Patients, caregivers and clinicians gathered in Indianapolis on October 3, 2017 for the 3rd annual Patient Advocacy Summit. Held in conjunction with the American Association for Respiratory Care’s 63rd International Respiratory Congress and Exhibition, the summit offered attendees the opportunity to collaborate on ways to advocate for advancing the quality of respiratory care for patients suffering from chronic lung disease.
Guest speakers at the summit included Claire Wineland, a young woman with cystic fibrosis who is a passionate advocate for living life to its fullest despite chronic lung disease, and Grace Anne Dorney Koppel, a COPD patient and strong advocate for raising awareness of the disease and improving the quality of care for COPD patients. Claire Wineland is the founder of Claire’s Place Foundation. Grace Anne Dorney Koppel is the founder of the Dorney Koppel Foundation, which has co-founded several pulmonary rehabilitation programs in underserved areas of the country.