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2002 National Conference: Workshop speakers

The 2002 World Conference featured an impressive lineup of physicians, researchers and Psoriasis Foundation volunteers who led the event's workshops.

	Stress Management Evelyn Bohm, Ph.D., led participants through a workshop detailing how the mind and body influence each other in people with chronic skin disease and how stress reduction techniques may promote healing. Dr. Bohm has been a psychotherapist for more than 25 years. She is a former emergency room nurse, college instructor, researcher, consultant and workshop leader, and has published several articles pertaining to mental health.
	Tips for Specific Sites In this session, Michael Zanolli, M.D., explained how to best treat psoriasis on specific skin sites. Dr. Zanolli is an associate clinical professor of dermatology at Vanderbilt University and a private practitioner in Nashville, Tenn. He has served two terms on the Psoriasis Foundation Medical Advisory Board, is a member of the Psoriasis Specialists Patient Advocacy Group, and is medical co-editor of the Psoriasis Foundation Bulletin and Psoriasis Resource newsletters.
	It Works For Me In this workshop, participants shared their practical advice about different treatments-clinical and homespun-for psoriasis. The workshop was led by Ed Reiss, a developer of online database and bio-informatics software, and Diane Lewis, a member of the Psoriasis Foundation since 1986 who has had psoriasis for 24 years. Ed Reiss resides in San Francisco, Calif. As a volunteer, he built the Psoriasis Foundation's first Web site, and has served on the Psoriasis Foundation Board of Trustees since 1995.
	Diane Lewis founded and coordinated the Bay Area Psoriasis Network Group and facilitated workshops at the Psoriasis Foundation 2001 conference. In May 2002, Ms. Lewis testified about the need for new psoriasis treatments before an FDA advisory committee.
	Understanding the Doctor/Patient Relationship In this workshop, conference participants heard from two experts--Charlene Berger, R.N and Tena Brown--about how doctors view their relationships with patients, and how patients can take initiative to improve communication with doctors. Charlene Berger has been a registered nurse for 31 years. She has an associate's degree in nursing from Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, N.Y., and a bachelor's degree in nursing from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Fla. She has worked in dermatology for 15 years and facilitates a community psoriasis support group.
	Tena Brown is a noted speaker/trainer who works full time on behalf of psoriasis patients. Having struggled with psoriasis herself for more than 31 years, she now travels the country coaching doctors and nurses on how to be more effective and caring with their patients.
	Phototherapy Jerry Bagel, M.D., offered safe and effective UV light treatment tips to participants. Dr. Bagel is the director of the Psoriasis Treatment Center in New Jersey, a clinical associate professor of dermatology at Robert Wood Johnson School of Medicine, and an attending physician at the Medical Center at Princeton. He is a member of the Psoriasis Foundation Medical Advisory Board.
	Alternative Approaches Alternative therapies are becoming more and more part of mainstream medicine. In this session, participants learned from Shari Lieberman, Ph.D., which alternative therapies may or may not work. Dr. Lieberman holds a Ph.D. in clinical nutrition and exercise physiology. She is a faculty member at the University of Bridgeport, School of Human Nutrition, an industry consultant and a published scientist, and she has been in private practice for approximately 20 years.
	Coping with the Emotional Aspects In this discussion-style session, members shared their emotional experiences and learned how others cope with the emotional impact of the disease. Vickie L. Dowling, a long-time Psoriasis Foundation member and volunteer, led the workshop. A past leader of the Orange County Psoriasis Network Group, she is currently completing her doctoral degree in clinical psychology at Alliant International University.
	People Who Don't Have Psoriasis Caring for Those Who Do Participants benefited from hearing how to assist someone with psoriasis and how to cope when the disease brings stress to the relationships. Dale White, a vice chairman of the Psoriasis Foundation Board of Trustees and the senior vice president of the BCE Emergis Corporation in Rockville, Md., led the workshop.
	Practical Advice on Biologics From self-injections to high prices, participants learned from health care professionals and those who have used the new treatments what to expect from these promising new drugs. Steve Feldman, M.D., Ph.D., and Tara Rolstad, Psoriasis Foundation Director of Research, led the workshop. Dr. Feldman is a professor of dermatology, pathology and public health sciences at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem, N.C. His chief clinical interest is psoriasis, which, along with health service research in dermatology, is also the main subject of his research studies. He is a member of the Psoriasis Foundation Medical Advisory Board.
	Systemic Treatments Gerald G. Krueger, M.D., explained the details about treatments that are taken orally or injects. Dr. Krueger is a professor of dermatology at the University of Utah School of Medicine. He advises the Psoriasis Foundation on a number of medical and scientific projects as chairman of the Psoriasis Foundation Medical Advisory Board.
	Topical Treatments J. Richard Taylor, M.D., explored the pros and cons of topical medications and tips for maximizing their potential benefit. Dr. Taylor recently retired from the University of Miami Department of Dermatology after 33 years on the faculty. He is now in private practice in Tallahassee, Fla., and plans to continue his studies of patients with psoriasis.