Teri (Dreher) Frykenberg RN CCM BCPA

Teri Frykenberg, RN, CCM, BCPA, is a nationally recognized RN Patient Advocate, healthcare entrepreneur, and fierce advocate for both patients and nurses navigating an increasingly complex medical system. With over three decades of experience as an ICU nurse and more than 13 years in private patient advocacy, Teri is the founder and CEO of Nurse Advocate Entrepreneur, a company dedicated to training the next generation of healthcare advocates. After successfully founding and scaling North Shore Patient Advocates in Chicago—an organization she led until its sale in 2024—she now mentors nurses who are seeking to leave traditional, often disillusioning clinical roles to make a more direct, empowered impact on patient lives.

Teri’s own journey into advocacy was born from a harrowing personal experience in 2010, when she faced backlash for speaking up for a critically ill patient in her ICU. This pivotal moment revealed systemic flaws and led her to chart a new path—one rooted in justice, compassion, and patient-centered care. Her work has since helped thousands of families through medical crises, and her mentorship continues to empower nurses to build meaningful, profitable advocacy practices of their own. For Teri, patient advocacy is not only the purest form of nursing but also a vital force for change in a broken healthcare system.

• Indépendant RN Patient Advocate
• CCRN, Independant RN Patient Advocate
• Board Certified Patient Advocate
• RN Patient Advocates

• Memorial Hospital School of Nursing

• NAHAC
• APHA