After attending his sixth PH Professional Network Symposium, nurse practitioner Steve Walker is still amazed by new advancements in pulmonary hypertension therapy and care.

“Each change improves the way [health care professionals] work and the lives of our patients,” says Walker, who works at Children’s Hospital Philadelphia. “Each change means we’re making progress.”

Walker was among more than 600 health care professionals who attended the Pulmonary Hypertension Association’s PHPN Symposium Sept. 28-30 in Arlington, Virginia. The attendees came from nearly every state and several countries to learn the latest in PH research, treatment and care.

Themed “PHoundations for a Brighter Future,” the symposium was an opportunity for attendees to network and build long-lasting relationships with peers, as well as advance PH knowledge to apply to their practices.

Advocacy Day kicked off the three-day event. About 80 health care professionals visited legislative offices on Capitol Hill to educate Congress about PH and their patients’ needs. They asked senators to support the Safe Step and HELP Copays acts.

“[Lawmakers] need to know that our patients are suffering,” says Robert Scott, a cardiologist at Mayo Clinic in Arizona and third-time attendee. “They need to know that our patients have difficulty getting access to effective medical therapy, are underinsured or oftentimes can’t afford to continue their medications because it’s too expensive. Anything we can do to raise awareness is a step in the right direction of attaining accessible health care.”

Invaluable takeaways

The next two days of PHPN Symposium featured a range of sessions where attendees could learn and reflect on inequalities in PH treatment, provider compassion, building a successful care team, oxygen concentrators, technical guidelines to follow for best practices and more.

Marc Humbert, MD, PhD, director of respiratory and intensive care at the French Pulmonary Hypertension Reference Centre, shared the new 2022 European Society of Cardiology and European Respiratory Society Guidelines for treatment. Attendees learned early detection strategies from Humbert, who is primary author of the new guidelines, as well as therapy recommendations and how to use a new tool to assess patients’ risks.

For Bree Keller, a first-time attendee, every session provided new context and understanding to her role as a research nurse at the University of Colorado.

“I am not a provider, but I now have better insight on what these roles are like,” Keller says. “It’s really helpful to hear about how they’re working with patients because when I see those patients later, I’m already on the same page as my team. I don’t need time to catch up. I’m ready to serve my patients in the best way I can.”

Supporting scholarships

The symposium also allowed attendees to socialize while supporting an important cause: PHA 2024 conference scholarships for people with PH. Friday night featured a drag bingo fundraiser hosted by Tara Hoot of Washington, D.C. Prizes included an Apple watch, wine flights and a nurse care package.

“Tara brought the energy,” Keller says. “She’s from the Midwest and I’m from the Midwest so all her puns and jokes were so relatable. I loved all the sessions, and I loved networking with everyone, but this was in a completely different caliber. [Bingo] added a nice variant to the mix and just elevated the fun.”