Winter 2006 | NHF in Philadelphia

The National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) hosted its 58th Annual Meeting in Philadelphia from October 12th to 14th. This yearly conference continues to be an excellent opportunity for people in the bleeding disorders community to attend educational sessions, network with their peers and learn more about the industry as a whole.

The sessions offered cover a wide range of topics and knowledge levels: There were medical sessions for healthcare professionals to attend where they earned Continuing Medical Education (CME) and Continuing Education Units (CEU) credits. These seminars were geared toward medical providers who care for those with bleeding disorders. Experts within the field taught the sessions, which granted an excellent opportunity for providers to learn the newest treatment approaches and the latest studies. Other sessions were dedicated to the NHF chapters.

The various chapter staff from around the country networked and learned from one another. Many of the sessions were particularly for consumers and their families. Topics such as “What’s a Parent to Do?” and “Basics of Bleeding Disorders” introduced families of newly diagnosed children to our community. “Navigating the Insurance and Reimbursement Maze” and “Aging with Hemophilia” provided insight for people with bleeding disorder experience who wanted to learn more. One of the most beneficial aspects of the Annual Meeting is the networking opportunity it provides everyone who attends. There are formal receptions specifically for new families, social workers, nurses and many others. These receptions give people a chance to meet and stay in touch with others in the community. Aside from the formal receptions, seeing the familiar faces in the hotel lounge, the exhibit hall, and the lobby is quite commonplace and just a lot of fun.

The exhibit hall served as an excellent tool for those in the community to get to know the companies. Doctors and nurses were able to meet the people representing the manufacturers that make the products they are prescribing. Consumers met the people who work for the homecare and specialty pharmacies. Today, much of our communication is through e-mail and phone calls. The exhibit hall provided an excellent place for consumers and professionals alike to put faces to the many names we recognize. Another function of the exhibit hall was to give industry a chance to educate consumers about their products and services. It provided a glimpse into the pipeline of products that will make their way to market in the near future. Last, but not least, it was an opportunity for consumers to collect bags full of give-a-way items from the various companies.

This year, Matrix Health had a large presence at the annual meeting. Nearly all of our regional employees and two of our corporate partners attended the convention. Matrix employees came together from as far as Oregon, Nevada, and Florida. Judging by the number of off-duty employees who came to hang out and mingle; it was obvious that we all truly enjoy our jobs and are very dedicated to this community. As we distributed our newsletter, Matrix Health News, we heard many positive comments about our new publication. We were thrilled at how many people asked to be on our mailing list! Matrix Health News has quickly grown into a widely circulated publication. On Friday night, Matrix hosted a hospitality suite at Loew’s Hotel. From 6pm until 10pm, consumers stopped by for drinks, appetizers, and to meet the Matrix Team. Board games, an X-Box 360, and an impromptu session of indoor “batting practice” led by our own Bruce Greenberg, kept the kids entertained. All of us at Matrix commented on how much fun we had and how nice it was to meet so many new people. With so much to do at the convention, we thank those of you who came to visit us at our get-together! Our time together in Philadelphia left us with uplifted, optimistic attitudes. We look forward to the future with a renewed sense of commitment and enthusiasm as we continue to provide our clients the best care possible. Our next conference experience will be at the Hemophilia Federation of America’s Annual Meeting and Symposium in Albuquerque, New Mexico (March 2007.) We also eagerly anticipate the next NHF Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida (October 2007.) We sincerely hope that you are able to take advantage of these wonderful opportunities and we look forward to seeing you there!

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