Dear friends,

The Pulmonary Hypertension Association welcomes health care professionals to PH Professional Network Symposium next week.

Hundreds of nurses, respiratory therapists, doctors, pharmacists and trainees will join PHA in Seattle Sept. 18-20 to learn the latest science about pulmonary hypertension.

This year marks the first time the symposium is being held outside of Washington, D.C. By moving the event, PHA aims to make the symposium more accessible for professionals who can’t easily travel to the East Coast every two years.

While the symposium is for PH-treating health care professionals, the end goal is to enhance patient care. Participants collaborate on how to care for patients efficiently and effectively to improve their quality of life and slow their disease progression. Attendees share their challenges and best practices with colleagues from other hospitals and clinics, exchanging ideas to take back to their own practices. Ultimately, the PHPN Symposium allows health care professionals to help advance PHA’s mission to extend and improve the lives of people affected by PH.

The symposium opens with Poster Hall visits, sponsored sessions and the PHPN Day of Action advocacy workshop. The workshop will cover PHA’s advocacy priorities and encourage attendees to email their representatives in support of their patients.

The opening night session will feature Kate Salonga of Vancouver, British Columbia, and Eric Borstein of Los Angeles in “Patient Perspective in Pulmonary Hypertension,” a joint session from PHA and PHA Canada. Hearing directly from patients will set the tone for the conference and highlight how the information presented throughout the conference connects to the patient community.

Other symposium highlights include:

  • “Self-Compassion Without Burnout: Managing Medical Trauma in PH Care.” This breakfast session on Friday, Sept. 19, will address how providers can practice self-care.
  • “Foundation of a Successful Care Team: Part II,” a follow-up from PHPN 2023. This session will provide tips to build and maintain strong multidisciplinary PH care teams.
  • PHPN Trivia Night on Friday, Sept. 19. The winning team can nominate a patient-caregiver pair to receive free registration and accommodations for the PHA 2026 International PH Conference and Scientific Sessions in Dallas.
  • “Exploring the Role of Race and Ethnicity in Methamphetamine Use Patterns in PAH.” This Saturday, Sept. 20, breakfast session will examine the nationwide increase in substance use, especially methamphetamine use, and its potential impact on prevalence and severity of pulmonary arterial hypertension.
  • “Real-World Use of Novel PH Therapies.” The closing session on Saturday, Sept. 20, will focus on how new treatments are being incorporated into adult and pediatric care.

If you’re attending, please stop by the PHA booth to learn about our resources, meet our staff and find out how you can work with us to extend and improve the lives of those with PH.

We look forward to meeting the attendees at this inspirational, engaging and educational event. If you can’t attend, please contact me by email. As always, I look forward to hearing from you.

With gratitude and respect,

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