For the next four days I’ll be participating in the 2014 Medicine X Advisory Board Retreat. Along with the other ePatient Advisors and Dr. Larry Chu, we’ll be discussing the 2014 conference and laying the groundwork for the 2015 happenings.

Also, there’s a view.

Santa Rosa is quite nice.

Most of my advocacy efforts are focused here, in the online world, on behalf of people living with and affected by diabetes. But these next four days will be a different kind of advocacy for me. Instead of just thinking about people with diabetes, I have to think about the entire patient community. What stories do I want to hear, or have told, on behalf of all of us? What themes matter most to me, and will resonate strongest with as many patient communities as possible?

Working with others for a common goal isn’t a new concept to me, but thinking globally about objectives and the means to achieve them will be a challenging and rewarding experience.