Global Heart Hub Team Spotlight: Joanna Ten-Kate

Meet Joanna! Joanna Ten-Kate joined Global Heart Hub in September 2022 as our Patient Community Engagement and Development Lead.

Joanna is originally from the United States and is now based in Ireland. She was excited to join Global Heart Hub as it was the perfect fit to bring together her experience in health and social care policy with her passion for person-first policy change. “I believe in the value of the patient voice in contributing to sustainable policy and practice, and I am grateful to get to work with such an active and motivated community,” says Joanna.

A highlight for Joanna in her work with Global Heart Hub has been the Unite Summit in 2023, our first in-person Unite event. “We were able to bring together over 100 of our affiliates and experts from around the world, and the opportunity to engage, collaborate with and build relationships with our global community in person was invaluable!” says Joanna.

Joanna’s advice for anyone wanting to start working with patient organisations and advocates would be to bring patients in at the beginning of projects. “By actively involving patients from the start, you not only gain unique and vital insights but also foster a collaborative approach that ensures solutions are truly patient-centred and effective.”

Outside of work, Joanna is an avid baker and reader. She loves to spend as much time outside as possible, whether through traveling, walking by the water in Galway, or finding new hikes around Ireland… but she is happy to avoid camping!

Thank you, Joanna, for being part of the Global Heart Hub team! Learn more about our team here.