 Updated July 23, 2026
I was honored to be a presenter and vendor at the 2026 Compass Healthcare Collaborative Patient Safety Conference and Annual Forum. I met many wonderful healthcare professionals who are doing meaningful work to improve patient outcomes. I co-presented with Rachael Duncan, PharmD, on ways to improve surgical outcomes, including the importance of patient communication and effective pain management. I also had the opportunity to attend educational sessions, help judge the poster competition, and donate copies of my books to the conference for distribution as prizes. This photo shows my booth space at the conference. The importance of lived experience One thing I particularly appreciated was Compass Healthcare Collaborative's inclusion of people with lived experience. People who have experienced the healthcare system as patients bring a perspective that can't always be gained from clinical training or research alone. Their experiences can help healthcare organizations better understand what patients encounter and identify opportunities to improve care. I applaud Compass for recognizing the value of lived experience, and I encourage other healthcare organizations to meaningfully include patients and advocates. Turning experience into purpose Two of the keynote speakers shared powerful personal stories. Allison Massari spoke about her recovery after a fiery car crash. Angela Kennecke shared her experience of losing her daughter to fentanyl poisoning. Both have transformed difficult experiences and losses into a purpose of helping others. One message from Allison particularly resonated with me. She described reaching a point in her recovery when she realized that no one was going to fix her and that she needed to take control of her situation and her life. That message is one I can personally relate to. Living with chronic pain taught me a similar lesson. Medical treatment and healthcare professionals can provide important support, but ultimately, I had to become an active participant in managing my condition and rebuilding my life. That's one of the principles I try to share through Chronic Pain Champions. Moving healthcare forward I'm grateful for the opportunity to participate in events like this and to bring the perspective of lived experience into conversations about patient safety, surgical outcomes, and pain management. Healthcare works best when clinicians, researchers, patients, and people with lived experience learn from one another. I'm proud to be part of that conversation . Thank you to Compass Healthcare Collaborative for creating a place where those voices can be heard. Learn more about Compass Healthcare Collaborative. Comments are closed.
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