Your Team

don

Don Rigot, CSA

Co-founder & Advocate

Don’s experience navigating the healthcare environment began early, as he worked as an orderly at Shawnee Mission Medical Center before graduating from University of Kansas. Degree in hand, he entered the medical supply field, working with physicians and hospitals in the Midwest. A new career opportunity in the health insurance industry led to his relocating to Denver in the late 1980s. A decade later, he launched his own independent brokerage firm—Prime Benefits—to provide health insurance coverage to individuals and small businesses. During his career, Don has earned numerous certifications and awards for continuing education and service related to healthcare advocacy, including:

  • Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) – recognizes comprehensive training on financial, health and social issues facing seniors
  • National Association of Healthcare Advocacy Consultants (NAHAC) – professional organization ensuring consumer protection through advocacy
  • Professional Patient Advocate Institute – resource and training institute for professional patient navigators
  • Registered Health Underwriter (RHU) – accreditation for providing relevant, current information on individual, group, managed care, health savings accounts, disability and long-term care insurance
  • Alliance of Professional Health Advocates (APHA) – national organization providing business support and professional dialogue on issues surrounding patient advocacy
  • CLTC (Certified in Long Term Care) – recognizing comprehensive training in all aspects of long-term care insurance and planning
  • Boomers Leading Change in Health – national movement focused on preparing adults 50+ for volunteer leadership roles to improve community health
  • Colorado Patient Navigation Training – certification in conjunction with Boomers Leading Change in Health recognizing training to serve as Patient Navigators, Community Health Workers and Policy Advocates
  • Reconnect Leadership Training/St. Anthony Hospital, Lakewood, CO – intensive training in Diversity, Medical/Pharmaceutical Technology, Patient & Family Resources, End of Life issues, Family Dynamics and The Aging Process
  • Reconnect Volunteer/St. Anthony Hospital – advocating for patients and families through discharge communication, chronic disease education, transition to home and follow-up support
  • 2013 Volunteer Award/Denver Health Medical Center – for improving the patient experience: recognition of Don’s volunteer service (2011-present) as a transportation/navigation volunteer, working closely with hospital patient navigators and staff to ensure coordinated care
  • 2011 Colorado Biz Magazine Award – Employee Benefits Professionals/highest in satisfaction
cindy

Cindy Rigot

Co-founder & Advocate

For 30 years, I led communications efforts inside two of Colorado’s most prominent health care networks. Working directly with CEOs gave me a literal place at the table as new technologies and treatments emerged and their risks/benefits discussed Listening to physician colleagues confirmed how difficult it is to provide compassionate care within a system that incentivizes productivity and documentation over patient time. Hearing from nurse and case-manager colleagues about what they wished their patient families knew in advance developed my strategic sense. Talking with patient families underscored where—and how often—care gaps occurred. Plus, I had an edge: as the only daughter and niece of five aging loved ones, I knew the overwhelming stress of navigating office and ER visits, managing medications for cancer and chronic health conditions, dealing with dementia, and moving through end-of-life decision making.

It was that mixed-bag of communication skills, medical knowledge, provider realities and personal empathy that I brought to the founding of ReAssured Advocacy in 2012. My husband and co-founder Don’s portfolio was filled with an equal number of years on the health insurance, long-term care coverage, and medical sales side of health care. Accordingly, the person-centered service we provide addresses the issues that concern families most: quality of life, physical and virtual access to care, accurate and well-sourced information, and the assurance that they are not alone. The big bonus for us is the chance to share many amazing life stories and make this part of the collective journey easier.

In addition to my career and personal advocacy experience, I have completed formal training with the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates, Colorado Patient Advocate program, and Alzheimer’s Association (Savvy Caregiver Training). I also hold Advanced Certification in Motivational Interviewing from the Colorado School of Public Health/Patient Navigator Training Collaborative. A Colorado native and  Colorado State University alumna, I’m the proud mother of two young, talented teachers.

  • Alliance of Professional Health Advocates (APHA) – national organization providing business support and professional dialogue on issues surrounding patient advocacy
  • Colorado Patient Navigation Training – certification in conjunction with Boomers Leading Change in Health recognizing training to serve as Patient Navigators, Community Health Workers and Policy Advocates
  • National Association of Healthcare Advocacy Consultants (NAHAC) – professional organization ensuring consumer protection through advocacy
  • Professional Patient Advocate Institute – resource and training institute for professional patient navigators
  • Boomers Leading Change in Health – national movement focused on preparing adults 50+ for volunteer leadership roles to improve community health
  • Advanced Certification in Motivational Interviewing – Colorado School of Public Health | Patient Navigator Training Collaborative
  • Alzheimer’s Association Savvy Caregiver Training – Clinical level training for family members caring for someone with Alzheimer’s

“Cindy is a consummate professional. She has high standards, and the quality of her work is superb. She has a keen sense of humor and is fun to work with—she also has a great deal of integrity and resolutely stays on the high road. It was a pleasure to work with her for more than a decade, and I am happy to recommend her.” – Kathleen Mayer, Program Director, Flight For Life Colorado