“People who have been diagnosed with these conditions experience a lot of difficulty when navigating the healthcare system,” he says. “The goal is to expand the knowledge in allied health professions as well as the medical field. For example, skin thickening on the face means that scleroderma patients have trouble opening their mouths very wide, so receiving quality dental work is difficult.”
The foundation plans to expand the event to different locations.
Dr. Allen believes that volunteering is important, even for physicians who are new to their practice. “If you get anything from being a practicing doctor, you’re given a voice, and using that voice is important. There is so much unmet need in so many different arenas; I think it’s our responsibility to do our best to help where we can.”
Gretchen Henkel is a health and medical journalist based in California.
