Listening, Learning and Leading Together: Reflections on the 2025 Patient Engagement Forum
The energy, honesty, and hope in the room were remarkable. From the opening remarks to the final discussion, one message came clearly: when we work together, real change is possible.
On November 3rd, the 2025 Patient Engagement Forum, co-hosted by HealthPartners and Patient Voice Partners, brought together voices from across the health sector, including patient advocates, system innovators and charity leaders – including representation from most members of our Health Collective – where almost 70% of attendees self-identified as a patient, caregiver or both. The event created space for meaningful conversations about how lived experience can help shape a more inclusive, responsive, and compassionate health system. With an impressive lineup of speakers, sessions explored how to deeply and broadly embed and apply the voice of those with lived experience, use patient-contributed data ethically, and build a system that listens and evolves with the people it serves.
“…that’s what makes spaces like the Patient Engagement Forum so special. It’s where insights meet action – where lived experiences help inform how best to co-design and deliver more equitable, accessible and connected care.”
Shauna Almas, Interim CEO, HealthPartners
The conversations echoed these sentiments – that patient engagement is not a one-time exercise but a continuous commitment. With a reminder from one panelist that over 150 million faxes are still sent every year across the health system in Ontario, another nodded to progress: “20 years ago we could only dream of an event like this!” As we look ahead, the discussions from this year’s Forum will help guide our future work in collaboration and engagement.
“Reflecting on the day’s dialogue, what stood out to me most was how consistently lived experience reveals both the challenges and the way forward … and the power of connection, cross-pollination and co-creation. HealthPartners is committed to continuing to co-create space for the voices of those with lived experience … making space for progress. As was referenced in the opening keynote – nothing about us, without us.”
The momentum built here will carry forward into the 3rd annual 2026 event, where we’ll continue deepening these important conversations and showcasing the collective power of connecting – to listen, to learn and to lead.
Together, we’re building a healthier Canada, one conversation at a time.
Learn more about the Patient Engagement Forum: patientengagementforum.com
Join, or learn more about, the Health Advisory Network (HAN): https://healthpartners.ca/network/