Member since February 2023
Dr. Nicole T. Rochester is a board-certified pediatrician, TEDx and keynote speaker, and the CEO of Your GPS Doc, LLC, an innovative company whose mission is to eliminate health disparities, bridge the gap between healthcare teams, patients, and families, and empower, educate and advocate for patients and family caregivers struggling to navigate the healthcare system. Dr. Rochester was inspired to start her company after caring for her late father and witnessing the complicated healthcare system from the other side of the stethoscope.
Dr. Rochester has been featured on television, radio, podcasts, in digital publications, and has an active presence on social media. She speaks locally and nationally about health equity, navigating the healthcare system, and elevating the patient and family caregiver voice. She provides healthcare consulting services, with expertise in health equity and patient and family engagement.
Dr. Rochester obtained her undergraduate degree from Johns Hopkins University, her medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and she completed her pediatric residency training at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, DC. Dr. Rochester has a certificate in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the Workplace from the University of South Florida Muma College of Business and a certificate in Foundations of Health Equity Research from Johns Hopkins University. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the George Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Rochester is the Board Chair for the Maryland Healthcare Education Institute and serves as the Medical Advisor for Health Equity for the Immune Deficiency Foundation. She is a member of the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates, the National Association of Healthcare Advocacy, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Medical Association, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is married and the proud mother of two young adult daughters.
Health equity
Navigating the healthcare system like a boss
Advocating for yourself and others in medical/healthcare settings
Family caregiver support and empowerment
Patient and family engagement
My dad (the patient) and I (his caregiver) often wore a cloak of invisibility in medical settings. I would sit beside him during doctor's appointments, visits to the ER, and hospital stays. I would speak up in earnest when details of his medical history were inaccurate or when he could not adequately communicate his concerns. I was routinely dismissed until one day I broke the spell in a moment of frustration- I told them I was a physician. Suddenly, I was VISIBLE. I was VALUABLE. I was RESPECTED. It's sad that my job title and position were more important than my humanity.
In the midst of a thriving career in clinical and academic medicine, my father's health began to rapidly decline and I added "family caregiver" to my list of roles and responsibilities. I learned two very painful, but important lessons: 1) Our healthcare system is incredibly (and unnecessarily complicated), and 2) Your ability to receive appropriate medical care is directly tied to how others perceive your worth and your ability to powerfully advocate for yourself. My father received better care because I, a physician, was able to advocate for him in ways that the average lay person would not be equipped nor comfortable. I left my medical career to start Your GPS Doc, LLC so that I could educate, empower, and uplift others as if they also have a doctor in their family.
My dad (the patient) and I (his caregiver) often wore a cloak of invisibility in medical settings. I would sit beside him during doctor's appointments, visits to the ER, and hospital stays. I would speak up in earnest when details of his medical history were inaccurate or when he could not adequately communicate his concerns. I was routinely dismissed until one day I broke the spell in a moment of frustration- I told them I was a physician. Suddenly, I was VISIBLE. I was VALUABLE. I was RESPECTED. It's sad that my job title and position were more important than my humanity.
In the midst of a thriving career in clinical and academic medicine, my father's health began to rapidly decline and I added "family caregiver" to my list of roles and responsibilities. I learned two very painful, but important lessons: 1) Our healthcare system is incredibly (and unnecessarily complicated), and 2) Your ability to receive appropriate medical care is directly tied to how others perceive your worth and your ability to powerfully advocate for yourself. My father received better care because I, a physician, was able to advocate for him in ways that the average lay person would not be equipped nor comfortable. I left my medical career to start Your GPS Doc, LLC so that I could educate, empower, and uplift others as if they also have a doctor in their family.
