Washington D.C. (Mar. 22, 2023) – The Pulmonary Hypertension Association (PHA)’s free daylong, regional event for people affected by pulmonary hypertension (PH) is coming to San Diego, California this spring. The PHA Connects: PH Community Workshop will bring local medical experts and members of the PH community to the Alexandria at Torrey Pines meeting space on Saturday, May 6 for a day of education, support and networking.

Co-chaired by Jenny Zang, M.D., of the University of California San Diego and Ramona Doyle, M.D., of the University of California San Francisco, the PH Community Workshop in San Diego will continue the mission of bringing PH awareness directly to local communities. “Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is a rare disease and receiving a diagnosis can sometimes feel isolating,” says Yang. “The PH Community Workshop is a great opportunity for people with PH to meet others living with the disease while connecting with a community of families, caregivers and health care providers going through similar experiences. Attending the Workshop will be rewarding for those newly diagnosed, as well as those who have been living with PH for years.”

PH means high blood pressure in the lungs, and it’s a complex, rare disease that affects people of all ages and ethnic backgrounds. The disease is significantly underdiagnosed and misunderstood, even among health care providers. Symptoms, including shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pain, are not necessarily specific to PH and can lead to dangerous delays in a correct diagnosis. While PH is incurable, early diagnosis and proper treatment can extend and improve an individual’s quality of life. Advances in treatment and a better understanding of PH have led to effective therapies, better quality of life and improved survival for many types of PH after diagnosis.

Speakers include health care professionals, people with PH and caregivers. Participants will have the opportunity to attend engaging sessions on topics such as navigating diagnosis and treatment, disease management, living with PH and advances in PH research. The event offers an invaluable opportunity to learn more about PH, discover PHA resources and meet other patients, families and caregivers.

For more information and to register, visit PHAssociation.org/Events/PH-Community-Workshop-San-Diego.

Members of the media are welcome to attend. To RSVP, please email communications@phassociation.org. Interviews with experts and others can be arranged upon request.

About the Pulmonary Hypertension Association

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the Pulmonary Hypertension Association is the oldest and largest nonprofit patient association dedicated to the pulmonary hypertension community. Pulmonary hypertension is a rare, chronic and life-threatening lung condition for which no cure currently exists. PHA’s mission is to extend and improve the lives of those affected by PH. To achieve this mission, PHA engages people with PH and their families, caregivers, health care providers and researchers worldwide who work together to advocate for the PH community, provide support to patients, caregivers and families, offer up-to-date education and information on PH, improve quality patient care and fund and promote research.

For more information, visit PHAssociation.org and connect with PHA on Bluesky, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.