The Center for Patient Partnerships builds effective partnerships among people seeking health care, people providing health care, and people making policies that guide the health care system. We do this in four interconnected ways: Educate students through inter-professional, experience-based curriculum – to engage in effective, compassionate advocacy;Accompany and assist patients with life-threatening or serious illnesses on their journeys through the health care system;Strengthen the field of health advocacy through research on advocacy's impact and promotion of best practices;Enhance the capacity of patients to influence health policy and the responsiveness of the health care system to consumers' experiences.