A $5,000 pitch contest award will provide 550 book-and-workbook sets to help people navigate appointments, medical bills, and unanswered questions.
PARSONS, W.Va. — Tiffany Auvil knew healthcare as a nurse and administrator. Caring for her late husband, Dave, gave her another perspective: what it takes to navigate that same system when the person you love needs help.
Now, the Tucker County author and entrepreneur is bringing those experiences together in a series of free community workshops, beginning Thursday, Oct. 8, 5–6:30 p.m., at the Tucker County School Annex in Parsons, in partnership with the Tucker County Family Support Center (PERC) and Tucker County Schools. Child care is available.
Auvil received a $5,000 award through the Tucker County Pitch Contest to purchase 550 copies of her book and companion workbook for distribution through the workshops. Additional free sessions are being planned throughout the county with local community partners.
“I want people to know they can be an active partner in their healthcare—or speak up for someone they love,” Auvil said. “They can ask questions, say when something doesn’t make sense, and ask for the help they need. My hope is that they leave feeling more confident and less lost, knowing their voice matters.”
The workshops address everyday situations: leaving an appointment with unanswered questions, receiving a bill that is difficult to understand, or waiting for a referral without knowing who is supposed to arrange it.
Participants will learn practical ways to organize healthcare information, prepare for appointments, understand common insurance and billing terms, and follow up when the next step is unclear.
The sessions are not just for people caring for someone else. They are also for people managing their own healthcare, including those handling appointments and paperwork on their own.
Auvil, MBA, BSN, RN, brings approximately 21 years of healthcare experience to the project. Her professional background and personal caregiving experience informed her book, The No BS Guide for Caregivers: How to Survive the Healthcare Maze, and its companion workbook.
Each workshop participant will receive a free book and workbook through the pitch-contest funding. The sessions include time for questions and provide education rather than individualized medical advice.
For Auvil, the goal is straightforward: help people feel less lost in the healthcare system and leave with something they can use at their next appointment, during their next phone call, or when the next bill arrives.
The Tucker County workshops are an early step in her broader work to bring practical healthcare navigation education and support to patients, families, and caregivers.
Tucker County organizations interested in hosting a free workshop through this initiative are encouraged to contact Auvil. Healthcare providers, employers, and community organizations outside the county are also invited to inquire about workshop and speaking opportunities tailored to their audiences.
