Patient Advisory Board
We are currently recruiting! Fill out the interest form below to apply.
INHALE / Committees / Patient Advisory Board
What is the INHALE Patient Advisory Board (PAB)?
The INHALE Patient Advisory Board (PAB) began in November 2023. Comprised of 8 individuals, the group hopes to bring awareness and advocacy to patients living with asthma and COPD.
What Does Being a Patient Advisor Mean?
The PAB meets for 1 hour once every two months. The meetings are held virtually via Zoom. Members can join the meeting using their computer, tablet, smartphone, or by calling in using a home phone. Each meeting will follow a loose format where INHALE team members will guide the conversation and gather feedback. Lively and engaging conversation from all members is encouraged and all viewpoints are heard and respected.
Patient Advisors are asked to commit to at least a year (6 meetings) of membership, although we understand that unexpected circumstances can come up that may prevent you from continuing your participation. Advisors will be required to sign a Participant Agreement and Code of Conduct Policy. This will ensure that all members feel comfortable sharing their thoughts without judgment.
Interest Form
The goals of the advisory board are to:
Give voice to individuals living with asthma and COPD
Listen and learn from all of our members’ experiences
Use the PAB’s knowledge to make more informed decisions in care
Education and awareness for patients living with asthma and COPD
Expand outreach to communities most impacted by asthma and COPD
Advocate for insurance coverage for medications and other devices
Provide insights on personal health management
Explore equity of care, healthcare access, and environmental impacts
Bring ideas for improvement to INHALE
Since inception, the PAB has:
- Helped develop patient education materials and tools, such as:
- OCS overuse infographic
- Asthma Action Plans
- Adult
- Pediatric
- COPD Action Plan
- Patient Pre-visit Worksheet
- Patient toolkits for Adult Asthma, Pediatric Asthma, and COPD
- Patient vaccine flyers
- Reviewed materials in our resource library
- Participated in interviews about website improvements
- Shared INHALE resources with patients
- Participated on a panel at the Pediatric Fall 2024 Regional Meeting
- Spoke on the importance of Pulmonary Rehab at the Spring 2025 Regional Meeting
- Shared their lifelong journey with Asthma and OCS dependence during the Spring 2026 Regional Meeting
Meet the Patient Advisory Board
Click on each advisor’s name to learn about their asthma or COPD journey.
Steve Kraus
COPD Patient
Steve joined the INHALE PAB after his single lung transplant.
-The realization after my lung transplant how previous breathing is and how much we take it for granted.
Leah Koskinen
Asthma Patient and Caregiver
Leah grew up with asthma and became passionate about improving care after her son and now her daughter have both been diagnosed with asthma, she wants the experience to be more effective and efficient for other families. Leah is a melanoma survivor and is passionate about education for both melanoma and asthma education. Why I decided to be co-chair: I have University of Michigan to thank for saving my life when I was diagnosed with Stage III melanoma in 2018. I was so impressed with the care and staff. I knew once I was able, I wanted to give back in some way. One of the greatest ways I’ve been able to do that is by joining INHALE and later becoming co-chair. Asthma is such a prevalent part of my family that I feel very protective and attached to INHALE and its mission. Being a patient advocate is important work. We continuously need the patient voice to improve care.
Gina McGarey
Asthma patient
I joined INHALE PAB because I’ve had asthma almost my entire life and it has been a major impact on my life. I remember all that I experienced as a child and how scary and difficult it was. I also feel like there is a lack of support and understanding in the workplace and other places that impact people daily due to having breathing issues. I feel like there is so much people don’t understand about it and I know there is more for me to learn as well.
Thomasenia Weston
Asthma Patient and Asthma Caregiver
I never want patients to feel ignored; it doesn’t help their healing. I’m a former medical assistant and pharmacy technician; I always made my patients feel like a person and made sure their needs were taken care of.
Laonis Quinn
Asthma Caregiver
I advocate because my oldest son Tony passed away from a fatal asthma attack a few years ago. As a person with asthma and as a caregiver I think it’s extremely important that patients have an active role in the say so of our treatment and sounding the alarm on health care disparities. Our voices are powerful.
Catherine Pantelas
COPD Caregiver
Everyone deserves to breathe clean air. We have a responsibility to ensure that our air is clean for all, and especially for those whose lungs are compromised. And it’s imperative we continue to research and apply best practices regarding appropriate, life-saving pulmonary care.
Ann Hanson
Asthma Patient
I am passionate about lung health as an asthma patient for more than 30 years. Asthma is an invisible chronic condition, and it deserves higher profile for the 27MM Americans who can’t take breathing for granted.
Stephanie Fuller
Asthma Patient and Asthma Caregiver
Stephanie joined the PAB to share her story of living with asthma and to share the stories of her family members who have asthma. Stephanie is passionate about improving patients’ lives and particularly wants to share her story of how using too many Oral Corticosteroids has impacted her health. She traveled to Washington DC in the spring of 2025 to share her story with legislators and to advocate for increased funding and awareness for asthma and allergy conditions.