In this episode of Amplify: Elevating Patient Voices, hosts Ursula Mann and Brent Korte sit down with their teammate Christine Pisapia for a deeply personal and professional conversation about her decades-long journey in healthcare.

Christine’s path has taken her from physiotherapy to leadership in the pharmaceutical industry, to her current work in advocacy and volunteering—all tied together by one common thread: her passion for improving lives. As both a professional and a caregiver to multiple family members, Christine brings unique insights into the realities of healthcare and the transformative power of patient and caregiver voices.

She shares how her own experience as a living kidney donor to her brother reshaped her perspective and ignited her advocacy in transplant care, policy, and peer support. Christine also reflects on the ripple effect of caregiving, the gaps she sees in our healthcare systems, and why caregivers must be recognized as critical partners in care.

Why you should listen

• Discover how personal and professional experiences intertwine to shape meaningful healthcare change.
• Learn why patient and caregiver voices are essential at every stage of decision-making, from research to policy.
• Hear Christine’s inspiring story as a living kidney donor and her advocacy for equitable access to transplantation.
• Gain insight into the challenges—and the opportunities—for caregivers within healthcare systems.

Episode Highlights

• [00:00:46] Christine’s career journey — from physiotherapy, to pharma leadership, to her current work in advocacy and volunteering.
• [00:03:00] Learning from patients — why hearing lived experiences provides insights that no textbook or professional expertise can match.
• [00:04:30] Kidney transplant advocacy — Christine shares her work in this space and why listening to patients should shape funding and policy decisions.
• [00:07:12] Living donation story — Christine recounts donating a kidney to her brother and how the experience transformed her life.
• [00:08:28] The ripple effect — how caregiving and donation impact not just the patient, but families, friends, and communities.
• [00:09:32] The caregiver’s role — why caregivers need greater recognition, resources, and support within healthcare systems.
• [00:11:42] A call to action — why including patients and caregivers at every decision-making table is critical to addressing today’s healthcare challenges.
• [00:12:27] Why Patient Voice Partners — Christine shares what drew her to join the team and why she believes in its mission.

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