The Patient Innovators Awards recognize the Access & Reimbursement and Patient Services programs reshaping the biopharma patient experience. These are the unsung heroes driving meaningful change for patients and providers alike through innovative strategies, thoughtful design, and relentless execution.
Winners are announced live at annual Patient Innovators Summit on October 6th in New York City. This year, each award winner comes with a $1,000 donation to the Ryan Foundation, founded by Mark Dant and his wife, who turned their son's rare disease diagnosis into a mission to fund lifesaving research.
The Awards honor five categories, including:
Patient Services Team of the Year
Access & Reimbursement Team of the Year
Patient Innovators of the Year
Rare Disease Champions of the Year
Patient Champion of the Year
Celebrate the teams who have gone above and beyond to improve the patient experience in strategic, often overlooked roles within biopharma.
Elevate the visibility of patient-centered innovation in our industry. Award winners will be honored at our Summit and highlighted on Courier Health's website and social media.
Be part of a growing community of forward-thinkers raising the bar on the patient experience. Award winners will receive complimentary travel to the 2027 Summit & exclusive community perks.
Winners will be announced during the 2026 Patient Innovators Summit on October 6th in New York City.
Anyone who wants to highlight innovative patient- or providing-facing teams who are redefining the biopharma patient experience! Programs or individuals must be working in the U.S. market on a treatment with, or seeking, FDA approval.
You can submit an application on behalf of your team, yourself, a colleague, or a peer from another organization. This year's categories include:
Patient Services Team of the Year honoring patient-facing teams (e.g. services, support, clinical education, nurse navigators) redefining patient engagement and support.
Access & Reimbursement Team of the Year honoring teams accelerating patient access with innovative approaches.
Patient Innovators of the Year honoring the team redefining the patient experience through tech or program innovation.
Rare Disease Champions of the Year honoring the teams and individuals advancing access, support, and innovation for patients living with rare diseases.
Patient Champion of the Year honoring a single leader (Director and above) who consistently goes above and beyond to advocate for patients and create a more compassionate, patient-centered experience.
We’re looking for teams who are improving the patient experience in measurable, meaningful ways — whether through program/org design, innovative service offerings, or use of technology.
This can be for a drug that just launched or has been in market for several years.
Submissions will be evaluated based on criteria such as commitment to patients, measurable impact, and innovation (e.g. ability to leverage digital solutions to enhance the patient experience).
Yes, submissions will be kept strictly confidential. Any materials developed around the award winners will be shared for final approval prior to public release.
Winners will be recognized during the Patient Innovators Summit on October 6th in New York City. They’ll also be featured in Courier Health’s editorial and social content to help elevate their contributions across the industry. Winners will also receive complimentary registration & travel to the next year's Patient Innovators Summit (team winners are capped to 3 registrants).
In addition, every award this year includes a $1,000 donation to the Ryan Foundation, founded by Mark Dant and his wife, who turned their son's rare disease diagnosis into a mission to fund lifesaving research.
Winners will be notified via email the week of September 15th. For additional questions, please email insights@courierhealth.com.
