"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Margaret Mead
About Us
OUR STORY
PPC is the first and only physician-parent driven non-profit exclusively devoted to analyzing quality health care and quality of life for young people with chronic conditions.
WHO ARE WE?
PPC has a unique model of discovery driven by volunteer parent and expert driven think tank. Our young adult ambassadors are disseminating our body of knowledge through their personal experiences in the Invisible Wave movement.
OUR MODEL
A volunteer physician-parent driven think tank.
Invisible Wave is our social movement for young adults with chronic conditions.
MISSION
Our mission is to enable an equitable playing field where young adults with chronic conditions are supported and accommodated so they can thrive and fully participate in society.
VISION
A world that embraces young adults with chronic health conditions so they feel safe to be their true selves and have the support to flourish.
CHAMPION
U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen
PPC’s Champion since inception. Senator Van Hollen of Maryland upholds the truth and seeks equality and justice for all people. He has been and continues to be a passionate steward leader for Young Invisibles and their families.
Board of Directors
Santi KM Bhagat, MD, MPH
Founder and President
When my 8-year-old daughter was admitted to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, I found myself on the other side – not a doctor, but a mother in absolute fear on how to protect her from harm. When she came home after 3 weeks, my goal was to keep her safe and keep her morale up. My fear magnified when she outgrew her pediatrician and graduated from high school. PPC has advocated for young adults with chronic conditions since 2009, but little has changed. In this era of inclusion, can we continue to ignore this vulnerable population?
When Dr. Bhagat’s daughter became critically ill at age 8, she had to withdraw from a medical fellowship at the Armed Forces Institutes of Pathology not to care for her child, but to protect her from unsafe and poor-quality health care. Unable to find answers within the health care system, Dr. Bhagat studied health policy to gain the perspective from the outside looking in. Her research on physician-parents culminated in one question, “If we fail to secure quality health care for our children, how do non-medical parents manage?” This group unanimously voted on the need for a national organization to protect all families. Dr. Bhagat founded Physician-Parent Caregivers (PPC) to answer this call. PPC builds on the unique knowledge of physician-parents to advance quality health care and quality of life for all young people with chronic conditions. Dr. Bhagat works with multiple stakeholders to identify strategies that will enable young adults with chronic conditions to live full lives. She promotes policies based on patient and family-centered care and person-centered design. The heart of her work is centered on giving a face and voice to these young adults and their families. Dr. Bhagat received her medical degree from Bangalore University. She completed her residency in pathology and laboratory medicine at the Georgetown University Medical Center and her MPH in health policy at the Milken Institute School of Public Health.
Maryland Senator Brian J Feldman, JD
I urge you to join me and the “Wave" to ensure society includes young adults with chronic conditions. I worked with PPC to sponsor higher education legislation for students with chronic conditions that resulted in a landmark report with 17 recommendations. I have also worked on health insurance for young adults and prescription drug pricing. These initiatives revealed that this population continues to be left behind. It’s time to change that.
Maryland Senator Brian Feldman, Legislative District 15, Chairs The Education, Energy, and the Environment Committee and is a member of the Executive Nominations Committee. He has sponsored legislation to advance biotechnology, create green jobs while reaching renewable energy goals, advocate for individuals with developmental differences and update and modernize Maryland’s corporate, business and insurance laws. Previously, Brian was at the center of the debate on health care coverage for Marylanders and controlling the cost of prescription drugs. As the only Attorney/CPA in the Maryland Assembly, Senator Feldman practices law outside the legislature, specializing in tax litigation and tax controversies. He was previously employed by Price Waterhouse and the U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division, where he was a three-time recipient of the Justice Department’s prestigious “Outstanding Attorney Award.” Brian received a BS in accounting from Penn State University, a JD from the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and a MA in Government from Johns Hopkins University. He has also served as an adjunct professor teaching graduate courses in state policymaking and health care at both Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland. Brian’s numerous honors and awards can be viewed at https://brianjfeldman.com/accomplishments/.
Rohini Kosoglu
Dr. Kavita Patel
Bhanu Ramineni
Robin Strongin
Sponsor
