“ENHANCING LIVES BY EMPOWERING THE LUPUS COMMUNITY” DETROIT EDUCATION SYMPOSIUM & LUNCHEON
Presented by the Lupus and Allied Diseases Association, Inc. and MI Lupus Foundation
(Michigan – March 7, 2023) – The Lupus and Allied Diseases Association, Inc. (LADA) is partnering with the Michigan Lupus Foundation for an educational symposium geared toward people with lupus and their families featuring topics on Clinical Research Trials and Participation, Patient Empowerment, Treatment Access Challenges, Care Partnering and Tools for Survival when Dealing with Chronic Disease. The event will take place on Saturday, April 15, from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at St. Andrews Hall on Wayne State University’s campus in Detroit.
The free program is open to people with lupus and other autoimmune conditions, their loved ones, care partners, medical students, patient advocacy leaders, and sponsors. A list of regional lupus clinical trial opportunities, patient empowerment & advocacy resource materials and current healthcare access issues will be available for distribution. Lunch is included and the event and luncheon are free, but you must register to attend.
“We are excited to partner with the MI Lupus Foundation to host this in person and informative fun-filled program and look forward to meeting all of the people impacted by lupus in the Detroit Lupus community,” LADA President & CEO Kathleen Arntsen said. “We hope that people with lupus and their loved ones will take advantage of this free education program and luncheon and register to attend.”
Presenters include J. Michelle Kahlenberg, MD, Ph.D, who is Giles Bole and Dorothy Mulkey Research Professor of Rheumatology, Associate Professor of Dermatology and Internal Medicine, Associate Chief of Basic and Translational Research, Division of Rheumatology, at the University of Michigan. Dr. Kahlenberg will speak on the importance of clinical research trials including definition, purpose and their significance in developing new treatments for individuals with lupus. LADA President & CEO Kathleen A. Arntsen will share her own personal journey with lupus and give an informative presentation on how to become empowered and effective as an advocate to improve access to care and quality of life that also addresses the importance of clinical trial participation and current advocacy efforts. Educator, administrator and advocate David Arntsen will share an engaging presentation for loved ones, care partners, friends, healthcare students, and individuals living with a chronic disease.
Detroit is the last stop for LADA’s Lupus Education Symposium Road Show that also included events with the Lupus Foundation New England in Boston, Massachusetts and the Lupus Society of Illinois in Chicago, Illinois back in the fall.
For more information about lupus and the Michigan Lupus Foundation, visit http://milupus.org and https://www.ladainc.org.
About Lupus
Lupus is a chronic autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack its own healthy tissues and organs. It can affect any part of the body causing widespread pain and inflammation. Common symptoms include crippling fatigue, fever and joint pain. Lupus affects each person differently and may go into periods of flares and remissions. More people have lupus than cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, sickle-cell anemia, and cystic fibrosis combined. It is estimated that between 300,000 and 1.5 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with this disease. Lupus primarily affects young women between the ages of 15-45 years old and occurs more frequently in women of African American, Hispanic, or Asian descent. There is currently no cure for lupus.
About the MI Lupus Foundation
The Michigan Lupus Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that exists to improve the quality of life for those living with lupus through support, education and research with the goal of finding a cure. The foundation provides financial and informational resources for patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. The MI Lupus Foundation has been continually serving Michigan and northern Indiana since 1974 and is working to build a brighter future for all lupus patients and their families. For more information, visit http://milupus.org.
About the Lupus and Allied Diseases Association, Inc.
The Lupus and Allied Diseases Association (LADA) was founded in 1978 and is a national non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing quality of life by engaging and empowering individuals impacted by lupus and diseases of unmet need. As a passion-driven charity led by people with lupus and their loved ones, they work to ensure that the patient stakeholder is included as an equal participant in the healthcare, regulatory and public policy arenas and across the research continuum. It is LADA’s goal to improve access to care and quality of life by fostering collaboration among stakeholders, promoting unity in the community, and wielding the patient voice as a catalyst to advance innovative advocacy, education, awareness and biomedical research initiatives. For more information, visit http://www.ladainc.org.
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