The CFIDS Association collaborated with the New Jersey Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Association (NJCFSA) on this special joint program combining the CFIDS Association’s kNOw MORE CFS seminar series and the spring conference of the NJCFSA.

Experienced CFS clinicians spoke to the public at the March 10 seminar in New Jersey.

The conference started with a session on the national CFS public awareness campaign sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the CFIDS Association of America. Registrants heard a  campaign update from CFIDS Association president and CEO Kimberly McCleary and saw campaign components including the TV and radio PSAs, print ads, online banner ads, patient brochure, CFS toolkit for medical professionals, major press coverage and the acclaimed CFS photo exhibit called “The Faces of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.” This compelling exhibit features the portraits and stories of CFS patients, family members and health care professionals. Two of the participants in the photo exhibit, Jacqueline Niederle and Brian Bernard, also spoke at this session about the power of personal advocacy.

Nancy Klimas, MD, of the University of Miami School of Medicine, provided an update on the current CFS research landscape, with particular attention to research presented at the 8th International Association for CFS Conference in Ft. Lauderdale in January. Dr. Klimas, an internationally known expert on CFS, helped seminar participants understand the significance of new research findings.

Alan Pocinki, MD, the speaker for the clinical session, practices in Washington, DC, where he treats both CFS and FM patients in his general medical practice. He discussed how to work with a clinician to develop individualized treatment programs to accommodate the considerable variability in CFS symptom expression, in symptom severity and in the efficacy of specific treatment protocols. He is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at George Washington University.