{"id":14,"asset_id":"83","title":"My first hidradenitis suppurativa support group meeting","alias":"my-first-hidradenitis-suppurativa-support-group-meeting","introtext":"<p>This evening I had the great pleasure to participate in my first hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) support group meeting. Although we didn't make the trip to\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.massgeneral.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)<\/a> to meet with the group in person, my sister and I were able to patch in remotely via Google Hangouts video call. This was made possible by the exceptional efforts put forth by Molly and Katie with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/curtis.harvard\" target=\"_blank\">Harvard Skin Studies<\/a> to include the greater HS community.<\/p>\r\n","fulltext":"\r\n<p>The <a href=\"http:\/\/www.massgeneral.org\/dermatology\/services\/curtis.aspx\" target=\"_blank\">Clinical Unit for Research Trials and Outcomes in Skin (CURTIS)<\/a>, also called Harvard Skin Studies, is a research unit in the dermatology department of MGH that is directed by one of the world's leading researchers in HS, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.massgeneral.org\/dermatology\/doctors\/doctor.aspx?id=17581\" target=\"_blank\">Alexa Kimball, MD, MPH<\/a>. Dr. Kimball is also the Medical Director of the Massachusetts General Physicians Organization and Professor of Dermatology at Harvard Medical School. Among the broad spectrum of dermatology research Dr. Kimball has published, her contributions to the knowledge of HS can be found with a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/?term=kimball+hidradenitis+suppurativa\" target=\"_blank\">search in PubMed for \"kimball hidradenitis suppurativa\"<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n<p>With recent interest in the evaluation of adalimumab as a treatment for moderate to severe HS (AbbVie's Humira), it seems that some momentum may be accumulating in the motivation for future HS research. Harvard Skin Studies is currently gearing up for a new HS treatment study, and with this campaign has expanded their resources to perform outreach into the broader HS community at large on the internet. Kudos to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/curtis.harvard\" target=\"_blank\">Harvard Skin Studies' Facebook presence<\/a> for realizing this, entering into the many closed (private) Facebook support groups for HS, and inviting HS patients, friends, family, and medical professional worldwide to join in their local HS support group at MGH.<\/p>\r\n<p>The support group meeting took place at MGH around dinner time today, and kicked off as one might expect as the first meeting. Guided by two wonderfully delightful moderators, Molly and Katie (medical research colleagues of Dr. Kimball), the meeting began with a welcoming round of introductions from everyone including remote attendees.<\/p>","state":1,"catid":"9","created":"2015-11-17 05:37:52","created_by":"432","created_by_alias":"","modified":"2015-11-17 05:46:28","modified_by":"431","checked_out":"431","checked_out_time":"2015-11-17 05:46:03","publish_up":"2015-11-17 05:37:52","publish_down":"0000-00-00 00:00:00","images":"{\"image_intro\":\"\",\"float_intro\":\"\",\"image_intro_alt\":\"\",\"image_intro_caption\":\"\",\"image_fulltext\":\"\",\"float_fulltext\":\"\",\"image_fulltext_alt\":\"\",\"image_fulltext_caption\":\"\"}","urls":"{\"urla\":false,\"urlatext\":\"\",\"targeta\":\"\",\"urlb\":false,\"urlbtext\":\"\",\"targetb\":\"\",\"urlc\":false,\"urlctext\":\"\",\"targetc\":\"\"}","attribs":"{\"show_title\":\"\",\"link_titles\":\"\",\"show_tags\":\"\",\"show_intro\":\"\",\"info_block_position\":\"\",\"show_category\":\"\",\"link_category\":\"\",\"show_parent_category\":\"\",\"link_parent_category\":\"\",\"show_author\":\"\",\"link_author\":\"\",\"show_create_date\":\"\",\"show_modify_date\":\"\",\"show_publish_date\":\"\",\"show_item_navigation\":\"\",\"show_icons\":\"\",\"show_print_icon\":\"\",\"show_email_icon\":\"\",\"show_vote\":\"\",\"show_hits\":\"\",\"show_noauth\":\"\",\"urls_position\":\"\",\"alternative_readmore\":\"\",\"article_layout\":\"\",\"show_publishing_options\":\"\",\"show_article_options\":\"\",\"show_urls_images_backend\":\"\",\"show_urls_images_frontend\":\"\"}","version":3,"ordering":"0","metakey":"","metadesc":"","access":"1","hits":"0","metadata":"{\"robots\":\"\",\"author\":\"\",\"rights\":\"\",\"xreference\":\"\"}","featured":"0","language":"*","xreference":""}