this meeting, issues of credentialing, professionalization of advocates, development of competencies for the field, and tensions between "lay" and "professional" advocates arose repeatedly. The second precipitating event was a meeting at the Genetic Alliance conference in Washington D.C. in July 2005. Numerous members of the Genetic Alliance had requested a society or association of disease-specific advocates, offering disease-specific advocates a professional trade association, health insurance benefits and credentialing. The idea was subsequently abandoned by this group after a number of meetings via phone indicated that there was too much diversity in advocate's understanding of what such an organization should entail. In addition, the advocates decided that there was too much difference between disease-specific advocates and 'health' advocates. The Shelter Rock group determined a need for a Health Advocates Association (proposed name). It would be an organization of individual health/patient advocates not of health advocacy organizations. The Association would be an open membership association with no standardized credentialing, but would adopt a statement of ethical guidelines, to which members would agree to adhere. The National Association of Healthcare Advocacy Consultants (NAHAC), was created in 2009, and is headquartered in Berkeley, California. Of the initial list of members, most were registered nurses and social workers. During the same time period (2007–2009) another organization, the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates, was established to support private patient advocates wishing to expand their knowledge, establish their credentials, and grow or expand their independent private health advocacy businesses. The organization has expanded its reach into many aspects of health advocacy including best business and ethical practices of this budding career. Each year the Alliance awards excellence in private health advocacy with the H. Kenneth Schueler Patient Advocacy Compass Award, an award named after H. Kenneth Schueler, one of the first health advocates to establish a private practice in the United States. In Australia, both patient and disability advocacy are becoming common through groups like Patient Advocates Australia and Disability Health Advocates Australia. See also Breast cancer advocacy Patient advocacy Patient participation Disability Health Support References External links National Association of Healthcare Advocacy Consultants The Alliance of Professional Health Advocates National Association of Professional Geriatric Care Managers National Academy of Certified Care Managers Legislative Education & Advocacy Development (LEAD) Health care Health promotion Patient advocacy