Join us on the Hill

Here is CCFA'S May Newsletter. Letter from Rick Geswell, CCFA President & CEO Rick Geswell, CCFA President and CEO Are you coming to Washington, DC? Our annual Day on the Hill on June 11-12 is just around the corner! Each year, we bring some of our most passionate volunteers to the capitol to share their stories with legislators and act as advocates for all Americans living with IBD. Together, we'll also ask Congress to support our legislative priorities, like funding for IBD research through the National Institutes of Health, the IBD Epidemiology Program at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Department of Defense. If you can't join us in DC, be an advocate from home! Take a look at our Advocacy Toolkit and learn how you can make a difference for the 1.4 million Americans with IBD. And follow us @CCFA #CCFAHillDay. A Singing Champion Molly Roberts 15-year-old Molly Roberts isn't suffering with IBD in silence – in fact, she's doing the complete opposite. Molly, a singer/songwriter, entrepreneur, activist and high school student is using her voice to spread awareness about Crohn's and colitis. Her original song "Champion," written about her struggles with Crohn's disease, is now available on iTunes, and all proceeds will be donated to CCFA. Check out the music video and download the song today! What Does an IBD Diagnosis Mean? Webinar Newly diagnosed patients with IBD have many questions, and most share a common theme: what does an IBD diagnosis mean for me? Our two-part webcast, "What to Expect," covers important topics such as tests, diet and nutrition and advice on how to collaborate with your healthcare team. This new series is free and available on-demand – so register and watch today! Complementary & Alternative Approaches to IBD Are you interested in learning more about complementary and alternative medicines (CAM) that can be used in conjunction with your current medical therapies? Many people with IBD are, but aren't sure where to start. Decisions about treatment should always be made with your doctor, but you can find more information about CAM on our website. You can also visit the National Institute of Health's National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) website, which conducts research on nontraditional therapies. For further guidance, reach out to our IBD Help Center at info@ccfa.org. MAY 2014 ISSUE COMING SOON: Webcast on IBD Treatments Join us in July for an educational webcast providing in-depth information on IBD treatments and the resources needed to make informed decisions about managing IBD. Patients will learn about the risks and benefits associated with each treatment and will be given questions to ask their healthcare team when evaluating their options. Sign up today! Team Challenge Participants There's Still Time to Walk For Cures! Invite your friends, family and coworkers to walk and fundraise as we Take Steps towards cures for Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Two lucky Take Steps participants will win a pair of tickets to an incredible NFL Game Day experience. The more you raise, the more chances to win. Register online today. Are you a part of the solution? Help find tomorrow's treatments and cures by supporting today's IBD research. Donate now. IBD Clinical Trials & Other Studies CCFA provides a comprehensive database of studies, clinical trials and other research on Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. Some of the recently added studies include: • A Randomized, Double Blind, Multiple Dose Placebo Controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of AMG 181 in Subjects with Moderate to Severe Ulcerative Colitis, AND a Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Study to Evaluate the Safety Tolerability, and Efficacy of AMG 181 in Subjects with Moderate to Severe Crohn's Disease conducted by Amgen • TELEmedicine for Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (TELE-IBD), conducted by University of Maryland, Baltimore Deciding whether to participate in a clinical trial is an important personal decision, best made with a full understanding of the drug development process and a participant's role.