Meet the Speaker: Kate Clarke-Pascente

Kate joined the field of Patient Advocacy within the hospital setting in 2001 and SHCA in 2002. She Manages the Patient Relations and Interpreter Services Departments at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Kate has been active in the Illinois Chapter of SHCA where she served several terms on the Board of Directors including the role of President. Also active in the SHCA Board, Kate has served as chairperson for two different committees and is coming to the end of her second term as a Board Member at Large.

Having begun her career as a crisis therapist working with homicidal and suicidal adolescents, the transition to Patient Advocacy seemed natural and even a little less stressful. As a therapist, establishment of healthy boundaries and limits is crucial to the therapeutic relationship. As a patient advocate, Kate is passionate about sharing her lessons learned from previous roles and education to prevent the abuse and mistreatment of caregivers serving disruptive patients and/or families.