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Rep. David Joyce Signs On As Caucus Co-Chair
Representative Joyce represents Ohio’s 14th district and serves on the House Appropriations Committee and the following subcommittees; Interior, Labor, Health and Human Services, and Transportation, Housing and Urban Development. The U.S. COPD Coalition is looking forward to working with Representative Joyce and is excited for the experience and dedication he will undoubtedly exhibit as Co-Chair.
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Help Rebuild the Congressional COPD Caucus
As we look forward to the new 2013 Congressional session we will be saying good bye to many of our valued members of the Congressional COPD Caucus. After the 2012 election the COPD Caucus will be losing 13 members for the 2013 Congressional session, including 12 Representatives and 1 Senator.
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State COPD Legislation Passed in 2012
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Save the Date: December 12, 2012 Reception on Capitol Hill
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Action Alert: Help Us Replace Competitive Bidding
Help Us Replace Competitive Bidding Tell Congress to Pass HR 6490 Congress mandated several changes to the way Medicare pays for home oxygen supplies, called Competitive Bidding, which requires suppliers of durable medical equipment, including oxygen, to be awarded contracts by Medicare in order to continue being providers for Medicare beneficiaries. Not all suppliers who were currently doing business with Medicare were awarded contracts causing some individuals with COPD to have to change companies or choose their home medical equipment or services from multiple different companies. Competitive Bidding has negatively impacted the COPD community by causing unnecessary confusion and anxiety among patients, caregivers, and their healthcare providers. And in some cases disrupted
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Summer 2012 Advocacy Activities
Summer 2012 Advocacy Activities This summer COPD advocates from across the country have been busy spreading awareness and educating elected officials. From Arizona to Massachusetts, advocates have been attending district visits, participating in Capitol Awareness Days, speaking at conferences, and more. Many Americans, including our elected officials, are not informed about COPD.
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New BRFSS Data Has Been Collected and is Being Analzed
The COPD Foundation (COPDF) today announced that data gathered by the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), the largest national health survey, about chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has been collected and is being analyzed. “We are excited about the data because it will finally showcase the severe impact of COPD and prove that it is a growing public health crisis that must be addressed at the state and federal levels with proven prevention, awareness, education and management strategies,” says John W. Walsh, president and co-founder of the COPD Foundation. “This data reinforces the need for continued and increased investments in COPD research.”
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The Congressional COPD Caucus Welcomes New Members
The U.S. COPD Coalition is pleased to welcome three new members to the Congressional COPD Caucus: Representative Charlie Bass a Republican from New Hampshire's 2nd district Represenative Aaron Schock a Republican from Illinois' 18th district Senator Jeanne Shaheen a Democrat from New Hampshire
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Maryland Alpha-1 Association Support Group Meeting
When: Saturday, August 18, 2012 11:00AM-2:00PM
Where: Medical Pavilion at Howard County Wellness Center 10710 Charter Drive, Suite 100, Columbia MD 21044 Alpha-1, pulmonary patients, their family members/caregivers and professionals affiliated with pulmonary disease are welcome to attend. The support group encourages group members to become active and assist in planning furture meeting agendas, education, and support needs. If you are unale to attend please contact Bruce miles and make sure he has your correct contact information for future meetings.
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BRFSS Webinar: July 17 2012
Hosted by the U.S. COPD Coalition, the COPD Learn More Breathe Better® campaign, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this webinar on July 17th will be focused on sharing insights related to the upcoming release of the CDC's 2012 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey findings pertaining to COPD, what impact the data will have, and what assistance will be available to help disseminate the information throughout your community.
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On the Road Again - Country Conquers COPDT Travels Cross Co
Article courtesy of Edna Fiore from EFFORTS, a USCC member organization Country Conquers COPDT, a program of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, is traveling nationwide this summer to raise COPD awareness and bring important COPD information to people at risk and their loved ones. At each stop, we'll be joined by local lung health experts to provide information about the signs and symptoms of COPD, provide free screenings and encourage those at risk to talk to their health care provider.
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New ATS President Seeks to Raise Profile of Respiratory Dis
Article courtesy of Edna Fiore at EFFORTS, a USCC member organization At this year's international conference in San Francisco, Dr. Monica Kraft said more public awareness of COPD and sleep disorders is needed, and the workforce shortage in pulmonary and critical care is a concern.
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2012 COPD Awareness Resolutions and Proclamations
Midway through 2012 and our COPD advocates have been successful in passing COPD Awareness Resolutions in several states across the country. Great work everyone, let's keep this momentum going through the year! Check back to this news story as we continue to pass more resolutions and proclamtions throughout the year. Want to be part of the action? Contact Aimee Bulthuis at abulthuis@uscopdcoalition.org or (877) 731-2673 ext 459 to see how to be a COPD advocate. Or visit the COPD Action Center to learn more.
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Second National COPD Conference Recap
The Second National COPD Conference was held on December 2nd and 3rd, 2011, in conjunction with COPD7USA. The Second National COPD Conference was developed to bringing together individuals with COPD, healthcare professionals, government agencies, and advocacy organizations to collectively look back, assess our progress, and plan a path forward.
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Too-Sick-to-Work Americans Drive Down Size of Labor Force
(Bloomberg) -- Michael White says he wishes he still could pluck the bass line to Hank Williams Jr.’s “Born to Boogie” and pay bills with money he earns himself. High unemployment -- along with ailments that he says render his fingers inoperative and make him cough up blood -- have dashed his hopes. White is among the 1.6 million Americans who’ve claimed Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, since the 18-month recession began in 2007. When the slump reduced demand for tow-truck drivers, the 60-year-old Fort Myers, Florida, resident, who has also worked as a musician, lost the job he’d held for five years and started collecting unemployment benefits. Complications from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, diabetes and other medical problems then made it impossible for him to return to a labor market that lacks opportunities for people with health problems and those in better shape.
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State COPD Legislation Passed in 2011
It was great year for COPD advocacy! 23 states declared November as COPD Awareness Month and 12 state legislatures passed legislation improving COPD awareness, diagnosis, and treatment. Thank you to all of our COPD advocates for all the hard work you do; without your letters, calls, and visits to your elected officials we would not have made such great strides in COPD public policy. Thank you to all of the state coalitions, USCC member organizations, and patient groups that helped introduce and pass these pieces of legislation. To get involved with COPD advocacacy visit the COPD Action Center. Let's keep up the great work through 2012!
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2011 Advocacy Day on Captiol Hill
On Tuesday March 6th, the American Association for Respiratory Care, Alpha-1 Association, Alpha-1 Foundation, the Pulmonary Hypertension Association and the COPD Foundation participated in an annual "Advocacy Day" on Capitol Hill. With over 400 meetings scheduled, the day was a great success.
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NASCAR® TAKES ON COUNTRY MUSIC IN COMPETITION
Ridgefield, CT, October 26, 2011 – Landmark public health campaign DRIVE4COPD today kicked off a high-profile social media competition led by DRIVE4COPD Celebrity Ambassadors* Danica Patrick and Patty Loveless to see who can get the most people screened for risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) during the two weeks leading up to the Great American Screen Off on November 4, 2011.
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Go Orange Resolution Unveiled on Capitol Hill!
Yesterday on Capitol Hill, the U.S. COPD Coalition (USCC) announced their resolution to “Go Orange” for COPD Awareness. It was unveiled by John W. Walsh, Vice Chairman of the USCC and President and Co-Founder of the COPD Foundation. The “Go Orange” resolution is the USCC’s answer to the call by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to increase public awareness of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). The CDC has established that COPD, which kills one person every four minutes in the U.S., is an important health issue and attention needs to be brought to the national level.
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Congressional Health Briefing: The State of COPD in America
Patrick will be joined by Dr. James Kiley of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, a representative from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a COPD expert, Dr. James Crapo and Coalition Vice-Chair, John Walsh. COPD Congressional Caucus Co-Chair, Senator Mike Crapo, will join us for introductory remarks. We hope that many of the Coalition members or your representatives will be able to join these great speakers at the Briefing. Make sure your organization is represented even if you are not able to join us in person by mailing in your materials to be displayed. Coalition members are encouraged to mail a supply of your desired brochures for the anticipated 100-150 attendees to: Aimee Bulthuis, 20 F St. Suite 200A, Washington DC 20001. Please ensure your materials arrive prior to October 9th in order to ensure they can be displayed at the Briefing. The official save the date can be viewed here. A formal invite will follow later in the week. We encourage you to spread the word to all those you feel should attend this important event. A media statement will be distributed the first week in October and you are also encouraged to customize and repost this statement from your organization. If you have any questions about the Briefing please contact Jamie Lamson at (202) 445-4009.
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DRIVE4COPD 24M Launch
DRIVE4COPD announced the unveiling of 24M: The DRIVE4COPD Monument, a visual representation of the impact of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in the United States. Reaching 14 feet at its highest peak and spanning half a football field, this first-of-its-kind monument comprised of 24 large-scale pinwheels to represent the 24 million Americans who may be living with COPD, was designed by internationally renowned artist and sculptor Michael Kalish.
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DRIVE4COPD Screening Toolkit
The U.S COPD Coalition is proud to partner with DRIVE4COPD, a campaign that seeks to increase COPD awareness and screening nationwide. Through art, music, sports, live events, and online activities DRIVE4COPD has screened over 1 million Americans and counting. The release of the DRIVE4COPD Screening Toolkit will further their screening efforts by bringing a simple online tool to healthcare professionals. The Screening Toolkit will allow healthcare professionals to access a five-question COPD Population screener and program materials for hosting in-office screening events. Visit the DRIVE4COPD page to learn more now!
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New Hampshire BRFSS Data
The NH BRFSS data is a good example of the data that will result from a nationwide BRFSS COPD question in 2011. This is the first time a survey will provide COPD specific prevalence data nationwide. Additionally, 19 states are also asking the optional expanded COPD module of questions. This data is expected to be released in mid-2012 and will provide local, state, and national COPD data to help focus the community’s efforts to improve awareness, education, and treatment. Learn more about the BRFSS at the Second National COPD Conference. This two day conference will devote an entire workshop to how to read, analyze, and utilize BRFSS data locally. To learn more about this interactive conference and register click here.
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Sen. Durbin Signs On As Co-Chair for the COPD Caucus
Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) has agreed to serve as Co-Chair of the Congressional COPD Caucus. Durbin is the Senate Majority Whip, the second highest position in the Senate, and serves on the Committee on Appropriations, Committee on Foreign Relations, Committee on the Judiciary, and the Committee on Rules and Administration. The U.S. COPD Coalition is looking forward to working with Senator Durbin and is excited for the experience and dedication he will undoubtedly exhibit as Co-Chair. “Approximately 24 million Americans—including 557,120 people in Illinois—are living with COPD," says Senator Dick Durbin. "While there is no cure, the causes are largely preventable. Prevention starts with protecting the air we breathe and I have long been committed to that effort during my time in Congress. I look forward to pursuing that effort further as I join Senator Crapo as a Co-Chair of the Senate Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Caucus.”
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CDC Releases Public Health Framework for COPD
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its Public Health Strategic Framework for COPD Prevention recognizing COPD as a serious public health problem. This report serves as a guide for addressing COPD on a national scale. “This represents a giant step forward for the COPD community,” Dr. David Mannino, member of the U.S.COPD Coalition Executive Committee and Professor of Medicine at the University of Kentucky, says. “Approaching COPD as a public health problem involves a collaborative effort from patients, their caretakers, physicians, payers, and governmental agencies. These are the groups that will be convening in Washington in December at the Second National COPD Conference to discuss this report and examine other opportunities to improve the lives of our COPD patients.”
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Semi-Annual Business Meeting at the ATS Intl Conference
Join the U.S. COPD Coalition for its Semi-Annual Business Meeting at the American Thoracic Society's International Conference in Denver, CO. The meeting will be held on Monday, May 16 from 11am-3pm at the Hyatt Denver Convention Center. The meeting will also be available via live webinar.
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Join us at the Second National COPD Conference
On December 2 and 3, 2011, The Second National COPD Conference will bring together individuals with COPD, healthcare professionals, government agencies, and advocacy organizations to collectively look back, assess where we are now, and plan a path forward.
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USCC Member EFFORTS Reports on LTOT Conference
USCC Member EFFORTS Reports on LTOT Conference EFFORTS, a long-time member of the U.S. COPD Coalition, sponsored Karen Deitemeyer's attendance at the recent conference on Long Term Oxygen Therapy in Orlando, FL. Karen's perspective on the conference as an individual with COPD can be found on the EFFORTS website at http://www.emphysema.net/ltot_2011.asp.
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U.S. COPD Coalition and COPD Alliance Join DRIVE4COPD
Ridgefield, CT, March 11, 2011 – Health initiative DRIVE4COPD today announced that two of the most powerful COPD organizations in America – the U.S. COPD Coalition and the COPD Alliance – have joined the mission to raise awareness of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). With these additions, the country’s leading COPD groups are part of DRIVE4COPD and are working together to amplify the campaign’s effort to draw attention to this common and debilitating disease.
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COPD Awareness Day at the Capitol in Tallahassee, FL
The Florida COPD Awareness Day at the Capitol – February 9th, 400 South Monroe Street, Florida State Capitol Building Courtyard – hosted by the Florida COPD Coalition in conjunction with the COPD Foundation, will allow participants to ride the COPD Shuttle: Journey to the Center of the Lung, get a free spirometry test and learn more about COPD and its impact on health care costs in Florida.
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Year of the Lung Resolution at the 111th Congress
Throughout 2010, the U.S. COPD Coalition participated in the Year of the Lung Campaign designed to raise awareness about lung disease globally. As part of the campaign, we asked you to tell your elected officials to pass a resolution officially recognizing the goals of the Year of the Lung. COPD advocates, along with our health care provider partners, succeeded and before the 111th Congress ended in December, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1122.
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First-Ever Plan To Fight COPD In California Released
The California COPD Coalition, led by the American Lung Association in California, today released its Strategic Plan to Address COPD in California, a comprehensive blueprint for preventing further cases of COPD, improving the quality of life for those with COPD, and enhancing the diagnosis and treatment of COPD.
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COPD Prevalence Questions Added to BRFSS
Determining the prevalence of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) in every State is becoming a reality, thanks to the 2011 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) survey released November 9th by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
“The BRFSS will help us to develop a comprehensive picture of COPD statewide, countywide, and ultimately on a national basis,” says Miriam O’Day, senior director of Public Policy at the COPD Foundation. “The data we’ll now collect through the BRFSS will be layered on top of other data collected, enhancing our understanding of COPD and its co-morbidities and helping us to design targeted responses.”
The Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) is the world’s largest, on-going telephone health survey system, tracking health conditions and risk behaviors in the United States yearly since 1984. Currently, data are collected monthly in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam. Approximately 400,000 individuals will be surveyed through this system.
"Dollars follow data," says O’Day, emphasizing the importance of having comprehensive data understanding the extent of the burden of COPD in this nation in order to open the doors to more research and awareness. “The inclusion of a set of questions regarding COPD is a major step forward in identifying and addressing the major problems faced by every State.”
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US COPD Coalition Business Meeting at AARC
Monday, December 6th from 2:00-6:00pm
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Members of Congress Ask for Info on Competitive Bidding
Members from both houses of Congress are calling on CMS Administrator Donald Berwick to release the list of providers whose bids were used to calculate payment amounts in Round 1 of Medicare’s Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) competitive bidding process. Senators Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), as well as Representatives Jason Altmire (D-PA) and Ralph Hall (R-TX) have sent letters urging Mr. Berkwick to release the list of names so the bidding process is transparent and quality can be assured.
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COPD Learn More Breathe Better ® campaign and USCC Webinar
Save-The-Date COPD Learn More Breathe Better ® campaign and U.S. COPD Coalition Webinar: Fall Outreach Monday, August 9, 2010, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EDT See full webinar dial-in/log-in information below
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FDA Warns of Stolen Advair Diskus Use
The FDA issued an important warning for Advair users on Friday, alerting them to the potential for stolen inhalers to appear in some pharmacies. Since the safety of the stolen inhalers cant be guaranteed it is important to read the full release and make sure the lot numbers of your inhalers do not match the numbers that FDA has posted. There are detailed instructions on what to do if you discover your lot numbers do match the FDA list.
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Alpha-1 Foundation Challenges Cochrane Analysis
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Member Organization Update Survey Link-Share your news!
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Members Hit Capitol Hill
On June 3, 2010 members of the US COPD Coalition met with the staff of the Congressional COPD Caucus House of Representatives Co-Chairs to discuss the possible introduction of comprehensive COPD legislation. Coalition members discussed the need to enhance the federal response to COPD which is the fourth leading cause of death. "It was terrific to have a large representation of Coalition members at this meeting," stated Miriam O'Day, Chair of the Coalitions Policy Committee,
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