LFA-DC/MD/VA to Offer Free Lupus Symposium on May 7 for Patients and Families | Events
LFA-DC/MD/VA to Offer Free Lupus Symposium on May 7 for Patients and Families
Tuesday, April 26th, 2011, 10:13am
Topics: Events
This event comes to us from Lorelei Harloe:
The Lupus Foundation of America-DC/Maryland/Virginia Chapter (LFA-DC/MD/VA) at http://www.lupusdmv.org will offer the 16th Annual Symposium for Lupus Patients and Families on Saturday, May 7 from 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. (registration at 8:30 a.m.) with optional support sessions from 1:15 p.m -2:00 p.m. at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (map), 1779 Massachusetts Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C./Metro: Red Line, Dupont Circle. Affecting more than 80,000 people in the D.C. area, lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease with no known cure that can damage any part of the body including the skin, joints, heart, lungs, blood, kidneys and the brain. For more details or to register: http://tinyurl.com/lupussymposium.
"The symposium will be the largest lupus patient education event in the mid-Atlantic region in 2011. It is a lifeline for many D.C., Maryland and Virginia lupus patients, offering information on the latest treatments and coping with lupus to improve their quality of life," said LFA-DC/MD/VA President and CEO Penny Fletcher.
A panel discussion will update attendees on the latest information on new treatment therapies, including Benlysta, the drug that just received FDA approval. The symposium will include workshops on lupus and endocrine issues, living well with lupus, lupus and adolescents, clotting: antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APLS), connective tissue diseases overlapping with lupus. In addition lupus support sessions will be offered for caregivers, male patients and stress reduction.
Mariana Kaplan, M.D., Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Division of Rheumatology University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI will deliver the keynote address titled, "Lupus and Heart Damage: What Do We Know and What Can We Expect?"
LFA-DC/MD/VA's Free, Ongoing Services
The LFA-DC/MD/VA's free, ongoing services for lupus patients include
Patient Navigation: one-on-one interaction with a lupus navigator who can provide resources and guidance on finding the best healthcare answers in navigating the healthcare and disabilities systems.
Support Groups: offering education on coping skills and emotional support at hospitals and county libraries in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia
Outreach Services: newly diagnosed patient workshops, lupus lecture series, teleconference series, the annual symposium, and the LFA-DC/MD/VA newsletter