A March 28 workshop in Puerto Rico is PHA’s latest effort to increase pulmonary hypertension awareness.

The lunch and learn workshop drew about 125 people, including patients and caregivers, Puerto Rican health officials and PH specialists. The presentations addressed PH treatment, risks and advancements, as well as the need for better access to specialized PH care.

Sheylla Alvarado, who co-leads one of PHA’s support groups Puerto Rico and helped organize the event, discussed patient rights and health insurance challenges.

Vinicio de Jesús Pérez, MD, of Stanford University Medical Center, shared his vision for Puerto Rico to become a PH hub where people from other Caribbean islands could receive specialized care. In Puerto Rico alone, more than 6,000 people have been diagnosed with PH. However, de Jesús said the number of unconfirmed PH cases could be four times greater, based on how many people worldwide have PH and the number of people in Puerto Rico.

Luis N. Olmedo Morales, MD, undersecretary of the Puerto Rico Department of Health, said the department was interested in working with PHA to establish an accredited PH Care Center on the island.

Álvaro Aranda, medical director of Alliance Pulmonary Group and Cardiopulmonary Research Center, also touched on access to care in his presentation. He said many parents of children with PH leave the island in search of more advanced or specialized treatment options.

Aranda, de Jesús and others also discussed the importance of participating in clinical trials and factors that discourage people with PH in Puerto Rico from participating.