From fantasy to reality…and only 359 days, 4 hours and 42 minutes away

Once upon a time, a man came to a meeting and said, “We should organize an International PH Conference.”

That man was Ed Simpson, the husband of one of the four founders of PHA, and the year was 1992.  He spoke those words at the organization’s annual meeting which drew a total of 10 people.  He spoke them at a time when the entire treasury was $853.31.

Those words and the unlikely success of the meeting he proposed have changed the lives of thousands of people living with PH.  They have taken down the barriers between patients, caregivers and medical professionals and created knowledge, fellowship and partnerships that have made those fighting this rare disease stronger than could ever have been expected when they were spoken.

PHA’s International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions have grown to become the largest and most unique PH meeting in the world.  Like the disease, Conference is rare … being offered only once every two years.

We have now just crossed the midpoint between our 2012 Conference and PHA’s upcoming 2014 Conference.  As I write this, our Conference timer tells me we are 359 days, 4 hours and 42 minutes from banging the gavel to open Conference 2014.

Here are the basic facts…
              Theme: Racing Toward a Cure
              Dates: June 20 to 22, 2014
              Place: J.W. Marriott inIndianapolis Indiana

But Conference is so much more than a date and place.  If you’re a patient or family member, you can expect presentations from well over 100 medical professionals and many more from patients, caregivers and other experts. Many deep and continuing friendships are formed at Conference … you’ll have the opportunity to meet and connect with people living the same experience from throughout the U.S. and around the world.  Thirty nations were represented at Conference 2012.

If you’re a medical professional, you’ll have the chance to teach, learn and connect.  Virtually all the PH experts in the U.S. and many from other nations attend Conference for its stellar Scientific Sessions, its medical track and the opportunity to connect with patients and their families in very different ways.

You’ll be hearing much more about Conference in coming months - program, registration, special hotel rates and more - but here’s a summary video from a few years back.



Feel free to browse the  PHA You Tube Channel to find other Conference videos (and other interesting stuff) or check out a newsletter from a past Conference.