April Hubbard
Founder & Executive Director
You Matter Patient Advocacy Group
April Hubbard is a nationally active patient advocate and liver disease advocate whose work is deeply rooted in lived experience navigating complex medical systems. She brings a patient-first approach to advocacy, combining personal experience, education, and professional training to support individuals living with chronic illness, rare disease, and liver disease.
As a patient herself, April lives with Metabolic Dysfunction–Associated Steatohepatitis (MASH) with Stage F1a/F2 liver fibrosis, as well as mitochondrial hepatopathy related to her mitochondrial disease. Because of this, she has firsthand experience with the realities of liver disease and metabolic conditions. Her liver involvement can include episodes of vomiting, elevated liver enzymes, hepatomegaly (enlarged liver), liver pain, malabsorption, failure to thrive, and other metabolic complications associated with mitochondrial dysfunction. These experiences have shaped her passion for improving awareness, earlier diagnosis, and patient-centered care for individuals living with MASLD, MASH, and other liver-related conditions.
April has worked both independently and alongside healthcare organizations, advocacy groups, and industry stakeholders to elevate patient voices, improve access to care, and support individuals navigating fragmented healthcare systems. Her advocacy includes national policy engagement, public speaking, peer support, and direct patient care navigation, helping individuals and families better understand diagnoses, treatment options, and healthcare pathways.
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, strengthening her ability to support patients facing clinical, psychosocial, and systemic barriers to care.
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 both national and community 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 (current – work cannot be disclosed due to NDA)
- Patient Advocacy Board for Boehringer Ingelheim (2023 – Present)
- Attended Global Liver Institute A3 Advanced Liver Advocacy 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)
Advocacy Rooted in Lived Experience
While April’s professional and advocacy credentials are extensive, what drives her work most is her experience as a patient living with complex and overlapping conditions—including liver disease.
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 healthcare systems while unwell. She knows firsthand the emotional toll of medical dismissal, stigma surrounding liver disease, and the uncertainty that often accompanies complex diagnoses.
April founded You Matter Patient Advocacy Group to ensure that individuals living with MASLD, MASH, fatty liver disease, rare diseases, and complex medical conditions are believed, supported, and empowered throughout their healthcare journey.
Her leadership is grounded in dignity, equity, and the belief that patients are experts in their own lives—and that every patient deserves to be heard.