PH Insights

Advocacy on Capitol Hill: How Patient Voices Shape Policy

Host: Jolie Lizana, PAH patient and advocate

Guests: Matt Granato, LL.M., MBA, PHA's President and CEO; Kevin Heyen, PHA's Vice President, Development & Industry Relations; Jaeger Spratt, MSW, PHA’s advocacy and treatment access program manager; Eric Borstein, PAH patient and advocate; and Roopa Radhakrishnan, PH patient and advocate

On this episode, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association takes you inside the rooms where real change begins. Get a behind-the-scenes look at the meetings where pulmonary hypertension patients’ and health care providers’ stories are heard, valued, and carry real weight.

You will learn how advocacy meetings work, hear directly from individuals who traveled to Capitol Hill to speak on behalf of the PH community, and understand the impact their voices have in shaping policy.

Most importantly, this episode breaks down how PHA can support you in advocating from wherever you are. Whether you are new to advocacy or already involved, you will see just how powerful your voice is and why it matters.

Discover upcoming advocacy volunteer opportunities by subscribing to the monthly Advocacy Action Alert newsletter.

Navigating Sleep-Disordered Breathing with Pulmonary Hypertension

Host: Jolie Lizana, PAH patient and advocate, PHA’s Patient and Caregiver Education Committee member

Guest: Mary Jo Farmer, MD, PhD; board certified pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine physician, Mass General Brigham- Salem Hospital, associate professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine

Sleep-disordered breathing is far more common in pulmonary hypertension than most people may realize. On this episode of PH Insights, host Jolie Lizana sits down with a pulmonary, critical care, and sleep medicine specialist, Mary Jo Farmer, to unpack how nighttime oxygen drops, sleep apnea, and hypoventilation can impact your pulmonary vascular health and right heart function.

Together, they discuss how clinicians diagnose and classify sleep‑disordered breathing, what happens in the body when sleep is disrupted, and how targeted treatment strategies can help.

Visit Pulmonary Hypertension Related to Sleep Apnea to learn more.

 

 

Register for the PHA 2026 International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions to hear more from Dr. Farmer in, “The Impact of Treating Sleep Apnea and Hypoxia on Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Management.”  

PHA 2026 Scientific Sessions brings together health care professionals from all disciplines to earn continuing education credit, network with fellow pulmonary hypertension professionals, learn about the latest research and discuss best practices for PH treatme

Decoding Disparities: What Drives PAH Outcomes in Hispanic Populations

Host: Meghan M. Cirulis, MD, MS, medical director, Intermountain Health Pulmonary Hypertension Center, assistant professor, pulmonary and critical care medicine, Intermountain Medical Center, adjunct assistant professor, University of Utah Pulmonary and Critical Care.

Guest: Roberto Bernardo, MD, MS, ATSF, clinical assistant professor, Adult Pulmonary Hypertension Service, Vera Moulton Wall Center for Pulmonary Vascular Disease, Division of Pulmonary, Allergy & Critical Care Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine

 

On this episode, host Meghan Cirulis speaks with clinician and researcher Roberto Bernardo about his work exploring ethnicity and social determinants of health for those living with pulmonary arterial hypertension in the Hispanic community. Bernardo discusses underlying disparities and offers insight into ways to improve quality of life for patients with limited access to care. 

Bernardo also shares how PHA’s Pulmonary Hypertension Association Registry provided the data needed for his study.

Who Speaks for You? Making Your Health Care Wishes Known.

Host: Jenna Olitsky, PAH and HHT patient, PHA’s Patient and Caregiver Education Committee member

Guest: Silvana Saleme Mooney, MSN, APRN, nurse practitioner with the Pulmonary Vascular Disease Program at the Medical University of South Carolina

On this episode, host Jenna Olitsky, a PAH patient and estate planning attorney, and nurse practitioner Silvana Mooney discuss how advance health care directives, health care power of attorney documents, HIPAA authorizations, and Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (POLST) forms work in real-life medical situations.

This episode is not legal or medical advice, but an educational conversation designed to help listeners better understand how these tools can support their care, reduce confusion and ensure their voices are heard when it matters most.

Visit Health Care Planning: conversations, decisions, and directives - PH Association to learn more.

Understanding the Relationship between Methamphetamine and Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Guest: Katharine Clapham, MD, assistant professor of cardiology and co-director of the Pulmonary Hypertension and Dyspnea Program, University of Utah 

On this episode, host Megan Cirulis sits down with cardiologist Katherine (Katie) Clapham to discuss methamphetamine-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension. They explore the increasing prevalence of methamphetamine use, particularly in the western United States, and its severe health implications. Clapham also discusses treatment approaches, including the integration of addiction medicine into PAH care.

Visit Pulmonary Hypertension Related to Meth Use for more information.

Pediatric to Adult Congenital Heart Disease: Managing your diagnosis

Guests: Paul Critser, MD, PhD, pediatric cardiologist, Heart Institute Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center; and Priya Pillutla, MD, associate chief, Division of Cardiology, director, Adult Congenital Heart Disease Clinic chair, Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee Harbor-UCLA Medical Center

On this special episode, cardiologists Paul Critser and Priya Pillutla, discuss congenital heart disease associated pulmonary hypertension. They explain how PH is diagnosed, treatment advances, and what those advancements mean for life expectancy.

Visit Pulmonary Hypertension and Congenital Heart Disease for more information.

Learning Together: The Early Days of PHA’s Patient Education

Guest Host: Courtney Durham, PHA’s director of individual giving

Guests: Judy and Ed Simpson, PHA co-founders

On this episode of PH Insights, Courtney Durham, PHA’s director of individual giving, speaks with PHA co-founders, Judy and Ed Simpson. They discuss the challenges and milestones of establishing PHA, the importance of connecting patients with physicians, and the significant advancements in pulmonary hypertension research and treatment.

When Care Goes Beyond Treatment: How a Support Group Redefined Support

Host: Jolie Lizana, PAH patient and advocate

Guests: Debbie Kittel, BSN, RN, CCRN, nursing program manager, PAH program, Richard M. Ross Heart Hospital; and Tiffani Brown, PH patient, Ohio State University-Columbus support group co-leader.

 

Just in time for the holidays, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association shares the extraordinary impact of a simple, thoughtful gift. Host Jolie Lizana talks with Debbie Kittel, a PH nurse, and Tiffani Brown, the patient who received a priceless gesture during one of her darkest moments: a jar of handwritten notes from her care team and support group. Hear how this act of empathy became a tradition, inspired dozens of patients and redefined what it means to give and receive support.