National Osteoporosis Foundation Moves to New Offices in Washington, DC

Washington, DC - - The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) has moved to new office space located at 1150 17th St., NW, Suite 850, in Northwest Washington, DC, 20036. The NOF moved to the new location on Thursday, September 18. The NOF recently sold its building at 1232 22nd St., NW, Washington, DC.

“The Foundation’s new headquarters is in a prime location and provides a highly professional work environment which allows NOF to continue to focus its efforts on the vital mission of finding a cure for osteoporosis and increasing awareness among physicians, other medical care givers and all affected age populations,” said Susan Sarfati, CAE, Interim Executive Director of the National Osteoporosis Foundation.

The NOF is engaged in multiple awareness, advocacy, education and fundraising campaigns and programs to prevent and reduce the overall incidence of the crippling disease.

This Thursday, Sept. 24, the Foundation will hold its annual, star-studded A Gift From Mothers To Daughters luncheon and silent auction fundraiser in New York City at the famed Pierre Hotel on Fifth Avenue.

In October, NOF is hosting its second annual Gourmet for Good ® , an evening of elegant dining in Dallas. This fundraising event gathers NOF supporters, bone health advocates and Dallas foodies at a cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres, a keynote speaker and raffle, followed by chauffeured limo transportation for groups of 10 to top-rated Dallas restaurants. Guests who purchase a seat or table will enjoy a multi-course dinner with special attention from participating restaurants’ executive chefs. For event tickets, go to www.nof.org.

As the driving force behind development of the National Action Plan for Bone Health, the Foundation is working closely with National Coalition for Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases, (the Bone Coalition) comprised of NOF, the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR), the Osteogenesis Imperfecta Foundation, The Paget Foundation and most recently, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS.) The Plan outlines recommended actions, responsibilities, and short- and long-term timelines for priorities and programs for health professionals, health systems and population-based approaches to promote bone health.

“Osteoporosis is a major public health threat affecting the nation’s aging population that must be addressed, especially in light of the current debate over healthcare reform,” said the Honorable Daniel A. Mica, NOF Chairman.

The NOF is a leader of a special legislative task force aimed at protecting patient access to osteoporosis testing through the reversal of drastic cuts in Medicare reimbursement for Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), the imaging procedure accepted as the gold standard for diagnosing osteoporosis. The DXA Task Force includes the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, American College of Rheumatology, ASBMR, International Society for Clinical Densitometry and The Endocrine Society.

The Foundation, along with the U.S. Bone and Joint Decade, will be bringing patients and health professionals to meet with lawmakers on Capitol Hill in October to discuss access to quality healthcare, comprehensive health education, disease prevention and increased research funding. “We’re proud to be part of this vital effort to shine a bright light on the nation’s poor bone health and help drive the change needed to improve bone care,” said Dr. Robert Recker, President of the NOF.

As part of its awareness efforts, the National Osteoporosis Foundation is engaged in two exciting national campaigns. The latest campaign helps to educate young girls about the importance of building strong bones. Called Best Bones Forever, the campaign targets girls ages 9 to 14 in their peak bone mass building years and encourages them to exercise with friends and get the recommended amount of calcium and vitamin D to build strong bones for life (http://www.nof.org/bbf.) NOF is the founding partner of this campaign, a program of the Department of Health and Human Services.

Additionally, the Foundation is part of the Know My Bones Council which sponsors an online program to help women who have postmenopausal osteoporosis keep their bones strong. The Council’s mission is to support women in making bone health a priority in their lives. To get the most from Know My Bones, sign up for our free educational offerings at www.knowmybones.com and get a free guide to bone health with calcium-rich recipes, easy weight-bearing exercises, and fracture risk assessment information. NOF is committed to making bone health a family tradition for every generation.

In clinical education, we are planning an educational conference jointly with the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD). Clinical Osteoporosis 2010 will be held March 10-13, 2010, in San Antonio featuring leading experts in the field with a focus on improving clinical outcomes for prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis.

And recently, The Wall Street Journal published a comprehensive article Tuesday, Sept. 15 that discussed the latest drug therapies to treat osteoporosis featuring educational information from the NOF and several quotes with physicians who are board members of the Foundation. To view the article, click on the link: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203917304574413054119646612.html#articleTabs%3Dcomments.

The National Osteoporosis Foundation is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization solely dedicated to osteoporosis and bone health. NOF’s mission is to prevent osteoporosis and related fractures, to promote lifelong bone health, to help improve the lives of those affected by osteoporosis and to find a cure through programs of awareness, advocacy, public and health professional education and research. For more information, please log on to www.nof.org.