Spondylitis Association Of America

ADVANCING RESEARCH, ACCELERATED DIAGNOSIS, OPTIMUM TREATMENT, PUBLIC AWARENESS AND HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION IN SPONDYLOARTHRITIS

SOCIAL MEDIA-OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS (FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, AND LINKEDIN) ARE ESSENTIAL TOOLS FOR INCREASING AWARENESS AND ENGAGING WITH SAA'S CONSTITUENTS. DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 2024, OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS EARNED 1,330,300 IMPRESSIONS, 47,396 ENGAGEMENTS (LIKES, SHARES, COMMENTS) AND 8,933 POST LINK CLICKS. FACEBOOK ACCOUNTED FOR 807,112 IMPRESSIONS; INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTED FOR 349,320, TWITTER ACCOUNTED FOR 144,254, AND LINKEDIN ACCOUNTED FOR 29, 614. YOUTUBE-AS A VIDEO SHARING PLATFORM, YOUTUBE ALSO SERVES AS A SEARCH ENGINE. IN FACT, YOUTUBE IS THE SECOND MOST POPULAR SEARCH ENGINE IN THE WORLD WITH ONLY GOOGLE SURPASSING IT. DURING THE 2023/2024 FISCAL YEAR, THERE WERE 83.5K VIEWS AND 1.1. MILLION IMPRESSIONS OF VIDEO CONTENT ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL.SAA WEBSITE-DURING THE 2023/2024 FISCAL YEAR, SAA WEBSITE HAD 739,399 PAGE VIEWS AND 309,933 UNIQUE USERS. IN TERMS OF DEMOGRAPHICS, 58 PERCENT OF WEBSITE VISITORS ARE FEMALE, AND 42 PERCENT ARE MALE. THE AGE GROUPS WERE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED 25-34 (15,563), 35-44 (13,041), AND 45 - 54 (11,744).COMMUNITY FORUM - SAA'S COMMUNITY FORUMS ALSO CONTINUE TO BE ACTIVE NOT ONLY FOR THE NEWLY DIAGNOSED BUT THOSE LIVING WITH THE DISEASE FROM A FEW YEARS TO ALMOST A LIFETIME. TO DATE, THERE ARE 21,878 MEMBERS PARTICIPATING IN 255, 108 POSTS/DISCUSSIONS.SPONDYLOARTHRITIS (SPA) AWARENESS MONTH-SPONDYLOARTHRITIS (SPA) AWARENESS MONTH WAS CELEBRATED MAY 2024. RAISING AWARENESS DURING MAY AND THROUGHOUT THE YEAR HELPS INCREASE VISIBILITY OF SPONDYLOARTHRITIS. THROUGH THESE EFFORTS, WE ALSO EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR RECOGNIZING THE SYMPTOMS FOR PROPER AND TIMELY DIAGNOSIS, FUNDING RESEARCH FOR A CURE, AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT EDUCATE AND EMPOWER THOSE IMPACTED BY SPA TO MAKE MORE INFORMED DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR HEALTH. OUR THEME FOR 2024 FOCUSED ON SIGNS & SYMPTOMS, BASED ON THE TOPIC OUR PARTNERS AT ASIF PINNED FOR WORLD AS DAY.ADVOCACYSAA'S ADVOCACY PROGRAM IS EVER-EXPANDING IN BOTH THE NUMBER OF INITIATIVES AND ACTIONS TAKEN AND SPONDYLITIS COMMUNITY ADVOCATES. ADVOCACY PLANS ARE INFORMED BY THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES OF INCREASING PUBLIC AWARENESS, IMPROVING ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE, INCREASING FEDERAL RESEARCH FUNDING TO CURE SPONDYLITIS, AND INFLUENCING PUBLIC POLICIES THAT IMPACT THE SPONDYLITIS COMMUNITY. SAA ADVOCACY EFFORTS SEEK TO CREATE POSITIVE CHANGE ON BEHALF OF AND WITHIN THE SPONDYLITIS COMMUNITY THROUGH STATE AND NATIONAL CAMPAIGNS. THE EFFORTS USE A MULTICHANNEL APPROACH TO REACH POTENTIAL ADVOCATES AND TARGETED LEGISLATORS 'WHERE THEY ARE AT,' WHETHER IT IS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, EMAIL, WEBSITES, PODCASTS, NEWSPAPERS, AND WITHIN SAA PUBLICATIONS. THE ADVOCATE'S ACTIONABLE ITEMS INCLUDE SURVEYS, PETITIONS, POLLS, LETTER-WRITING CAMPAIGNS, LETTERS AND EMAILS TO SPECIFIC LEGISLATORS, AND WHEN-POSSIBLE, THROUGH IN-PERSON CONVERSATIONS WITH STATE, LOCAL, AND NATIONAL LEGISLATORS. SPECIFIC ACTIVITIES INCLUDE THE SURVEY & CAMPAIGN "HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED MEDICAL GASLIGHTING. AND CREATING OTHER NEW CAMPAIGNS LIKE "SELF-ADVOCACY: AT YOUR DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENT" HIGHLIGHTING SAA ADVICE AND RESOURCES AS PART OF AN ONGOING, EVERGREEN SELF-ADVOCACY RESOURCES SERIES, AND ARTICLES IN SPONDYLITIS PLUS MAGAZINE SUCH AS "WHAT IS STEP THERAPY AND WHY YOU SHOULD CARE AND "THE USE OF AI FOR HEALTHCARE DECISIONS COULD HELP AND HARM PATIENTS." SAA'S RICHARD HOWARD WAS AN AUTHOR ON ALTERNATIVE FUNDING PROGRAMS' ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE MAY ISSUE OF HR.COM'S HR LEGAL & COMPLIANCE EXCELLENCE MAGAZINE. IN ADDITION, SAA SIGNED ON ITS SUPPORT FOR PBM REFORMS TO IMPROVE PATIENT ACCESS TO LOWER COST MEDICATIONS AND THE ALL COPAYS COUNT COALITION LETTERS TO STATE INSURANCE COMMISSIONERS URGING THEM TO ENFORCE THE 2020 NBPP PROVISION RESTRICTING USE OF COPAY ACCUMULATOR ADJUSTORS, WROTE LETTERS IN SUPPORT OF CA SB 1120 - PHYSICIANS MAKE DECISIONS ACT, WHICH MANDATES PHYSICIAN OVERSIGHT WHEN ALGORITHMS ARE USED TO DECIDE ON HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS' REQUESTS TO OFFER MEDICAL SERVICES, AND NUMEROUS OTHERS ON KEY TOPIC AREAS TO IMPROVE PATIENT ACCESS AND IMPACT OUR SPONDYLOARTHRITIS COMMUNITY.

EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATOR AWARDS (ECI)- DR. MICHAEL PALEY, ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF MEDICINE IN THE DIVISION OF RHEUMATOLOGY AT WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE, WON THE PRESTIGIOUS $30,000 JANE BRUCKEL EARLY CAREER INVESTIGATOR AWARD IN AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS. DR. PALEY'S RESEARCH FOCUSES ON STUDYING SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS IN IMMUNE-PRIVILEGED ORGANS (I.E., AREAS OF THE BODY THAT ARE LESS LIKELY TO HAVE AN IMMUNE RESPONSE) SUCH AS THE EYES AND THE BRAIN. THIS INCLUDES HLA-B27+ ANTERIOR UVEITIS IN AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS AND NEUROLOGICAL INFLAMMATION FROM SARCOIDOSIS. AS AN OCULAR RHEUMATOLOGIST, HIS RESEARCH ON HLA-B27+ ANTERIOR UVEITIS LED HIM TO AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS RESEARCH.IN ADDITION TO FUNDING ECI AWARDS THE ORGANIZATION RECEIVES FUNDING REQUESTS FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES TO SUPPORT RESEARCH RELATED TO SPONDYLOARTHRITIS. SAA CONSIDERS IT IMPERATIVE THAT ANY RESEARCH PROPOSALS MAKE OPTIMAL USE OF THESE LIMITED RESOURCES. THE FOLLOWING SAA FUNDED RESEARCH GRANTS WERE CONDUCTED DURING THIS FISCAL YEAR:-TEJPAL GILL, PHD AT THE OREGON HEALTH & SCIENCE UNIVERSITY - INNOVATIVE STUDY "CHARACTERIZING AUTOIMMUNITY IN ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS" EMPLOYS BASIC SCIENCE RESEARCH USING CLINICAL SAMPLES AS WELL AS HLA-B27 TRANSGENIC RAT MODELS OF SPONDYLOARTHRITIS (SPA) TO ELUCIDATE AUTOIMMUNE MECHANISMS UNDERLYING AS PATHOGENESIS.-PAM WEISS, MD- NOVEL JUVENILE SPONDYLOARTHRITIS STUDY OF "ANTI-DRUG ANTIBODY DEVELOPMENT AND THE ROLE OF IMAGING TO SCREEN FOR AXIAL DISEASE FLARE AFTER TNF INHIBITOR DE-ESCALATION." ADDRESSES CRITICAL QUESTIONS BY PARENTS REGARDING THE RAMIFICATIONS OF DE-ESCALATING BIOLOGIC TREATMENTS WHEN DISEASE HAS BEEN INACTIVE. SAA, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH), HOSTED THE 2023 SPONDYLOARTHRITIS UNMET RESEARCH NEEDS CONFERENCE IV AT THE NIH IN BETHESDA, MARYLAND TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF SPONDYLOARTHRITIS RESEARCH AND EXISTING GAPS OF KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISEASE. THE PRESENTERS WERE WORLD RENOWNED EXPERTS IN THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC AREAS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED BY THE PLANNING COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS UNMET NEEDS IN SPA RESEARCH: ENDOTYPES (DISEASE SUBTYPES), PAIN, IMAGING, HEALTH DISPARITIES, AND THERAPEUTICS. THIS HIGHLY VALUED SEPTEMBER MEETING CONTINUED THE TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE AND IMPACT ON RESEARCH SEEN IN PREVIOUS CONFERENCES HELD IN 1998, 2006, AND 2017. IN ADDITION TO INVITING THE LEADING SPONDYLOARTHRITIS RESEARCHERS, A CONCERTED EFFORT WAS MADE TO INVITE -AND SPONSOR- RESEARCHERS WHO ARE EARLY IN THEIR CAREERS TO INSPIRE AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO BE THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADING SCIENTISTS. THESE EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS WERE NOT ONLY FULL PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONFERENCE, BUT THEY ALSO PRESENTED POSTERS ON THEIR SPONDYLOARTHRITIS RESEARCH. THE CONFERENCE WAS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED BY CORPORATE SPONSOR NOVARTIS, AND BY A VERY GENEROUS BEQUEST TO SAA.SAA, IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH), HOSTED THE 2023 SPONDYLOARTHRITIS UNMET RESEARCH NEEDS CONFERENCE IV AT THE NIH IN BETHESDA, MARYLAND TO DISCUSS THE FUTURE OF SPONDYLOARTHRITIS RESEARCH AND EXISTING GAPS OF KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE DISEASE. THE PRESENTERS WERE WORLD RENOWNED EXPERTS IN THE FOLLOWING SPECIFIC AREAS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED BY THE PLANNING COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS UNMET NEEDS IN SPA RESEARCH: ENDOTYPES (DISEASE SUBTYPES), PAIN, IMAGING, HEALTH DISPARITIES, AND THERAPEUTICS. THIS HIGHLY VALUED SEPTEMBER MEETING CONTINUED THE TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE & IMPACT ON RESEARCH SEEN IN PREVIOUS CONFERENCES HELD IN 1998, 2006, AND 2017. IN ADDITION TO INVITING THE LEADING SPONDYLOARTHRITIS RESEARCHERS, A CONCERTED EFFORT WAS MADE TO INVITE -AND SPONSOR- RESEARCHERS WHO ARE EARLY IN THEIR CAREERS TO INSPIRE AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO BE THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADING SCIENTISTS. THESE EARLY CAREER RESEARCHERS WERE NOT ONLY FULL PARTICIPANTS IN THE CONFERENCE, BUT THEY ALSO PRESENTED POSTERS ON THEIR SPONDYLOARTHRITIS RESEARCH. THE CONFERENCE WAS FINANCIALLY SUPPORTED BY CORPORATE SPONSOR NOVARTIS, AND BY A VERY GENEROUS BEQUEST TO SAA.

BACK 2 SPA BASICS PILOT PROGRAM-THIS PROGRAM WAS CREATED TO RAISE SPA AWARENESS AND EDUCATE PRIMARY CARE PROVIDERS AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS WITHIN A HOSPITAL'S HEALTHCARE SYSTEM USING MEDICAL RESIDENTS AS TRAINERS. RESIDENTS WHO COMPLETED THEIR CORE CLINICAL TRAINING IN INTERNAL MEDICINE AND HAVE CHOSEN RHEUMATOLOGY AS A SPECIALTY PARTICIPATED IN A SERIES OF 3-5 TRAININGS ABOUT SPA CONDUCTED VIRTUALLY VIA ZOOM. ONCE THESE RESIDENTS COMPLETE THE "TRAIN-THE-TRAINER" CURRICULUM, THEY SET UP PRESENTATIONS AT THEIR LOCAL HOSPITALS TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND INCREASE AWARENESS OF SPA. FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM, WE HAD 15 RESIDENTS ENROLL WHO THEN GAVE PRESENTATIONS ON SPA TO OVER 165 MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS WITHIN THEIR MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS. SAA'S COURSE FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, "EMS PITFALLS: ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS" WAS REACCREDITED IN DECEMBER 2022 AND CONTINUES TO PROVIDE 1 CE CREDIT FOR FIRST RESPONDERS AND NURSES.STANDARD EMS TREATMENT PROTOCOLS CAN CAUSE INJURY, DISABILITY, AND EVEN DEATH IN PATIENTS WITH ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS (AS). THIS COURSE PROVIDES TOOLS TO RECOGNIZE AS, AND SAFELY AND PROPERLY MANAGE IT IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.ANESTHESIOLOGY AND AIRWAY MANAGEMENT MODULE-THE SPONDYLITIS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA LAUNCHED THE ONLINE ACCREDITED COURSE FOR ANESTHESIOLOGISTS IN EARLY FEBRUARY 2023. THIS COLLABORATION WITH HENRY FORD HEALTH AIMS TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE AND PRACTICAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS TO ENHANCE THEIR SKILLS IN AIRWAY MANAGEMENT FOR PATIENTS WITH ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS. THIS ACTIVITY IS GUARANTEED TO HAVE A MINIMUM OF 600 LEARNERS. CASE-BASED MRI EDUCATIONAL TOOL FOR AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS-SAA SUPPORTED THE ENHANCEMENT BY CARE ARTHRITIS OF A MOBILE APP, LAUNCHED IN 2023, WHICH HOSTS AND DELIVERS MRI CASE STUDIES GEARED TO RHEUMATOLOGISTS AND RADIOLOGISTS. THE PROGRAM AIMS TO ADDRESS A TOP-RANKED UNMET EDUCATIONAL NEED IN THE FIELD OF SPONDYLOARTHRITIS, NAMELY, THE APPROPRIATE INTERPRETATION OF MRI BY RHEUMATOLOGISTS AND RADIOLOGISTS FOR EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF SPA. THE APP STREAMING CONTENT IS CASE-BASED AND INCLUDES BOTH CLINICAL AND IMAGING COMPONENTS. RHEUM TO DIAGNOSE-THE GOAL OF "RHEUM TO DIAGNOSE" IS TO ADDRESS REAL WORLD BARRIERS TO AN ACCURATE AND EXPEDIENT DIAGNOSIS OF NR-AXSPA IN THE RHEUMATOLOGY SETTING. THE PHYSICIAN-FACING CONTENT OF RHEUM TO DIAGNOSE INCLUDES A TOTAL OF SIX PRESENTATIONS FEATURING EXPERTS IN SPONDYLOARTHRITIS, GEARED TO TWO DISTINCT AUDIENCES: RHEUMATOLOGY FELLOWS, AND MEDICAL STUDENTS. ALL SIX PRESENTATIONS (THREE FOR RHEUMATOLOGY FELLOWS, AND THREE FOR MEDICAL STUDENTS) ALONG WITH A PROMOTIONAL TRAILER, ARE AVAILABLE ON SAA'S WEBSITE.

EDUCATION AND AWARENESSPATIENT EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS, WEBINARS, AND HEALTH EDUCATION CONTENT, ALONG WITH PATIENT SUPPORT PROGRAMS ARE DELIVERED VIA VARIOUS DIGITAL OUTLETS. SAA'S INTERACTIVE WEBSITE, LOCATED AT SPONDYLITIS.ORG, CONTAINS THOUSANDS OF PAGES OF SPONDYLOARTHRITIS INFORMATION, AND SERVES ALMOST 600,000 UNIQUE VISITORS EACH YEAR.PATIENT EDUCATIONAL SEMINARS WERE HELD VIRTUALLY UTILIZING A ROBUST AND INTERACTIVE VIRTUAL CONFERENCE PLATFORM. THE PLATFORM FEATURED AN ANIMATED AND INTERACTIVE LOBBY TO ACCESS DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE CONFERENCE HALL, INCLUDING THE EXHIBIT HALL, ACTIVITY LOUNGE, SPA RESOURCES HUB, AND PRESENTATION HALL - WHERE ATTENDEES ACCESSED THE SPEAKERS' LIVE PRESENTATIONS AND TOOK PART IN MODERATED Q&A SESSIONS. IN ADDITION, "FACEBOOK LIVE" BROADCASTS WERE ALSO CONDUCTED. THESE BROADCASTS ARE RECORDED AND AVAILABLE FOR FUTURE USE THROUGH THE SAA WEBSITE.PATIENT EDUCATION PUBLICATIONS INCLUDE A COLLECTION OF 12 UPDATED (AND PHYSICIAN VETTED) ENGLISH LANGUAGE SPONDYLOARTHRITIS EDUCATIONAL BROCHURES, AND 10 SPANISH LANGUAGE BROCHURES.AMONG THEM ARE OUR NEWEST BROCHURES, "TALKING TO YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT SPONDYLOARTHRITIS, AND "WHAT IS NR-AXSPA.". ADDITIONALLY, THE EXISTING "WHAT IS ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS" BROCHURE WAS REWRITTEN AND REDESIGNED. SAA ALSO OFFERS 10 SPANISH LANGUAGE BROCHURES.SPONDYLITIS PLUS MAGAZINE-SAA MEMBERS RECEIVE QUARTERLY ISSUES OF THE ORGANIZATION'S PREMIERE PRINT PUBLICATION. SPONDYLITIS PLUS PROVIDES IN-DEPTH COVERAGE OF ISSUES SUCH AS PAIN, FATIGUE, AND OTHER COMPLICATIONS, DISCUSSES THE LATEST RESEARCH AND TREATMENT INFORMATION - OFTEN PRESENTED BY PROMINENT RHEUMATOLOGISTS AND RESEARCHERS, FEATURES MOVING AND UNIQUE PERSONAL STORIES FROM OTHERS WITH SPONDYLOARTHRITIS, AND MUCH MORE. OVER 4,500 COPIES ARE DISTRIBUTED QUARTERLY.STRAIGHT TALK ON SPONDYLOARTHRITIS BOOK - THE 4TH EDITION OF THIS LEGACY PUBLICATION WAS FULLY RE-WRITTEN AND REDESIGNED. RELEASED IN DECEMBER OF 2023, THIS FULL COLOR EDITION FEATURES 12 NEW CHAPTERS, WRITTEN BY VARIOUS CONTENT EXPERTS, AND RECEIVED A FULL REDESIGN.ESUN-ALMOST 45,000 PEOPLE SUBSCRIBE TO AND RECEIVE SAA'S ESUN EACH MONTH. ESUN, THE ELECTRONIC SPONDYLOARTHRITIS UPDATE NEWSLETTER, CONTAINS A VARIETY OF SPONDYLOARTHRITIS-RELATED CONTENT, SUCH AS NEWS, RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES, UPCOMING SAA PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES, STORIES FROM THOSE LIVING WITH SPONDYLOARTHRITIS, AND MORE.SPONDYCAST PODCAST SERIES-SAA LAUNCHED A NEW WEEKLY PODCAST CALLED SPONDYCAST IN MARCH 2023, WITH AN ADDITIONAL 48 EPISODES RELEASED IN FY24. BOARD MEMBER AND HOST JILL MILLER INTERVIEWS WORLD-RENOWNED SPECIALISTS IN VARIOUS FIELDS INCLUDING MEDICINE, PSYCHOLOGY, DIET AND NUTRITION, AND FITNESS. SPONDYCAST IS AVAILABLE ON A VARIETY OF PLATFORMS INCLUDING SPOTIFY, APPLE, IHEART RADIO, PANDORA, AMAZON MUSIC, GOOGLE PODCASTS, AND MORE. "LIFE AFTER DIAGNOSIS" VIDEO SERIES-THIS PATIENT-FOCUSED EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM ADDRESSES THE UNMET NEED OF A SYSTEMATIC PATH TO UNDERSTANDING THE DIAGNOSIS, TREATMENTS, AND MANAGEMENT OF ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS (AS). THE PROJECT IS COMPRISED OF A SERIES OF SEVEN VIDEOS, EACH DELIVERED THROUGH AN EMAIL CONTAINING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES RELATED TO THE TOPIC AT HAND. THE CONTENT WAS DEVELOPED IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH LEADING HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AS WELL AS PATIENTS LIVING WITH AS. OVER 2,400 PARTICIPANTS HAVE ENROLLED IN THIS PROGRAM. ANIMATED VIDEO: WHAT IS NR-AXSPA?-SAA WORKED WITH A DIGITAL MEDIA PRODUCTION COMPANY TO SCRIPT AND DEVELOP OUR NEWEST ANIMATED EDUCATIONAL VIDEO, "WHAT IS NR-AXSPA?" THIS PIECE DISCUSSES COMMON SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF NR-AXSPA AND SHARES HELPFUL INFORMATION AND RESOURCES FOR THOSE IMPACTED (WHETHER DIAGNOSED OR NOT.)HEALTHY LIVING WITH AXSPA-THANKS TO THE SPONSORSHIP OF UCB, SAA CREATED A 2-PART VIDEO SERIES CALLED HEALTHY LIVING WITH AXSPA. THE FIRST VIDEO IN THIS UNIQUE SERIES, HEALTHY LIVING WITH AXSPA: COOKING WITH KEVIN GILLESPIE, FEATURES A COOKING DEMONSTRATION TO EDUCATE AND INSPIRE PEOPLE TO EMBRACE AN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY DIET FOR IMPROVED HEALTH OUTCOMES. IN THE SECOND VIDEO OF THE SERIES, HEALTHY LIVING WITH AXSPA: MANAGING MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL HEALTH, RHEUMATOLOGIST HILLARY NORTON AND LICENSED PSYCHOLOGIST DR. JANA LOMAX DISCUSS THE IMPACT OF SPONDYLOARTHRITIS ON MENTAL HEALTH AND PROVIDE TIPS THAT CAN MAKE A HUGE IMPACT ON WELL-BEING WHILE MANAGING A CHRONIC CONDITION. BOTH VIDEOS ARE AVAILABLE ON SAA'S WEBSITE AS ENDURING CONTENT. GLOBAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS SUMMIT 2024-SAA'S SIGNATURE ONLINE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, 6TH ANNUAL GLOBAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS SUMMIT, TOOK PLACE MAY 3-4. THIS YEAR'S SUMMIT FEATURED 6 PRESENTATIONS BY SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, 4 BREAKOUT GROUP SESSIONS COVERING TOPICS AIMED AT FOSTERING PEER CONNECTION AND SUPPORT WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, AND 2 PHYSICAL MOVEMENT SESSIONS TO ENCOURAGE PARTICIPANTS TO BE ACTIVE. WE OFFERED A MORE INTERACTIVE EXPERIENCE, ENABLING PARTICIPANTS TO NOT ONLY GAIN VALUABLE MEDICAL INSIGHTS BUT ALSO CONNECT WITH PEERS IN THEIR COMMUNITY THAT CAN POSITIVELY IMPACT THEIR WELL-BEING. IT ALSO FEATURED DAILY TRIVIA QUIZZES, A LEADERBOARD CHALLENGE, AN ACTIVITY LOUNGE AND AN EXHIBIT HALL. SAA ALSO PROVIDED SPANISH LANGUAGE SUBTITLES FOR THE PRESENTATIONS. MORE THAN 3,000 ATTENDEES FROM 94 COUNTRIES REGISTERED FOR THIS YEAR'S EVENT. RECORDINGS OF THE PRESENTATIONS AND Q&AS, AS WELL AS NOTES DETAILING HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE BREAKOUT SESSIONS ARE AVAILABLE AS ENDURING CONTENT ON SAA'S WEBSITE, SAA'S SUPPORT GROUPS-FROM JULY 1, 2023, TO JUNE 30, 2024, 37 ACTIVE SUPPORT GROUP LEADERS CONDUCTED A TOTAL OF 192 SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS. OUR SUPPORT GROUPS SPANNED 20 STATES, ENSURING WIDESPREAD REACH AND ACCESSIBILITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. MEETINGS WERE OFFERED IN VARIOUS FORMATS, INCLUDING ONLINE, IN-PERSON, AND HYBRID, TO ACCOMMODATE THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF ATTENDEES. WE HELD 12 SOCIAL CHAT HOURS, PROVIDING AN INFORMAL PLATFORM FOR SUPPORT GROUP LEADERS TO CONNECT, SHARE EXPERIENCES, AND OFFER MUTUAL SUPPORT OUTSIDE THE MORE STRUCTURED SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS. FOUR QUARTERLY CHECK-INS WERE HELD, ALLOWING US TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND GATHER FEEDBACK FROM SUPPORT GROUP LEADERS, ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR PROGRAMS, AND MAKE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO BETTER SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. WE WELCOMED THREE NEW SUPPORT GROUP LEADERS (TWIN CITIES, MN, WORCESTER, MA, AND NYC, NY). THESE ADDITIONS REFLECT OUR ONGOING EFFORTS TO EXPAND OUR REACH AND ENHANCE SUPPORT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS IN NEW REGIONS.CURRENTLY, OUR "MEETINGS WITHOUT BORDERS" INITIATIVE CONTINUES TO GROW, WITH 318 INDIVIDUALS REGISTERED TO RECEIVE ALERTS ABOUT UPCOMING MEETINGS. THIS PROGRAM ALLOWS CONSTITUENTS TO JOIN MEETINGS BEYOND THEIR LOCAL AREA, FOSTERING A BROADER SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT. SUPPORT GROUP LEADERS HAVE REPORTED THAT THEY HAVE SEEN MEETING ATTENDEES JOINING THEIR SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS FROM LOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF THEIR LOCAL AREA/STATE.