Finding Partner Organizations and Agencies

In addition to reaching out to the medical community, you will need to work with other local organizations. Use the networks you normally work with every day for your job and in your social life - area agencies on aging, senior centers, social services, meal and transportation providers, neighborhood organizations, faith-based communities and charitable organizations.

Check with national DVT awareness organizations for ideas and to see if they know what may already be going on in your local community. They can provide resources, information and contacts. Here are several consumer organizations:

• The National Alliance for Thrombosis and Thrombophilia (NATT) was formed in August 2003 by patients attending a thrombosis and thrombophilia awareness meeting at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. NATT is a community-based organization working with doctors, researchers, patients, families, care providers and other stakeholders to address thrombosis awareness. It has a medical and scientific advisory board comprising experts in venous thrombosis. NATT holds one-day educational seminars around the country, has numerous materials, and will provide advice on setting up local support groups. It also has a representative involved in the National Quality Forum's effort to develop national standards of care for treatment of DVT.
  E-mail: nattinfo@yahoo.com
  Website: www.nattinfo.org

• The Coalition to Prevent DVT, also formed in 2003, is a group of about 40 organizations working to raise awareness among consumers, healthcare professionals and policymakers. It has a turnkey kit for members that contains template materials and press releases to help with communication efforts. The Coalition to Prevent DVT has its roots in a February 2003 meeting convened in Washington, D.C., by the American Public Health Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The organization sponsors DVT Awareness Month every March.
  E-mail: Coalition_to_prevent_dvt@was.bm.com
  Website: www.preventdvt.org/