Posted by Missy Ketchum on May 30, 2023
My name is Missy Ketchum, and I am the incoming Chair of the Board of Directors of ImproveCareNow (ICN). I have served on the Board for five years, an experience that has deepened my admiration for ICN’s mission. I begin my new role as Chair on July 1, 2023.
My interest in ICN began when my son was diagnosed with Crohn’s in 2016. I don’t have happy memories of the day we learned what was causing his symptoms, but the bright spot of the afternoon was learning that Nemours Jacksonville was a member of a Learning Health Network called ImproveCareNow. Just hearing that there was a network of pediatric GI centers dedicated to achieving the best possible outcomes for children with IBD gave me hope. I signed up for their Parent Working Group (now the Parent/Family Advisory Council or PFAC) immediately.
Since his diagnosis, my son has had excellent medical care, both from Jill Dorsey and Don George at Nemours and from Michael Kappelman at UNC Chapel Hill. No matter where I meet physicians, social workers, dieticians, parents, and patients who are part of ICN, I find the spirit of collaboration and dedication to our common purpose inspiring.
Professionally, I have worked in nonprofit organizations in fundraising and marketing for 30 years. I bring this perspective to my service on the ICN Board of Directors, just as the other directors contribute their diverse backgrounds and expertise. Together we will steward the resources and strategic direction of ImproveCareNow.
Thank you for being part of this important collaboration! It is a privilege to be among so many caring people as we work for a future of better health and well-being for all children with IBD and their families.
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About ImproveCareNow
ImproveCareNow is a Learning Health Network dedicated to transforming care, health and costs for all children and youth with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis (Inflammatory Bowel Disease or IBD) by building a sustainable collaborative chronic care network. We are enabling patients, families, clinicians, and researchers to work together in a learning health care system to accelerate innovation, discovery and the application of new knowledge. We invite everyone interested in getting kids with IBD better right now to join us!
Ready to take action? No effort is too small, because everything we do in ImproveCareNow is magnified by the efforts of thousands of other improvers. We are #BetterTogether 💚💙 Here are some actions you can take to get involved:
- Young patients (14+) with IBD can join the Patient Advisory Council
- Caregivers of young people with IBD can join the Parent/Family Advisory Council
- Support the work of ImproveCareNow with a tax-deductible donation
- Sign up to receive blog updates and stay #InTheLOOP with our IBD stories
- Download, use & share our free, co-produced IBD resources
- Anyone can join ImproveCareNow by signing up for CIRCLE - it's a great way to connect with our mission and receive IBD resources, community stories, and ICN updates & opportunities.
