“My pain is real, but no one can tell me why.”
I believe you. I keep the search going — helping you explore other options and making sure "complex" never becomes a reason to write you off.
You deserve to be heard.
When the story is complicated, the pain is real, and the path forward is uncertain — you don't have to face it alone.
Independent patient advocacy for chronic pain and complex illness.
- Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA)
- Independent — no hospital or insurer ties
- Greater Los Angeles, virtual nationwide
A Whole-Person Approach
Care that keeps the whole story in view
Complex health challenges rarely fit neatly into one appointment, one specialist, or one diagnosis. Chronic pain and complex illness can leave you carrying records, questions, and conflicting answers—along with a burden that is often invisible to others. I help you navigate fragmented care within a complicated healthcare system by bringing the pieces together to make sense of the whole story, with steady support every step of the way.
Who I Help
If this sounds familiar, you're in the right place
“No one is looking at the whole picture.”
I look at the whole story — not one diagnosis, one symptom, or one appointment at a time — and I notice when the pieces aren't connecting.
“Three specialists, three different answers.”
I connect the dots across providers — medications, tests, and plans — so decisions get made from your whole story, not one narrow lane of focus.
“My doctor doesn't listen — appointments feel rushed.”
I help you prepare, join you in person or by phone or video, and help make sure your concerns are raised clearly and your questions get asked.
“I just got a diagnosis and I don't know what to do next.”
I research your condition, provide education in accessible language tailored to you, organize your questions, and build a clear plan for the road ahead.
“The records, referrals, and paperwork are a full-time job.”
I organize your records, keep track of appointments and open tasks, and keep one clear picture of your care — so you can put more energy back into living.
My Approach
Start with belief
I take what you're experiencing seriously. When you tell me no one is really listening, I don't need convincing — I've been there.
See the whole story
I bring together the symptoms, records, specialists, questions, and priorities that shape your care.
Keep moving forward
I help turn complexity into clearer questions, decisions, and practical next steps — and I don't stop when the search gets hard.
Services
Ways I take the weight off
Every engagement is scoped to your situation — these are the shapes it usually takes.
Medical Story & Records Review
Your records, symptoms, and history are brought together into one clear story instead of scattered files, with important gaps and questions ready to raise with your care team.
Appointment Support
We work together to prepare your story and questions so you get the most out of your visits. I help you make your voice heard, and you leave with notes and clear next steps.
Care Coordination
Clear, consistent communication helps keep your care from becoming fragmented across visits. I keep the moving pieces organized—from updates across your care team to appointments and next steps—so you can spend less energy managing the system and more time where it matters.
Healthcare Navigation
When care feels stalled—whether you’re still searching for a diagnosis or wondering what other options exist—I help you find your way through a complicated healthcare system. Together we identify possible paths and relevant resources, so you’re not left carrying the search alone.
Research & Decision Support
You don’t have to sort through healthcare choices alone. I research providers, second opinions, and treatment options, then put what I find in plain language so you can ask informed questions and make decisions with your care team that reflect what matters to you.
Education & Self-Advocacy
Pain and complex illness can leave you with more questions than any one appointment can answer. I offer clear education about pain, diagnoses, and health information, so you can better understand what you’re experiencing in your own body and speak up for yourself with confidence.
How It Works
Four steps to being heard
Free introductory call
A free 20-minute call. We talk about what's going on, what you need most, and whether I'm the right fit. No obligation, and no records needed.
In-depth assessment
We go through your whole story, including your health history, what's been tried, what matters most to you, and your goals.
Your action plan
I create a written action plan with what I found, specific next steps, and estimated time and cost. Nothing begins until you approve it.
I get to work
I carry out the plan with you, keep you updated in plain language, and follow up on open items until each one is resolved or you decide to move on.
Meet Rebecca
The training and the lived experience
I'm Rebecca Share-Howard, an independent, board-certified patient advocate based in Los Angeles. I've lived with chronic pain since childhood, and I know firsthand what it's like to navigate overlapping conditions, fragmented care, and long stretches without answers. Before becoming an advocate, I studied public health and disability studies at UC Berkeley and spent two years in hands-on patient care coordination at Cedars-Sinai. I bring all of it — the training and the lived experience — to every person I work with. I'm not only a patient or only an advocate — the two are inextricably linked.
“Undiagnosed doesn't mean untrue, and complex doesn't mean unsolvable.”Rebecca Share-Howard, BCPA
Credentials & ethics
Standards you can check for yourself
Board Certified Patient Advocate (BCPA), with ongoing education and a commitment to the profession's standards of competency and ethics.
Questions, answered
A few things you may be wondering
What exactly does a patient advocate do?
I'm the person in your corner, in a system that's difficult to face alone. As an independent advocate, I work only for you, not a hospital or insurer. I help coordinate your care, prepare for and attend appointments, organize your records, research your options, and make sure your voice is heard. I don't practice medicine. I help you get the care you're already owed.
How much does it cost?
The 20-minute introductory call is free. After your in-depth assessment, your written action plan includes estimated time and cost, so you'll always know before any work begins. See How It Works for details.
Do you work with my doctors, or against them?
With them. My goal is to make every appointment more useful for everyone, with a clear agenda, an organized history, and good follow-through. When something important seems to be missed, I'll ask about it, respectfully and persistently.
You deserve to be heard
A free, no-obligation 20-minute call
Tell me what's going on — I'll tell you honestly whether and how I can help. No pressure and nothing shared without your permission.