National Psoriasis Foundation Meets To Educate Legislators

PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Members of the National Psoriasis Foundation are in Washington, D.C., today to educate legislators about the need for access to quality care for people living with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. In meetings with congressional representatives, the Foundation is urging members of the House and Senate to generate awareness about the serious physical and emotional impact of these diseases. With continued advocacy efforts, the National Psoriasis Foundation and patient advocates hope to secure much-needed funding to accelerate the discovery of additional safe and effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure.
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According to Gail M. Zimmerman, president and CEO of the National Psoriasis Foundation, it's important to keep psoriatic disease at the forefront of governmental discussion. "Psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis are chronic, potentially disabling diseases that are often misunderstood. Capitol Hill Day offers the chance to educate members of Congress and to continue to advocate on behalf of those living with these diseases."
Additionally, while in D.C. today, the National Psoriasis Foundation will officially recognize several congressional leaders for their commitment to enhancing federal level support of psoriatic disease education and legislation, including Senator Gordon H. Smith (R-OR), Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ), Representative Tim Murphy (R-PA), Representative Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA) and Representative Jim Gerlach (R-PA). Last year, Senators Smith and Lautenberg spearheaded the Senate resolution that designated August 2005 as Psoriasis Awareness Month.
More than 100 volunteers with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis are participating in the National Psoriasis Foundation's third annual Capitol Hill Day. Capitol Hill Day is an annually organized advocacy effort that motivates people living with psoriasis and/or psoriatic arthritis to speak out about their conditions. Patient volunteers from the National Psoriasis Foundation will convene at the offices of congressional leaders to tell their personal stories of living with psoriatic disease and to shed light on the life- altering impact of these conditions.
Building on momentum of past Capitol Hill Day events, today's program is specifically designed to allow members of the psoriatic community to lobby Congress to increase federal funding for psoriatic research, address the lack of access to effective treatments, and become personally involved in educating themselves and others about psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis as "champions" who directly impact the future of psoriatic disease.