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The CFIDS Association of America is pleased to announce the
Education and Empowerment Seminar Series, the newest extension of our education
program. Working with local support groups, we will be hosting a series of
half-day seminars around the country. These live events will inform persons
with CFIDS (PWCs), their family members and friends about various topics of
interest.
The series’ theme is KNOW MORE CFS, intended to reflect the
dual objectives of educating PWCs and empowering them to participate in our
shared mission of conquering CFIDS. We see these programs as an important means
of reaching out to the PWC community and look forward to learning from not only
the expert speakers, but the people who attend as well.
The kick-off event will take place on
June 25, 2005 inReston,
Virginia at the
Bechtel
Conference
Center in partnership with
the Northern Virginia CFS/FM Support
Group. Featured speakers are Dr. Lucinda Bateman, a CFIDS clinician and
Staci Stevens, MS, an exercise physiologist who
specializes in helping PWCs improve function and mobility. We are
delighted to have such accomplished partners for the first program.
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Dr. Lucinda Bateman (left) seen here with
Kim McCleary (middle) and Ted Kaly
(right).
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Dr. Lucinda Bateman is an internist who has limited her
Salt Lake City
practice to CFIDS and
fibromyalgia (FM) patients. She is adored by her patients for her thorough
approach to their care and her participation in research and education
activities in the field. She founded the Organization for Fatigue and
Fibromyalgia Education and Research (OFFER) and hosts annual patient and
provider conferences that draw large, enthusiastic crowds. She also serves on
the
Board
of Directors of the American Association for CFS (AACFS). Dr. Bateman will
share treatment strategies for CFIDS and FM to help participants identify ways
to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.
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Staci Stevens
(middle) seen here with
Dr. Christopher Snell (left) and Dr. Mark
VanNess (right).
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Staci Stevens will talk about
energy conservation and ways to balance rest and activity so you can do more of
what you want to, even with the limitations CFIDS imposes. She uses her
expertise in exercise physiology to help CFIDS and FM patients change activity
patterns to improve function and gain some control over their illness. Staci
participates in several CFIDS research studies and has helped establish that the
“crash” that follows the “push” has a real, observable biological basis. Staci
is currently an appointed member of the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services CFS Advisory Committee that meets quarterly in
Washington,
D.C.
,
with representatives from five federal health agencies.
Tickets for the kick-off seminar are $15 each; however, to
encourage caregivers and supportive friends to attend, a discounted fee of $12
per person applies to purchases of two or more tickets. Space is limited so
early registration is suggested. To purchase tickets visit
http://www.cfids.org/ecommerce/product_info.asp or
call 704-364-0466. You can view a copy of the brochure in PDF format at
http://www.cfids.org/resources/know-more.pdf.
If you are unable to attend the kick-off series in
Virginia
, look for a future seminar to be held in your
area. We hope to hold 3 seminars a year; plans curently under way for a November
program in
Charlotte ,
North Carolina
. Additionally, all seminars will be available in DVD
format for a modest cost for those interested. Watch upcoming issues of the
CFIDS Chronicle and the CFIDSLink e-newsletter for details.
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