With the explosion of social media in today’s technological landscape, patient voices are increasingly relevant in rheumatology. Across platforms, countless patients have stepped up as leaders and influencers, using their platforms to share stories and empower others.
As a patient and patient advocate myself, I’m extremely appreciative of the work of these individuals. Furthermore, in my role as the Chief Patient Officer of rheumission, I’ve had the honor of connecting with many of them. These individuals are leaving an indelible mark on the world of AIIDs (Autoimmune and Inflammatory Diseases) through their expertise in outreach, education, and support.
Fitness and Wellness Advocates
Inspirational figures like Ashley Nicole (IG @ashnic_rawarriorfitness), Liv Loo (IG @movetoliv), and Megan Tovar (IG @itsmegzz_fitness) are among the dynamic individuals I’ve had the privilege of engaging with. Through their coaching businesses, they empower women with rheumatoid arthritis to conquer joint pain and embrace vibrant, healthy lifestyles.
As a personal trainer, former bodybuilder, and patient advocate, Ashley Nicole empowers RA women to alleviate joint pain. Her faith-based healing program focuses on gentle movement, mobility, and healthy nutrition.
Diagnosed with young arthritis at the age of four and uveitis from age eight, movement trainer Liv Loo brings a fresh perspective to fitness. She works on adaptable movement and mindset coaching and writing educating posts for health platforms such as the Healthline.
Megan Tovar is a Chronic Pain Therapist and nutritionist who shares in rheumission’s goals. She focuses on building patient trust and working towards long-term remission through her 1:1 Get Fit with Arthritis program.
Chronic Illness Bloggers and Lifestyle Advocates
In addition, chronic illness bloggers like Kate Mitchell (IG @katethealmostgreat) and Stefanie Remson (IG @rheumatoidarthritiscoach) play a pivotal role in the community. Sharing their journeys, they offer invaluable tips and tools for managing autoimmune conditions.
Living with RA, POTS, and endometriosis, patient advocate and blogger Kate Mitchell curates a chronic illness lifestyle blog. Additionally, she has a weekly newsletter, providing a wealth of advice on health management and lifestyle.
Stefanie Remson, a nurse practitioner living with RA, educates the community about chronic illness and management. She offers online individual coaching services at RheumatoidArthritisCoach.com in addition to insightful blog posts.
Conclusion
As we celebrate these voices, myself and rheumission recognize and applaud individuals like Ashley Nicole, Liv Loo, Megan Tovar, Kate Mitchell, Stefanie Remson, and countless others who have come together to create a supportive ecosystem that empowers patients and drives progress in autoimmune care. Beyond engaging with communities, these wonderful individuals have harnessed the power of social media to empower not only their own voices, but the voices of countless other patients.
In the second part of our influencer discussion, we’ll delve into the forerunners of patient advocacy and healthcare innovation, and their pivotal role in reshaping the autoimmune landscape. Check it out here!
Authors: DrBonnie360, Ellen M. Martin, Sydney Hahn, & Madeline Pineda
We approach these thought leadership posts from our multi-lens perspectives.
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- DrBonnie360: Digital/virtual health consultant, clinical dentist, Wall Street analyst, patient & advocate.
- Ellen M. Martin: Consultant, editor, life science finance/IR/marcomm, autoimmune caretaker.
- Sydney Hahn: Digital health equity research intern, Human Biology and Society & Mathematical Biology Undergraduate Student at UCLA.
- Madeline Pineda: Digital health equity research intern, Psychobiology Undergraduate Student at UCLA.
Strategic Consulting & Professional Services
We provide professional consulting services to investment, emerging, and established companies. Our work bridges silos and fills gaps to help our clients improve care for AIID patients and reduce costs. Informed by patient and caretaker perspectives, we urge investors & clients to integrate the best of digital, conventional, and functional medicine into AIID care delivery.
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- We help our clients leverage digital innovations into V1C for AIID patients.
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- Our subject matter expertise includes: oral health, microbiome, autoimmune patient journeys, competitive landscape analysis, strategic positioning & messaging, digital health, and self-hacking.
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- We have decades of experience in finance, marketing, and communications for dozens of healthcare and life sciences organizations, emerging and established.
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- Our backgrounds include clinical dentistry, osteology, biotech IR/PR, marcomm, content creation, strategic consulting, and autoimmune advocacy.
Contact us to help you map your market landscape and understand patients’ unmet needs. Also, we can help you clarify and articulate your company’s market position and differentiators. Long before COVID-19, we were facilitating virtual sessions. We also create compelling content: articles, blog posts, collateral, e-books, web copy, and white papers. Our Autoimmune Connect/DrBonnie360 website showcases our own content.
Main Image Credit: Micro Biz Mag
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