The Global Healthy Living Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, based in Upper Nyack, New York, with the mission to improve the quality of life for people with chronic illness. GHLF advocates for improved access to care at the community level, amplifying education and awareness efforts within its social media framework. Central to this advocacy are GHLF’s successes educating about the importance of diagnosis, early and innovative medical intervention, long-term lifestyle improvement with the goal of improved outcomes. [/grid_11] [grid_11] Co-founded in 1999 by arthritis patient and advocate Seth Ginsberg (diagnosed with Spondyloarthropathy at age 13), and social entrepreneur Louis Tharp, GHLF includes disease-specific communities, the most visible being CreakyJoints, a network of nearly 80,000 arthritis patients and caregivers in all 50 states, Western Europe, South America and Australia. Other disease areas of focus include psoriasis, chronic pain, cancer, and diabetes. [/grid_11] [/grid_6] [grid_3] Building A New Research Paradigm GHLF is a leader in social and conventional media healthcare engagement, leveraging new technology to address old paradigm healthcare problems such as ongoing observational or interventional research. In 2014, GHLF was awarded a contract from the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute to build “Arthritis Power”, a robust arthritis patient registry with a capacity for increased data linkage, a novel patient governance structure and active as well as passive data collection capabilities. [frame][/frame] [/grid_3] [grid_3] Speaking Out For Patients In addition to disease-specific initiatives focused on arthritis, osteoporosis, diabetes, psoriasis, and chronic pain, GHLF advocates for important state and national healthcare policies which improve access-to-care, educate about the importance of vaccines, and encourage patient-reported outcomes. Mobilizing Seth’s US-based 50-State Network, GHLF is able to speak with a patient-united voice to the media, legislators, government officials and private industry. [frame][/frame] Education and mobilization occurs through partnerships with physician networks, national and state-level professional societies, and a collaborative relationship with other non-profit organizations and patient support groups. This collaborative advocacy allows GHLF to leverage the reach and impact of healthy living messages to effectively overcome barriers to care. [/grid_3] [/grid_12] [grid_12] Our Team We have a passionate team, dedicated to improving the lives of people with arthritis: Seth Ginsberg Co-Founder and President Louis Tharp Co-Founder and Executive Director Ben Nowell PhD, Director, Patient Centered Research Noam Gerber MPH, Data Scientist Stephen Marmaras Director, State and National Advocacy David Curtis Vice President, Technology Laurie Ferguson PhD, Vice president of Education David Ho IT Specialist Joseph Coe MPA, Patient Advocate Sarah Aoanan MA, Health Advocacy Fellow Dr. Jonathan Krant, MD, Medical Director And we rely on the help and partnership of our friends: University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital for Special Surgery NYU Langone Medical Center Hospital for Joint Diseases University of California, San Francisco Cavarocchi Ruscio Dennis Assosciates L.L.C., Washington D.C. Time in a Bottle Video Productions, Stacey Cahn, Chief Correspondent, CreakyJoints [/grid_12]