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 all moms and babies, March of Dimes evolves by mobilizing data, storytelling, and collaboratio...

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 autoimmune disease, profoundly shapes how she leads. From helping patients and clinicians recogni...

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, Co-Founder & Executive Director of the CHES Foundation, to explore how CHES builds solution...

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 tools, this conversation blends strategy with humanity – offering advocacy and business leaders insigh...

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. The conversation was recorded in February 2025 at the Sanofi Patient Advocacy Council. You’ll h...

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. Mary Jo shares how APFED blends creativity, strategy, and a patient-centered approach to raise ...

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 Corporate Affairs at Sanofi moderated the panel, which featured Randy Rutta, CEO of the National Heal...

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 initiatives into powerful, national programs that deliver critical resources and support to lung p...

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 stories and lessons learned from advocacy leader guests. Insights are recapped on vital topics s...

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 Patient Advocacy for Immunology at Sanofi, are joined by Randy Rutta, CEO of the National Heal...

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 episode, Sanofi host Eric Racine is joined by Kate Tighe, Head of US Public Affairs and Patient...

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 discuss the transformative efforts of the Patient Advocacy Leaders in Drug Development Industry ...

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 field of venture philanthropy, his team’s portfolio approach to healthcare investments, and their sin...

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 researchers, patients, advocates and care teams get a holistic view of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and dr...

Patient advocacy groups have become a powerful force engaging with clinical researchers. The National Bleeding Disorders Foundation (NBDF) has been one of the best at driving a research agenda that matters to patients, yet they still saw areas for improvement. Maria Santaella, Vice President of Research Strategy at NBDF, realized the importance of including patient voices at the very start of and throughout the research process. This is what it takes to ensure researchers understand the unmet...

What does it take to grow a patient advocacy group from the ground up to become a driving force for patients in the US? Learn how Julie Block, President and CEO of the National Eczema Association (NEA), defined a bold long-term vision and learned to trust her team to stay true to the plan. Defining a five-year strategic blueprint, NEA took a broad view of stakeholders throughout the healthcare ecosystem, enabling them to set bold goals for what could be achieved through partnerships. Julie’s ...

What does it take to improve access to specialty care for vulnerable and underserved populations? What if the starting point is a complete lack of specialty care services? When Kim Thiboldeaux, CEO of the Northeast Business Group on Health, was told there was no cancer or specialty care on Native American reservations, her first reaction was shock, then it quickly turned to advocacy and action. After years of hard work and perseverance, the first cancer center on native land was opened on the...

Cancer can be an isolating condition, so Meredith Cowden has made it her mission to ensure other patients are not alone. Meredith, a cancer survivor living with chronic graft versus host disease (cGVHD), responded to adversity by forming the Meredith A. Cowden Foundation with her family to support and advocate for fellow transplant patients. The key to Meredith’s success is her ability to advocate and form a successful alliance of advocacy groups that strengthens their ability to help and adv...

Impact is a word we often use in patient advocacy. We know it’s important to the patients and communities being served, and that it also matters to the funders of advocacy programs. But how do you capture impact, when do you start, where does the information come from, and how should it be communicated? Sanofi host Eric Racine and co-host Elizabeth Franklin discuss this with our guest, Aicha Diallo, patient advocacy leader and senior director of programs at the Patient Empowerment Network (PE...

Building trust and improving health in underserved communities can be a daunting challenge. Most would agree that “it takes a village,” but how do you create that village, and who are the right partners? In this premier episode of “Patient Advocacy Voices,” Sanofi host Eric Racine and his co-host Courtney Peters discuss this challenge with Dr. Laura Lee Hall, a patient advocacy leader and President Emeritus of the National Minority Quality Forum (NMQF) Center for Sustainable Health Care Quali...