May 31, 2014 was a gorgeous day – a great day to be in the park. The day was made even more spectacular by the local CF community present at CF Education Day. We had a great turn out with a nice mix of people living with CF, family and friends as well as representatives from our caregivers. Our follow up survey showed that the attendees really appreciated the “sense of community” and the opportunity to interact with the caregivers in an informal setting. We’re looking forward to another successful event in 2015!
After enjoying conversations over coffee and breakfast snacks, the day kicked off with a keynote address by Dr. John Mark, pictured here with CFFC’s president, Kori Tolbert, and vice president, Rick Doherty. Dr. Mark drew on his experience in several programs across the country (including a fellowship with the Rochester CF Center) to present his observations on An Integrative/Holistic Approach to CF Care. While his presentation was rich with first-hand examples and supplemental explanations, you can grasp the thrust of his message by reviewing the slides that accompanied his remarks: CFIntegraApproach_May2014.
The keynote was followed by remarks from Dr. Rob Horowitz, director of the Rochester adult program, and Dr. Karen Voter, co-director of the Rochester pediatric program; both of them touching on topics emerging in areas of CF care. Following the delicious box lunches provided by Harry G’s New York Deli and Cafe, the attendees broke into concurrent discussion sessions on a wide range of topics (see the listing in the Ed Day Program).
We want to recognize our primary sponsors who not only offered financial support, but also sent representatives to talk with our attendees about their products and services: Forest Pharmaceuticals, abbvie, Cystic Fibrosis Services, Novartis, RespirTech, Vertex, VitaFloUSA and NebDocs. Check the Ed Day Program for a listing of our food and door prize sponsors.
We want to thank our CF Education Day planning committee for putting this meaningful program together: Kori Tolbert (Chair), Melissa Berry, Valerie Davis, Nicole DeBraal, Sandy Doherty, Donna Germuga and Greg Smith. We extend a special thanks to all of the volunteers who helped with set up and food service.
