Our Team

Director, Brand & Marketing

Jessica Baladad is a nationally recognized patient advocate whose experience in journalism, marketing and public relations has reshaped how patient stories are told, heard and used to drive impact. She has trained advocates across the country to build narratives that move beyond awareness and into action in an effort to influence policies that govern access, shape coverage and impact patient outcomes. As a lead advocate with Patients Rising, she brings clarity and momentum to stories that are too often overlooked and works alongside patients to sharpen their voices, shape their messages and elevate their role in conversations that impact their health outcomes. Jessica is also a breast cancer survivor and the creator of Feel For Your Life, the award-winning advocacy app that gives women tools to perform self-exams, understand their cancer risk and take charge of their care. Her work and perspective have been featured in campaigns with the NFL, on Good Morning America, USA Today and in media outlets around the world.

Director, Storytelling and Production "Rick Dowlearn serves as Director of Storytelling and Production at Patients Rising, where he leads the development and production of video, audio, and digital content that elevates patient perspectives and clarifies complex healthcare issues. With more than 25 years of experience in television and digital media, Rick has developed and produced character-driven storytelling for major networks and platforms including National Geographic, Disney+, and Discovery, as well as award-winning documentary films shown worldwide.

Rick brings both professional experience and personal insight as a chronic patient to his work, informing an approach that prioritizes accuracy, clarity, and respect for the patient experience that touches each of us. At Patients Rising, he focuses on translating real patient stories into compelling content that supports education, engagement, and policy awareness.

Based in Frederick County, Maryland, Rick believes thoughtful and authentic storytelling plays a critical role in advancing patient-centered healthcare conversations."

Director, Development & Partnerships Jennifer Garzia is a patient advocate and nonprofit leader whose work is rooted in lived experience, community leadership, and a deep commitment to improving access to care. As Director of Development and Partnerships at Patients Rising, she focuses on building relationships and securing support that directly fuels patient education, advocacy, and navigation programs. Jennifer also serves in multiple board and leadership roles across national and state patient organizations, where she helps shape advocacy strategy, elevate patient voices, and advance policy conversations that impact real families. As a longtime caregiver navigating rare and complex disease care, she brings urgency, empathy, and practical insight to her work, ensuring that advocacy efforts remain grounded in the everyday realities patients and caregivers face.

Operations Manager

Teena Keevil serves as Operations Manager at Patients Rising, expertly managing the day-to-day details that keep our organization running efficiently and effectively. With strong skills in workflow monitoring, organization, and team collaboration, Teena ensures seamless operations for our team. She brings decades of hands-on administrative experience to Patients Rising, including 20 years of dedicated service in the U.S. Air Force.

Production Manager Caroline Marney serves as the production coordinator at Patients Rising. With 5+ years of production experience, Caroline helps manage the day-to-day production needs of the organization and helps turn ideas into reality. Caroline loves working behind the scenes to support meaningful work and is excited to help build something sustainable, impactful, and long-lasting alongside this community.

Director, Community & Education

Melissa is a dedicated advocate with over a decade of hands-on experience in dementia care and endometriosis advocacy. Drawing from her professional background and personal journey, she's deeply committed to making a real difference for the expanding community at Patients Rising. With roots in education and applied linguistics, Melissa works to build supportive communities where patients feel informed and empowered. Her time living abroad has shaped her perspective on healthcare, helping her connect with people from all walks of life. She organizes educational, inclusive events that link patients and families to essential resources in warm, safe environments. Melissa is fully dedicated to creating opportunities for patients to drive real change in laws and systems. Holding degrees from Southern Methodist University and Carnegie Mellon, she truly puts her heart into everything she does.

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Terry Wilcox is the co-founder and Chief Mission Officer of Patients Rising, a national organization focused on advancing patient-centered healthcare policy through education, advocacy, and accountability. She leads the organization’s policy strategy, public engagement, and thought leadership, with a focus on access, affordability, transparency, and innovation across the U.S. healthcare system.

Terry’s work sits at the intersection of patient advocacy and public policy. Over the course of her career, she has helped elevate patient perspectives into legislative, regulatory, and public discourse, ensuring that policy decisions are informed by real-world consequences for patients and families. Her leadership emphasizes practical, systems-level solutions that improve patient access while preserving innovation and choice.

Prior to co-founding Patients Rising in 2015, Terry spent nearly a decade at Vital Options, a nationally recognized cancer advocacy organization, where she served as Creative Director. During that time, she helped develop patient education initiatives and public awareness campaigns that demonstrated the role of storytelling in shaping policy understanding and engagement.

Since founding Patients Rising, Terry has overseen the organization’s growth into a respected national voice on healthcare policy, working with policymakers, patient leaders, corporate partners, and media to translate complex healthcare issues into clear, actionable insights. She is frequently asked to moderate policy discussions and panels that bring together patients, economists, clinicians, and government leaders.

Terry is a widely published healthcare commentator whose writing focuses on patient access, affordability, and transparency in healthcare policy. Her work has appeared in major national and regional publications, and she is regularly sought out by media outlets for commentary on emerging healthcare issues.

She resides in Vienna, Virginia, with her husband and two sons.