Top 10 Reasons to Register for the 2009 HEA Conference
1. You will get to meet many of the great people from HEA that you chat with online.
Wouldn’t it be great to finally put a face to the screen names you have come to know so well?
2. You will get to hear updates and information from people and organizations from around the world that deal with HS/ES.
We will have people speaking about their work related to HS/ES in Africa, Australia, the UK, South America, Canada, and the USA.
3. You will get to listen to some doctors who are experts in the field of HS/ES.
Dr. Kennedy from Stanford University, Dr. Alvarez from The Institute for Hypospadias in the Caribbean, as well as other doctors talking about Epispadias, Surgical complications, Treatment options and more.
4. You will get to explore the psycho-social aspects of HS/ES with some knowledgeable experts.
Attend sessions on Sex and Dating, Talking to Your Kids about HS/ES, Issues for Fathers.
5. You will get to learn about medical privacy rights, and helping your child deal with issues in school.
Lead by some passionate advocates from the USA and Australia, there will be sessions on informed consent and medical privacy, if you are preparing for your surgery or the surgery of your child. Also a session specifically on advocating in the schools for children with genital differences.
6. You will get to participate in discussions on a wide variety of topics.
There will be opportunities for discussions in the group sessions, and during social events. Participate to whatever degree you feel comfortable, or just listen.
7. You will get to attend a fabulous banquet and awards dinner with all your new friends and colleagues.
The banquet will be open to all conference attendees and jointly held with our friends at the ABC organization (Assn. For the Bladder Exstrophy Community) who are the joint sponsors of this year’s conference.
8. You will get to take home some cool conference goodies, like pens, buttons, brochures, and other exciting resource information.
HEA is sponsoring the participant registration bags this year, and we also plan to have some exciting resources available at the HEA info table for people to take home.
9. You will get to learn about some exciting new projects that HEA will be working on in the upcoming year.
Learn more about our work in the area of Epispadias. Learn about the International Symposium on Hypospadias in Toronto that HEA will be attending. Learn about a new training / educational program being developed by HEA Executive Director, Billy Deegan on DSD’s. Learn about some possible work and partnerships in other countries that HEA is pursuing. Learn about the possibility of a professional documentary being produced through a partnership between HEA and a production company in Texas.
10. You will get to experience the city of bridges... Pittsburgh PA!
Did you know that Pittsburgh has more bridges than any other city in the world aside from Venice, Italy?
Did you know that Pittsburgh was the birthplace of McDonald’s Big Mac, and Heinz Ketchup?
Did you know that Pittsburgh also has attractions such as the Carnegie Science Center, the National Aviary, an exciting Arts and Theatre district, the Andy Warhol Museum, the Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens, The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, The Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium, The Sandcastle Water Park, and much more!
HEA is here for you. It is an organization with a purpose of providing support and education, and this annual conference is one of the main ways we achieve this goal. We would love to see you in Pittsburgh and have you help make this the biggest and best HEA conference yet!