PATIENTS

Leaders in Patient Advocacy Share Accomplishments and Aspirations

Tackling the biggest health problems facing patients and societies around the world requires the combined strength and ingenuity of multiple organizations working together. Heading into the new year, Amgen invited organizations it supports and works with to share highlights of what they accomplished in 2022 and what they're most excited for in 2023 as they work to improve public health and patient outcomes. Their answers are below.


Allergy and Asthma Network: Not One More Life

Lynda Mitchell, MA, CAE
Interim Chief Executive Officer

"Nothing makes us prouder than how our Not One More Life community outreach and asthma coaching program is impacting lives for those with uncontrolled asthma." Not One More Life brings quality healthcare closer to communities disproportionately impacted by asthma.

We look forward to expanding the Not One More Life program in 2023 to reach more people with asthma. Together we empower lifestyle changes and healthy behaviors through education, address barriers to care for at-risk patients, and translate patient data into personalized health solutions.

Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: HEAL Program

Kenneth Mendez
President & Chief Executive Officer

"The 2022 achievement that stands out is the launch of our Health Equity Advancement and Leadership, or HEAL, program, which is designed to address health disparities in communities that bear the heaviest burden of asthma. With Amgen's support, AAFA selected four local communities to partner with in Detroit, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Chicago."

The health equity commitment is often described as a marathon, not a sprint. In this spirit, AAFA is excited to continue our partnership with the 2022 HEAL Innovation sites and see those programs create meaningful change in their local communities.

American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network: Blue-Button

Mark Fleury, PhD
Principal, Policy Development for Emerging Science

"With the support of Amgen in 2022, we were excited to move our Blue-Button clinical trial matching project from a concept to a tangible tool, ready to help more patients find cancer clinical trials."

In 2023, we will mark the exciting milestone of our first patients using the Blue-Button tool, and by the end of the year, we hope to have sufficient patients enrolled to do an interim analysis of the tool's impact. Our hope is to enable trials to truly represent the broader community of those affected by cancer.

CDC Foundation: Alliance for Million Hearts®

Kinetra Joseph
Campaign Director, Alliance for Million Hearts®

"One moment from 2022 that stands out is when we were in a Los Angeles-based studio recording health edutainment episodes featuring comedian, influencer and radio host KevOnStage in conversation with respected, relatable medical experts. It was informative, but also entertaining and culturally relevant. I knew then that we had something special!"

In 2023, we are going to build on the strong campaign foundation through social media, community ambassadors and grassroots community outreach to engage more audiences directly in the spaces where they live, work, play and pray.

Global Healthy Living Foundation: Inside Out Disease and BIPOC Patient Voices

Seth Ginsberg
Co-founder, President

"With the support of Amgen, we launched two programs in 2022, InsideOutDisease.org and BIPOC Patient Voices, focused on providing educational resources to help patients understand the implications of untreated psoriatic disease." These GHLF programs empower patients to take an active role in their healthcare journey, including Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC).

We look forward to the continued empowerment of patients to play an active role in their care, stand up against health disparities, better adhere to their treatment, and better manage their overall health as they live with chronic disease.

HEAL Collaborative: Community Initiatives

Howard Mosby, CPA
Board Member, Corporate Treasurer and Interim Chief Operating Officer

"Partnering with Amgen on its commitment to health equity has given us the opportunity to challenge the status quo on how and by whom trusted health information is presented in communities of color." HEAL Collaborative helps to close health gaps in Black communities by partnering with local churches, medical professionals, policymakers and patient advocates.

We are excited about the work and service opportunities that lie ahead to HEAL Communities of Color in 2023. The health equity narrative has changed and those who are to be recognized for Repairing the Breach are the local community of pastors, patients, caregivers, community leaders and advocates.

Lazarex Cancer Foundation: Cancer Wellness Hub

Dana Dornsife
Founder, Chief Mission and Strategy Officer

"With funding from Amgen, we built a service network and launched our inaugural 'pop-up' Cancer Wellness HUB in several underserved communities of color throughout Los Angeles."

We are looking forward to the expansion of the Cancer Wellness HUB in our three existing locations, including Los Angeles, where we will be engaging with several new diverse communities. We are hopeful that our expansion will bring us one step closer to a viable solution for the reduction of cancer health disparities, improvement of cancer health outcomes, and a platform for change to achieve equitable access.

LUNGevity Foundation

Andrea Ferris
President and Chief Executive Officer

"One of our proudest achievements in 2022 was growing the KRAS Gateway community with the generous support of Amgen. The Gateways have made an impact by providing specific mutation information and expert resources for both patients and caregivers."

We will continue to expand the reach of the KRAS Gateway platform and add new resources as we learn more about what visitors are looking for. We are also thrilled to host our first KRAS Patient Summit in 2023.

No One Left Alone

Kashyap Patel, MD
NOLA study lead, President of the Community Oncology Alliance

"Through No One Left Alone (NOLA), we are addressing disparities among cancer patients that lead to lower rates of comprehensive biomarker testing, which provide key information that patients can use to guide treatment decisions. I am most proud of creating a pilot in our South Carolina facilities that is scalable and sustainable."

The goal we're working toward is for NOLA programs to serve as a model for community oncology clinics far beyond our practice.


Amgen is working with or supporting more than 70 organizations through cross-sector collaborations, public-private partnerships and advocacy relations programs. Visit this page to learn more: Amgen Patient Advocacy and Strategic Alliances.

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