Anna Brundage Anna Brundage  is an accomplished and respected Diabetes Nurse Educator. She is the recipient of the Diabetes Educator of the Year Award from the Banting and Best Diabetes Centre and the recipient of the Honourary Lifetime award from the Canadian Diabetes Association in the Diabetes Educator Section. The DES grants honorary lifetime membership to recognize active DES members whose longstanding excellence in practice and significant contributions have improved the quality of life for people affected by diabetes.

Anna is co-founder of the T1 Think Tank, a highly specialized collaboration of Patient Leaders and Healthcare Professionals focused on Type 1 Diabetes. The T1 Think Tank has 3 main objectives: 1) Improve communication between Patients and Healthcare providers. 2) Elevate the Standard of Care provided to Type 1 Diabetes 3) Empower patients with skills for better self-management of Type 1 Diabetes (Editor’s Note: True to her tradition, Anna did not reply to our request for information. The picture we chose to represent her reminds us of her life’s work and the constant balancing act that diabetes management demands from those living with the condition. Anna’s modesty and humility is well known. Yet the impact she’s had on literally thousands of people living with diabetes over her long [...] continue the story

Anne Marie Cerato 4-Year Lung Cancer Survivor

Patient Advocate and Speaker

I am living with stage 4 Lung Cancer. A little over a year ago, I was certain that my life would be cut short and I doubted I’d see my 35th birthday. Thanks to a targeted treatment I’m looking past 40, my condition although incurable is now manageable and chronic, not terminal.

One of the most challenging parts of this journey has been the isolation I felt, during and after treatment, both as a Lung Cancer patient but also as a Young Adult. Even living in a world-class city like Toronto, I found it incredibly difficult to find the resources and outlets I needed as a Young Adult living with Lung Cancer. After having experienced the stigma and isolation of having this condition I decided I would do something to change things for the better.

I began These Are My Scars to provide other young adults with a place and the tools to see their own scars in a new light. Through this new perspective, we hope that individuals are able to heal from the deeper emotional scars emanating from the cancer experience. This personal project has led me into Patient Advocacy and [...] continue the story

Shirley Williams Chief Transformation Officer

New Media Enthusiast and Advocate

Experience Enabler

Shirley is a result-driven and passionate leader. She has led numerous business transformation initiatives across the globe that has included Canada, US, South Americas, Europe and Australia.  Her 20 -year career has spanned Biotechnology, Brand & Generic Pharmaceuticals, IBM Global Business Consulting, Healthcare and New Media.

In addition to her own blogs on global leadership [William Pearl] and social media [Social Media Pearls], Shirley is a blogger for Pharma iQ , Huffington Post and currently produces her own talk radio shows including, Rise Of The Patient. Shirley has introduced the term COMsumers to reflect today’s informed and empowered consumer. Shirley helps organizations to become better through the eyes of the consumer, by improving the consumer experience.

Leveraging her talk radio show, business transformational know-how, Shirley facilitates engaging conversations, collaborations and performance to improve systems, processes and operations.  Academically, Shirley is a scientist with a Master of Science degree in Pharmacology. Shirley is also a certified practitioner and professional in Change Management (Prosci), Project Management (PMP/PMI) and Social Media (OMCP, Online Marketing Certified Professional). INITIATIVES 1. Rise Of The Patient. Elevating The Voices in Health Care to Drive Collaboration

There is a movement happening. It is a quiet one, however [...] continue the story