03/24/2026
What an incredible experience representing the Scleroderma community at the NYU Medical Center Rheumatology Conference!
Members of the Tri-State Chapter, Evamarie Cole and Zeba Hyder, were proud to be the *only* patient-focused table at the conference—bringing a much-needed voice to the room. We distributed scleroderma care bags, brochures, and Tri-State support group resources, and most importantly, had meaningful conversations with physicians from across the Tri-State area and beyond.
It was truly encouraging to see how receptive and appreciative both doctors and pharmaceutical representatives were—many personally stopped by to thank them for representing the patient perspective. They also made valuable connections for future collaborations, with several physicians from NY, NJ, CT, and Boston taking materials to share with their patients and clinics.
We were especially honored to connect with leaders in the field, including Dr. Monique Hinchcliff (Yale) and Dr. Marcy Bolster (Mass General/Harvard), both deeply involved in scleroderma care and research.
This experience reinforced just how important it is for us to be present at rheumatology events—not only to raise awareness, but to build real partnerships and strengthen ties within the medical community. We’re already thinking about how to make our booth even more engaging next time—perhaps even hosting a small session on advocacy!
A heartfelt thank you to Zeba and Elie for securing and negotiating the conference opportunity, Amanda for helping with the materials, and especially to Eva for her unwavering dedication and support—always going above and beyond. Special thanks to NYU Langone for having us represent the National Scleroderma Foundation and its community!
Together, we can—and we did—make a difference 💙
