United States Bone and Joint Decade Announces Conference Program Members of Congress, Medical Experts, Patients, and Advocates Join to Advance Musculoskeletal Awareness and Advocacy

Washington, DC, October 19, 2009—The United States Bone and Joint Decade (USBJD) today announced an unparalleled program for its 2009 Global Network Conference to be held in Washington, D.C., Wednesday, October 21–Saturday, October 24. The conference will bring together the official Bone and Joint Decade National Action Network (NAN) representatives from 56 countries, members of the administration, government policymakers, health care providers, patients, and patient advocates for a two-day Patient Advocacy Meeting on October 21-22 and a two-day Global Network Conference on October 23-24.

The Global Network Conference is an education and strategic planning meeting, which will highlight the significant burden of disease posed by musculoskeletal conditions and why raising awareness and engaging in advocacy are important means of advancing prevention and treatment. On October 22, there will be a focus on raising awareness of musculoskeletal conditions on Capitol Hill for U.S. delegates, patients, and the leadership of USBJD participating organizations.

Program highlights include:

• "Health Care: Opportunities and Challenges" panel featuring Susan Blumenthal, MD, Former Assistant Surgeon General, and director, Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress, to be held on Thursday, October 22, 10:00 a.m., at the Capitol Hill Visitors Center, HVC-215;
• "Experts in Arthritis panel featuring Congresswoman Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), David Borenstein, MD, rheumatologist, and John Klippel, MD, president and CEO, Arthritis Foundation, in addition to moderator Amye Leong, president and CEO, Healthy Motivation, to be held on Thursday, October 22, 1:30 p.m., at Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room 2168, on Capitol Hill;
• "From the Battlefront to the Home Front" luncheon featuring the Deputy Surgeon General of the U.S. Navy, Rear Admiral Thomas R. Cullison, to be held on Friday, October 23, 12:15 p.m., at the JW Marriott Hotel;
• "Advancing the Health Policy Agenda panel featuring James Weinstein, DO, MS, director, The Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice, to be held on Friday, October 23, 3:15 p.m., at the JW Marriott Hotel; and,
• "Spotlight on Women’s Health Care luncheon featuring Jill Zarin, celebrity and arthritis advocate to be held on Saturday, October 24, 12:30 p.m., at the JW Marriott Hotel.

Featured program participants include Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Congressmen Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), Dave Camp (R-Mich.), and Charlie Melancon (D-La.), and Colin Carrie, Parliamentary Secretary for Health of Canada.

The Bone and Joint Decade is an international collaborative movement sanctioned by the United Nations and World Health Organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life for people with musculoskeletal conditions and to advance the understanding, prevention and treatment of these conditions. Musculoskeletal conditions include back pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, traumatic injuries, and childhood conditions. Currently, 63 national governments and more than 750 patient advocacy and health professional organizations endorse the efforts of the BJD. The Decade, which received a Presidential Proclamation, is represented in the United States by the USBJD, is a network of more than 100 healthcare professional, patient and public organizations, and has been endorsed by all 50 states, and 125 medical schools. To further advance the goals of the Decade, more than 60 countries have formed National Action Networks (NAN) like the USBJD. For more information, please visit www.usbjd.org.