AiArthritis logo showing stylized infinite loop symbol in red with black dots, above organization name for International Foundation for Autoimmune & Autoinflammatory Arthritis.

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: AiArthritis WINS Best Team Performance 2020

AiArthritis Voices 360 Full Episode #47

Air Date: October 18, 2020

Join some members of the AiArthritis Team as they watch the WEGO Health Awards LIVE ... and react to their WIN for Best Community Team 2020.  Something about our organization is the true family feel.  We invited all volunteers to the watch party - in addition to Tiffany (CEO, Co-Founder) and Kelly (Co-Founder), Deb, Patrice, Judy, Traci, and Tracie joined. Some, like Tracie, had been around since the "Buckle Me Up!" Movement ( the movement that evolved into this organization ), but we haven't heard from in over a year.  A happy surprise, it was like no time had passed.  Others like Patrice, just started volunteering this year - and her participation demonstrated our commitment to inviting everyone to participate alongside the CEO ... no matter how new to the organization!


13,000 nominees across every disease group there is, 96 finalists in 15 categories - and for the second time since 2012 WE WON this award! We have also been nominated every year since the initial win and finalists in 2018).  Together we CAN move mountains - bulldozers are so overrated. Watch out 2021 .... here we come!

LISTEN TO THE EPISODE THEN BE SURE TO TAKE A SEAT AT THE TABLE BY JOINING THE CONVERSATION! 

(Scroll down the page to learn how!)

Watch the short behind the scenes look at some of our team watching the award show and learning that we won.

You can find, follow, and listen on Podbean, Spotify, Apple Podcast, or where ever you do podcasts. Please follow, rate, and subscribe to the show, then share it with someone. Be sure to check out our top-rated show on Feedspot!

Pull up your seat at the table

Now it's YOUR TURN to join the conversation!

What do you think about this episode?

We want to know what you think! By continuing the conversation with your opinions and perspectives - we all get a better understanding of the problems facing our community.  Better yet, through these conversations we can start working and developing solutions.


We mean it when say 360. Not only do we want your input anytime and anywhere, but we also are eager to see where the conversation will take us. So please, "pull up a seat at the table" and let's start talking!


Email us at podcast@aiarthritis.org, message us on social media (find us by searching for @IFAiArthritis)

Continue the conversation in our own AiArthritis Voices 360 Talk Show Group!

Pull up a seat and join the conversation on the topic from today and past episodes. You may even get an opportunity to talk directly with the co-hosts and any episode guests!

The AiArthritis Voices Program

Our AiArthritis Voices 360 Talk Show is just a piece of larger program - the AiArthritis Voices Program.


AiArthritis Voices is our program where people living with AiArthritis diseases and other stakeholders who we need 'at the table' to solve problems that impact education, advocacy, and research sign up to have a voice in our initiatives.


If you want to get more involved, and see more of the opportunities we have for you (and all stakeholders) please check out the AiArthritis Voices Program. Unite with others around the world to talk, learn, and connect. 

Join AiArthritis Voices

Show Notes:


00:53 - Tiffany welcomes listeners

01:05 - AiArthritis was co-founded by Tiffany in 2011, after she started an awareness campaign to let people know that Arthritis is not just a disease for elderly people.

02:59 - We are a family, and all of our volunteers are members of that family.

04:03 - AiArthritis was 1 of 13000 nominations and 96 finalists for the WEGO Health Awards this year.

05:40 - Hear the reaction when our volunteers found out we won the WEGO Health Award for Best Team Performance.

14:51 - Tune in at AiArthritis.org/talkshow to listen to any of our previous episodes or subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts


Patient Voices and All Other Stakeholders - Join our AiArthritis Voices Program and Connect to Opportunities to Have Your Voice Counted!


If you are a patient, a parent of a juvenile patient, or any other stakeholder (doctor, nurse, researcher, industry representative, or other health services person) - are you ready to join the conversation? It's your turn to pull up a seat. Join our new AiArthritis Voices program, where people living with AiArthritis diseases and other stakeholders who we need 'at the table' to solve problems that impact education, advocacy, and research sign up to have a voice in our initiatives. By signing up, you’ll get notified of opportunities to be more involved with this show - including submitting post-episode comments and gaining insider information on future show topics. Patients and all other stakeholders are encouraged to join so we can match you with opportunities to pull up a seat and TOGETHER - as equals - solve the problems of today and tomorrow.


JOIN TODAY! 

 

AiArthritis Voices 360 is produced by the International Foundation for Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory Arthritis. Visit us on the web at www.aiarthritis.org/talkshow. Find us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook (@ifAiArthritis) or email us (podcast@aiarthritis.org).

Be sure to check out our top-rated show on  Feedspot!


Your Co-Hosts & Guests: Who is at the table this episode?

Tiffany Westrich-Robertson

Tiffany is the CEO at International Foundation for AiArthritis and uses her professional expertise in mind-mapping and problem solving to help others, like her, who live with AiArthritis diseases work in unison to identify and solve unresolved community issues. For the last several years, she has continued her education in research, including becoming a professional focus group moderator, and translated this experience at our organization to develop award-winning, innovative projects that are taking patient engagement to next levels. 


Tiffany has served on several advisory boards, including those to advance patient voices in policy, clinical trials, and precision medicine. In addition to reviewing grants at PCORI and for the Department of Defense, she was the sole patient grant reviewer for the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin diseases from 2015-2018. She currently participates as a Patient Research Partner for OMERACT (Outcome Measures in Rheumatology), co-leads our organizations' international effort to advance patient voices in rheumatology research (the ACTion Council) and has dedicated her professional career to developing other patients to utilize their voices to impact the future of millions.


Kelly Conway
Kelly is a speech-language pathologist, author/blogger, and a patient advocate. She has been living with autoimmune arthritis since age 14 but wasn’t formally diagnosed until age 32. That diagnosis has changed more than 5 times over the past 18 years. Through social media, she connected with fellow patients and cofounded the International Foundation for Autoimmune and Autoinflammatory arthritis. She has represented her state of Pennsylvania on Capitol Hill for the American College of Rheumatology multiples times, and speaks of the patient perspective at medical/pharmaceutical conferences. Kelly believes in the power of the patient voice and sharing our stories to raise awareness, education, and advocacy.
 
Follow Kelly: Check out Kelly’s blog is “As My Joints Turn: My Autoimmune Soap Opera".  Visit her facebook page and twitter below.
Deb Constien
Deb has been living with Rheumatoid Arthritis for three decades and while she has experienced disability from it, she never lets her disease dominate how powerful her voice can be. 

She has been a key Representative (high level volunteer) for our organization for several years and often takes a leadership role in many programs and mission initiatives, including attending meetings as the voice of the organization. She is also a Platinum Ambassador at the Arthritis Foundation, as well as various other nonprofits, and has formerly and currently used her voice as a Patient Research Partner (Wisconsin Research and Education Network (WREN), OMERACT, Arthritis Power through CreakyJoints and more). She has represented her state of Wisconsin on Capitol Hill and at a local multiples times, and most recently was a key player in helping to pass step therapy legislation in her state.

Patrice Johnson

Originally diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis 9 years ago, Patrice now has an undifferentiated diagnosis. She has also been told she has had Osteoarthritis for 35 years. Along the way she developed some comorbidities which include severe hearing loss, a Baker's cyst, osteopenia, and a vein ablation. Patrice lives in Northern California and have 2 grown children and 5 grandchildren. She loves to travel, read, and cook.  

Judy Flanagan

Judy is a person diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis from Australia. She is a dedicated volunteer Representative for our organization and an IPain Patient Partner (International Pain Foundation).

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