Hospital for Special Surgery Celebrates October -- Lupus Awareness Month – With a Chinese Banquet
NEW YORK—October 27, 2006
More than 70 participants took part in an eight-course Chinese banquet. Speakers included volunteer counselors as well as physicians.
"The theme of the event underscores the fact that lupus, a chronic autoimmune disorder, primarily affects women of color," said Karen Ng, senior program coordinator, LANtern (Lupus Asian Network) at HSS.
"As a young Chinese-American woman diagnosed with lupus in 2000, I was lost, confused and terrified," said Ms. Ng. "I tried to find as much information on lupus as I could, but I still felt very lonely in my struggles. Traditional monthly support groups just didn't work for me. Starting the LANtern (Lupus Asian Network) program, which connects lupus patients and family members from the Chinese community with others who share the same language and cultural background, has enabled me to help others reduce their feelings of isolation and give them strength and hope to live with this disease," she said.
Ms. Ng was featured in Lupus Now, the magazine published by the Lupus Foundation of America, discussing multicultural perspectives on lupus.
Hospital for Special Surgery peer to peer telephone and in-person programs are the only ones in the country designed to provide education and support in Chinese (LANtern - Lupus Asian Network), Spanish (Charla de Lupus/Lupus Chat), and English (LupusLine) in a culturally relevant way.
Several new publications now available by these Hospital for Special Surgery programs include the 2006 revised edition of "For the Inquiring Teen with Lupus: Our Thoughts, Issues and Concerns"(pdf file), the only booklet designed by and for teens with lupus. LANtern has also published two new bilingual educational brochures, "Talking About Lupus"(pdf file), and "Lupus: Myths and Facts"(pdf file). These publications are available free of charge for people with lupus and their families, and to health care professionals caring for them.
Hospital for Special Surgery offers outstanding clinical care and research for lupus, a rheumatologic disease that disproportionately affects women of color. The Hospital offers more support and education programs than any other hospital in the country for people with this illness and their family members.
For more information about the banquet, please call Karen Ng, senior program coordinator, LANtern, at 212.774.2508.
About Hospital for Special Surgery
Founded in 1863, Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is a world leader in orthopedics, rheumatology and rehabilitation. HSS is nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics, No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report, and has received Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center. In the 2006 edition of HealthGrades' Hospital Quality in America Study, HSS received five-star ratings for clinical excellence in its specialties. A member of the NewYork-Presbyterian Healthcare System and an affiliate of Weill Medical College of Cornell University, HSS provides orthopedic and rheumatologic patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital at New York Weill Cornell Medical Center. All Hospital for Special Surgery medical staff are on the faculty of Weill Medical College of Cornell University. The hospital's research division is internationally recognized as a leader in the investigation of musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases. Hospital for Special Surgery is located in New York City and online at www.hss.edu.
For more information or to make an appointment: contact our Physician Referral Service
+1.877.606.1555 (toll-free in US), Mon-Fri 9am to 5pm (EST)
For Media Contacts:
Phyllis Fisher
212.606.1197
fisherp@hss.edu