2022 Georgia Bio Patient Advocacy Summit

Join us on Tuesday, August 23rd for Georgia Bio’s 3rd Annual Patient Advocacy Summit! With improvements being made every day toward better patient outcomes, as well as advancements in legislative efforts, we want to showcase the great work being done in the patient community.

Agenda

11 a.m. Welcome and Introductions

11:05 a.m. Keynote Presentation: The Future of Mental Health in Georgia

With new laws and attention from the State, 2022 is the year for mental health in Georgia. Representative Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur); Kim Jones, Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI); and Monica Johnson, GA Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities, will discuss the impact of the recently passed Mental Health Parity Act (HB 1013) on Georgians and what steps still need to be taken to improve mental health in our State.

– Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur), Georgia House of Representatives
– Kim Jones, National Alliance on Mental Illness
– Monica Johnson, GA Department of Behavioral Health & Developmental Disabilities

11:35 a.m. Federal Patient Policy Update

Join Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01) and Vice President of External Affairs for the Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO), Michele Oshman, for a discussion about policies that are affecting patients at the federal level, including an update on the Senate Reconciliation Package and other issues that will have a direct impact on patient care, affordability, and access to new and improved medical care.

– Congressman Buddy Carter (GA-01), United States House of Representatives
– Michele M. Oshman, Vice President for External Affairs, Biotechnology Innovation Organization (BIO)

12:00 p.m. The Value of Patient Support Groups

Anyone who has ever suffered from a disease or disabling medical condition understands how important it is to have a strong support system in place. Patient support groups play an important role in educating patients about their options for care and provide emotional and moral support on the path to recovery. Surprisingly, engagement in patient support groups is often low. Common barriers to accessing support groups are awareness, time constraints, and confrontation of negative aspects of the disease. Our esteemed panel will discuss their experiences with patient support groups and how to increase engagement.

– Kelly Barta, Coalition of Skin Diseases Organization
– Christopher Reed, Georgia Council on Lupus Education & Awareness
– Barbara Fleeman, WomenHeart Champion
– Moderator: Haley Stolp, Advocates for Responsible Care

12:30 p.m. Benefits & Access to Clinical Trials

If you are a patient or caregiver, you may ask yourself, “Why should I try something that researchers are not sure will work?” It’s important to know that clinical trials offer many benefits to patients – they provide new treatments, are strictly regulated, give early access to cutting edge solutions, include access to specialized, affordable care, and offer hope.  Join our panel of doctors and a clinical trial patient for a behind the scenes look at participating in clinical trials.

– Dr. Jessica Williams, Grady Hospital GOAL Project
– Dr. Del Smith, Acclinate
– Kimberly Smith, Clinical Trial Patient
– Moderator: Dorothy Leone-Glasser, GaBio Patient Advocacy Alliance and Advocates for Responsible Care