Conference to educate health professionals about asthma
Jan. 17, 2004
KALAMAZOO--A daylong conference for health care professionals interested in the treatment of asthma will take place from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7, at Western Michigan University's Fetzer Center.
The Asthma Education Conference is aimed at physicians, mid-level providers, registered nurses, registered respiratory therapists, individuals with master of social work degrees, pharmacists, and other health care professionals. It is being presented by the Kalamazoo Area Asthma Coalition and WMU at a cost of $25, which includes all program materials and lunch.
The event is designed to educate health professionals about asthma so these professionals may better diagnose, educate and manage their patients with asthma. Program content will underscore National Asthma Education and Prevention Program guidelines.
Giving the keynote presentation will be Dr. Tim Daum, an adult pulmonologist at Michigan Medical, P.C. in Grand Rapids, Mich., with 11 years of experience caring for asthma patients. His talk, "Asthma: The Ugly, Bad and the Good, will address the prevalence and severity of asthma as well as the costs communities incur due to asthma.
The conference also will include practical sessions on advances in asthma, occupational issues and asthma, and the link between rhinitis and asthma; hands-on workshops on how to use asthma devices correctly, develop an asthma action plan and build a toolkit for best practices in asthma treatment; a 60-minute question-and-answer session during which audience members may interact with an expert panel; and informational exhibits on new products and tools for treating asthma.
Registration for the event will begin at 7:30 a.m. and be followed by a welcoming address from Dr. Gary Kirk, director of WMU's Sindecuse Health Center. Advance registration is encouraged. Those attending the conference may be able to earn six Continuing Education or six Continuing Medical Education credits.
For more information or to register, call WMU's Conferences and Seminars office at (269) 387-4174 or visit the office's Web site at <www.conference.wmich.edu>.
Media contact: Jeanne Baron, 269 387-8400, jeanne.baron@wmich.edu