Patient Advocacy = Patient Representation
Advocacy is a process by an individual or group which aims to influence decisions within political, economic, and social systems and institutions based on the express mandate given to the individual or group by those for which they are advocating e.g. Save Your Skin Foundation advocates for melanoma and skin cancers of other types. Advocacy can include many activities including media campaigns, public speaking, commissioning and publishing research or government relations and meetings. Lobbying (often by lobby groups) is a form of paid advocacy where a direct approach is made to legislators on an issue which plays a significant role in modern politics and is done on behalf of an organization that will receive direct financial benefit from the intervention. Paid lobbyists are required to register with the federal government.
Save Your Skin Foundation feels that any of the above forms of action are the method by which patients and their caregivers represent themselves directly or through their patient representatives. We are patient representatives – we represent the needs of patients across Canada, and we help patients to represent themselves.
Click the following for links to:
- SYSF Patient Advocacy Outline (2016)
- Blog: What is a Patient Advocate?
- Blog: Bringing Advocacy to Canadian Melanoma Patients
- Glossary of Terms from CADTH – Canadian Healthcare System – Who is Who?
- “Who Are You Surviving For” Program – Write a letter to your Representative!
- Patients Redefining the Future of Health Care in Canada Summit and preparatory Webinars
- International Advocacy for Patient Access to Treatment A³ ~ ADVOCACY: ACCESS IN ACTION
- Including the patient voice in the development and implementation of patient‐reported outcomes in cancer clinical trials
- Patient value: Perspectives from the advocacy community

“WHO ARE YOU SURVIVING FOR” PROGRAM: WRITE TO YOUR MLA/MPP AND HEALTH MINISTER
We urge you to consider writing to your Federal Health Minister and we have included a template letter for you to download and use.
We also urge you to write to your local government representative to convey a similar request for support. We have also included this template letter, as well as links to each Province’s contacts, making it easy to find out who your local representatives are.
Government MPs, MLAs and Health Ministers by Province/Territory:
Nova Scotia:
- MPs: https://goo.gl/aBBm8I
- MLAs: http://bit.ly/2OyawQ3
- Health Minister: Hon. Michelle Thompson
New Brunswick:
- MPs: https://goo.gl/vH3Qq2
- MLAs: http://bit.ly/2MqebwF
- Health Minister: Hon. Dorothy Shephard
Prince Edward Island:
- MPs: https://goo.gl/FXY4hn
- MLAs: http://bit.ly/2ATZDQB
- Health Minister: Hon. Marc V. McLane
Newfoundland and Labrador:
- MPs: https://goo.gl/yyy83O
- MLAs: http://bit.ly/2M4ozLH
- Health Minister: Hon. Tom Osborne
Quebec:
- MPs: http://bit.ly/322zURU
- MNAs: http://bit.ly/2ATCVYP
- Health Minister: Hon. Christian Dubé
Ontario:
- MPs: http://bit.ly/2Vthual
- MPPs: http://bit.ly/3118omr
- Health Minister: Hon. Sylvia Jones
Manitoba:
- MPs: http://bit.ly/35pdz38
- MLAs: http://bit.ly/30ZzjiC
- Health Minister: Hon. Audrey Gordon
Saskatchewan:
- MPs: http://bit.ly/2M0LvLx
- MLAs: http://bit.ly/2p8o7Tg
- Health Minister: Hon. Paul Merriman
Alberta:
- MPs: http://bit.ly/2Mqkctf
- MLAs: http://bit.ly/2B9mOXj
- Health Minister: Hon. Jason Copping
British Columbia:
- MPs: http://bit.ly/2Mxjme2
- MLAs: http://bit.ly/2osPSpN
- Health Minister: Hon. Adrian Dix
Yukon
- MP: https://goo.gl/idFVSU
- MLAs: http://bit.ly/2AZZWJr
- Health Minister: Tracy-Anne McPhee
Northwest Territories:
- MP: https://goo.gl/4Jb7YD
- MLAs: https://goo.gl/Uswwlu
- Health Minister: Hon. Julie Green
Nunavut:
- MP: https://goo.gl/bDOMIu
- MLAs: https://goo.gl/6C90Pr
- Minister of Health: Hon. John Main
Canada:
- Minister of Health: Hon. Jean-Yves Duclos
TOGETHER WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Making awareness and education available is crucial. Since 2006, the Foundation has worked to raise awareness of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers focusing on education, prevention and the need for improved patient care.