Patient Advocacy Voices

Transplantation can save lives. So why do patients who could benefit still face so many barriers to receiving one? The science and clinical capabilities of transplantation have advanced dramatically, yet the patient journey remains extraordinarily complex. From understanding transplant options and getting referred to the right center to navigating insurance, organ availability, policy changes, and...

What can decades of successful vaccine advocacy teach every patient organization?   Effective advocacy goes beyond raising awareness. It builds trust, removes barriers, collaborates with many partners, and empowers patients to make informed decisions.  In this episode, host Eric Racine and co-host Courtney Fahey of Sanofi are joined by Amy Pisani, CEO of Vaccinate Your Family. Drawing from more th...

Who gets to define value in healthcare? Although policymakers, payers, and healthcare professionals all play a role, patient advocacy leaders know that value must also be defined by the experiences of patients and the clinicians who care for them. In this episode of Patient Advocacy Voices , we explore how advocacy organizations can help ensure healthcare policies are shaped by the people most aff...

Patient advocacy leaders work every day to make sure patient voices do more than get heard. They want those voices to shape decisions, improve care, guide research, and advance policies that affect patients’ lives. In this episode of Patient Advocacy Voices , we hear from an organization doing exactly that.  Host Eric Racine is joined by co-host Melissa Dupont, Global Public Affairs Lead, Neurolog...

What does it take to make sure innovation, policy, and public health actually work for older adults? Too often, patients and caregivers face a hard path from diagnosis to treatment, shaped by Medicare complexity, out-of-pocket costs, communication gaps, and administrative barriers that get in the way of care. In this episode of Patient Advocacy Voices, host Eric Racine is joined by co-host Katie O...

When someone is diagnosed with cancer, the expectation is that care begins quickly and smoothly. In reality, many patients and caregivers find themselves navigating a complicated system, juggling access barriers, approvals, and logistics before treatment even begins. In this episode of Patient Advocacy Voices , host Eric Racine is joined by Meagan O’Neill, Executive Director of the Association of...

A highly respected patient advocacy organization with a trusted identity and decades of impact made a bold decision to change – the reasons behind this decision matter for every organization.  For many advocacy leaders, brand identity is deeply tied to trust and recognition. But as science evolves and patients’ needs become more complex, organizations must ask themselves: are we reaching all the p...

How can patient advocacy leaders ensure that artificial intelligence truly serves the people it is meant to help? As AI rapidly reshapes the healthcare system, patient advocates have both an opportunity and responsibility to influence how these technologies are designed, governed, and implemented to transform patient health. In this episode of Patient Advocacy Voices , host Eric Racine welcomes ba...

How do we rebuild trust in vaccines when fear and misinformation stand in the way, especially for autistic individuals and their families? In this episode of Patient Advocacy Voices , host Eric Racine is joined by co-host Heather Entenmann, U.S. Public Health Engagement Lead at Sanofi, for a thoughtful conversation on vaccine confidence, trust, and inclusion. Together, they welcome two leading voi...

2025 was a year of transformative change and opportunity across the patient advocacy community, Sanofi, and for patients.  In this special year-end episode, host Eric Racine, joined by Adam Gluck, Head of U.S. & Global Specialty Care Corporate Affairs, and all Sanofi Season 2 co-hosts, revisit the most powerful conversations and lessons from the 2025 season while exploring the year’s defining...

What does it take to move from patient-centric talk to patient-driven action? In this episode, we go inside Sanofi’s Patient Community Promise, a commitment to truly integrate patients throughout every part of its global organization.  Host Eric Racine is joined by Sanofi co-hosts from around the world: Kersten Sharrock, Amy Akers-Teets, Catherine Coulouvrat, and Nick Taylor. They share how the Pa...

How does an advocacy organization with a historic legacy transform and lead on the most pressing issues facing its constituents today?  Host Eric Racine and co-host Robin Johnson sit down with Cindy Rahman, President & CEO, and Erin Jones, Senior Director Legislative & Strategic Counsel, at March of Dimes. From its historic role in eradicating polio to its modern fight for the health of al...

When patients are living with a misunderstood condition, and healthcare providers may not always have the answers, advocacy organizations have the power to step in and help close the gaps. In this episode, host Eric Racine and co-host Elizabeth Franklin sit down with Caroline Kruse, President & CEO of the Platelet Disorder Support Association (PDSA), whose personal experience with ITP, a rare...

Successful patient advocacy groups often start with a simple but powerful question: What do our patients need that no one else is delivering? The CHES Foundation took this approach head on, turning gaps in care, education, and belonging into innovative, measurable programs for the rare bleeding disorders community. In this episode, host Eric Racine and co-host Jane Smith sit down with Janet Brewer...

In this episode of Patient Advocacy Voices , host Eric Racine and co-host Marco DeThomasis, People Business Partner, Specialty Care at Sanofi, sit down with Schroeder Stribling, President & CEO of Mental Health America (MHA). Together, they explore how data, early intervention, and workplace culture can help address America’s growing mental health crisis. From national trends to practical tool...

Why do life-changing medical innovations often struggle to reach the patients who need them most? In this episode of Patient Advocacy Voices, Esther Krofah of the Milken Institute moderates a powerful conversation with senior Sanofi leaders across immunology, vaccines, diabetes, and policy on the systemic barriers that stand between scientific breakthroughs and ensuring access for patients in need...

How do you drive awareness for a rare disease with a name that’s difficult to even pronounce and a wide range of symptoms that mimic other conditions? In this episode, host Eric Racine and co-host Preeya George-Guiser sit down with Mary Jo Strobel, Executive Director of the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders (APFED), about the organization’s strategic approach to rare disease advocacy...

How will the shifting U.S. healthcare policy landscape impact patients? It’s an important topic that many patient advocates are thinking about today. This month’s special episode features a thought-provoking panel discussion recorded during the Sanofi Patient Advocacy Council meeting in Washington, D.C., where panelists dove into this topic. Adam Gluck, SVP and Head, U.S. and Specialty Care Corpor...

Get ready for an inspiring conversation about the power of passion, purpose, and partnerships in evolving patient advocacy to meet the changing needs of a community! In this episode, Harold Wimmer, President and CEO of the American Lung Association, shares insights from his incredible 46-year journey with the organization. Harold reveals how the American Lung Association grew successful regional i...

Patient Advocacy Voices is dedicated to helping US advocacy groups strengthen capabilities in service to patients and their mission. Season 2 continues and will provide deeper insights and more pragmatic tips from patient advocacy leaders and visionaries.  In this special episode to start the new season, host Eric Racine is joined by all his Sanofi co-hosts from Season 1 to recall the powerful sto...

With more than 100 years of experience, the National Health Council knows how to bring patient advocacy groups and other organizations together to advocate for patients’ interests. How do they stay at the forefront of a patient-focused US healthcare system? They innovate and collaborate.     In this episode, Sanofi host Eric Racine and cohost, Demi Anastasiades, lead of US Public Affairs and Patie...

When it comes to meeting healthcare’s biggest challenges, sometimes the best approach begins with curiosity. Dr. Jean Wright, MD, MPH, Chief Executive Officer of the Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Foundation, has made an immense impact on the COPD community and knows firsthand how to bring new solutions that move the needle for poorly understood patient communities.    In this episod...

From leveraging existing resources to filling gaps with innovative tools, partnerships throughout the healthcare industry can help meet the needs of more patients and drive impact in an accelerated way.  In this episode, Eric Racine is joined by Vicky DiBiaso, Global Head of Patient Informed Development and Health Value Translation at Sanofi, and Sara Loud from the Accelerated Cure Project, to dis...

David Panzirer, a trustee of the Helmsley Charitable Trust, discovered his calling when his daughter was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes (T1D). A businessperson at his core, David views healthcare grants as investments, and his team continuously develops a deep understanding of the ecosystem as a key success factor to maximize their impact. Learn from one of the most significant players in the fiel...

To help make an impact for patients, it's important to have a comprehensive understanding of how a disease impacts their day-to-day lives. Michael Osso, Chief Executive Officer of the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation knows this well. He and his team created a comprehensive research ecosystem that harnesses data– from reported anecdotes to clinical data, biosamples and more – to help rese...