May is Lupus Awareness Month

• National Lupus Awareness Campaign
• Living Healthy With Lupus
• Lupus Information Table at HSS
• HSS Lupus Programs
• The Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Research
• Articles and Videos

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is pleased to announce a full slate of activities, sponsorships, and partnerships this May in observance of Lupus Awareness Month.

National Lupus Awareness Campaign

HSS is a collaborating community partner for the Office of Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services national lupus awareness campaign, which aims to educate and inform the public about lupus and lupus resources. Special Surgery is the only hospital that is a community partner.

The official campaign website can be found at http://www.couldihavelupus.gov/.

“Our participation reflects HSS’s outstanding contributions in rheumatology for support and education programs, clinical care, teaching and research,” said Roberta Horton, LCSW, ACSW, Director of the Department of Social Work Programs at HSS. “The campaign is focused on providing a wide range of communication strategies to raise awareness among culturally diverse women to improve early diagnosis and treatment.”

Living Healthy With Lupus

The HSS Department of Social Work is also sponsoring a public forum, "Living Healthy with Lupus," in collaboration with the SLE Lupus Foundation, in the Richard L. Menschel Education Center at HSS on Saturday, May 23, from 11 am. to 3 pm.

Download the flyer (.pdf format)

The day of health and beauty celebrates women with lupus and their families in a relaxed environment. Activities include hair and make-up sessions, exercise, massage therapy, skin care, and a lunchtime speaker who will present on Lupus and Exercise.

Lupus Information Table at HSS

There will be a lupus information table available on-site in several floors at the Hospital throughout the month of May, providing information about lupus and lupus resources to patients and the general public. Everyone is welcome to stop by during the following hours:

HSS Lupus Programs

In addition, HSS is home to the nation’s largest group of permanent programs for lupus education and support focusing on culturally diverse communities. These programs include the following:

• SLE Workshop, a monthly education and support group for people with lupus, along with their family and friends
• LupusLine®, a free national telephone peer counseling service focusing on one-to-one support for people with lupus and their families
• Charla de Lupus (Lupus Chat)®, a free national peer health education and support program for Spanish-speaking communities with lupus
• Teen and Parent Lupus Chat Groups, a monthly in-person chat group for teens with lupus and their parents.
• LANtern®, the Lupus Asian Network, a free national support and education program for Asian-Americans with lupus and their families.

HSS is also delighted to announce the new Cardiovascular Disease Prevention Counseling Program for HSS patients with lupus and/or positive antiphospholipid antibodies, sponsored by the HSS Division of Rheumatology. This program provides basic assessment and education of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors in patients who participate in counseling, including tailored lifestyle recommendations.

The Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Research

For more than forty years, HSS has been a leader in research defining the underlying mechanisms of disease in lupus and has provided expert care of patients with lupus. 

The unique Mary Kirkland Center for Lupus Research was established to achieve new understanding of the molecular and cellular basis of lupus, contribute to the development of new lupus therapies, and improve the lives of patients with lupus.

Several HSS lupus clinical trials are currently underway, all spearheaded and investigated by the Hospital's experts.

Articles and Videos

Hospital for Special Surgery is also an excellent resource for information about lupus and its complications. Dozens of up-to-date articles and videos have been prepared by HSS rheumatologists, social workers, physical therapists, and other experts on lupus and related conditions/issues, and more are added every month.