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Peace Aging Care Experts Founder Trish Colucci Barbosa Receives Ann Klein Advocate Award from Community Health Law Project

Trish Colucci Barbosa, founder of Peace Aging Care Experts and senior healthcare advocate, has received the Ann Klein Advocate Award for her work in care management.

Barbosa has always been interested in healthcare and care management, beginning her career in nursing before moving into insurance case management. After using her skills to help her son with special needs receive the care he needed, she found herself assisting other families with similar challenges. This inspired her to found Peace Aging Care Experts in 2007, so she could reach more families in need of assistance with care management. Since then, she and her staff have helped hundreds of individuals and families navigate the aging process and its related healthcare challenges.

The Ann Klein Advocate Award is given as part of the Community Health Law Project (CHLP). In her acceptance speech, Barbosa noted her admiration for Ann Klein, a former Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Human Services, who established the CHLP and dedicated her time to fighting for marginalized groups such as those with disabilities and mental illness.

“Ann Klein advocated for women’s rights, and for those who are most often marginalized in our society—children, people with physical and developmental disabilities, and those with mental illness,” said Barbosa. “She had an impact. She made a difference. She was a champion.”

She continues, “As the owner of a 100% women-owned business that provides support to the marginalized folks of New Jersey (elderly, mentally ill, and developmentally disabled), I feel Ann Klein’s energy and commitment running through my veins every day.”

Barbosa also recognized Lori Friedman and Julie Cunningham, two members of the Peace Aging Care team, for their hard work and dedication. “Lori, Julie, and I share this special acknowledgement with all of our nurses, social workers, and support staff, whose dedication to compassion and advocacy collectively also contributed to this nomination.”

Barbosa is a past president of the New Jersey chapter of the Aging Life Association, and has also served on its board of directors. Peace Aging Care Experts provides expert guidance through the confusing and often overwhelming world of senior care. For more information about Peace Aging and its services, please visit peaceagingcare.com.