LAC DHS Patient Partnership Hub Meeting
LAC DHS Patient Family Partnership Hub meets every third Tuesday of the month at 10:00am PT.
Strengthening Complex Care Through Family Caregiver Integration Webinar
National Alliance for Caregiving. Life-saving treatments—such as organ transplant and cancer therapy—represent major clinical milestones, but they also mark the beginning of a demanding and long-term caregiving journey. Across many areas of care, family caregivers quickly become essential partners, managing complex medication regimens, coordinating frequent appointments, monitoring symptoms, and supporting daily recovery needs. These responsibilities continue long after discharge, shaping long-term wellbeing, and influencing health outcomes over time.
Grounded in transplant and oncology, this session will highlight why integrating caregivers and supporting their psychosocial needs is a strategic imperative for health systems—improving patient outcomes and strengthening care delivery. The insights shared apply broadly to many serious and chronic conditions that require high levels of care coordination and caregiver support. Together, we will explore both the clinical importance and the business case for supporting family caregivers as essential members of the care team. Participants will also receive resources for implementing or enhancing caregiver support programs.
7th Annual Methods Summit - Virtual Valuing Innovation: Measuring What Matters
The 7th Annual Methods Summit brings together leaders in value research, policy, and patient advocacy to examine how value assessment can better reflect what matters to patients. The Summit will explore inclusive, patient-centered approaches beyond cost-effectiveness and inform a forthcoming methods brief shaping national value-based decision-making.
INSPIRE’s Community Engagement Learning Network
Join us in building a vibrant community that inspires change!
INSPIRE’s new Community Engagement Learning Network is a unique opportunity for community engagement (CE) professionals and people with lived experience (PWLE) to connect and learn together. Based on feedback from hundreds of people across the country about what they need to advance their work in CE, INSPIRE’s CE Learning Network is a community dedicated to sharing best practices, providing support to one another, and enhancing the field.
2026 scheduled sessions will all take place on the fourth Wednesday of each month, beginning at 3 pm ET.
REGISTER Here: Meeting Registration - Zoom
PFAnetwork Coffee Chat
Please join us for our quarterly Coffee Chat. Coffee Chats are a time to come together and catch up on community updates and hot topics. We hope to see you there! Register here!
Patient and Consumer Forum on Health Care Affordability
The Office of Health Care Affordability will host a Patient and Consumer Forum on Health Care Affordability at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, 2026, in Room 1237 at 2020 El Camino Avenue in Sacramento.
The purpose of this forum is to engage directly with patients, consumers, and advocates on OHCA’s work to promote more affordable health care while maintaining or improving access, equity, and quality.
The public forum will also be accessible via Microsoft Teams.
Meeting materials and additional information will be posted on the meeting homepage, which can be accessed here.
To receive future updates and notices regarding the forum and related activities, please subscribe to the “Patient and Consumer Forum on Health Care Affordability” subscription list under Public Meeting Notices here: https://hcai.ca.gov/mailing-list/.
We encourage members of the public to attend and provide input.
Thank you.
PFAnetwork Skills Exchange - Part Two
Calling all Patient Family Partners (PFPs) looking to improve your partnership skills!
Join us for a fun and interactive Preparing for Partnership Skills Exchange designed just for YOU! Get ready to learn how to make a real difference in healthcare by partnering with others to improve care!
Don't miss out – sign up today for this FREE, two-part Skills Exchange! Register here!
We can’t wait to see you there!
INSPIRE’s Community Engagement Learning Network
Join us in building a vibrant community that inspires change!
INSPIRE’s new Community Engagement Learning Network is a unique opportunity for community engagement (CE) professionals and people with lived experience (PWLE) to connect and learn together. Based on feedback from hundreds of people across the country about what they need to advance their work in CE, INSPIRE’s CE Learning Network is a community dedicated to sharing best practices, providing support to one another, and enhancing the field.
2026 scheduled sessions will all take place on the fourth Wednesday of each month, beginning at 3 pm ET.
REGISTER Here: Meeting Registration - Zoom
Share Your Primary Care Story!
Do you know someone whose life was changed thanks to a strong relationship with their primary care provider?We're looking for compelling stories that show the power of effective primary care — from the perspective of patients or primary care clinicians (physicians, nurse practitioners, and others).
Selected stories will be shared through short video interviews as part of an upcoming campaign highlighting the importance of sustained investment in primary care.
If you — or someone you know — would like to participate, please reach out to Hilda Martinez at hmartinez@chcf.org.
Information Session and Q&A - Age-Friendly Health Through Community Voices
Health Affairs is refreshing its Age-Friendly Health series with a new cycle of content that will run through June 30, 2028. The goal of the series is to improve health care for older adults by helping guide the policy agenda at the federal, state, and local levels. Health Affairs wants to include health care-related stories, experiences, and creative work from older adults, as well as from people involved in the health care of older adults at the community level. We are interested in work that spans the full range of care settings, including primary and specialty care, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and home and community-based care. We will consider content related to both paid and unpaid care.
Join us on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, 2 p.m. ET to learn more about Health Affairs, ask questions about the submission process, and meet our editors.
PFAnetwork Skills Exchange - Part One
Calling all Patient Family Partners (PFPs) looking to improve your partnership skills!
Join us for a fun and interactive Preparing for Partnership Skills Exchange designed just for YOU! Get ready to learn how to make a real difference in healthcare by partnering with others to improve care!
Don't miss out – sign up today for this FREE, two-part Skills Exchange! Register here!
We can’t wait to see you there!
LAC DHS Patient Partnership Hub Meeting
LAC DHS Patient Family Partnership Hub meets every third Tuesday of the month at 10:00am PT.
Submit a Nomination for TEP for Excess Days in Acute Care (EDAC) Measure Development
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and its contractor, Acumen, LLC, are seeking nominations for a Technical Expert Panel (TEP) that will provide input to develop a new measure using administrative claims data to assess the Excess Days in Acute Care (EDAC) following an outpatient procedure or surgery for use in the Hospital Outpatient Quality Reporting (Hospital OQR), Ambulatory Surgical Center Quality Reporting (ASCQR), and Rural Emergency Hospital Quality Reporting (REHQR) programs.
Submit a nomination by February 20.
We are seeking individuals with differing perspectives and areas of expertise, including clinicians with experience relevant to the measures’ clinical area (i.e., healthcare delivery reflecting the broad procedure types and surgeries that typically occur in outpatient settings) and the person and family perspective (i.e., patients, caregivers, and patient advocates).
Interested parties can submit their nomination through this web-based nomination form. For more information, please refer to the CMS MMS Hub Current TEP Opportunities page. You may submit a nomination on your own behalf or on the behalf of another nominee/applicant.
If you have any questions, please contact the Acumen OP Measures team at op-measures-tep-support@acumenllc.com.
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program (“Negotiation Program”) Public Comments
Make your voice heard! The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) wants to hear from you about your experience with the drugs selected for the current cycle of negotiation and renegotiation.
How to Get Involved
Register to participate in a virtual, patient-focused roundtable event or speak at the virtual, livestreamed town hall meeting focused on clinical considerations regarding the drugs selected for the current cycle of negotiation and renegotiation. Learn more about the Negotiation Program public engagement events taking place April 2026 and submit your interest form today by accessing the CMS Public Engagement Events website. Registration for the events is open through March 6, 2026.
Provide information about these drugs, including your personal experience taking these drugs or their therapeutic alternatives, by completing the Drug Price Negotiation Information Collection Request (ICR). The ICR is available and responses are due by March 1, 2026.
Reach out to IRARebateandNegotiation@cms.hhs.gov using the subject line “Public Engagement” with any questions.
The Negotiation Program provides Medicare the ability to directly negotiate the prices of certain high-cost drugs.
CMS is currently preparing for the upcoming cycle of negotiation and renegotiation and is committed to engaging with a range of stakeholders as part of the Negotiation Program. Public engagement events are part of CMS’ effort to hear directly from patients, caregivers, clinicians, and others to gather input relevant to the selected drugs.
CMS is also asking the public to provide information about these drugs, including personal experience taking these drugs and therapeutic alternatives, by completing the Drug Price Negotiation Information Collection Request (ICR).
CMS invites you to leverage your organization’s communication channels to share information about these upcoming input opportunities and rally the communities you represent to contribute their perspectives. Additional information will be provided soon.
Key Dates
Drugs selected for the upcoming cycle of negotiation and renegotiation will be announced by February 1, 2026, and registration for public engagement events will follow the announcement of selected drugs
The Drug Price Negotiation ICR will be available by February 1, 2026, and responses are due by March 1, 2026
Public engagement events will be held in spring of 2026
In the meantime, learn more about past public engagement events and how to become involved here.
More information about the Drug Price Negotiation ICR is available here.
Reach out to IRARebateandNegotiation@cms.hhs.gov using the subject line “Public Engagement” with any questions.
Thank you for your support.
Sincerely,
CMS
INSPIRE’s Community Engagement Learning Network
Join us in building a vibrant community that inspires change!
INSPIRE’s new Community Engagement Learning Network is a unique opportunity for community engagement (CE) professionals and people with lived experience (PWLE) to connect and learn together. Based on feedback from hundreds of people across the country about what they need to advance their work in CE, INSPIRE’s CE Learning Network is a community dedicated to sharing best practices, providing support to one another, and enhancing the field.
2026 scheduled sessions will all take place on the fourth Wednesday of each month, beginning at 3 pm ET.
REGISTER Here: Meeting Registration - Zoom
Know Your Rights: Personal Care Assistance - From Application to Appeals - Part 2
Join staff from Disability Rights New Jersey as we host a 2-part webinar series "Know your Rights: Personal Care Assistance - From Application to Appeals". Attendees will learn about their rights to Personal Care Assistance (PCA) during the process of applying for and receiving benefits including when one’s PCA hours are reduced or terminated. The webinar will provide information on everything from eligibility criteria to beneficiary’s rights through the application and appeals process. Personal Care Assistance provide critical support to enable people with disabilities to have the assistance needed to perform daily tasks such as bathing, dressing and eating. PCAs enhance independence and dignity, ensure safety, and improves quality of life for people with disabilities. This webinar is intended for individuals with disabilities, family members and professionals.
Why does PCA matter?
PCA provides critical support to enable people with disabilities to have the assistance needed to perform daily tasks such as bathing, dressing, and eating, as well as enhance independence and dignity, ensure safety, and improves quality of life for people with disabilities.
PFAnetwork Coffee Chat
Let’s dive deeper into artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare! Please join us for our quarterly Coffee Chat. Coffee Chats are a time to come together and catch up on community updates and hot topics. This month’s topic will continue our conversation on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare.
We hope to see you there! Register here!
LAC DHS Patient Partnership Hub Meeting
LAC DHS Patient Family Partnership Hub meets every third Tuesday of the month at 10:00am PT.
Know Your Rights: Personal Care Assistance - From Application to Appeals - Part 1
Join staff from Disability Rights New Jersey as we host a 2-part webinar series "Know your Rights: Personal Care Assistance - From Application to Appeals". Attendees will learn about their rights to Personal Care Assistance (PCA) during the process of applying for and receiving benefits including when one’s PCA hours are reduced or terminated. The webinar will provide information on everything from eligibility criteria to beneficiary’s rights through the application and appeals process. Personal Care Assistance provide critical support to enable people with disabilities to have the assistance needed to perform daily tasks such as bathing, dressing and eating. PCAs enhance independence and dignity, ensure safety, and improves quality of life for people with disabilities. This webinar is intended for individuals with disabilities, family members and professionals.
LAC DHS Patient Partnership Hub Meeting
LAC DHS Patient Family Partnership Hub meets every third Tuesday of the month at 10:00am PT.
PFAnetwork Coffee Chat
Please join us for our quarterly Coffee Chat. Coffee Chats are a time to come together and catch up on community updates and hot topics. We hope to see you there! Register here!
IHI Forum
Working Together to Transform Health and Health Care.
This year, the IHI Forum takes place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, a vibrant destination that brings people together.
Register here!
INSPIRE’s Community Engagement Learning Network
Join us in building a vibrant community that inspires change!
INSPIRE’s new Community Engagement Learning Network is a unique opportunity for community engagement (CE) professionals and people with lived experience (PWLE) to connect and learn together. Based on feedback from hundreds of people across the country about what they need to advance their work in CE, INSPIRE’s CE Learning Network is a community dedicated to sharing best practices, providing support to one another, and enhancing the field.
2025 scheduled sessions will all take place on the fourth Wednesday of each month, beginning at 3 pm ET.
REGISTER Here: Meeting Registration - Zoom
Advancing Maternal Health: Exploring the Impact of Hypertension Guidelines in Pregnancy
🌟 Join Us for a Webinar on Advancing Maternal Health: Exploring the Impact of Hypertension Guidelines in Pregnancy! 🌟
The American Heart Association will be hosting a timely discussion on the 2025 AHA/ACC Blood Pressure Guidelines and their impact on maternal health. Please check out the registration details below and join us if you can!
PFAnetwork Community Coffee Chat
Join us for a session of reflection and gratitude.
Register Here!
Nominations Are Being Accepted for a New PQA Patient Advisory Council
PQA, the Pharmacy Quality Alliance, will launch a new Patient Advisory Council in 2026. This council will advise PQA on what matters most to patients, their families and caregivers as it relates to safe, effective and appropriate medication use.
The council also will provide input on strategies to meaningfully incorporate patient perspectives throughout PQA’s work to improve the quality of medication use and patient outcomes.
Self-nominations to participate on the council are being accepted today through Friday, December 12. Individuals can submit their nominations via this form.
Better Caregiving for All - Caregivers of Persons Living with Dementia and Addictions
Join us for this month’s Better Caregiving for All webinar on Wednesday, November 19, at 1:00 PM PST.
The UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care (ADC) Program presents Better Caregiving for All, a monthly virtual series accessible via Zoom. It is delivered live and recorded for on-demand viewing. The material covered each month addresses the needs of populations that have not been the focus of traditional caregiver training and education in the past. Each session features a content expert and caregivers who share their knowledge and experience in caring for individuals with dementia.
November Topic:
Caregivers of Persons Living with Dementia and Addictions
This webinar will cover addictions, including those related to alcohol and prescription medications.
Register Now:
https://uclahs.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5mx9MkNn1Lc4hw2 click here to sign up
(Or scan the QR code in the flyer)
Who Should Attend:
Everyone is welcome! We especially encourage caregivers of a person living with dementia and addictions, including those related to alcohol and prescription medications.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact dementiapm@mednet.ucla.edu.
Warm regards,
The UCLA ADC Program
LAC DHS Patient Partnership Hub Meeting
LAC DHS Patient Family Partnership Hub meets every third Tuesday of the month at 10:00am PT.
Medicaid Changes Part 3: How Federal Medicaid Changes Affect Californians with I/DD
Join us for a live webinar
If you are a person with a disability in California or their circle of support, we want you to know about these upcoming changes to Medicaid. Building on the discussions from parts 1 and 2 of this series, we will give an overview of the latest state and federal policy changes and discuss issues specific to people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD).
This event is part 3 of a 3-part series on Medicaid changes.
When:
Monday, November 17, 2025
5:30 PM - 6:30 PM
Pacific Time
Register Here: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/events/medicaid-changes-part-3-how-federal-medicaid-changes-affect-californians-with-i-dd#register
Medicaid Changes Part 2: How Federal Medicaid Changes Will Affect Californians with Mental Health Disabilities, co-hosted with Cal Voices
Join us for a live webinar
If you are a person with a disability in California or their circle of support, we want you to know about these upcoming changes to Medicaid. Experts from Disability Rights California and Cal Voices will delve deeper into how changes made by the federal government to Medicaid will impact California’s mental health services system.
This event is part 2 of a 3-part series on Medicaid changes. Part 3 will delve into specific changes that will impact people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).
When:
Thursday, October 30, 2025
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Pacific Time
Register Here: https://www.disabilityrightsca.org/events/medicaid-changes-part-2-how-federal-medicaid-changes-will-affect-californians-with#register
PFAnetwork Coffee Chat
Please join us for our quarterly Coffee Chat. Coffee Chats are a time to come together and catch up on community updates and hot topics. We hope to see you there!
INSPIRE’s Community Engagement Learning Network
Join us in building a vibrant community that inspires change!
INSPIRE’s new Community Engagement Learning Network is a unique opportunity for community engagement (CE) professionals and people with lived experience (PWLE) to connect and learn together. Based on feedback from hundreds of people across the country about what they need to advance their work in CE, INSPIRE’s CE Learning Network is a community dedicated to sharing best practices, providing support to one another, and enhancing the field.
2025 scheduled sessions will all take place on the fourth Wednesday of each month, beginning at 3 pm ET.
REGISTER Here: Meeting Registration - Zoom
LAC DHS Patient Partnership Hub Meeting
LAC DHS Patient Family Partnership Hub meets every third Tuesday of the month at 10:00am PT.
Ageism, Health Care, and Healing – An Attendee-Led "Unconference"
In-person CALIFORNIA.
Ageism, Health Care, and Healing – An Attendee-Led "Unconference"
What it’s about: Ageism (bias against people because of age) harms health and is deeply rooted in health care. It often combines with other discrimination, like ableism (bias against people with physical or cognitive challenges), making health care harder to access and less fair.
The event:
A two-day "unconference" in Pasadena, CA on October 18–19, 2025
Brings together about 40 people from different backgrounds, ages, and experiences—including those with chronic health conditions
Participants choose topics, share lived experiences, and work together to set goals for change
How it works:
Uses interactive “Liberating Structures” tools to guide conversations
Focuses on creating new ideas for healing and addressing ageism and ableism in health care
Details:
When: Sat Oct 18 (10 AM–5 PM PT) & Sun Oct 19 (9 AM–4 PM PT)
Where: Pasadena, California
Cost: Pay-what-you-can ($5–$250)
What’s included: Breakfast, lunch, and free parking; small local travel stipends may be available
Register by: October 11, 2025
After the event: Notes, ideas, and participant-approved materials will be shared publicly at no cost.
To learn more or register, contact Hilary Siebens at hilary@siebenspcc.com.
Visit Old School Hub for more background.