Medical meeting to feature research findings and disease prevention and health promotion sessions

Premier conference on preventive medicine scheduled for Washington, DC, February 16-20

Scheduled for February 16-20 in Washington, DC, Preventive Medicine 2005 will attract over 600 physicians and other health care professionals. The meeting will be held at the Omni Shoreham Hotel.

Provocative plenary sessions will focus on:

• Challenges in promoting physical activity among Americans,
• The outlook for the 109th Congress to tackle important public health issues,
• Public health challenges in times of global military conflict,
• New strategies for improving chronic illness care, and
• National policy issues related to vaccine supply and distribution.

Topics to be discussed during the meeting will fall into five major areas: public health practice, clinical preventive medicine, healthcare quality improvement, prevention policy issues, and teaching preventive medicine.

The conference will address a wide variety of timely preventive medicine issues, including smoking cessation, terrorism and disaster preparedness, aspirin therapy, obesity, physical activity, emerging infectious diseases, health disparities, birth defects, global health, and many more important issues.

Selected highlights of the meeting include:

• Ken Cooper, CEO, Founder of The Cooper Aerobics Center, discussing medicine in the 21st Century;
• U.S. Senator Tom Harkin and House Representative Ralph Regula (Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies), previewing the health promotion and disease prevention issues facing the 109th U.S. Congress,
• Mark McClellan, Administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services, discussing strategies to broaden the role of prevention in Medicare,
• William Dietz, Director of the Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, assessing the nation's progress in tackling the obesity epidemic as well as future prospects and challenges,
• The results of a new ACPM survey on aspirin use to prevent cardiovascular disease, and
• Numerous experts addressing global health issues, including the recent tsunami disaster and its public health ramifications.

Other highlights will include the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and CDC-sponsored Task Force on Community Preventive Services providing updates on the most recent preventive health recommendations.

In addition to the formal plenary and concurrent educational sessions, original research oral presentations, and new research poster presentations, the meeting will feature an exhibit hall where registrants can learn about products and services designed for application in preventive medicine and health promotion. There will be an awards banquet at which members of the College will recognize their peers for professional achievement, career advancement sessions, and social events to provide networking opportunities.

Preventive Medicine 2005 will be convened jointly with Medical Quality 2005, the annual conference of the American College of Medical Quality. Medical Quality 2005 will address emerging issues in healthcare quality improvement and patient safety.

Detailed information about Preventive Medicine 2005 can be found on the ACPM web site at www.acpm.org.

The American College of Preventive Medicine is the national medical specialty society representing physicians committed to health promotion and disease prevention. Founded in 1954, ACPM provides leadership in research, professional education, development of public policy, and enhancement of standards of preventive medicine. In addition to physicians Board-certified in preventive medicine, ACPM's members include physicians Board-certified in other medical specialties who have a strong interest in health promotion and disease prevention. For more information about ACPM, visit www.acpm.org.