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In the Spring 2010 Issue                                                                                                                                                             National Volunteer Week: Thank You Partial Reversal of Osteoporosis Testing Cuts Included in Congressional Health Reform Bill NOF Needs Your Support to Introduce the Bone Health Promotion and Research Act in the U.S. Senate NOF Asks COngress to Support $35 billion for NIH for Fiscal Year 2011 Strong Voices for Strong Bones on Capitol Hill this Spring New Advocacy Tool Kit Meet Jennie Image: Advocate for Bone Health May is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month                                            Thank You for Being a Volunteer Advocate with NOF Today is the start of National Volunteer Week, celebrating individuals like you doing extraordinary things to improve their communities across the nation. Over the past year you have made dozens of visits to elected officials, written hundreds of letters to Congress and participated in events in your communities to raise awareness of osteoporosis and bone health. You've also spread the word with family, friends, neighbors and those you work and care for. This National Volunteer Week, we thank you for being a volunteer advocate with NOF and for working with us to promote strong bones for life! Partial Reversal of Osteoporosis Testing Cuts Included in Congressional Health Reform Bill On March 23, 2010 the President signed the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, “ H.R. 3590, that includes some relief from Medicare cuts to Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA), the imaging procedure accepted as the gold standard for preventing, diagnosing and treating osteoporosis. The legislation requires Medicare to reverse cuts in DXA reimbursement during 2010 and 2011 to no less than 70 percent of the 2006 rates and provide for a study and report by the Institute of Medicine on this issue.This allows continued access to a medical service vital to all those living with and at risk for osteoporosis. Thank you for communicating with your Members of Congress on this issue. Because of you, we have achieved a victory for the improved bone health of all Americans. View NOF's press release on H.R. 3590. NOF Needs Your Support to Introduce the Bone Health Promotion and Research Act in the U.S. Senate NOF supports the creation of a National Bone Health Program through the “Bone Health Promotion and Research Act,” (H.R. 3856). NOF is advocating for this bill to be introduced in the U.S. Senate and has identified North Carolina Senator Kay Hagan as one of several  potential lead sponsors of the bill in the U.S. Senate. Thank you to everyone from North Carolina who signed a letter to the Senator requesting her support. Please ask your Representative to support the creation of a National Bone Health Program by cosponsoring H.R. 3856! NOF Asks Congress to Support $35 billion for NIH for Fiscal Year 2011 Investing in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) supports not only research but also saves lives. It also contributes to a more dynamic domestic economy invigorated by biomedical investment and supports America’s long-term competitiveness in the world community. NOF supports $35 billion to fund NIH for Fiscal Year 2011 along with a commensurate increase for the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculosketal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), the lead institute for osteoporosis and related bone diseases. NOF joins with groups such as the National Coalition for Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases, the AdHoc Group for Medical Research and Research!America in requesting from Congress this level of funding for NIH. Strong Voices for Strong Bones on Capitol Hill This Spring Front row, from left to right, Joan Metcalfe, Betty Bullock, Barbara Thorpe, Deborah Fertakis, Kay Jaskolski and Representative Barbara French. Back row, from left to right, Dr. Henry Bone, Kaarene Parker, Bea Duque Long from NOF, Jane Korst, Roberta Biegel from NOF, Pat Bronzo, Marilyn Maintanis. Picture by Rick Reinhard. On March 16 NOF brought together patients and health professionals from around the country to meet with Members of Congress on Capitol Hill to raise awareness of the physical and economic impact that osteoporosis and poor bone health have on the nation. Advocates came from Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Mexico and Washington to share their stories and asked Congress to protect patient access to osteoporosis testing, create a National Bone Health Program and increase research funding. NOF brought patients and health professionals together last October to celebrate World Osteoporosis Day and is planning two more advocacy days on Capitol Hill again this spring, on April 27 and June 15. Many of the advocates that have visited Capitol Hill are continuing to build relationships with their elected officials once they go back home through district office visits and by being a resource on osteoporosis and bone health policy issues. New Advocacy Tool Kit NOF wants to empower you to become an agent of change and a strong voice for strong bones! The new Advocacy Tool Kit is designed to help you become a more effective advocate for better bone health by helping you speak up about the impact of osteoporosis. You have the power to influence your family and friends, neighbors, elected officials and the media. This Advocacy Tool Kit will show you how. NOF stands ready to work with you! Meet Jennie Image: Advocate for Bone Health Jennie Image is a volunteer NOF support group leader in the Dallas, Texas area. She is an advocate for better bone health busy at work leading three support groups that are free and open to the public. Jennie is passionate about helping osteoporosis patients and those at risk to learn more about improving their bone health and how to live with the disease. Through her community involvement she is raising awareness of the importance of strong bones every day! "During 2009, more than 90 people contacted me about the support group and a good number of those attended meetings. Some volunteered, and by October of that year, we were strong enough in numbers to organize a community event. On October 17, 2009 more than 40 participants walked 1.3 miles to raise $970 in support of NOF’s mission at the North Dallas Steps for Strong Bones® Community Walk at Crowley Park in Richardson, Texas." Read Jennie's Story. If you are interested learning more about Steps for Strong Bones® or about organizing a walk in your community, NOF can help you! For more information contact Kris Blanchette at kris.blanchette@nof.org May is National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month NOF’s 2010 awareness and prevention campaign, Healthy Bones, Build Them For Life®, aims to increase awareness of osteoporosis and bone health among women and men of all ages and backgrounds. Each May, NOF convenes a congressional briefing on Capitol Hill to mark National Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month and inform Congress about the need for expanded bone health prevention and education programs. This year’s briefing will be held on May 20 and features Academy Award-winning actress Cloris Leachman as well as remarks by Members of Congress, medical experts and advocates for better bone health. In addition to the congressional briefing, this year’s campaign will feature TV Public Service Announcements (PSAs) on ABC 7/WJLA-TV in the Washington, DC area through the month of May; our annual Silhouette Awards Dinner on May 19; and a live patient education webinar, How Strong Are Your Bones?, on May 27. Many other awareness and education events are taking place throughout the country as NOF partners and supporters celebrate osteoporosis awareness and prevention month in their communities.

DONATE NOW! May Awareness Month  This year’s campaign, Healthy Bones, Build Them For Life®, will feature TV PSAs on ABC 7/WJLA-TV in the Washington DC area, a live patient education webinar and other special events throughout the month. NOF is on Web MD NOF is now part of the WebMD Osteoporosis Exchange, a health social networking platform that provides a unique way for consumers to get health and wellness support. Healthy Bones, Build Them for Life® Webinar Series Take part in a series of free educational webinars. The first webinar will be presented by NOF’s Clinical Director, Felicia Cosman, M.D. How Strong are Your Bones? Thursday, May 27, 2010 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. EST REGISTER TODAY! 2010 Silhouette Awards Dinner Wednesday, May 19, 2010 6:00 p.m. The Ritz-Carlton Washington, DC 20037 REGISTER Osteoporosis Clinical Updates Now Online Osteoporosis Clinical Updates offers healthcare professionals valuable information to improve patient care. CE credit available. VIEW New Advocacy Tool Kit From left to right, Suzanne O'Malley, Rita Clarke and Jennie Image at the City of Garland Expo, September 2009.  Advocate Profile "I feel profoundly moved at every support group meeting as I talk to people living with osteoporosis. Their courage and their determination to beat the odds are amazing." Jennie Image Take Steps for Strong Bones® This May Walk, Jog or Run Your Way to healthier bones with NOF’s fundraising and walking program. REGISTER

In the Fall 2009 Issue                                                                                                                                                             Access to Bone Density Testing in Health Care Reform National Bone Health Program Bill Introduced Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Update Advocates Celebrate World Osteoporosis Day on Capitol Hill NOF Launches Advocacy Webinar Series Meet Lynn Kohlmeier: Advocate for Bone Health Advocates Taking Steps for Strong Bones HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM NOF! Access to Bone Density Testing Part of Health Reform As Congress debates health care reform, NOF continues to advocate for the inclusion of patient access to bone density testing in the legislation. Advocates like you have sent hundreds of letters to Congress asking them to protect patient access to osteoporosis testing. Thanks to your efforts a provision that would temporarily restore Medicare reimbursement rates for bone density testing to 70 percent of their 2006 levels in 2010 and 2011 was included in the health care reform bill recently voted out of the Senate Finance Committee. This provision is now included in the health care reform legislation that is being debated in the Senate. NOF led a group of organizations that worked with Rep. Berkley, the bill’s sponsor, to try to get a similar provision in the health reform bill in the House. While this provision did not make it into the bill that was voted on by the House on November 7, the House health reform bill does include a provision that would authorize a study of how Medicare reimbursement cuts for bone density testing affect patients. NOF will continue to work to ensure that the remedy for reimbursement and the study remain part of the final health reform legislation signed by the President. Ask your Member of Congress to support including access to bone density testing in health care reform!   National Bone Health Program Bill Introduced On October 20, World Osteoporosis Day, legislation that would implement the recommendations of the National Action Plan for Bone Health was introduced by Representatives Shelley Berkley (NV-1) and Michael Burgess, M.D. (TX-26). The Bone Health Promotion and Research Act (H.R. 3856) is a response to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Call to Action and a result of the 2008 National Summit on Bone Health. The bill would create a national bone health program focused on education, prevention and research, including national educational outreach activities and state grants through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Ask your Representative to support the creation of a national bone health program!    Fiscal Year 2010 Appropriations Update Congress voted on several funding bills last weekend for Fiscal Year 2010 (FY2010), which began October 1, 2009. The health funding bill includes $31 billion for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a $692 million increase over FY2009. The funding bills now go to the President for his signature. Advocates Celebrate World Osteoporosis Day on Capitol Hill On October 20, World Osteoporosis Day, NOF brought together patients and health professionals from around the country to meet with Members of Congress on Capitol Hill to raise awareness of the physical and economic impact that osteoporosis and poor bone health have on the nation. NOF support group leaders and members were joined by other community leaders as they shared their stories and asked Congress to protect patient access to osteoporosis testing, create a national bone health program and increase research funding. NOF is planning to bring patients and health professionals together on Capitol Hill again in early 2010. NOF Launches Advocacy Webinar Series Whether you’ve been involved in advocacy before or are just learning what advocacy is all about, the advocacy webinar series will help you become a more effective advocate for better bone health. The first webinar, held October 13, focused on the basics of advocacy: knowing what you want, who you’re talking to, how to talk to them and how to follow-up. The second webinar, held December 9, explored the best ways to start building this relationship so that you become the "go to" person on osteoporosis and bone health issues. The strongest relationships start in your community! View the archived webinars on the NOF Web site. Meet Lynn Kohlmeier: Advocate for Bone Health Lynn Kohlmeier, M.D., is an endocrinologist, researcher and instructor. She is an advocate for better bone health and a community leader in Spokane, Wash. Dr. Kohlmeier champions exercise and a healthy lifestyle which promotes bone health, working with her patients to prevent and treat osteoporosis. Dr. Kohlmeier, as a member of the Washington Osteoporosis Coalition (WOC) – Spokane, actively recruits guest speakers to educate local practitioners about osteoporosis and bone health and is often a speaker herself. She has successfully secured funding to develop and maintain multiple screening programs in the Spokane area and coordinates staffing and locations for screening events. Through her involvement with several local and national organizations, including NOF, Dr. Kohlmeier is raising awareness of the importance of better bone health every day! Read Lynn's story. Advocates Taking Steps for Strong Bones®! Walking is an easy way to add weight-bearing exercise to your daily routine and keep your bones strong. Everything from your daily walk to marathon training can generate funds to support NOF’s mission. Individual registration for 2010 will begin in May, but you can start planning a walk in your community now! Plan a walk and help NOF increase awareness of osteoporosis while raising money to support NOF’s programs of awareness, advocacy and education. To find out more visit www.nof.org/steps. Steps for Strong Bones® at WunderWoman Triathlon in Washington On August 16, 2009 more than 350 women and 15 osteoporosis teams made up of at least one osteoporosis patient participated in the all-female WunderWoman Triathlon in Spokane, Washington. Lynn Kohlmeier, M.D., an advocate for better bone health and NOF Professional Partner Network (PPN) member, teamed up with Steps for Strong Bones® to raise $845 in support of NOF and the Washington Osteoporosis Council (WOC) at the triathlon. Dr. Kohlmeier competed in the 10.2 mile bike ride while her niece, who was running on a different osteoporosis team, helped her team win first place in the osteoporosis team division. Steps for Strong Bones® Community Walk in Texas On October 17, 2009 more than 40 participants walked 1.3 miles to raise $970 in support of NOF’s mission at the North Dallas Steps for Strong Bones® Community Walk at Crowley Park in Richardson, Texas. Jennie Image, NOF support group leader and advocate for better bone health, organized the event and received a certificate of appreciation at NOF’s Gourmet for Good® dinner on October 26 in Dallas. If you are interested in organizing a walk in your community NOF can help you! For more information contact Kris Blanchette at kris@nof.org

DONATE NOW! NOF has teamed up with the Best Bones Forever!™ campaign to encourage girls ages 9-14 to start now to build strong bones for life. Learn more about how girls can build the Best Bones Forever!™  NOF's Latest Brochure is available online!  Hormones and Healthy Bones: Helping Midlife Women Make Better Choices for a Healthy Future  Clinical Osteoporosis 2010: An ISCD-NOF Symposium March 10-13 2010 San Antonio, TX Strong Voices for Strong Bones on Capitol Hill Front row, from left to right, Penny Shure, Dana Kurland and Adrienne Stone. Second row, from left to right, Cynthia King, Sharon Baker, Anne Murphy and Susan Allison. Top row, from left to right, Sally Fullman and NOF staff Bea Duque Long and Roberta Biegel. Picture by Rick Reinhard. Advocacy Webinars VIEW WEBINARS "I never imagined that someone in my family would die of a broken bone! You never think it will happen to you, or to someone you love, but with 44 million Americans living with or at risk of osteoporosis, it can." Lynn Kohlmeier, M.D.   Lynn Kohlmeier, M.D. and NOF staff Kris Blanchette at the WunderWoman Triathlon in Spokane, WA, August 2009. Jennie Image and Ugis Gruntmanis, M.D. at Gourmet for Good® in Dallas, TX on October 26, 2009.

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