Our founder
Jill Ice, MSN, RN
Jill has been a nurse for more than 30 years. She received her bachelor of nursing degree in 1986 and master of nursing degree in 2017 in organizational leadership. Her master’s program focused on leadership methods that push constant improvement in health outcomes while stressing the importance of balancing productivity and quality of care. She believes everyone deserves safe and effective healthcare. With a natural tendency for genuine caring, she is dedicated to meeting the needs of patients, providers, family members and others involved in the complex healthcare system.
For Jill, patient advocacy is a way of thinking. She recognizes that during most patients’ journeys through the healthcare system, they are vulnerable, confused, and unable to speak up and advocate for themselves and their safety. The reason Jill went into nursing was to help patients get the best care and the support they deserve. Patient advocacy allows her to ensure that patients have a voice in their care and the knowledge needed to make informed decisions.
During her nursing career, Jill served as Joint Commission Coordinator at Lawrence Memorial Hospital for several years. The Joint Commission is an accrediting body for healthcare organizations that sets standards for providing safe and effective care of the highest quality and value. Her experience with Joint Commission accreditation gives her knowledge of important patient and organizational functions that are key to providing safe, high-quality care.
In addition to her extensive knowledge of the healthcare system and how it works, Jill also has personal experience navigating it. Her husband was diagnosed with ALS in 2013. She also has a brother who sustained a traumatic brain injury in 1998. She knows firsthand how difficult it can be to navigate the healthcare journey and to advocate for a loved one. She learned how to address her husband’s and family’s needs to allow them to live the fullest life possible during his illness. She founded Sunflower Health Advocates, LLC in 2021 because she wanted to provide support and guidance for other people who are faced with difficult health situations.
Jill lives in Lawrence, Kansas, and she is the mother of three lovely daughters.
With compassion and honesty, Jill can guide patients to make well-informed decisions about the most effective method for achieving positive outcomes.
