Dr. Burstin to Kickoff NOF’s Annual Meeting on Wednesday, May 20 in Washington, DC
The National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) announced Helen Burstin, MD, MPH, FACP, Chief Scientific Officer of The National Quality Forum, as the keynote speaker for the 2015 Interdisciplinary Symposium on Osteoporosis (ISO15). Dr. Burstin will deliver the keynote address, “Opportunities for Performance Improvement in Osteoporosis and Post-Fracture Patient Management,” to open NOF’s annual meeting on Wednesday, May 20 at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, D.C.
ISO15 is the premier clinical conference for healthcare professionals who treat patients with and at-risk for osteoporosis and fractures. The conference is expected to attract more than 500 attendees interested in learning how to better care for patients with osteoporosis and fractures and to protect those at-risk of breaking bones due to osteoporosis.
“We are thrilled to confirm Dr. Burstin as the keynote speaker for ISO15,” said Deborah T. Gold, PhD, Duke University Medical Center, and Co-Chair, ISO15 Planning Committee. “As an expert in quality measurement and performance improvement, we’re looking forward to hearing her insights on our efforts to improve post-fracture patient care.”
“With 54 million Americans over age 50 at-risk for osteoporosis and broken bones, the need for effective post-fracture prevention and care coordination programs in the U.S. is clear,” said Mary Oates, MD, Marian Regional Medical Center and Co-Chair, ISO Planning Committee. “With Dr. Burstin’s keynote and ISO15’s focus on improving post-fracture care, we’re aiming to ensure all patients over 50 who suffer a fracture are tested for osteoporosis and receive treatment, if needed.”
Osteoporosis is responsible for approximately two million fractures every year, yet less than 25 percent of older women who suffer a fracture are tested or treated for osteoporosis. The solution to changing the nearly 75 percent care gap in existence today is the widespread implementation of fracture liaison service (FLS) programs. Over the past 15 years of operation in the U.S. and internationally, the FLS model of care has been proven to improve patient outcomes and significantly reduce the incidence of secondary fractures.
“We can’t improve what we don’t measure and quality measurement and improvement in osteoporosis can make a real difference,” said Helen Burstin, MD, MPH, FACP, Chief Scientific Officer of The National Quality Forum. “I look forward to hearing from the experts at NOF to improve care for at-risk Americans.”
Dr. Burstin is a seasoned veteran in healthcare improvement. As the Chief Scientific Officer for The National Quality Forum, a not-for-profit membership organization that works to catalyze healthcare improvement through quality measurement and reporting, Dr. Burstin is responsible for advancing the science of quality measurement and improvement. She provides scientific oversight for the evaluation, endorsement and selection of quality measures and the transition to electronic performance measurement. Prior to joining NQF in 2007, she was the Director of the Center for Primary Care, Prevention, and Clinical Partnerships at the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), where she oversaw the development of an extensive research portfolio at the intersection of health information technology and quality of care.
In addition to Dr. Burstin’s keynote address, ISO15 will feature in-depth educational sessions on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis, led by world renowned experts. ISO15 encompasses all medical disciplines and specialties involved in treating patients with and at-risk for osteoporosis and fractures and will include a full-day pre-conference workshop and Certificate of Completion in the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) Model of Care. ISO15 will also update attendees on the impact of healthcare reform and quality reporting on individual practitioners to help improve clinical patient outcomes. The information shared at ISO15 will provide clinicians with the most up-to-date, clinically relevant and evidence-based information on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis.
“By providing healthcare professionals with the latest information on implementing the FLS model of care to better treat their patients with and at-risk for osteoporosis, we have the opportunity to spare millions of Americans from the pain and suffering of osteoporosis and the broken bones it causes,” said Amy Porter, executive director and CEO of NOF.
For additional details on ISO15, please visit www.nof-iso.org.