If you live with a chronic illness, rare disease, or autoimmune condition, you already know that managing your health is a full-time job. What you might *not* know is that there is a massive network of healthcare heroes, advocates, and policymakers working tirelessly behind the scenes to make that job just a little bit easier.
Every year, two major events bring this community together: Toast and the NICA Conference. While these events are packed with medical professionals rather than patients, you—the patient—are the absolute heart of everything that happens there.
Here is a look at what these events are, why we bring our Patient Champions to the stage, and how your stories are shaping the future of infusion care.
What is Toast? (Hint: It’s Not Breakfast!)
Hosted by your Infusion Access Foundation team, Toast: Together for Treatment is our premier annual fundraising gala. It is the ultimate “party with a purpose” that officially kicks off the NICA conference. Each year the theme for Toast changes to keep things exciting, and this year we turned up the heat with a groove-worthy “Disco Inferno” theme!
Every year, leaders from across the infusion industry gather to celebrate, connect, and raise vital funds. Every dollar raised at Toast directly funds our patient programs, like Champions Weekend and our future advocacy academy, which help patients find their voices and learn how to advocate for better healthcare policies.
What is the NICA Conference?
The National Infusion Center Association (NICA) Conference is the only national conference focused entirely on the professional development of outpatient infusion providers, nurses, practice managers, and advocates.
At NICA, attendees discuss the complex business and clinical side of infusion care. They focus on making community-based, non-hospital infusion centers a safer, more affordable, and more accessible option for patients who need provider-administered medications.
Bringing Lived Experience to the Stage: The Patient Panel
One of the most anticipated sessions at NICA each year is the Patient Panel.
Because NICA is primarily a professional conference, the general patient public isn’t in the audience. However, we believe that healthcare policies and business decisions should never be made without patient voices in the room. That is why the Infusion Access Foundation team brings our Patient Champions directly to the conference to sit on this panel.
Our Champions share their raw, real-life experiences navigating the healthcare system:
- The exhausting search for a correct diagnosis.
- The stress of “fail first” step therapy (where insurance forces you to try cheaper, less effective drugs before approving the one your doctor actually prescribed).
- The endless maze of prior authorizations and insurance denials.
Why this matters to you
You might wonder: If patients aren’t attending, why does this panel matter so much?
It matters because the people sitting in those conference seats are the doctors, practice managers, and infusion nurses who care the most about access issues. They are the ones on the phone with insurance companies fighting for your approvals, and they are the ones holding your hand when you are flaring. Hearing directly from patients reminds them exactly *why* they do this difficult work. It turns cold administrative policies into human faces.
Leaving a Mark: Stories from the Infusion Access Foundation Booth
During the conference, our team sets up an exhibition booth to connect with providers. This year, we noticed a beautiful, recurring theme:
Almost every single provider, nurse, or advocate who stopped by our booth didn’t just want to talk about industry trends. Instead, they wanted to tell us about a specific patient.
They spoke of patients who had faced devastating insurance barriers, those who had traveled hours just to get a single treatment, and those whose lives were completely transformed once they finally got access to their medication.
These conversations proved something we have always known: Patients leave an permanent mark on their care teams. Your struggles are their struggles, and your victories are their victories.
We Are in This Together
Navigating life with a chronic condition can feel incredibly isolating, but please know that you are never walking this path alone.
Events like Toast and the NICA Conference exist to remind us that a massive, passionate community of healthcare professionals is standing right behind you. Together, we are fighting to break down the barriers between you and the life-saving treatments you deserve.