2021 continued to be another unprecedented year for everyone as we have adapted to the realities of COVID-19. While the year didn’t unfold in the way any of us had hoped, we were able to stand together and connect virtually to promote our shared passion for improving the health of people with psoriasis around the world. Thanks to you, 2021 brought us many opportunities to improve the care of people with psoriasis worldwide through education, research, and advocacy.
We are grateful for what we accomplished with your support as we look back. In 2021, IPC provided more than 30,000 professionals with disease information, medical education, and clinical resources to improve the care of psoriasis patients worldwide. We doubled the number of participants in our online education programs from 2020 and tripled from 2019. In addition, we:
- Transitioned the regional Masterclass programs to an online format, hosting programs for the Middle East/North Africa, Latin America, and Asia
- Transitioned our International Fellowship program to a virtual experience – connecting Fellows with more than 30 psoriasis experts for education and mentoring
- Launched two new working groups with a focus on telemedicine, and pustular psoriasis
- Continued to monitor the COVID-19 situation for psoriasis patients; provided commentaries on essential manuscripts published in the field
IPC is optimistic about the future and a brighter 2022. In the new year, we look forward to more robust educational offerings and to once again meeting in person. We will continue to support our disease severity, pustular psoriasis, and telemedicine working groups as they pave the way to improving access to effective treatments, timely diagnosis, and optimal care. IPC will also continue to work closely with other initiatives designed to tackle psoriasis and COVID-19, such as PsoProtect. Most importantly, IPC remains dedicated to improving the care of people with psoriasis worldwide by conducting research into the disease and training physicians to best manage their psoriasis patients.
As I make my exit as the president of the International Psoriasis Council, I am so proud of all that we have been able to accomplish over the last three years. We will continue to create a brighter, clearer future for psoriasis patients around the globe, with Dr. Craig Leonardi leading the way as the new IPC President. We appreciate the support from our loyal psoriasis enthusiasts, our talented and dedicated board, councilors, fellows, staff, and corporate members who have helped IPC grow and thrive for more than 17 years.
Sincerely,
