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The Costs of Care

Patient Congress 2019

"Our volunteers have the remarkable ability to take often very difficult life experiences and turn them into the motivation to make a difference.”
-Alan Balch, CEO

Welcome to Patient Congress 2019

Thirty-five scholarship recipients from across the country learned from each other, engaged on policy and developed their own plans for community  programs.  This year’s event also featured the Story Slam, one of our most popular events, in which patients share their stories with an open audience at the US Capitol.

 

“I think being an advocate gives me a way of coping, gives me inner strength."

Toni, Minneapolis, Minnesota

“After my sister passed away from cancer, I felt very lonely. I felt that my hands were tired. I felt that I wanted to do something for her - and that’s when I decided to become a patient advocate. It was healing for me when I became a patient advocate, like I was helping all of the Rachels out there.” - Rebecca, KY

“I was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, a very rare form of cancer. There aren’t too many of us around the world so it’s very important that we advocate for each other and support each other." -Lisa, Syracuse, New York

“I want to be a voice for my son and others like him, and hopefully help make sure there are never other kids like him, that there will never be another kid who has his heart hurt.” -Jessica, Lafayette, Indiana

“In 1984, my brother lost his battle to lung cancer, and because of that I decided that what I couldn’t do for my brother, I would do for others. That’s when I joined NPAF, once I heard about all the good work they were doing.” -Faye, Memphis, TN

We’ve talked about why we need to have cost of care conversations, now we hope to give you the ‘how.’

Melissa Williams, Manager of Health Care Policy & Advocacy

Learn More about Can We Talk

Story Slam

 

 

See more Story Slam videos on our YouTube channel

S’abrina Davis Honored as Advocate of the Year

S’abrina Davis is a rather shy, soft spoken person who always seems a little reluctant to be in the spotlight. But when S’abrina speaks, she delivers a powerful and very personal message about the importance of advocating for equitable access to health care.

She talks about her own experience of struggling with no health insurance for her children, of the issues she and her family have confronted as they face their health challenges, of her efforts in her workplace to make health care equity a reality. S’abrina is a wonderful storyteller, punctuating her narratives with props and reenacted conversations that remind us that she is talking about real people. S’abrina has become an active force for NPAF/PAF, speaking, writing and participating to help advance our mission. We are thrilled to honor her as the Advocate of the Year.

A Call to Action: Community Initiatives

This year, we asked each Patient Congress participant to come up with an idea for a program or initiative that she or he can bring back to their communities. The advocates worked in groups, sharing ideas and experiences. We will be reporting on the progress of these action plans during the year.

Volunteer for NPAF

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