Staff
Ms. Cheryl Koehn lives with rheumatoid arthritis and over her 30 years since diagnosis has become a national patient community leader, educator, patient research partner and published author. Ms. Koehn has dedicated her life to helping others living with arthritis. She is the founder and president of Arthritis Consumer Experts, Canada’s first national, patient-led organization that provides science-based information and education programs in both official languages to people with arthritis. She served as Co-Chair of the Summit on Standards for Arthritis Prevention and Care, was a volunteer member of the management committee of Canada’s first federally funded arthritis research institute (the Canadian Arthritis Network), was a consumer representative Board Member of the Arthritis Alliance of Canada and today serves as the patient representative on the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Standing Committee on Ethics.
As one of the world's leading arthritis advocates, Ms. Koehn represents ACE by providing our members’ perspectives on arthritis health and policy issues to governments, private payers, employers, healthcare professionals, and media. She is a frequently invited speaker at national and international arthritis and health-related conferences. Ms. Koehn is the lead consumer representative on two global initiatives: the RA NarRAtive, a panel comprised of 39 healthcare providers and patient group leaders from 17 countries, and the Global RA Network, a coalition of 24 RA patient-led organizations from North America, Europe and South America.
Ms. Koehn is also an active patient research partner participating in numerous current research projects in Canada and internationally:
Along with co-authors Dr. John Esdaile and Taysha Palmer, Cheryl Koehn authored Rheumatoid Arthritis: PLAN TO WIN, published by Oxford University Press.
Ms. Koehn lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she enjoys ocean swimming, cycling, and walking her faithful dog, Molly.
Kelly Lendvoy joined Arthritis Consumer Experts (ACE) in August 2012 and is responsible for aligning and integrating ACE's internal and external communication strategies for patients, healthcare professionals, stakeholders and governments. ACE is Canada’s largest national patient-led arthritis organization and leading provider of evidence-based education and strategic, sustained government advocacy.
In his leadership role at ACE, Kelly manages the delivery of the JointHealth™ family of programs to the 5 million Canadians living with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, gout and the other 100 different types of the disease.
Kelly brings more than 25 years of experience working in corporate communications and public affairs with both agencies and private sector clients in Vancouver and Toronto, leading integrated teams on complex, strategic projects and extensive stakeholder relations, public awareness, and government relations activities.
Anita joined Arthritis Consumer Experts (ACE) in 2013 and is responsible for research as part of the development and implementation of communications and public affair strategies. She plays an important role in media and social media outreach, as well as content management for ACE and the Arthritis Broadcast Network. She also coordinates special events plans and programs and is responsible for creative input into program design and implementation.
Anita organizes the popular CRA Interview Series – interview sessions at the Canadian Rheumatology Association Annual Scientific and Arthritis Health Professions Association Annual Meeting, where Canada’s arthritis consumer-patient organizations and groups interview keynote clinical research speakers, other disease experts and people living with arthritis. She is the content curator and editor for Arthritis Broadcast Network, named one of the top 40 arthritis blogs and websites for people living with arthritis by Feedspot in 2017.
Peter is a freelance graphic designer. He creates all visuals for the JointHealth™ website and programs, including print and online editions of JointHealth™ monthly, and is the guiding force behind the graphic appearance of JointHealth™ programs.
Peter has been a designer for more than thirty years, and has a diverse portfolio; his clients have included multi-national corporations and small non-profit organizations.
Daryl Fernquist, Fern Web Design Services, is responsible for managing functionality of the JointHealth™ website and online communications.
Daryl has been in the web design and hosting business since 1996, and plays an important role in keeping online JointHealth™ programs and communications up-to date and accessible.
Ms. Cheryl Koehn lives with rheumatoid arthritis and over her 30 years since diagnosis has become a national patient community leader, educator, patient research partner and published author. Ms. Koehn has dedicated her life to helping others living with arthritis. She is the founder and president of Arthritis Consumer Experts, Canada’s first national, patient-led organization that provides science-based information and education programs in both official languages to people with arthritis. She served as Co-Chair of the Summit on Standards for Arthritis Prevention and Care, was a volunteer member of the management committee of Canada’s first federally funded arthritis research institute (the Canadian Arthritis Network), was a consumer representative Board Member of the Arthritis Alliance of Canada and today serves as the patient representative on the Canadian Institutes of Health Research Standing Committee on Ethics.
As one of the world's leading arthritis advocates, Ms. Koehn represents ACE by providing our members’ perspectives on arthritis health and policy issues to governments, private payers, employers, healthcare professionals, and media. She is a frequently invited speaker at national and international arthritis and health-related conferences. Ms. Koehn is the lead consumer representative on two global initiatives: the RA NarRAtive, a panel comprised of 39 healthcare providers and patient group leaders from 17 countries, and the Global RA Network, a coalition of 24 RA patient-led organizations from North America, Europe and South America.
Ms. Koehn is also an active patient research partner participating in numerous current research projects in Canada and internationally:
- ICON - Walk10Blocks (CIHR) – Lead, Knowledge User Group
- PRECISION (CIHR) – Lead, Consumer Core
- EQUIP-TJR (Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute) – Co-Investigator and Organizational Partner
- OPERAS (CIHR) – Collaborator and Organizational Partner
- ANSWER 1 & 2 – Collaborator and Organizational Partner
- CIHR Project Grant (evaluation of multidisciplinary rheumatology nursing care for people with complex rheumatic diseases) – Co-Investigator
- Making it Work (CIHR) – Key consumer informant
Along with co-authors Dr. John Esdaile and Taysha Palmer, Cheryl Koehn authored Rheumatoid Arthritis: PLAN TO WIN, published by Oxford University Press.
Ms. Koehn lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, where she enjoys ocean swimming, cycling, and walking her faithful dog, Molly.
Kelly Lendvoy joined Arthritis Consumer Experts (ACE) in August 2012 and is responsible for aligning and integrating ACE's internal and external communication strategies for patients, healthcare professionals, stakeholders and governments. ACE is Canada’s largest national patient-led arthritis organization and leading provider of evidence-based education and strategic, sustained government advocacy.
In his leadership role at ACE, Kelly manages the delivery of the JointHealth™ family of programs to the 5 million Canadians living with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, gout and the other 100 different types of the disease.
Kelly brings more than 25 years of experience working in corporate communications and public affairs with both agencies and private sector clients in Vancouver and Toronto, leading integrated teams on complex, strategic projects and extensive stakeholder relations, public awareness, and government relations activities.
Anita joined Arthritis Consumer Experts (ACE) in 2013 and is responsible for research as part of the development and implementation of communications and public affair strategies. She plays an important role in media and social media outreach, as well as content management for ACE and the Arthritis Broadcast Network. She also coordinates special events plans and programs and is responsible for creative input into program design and implementation.
Anita organizes the popular CRA Interview Series – interview sessions at the Canadian Rheumatology Association Annual Scientific and Arthritis Health Professions Association Annual Meeting, where Canada’s arthritis consumer-patient organizations and groups interview keynote clinical research speakers, other disease experts and people living with arthritis. She is the content curator and editor for Arthritis Broadcast Network, named one of the top 40 arthritis blogs and websites for people living with arthritis by Feedspot in 2017.
Peter is a freelance graphic designer. He creates all visuals for the JointHealth™ website and programs, including print and online editions of JointHealth™ monthly, and is the guiding force behind the graphic appearance of JointHealth™ programs.
Peter has been a designer for more than thirty years, and has a diverse portfolio; his clients have included multi-national corporations and small non-profit organizations.
Daryl Fernquist, Fern Web Design Services, is responsible for managing functionality of the JointHealth™ website and online communications.
Daryl has been in the web design and hosting business since 1996, and plays an important role in keeping online JointHealth™ programs and communications up-to date and accessible.
Arthritis Consumer Experts
ACE thanks the Arthritis Research Canada (ARC) for its scientific review of JointHealth™