11:00am | Guest Arrival & Box Lunch

11:30am | Welcome Remarks

11:45am | Patient Perspective

Bianca Wimberly, a Lupus patient, schoolteacher and author of a children’s book: Mori’s Mountain

12:00pm |  Fireside Chat: Drug Affordability Project for Sensory Impaired and Medical Resident Advocacy

• Dorothy Leone-Glasser, RN, HHC, Executive Director, Advocates for Responsible Care (ARxC)

• Georgia Tech

12:30pm | Spark Session:  Research Under Pressure: Understanding the Ripple Effects on Patients

What happens to patients when research funding declines? From delayed clinical trials and fewer research opportunities to barriers facing underserved communities, changes in research investment can have consequences far beyond the laboratory.

This Spark Session brings together three voices from across the life sciences ecosystem to explore how a changing funding landscape is affecting clinical research and patient access to innovation. Speakers will share perspectives from patient advocacy, industry, and clinical research, highlighting the real-world impact of funding constraints—and what can be done to ensure patients aren't left waiting for the next breakthrough.

• Wendy Johnson, Senior Medical Science Liaison, Bristol Myers Squibb 

• Georgia Blood Cancer Trials Network

• Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia 

1:15pm | Panel Discussion: Patient Access at a Crossroads: Accountability, Reform, and the Future of Healthcare Access

From prior authorization and biomarker testing to mental health parity, PBM practices, and the 340B program, policymakers have enacted reforms intended to improve patient access to care and reduce barriers to treatment. Yet significant questions remain about implementation, compliance, enforcement, and whether these policies are consistently delivering the outcomes patients were promised.

This session will bring together patient advocates, providers, policymakers, and industry leaders to examine the evolving healthcare access landscape in Georgia and beyond. Panelists will discuss recent legislative and regulatory developments, challenges associated with implementation and compliance, and the role of transparency and accountability in ensuring patients receive timely, affordable access to the care and treatments they need.

The conversation will explore how stakeholders can work together to strengthen patient protections, improve healthcare outcomes, and ensure that well-intentioned reforms translate into meaningful impact for patients and families.

• Jeremy Bonfini, Executive Director & CEO, Medical Association of Georgia 

• Sarah Phillips, MPA, Associate Director, Public Policy, Rosalynn Carter Mental Health & Caregiver Program 

• Kirsten Powell, VP U.S. Government Affairs- U.S. Public Affairs, Takeda Pharmaceuticals America 

• Shavonne Williams, Nurse Practitioner and Executive Director of Partner 4 Faith & Justice

1:45pm | Break

2:00pm | Panel Discussion: The Next Frontier: How mRNA is Transforming the Future of Medicine

Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology has emerged as one of the most promising advances in modern medicine. While many first encountered mRNA through COVID-19 vaccines, researchers are now applying this platform to develop therapies for cancer, rare diseases, genetic disorders, autoimmune conditions, and infectious diseases. As these therapies move from the laboratory to the clinic, patients and advocacy organizations have an increasingly important role in shaping research, clinical trials, education, and access.

This panel will explore the science behind mRNA, the therapies currently in development, the challenges that remain, and what patients can expect as this rapidly evolving field transforms the future of healthcare.

• Vidisha Singh, PhD, MSPH, Moderna (moderator)

• Clay Alspach, Executive Director, Alliance for mRNA Medicines 

• Pooja Tiwari, CEO, Arnav Biotech 

• Emory University

2:45pm | Call to Action

• Dorothy Leone-Glasser, Advocates for Responsible Care