticoras is an empathetic listener with excellent problem-solving skills.
Aligning with Dr. Annette Ticoras at Guided Patient Services (GPS) is one of the smartest healthcare decisions I made as my sister’s guardian.
Randy Treer, Westerville OH
Calming the Storm
As life-altering news was given to me, I was alone. I was not sure what I heard or even what appropriate questions to ask of the medical professionals. I was fortunate enough to be able to work with Annette Ticoras of Guided Patient Services. She was the calm, knowledgeable, and patient person that navigated me through the devastating medical jargon, expected and unexpected procedures and doctor visits. At a time when your mind is racing, but you are in shock, I highly recommend Annette to be the one to help guide you and your family through the overpowering situation.
Chris R. Mansfield, OH
Helpful and Efficient
My family needed help finding clinical trials for my mother. We were under a lot of time pressure to find a path forward before her medical situation worsened, and were also uncertain about how to proceed. GPS was extremely helpful and efficient. Dr. Ticoras jumped in and within 24 hours had sent us a curated list of options with informative summaries about each option. This was a tremendous help and I would highly recommend GPS for anyone trying to navigate a complex medical decision!
Zoe A. Philadelphia, PA
An Advocate for Every Step of the Way
Dr. Annette has been my patient advocate for 2 ½ years. Initially I was healthy and couldn’t imagine needing her support but knew that age can make things change in an instant. My life partner does not have an active understanding of things “medical”. I have many allergies and sensitivities which make me a challenging patient.
18 months ago I had a series of health related events. Drug allergies previously unknown and an episode of cardiac arrhythmia that started as though it was a heart attack. Annette was with me every step of the way. In the emergency room, at doctor visits and on the phone to help me work through weeks of fearful heart symptoms.
Annette continues to be the support and comfort I need to work through my health issues. Her advice and guidance are invaluable. The comfort I experience from knowing that she is ALWAYS available to help me understand what’s going on with my health is beyond measure.
Annette is a jewel in a medical world full of rocks. Her warmth, compassion, knowledge and wisdom are beyond compare.
J.F. Worthington, OH
Guidance and Expertise
Thank you so much for helping our family navigate the healthcare system to get the care my mom needed after 5 visits to the ER, several falls, and hospital delirium she endured after her hemorrhagic stroke. She is in a much improved state, at home and becoming independent again due to your presence, guidance, and expertise! My sister, Dad, myself and my Mom can’t thank you enough!
Eric F. Delaware, OH
When a Second and Third Opinion is Needed
My parents hired GPS to help coordinate a 3rd opinion outside of my out-of-state medical system. She was quick, professional, and successful in identifying a surgeon that I ultimately chose to provide medical services.
S.F. Michigan
Someone Who Listens, Someone Who Cares
After two major surgeries and an additional hospitalization due to an infection caused by the second surgery – all within the span of nine months – I found Annette Ticoras at Guided Patient Services and hired her to help me navigate the onslaught of confusing information I was getting about my condition. A few days later, I was back in the Emergency Room, and Annette immediately came to the hospital to meet with me. She asked relevant questions to get to know me, my medical history, and my current symptoms, and she reviewed my 600+ pages of pertinent medical records. By the time I was admitted for surgery #3 the following day, she was fully up-to-date on all of my medical information.
After researching my situation, Annette was able to explain to me in layman’s terms what was happening and what the surgeon was going to do. She also asked my surgeon questions that never would have occurred to me despite how crucial they were. She was an invaluable resource. As if that weren’t enough, she was also thoughtful, compassionate, and genuine. Though I know she had other clients at the time, she made me feel like I was the only one and her top priority. I had only known her for a matter of hours, but I already considered her a trusted friend.
After my surgery, she visited me at the hospital and continued to check in with me periodically to make sure I was okay. When she went with me to my follow-up visit with my surgeon, her presence prompted him to answer questions much more thoroughly and treat me with more respect than he ever had in the past.
I find that when my health is at its very worst, I’m inevitably expected to make the most important and potentially life-altering health decisions. But that’s when I’m at my weakest and least capable and when I need help the most. It’s times like that when a patient advocate like Annette is akin to a real-life fairy godmother.
I’ll never be able to thank you enough for all of your help!
J.H.
Peace of Mind
GPS has helped me in many ways since 2015. After years of unexplained chronic illness, I was diagnosed in 2018 with rare neuroendocrine cancer and carcinoid syndrome. During the process of finding my diagnosis, Annette went with me to physician appointments, helped me evaluate my options, and visited when I was admitted to a nursing home for a brief but unexpected rehab after surgery. Most of all, Annette helps me feel safer in case of emergency. I have no local family and my one sister in Vermont cannot travel. Annette knows my medical history and has contact information for my sister and my closest friends. She knows my wishes for emergency and end-of-life care, and has copies of my advanced directives. I trust her to be my much-needed advocate.
Sharon, age 74, Westerville, OH
Empowering Healthcare Decision Making
I received a pretty serious diagnosis, which then involved follow-ups with several specialists. Annette helped me navigate the medical “lingo” so that I better understood what I was being told. Helped the decision-making process become more clear. I was very satisfied and highly recommend her services to anyone in a similar situation.
JK – Clintonville
Guided Patient Services and Me
The healthcare world can feel like a dense, confusing wilderness to a patient suddenly thrust into its midst without choice! At least that’s how it felt to me, and I’m a retired nurse! I was a bit familiar with some of the well-trodden treatment paths and lingo. But the overwhelming undergrowth of emotions was almost too much for me when I was given diagnoses of two progressive terminal conditions within seven months.
Fortunately a friend had shared with my husband and me how helpful Dr. Annette had been to her in her long and complicated safari in the healthcare system. We called Guided Patient Services at once and Dr. Annette became our healthcare wilderness guide.
She met with us promptly and took a careful verbal assessment and detailed health history. She contacted one of my doctors who had proposed treatment for one of my conditions. Based upon what she learned from him, she wisely encouraged me to proceed with treatment I was dreading. It was not curative but was more than 50% effective.
But on the third day of treatment, the healthcare wilderness invaded my own home as I watched an ambulance take my husband caregiver off to the nearby Emergency Room! I was left at home alone, too weak to walk from bed to bathroom. Where could I get help in a hurry?
I made an urgent call to Guided Patient Services and tearfully told Dr. Annette my problem. Within the hour she had a representative of a home care agency in my home drawing up an agreement for in home help. Dr. Annette herself was already at the Emergency Department with my husband monitoring his care. A week later she checked in on him again during his second hospital stay, answering his questions and sharing with him additional information she had learned from his care team. Meanwhile, companions from the home health agency were driving me to and from my daily treatments.
The healthcare wilderness thinned out for us a little until I lost my way again in an unanticipated new problem. We called GPS and, with our permission, our trusty wilderness guide Dr. Annette met us in my doctor’s office. She was a helpful part of the conversation deciding upon next steps in my care, clearing a new path through my wilderness of change and tangled emotions.
What lies ahead? I don’t know but whatever it is I will face it more confidently with GPS and Dr. Annette just a phone call away!
M&B Westerville, OH
Improved Hospital Discharge & Transition
You were always so knowledgeable and patient. It really helped me – especially negotiating the information regarding follow up appointments and critical labs – not to mention knowing exactly what orders were current and where they came from.
I know you do it for a fee. But I always felt you acted like an interested and caring person.
T.W. Cincinnati, OH
Guidance During Crisis
"Thank you so much for your guidance and help with Dad's journey. In moments of crisis, to be able to reach out and have someone to help made a world of difference."
K.O. Oak Hill, OH
