My name is Ally Jagoda. I am the founder of In Your Control Patient Advocacy. I am an Independent Board Certified Patient Advocate, which means I do not work for any major hospital or medical system. I completed Cleveland State University’s online Patient Advocacy certification program in October of 2024 and passed the Patient Advocacy Certification Board exam in March of 2025. I also hold a Bachelor of Arts in Religion with a concentration in Youth Ministry/Christian Education from Capital University.
My passion for patient advocacy began when I learned about the profession and the program offered at CSU. That passion stems from my own health journey as well as those of my close friends. I have seen firsthand what it is like to be unheard by doctors, and I know how difficult it can be to get them to really listen.
I was diagnosed with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome in 2017 after 6+ years of multiple specialists telling me it was just my anxiety. Prior to this, I was also diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome after I had an arrhythmia during an unrelated surgery. I had been telling my current doctors at the time that I felt like I had a hummingbird in my chest, but again, they all said I was just anxious. I had an ablation to correct the extra electrical pathway in 2014, 10 days after graduating from college. I was also just recently diagnosed with ADHD, through my own research and pursuit of testing, because I couldn’t find a local psychiatrist to test me as a 30-year-old. I deal with Chronic Migraine, as well as other conditions related to my POTS.
Beyond my chronic illnesses, I am a dog mom, a cellist, and a singer — but most of all, I’m someone who is willing to help make sure you have a voice in your healthcare.