Good Neighbor Podcast: Frisco

EP #36: Enhancing Care Standards: Ashley Austin-Hill's Journey with Real Organized Advocacy and Compliance Services

• Sophia Yvette

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What makes Ashley Austin-Hill with Real Organized Advocacy a good neighbor?

Discover the critical world of compliance services with Ashley Austin-Hill, the founder of Real Organized Advocacy, in this insightful episode of the Good Neighbor Podcast. Ashley takes us on her journey from a surveyor at Health and Human Services to pioneering her own compliance business for assisted living and residential care facilities. She clears up common industry misconceptions and unveils the stringent standards that providers must adhere to ensure residents receive the best care. Her expertise bridges the gap between regulatory demands and practical application, making her an invaluable guide for HCS providers and other waiver program providers.

Outside the professional realm, Ashley shares her personal passions and the challenges she's faced along the way. From her love of sewing and dancing to overcoming imposter syndrome, Ashley's story is both inspiring and relatable. She opens up about the support she received from her husband and the importance of surrounding herself with a network of like-minded individuals. Tune in to hear how Ashley's journey can inspire and empower you, and learn about the pivotal role compliance services play in enhancing the quality of care in healthcare facilities.

To learn more about Real Organized Advocacy go to:
 www.realorganizedadvocacy.com

Real Organized Advocacy
214-463-3124

Speaker 1:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Sophia Yvette.

Speaker 3:

Are you in need of a compliance service? Surprisingly, one may be closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to your neighbor, ashley Austin Hill, with Real Organized Advocacy. Ashley, how are you doing today?

Speaker 2:

I am well, Sophia. How are you?

Speaker 3:

I'm great. We're excited to learn all about you and your business.

Speaker 2:

Tell us a bit about Real Organized Advocacy, a compliance service for assisted living and residential care facilities, such as HCS providers or other waiver program providers. We help with everything from compliance standards in opening up a facility or a provider to helping with corrective action plans once a provider has been licensed or contracted with Healthy Human Services. We also assist with helping figure out how to properly give care, how to assess residents and how to ensure that the residents and the individuals are being cared for in the manner that they should be.

Speaker 3:

And how did you get into this business?

Speaker 2:

I actually was a surveyor with Health and Human Services, so as a surveyor I would go into assisted living facilities and nursing facilities and assess whether or not they were meeting the regulatory standards. While I was there, I noticed that many providers were not being assisted in the manner in which they should to understand what their requirements are, what the compliance needs were, and there was a gap in the way that those providers were operating versus what Healthy Human Services was looking for.

Speaker 3:

What are the myths or misconceptions in your industry? I don't know too much about compliance service, but I'm sure there are some misconceptions.

Speaker 2:

Oh, absolutely so, based on my experience in working with new and existing providers, there's a misunderstanding that you can just step into operating one of these facilities or you can just easily adopt to the compliance standards, and the reality is there are quite a few standards that have to be met the Texas administrative code that require these particular providers and facility owners to meet compliance standards that they don't always understand. And so, being able to step into this industry, I've been able to bridge the gap because I have the training and the understanding, because I worked for the regulatory agency.

Speaker 2:

And outside of work. What do you do Outside of work? What do I do? So I'm in my own renaissance, so to speak, so I have started sewing. It's something that I was introduced to as a kid, and I'm getting back into now. I love to dance. My husband and I have learned how to swing out, and so we're getting back into going out and dancing. The last several years, though, I've been in production and building mode, so I'm kind of spreading my wings again and going to do the things that Ashley likes.

Speaker 3:

That's awesome. Out of all of those hobbies, what is your favorite?

Speaker 2:

To be honest, the dancing is probably my favorite. I feel free there, I feel content there, and it gets your body moving. Now, mind you, I also work out regularly, so you would think that my body moves enough, but something about dancing and feeling the feel of the music is what brings me the most joy.

Speaker 3:

Let's go ahead and change gears for a second. Can you describe one hardship now? Say because of it, you're better and stronger. When I say that, what comes to mind for you?

Speaker 2:

One hardship. So being a person that started their own business and having to give up my life as I knew it is a hardship that I struggled with becoming. I had what they call imposter syndrome for a while and just fully learning myself and understanding myself and being able to say, hey, I can do this. That was a major thing to overcome because I had not had anybody in my family in my immediate family anyway that were entrepreneurs that had started businesses and were actively operating them, where I could take some sort of knowledge or some sort of pattern and work off. I had to do it all from scratch, and so that was a very difficult thing to overcome.

Speaker 3:

Wow, and what kind of helped you get through that difficult time, would you say.

Speaker 2:

To be honest with you, my husband was a great supporter. He pushed me and he did make sure that I knew that I was worthy to keep going, that I knew that I had what it took to keep going and then also finding like minded people in the industry and outside of it. So I networked, I went to business meetings with other entrepreneurs. I started talking to other entrepreneurs. I befriended other entrepreneurs. Talking to other entrepreneurs, I befriended other entrepreneurs, so immersing myself in the experience, accepting who I was and what I was trying to accomplish and I believe Michelle Obama said it allowing myself to become Please tell our listeners one thing they should remember about real organized advocacy.

Speaker 2:

We are the advocates for the advocates. We serve the people who are serving the people, and so, for anyone who is operating a facility or provider, a residential care home, if you need someone to advocate for you and to support you, we're here. We see the need. We understand that in order for you to care for our most marginalized and disabled populations, you need someone to support you, and that's what we do.

Speaker 3:

And how can our listeners learn more about real organized advocacy?

Speaker 2:

Oh sure, so we are all across the social medias and, of course, we have a website. So on LinkedIn, youtube, tiktok, facebook, you can find us at Real Organized Advocacy. If you would like to learn more about our organization, you can visit wwwrealorganizedadvocacycom. If you have questions or you want to talk to one of our staff, you can reach us at 214-277-2677. That's our main line.

Speaker 3:

Well, Ashley, I really appreciate you being on the show. We wish you and your business the best moving forward. Thank you best moving forward.

Speaker 1:

Thank you. Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpfriscocom. That's gnpfriscocom, or call 469-3-4-5.