Jill Murray, Sue Kozij and Jack Kagan, (previous Victorian state representative) attended the ESA/SRB conference in Melbourne in August, 2008.

The Foundation's booth displayed posters showing the pituitary gland and highlighting the various types of pituitary disease and conditions.  Our newsletter the 'Pituitary Connection" was on display where many participants took the opportunity to take a copy.

The conference provided an opportunity for Jill and Sue to network and make contact with a variety of people, using the time to discuss further sponsorship with the pharmaceutical companies and acquire excellent information from the other participants. It was wonderful to share the experience with Jack who attended on the Wednesday.  Jack found the attendance provided him with the opportunity to speak with a couple of pharmaceutical representatives with whom he was engaged with during the 2001 submission for Growth Hormone for severely deficient adults to become available on the PBS.

In September 2007 Sue Kozij, secretary, her husband Eric, and Catherine Wormald, chairperson, attended the ESA & ENSA conference in Christchurch New Zealand. This is a very large conference with other organizations participating at the same time. The Foundation had a booth and displayed its posters showing the pituitary gland and posters highlighting the types of pituitary disease that many of our members suffer from. Sue does a great job in ensuring that the booth is eye catching with purple and orange balloons and streamers. Whilst the Foundation does not have the fancy giveaways that others do we still have very useful products that health professionals who attend can pass onto their patients.

The conference is also a time for the Foundation to educate and inform health professionals, pharmaceutical companies and other interested parties about the Foundation and the valuable work it does in supporting those affected by pituitary disease. It provides an opportunity for connections to be made with doctors and others and to gain extra support from these people and organizations. Sue and Catherine also attended some of the presentations. While many of the presentations were very technical and above our heads we still managed to understand and gain some new information. Latest research and findings are presented at conferences such as these both in the form of oral presentations as well as poster sessions.

New Zealand does not have an organisation such as ours and the endocrine nurses were very keen to learn more about it, how it is set up, the activities that are organized and the services provided. We told them we would be happy to do whatever we could to support them in setting up their own. We look forward to seeing how they go in trying to establish their own for their patients.

Sue, Eric and Catherine would like to thank the Foundation for this opportunity to spread the word about the Foundation and to learn more about endocrine disease.

Sue Kozij (secretary) and Catherine Wormald (chairperson) attended the Endocrine Society of Australian (ESA) and the Endocrine Nurses Society of Australia (ENSA) Conferences on the Gold Coast in August.

The APF had a trade display at the conference and the conference participants showed much interest. Representatives of many hospitals requested posters to display in their clinics and waiting rooms. Some doctors also expressed an interest in finding out more about the Foundation and the work it did. The conferences provides an opportunity for Sue and Catherine to network and make contacts with a variety of people and the possibility of discussing further sponsorship with the pharmaceutical companies. Although very exhausting for Sue and Catherine they were very worthwhile from the perspective of the APF.

Kel Childs (member) and Catherine Wormald presented to the nurses of ENSA on the male perspective when dealing with pituitary illness and on the work of the Foundation. The nurses were an extremely receptive audience and asked many questions. They found the session very informative. ENSA also donated $150 to the APF in recognition of the time given by the presenters.

Kel Childs presented a male perspective of living with pituitary disease

The nurses from ENSA were very welcoming and encouraging. Many of us are aware of the great work the nurses do and the practical strategies they offer. Sue and Catherine would like to thank ENSA for their very warm welcome and hospitality. The ESA were also supportive of the APF and it was as a result of their goodwill that the foundation was able to have a trade table. The APF is looking forward to continuing these partnerships.

Kel Childs (APF member), Catherine Wormald (APF Chairperson), Jill Stillman (Senior Research Assistant, Centre for Online Health, University of Queensland, Executive Secretary and Organizing Chair for the ENSA Annual Conference), and Klaus Sommer Endocrine CNC, Dept. of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Concord Hospital, Treasurer ENSA)

As well as attending these conferences the APF also had representation at the Australian Paediatric Endocrine Group (APEG) Scientific Meeting in September in Hobart. As the Children’s Growth Foundation merged with the APF several years ago this was a golden opportunity for awareness of the APF to be raised amongst paediatricians.

Providing for our members who are children is a high priority for the APF. This scientific meeting also provided a chance to raise the issue of growth hormone for adults, as many of the foundations’ paediatric members who are on growth hormone, are, or will be becoming adults in the near future and this will become an issue of real concern for them and their families. We are pleased to say that this issue is very much a priority of the foundation and we will be doing our utmost to encourage and work with the pharmaceutical companies to submit another application to the government. The APF is grateful to the APEG committee, especially Dr Tricia Crock, who is very enthusiastic about the APF and the benefits for her patients. The APF would like to thank APEG for their generous support and we look forward to developing and furthering this partnership.