Reaching New Heights in Liver Care: The Power of Strategic Advocacy in Liver Health

On Saturday, November 7, Medscape Education hosted a landmark networking reception at the Peaks Lounge in Denver, CO. Set against the incredible skyline during AASLD, this gathering brought together top hepatology clinicians, industry innovators, and advocacy leaders as a celebration of the cross-functional partnerships shaping modern liver disease management and highlighting how strategic partners and patient organizations are essential to advancing liver health education.

Across the hepatology ecosystem, scientific innovation is accelerating at an extraordinary pace. With landmark therapeutic breakthroughs in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), alongside rapidly advancing non-invasive diagnostics and promising pipelines in viral hepatitis and rare cholestatic diseases, the standard of care is rapidly shifting. However, clinical advances cannot translate into meaningful patient outcomes in a vacuum. Bridging the gap between new therapeutic mechanisms and real-world clinical adoption requires an integrated connection between clinical tools, HCPl accredited-education, and robust patient advocacy networks.

Honoring Michael Betel with the Luminary Award for Strategic Advocacy

A centerpiece of the evening was honoring Michael Betel, President and Founder of the Fatty Liver Alliance, with Medscape’s Luminary Award for Strategic Advocacy. This prestigious award celebrates an exceptional leader who spearheads powerful advocacy to inspire widespread action, transform independent medical education, and elevate the standards of patient care.

Through his vision and leadership, Michael exemplifies the critical role advocacy plays in driving clinical progress by:

• Championing Strategic Influence: Leveraging his strategic influence to lend urgency, authority, and clarity to metabolic liver disease initiatives.
• Mobilizing Multidisciplinary Action: Uniting clinicians, advocacy leaders and health systems to embrace proactive screening, early risk stratification, and patient-centered communication.
• Elevating Educational Impact: Ensuring lived experience directly informs medical education, transforming clinical guidance into accessible, community-wide action.

As our featured guest speaker, Michael shared his vital perspective on how advocacy partnerships turn clinical expertise into real-world impact, underscoring that medical education achieves its highest potential when centered around the patient voice.

Advancing Liver Health Through Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration

Transforming the trajectory of liver diseases, spanning MASLD/MASH, rare and cholestatic liver conditions, and broader liver health, demands continuous collaboration across industry supporters, advocacy organizations, and educational platforms.

“When we develop medical education with patient advocacy groups, we connect new research with what people living with liver disease actually experience. That helps clinicians see how to use the evidence in everyday care, from recognizing symptoms that can be easy to miss to talking through which treatment options fit a patient’s priorities and daily life.” said Jennifer Bomberger, Senior Director, Strategic Partnerships at Medscape Education

Medscape ensures clinicians get straight to the vital answers they need, translating evolving guidelines into everyday practice. By uniting indispensable educational resources with robust advocacy networks, we empower healthcare professionals to identify disease earlier, address diagnostic inertia, and optimize long-term management strategies. Medscape remains deeply committed to collaborating with our advocacy partners and industry supporters across pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, and medical devices. Together, we are building independent, high-impact medical education that translates clinical advances into real-world patient outcomes, everyday practice, and lasting improvements in liver care.

We extend our gratitude to Michael Betel, and all our partners in the liver space for championing this mission. By aligning advocacy with clinical innovation, we are not just witnessing new milestones in hepatology, we are building a higher standard of live care, together.

To our partners, clinicians, and industry colleagues who joined us in Denver: Thank you for your continued dedication to advancing liver health education.