Dear friends,

I recently returned from the American Thoracic Society International Conference, where I represented the Pulmonary Hypertension Association with staff and volunteer leaders. The conference was a powerful reminder of the momentum we’re building in pulmonary hypertension research, education and patient advocacy.

PHA presented the poster session, “Are We Moving the Needle? Assessing the Effectiveness of a Virtual Course Series for Pulmonary Hypertension.” The session featured data from our PH Boot Camp series, which has improved the self-reported competency of health care professionals who completed the program. It’s one of the many ways we’re helping raise the standard of care for people living with PH.

Research based on data from the PHA Registry appeared in five scientific abstracts presentations. These studies covered key areas, such as acute vasoreactivity testing, the impact of insurance type on treatment patterns, the role of patient-reported outcomes in survival models, pulmonary arterial hypertension in older adults, and predictors of quality of life in PH. The studies were made possible through patients’ voluntary participation at select PHA-accredited PH Care Centers.

Outside the sessions, I connected with many leading clinicians and researchers in PH, as well as with my fellow members of the ATS Public Advisory Roundtable. This coalition of patient-focused organizations ensures that the patient voice remains central to ATS programs and priorities — something we at PHA view as essential to our mission of improving and extending the lives of those affected by PH.

We also met with 22 of our industry partners. Those companies work across the spectrum of pulmonary hypertension, including diagnostics, supplemental oxygen, specialty pharmacy and therapy development. These dynamic, forward-looking conversations focused on how we can advance our mutual goals by putting patients first.

We are deeply grateful to these partners, many of whom have supported PHA for years. They sponsor our education programs and fundraising walks, exhibit at our conference and symposium, and promote our resources. Several even quote us in their public announcements. While we are always eager to collaborate, it’s important to be clear that our partnerships do not imply endorsement of any specific company, product or therapy.

We recognize the great unmet medical need in PH and aim to foster innovation among existing and prospective partners. Any increase in innovation — and any expansion of options available to patients and their care teams — is a positive step forward. These partnerships — and the independence we maintain — help drive progress and improve outcomes for the entire PH community.

I left ATS inspired by the scientific developments underway and proud PHA’s role in shaping the future of PH care. From research to education to strategic collaboration, we remain focused on the people at the heart of this work: patients, caregivers and clinicians.

Thank you for supporting our mission. Together, we are making a real and lasting difference, and as always, I look forward to hearing from you.

With gratitude and respect,

Matt J. Granato, LLM, MBA (he/him)

President and CEO