Advocacy Summit

September 28-30, 2025

This biennial event empowers Advocates to make their voices heard among lawmakers to improve treatments and the lives of those living with arthritis.

By bringing together patients, caregivers and health care professionals, the Arthritis Foundation Advocacy Summit empowers Advocates with the training and tools needed to speak persuasively to lawmakers. This initiative not only amplifies the lived experience of patients but also drives tangible policy changes that improve access to care and quality of life for the nearly 60 million people in the U.S. living with arthritis.

Attending the Advocacy Summit was absolutely life-changing. Being from a rural area has created a lot of barriers for me to form connections with others experiencing forms of arthritis. This summit provided me with these connections as well as the opportunity to use my story to create change.

2025 Advocacy Summit Attendee

What Is Advocacy Summit Like?

Arthritis Community Advocacy in Action

At the 2025 Advocacy Summit, Advocates from more than 30 states united to push for real change in access and affordability of arthritis treatments. Their collective voice is proving that advocacy starts with personal stories and continues through lasting action to shape a better health care system for all people with arthritis.

See the difference made

2025 Advocacy Awardees

Honoring Dedicated Advocates

At the 2025 Advocacy Summit, the Arthritis Foundation honored outstanding champions driving change for the arthritis community. Awardees included Gabriella R., a 14-year-old Junior Ambassador from Utah recognized as the Emerging Leader in Advocacy; Rosann Winn of Colorado and Lauren McAllister of Tennessee, recipients of the Edward M. Kennedy Advocacy Leadership Award; and Deb Constien of Wisconsin, who received the Pam Fields Legacy Award for her decades of tireless advocacy and leadership.

Read about their impacts

2025 Advocacy Summit

Current and past Arthritis Foundation advocacy leadership staff members on stage at the 2025 Advocacy Summit.

2025 Advocacy Summit

Platinum Ambassadors Kelly Chellis and Judy Nagy, preparing for Hill Day at the 2025 Advocacy Summit.

2025 Advocacy Summit

Advocacy Engagement Manager Ayesha Ahmed, with the team of Junior Ambassadors at the 2025 Arthritis Foundation Advocacy Summit.

2025 Advocacy Summit

Members of the California State Delegation team with Arthritis Foundation Board Chair Dennis Ehling.

2025 Advocacy Summit

Arthritis Foundation President & CEO Steve Taylor, congratulating Platinum Ambassador and longtime Advocate, Deb Constien, on receiving the 2025 Pam Fields Legacy Award.

2025 Advocacy Summit

The 2025 winner of the Edward M. Kennedy Advocacy Leadership Award, Lauren McAllister, with Arthritis Foundation President & CEO Steve Taylor and Arthritis Foundation Board Chair Dennis Ehling.

2025 Advocacy Summit

The 2025 winner of the Edward M. Kennedy Advocacy Leadership Award, Rosann Winn, with Arthritis Foundation President & CEO Steve Taylor and Arthritis Foundation Board Chair Dennis Ehling.

2025 Advocacy Summit

Arthritis Foundation Advocates on their way to Capitol Hill for legislators’ meetings during the 2025 Advocacy Summit.

2025 Advocacy Summit

Ohio Arthritis Foundation Advocates conducting a legislator meeting during the 2025 Advocacy Summit.

2025 Advocacy Summit

Arthritis Foundation Advocates at the U.S. Capitol on Hill Day during the 2025 Advocacy Summit.

2025 Advocacy Summit

Pediatric rheumatologist, Arthritis Foundation Advocate and the 2024 winner of the Charles B. Harding Award for Distinguished Service, Helen Emery, MD, with fellow Advocate after a successful legislator meeting.