Bleeding Disorders Conference Returns This Week, Online for 2021
To ensure the health and safety of participants given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, this years’ Bleeding Disorders Conference (BDC) will be held virtually Aug. 26–29. An additional day of pre-conference workshops is slated for Aug. 25.
While the conference was meant to take place in Denver, Colorado, its organizer, the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF), decided, for a second time, that it was best to conduct the annual meeting online. The NHF cited the current COVID-19-related public health precautions and travel restrictions in making the change for 2021.
Nevertheless, the event — one of the largest gatherings of the U.S. bleeding disorders community — will be “nothing short of a celebration,” Leonard A. Valentino, MD, NHF’s president and CEO, said in a press release.
“Even in a virtual world, this community’s energy, and determination to push forward in research, advocacy, and education for inheritable blood disorders is unstoppable,” Valentino said. “At BDC, we’ll come together and unite in our mission.”
More than 2,000 people are expected to attend this year’s BDC, and community members are encouraged to register for the event to receive updates and information on speakers and topics. Registration is free and will be open throughout the conference.
The conference will bring together an international community of inherited bleeding disorder patients and their families, as well as healthcare providers, researchers, industry representatives, patient and advocacy organizations, and NHF chapter leaders and staff. Patients of all ages, and from all geographic locations, are invited to attend.
In the more than 90 scheduled events and exhibits that comprise this year’s program, the community will learn of the most recent advances, research breakthroughs, and advocacy efforts in hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. Sessions will provide helpful information for patients to navigate the healthcare system and cope with their disease. Among the events are educational sessions, poster abstract presentations, industry symposia, networking, and social forums.
Most sessions will target specific community members, such as patients/caregivers, physicians, nurses, physical therapists, or social workers. Some patient/caregiver-targeted sessions will be held exclusively in Spanish.
“The upcoming lineup of dynamic speakers showcases an exciting new era of treatment for hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, and other rare bleeding disorders,” the NHF said.
The program also will include sessions focused on COVID-19, racial disparities, gene therapy, health insurance navigation, telemedicine, and mental health and wellbeing.
Community members will have the opportunity to connect with each other and share their personal experiences.
The virtual Bleeding Disorders Conference concludes on Saturday, Aug. 28, with the NHF 2021 Awards Ceremony, which will recognize members of the bleeding disorders community whose achievements and contributions have helped improve patients’ lives through treatment and care, advocacy, and raising awareness.
In its announcement, the NHF thanked its partners and sponsors, saying it was “grateful” for their continued support of BDC.
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