Koa Kai
Patient Advocate in Chicago, Illinois
I'm Koa, a disabled, national patient advocate and Ambassador for the Chronic Disease Coalition currently living in Chicagoland.
https://chronicdiseasecoalition.org
I advocate and collaborate with several disability, pain, and chronic disease non-profit organizations, patient advocates and representatives, clinical researchers, and patient support organizations to provide information and education about the lived experience of patients disabled with persistent pain, including the crucial role opioids have in modern pain management. It is critical to include and prioritize individualized, medical necessity in all measures and policies regarding patient access to prescription opioid pain medication.
My community seeks to reduce the staggeringly high number of patient suicides due to under/untreated pain. We also strive to eradicate the stigma surrounding pain and opioid medication management utilization, inform and educate the medical and political communities, and influence balanced policy with the ultimate goal of achieving patient access to individualized, effective pain care that utilizes all modalities of pain reduction, (including pharmaceutical and complementary), to restore function and quality of life. Adequate analgesia may allow many to become active participants in our families and communities again soon.
You can click the button above to read my blog.