Register for the International Vasculitis Symposium July 14-16, 2023

Join us for our 2023 International Vasculitis Symposium in Chicago, Illinois! We are excited to bring our community together again after three long years! Who should attend the Symposium? Everyone! The Symposium is for people living with vasculitis, their families and care partners, our vasculitis experts and researchers and healthcare professionals. Our goal is to bring everyone up to date on the advances made in treatments and research. We also encourage people to attend for the opportunity to socialize and network with others living with the disease.

We are also incredibly excited to spotlight our Victory Over Vasculitis (VOV), A Support and Wellness Program, during the Symposium. The VOV has three components and seeks to meet patients and care partners where they are by recognizing and celebrating everyone’s victories:

1) Physical Wellness and Movement
2) Mental health and Mindfulness
3) Self-Advocacy

Vasculitis also impacts children and teenagers and their families. We are excited to host a special conference-within-the-symposium on Saturday afternoon for our pediatric and teenage patients and their parents/guardians to address their special needs and questions.

The Symposium will be held in person and will also offer a limited # of sessions virtually on Saturday and Sunday morning via the Zoom platform. Pre-registration is required to attend either in person or virtually.

Whether you are newly diagnosed or have been living with vasculitis for years, the Symposium is a wonderful opportunity to learn and connect with others and find support and encouragement!

Five Tracks to Choose From:

• Newly Diagnosed Track: Navigating your diagnosis
• Experienced Patient Track: What’s New for You
• Care Partner Track
• Pediatrics and Teenagers and Parents/Guardians
• Adults 22-30

Preliminary Topics Include:

Adrenal Insufficiency	Coping with Vasculitis	Exercise
Family Planning/Fertility	Fatigue	Genetics
Introducing Public Policy	Is it Time for Disability?	Medications
Nutrition as a Tool	Prednisone 101 and 201	Relationships for Different Stages and Ages
Remission: The Goal	Research Advances	Shared Decision Making
Skin and Vasculitis	Treatment Updates	Understanding and Managing Pain
Vaccines and Vasculitis	Victory Over Vasculitis (Self-Advocacy, Mental Health, Physical Movement)	Vasculitis Patient-Powered Research Network (VPPRN)

 

Registration

Pre-registration is required for everyone to participate in the Symposium in person or virtually. Children under the age of 17 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian to all activities including meals unless noted on the final schedule.

Requests for refunds must be made in writing and received no later than Friday, June 29, 2023 to be honored. There will be no exceptions to this rule. Substitutions are welcome; please contact the VF office to update your registration.

General Registration	$300.00/person	Includes admittance to all the educational sessions, workshops, panel discussions, meals, posters and exhibits plus the special attendee swag bag!
Virtual Registration	$100.00/person	Includes the educational sessions which will be live-streamed on Saturday and Sunday morning via the Zoom platform. (Attendees must have access to Zoom.)

  

 

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Symposium Scholarship Application

The VF Symposium Scholarship Program is provided through the generosity of donors who recognize the importance of education and networking with others in the vasculitis community.  The program’s goal is to assist as many patients as possible to attend the symposium.

The Scholarship Application Is Now Closed

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Hotel Information – Book Your Room Today

Marriott Chicago O’Hare
8535 West Higgins Road, Chicago, Illinois 60631

We have secured a room rate of $99.00 (plus taxes) per night for the International Vasculitis Symposium room block. This rate will be available from July 14-16, as well as three days prior and three days post conference for attendees who wish to extend their stay in the Windy City. The room rate is subject to hotel availability and room type so be sure to secure your room as soon as possible.

CLICK HERE here to book your room for the Symposium. Please note, it is the responsibility of the attendee to book the sleeping room. When the room block is filled, we will not be able to add rooms. The deadline for the room block is Wednesday, June 21, 2023. 

 

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Preliminary Schedule

(Presenters and topics will be added as the schedule is confirmed.)

CLICK HERE to read the speakers’ bios.

Naomi Amudala, RN, FNP-BC, Nurse Practitioner, Penn  Scleroderma Center
Ana Belén Arévalo, MD, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago
Alvise Berti, MD, Santa Chiara Hospital, University of Trento, Italy
Jessica Bloom, MD, MCSC, Children’s Hospital Colorado
Elizabeth Brant, MD, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Health
Kevin Byram, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Divi Cornec, MD, PhD, Brest University
Anisha Dua, MD, MPH, Northwestern University
Geetha Duvura, MBBS, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Cuoghi Edens, MD, University of Chicago Medicine
Alex Villa-Forte, MD, MPH, Cleveland Clinic
Chloe’ Freeman, PsyD, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Lynn Fussner, MD, The Ohio State University
Tanaz A. Kermani, MD, UCLA Health
Carol Langford, MD, MHS, FACP, Cleveland Clinic
Peter A. Merkel, MD, MPH, University of Pennsylvania
Robert Micheletti, MD, University of Pennsylvania
Kaitlin Quinn, MD, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
Sebastian E. Sattui, MD, MS, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Catherine A. Simms, MD, Duke University
Vidya Sivaraman, MD, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Marinka Twilt, MD, MSCE, PhD, University of Calgary
Linda Wagner-Weiner, MD, MS, University of Chicago
Camille Wilson, PhD, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Kinanah Yaseen, MD, Cleveland Clinic

 

Friday, July 14, 2023
10:00 a.m.	Packet Pickup and Information Desk Open Art Gallery & Meditation Lounge Opens
1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.	Program Begins Welcome and Introductions Key Note Address
2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.	Individual Disease Sessions Choose a session to attend Join your fellow patients and care partners to learn specifically about your form of vasculitis from our vasculitis experts and patients.
3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.	Concurrent Breakout Session #1 Choose a session to attend Newly Diagnosed Experienced Patients Care Partners Adults 20-30 Years of Age Teenagers 13-19
4:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.	Concurrent Breakout Session #2 Choose a session to attend Introducing Victory Over Vasculitis Physical Wellness and Movement Mental health and Mindfulness Self-Advocacy
5:00 p.m.	Night on the town! Have dinner at the nearby Rosemont Entertainment District  The Rosemont District has many restaurants and bars to choose from for dinner. Or, hop on the nearby transit BLUE LINE and visit downtown Chicago for more fun opportunities.
6:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.	Dinner and Game Night at the Hotel (this is optional and attendees must register for the event) Want to stay in for the evening? Join other attendees for dinner and games.  We’ll be playing trivia and other games during the evening. Game on!
Saturday, July 15, 2023
7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.	Breakfast
8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.	Morning Session Treatment Updates Research Updates Introducing Victory Over Vasculitis COVID-19 and Vaccinations Public Policy
10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.	Morning Break
11:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m.	Breakout Session #3 Choose a session to attend
12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.	Lunch
1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.	Conference for our Kids & Teenagers with Vasculitis and their Parents and Guardians Join us for a special session with our pediatric rheumatologists and physicians and special guests focusing on living with vasculitis as a young person.
1:00 p.m. – 1:45 p.m.	Breakout Session #4 Choose a session to attend
2:00 p.m. – 2:45 p.m.	Breakout Session #5 Choose a session to attend
2:45 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.	Afternoon Break
3:00 p.m. – 3:45 p.m.	Breakout Session #6 Choose a session to attend
4:00 p.m. – 4:45 p.m.	Breakout Session #7 Choose a session to attend
5:00 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.	Free Time Visit the Art Gallery Adding Movement in your life Practicing Meditation
6:30 p.m.	Celebration & Recognition Banquet Join us for a special evening as we recognize and honor the members of our community and maybe, just maybe play a fun game!
Sunday, July 16, 2023
7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. 8:00 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.	Breakfast VF Annual Membership Meeting
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.	Morning Session
10:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.	Morning Break
10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.	Final Session

CLICK HERE TO LEARN ABOUT CHICAGO’S MANY ENTERTAINMENT AND TOURIST OPPORTUNITIES!

Thank You to Our Symposium Sponsors

Innovation Sponsor