News & Events

Lymphedema & Lymphatic Disease Matters, June 2021

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June 2021

From William Repicci, President & CEO

As we head into mid-year and summer, we look back on the past several months with gratitude to the scientific community whose work on vaccines has provided us a realistic hope for a return to normalcy. LE&RN members can be proud of the progress we have made together through an unprecedented global emergency.

LE&RN continues to advocate at the national level for increased chronic disease education and awareness funding at the CDC. Due in large part to LE&RN's efforts, grants have been made available for fiscal-year 2022, and LE&RN is currently engaged in an intense effort to secure funding for lymphedema and lymphatic disease education and awareness.

At the state level, we are pleased to report considerable progress in New York State. Thanks to the efforts of our patient and medical-community advocates, as well as our champions in the New York State legislature, a bill for a research grants program was passed in June and is now ready to be signed by the governor.

At the start of the month, we held the 2021 Lymphatic Forum. Because this year's Forum was held entirely online, we had more people from all over the world participate than ever before. We thank the speakers who made this year's event such a success.

Please join us on July 9 at 12 noon ET for a free online Symposium with one of our most popular "Ask the Experts" panelists, Cynthia Shechter. Register now at the link below.

I hope you enjoy this issue of Lymphedema & Lymphatic Disease Matters. All of us at LE&RN wish you a happy and safe summer, and we thank you for your continued support for this important work.
 

Legislative progress in New York State

On June 10, the New York State Senate passed S4868, sponsored by Senator Timothy M. Kennedy. The Assembly had previously passed companion bill A333, sponsored by Assemblymember Linda B. Rosenthal. If signed by the governor, this legislation will create the Lymphedema and Lymphatic Diseases Research Grants Program as well the Lymphatic Disease Research and Education Fund.

We thank Assemblymember Rosenthal and Senator Kennedy, relentless champions for our cause, as well as those who joined in advocacy efforts in New York. We continue to fight for a comprehensive lymphatic disease and lymphedema insurance bill in New York State.

Pictured: LE&RN staff and supporters advocating for research funding at the New York Statehouse in Albany, NY.
Learn more about this legislative victory
 

Lymphatic Forum 2021

During the first week of June, hundreds of researchers, health care professionals, and patients from around the world attended Lymphatic Forum 2021, making this our best-attended Forum ever. We thank our speakers as well as the Young Investigators who were recognized with awards.

We look forward to LF2023 in Banff.
Young Investigator Award Winners
 

Stanley G. Rockson, M.D. published in Circulation Research

Dr. Stanley G. Rockson, Founding Chair of LE&RN's Scientific and Medical Advisory Council, was recently published in Circulation Research. "Advances in Lymphedema," is available for free for a limited time.
Read "Advances in Lymphedema"
 

Upcoming online Symposium

Join LE&RN on Friday, July 9, at 12:00 pm ET (11:00 am CT, 10:00 am MT, 9:00 am PT) for "Can lymphedema care be personalized in rehabilitation?" This is a Zoom Symposium presented by Cynthia Shechter CLT-UE, IORE, MA, OTR/L, CIMT, CORE certified is free and available to all; it will include a Q&A.

Cynthia is owner and Director of Rehabilitation at ShechterCare NJ. She is dedicated to increasing the awareness of the medical community on the benefits of rehabilitation following breast cancer surgery and is an expert for LE&RN's "Ask the Experts." 

Past Symposiums are available on LE&RN's website.
Register now for this 7/9 Symposium