April Hubbard

Founder & Executive Director
You Matter Patient Advocacy Group

April Hubbard is a nationally active patient advocate with extensive lived experience navigating rare disease, complex chronic illness, disability, and mental health systems. She brings a patient-first, trauma-informed approach to advocacy, rooted in both personal experience and professional training.

April has worked independently and in partnership with healthcare organizations, advocacy networks, and industry stakeholders to elevate patient voices, improve access to care, and support individuals navigating fragmented medical and mental health systems. Her work includes national advocacy efforts, public speaking, peer support, and direct patient navigation, helping individuals and families better understand and manage complex care.

She is currently pursuing Board Certification through the Patient Advocate Certification Board (PACB) and recently completed a Medical Coding and Billing Certificate from Lakeland Community College. April also plans to obtain her Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant (CDCA) certification and Case Management certification in the near future, further strengthening her ability to support patients facing clinical, psychosocial, and systemic barriers.

In addition to her advocacy work, April holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Walden University and an Associate of Applied Business in Cybersecurity from Lakeland Community College. She is currently pursuing an Associate of Science in Health Information Management at Lakeland Community College, with an anticipated graduation around May 2028.

Advocacy Experience

April’s advocacy work spans nearly two decades and includes leadership roles in national and community-based initiatives:

• Led Congenital Heart Disease (CHD) Awareness Week Proclamation in Lake County, Ohio (2022)
• Advocated for mandatory pulse oximetry newborn screening legislation in New Hampshire (2007)
• Fundraised with Preemptive Love Coalition to support life-saving cardiac surgeries in Iraq (2008)
• CONFIDENTIAL patient advocate (Cannot disclose work due to NDA signed and without their permission) (current)
• Attended Global Liver Institute A3 Advanced Liver Academy (2023, 2024, 2025)
• Participant in the GenIX Leadership & Advocacy Program for Bleeding Disorders (2019, 2020, 2021, 2023, 2024)
• NAMI Peer Support – Lake County, Ohio (2025–2026)

While April’s advocacy credentials are extensive, what drives her work most is her personal experience as a patient.

She understands what it feels like to sit in a doctor’s office feeling unheard, to leave appointments confused about treatment options, and to navigate complex systems while unwell. She knows firsthand the emotional toll of dismissal, stigma, and medical uncertainty.

April founded You Matter Patient Advocacy Group to ensure that patients—especially those living with rare diseases and mental health challenges—are believed, supported, and prioritized at every level of care. Her leadership is grounded in dignity, equity, and the belief that patients are experts in their own lives.