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Washington D.C. Lupus Advocacy Day |
The week of March 3rd, The Lupus Alliance of America LI/Q Affiliate joined other members of the LRI National Coalition from California to New York for Lupus Advocacy Day in Washington D.C.
Attending this event were Board Members, Violet Regan and John Vander-Putten, Executive Director Joann Quinn, staff members; Nancy Beder, J.C. VanderPutten-Bonner and Silvia Heredia, and lupus patient advocates and members; Christine and Frank Donato along with their 7 month old daughter Olivia, Mary Geraghty, Bonnie and David Mamiye and Carole-Anne Bonner along with her brother Luke.
While in Washington D.C., the advocates met with several members of Congress including, Congressman Peter King, Congressman Steve Israel, and Congresswoman Caroline McCarthy, as well as the Health aides for Congressman Gary Ackerman, Joseph Crowley and Gregory meeks, and Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez.
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The advocates requested a 6.6% or $1.9 Billion increase in funding for the National Institutes of Health fiscal Year 2008 budget. This increase will help advance lupus research in the years to come, leading hopefully to a cure someday soon.
The Lupus Alliance advocates also urged Congress to seek a Fiscal Year 2009 progress report from the NIH on implementation of its five-year, trans-Institute research plan on lupus. The update will help keep the public informed about the progress and hopefully success the 5 Year NIH Lupus Research Plan has achieved.
The third issue that The Lupus Alliance advocates brought to the attention of Congress requested that Congress provide the HHS Office of Minority Health with support in the Fiscal Year 2009 Labor/HHS Appropriations Bill for new lupus education efforts for health professionals. The $5 million requested will initiate education efforts aimed at teaching health providers how to diagnose lupus earlier and start therapy sooner.
Once again The Lupus Alliance had a successful few days in Washington D.C. meeting with our members of Congress, urging them to help those with lupus by increasing funding in the NIH, and educating doctors on the signs, symptoms and diagnosis of lupus.
If you would like to be a patient advocate, please call the office at 516-783-3370.
