National Lipid Association Builds Momentum

In November of 2000, the Board of Directors of the Southeast Lipid Association (SELA) met to discuss how our organization could achieve several significant initiatives for professionals and the community of patients with lipid disorders. Although SELA has been tremendously successful we recognize a barrier to attaining greater goals due to the geographic constraints of SELA and the need to broaden educational programs and initiatives only viable at a national level. To overcome these barriers, we established a dialogue with leaders in lipid science and industry to assess the viability of creating the "National Lipid Association". This initial dialogue lead to our first organized meeting which took place August 2001 in Charleston, South Carolina. The success of this meeting spurred ongoing discussion and has helped our organization develop ideas and recognize the viability of a new national organization dedicated to the clinical practice of lipid management.

The next meeting of the National Lipid Association will take place on May 18, 2002 in Atlanta. Our agenda will discuss how to organize structurally to ensure that organizations such as SELA or the PCNA become participatory elements of the national structure yet remain independent and responsive to their own membership needs on a regional or community basis. We will also discuss what programs and initiatives the new organization will pursue and how it can shepherd the development of other regional entities similar to SELA in other parts of the country where high levels of interest may exist. More information regarding this new organization will be discussed in Williamsburg during the Annual Business Luncheon.