CFIDS Association president and CEO Kim McCleary

From the CEO's Desk

August 2009

Since the first issue of our new print publication, SolveCFS, mailed to donors and members on June 22, we have appreciated hearing what you like and don’t like about it. The size, format and content are all quite different from the CFIDS Chronicle, even though the Chronicle evolved from a local support group newsletter to a four-color magazine over the past 22 years. As outlined in the spring/summer 2009 issue of SolveCFS, this new publication is intended to supplement our monthly e-newsletter, CFIDSLink, and material posted daily to our growing Facebook page and on our website (www.cfids.org). But for those who don’t have online access or can’t read lengthy articles on the computer, it still must stand on its own.

The most consistent complaints were about the too-small type size and the too-large pages. These are relatively easy to adjust and we’ll introduce some changes in the fall issue. We heard from several people who wanted to be able to read the publication while lying down; we’ll break up the stories differently so the newspaper-size pages can be folded more easily without having to flip back and forth to read an entire column.

Others missed the personal stories and more in-depth feature articles about coping and lifestyle issues. We’ll keep those alive in CFIDSLink and on Facebook. As many traditional publishers are finding, it’s just not economically feasible to maintain the same page count and coverage as we once did. There are a growing number of online weblogs (blogs) and information sites where general information about CFS is exchanged. The Association’s unique ability is to bring supporters the latest news about progress in research and policy that will translate to better diagnostics, more effective treatments and broader validation for CFS. (See, for instance, stories about recent publication by Drs. Light and Katz, two teams funded by the CFIDS Association.)

We’re actually flattered that so many people consider the CFIDS Association of America and the Chronicle to be interchangeable entities. It’s a real credit to everyone who contributed to the reputation that the Chronicle established over two decades and made it the “lifeline” so many described it to be. Now we’re attempting to place greater emphasis on expanding validating research to benefit all patients by shifting resources away from publishing a print magazine that benefits only a few thousand people. The CFIDS Association’s mission, to make CFS widely understood, diagnosable, treatable, curable and preventable, simply cannot be accomplished by publications (of any size or frequency) alone. We must harness the passion of our supporters to make meaningful breakthroughs happen.

With thanks for your continued support,

Kim McCleary
President & CEO
The CFIDS Association of America
August 4, 2009

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