1. HOPING is a national education initiative of :
The Institute for Continuing Healthcare Education (the Institute)
Pri-Med Institute (PMI)
Funded through a Cooperative Agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-3 year agreement stemming from 2004

2. HOPING’s Mission:
The mission of this initiative is to expand awareness of hematologic disorders, especially leukemia, lymphoma, myelodysplastic syndrome, and multiple myeloma, neutropenia, and systemic lupus disorders, among primary care practitioners. HOPING education focuses on the importance of appropriate hematologic assessment to ensure early diagnosis and referral for treatment.

3. Educational Design/Partnership
The Institute partnered with Pri-Med, the nation’s leading provider of live, on-line and print CME for primary-care providers.
More than 2,000 primary care physicians have been educated to date via Pri-Med Updates meetings.
May 25, 2006 in Albany, NY
June 2, 2006 in Baltimore, MD
March 3, 2007 in Long Beach, CA
May 12, 2007 in Chicago, IL
A HOPING booth where free materials from coorperative agreement partners were distributed
A Website that included needs assessment findings, downloadable non-proprietary slides from the symposia, resource links, and outcomes results

4. Cooperative Agreement Partners
American Cancer Society
Community Media Productions
International Myeloma Foundation
Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
Lymphoma Research Foundation
Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation
National Marrow Donor Program
Patient Advocate Foundation
RTI International

5. Poster and Press Coverage
Presented as Poster at ASH
Interviewed at ASH about the findings/initiative
Articles published:
Internal Medicine News
Family Practice News
Science Today

6. 2008 & Beyond: Goals and Objectives
Reduce the number of deaths caused by hematologic malignancies by educating primary care physicians on early detection and referral for treatment.
Diversify and expand the number of delivery channels based on the current initiative
Educational initiative will comprise of a combination of Pri-Med Updates meetings, online activities posted on Pri-Med.com and the HOPING website, and print materials distributed to primary care physicians nationwide
Expand partnerships to national level
Invite commercial supporters to collaborate and fund a multi-supported initiative
Seek marketing partners comprised of national and local managed care partners and associations
Measure and demonstrate positive outcomes around the impact on patient care based on the education presented in this initiative

7. Rob Naticchia VP, Education, The Institute
Contact Information: or X1447
Professional Experience:
10 years at Pfizer in sales and sales management
Launched numerous brands including Zoloft, Geodon, Xanax XR, Aricept, and Viagra
Therapeutic expertise in neuroscience
Strong knowledge in the following therapeutic areas: CV/diabetes, ED, BPH, and antibiotics/antifungals
Quantitative and qualitative market research experience at TargetRx
Digital Marketing and CRM experience at Digitas Health
Education:
Student in St. Joseph’s Pharmaceutical Executive MBA Program
BS, Biology from the University of Notre Dame, including coursework in secondary education
Received Certification as Certified Medical Representative (CMR) in 1999
Associations:
Member of HCMA, Healthcare Business Women’s Association (HBA), and the American Advertising Association
Fundraiser and participant of the Livestrong Cancer foundation