COPD State Plan News Conference
May 1, 2008 | 10AM
James R. Thompson Center | Chicago
Over half a million Illinoisans suffer from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In the United States COPD claims the life of one person every four minutes.This progressive disease is the 4th leading cause of death, killing more women than men, and is predicted to be the 3rd leading cause by 2020. COPD is diagnosed in more than 12 million people and an additional 12 million likely have the disease and don’t even know it.
Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago (RHAMC) and the Illinois COPD Coalition will release the Illinois COPD State Plan. Doctors, clinicians, patients and experts will discuss the impact and management of COPD as well as recommendations and implementation of the second state COPD plan in the nation. Those scheduled to participate are:
- Grace Anne Dorney Koppel—COPD patient/advocate
- James P. Kiley, PhD—Director of the Division of Lung Diseases, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
- Jeffery Glassroth, MD—Illinois COPD State Plan Chair and Vice Dean & Chief Academic Officer, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University
- Terry Mason, MD—Commissioner of the Chicago Department of Public Health
- David Goldberg—Director, Section of Preventative Medicine, Cook County Bureau of Health Services
- Joel Africk—President and Chief Executive Officer, Respiratory Health Association of Metropolitan Chicago
For more information, please view our media kit or contact Mary Beth Berkoff at
312-628-0225 or Meghan Bradley at 312-628-0250.