By: Tracy Rode, Chief Executive Officer, Patient Empowerment Network  

The end of the year is always busy, but it takes me back to 2010 and hearing life-changing words: “You have cancer.” Each October 1 returns me to the call from my doctor with biopsy results, and the first week of December will remind me of when I discovered exactly what patient advocacy is. 

My thyroid cancer journey was a whirlwind of surgery and treatment, but discovering the Thyroid Cancer Survivors Association (ThyCa) was a turning point. ThyCa provided the resources my medical team hadn’t—like a low-iodine cookbook, patient blogs, and guidance for radioactive iodine treatment. They transformed fear and isolation into empowerment and clarity.   

This experience showed me how vital patient advocacy is. Amid tight budgets and increasing demands, let’s remember the impact of our work: being a light for patients during their darkest moments. 

Patient Advocacy Network (PEN)’s programs enhance patient health literacy to enable shared decision-making and provide informational and educational resources to empower patients and care partners at every step of their cancer journey. PEN is currently building a new website that will offer more resources than ever before, but here are a few links that may benefit cancer patients: 

• Help by cancer diagnosis  

• General cancer information and social resources  

• Valuable resources external to PEN  

In 2024, I’m grateful the Patient Empowerment Network joined the National Health Council. Together, we can have a greater impact than we can alone. As James Keller said: “A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle.” Thank you for the light you bring. 

The Patient Empowerment Network is a member of the National Health Council (NHC). For more information about NHC membership, click here.