OLD LYME, CT — MARCH 2, 2015 — The PILOT™ (Pulmonary Fibrosis Identification: Lessons for Optimizing Treatment) initiative, a cornerstone in IPF education for over a decade, is partnering with the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation to bring about state-of-the-art education focused on idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). This unique collaboration will bring education to the local level by working in conjunction with major idiopathic lung disease (ILD) centers across the country. In a rare opportunity, patients will have the ability to interact with clinicians within these ILD centers as well as clinicians from the community setting.

The success of these efforts has been demonstrated at the first of these collaborative educational symposia, hosted by the Yale ILD Center. Attendance was at full capacity and included over 75 clinicians, patients, and caregivers. The unique format allowed Yale to reach out to community pulmonologists; members of the local Connecticut Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation could meet experts from the ILD center; and clinician attendees learned from experts in the field and gained a special understanding of patient perspective.

The France Foundation will continue to partner with the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation to bring additional programs in 2015. Watch for upcoming programs:

• March 7 | Hosted by University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC), Pittsburgh, PA
• March 11 | Hosted by University of Louisville, Louisville, KY
• March 14 | Hosted by University of California (UCLA), Los Angeles, CA
• March 18 | Hosted by Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
• March 19 | Hosted by Lankenau Medical Center, Wynnewood, PA
• March 21 | Hosted by Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), Charleston, SC
• March 23 | Hosted by National Jewish Health, Denver, CO
• March 24 | Hosted by University of Chicago, Chicago, IL
• March 31 | Hosted by University of Miami, Miami, FL

In addition, with recent support, keep an eye out for more programs in 2015.

This collaborative effort highlights the pivotal role PILOT has played in IPF management and the ongoing relationships The France Foundation continues to build with various stakeholders. “We are very excited to be working with the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation,” commented Stacy Miller, president of The France Foundation who has been involved in this initiative from the very beginning. “As PILOT continues to expand, we have been working with various organizations to expand the already vast reach of PILOT.” This past December, PILOT partnered with the American College of Chest Physicians to bring its members a special webinar series on IPF.

About PILOT™
PILOT is an award-winning national education initiative designed to provide physicians with comprehensive continuing medical education activities that focuses on the early and accurate diagnosis of IPF while also addressing critical issues related to optimizing disease intervention and management. In 2007 the American Thoracic Society gave the PILOT™ Web site a highly favorable review as a best-available and excellent online clinical resource for interstitial lung disease. PILOT also received a first place award in the category of Clinical Resource Center Outstanding Educational Activity in Professional Development as bestowed by the leadership of the American College of CHEST Physicians (ACCP) at their 2009 annual meeting.

PILOT has attained a level of recognition and credibility across practitioner and patient communities that places it as one of the primary sources for timely and innovative education on IPF. In the 10 years since its launch, PILOT has had over 12 million hits to its Web site. The PILOT™ Web site can be accessed at www.pilotforipf.org. The content and education assumes baseline knowledge one would have as a clinician trained in pulmonary diseases and clinically active in managing patients. New educational modules are being added to the initiative.

About IPF
IPF is an irreversible, unpredictable, and ultimately fatal disease characterized by scarring (fibrosis) in the lungs, hindering the ability to process oxygen. IPF leads to worsening lung function and exercise tolerance, and shortness of breath. Every IPF patient follows a different and unpredictable course and it is not possible to predict if a patient will progress slowly or rapidly, or when the rate of decline may change. Periods of transient clinical stability in IPF, should they occur, give way to continued disease progression. The median survival time from diagnosis is 2 to 5 years, with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 20-40%, which makes IPF more rapidly lethal than many malignancies, including breast, ovarian, and colorectal cancers. IPF typically occurs in patients over the age of 45, and tends to affect slightly more men than women.

About The France Foundation
Since its inception in 1999, The France Foundation has been at the forefront of planning, developing, and implementing multidisciplinary accredited medical education. TFF specializes in curriculum-based education and in educational collaborations that improve providers’ knowledge, competence, and practical performance to ultimately improve the care practices provide. The France Foundation is an award-winning organization that is accredited with commendation by the ACCME (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education) and by the ACPE (Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education) to provide CME credit for physicians and pharmacists, respectively.

For more information please go to www.francefoundation.com.