Valerie Scott
Director, PAH Initiative
United Therapeutics Corporation
Broadcasting the Patient Voice
Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare and very serious condition with a high mortality rate. It causes high blood pressure in the arteries of the heart and lungs, and over time, damage to the heart and lungs may be significant enough to necessitate transplants or lead to right heart failure. To help patients optimize the care approaches available today, Valerie Scott has been passionately dedicated to raising awareness of this disease and its treatment options.
Valerie has prioritized creating opportunities for patients seeking help, education, and motivation to connect with people just like themselves through the PEER Network. The PEER Network launched in 2007 and has evolved to meet patient and caregiver needs. With her most recent project, the PAH Initiative, Valerie is building extensive patient support resources and PAH disease education for patients and caregivers. “Where knowledge meets inspiration.” That’s the motto of the PAH Initiative. It fills knowledge gaps and encourages patients to work with their healthcare providers to improve their health and not settle for less than what is possible with a multitherapy approach to their treatment.
In an effort to educate and inspire PAH patients, the PAH Initiative will be launching a social media campaign to reach PAH patients, caregivers, and the broader PAH community. The effort is designed to showcase experiences of activated patients to inspire and motivate others to work with their healthcare providers to achieve optimal functionality while living with PAH.
But Valerie is not stopping there. She is now exploring new frontiers by launching the PAH Today National Broadcast Event, sponsored by the PAH Initiative. This program will feature renowned PAH specialists who will provide an educational overview and share the latest research along with two PAH patients sharing their stories. Each of the 30 downlink sites will bring together patients and caregivers impacted by this rare disease to expand their knowledge and meet others impacted by the disease. However, in light of COVID-19, Valerie showed the initiative to postpone this event for the safety of all patients with a serious lung disease and converted the format to a virtual experience.
