Empowering the PH Community Through Education

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association’s commitment to helping the PH community thrive took on an innovative approach in 2022 while incorporating familiar programming. PHA’s patient education team provided virtual and in-person programming through PHA Live Webinars, the PHA Classroom e-learning library and a much-anticipated in-person community workshop. These opportunities empowered people with PH to advocate for themselves, learn more about PH and connect.

After a three-year hiatus, PHA On the Road resumed in September 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky. Organized with local PHA-accredited care centers, the event was chaired by Kimberly Jackson, BSN, RN, and J. Wesley McConnell, MD. The free daylong educational workshop provided opportunities for learning, networking and support for patients and caregivers. PHA On the Road was renamed PHA Connects: PH Community Workshops in early 2023. As part of PHA’s efforts to empower patients, PHA created a Patient and Caregiver Education Committee, which merged PHA’s physician and allied health care professional education committees and added patients and family members. The change will help ensure PHA’s educational resources are relevant and accessible for people with PH and their families. The committee creates, reviews and edits new and existing educational resources.

Also new in 2022: A partnership with Cure HHT, an organization that raises awareness of hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia. HHT can cause pulmonary hypertension, and about 13% of people with HHT have at least mildly elevated pulmonary artery pressures.

PHA’s “PH and HHT: Signs, Symptoms and Disease Management,” webinar drew a record attendance and spurred lively discussion. The partnership also lead to a new PHA Facebook support group: PH and HHT.

Other popular webinars in 2022 included a four-part webinar series about the open enrollment process for health care insurance.