Attendance at the 1st North American Bronchiectasis and NTM Conference

Two days at the First North American Bronchiectasis and NTM Conference!!

What a whirlwind! Two days filled with networking, smiles and a buzz of cooperation in the air. The biggest takeaway: progress is happening!

While there are still no U.S. guidelines for bronchiectasis, we’re hopeful they’ll be released in the first quarter of 2025. 

Even more exciting, there will be Standards of Care established for the 150 designated care centers across the U.S. These guidelines will outline best practices, empowering us to advocate for proper care — whether it’s securing necessary nebulizing equipment or appropriate testing for swallowing and reflux.

One promising development on the horizon: a potential blood test for NTM in the next few years. This could eliminate the stress of producing sputum samples — a huge relief for many of us!
Though Dr. Chalmers (aka Dr. Bronchiectasis❤️) was in high demand, we managed to squeeze in a few moments for some fun social media pics. 

Helga from NTM Info & Research was also there, warmly welcoming everyone as they explored the booths featuring vest companies, Monaghan Medical, the Bronchiectasis and NTM Association, Insmed, Mannkind and other pharmaceutical companies working on treatments for BE and NTM.

It was inspiring to see clinicians, industry leaders, pharma companies and people living with bronchiectasis all coming together with a shared purpose. Progress is being made and the future looks brighter!

Today I’m focusing on self-care, including my annual physical. Then I’ll be heading to a luncheon sponsored by National Jewish Health. Dr. Chuck Daley (aka Dr. NTM❤️) will be our guest speaker. I’ll be reporting back!!!