2026 Agenda
8:00 – 8:30
Breakfast and Registration
Forum Moderator: Christina Cunningham, Georgetown, Caymen Islands
8:30 – 8:45
Welcome and Opening Remarks – Patient Voice: From Engagement to Influence
Ursula Mann, Principal and Chief Patient Officer at Patient Voice Partners and
North America Chief Patient Officer at International Society for Patient Engagement Professionals (ISPEP), Calgary, Canada
8:45 – 9:00
The State of Patient Engagement: Progress, Gaps, and Emerging Challenges
Margaux Stastny, Chief Executive Officer at HealthPartners, Ottawa, Canada
9:00 – 9:35
The Global Policy Landscape: How Policy Shifts, Including Most Favoured Nation (MFN) Pricing, Are Shaping Healthcare Innovation
Panel discussion highlighting the current state of opportunities and challenges for advancing patient engagement, inclusion, advocacy, and patient support.
Moderator: Michael Reilly, Executive Director at Alliance for Safe Biologic Medicines (ASBM), Washington, USA
Helen Trifonopoulos, Vice President Market Access at BMS, Toronto, Canada
Andrew Spiegel, Board Chair at World Patient Alliance, Philadelphia, USA
Honourable Jason Copping, ECA LLM MIR, Former Minister of Health at Government of Alberta; Special Advisor at Blue Rock Law; Senior Associate at IMC Projects, Calgary, AB
9:35 – 9:55
Beyond Availability: Understanding the Patient Impact of Drug Shortages and Supply Chain Vulnerabilities
Introduction: Emma Sutcliffe, Chief Executive Officer at International Society for Patient Engagement Professionals (ISPEP), London, United Kingdom
Mina Tadrous, Associate Professor at University of Toronto, Canada
9:55 – 10:15
Break
10:15 – 10:50
From Patient Evidence to Better Decisions: How Patient Voices Shape Reimbursement and System-Level Decision Making
Panel discussion with CDA and pCPA exploring how patients can move beyond participation to meaningful involvement in reimbursement and healthcare decision making. Learn where patient evidence has the greatest impact and where opportunities remain to strengthen patient-centred decision making across the healthcare system.
Moderator: Kate Jervis, Vice President Value and Access at Novartis, Toronto, Canada
Alan Balch, Executive Chair at Patient Advocate Foundation, Virginia, USA
Michelle Gibbons, Director, Engagement at Canada’s Drug Agency, Ottawa, Canada
Kelly Cull, Director, Partner Relations at pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance (pCPA), Halifax, Canada
10:50 – 11:55
Workshop 1*: Where Patient Input is Present but Not Influencing Decisions – Identifying Gaps
Choose 1 of: MFN Policy, Clinical Trials and Access, Patient Trust and Data, System Sustainability
11:55 – 12:45
Lunch – Poster Viewing & Video Interviews Available
12:45 – 1:20
Clinical Research at a Crossroads: Patient Engagement as a Driver of Better Evidence and Better Access
Panel discussion exploring how meaningful patient engagement throughout the clinical research lifecycle can improve study design, recruitment, retention, relevance of outcomes, and ultimately support better evidence generation and equitable access to innovation.
Moderator: Sabrina Ramkellawan, President and Board of Directors at Clinical Research Association of Canada (CRAC), Toronto, Canada
Emily Pickering, Specialist Commercial Services Lead at National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), London, United Kingdom
Dr. Dan Edgecumbe, Country Medical Director, Vice President Medical and Regulatory Affairs, and Interim Chief Executive Officer at Roche, Toronto, Canada
TBD
1:20 – 1:45
Patient Voice in Lung Disease – Lessons for Engagement, Access, and System Change
Interviewer: Christine Pisapia, Montreal, Canada
Chris Lam, President and Chief Executive Officer, BC Lung Foundation, Vancouver, Canada and sharing Amber, Carter’s Mom from Carter’s Project
1:45 – 2:20
Creating Conditions for Engagement: Navigating Disclosure, Invisible Challenges, and Support Across Mental Health, Women’s Health, and Chronic Disease
Panel discussion examining the complexities of workplace disclosure, stigma, accommodation, and shared responsibility, and discuss how cross-sector collaboration can foster more inclusive, responsive, and person-centered environments.
Moderator: Hailey Hechtman, Executive Director at Unsinkable, Toronto, Canada
Dominic Begin, President and Managing Director at Organon, Montreal, Canada
Kimberley Hanson, Chief External Relations Officer at Breakthrough T1D, Ottawa, Canada
Carmen Wyton, Founder and Chair at Women’s Health Coalition Canada, Edmonton, Canada
2:20 – 3:10
Break and Poster Viewing
3:10 – 4:10
Workshop 2*: What Must Change Now – Patient Voice in Decisions That Shape Outcomes – Identifying Priorities
Choose 1 of: MFN Policy, Clinical Trials and Access, Patient Trust and Data, System Sustainability
4:10 – 4:25
From Insights to Practical Actions: What This Means for You Tomorrow
Key audience reflections from the day to help advance meaningful patient engagement across your work and sphere of influence
Facilitators: Anne Marie Hayes, Toronto, Canada & Christine LaFave, Montreal, Canada
4:25 – 4:30
Summary
Ursula Mann, Principal and Chief Patient Officer, Patient Voice Partners and
North America Chief Patient Officer at ISPEP
4:30 – 6:00
Networking Reception
*The workshops will be summarized into an op-ed paper publication after the conference.
Patient Inclusion Video Interview Opportunity: Attendees can share brief reflections throughout the day.
See Dec. 1 Agenda for Globally Certification Patient Engagement Workshop under “Accredited Workshop Training” tab. This will be a registration add-on available for certain registration categories.