By: Leah Poffenberger, Senior Manager, Communications 

The National Health Council (NHC) is capping off another year of patient advocacy with its 104th Annual Membership Meeting and Luncheon on Dec. 12 in Washington, DC. The NHC looks forward to this opportunity to connect with all our member organizations who have helped to make this year a success for the patient community.  

Join the NHC for this members-only event to shape the future of the organization’s leadership, hear from an inspiring keynote speaker and members of the NHC Board of Directors, and network with other members. NHC CEO Randy Rutta will also provide his yearly CEO Update, outlining accomplishments from 2024 and looking ahead to 2025.  

The NHC is excited to announce that this year’s keynote speaker is Swapna Kakani, MPH, a leader in rare and chronic disease patient advocacy. Kakani, who was diagnosed with a rare disease at birth, will share her unique perspective as both a patient and an advocate and her vision for a patient-centric future for health and medicine.  

Kakani’s experiences navigating Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS) have informed her work in patient advocacy, giving her a passion for serving others with chronic conditions. She is the Founder and Director of Alabama Rare, a grassroots coalition serving the rare disease population, and the Co-Founder of The Gusty Perspective, a community-driven research initiative collecting data on SBS. She holds a Master of Public Health from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.  

After Kakani’s keynote, Rutta and members of the NHC Board will share updates on the health of the organization and results of voting for the Board of Directors, followed by recognitions of two outstanding members of the NHC community. Schroeder Stribling, incoming NHC Board Chair and President & CEO, Mental Health America, will adjourn the meeting with her closing remarks.  

Register by Dec. 6 to join the NHC for this opportunity to celebrate what we as a community have accomplished in 2024 and look forward to 2025. If you have any questions about the meeting, please contact Susan Gaffney, NHC Executive Vice President, at sgaffney@nhcouncil.org. If you need assistance registering, please contact Racquel Codling, NHC Senior Director of Meetings & Events, at rcodling@nhcouncil.org.