Foundation Update

The Foundation of the NLA has seen great progress over the past several months. At our summer board of directors meeting, the board voted unanimously to add seven new at-large board members: Joyce L. Ross, MSN, CRNP, CLS, FNLA from the University of Pennsylvania Health System, Lori A. Alexander, MSHS, RD, CCRC, CLS, FNLA from the Jacksonville Center for Clinical Research, Robert A. Wild, MD, MPH, PhD, FNLA, FASPC from Oklahoma University Health Sciences Center, Don P. Wilson, MD, FNLA from Cook Children’s Medical Center, Ronald A. Codario, MD, EMBA, FACP, FNLA from the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Matthew K. Ito, PharmD, CLS, FNLA from FH Awareness, and Mary P. McGowan, MD, FNLA from Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine. We are excited for the invaluable contributions we know these new members will make throughout their tenure.

On April 28, the Foundation held a Dinner Gala & Silent Auction at the National Lipid Association’s Scientific Sessions in Las Vegas. It was a smashing success, raising more than $25,000 in ticket sales and auction bids. Thank you to all who attended, bid on an item, or donated their own items and services.

At the event, I had the honor of presenting the Foundation of the NLA Clinician/ Educator award to Neil J. Stone, MD, FNLA. The award, made possible with the generous support of the Aaron & Lillie Straus Foundation, will be awarded annually to an NLA member who demonstrates continued excellence in clinical care of patients with lipid disorders and/or excellence in education in the field of clinical lipidology. Although he was unable to attend the event, Dr. Stone sent a gracious letter thanking the Foundation for this honor.

The Foundation and the NLA, represented by Drs. W. Virgil Brown and Alan S. Brown, presented the 2018 Akira Endo Award at the International Atherosclerosis Society’s International Symposium on Atherosclerosis in Toronto on June 9. I would like to extend my congratulations to the award winners, Dr. Jonathan Cohen of Dallas and Dr. Nabil Seidah of Montreal, for their tremendous achievements in the field of lipidology. We also thank our award sponsors, Denka-Seiken Corporation, the Dyslipidemia Foundation, and the Joel Spira Foundation.

On May 9, new board member Lori Alexander, MSHS, CLS, FNLA attended a patient stakeholder meeting in Maryland, hosted by Akcea Therapeutics, on behalf of the Foundation. Patients living with Familial Chylomicronemia Syndrome (FCS) and the FCS Foundation leadership were in attendance. The group was presented with qualitative data on the Quality of Life in FCS, Patient Services provided by Akcea and their partners, and learned more about the patient experience directly from patients. Lori presented information on the resources the Foundation provides to patients with rare lipid disorders.

On May 10, in Bethesda, Md., Lori testified in front of the Food and Drug Administration Endocrinologic andMetabolic Drugs Advisory Committee during the Open Public Hearing for volanesorsen, a novel therapy for the treatment of FCS.

In an effort to enhance the value of the resources that we provide to patients living with rare lipid disorders and their families and caregivers, the Foundation has updated our “Find a Lipid Specialist” tool on our website, LearnYourLipids.com. Users can now easily locate providers near them who have been credentialed by the American Board of Clinical Lipidology and the Accreditation Council for Clinical Lipidology.

If you plan to attend the NLA’s Fall Clinical Lipid Update, to be held in Nashville on Sept. 21–23, please join us on Saturday, Sept. 22 at 6:30 p.m. for a Trivia Night with the Foundation! You will have the opportunity to join a team of your peers and put your heads together to compete for prizes. Our quizmaster will cover a variety of categories including pop-culture, music, NLA history, and more. The event will be held at the Fall CLU host hotel, and you can enjoy food and drink with a side of friendly competition, all in support of the Foundation. Tickets can be purchased online at lipid.org/fallclu or at the registration desk on site.

The Foundation remains focused on its mission to improve the welfare of patients and families affected by cholesterol and triglyceride problems by providing resources to both patients and healthcare providers.

Please consider supporting the Foundation either through attending one of our events, making a donation on our website, or discussing the Foundation and its resources with your colleagues and patients. I would like to thank all of you who have already made a contribution this year. With your support, we are able to continue our efforts, reach more patients, families, and caregivers, and enhance the quality and quantity of our resources.