Tiffany Westrich-Robertson

ICER Patient Council Co-Chair; CEO, International Foundation for Autoimmune & Autoinflammatory Arthritis (AiArthritis)

Tiffany Westrich-Robertson is the CEO at the International Foundation for Autoimmune & Autoinflammatory Arthritis (AiArthritis) and a person living with axial spondyloarthritis. She uses her professional background in business, education, and research – along with role as a person living with AiArthritis diseases – to connect other patients worldwide with various stakeholders so, together, we can solve problems that impact education, advocacy, and research.

In 2015, she authored the Ethics of Step Therapy paper, concluding preferred drug recommendations are biased towards patients who meet general patient population standards. For the remaining ‘atypical’ patients, the onus for choosing therapies should default on the doctor, who is ethically obligated to treat to the unique characteristics of the patient. These findings have influenced her work to advocate in favor of fair access to treatments, that are considerate of individual needs, and cognizant that personalized and precision medicine is on the horizon.

Tiffany’s expertise lies in problem solving through collaboration – considerate of all stakeholder views (inclusive of patients) and the preferred outcomes of each party. She realizes only when all sides are heard and respected can we begin to move the needle towards change and solutions that could be adopted by all. These skills have enabled her to ideate and successfully manage award-winning programs and platforms that aim to ensure all perspectives, opinions, and experiences are counted.

Tiffany is well-respected in the healthcare community, serving on several committees in both policy and research, including with the American College of Rheumatology and OMERACT (Outcome Measures in Rheumatology), and sits on the Advisory Board for the Missouri State University Design Thinking program.

AiArthritis: We are leaders in advancing education, advocacy, and research for those impacted by autoimmune and autoinflammatory arthritis (AiArthritis) diseases through peer-led guidance, collaboration, and resources that are driven by patient-identified issues and patient-infused solutions. No one can identify what a patient needs most more than those personally impacted by the diseases. So, we find a variety of ways to invite patient voices ‘to the table’ to ensure we are addressing issues that matter most to them and to give them opportunities to be as involved in our programs as possible. In turn, our community can take pride in knowing they helped develop the programs and resources that ultimately can improve their lives and the lives of 450 million people worldwide!