Inside Affair 2023

After a hiatus of in-person events during the pandemic, we were delighted to host an Inside Affair in Vancouver and another in Toronto. Each event included a lively reception, speaker presentations and/or panel discussions, a meal, and time to connect with a variety of stakeholders to exchange ideas and move healthcare forward in Canada.

Attendees included people from a diverse mix of backgrounds, including persons living with diseases and disorders and patient group representatives across many therapeutic areas, physicians, nurses, pharmaceutical representatives, private insurance representatives, government officials, registered dietitians, pharmacists, researchers, students, and more.

The funds we raised at these events will help sustain our ongoing charitable work, including patient education initiatives, advocacy, and community support.

During both events, guests enjoyed taking pictures at a selfie photobooth where they posed with props. Our infamous poop emoji mini cupcakes and brownies were also back. All attendees received a tote bag filled with goodies and a copy of the Inside Tract® newsletter, issue 225. The food was option-friendly with stations offering a delicious array of items that fit an assortment of dietary needs, including a carving station, as well as gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, vegetarian, and vegan food selections. There was something for everyone.

While there were 88 attendees booked for Vancouver and 145 for Toronto, we lost a few participants on the nights of the events due, in part, to positive COVID tests. (Yes, sadly, it is still happening!)

We thank the Board, staff, and volunteers for their support in hosting and helping us make these events a huge success, including Jaymee Maaghop, Laurie Middleton-Crump, Brittany Moretti, Judy Murray, and Jonathan Zaid.

Vancouver

April 20, Vancouver Marriott Pinnacle Downtown Hotel

Presenters at the Vancouver event spoke on the topic of Transforming healthcare amid the pandemic. The evening started with Gail Attara, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Gastrointestinal Society, who welcomed the guests and gave a shout out to the Board members, staff, and regular volunteers who attended.

Dr. James Gray then gave a brief overview of the GI Society and the abundance of new resources that we developed during the past few years. Dr. Gray is a gastroenterologist, a clinical professor at the University of British Columbia, the Chair of the GI Society’s Medical Advisory Council, and Vice-President of the Board of Directors for the Canadian Society of Intestinal Research. He narrates many of our videos, and he has been a speaker at BadGut® lectures for decades.

Suzanne Solven, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, College of Pharmacists of BC, followed with a presentation on the recent expansion of BC’s pharmacy scope of practice. If this sounds familiar to you, you might have read about this in an article she wrote in the Inside Tract® newsletter, issue 225.

Mitch Moneo, Assistant Deputy Minister, Pharmaceutical Services Division, BC Ministry of Health, wrapped up the evening with insights from the provincial government’s efforts in adapting care and access to medicines during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Guests enjoyed the rest of the evening with music from local and internationally-renowned singer-songwriter, Reid Jamieson and his long-time song writing partner and wife, Carolyn Victoria Mill.

Vancouver Sponsors

Toronto

May 25, Toronto Airport Marriott Hotel

In Toronto, presentations and a panel discussion focused on Bringing the patient voice into treatment funding decisions and building on the progress that has been done to date. Gail Attara began the evening with greetings and thanks to all guests and sponsors. Dr. Gray emphasized the impact of stigma and the invisible disabilities of living with a digestive illness. With humour, including a few jokes on flatulence, he called for more open discussions about GI conditions.

The event continued with an inspiring and lively panel discussion among esteemed leaders and changemakers in healthcare. Abigail Redding, a 17-year-old living with Crohn’s disease, launched the conversation with a narration of a poignant and heartfelt poem she wrote about inflammatory bowel disease, which we published in the Inside Tract® newsletter, issue 225.

Tracey Ramsay, Vice President and General Manager, Canada of AbbVie Corporation, moderated the panel and asked members about the role of patient input in healthcare decision-making and how it has evolved through the years. A Q&A session engaging the audience also followed. Suzanne McGurn, in her role as President and CEO of the Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (CADTH), acknowledged that although they’ve made several steps to increase patient engagement, there is still room for improvement. One of the main challenges they experience when making drug funding decisions is recognizing the uniqueness of patients and preparing for the needs of patients tomorrow.

Christine Elliott, Counsel with the Fasken Health Law group, echoed similar sentiments when she recounted her time as the former Ontario Minister of Health, Deputy Premier, and Patient Ombudsman. The government has taken several steps to meaningfully engage with patients, but the healthcare system is not yet truly responsive to patients.

Despite these gaps, Abigail Redding feels hopeful for the future. She credited her remission to the healthcare system – one that gave her a supportive healthcare team and the ability to choose from several treatment options.

Gail Attara thanked both Suzanne McGurn and Christine Elliot for being open to patient input and healthcare conversations during their time with the Ontario government. In a final message to the audience, Gail stressed the importance of collaboration among stakeholders across the healthcare system for faster access to innovative and effective medicines so that patients living with chronic diseases have the tools to live a longer, better quality of life.

Toronto-based artists SteelRiver, featuring Lauren Roy and William Mukuna, filled the room with a blend of jazz, folk, and pop as guests networked and reconnected with familiar faces.

We are grateful for Lisa Machado, the executive producer of Healthing.ca, for attending the Inside Affair and for reporting on this event and highlighting Abigail’s powerful message about patient resiliency on her website and across many media platforms.

Toronto Sponsors