The PAN Foundation announces its 2026 Patient and Family Advisory Council
Today, the PAN Foundation announced its 2026 Patient and Family Advisory Council (PFAC) members. The PFAC includes 12 members, each of whom has received support from the PAN Foundation as a patient or serves as a family member, friend, or caregiver to someone who has. In this role, they serve as key ambassadors and advisors to the work of the PAN Foundation by sharing their personal insights and feedback related to healthcare access and affordability issues.
The following new members join the PAN Foundation’s PFAC in 2026:
- Jonathan Kahan (New York): he has lived with Acromegaly since his diagnosis in 2016. A former Chief Financial Officer, he serves on the board of Acromegaly Community, hosts a weekly Zoom support group, and works to help raise awareness and support those with the disease.
- Kim Yaman (North Carolina): she has a constellation of endocrine conditions, including adrenal Cushing’s syndrome, pheochromocytoma, and a pituitary tumor in conjunction with empty sella syndrome. She lives with her daughter and grandson, is an active patient advocate, and loves to read.
PFAC members continuing to serve in 2026 include:
- Bill Allen (Maryland): since 2004, he’s lived with prostate cancer. He enjoys gardening, golfing, and spending time with his grandchildren and family.
- Phyllis Bass (Texas): since childhood, she’s lived with rheumatoid arthritis, which is a chronic disease that affects the joints. She previously worked in human resources as an analyst and manager.
- Margaret (Peggy) Carter (Virginia): she lives with ocular and generalized Myasthenia Gravis, a chronic and progressive rare neurological disease. She loves spending time with her three grandkids and her dog Buckeye, playing on a shuffleboard league, and scrapbooking.
- LaShonda Ellis (New Jersey): since 1997, she has lived with systemic lupus nephritis, a lifelong, chronic disease affecting multiple body systems. During her limited free time, she enjoys spending time with family, baking, shopping, and creative projects.
- Jennifer Matsuda (Washington): she’s the wife and caregiver of PAN grant recipient Scott Matsuda. She and Scott enjoy traveling, gardening, and spending time with their grandkids.
- Scott Matsuda (Washington): since 2012, he’s lived with leukemia, which is a blood cancer. He and his wife, Jennifer, own a photography company.
- Tim McDonald (Florida): he is a stage 4 colorectal cancer survivor and liver transplant recipient. He enjoys traveling with his wife and spending time with his grandkids.
- Tony Newberne (North Carolina): he’s a 10+ year survivor of a highly aggressive form of myeloma. He is a certified personal trainer and dietary manager who enjoys spending quality time with his partner and working in his vegetable garden.
- Michael Riotto (Pennsylvania): since 2011, he’s lived with multiple myeloma. He is an avid health and fitness enthusiast who truly believes in living life every day to the fullest.
- George J. Valentine (Texas): since 2002, he’s lived with chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which is a blood cancer. He previously worked for over 40 years in the information technology sector.
“Our 2026 Patient and Family Advisory Council brings invaluable insights to our financial assistance, advocacy, and education work,” said the PAN Foundation’s Chief Mission Officer, Amy Niles, who leads the work of the PFAC. “Each day, I’m amazed by their strength, resilience, and determination to use their lived experiences to help others on their healthcare journeys. When patients and caregivers share their voices, our work becomes more compassionate and more effective in accelerating access to affordable, equitable healthcare.”
In 2026, PFAC members will continue to build on their community relationships to spread awareness about charitable patient assistance foundations like PAN and the resources we offer. PFAC members will also leverage their own experiences to help inform the work PAN does to advocate for policy solutions and educate communities around topics that can increase access to care for people nationwide.
Learn more about the PAN Foundation’s PFAC Members
About the PAN Foundation
As a leading charitable foundation and healthcare advocacy organization, the PAN Foundation is dedicated to accelerating access to treatment for those who need it most and empowering patients on their healthcare journeys. We provide critical financial assistance for treatment costs, advocate for policy solutions that expand access to care, and deliver education on complex topics—all driven by our belief that everyone deserves access to affordable, equitable healthcare.
Since 2004, our financial assistance programs have helped more than 1.3 million people to start or stay on life-changing treatment. In addition, we’ve achieved major policy victories that increase access to care, mobilized patient advocates to call for change, and educated people nationwide on critical healthcare-related topics. We’re committed to working towards a future where equitable health outcomes are a reality for all. Learn more at panfoundation.org.