General Information

National Hemophilia Foundation
The National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF), founded in 1948, is dedicated to finding the cures for bleeding disorders and to preventing and treating the complications of these disorders—through education, advocacy and research.

Who Will Attend?
Over 2000 people attend, including consumers, healthcare providers and industry representatives.
Providers: physicians, nurses, social workers and physical therapists.
Industry: representatives from leading pharmaceutical companies, homecare companies and nonprofit organizations.
Consumers: adults and children with hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, other bleeding disorders, their family members and/or significant others.

Why Should I Attend?
• To find out about the latest in treatment advances, the core of NHF’s advocacy program, and so much more.
• To facilitate your access to care, your avenues of information and your role in finding a cure.
• To familiarize yourself with other people with bleeding disorders, exhibitors and healthcare professionals.
• To attend educational sessions designed just for you, which
feature information from the nation’s leading experts.
• To remember to “Do the 5!” as part of NHF’s National Prevention Program:
    1  Get an annual comprehensive checkup at a hemophilia treatment center.
    2  Get vaccinated—Hepatitis A and B are preventable.
    3  Treat bleeds early and adequately.
    4  Exercise to protect your joints.
    5  Get tested regularly for blood-borne infections.
• To see your children learn while having fun by signing them up for the Youth & Adolescent program (ages 4 to 17).
• To focus on key issues that affect you, from carrier issues to VWD, from multicultural issues to inhibitors and proteomics.
• To be at NHF to celebrate 55!

Registration Information

Online and Phone registrations end October 26. After October 26, all registrations will be taken onsite at the Annual Meeting. You can register at the Annual Meeting at the following times:

Registration Hours
• Wednesday, November 5          5pm-8pm
• Thursday, November 6          8am-5pm
• Friday, November 7          8am-3pm
• Saturday, November 8          8am-12pm
Childcare/babycare registration .

Educational Information

Preconference Symposia
NHF is pleased to announce three new preconference symposia: one for nurses, one for social workers and one for physical therapists, in addition to its annual preconference symposium for physicians which will focus on proteomics. Advance registration is recommended for the medical symposium (See page 10 for details). An additional fee is required to attend this session on Thursday, November 6, 2003, from 2pm-6pm.
The three new preconference symposia will also be held on Thursday, November 6, 2003, from 2pm-5pm. The symposium for nurses will focus on hepatitis C and HIV co-infection and the symposium for social workers will focus on intimacy and sexuality issues while the symposium for physical therapists will focus on kinesiology of gait. There is no additional fee for these sessions but preregistration is recommended. Check the appropriate box on the registration form on page 21.

Format of Meeting
The educational sessions will be presented in the format of
lectures, workshops and interactive discussions.
Since their inception at the 51st Annual Meeting, the mini-symposia series continues to be an educational opportunity offering more in-depth discussion of a topic that cannot be missed.

Attire
Casual or business attire is appropriate for attending all events at the meeting. The Utah climate for late October/early November averages a high of 60° with an evening low of 40°. A jacket/coat is suggested.

No Smoking Policy
The NHF Annual Meeting adheres to the hotel’s strict no-smoking policy in meeting rooms and the lobby area.

Workshops
NHF is pleased to once again offer the Summer Camps Workshop on Thursday, November 6, 2003, from 2pm to 5pm. There is no additional fee to attend this workshop.
Mini-Symposia, Workshops and Receptions
These special sessions are designed specifically for the bleeding disorders community and focus on the following topics:
• Summer Camps Workshop (3 hours)
• Chapter Training and Reception (3 hours)
• New Families Reception (2 hours)
• Social Worker Reception (1hour)
• Pediatric Thrombophilia and Anticoagulants for Children (2 hours)
• Nursing Luncheon
• Inhibitors, Ports and Prophylaxis (2 hours)
• Hemophilia Research Society—Clinical Update (2.5 hours)
• Anatomy and Kinesiology of the Knee (2 hours)
• Orthopedic Procedures and Surgeries (2 hours)
• Addictions (2 hours)
• Parenting Skills (2 hours)
• Obesity (2 hours)
• New Options for Prophylaxis (2 hours)
• State-Based Advocacy (2 hours)
• Living with Chronic Pain (2 hours)
• Nursing Case Studies (2 hours)
• Social Worker Case Studies (2 hours)
• Total Fitness: Sports and Nutrition (2 hours)

Continuing Education Credits
Applications for continuing medical education credits (CME) and continuing education units (CEU) and a list of approved sessions are available at the Annual Meeting. A $50 processing fee, payable to NHF, is required for all CME and CEU credits. Evaluation forms, which are required, will be available onsite. Please note: All completed CEU/CME applications must be submitted to NHF by no later than 30 days after the 2003 Annual Meeting. Be sure to check off the CME/CEU box on the Registration Form on page 21.

Full Disclosure Statement
All faculty participating in continuing medical education activities are expected to disclose to the program audience any real or apparent conflict(s) of interest related to the content of their presentation(s). Full disclosure of faculty relationships will be made at the activity.

Taping of Sessions
All educational sessions will be recorded and available for sale at the NHF Annual Meeting. Order forms will be available onsite.

Housing
The Grand America Hotel is the headquarters for NHF’s 55th Annual Meeting and is located at 555 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah. For reservations, call: 800 621-4505. Rates: $159 single/double.
The Little America Hotel is directly across the street from The Grand America Hotel and is located at 500 South Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah. For Reservations, call: 800 453-9450. Rates: $129-$139 single/double. Note: For those attendees with mobility issues, make sure to request a room in the tower section of The Little America Hotel (this is closest to The Grand America).
Deadline for reservations: Wednesday, October 1, 2003.

Travel
Association Travel Concepts (ATC) has been selected as the official travel agency for NHF’s Annual Meeting. ATC will search for the lowest available fare on ANY airline serving Salt Lake City. You can save up to 15% when booking more than 60 days in advance. Some restrictions may apply and a service fee may apply.
Call: 800-458-9383
E-mail: reservations@atcmeetings.com
Fax: (858) 362-3153
Discounts apply for travel from October 31 –November 13, 2003. ATC is available for reservations from 9:00am until 7:30pm ET, Monday through Friday. You may also call your own agency or the vendors directly and refer to the following I.D. numbers:
Delta:
DMN195951A
800-241-6760
United:
510CK
800-521-4041
Avis:
J991681
800-331-1600

Click here for travel grant information.

Airport to Hotel Shuttle
The Grand America/Little America hotels offer complimentary shuttle service to and from the hotel/airport. Light blue shuttle vans with hotel names depart every 30 minutes on the hour from 6am to midnight, from the hotel lobby entrances and from Door 6 and 10 in the baggage claim area of the Salt Lake City International Airport.

First Time Attendees
The National Hemophilia Foundation is pleased to offer a limited number of travel grants for first-time individuals who may not be able to afford expenses associated with attending their first Annual Meeting. Eligibility requirements and restrictions apply. Please contact the Education Department at (212) 328-3724 for more details and an application. Deadline for application submission is: August 15, 2003.

Wheelchair Accessibility
The Grand America/Little America Hotels are wheelchair accessible. We have reserved all available wheelchair-accessible sleeping rooms on a first-come, first-served basis. If you require a special room or have any other special needs, please call The Grand America/Little America Hotels directly. Note: The hotel does not provide wheelchairs.

Emergency Care
NHF has advised the local medical center of our group’s arrival to help facilitate any treatment that may be needed.

Exhibits
The Grand Ballroom at The Grand America Hotel will feature the latest products and services offered to the bleeding disorders community. Visit the Exhibit Hall to speak one-on-one with product manufacturers, service organizations, publishers and nonprofit groups.

Exhibit Hours
• Thursday, November 6 6:30pm–9:30pm
• Friday, November 7 11am–6:30pm
• Saturday, November 8 9:30am–1pm

Poster Sessions
Poster displays offer attendees the opportunity to read about current research and programming activities being conducted throughout the bleeding disorders community on such topics as prophylaxis, HIV/AIDS and other bleeding disorder issues. It should be noted that abstracts among those accepted will be published in a H-emAware magazine supplement, which is distributed at the Annual Meeting. The top 20 posters will appear in Haemophilia, World Federation of Hemophilia’s International Journal. Posters will be on display in the exhibit hall during all exhibit hours. Poster abstracts must be received by August 1, 2003. Please visit www.hemophilia.org for details on abstract submission. For more information, contact Sonia Roger at 212 328-3724 or sroger@hemophilia.org

Quilt Display
The NHF quilt display represents a positive and creative universal symbol. By uniting a community through our human connections, these quilts symbolize feelings of hope, grief, joy, anger, pain and a determination to link people affected by HIV/AIDS.
The quilts will be displayed in the Grand Ballroom during all exhibit hours.
Remembrance Service and Leaf Making
The Remembrance Service is scheduled to take place on Friday, November 7, 2003, from 7:00pm to 8:00pm. Leaves can be inscribed with the name of a loved one or your hope for the future of the community. These will be read at the Remembrance Service.
A leaf-making room will be available with all materials provided on:
• Thursday, November 6 11am-4pm
• Friday, November 7 9am-5pm

NHF E-mail and Technology Center
The NHF E-mail and Technology Center allows attendees the opportunity to communicate with other attendees via the message center and friends, colleagues and family at home. Stop by and be on the cutting edge!

HANDI
HANDI is the information service of NHF providing assistance and information on hemophilia and other bleeding disorders. HANDI Information Specialists will be on hand to answer your questions, provide NHF publications and distribute current articles on such topics as gene therapy, psychosocial issues, financial concerns, complications, alternative therapies, prophylaxis, sports and exercise, women with bleeding disorders, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS and more.

Membership
Drop by and sign up!
The Development Department will be on hand to answer your questions and discuss the benefits of becoming an NHF member.

SOCIAL EVENTS

Opening Reception and Do The 5! Game– Grand Ballroom
Join us on Thursday, November 6, 2003, from 6:30pm-9:30pm. The fun begins here with a great opportunity for networking and viewing the exhibits! As an attendee, you will also receive one Do the 5! Game raffle ticket to be validated at all participating sponsor booths. Do the 5! is the tagline of NHF’s prevention program, which encourages young adults and parents of young children with bleeding disorders to Do the 5! (see page 3 for the five messages). Your completed ticket gives you a chance to win great prizes! Winners will be announced on Saturday, November 8, 2003, at the Awards Luncheon.

Final Night Event
The Final Night Event will be held on Saturday, November 8, 2003, from 7:00pm until 11:00pm. Music will energize you onto the dance floor and delicious light fare and beverages will keep you smiling.

Special Requests
• NHF will not provide a treatment suite or sharps containers during the Annual Meeting.
• NHF is pleased to announce that in addition to NHF’s Y&A Program (for 4-17 year olds), childcare will be provided for children 3 years of age and under by a licensed, bonded childcare provider. There is a nominal fee of $30 for up to two days of service which is available on Friday, November 7, 2003, and Saturday, November 8, 2003, from 8am-5pm. In order to be eligible for this service, you must contact NHF at (800) 424-2634, ext 3706 and a representative will forward you the appropriate registration forms.
• Refrigerators—NHF will make every effort to provide refrigerators to hotel guests requiring them for their medications. You must contact us at (212) 328-3706 by September 26, 2003, to reserve a refrigerator.