NHLBI Awards Subcontracts

The NHLBI Funds Fifteen Community Organizations to Conduct COPD Education

Congratulations to the 15 community-based lung health organizations awarded subcontracts by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) to support efforts to improve awareness and understanding of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)! A total of $462,000 has been awarded to support COPD awareness programming and network building across the United States.

Check Out the Updated Campaign Web Site and More!

Recently, the COPD Learn More Breathe Better® campaign has taken steps to strengthen and expand its presence online. The most noticeable changes include the fresh new look of the Campaign Web site, www.learnaboutcopd.org.

And, if you weren't aware, the Campaign also has an updated Facebook page where you can see new activity including pictures from the latest Country Conquers COPD™ events. Check it out and become a fan of the Campaign's page.

That's not all! You can now follow the Campaign, @BreatheBetter, on Twitter and join the conversation.

These new community partnerships and programming efforts will broaden the reach of the COPD Learn More Breathe Better® campaign, educating the public about COPD, the nation's fourth leading cause of death. The campaign, in cooperation with these partners, works to bring greater public awareness about COPD, its symptoms, and the importance of early diagnosis for those at risk or living with the disease.

Five organizations were funded $15,000 to form COPD coalitions and task forces, and convene state-wide summits. Ten organizations were funded between $25,000 and $47,000 for education programming and public outreach events for populations at-risk for COPD, patients, and health care providers.

The Breathe Better Network welcomes these organizations and their commitment to bringing greater public awareness about COPD!

To see the full list of subcontract awardees, check out the NHLBI announcement.

Nashville Tunes Up its Knowledge of COPD with Help from the COPD Learn More Breathe Better® Campaign

The COPD Learn More Breathe Better® campaign has gone country! In October, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute launched a new program designed to bring important information about COPD to those at-risk away from the traditional health care setting, while they're enjoying fairs, festivals, and events related to country music. Country Conquers COPD™ was kicked off in Nashville, right in front of the Country Music Hall of Fame, with help from the COPD Foundation, the Tennessee Society for Respiratory Care, and the American Lung Association in Tennessee.

Between 300 and 400 people turned out on a cold, gray Saturday for the Country Conquers COPD™ Festival in the Park—with approximately 80 being tested for COPD thanks to the COPD Foundation and their Mobile Spirometry Unit. Attendees enjoyed music performed by Grand Ole Opry member Terri Clark and performers from the Nashville School of the Arts, and joined in for some line dancing and country music karaoke—a true test of their singing and breathing.

“I was really thrilled to be asked to come out today and perform because someone in my family is suffering from COPD, so this is a cause that is very near and dear to me,” said Clark, who performed a mix of fan favorites, as well as songs from her upcoming album, The Long Way Home.

In addition, representatives of Williamson Medical Center and the Vanderbilt Dayani Center joined NHLBI in providing information about the risk factors for COPD, its symptoms, and resources for seeking testing and treatment. Also, local yoga studio Sanctuary for Yoga took part by hosting a yoga tent—yoga teaches a focus on breathing techniques, which may help strengthen breathing muscles.

“We are very thankful to all of our friends from the Nashville area for coming out to help us raise awareness of COPD and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment,” said James P. Kiley, Ph.D., director, NHLBI Division of Lung Diseases. “With the help of the COPD Foundation, we were able to screen many people who had never before heard of COPD. And, hundreds more walked away with important information that they will share with friends and family.”

Thanks to Gibson Guitars, the Country Music Association, Glaceau, the Nashville Convention and Visitors Bureau, Oreck and the Hard Rock Café, attendees walked away with even more than a full understanding of COPD. Sponsors provided gift certificates, tickets to the 2009 CMA Awards, vacuums and air purifiers, and a grand prize Gibson acoustic guitar.

The second Country Conquers COPD event was held the weekend of October 24th at the 26th Annual Barbecue Festival in Lexington, North Carolina which drew about 100,000 people from across the country for entertainment, crafts, live music and some of the best barbecue in the world. More than 2,000 people stopped by the Country Conquers COPD booth to learn more about COPD, pick up materials for themselves or their loved ones, have their questions answered by the trained physicians and respiratory therapists who volunteered for the day, and to get screened for COPD.

Check out more information about Country Conquers COPD on the COPD Learn More Breathe Better Web site at: www.LearnAboutCOPD.org or at www.CountryConquersCOPD.org.

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The American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) Shares COPD Best Practices with Health Care Professionals

Each year the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP) conducts continuing medical education courses to help keep cardiopulmonary specialists across the country informed about the latest issues, technologies, diagnostic and treatment practices with regard to various health topics. This year the ACCP, in partnership with the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP), is making COPD a major priority by kicking off a series of COPD “best practices” workshops. What makes this series even more important for the COPD community is that the ACCP will make the workshops available to a wider audience than their general membership of specialists by reaching out to the primary care medical community.

Starting this fall, the one-day workshops will target nurse practitioners, physician assistants, family medicine physicians, and internal medicine physicians. The primary objective of the course is for practitioners to recognize the clinical factors that identify patients most at-risk for COPD, then translate and apply what they've learned into their everyday practice.

Through lectures, case study presentations, and hands-on learning these health care professionals will gain experience with what it's like to work with patients suffering from COPD. During the interactive workshops participants will perform, code, and interpret spirometry.

“Adults learn best when they are able to take an active role in the learning process. We believe we've designed a program that will allow participants an opportunity to practice skills that they can apply immediately to their practice.” said Jennifer Pitts, M.A., Senior Manager for Medical Evaluation and Faculty Training for the American College of Chest Physicians Continuing Medical Education Department.

The ACCP is a partner in the COPD Learn More Breathe Better® campaign. The campaign has collaborated with the ACCP to ensure COPD Learn More Breathe Better educational materials will be available at the workshops.

The workshops are supported by secured funding from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim and GlaxoSmithKline. The ACCP held its first workshop on September 26, 2009, in Northbrook, IL. To learn more and find a location near you and register please visit www.chestnet.org/copdedu.

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