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—  Patients Rising presents

An Afternoon Driving Policy Forward & Honoring Advocacy Leaders

A working convening on the policy fights that decide patient access today — from 340B reform to Alzheimer's treatment access — in the historic Kennedy Caucus Room, steps from where these decisions are made.

Event DETAILS
Date
Thursday, September 24, 2026
Time
1:00 – 6:30 PM
Program followed by a reception
Place
Kennedy Caucus Room
Russell Senate Office Building · Washington, D.C.
Attire
Business
Register to Attend
View the Agenda
Sponsor the Event
The State of the Patient Summit & Rise Awards, presented by Patients Rising — September 24, 2026, at the Kennedy Caucus Room, Washington, D.C.
—  About the event

A policy convening on the decisions that shape patient access.

Patients Rising brings patients, clinicians, and policy leaders into one room to confront the decisions shaping access and affordability — 340B reform and Alzheimer's treatment access. Two panels drive the afternoon; the Rise Awards recognize the advocates and innovators advancing patient-centered policy. Held in one of the most historic rooms in the United States Senate.

The dialogue

State of the Patient Summit

Two panels take a clear-eyed look at where policy is failing patients — and what real reform requires. Patients name the barriers to choice, access, and affordability; policy leaders respond with solutions built on transparency, accountability, and patient control.

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The recognition

The Rise Awards

The Rise Awards recognize the advocates, innovators, caregivers, and truth-tellers strengthening patient voice nationwide — and sustain the Legislative Education and Advocate Development (LEAD) program that trains the next generation of patient advocates.

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—  The afternoon

Order of the Day

The full arc of the afternoon — two policy panels, the Rise Awards, and the conversations in between, in the Kennedy Caucus Room.

1:00 PM
Registration & Opening Reception
1:30 PM
Opening Remarks & Rise Awards
1:45 PM
340B Panel
The Invisible Patient: Transparency and Accountability in 340B
2:45 PM
Short Break
3:15 PM
A Conversation with Terry Wilcox
3:25 PM
Rise Awards
3:40 PM
A Conversation with Jenn & Chad Fink
3:55 PM
Alzheimer’s Panel
Caring for Both: Alzheimer's Treatment Access and the Caregivers Behind Every Patient
4:55 PM
Closing Remarks
5:00 – 6:00 PM
Networking Reception
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—  The policy conversations

Two panels at the heart of patient access

Two of the most consequential questions in patient policy right now — the transparency of a federal drug-pricing program, and access to Alzheimer’s treatment for patients and the caregivers beside them.

Panel I

The Invisible Patient: Transparency and Accountability in 340B

A federal drug-pricing program built around patients has too often left them invisible. A candid look at what transparency and accountability should deliver — as Congress weighs major 340B reform.

Terry Wilcox
Hosted by
Terry Wilcox
CEO, Patients Rising
Anthony DiGiorgio, DO, MHA
Anthony DiGiorgio, DO, MHA
Neurosurgery & Health Policy, UCSF
Assistant professor of neurological surgery at UC San Francisco and Director of Spinal Neurotrauma at Zuckerberg San Francisco General. A former U.S. Senate health-policy fellow whose research centers on Medicaid policy and patient access to care.
Thomas Johnson
Thomas Johnson
Alliance to Save America’s 340B Program
Executive Director of the Alliance to Save America’s 340B Program (ASAP 340B), with more than thirty years across healthcare, association, and nonprofit leadership in Washington.
Ryan Long
Ryan Long
Congressional Relations · Paragon Health Institute
Director of Congressional Relations and a Senior Research Fellow at Paragon Health Institute, and the institute’s leading voice to Congress on market competition and healthcare reform. Formerly Senior Policy Advisor and Counsel to Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Chief Health Counsel to the House Energy & Commerce Committee — more than 25 years in health policy on the Hill.
Jessica Baladad
A conversation

A Conversation with Terry Wilcox

Jessica Baladad, founder of Feel for Your Life, sits down in conversation with Patients Rising CEO Terry Wilcox to open the afternoon’s second half.

Jenn & Chad Fink
A conversation

A Conversation with Jenn & Chad Fink

Chad & Jennifer Fink, a family living with younger-onset Alzheimer’s, share their story — grounding the policy discussion in the reality families live every day, and leading into the panel.

Panel II

Caring for Both: Alzheimer’s Treatment Access and the Caregivers Behind Every Patient

Access to new Alzheimer’s treatments and support for the families who provide daily care belong to one cause, not two. A look at the legislation — including the ASAP Act — working to serve both the patient and the caregiver.

Terry Wilcox
Hosted by
Terry Wilcox
CEO, Patients Rising
Deanna Darlington
Deanna Darlington
Founder, Links2Equity
Founder of Links2Equity and an advocacy relations professional with more than 30 years in patient advocacy, policy, and reimbursement — from ASCO’s first Reimbursement Specialist to 13 years at Amgen. Her AlzInColor initiative advances Alzheimer’s awareness and access in Black, Latino, and other underserved communities.
Christopher Durrance
Christopher Durrance
Director, PBS’s Caregiving
Award-winning director and senior producer of the PBS documentary Caregiving, executive produced by Bradley Cooper. A Peabody, two-time Emmy, and duPont-Columbia winner, he is now directing a forthcoming PBS documentary on dementia. Founder of Seven One Eight Studios.
Jim Taylor
Jim Taylor
Voices of Alzheimer’s
Co-founder and CEO of Memory Advocate Peers and an FDA-appointed Alzheimer’s patient advocate. With his wife Geri, diagnosed in 2012, he has spoken to more than 10,000 people to fight stigma and expand clinical-trial participation.
Travis Wilkes, M.D.
Travis Wilkes, M.D.
Chief Medical Officer, NeuroVision
A family physician and Chief Medical Officer of NeuroVision, focused on earlier detection of Alzheimer’s and closing the gap between an available treatment and a patient actually reaching it.

—  The 2026 Honorees

Our Honorees

The Rise Awards recognize leaders across advocacy, policy, caregiving, and patient access who have expanded what is possible for patients. Some honorees join us in the room on September 24; the rest are celebrated through a dedicated video and podcast tribute.

In the room on September 24
Brian Blase, PhD
Policy Integrity Award
Brian Blase, PhD
President and CEO of the Paragon Health Institute, for reform grounded in data and integrity.
David Ridley, PhD
Policy Innovation Award
David Ridley, PhD
Co-creator of the Priority Review Voucher program advancing treatments for rare and neglected diseases.
Deanna Darlington
Demeshia Montgomery Impact Award
Deanna Darlington
Founder of Links2Equity, for a career centering underserved communities in access and advocacy.
Caregiving documentary
Caregiving Impact Award
Caregiving
The documentary — executive produced by Bradley Cooper, directed by Chris Durrance — bringing caregiving into the national spotlight.
HonoreES NOT IN ATTENDANCE
Alex Oshmyansky, Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs
Access Disruptor Award
Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs & Alex Oshmyansky, PhD
For a transparent, cost-plus model that expanded patient access to lower-priced medications.
Kris McCabe
Heart of Caregiving Award
Kris McCabe & “Grams”
For Life With Grams and the unfiltered reality of full-time family caregiving.
Elisabeth Potter, MD
Courage in Care Award
Elisabeth Potter, MD
For courage in clinical practice and public advocacy in defense of patient access.
Cynthia Fisher
Relentless Healthcare Transparency Award
Cynthia Fisher
Founder of PatientRightsAdvocate.org, for an unwavering commitment to price transparency.
Baylen Dupree
Advocacy Out Loud Award
Baylen Dupree
For using her social platforms and Baylen Out Loud to reshape our understanding of people living with Tourette’s Syndrome.

—  The setting

The Kennedy Caucus Room

Among the most historic rooms in the United States Capitol complex, the Kennedy Caucus Room has hosted landmark Senate hearings and moments that shaped the nation. To gather here — to talk honestly about patients and to honor those who fight for them — is a genuine privilege.

Russell Senate Office Building
Kennedy Caucus Room (No. 325)
2 Constitution Avenue
Washington, D.C. 20002

We would like to thank the office of Senator Rick Scott for their support in helping us secure this beautiful space. 

Before you arrive
  • All guests pass through a security screening at the entrance, similar to airport security — no photo ID is needed.
  • Please allow a few extra minutes to clear screening when you arrive.
  • The building is wheelchair accessible, with accessible entrances, elevators, and restrooms throughout.
  • The nearest Metro is Union Station (Red Line), a short walk from the building.
  • Detailed arrival and entrance instructions will be sent to registered guests ahead of the event.
Have an accessibility need or question? Email our event coordinator at events@patientsrising.org and we'll make sure you're taken care of.

Reserve your place in the room

Join us for an afternoon of candid policy dialogue and recognition in the historic Kennedy Caucus Room. Seating is limited, so we're asking guests to register in advance. Complete the form and we'll follow up with confirmation and everything you need to know before you arrive.

Sign Up Now

What your day includes

  • Two panels on the policy fights that matter most to patients right now — 340B transparency and Alzheimer's access
  • The Rise Awards, honoring the advocates, caregivers, and innovators driving patient-centered change
  • A closing reception to connect with fellow advocates, honorees, and Hill guests

—  Attend

Register to join us

Seating in the Caucus Room is limited. Complete the form below to request your place, and we'll follow up with confirmation and arrival details.

—  With gratitude

Thank you to our sponsors

Behind every reform is a patient who needed it. We're grateful to the partners helping us put those patients at the center of the conversation.

Presenting Sponsors

American Optometric Association
GSK
Johnson & Johnson
Viatris

Supporting Sponsors

Eisai
Eli Lilly

Partner

Biogen

Nexus Policy Consulting

SPONSOR THIS EVENT

Put your company in the room

The State of the Patient Summit & Rise Awards brings patients, advocates, honorees, and lawmakers together in one of the most historic rooms in the U.S. Senate. Sponsoring puts your organization alongside that work — and in front of the people driving patient-centered change. Request the prospectus and we'll send you the full details.

Sign Up Now

Why sponsor

  • Visibility with patient advocates, policy leaders, and congressional guests
  • Your organization associated with meaningful, patient-first healthcare reform
  • Three sponsorship levels, with recognition on-site and across event materials

—  SPONSORsHIP INFORMATION

Request the prospectus

Tell us who you are and where to send it, and we'll get the prospectus right to you.