JointHealth
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JointHealth™ express   December 19, 2012

Holiday Greetings!

Arthritis Consumer Experts (ACE) has had a busy and fruitful year, which could not be achieved without you. Whether you answered our surveys, watched our videos, submitted patient input, downloaded the ArthritisID apps, wrote a letter to government officials or to a newspaper, or simply shared knowledge that you gained from our JointHealth™ programs with friends and family, you helped us meet our goals.

As the year comes to a close, ACE reflects on the objectives you helped us achieve:
  • Double the number of visitors to jointhealth.org over last year
  • Letter writing campaigns that led to productive meetings with government officials
  • Successful collaborations with other patient groups on arthritis awareness campaigns
  • Expansion of our social media networks
  • Expansion of our outreach beyond Canada
  • Biologic medications getting reimbursement coverage as a result of patient input
  • Improved arthritis awareness amongst government and opposition members, which led to important health policy changes
  • Successful launch of Arthritis Broadcast Network (ABN) – Canada’s only on-line “clearing house” for breaking arthritis news and stories – through the National Arthritis Awareness Program, a project we collaborate on with the Arthritis Research Centre of Canada (ARC)
  • Conference activation and volunteer participation at healthcare professional and consumer shows.
Though ACE has had a very productive year promoting consumer education and advocating to government, arthritis remains an under-recognized disease. There is still plenty of room for improvement when it comes to many aspects of healthcare for people living with arthritis, as well as how the disease is understood by the general public.

At the close of each year, ACE makes its own arthritis “wish list”:
  1. Arthritis will be recognized as a disease deserving the same recognition in the healthcare system as cancer and diabetes
  2. Research will continue to get us closer to a cure for arthritis
  3. All the provinces will earn “first class” on the JointHealth™ Report Card
  4. You will have a healthy, happy, and pain-free year!
To help us work toward our wishes for 2013 and meet next year’s goals, please fill out our JointHealth™ Program Satisfaction/Interest Survey. Through the survey, you can let us know what works and where we need to improve.

Thank you, everyone, for interacting with us and contributing to a successful year. On behalf of 4.6 million Canadians, we appreciate your continued support.

Our best wishes to you and your family during this holiday season.