Terri Coutee is the Founder and Director of DiepCFoundation. She started the nonprofit organization in 2016, two years after her own successful breast reconstruction, to provide support, education, and resources for those affected by breast cancer facing mastectomy. Terri hosts the DiepCJourney podcast and the DiepC Foundation educational channel where she interviews surgeons, patients, healthcare professionals, and individuals to provide resources and lived stories to listeners. She provides written content through her blog at DiepCJourney.com.

Terri is a Project LEAD graduate, an intensive six-day science course designed to train patient advocates from the National Breast Cancer Coalition. She is co-lead on the World Health Innovation Summit shared decision-making expert group. Terri is a consumer patient advocate serving on the DoD-CDMRP for the breast cancer vaccine under the leadership of the team at the Cleveland Clinic. She has co-authored published papers and assisted surgeons and researchers gathering data for on-going studies in breast cancer and breast reconstruction to improve patient experience and outcomes.

Terri believes education is the key component for patients being able to have a shared decision-making conversation with their health care team.

Here educational resources and social media contact information can be found here:

DiepCFoundation Educational Channel on YouTube
DiepCJourney Podcast We are on Spotify, Libsyn, Apple Podcasts, and Amazon Music
DiepCJourney.com Blog
Social Media Channels:
LinkedIn: Terri Coutee
Facebook: diepCfoundation.org
Instagram: diepcfoundation
Pinterest: tgcoutee (DiepCFoundation.org)
Twitter: @6state

Terri Coutee, Founder DiepCFoundation

Erin Moore is a visionary leader and innovator focused on transforming healthcare and building a more equitable economy for health and care. As the founder of Meanwhile Health, Erin leverages her strengths in systems thinking, strategic management, and leadership to drive meaningful change. Erin is an exceptionally skilled communicator, serving as an advisor to executives and delivering compelling talks on innovation and healthcare reform. She is also a gifted writer, using her platform to raise awareness of critical issues and share a bold vision for a better future of healthcare. Her unique blend of leadership, strategic insight, and communication expertise allows her to motivate teams, advance complex initiatives, and achieve transformational results.

Erin Moore, founder of Meanwhile Health

Annie-Danielle Grenier raises awareness and advocates for rare diseases, living with a few herself.

She mostly does this as a writer, public speaker and through her blog turned website: Ma vie de zèbre (My Zebra Life). Annie-Danielle launched Ma vie de zèbre in 2013 because she had difficulty finding information in French on hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, her only rare diagnosis at the time, and what little she could find wasn't relatable to her province of Québec (Canada). She wanted to changed that!
 
Annie-Danielle is very active as a patient partner, involved in many management, education and research projects and doing things like shaping policies, educating future healthcare professionals, working in bioethics research, and much more.
 
Annie-Danielle was a translator and editor (in French and in English) and before that worked many years in show business (on stage but also behind the scenes). She has a bachelor's degree in psychology, but also studied in Arts and literature and in event production.
 
Annie-Danielle's atypical life experiences give her a different view on things, which she loves to share with people and, she hopes, can inspire. Her motto is that life's obstacles are not obstacles to happiness!

Business and collaboration offers can go through here: Annie-Danielle Grenier raises awareness and advocates for rare diseases, living with a few herself.
She mostly does this as a writer, public speaker and through her blog turned website: Ma vie de zèbre (My Zebra Life). Annie-Danielle launched Ma vie de zèbre in 2013 because she had difficulty finding information in French on hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, her only rare diagnosis at the time, and what little she could find wasn't relatable to her province of Québec (Canada). She wanted to changed that!
 
Annie-Danielle is very active as a patient partner, involved in many management, education and research projects and doing things like shaping policies, educating future healthcare professionals, working in bioethics research, and much more.
 
Annie-Danielle was a translator and editor (in French and in English) and before that worked many years in show business (on stage but also behind the scenes). She has a bachelor's degree in psychology, but also studied in Arts and literature and in event production.
 
Annie-Danielle's atypical life experiences give her a different view on things, which she loves to share with people and, she hopes, can inspire. Her motto is that life's obstacles are not obstacles to happiness!

Business and collaboration offers can go through here. Annie-Danielle Grenier raises awareness and advocates for rare diseases, living with a few herself.
She mostly does this as a writer, public speaker and through her blog turned website: Ma vie de zèbre (My Zebra Life). Annie-Danielle launched Ma vie de zèbre in 2013 because she had difficulty finding information in French on hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, her only rare diagnosis at the time, and what little she could find wasn't relatable to her province of Québec (Canada). She wanted to changed that!
 
Annie-Danielle is very active as a patient partner, involved in many management, education and research projects and doing things like shaping policies, educating future healthcare professionals, working in bioethics research, and much more.
 
Annie-Danielle was a translator and editor (in French and in English) and before that worked many years in show business (on stage but also behind the scenes). She has a bachelor's degree in psychology, but also studied in Arts and literature and in event production.
 
Annie-Danielle's atypical life experiences give her a different view on things, which she loves to share with people and, she hopes, can inspire. Her motto is that life's obstacles are not obstacles to happiness!

Business and collaboration offers can go through here: https://www.adgrenier.com/en/

Annie-Danielle Grenier, patient advocate

Salih Hendricks is a South African Diabetes Amputee Advocate and shares his lived experience with many around the world on platforms like, DEDOC.org, WHO, IDF, Diabetes South Africa, Diabetes SA Advocacy, American Limb Preservation Society, Bromley Diabetes UK Peer Support Group.

He is a Board Member of Diabetes South Africa and South Africa Diabetes Advocacy. He does Peer Support and motivational talks on awareness and prevention of diabetes
complications and amputations. He is always promoting diabetes education with awareness and prevention.

https://www.instagram.com/salihhendricks/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXrk-c_zXTU
https://www.thewaytomyheart.org/
https://www.who.int/news-room/events/detail/2021/11/23/default-calendar/ncd-hard-talk-webinar-comprehensive-diabetes-management

https://idf.org/what-we-do/advocacy/advocacy-networks/blue-circle-voices/bcv-stories/salih-hendricks-south-africa/
https://limbpreservationsociety.org/news/alps-features-salih-hendricks-a-diabetic-and-amputee-advocate/

https://www.diabetessa.org.za/dsa-news-autumn-2022/
https://www.diabetesadvocacy.org.za/board-members
https://sweetlife.org.za/life-as-a-diabetic-amputee/

Salih Hendricks, patient advocate

Based in Colorado, Risa August is an author, Speaker, Gestalt practitioner and Patient Advocate for rare pituitary diseases. She has been sharing her story for the past five years, and more recently in her memoir The Road Unpaved – Border to Border with a Brain Tumor and a Bike. In addition to speaking at conferences for leaders in pharmaceuticals, medical professionals, and patients, her work is published on blogs and in other smaller publications. Her most popular personal essay, “Marshmallow Clouds,” has been translated into Spanish. Through her personal transformation, Risa has learned and practiced removing limiting beliefs, shifting her perspective, and embracing a full life.

Risa has a B.A. in geography, a certification in the Gestalt Coaching Method, and a certificate in mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. She has been living with a pituitary tumor and rare disease for over a decade and offering words of inspiration and information to audiences in hopes of saving others from heading down a bumpier road.

A girl with sparkles in her hair and once an Ironman athlete, Risa still has a passion for her bike and barbells. With her genuine curiosity and love for trying new (and old) things, you may find Risa taking Bollywood or hip-hop dance lessons, trying a silks aerialist or boxing class, going indoor skydiving, or guiding an inspirational workshop in creativity.

Risa August, patient advocate

Eric Fisher is a Candian certified counsellor with over 13 years experience working in inpatient and outpatient treatment environments. Originally from the US, Eric specializes in helping those with addiction and trauma. He operates his private practice, Recovery Arts Counselling, in Calgary, AB.

Eric Fisher, Counsellor and Patient Advocate

Lori Abrams has been a consultant for the past year and a half, helping Organizations accomplish representation in their clinical trials.  This has been achieved by developing patient and community focused Diversity Strategy Action Plans, incorporating the patient and caregiver’s voice into decision-making, and bringing tangible solutions to the visible and invisible barriers that prevent representative recruitment and retention.

Her last role was Vice President of patient advocacy and clinical research diversity at WCG.  Abrams and her team worked to ensure that each clinical trial enrolled a diverse group of patients from underserved populations by facilitating culturally appropriate dialogue between patients, care providers, community members and trial stakeholders. The feedback and interactions from these groups garnered significant recommendations for the sponsors, but importantly, empowered diverse community members. The Team also worked with several pharmaceutical companies to develop Diverse Strategy Action Plans both for the Sponsor and the sites.
As the Director of Advocacy, Diversity & Patient Engagement in Global Development Operations at Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) she has built a Team that developed innovative and unique advocacy approaches that brought BMS clinical trial awareness and accessibility to patients, physicians, and caregivers. The Team also developed many relationships with minority-focused health and community-based organizations, to increase diversity in BMS clinical trial populations.  The Team also focused on educating the internal BMS workforce on the barriers, concerns and daily life of patients and caregivers.  This was achieved through quarterly “Voice of the Patient” seminars, art shows by patients, patient videos and internal teleconferences where colleagues could ask the Team questions.
 
Lori came to Bristol-Myers Squibb in 1998 as a Sr. Clinical Scientist in the Virology Group.  During her first six years she was the Clinical Working Group Lead on both Videx EC and Reyataz.  She joined the Drug Development Learning & Collaboration Team in 2003 managing a team of learning professionals.  
 
Prior to joining BMS, Lori was both a study coordinator in HIV/AIDS related clinical trials and a patient advocate at the National Institutes of Health and the Henry M. Jackson Foundation for Military Medicine.  Lori partnered with many patient advocacy organizations to bring the plight of the military’s HIV program to the public and integration into the HIV/AIDS overall arena.  Additionally, she successfully lobbied Congress to gain support for the military’s HIV Program and obtained an increase in funding of 20 million per year.  Her work was recognized with a nomination by Congressman Steny Hoyer (House Majority Leader) to be a delegate to the White House Conference of HIV/AIDS, and an award on World AIDS Day by Congresswomen Constance Morella. 

Lori completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Maryland and received a Graduate Certificate in Organization Development from the NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Sciences.

Lori Abrams, patient advocate

Emily is the Founder and CEO of Attane Health, a digital health company in the “food is medicine” space. Rooted in lived experience, Emily leads a passionate team dedicated to changing health outcomes through harnessing the healing power of food.
 
After experiencing first-hand the challenges of managing chronic health conditions with limited resources, Emily founded Food Equality Initiative (FEI). Under her leadership the nonprofit grew to a 7-figure annual budget, supporting patients' access to healthy food.
 
Emily is a national patient advocate who has provided both oral and written testimony to the FDA and USDA. Active in her community, Emily serves on several hospital committees and food policy coalitions. A member of the 2025 Child and Adult Core Set Annual Review Workgroup, Emily works to advance health equity in all pursuits.
 
Her research interests include food systems, health disparities, and patient-centered approaches to care. Emily is a published co-author of several peer-reviewed articles with top research institutions in allergic disease.  Emily believes in the power of patients and data to achieve greater health outcomes.

Emily Brown, CEO of Attane Health

Susannah Fox is a health and technology strategist. Her book, Rebel Health: A Field Guide to the Patient-Led Revolution in Medical Care, was recently published by MIT Press. She is a former Chief Technology Officer for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she led an open data and innovation lab. She has served as the entrepreneur-in-residence at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and she directed the health portfolio at the Pew Research Center’s Internet Project.

Susannah Fox, author, health and technology strategist

Are you struggling with confusing medical bills or unexpected charges? At Healthcare Redefined, as a medical billing advocate in New York and New Jersey, is here to help anytime. We review your bills, identify errors, and work with providers and insurance companies to resolve disputes. Our goal is to ensure you’re only paying what’s fair. With us, you can save time, reduce stress, and focus on your health. Let our experts handle the complexities of medical billing for you.

You can call us at 212 680 4948 or visit us at https://thehealthcareredefined.com/understanding-medical-bills-and-insurance-appeals for any issue regarding medical billing.

Medical Billing Advocate New York and New Jersey

Healthcare Redefined provides personalized healthcare navigation and patient advocacy in New York & New Jersey. We assist individuals facing complex medical conditions by connecting them with top doctors and best treatments. Call now to access top care.

The Health Design Podcast brought to you by the Journal of Health Design(www.journalofhealthdesign.com). Features interviews with the world's leading health design experts including clinicians, designers, patients, authors and researchers. Better health by design.

New tracks tagged #patient advocate