Utah Food Allergy Conference: June 23, 2012

by Kelley Lindberg


If you or a family member has food allergies, you won’t want to miss the upcoming Utah Food Allergy Conference, on Saturday, June 23, 2012.

Hosted by the Utah Food Allergy Network (UFAN), this annual conference is THE place in Utah to hear from experts on the latest news and research, learn about available resources, pick up helpful ideas and tips, and connect with other people in our food allergy community. It will be held at the Doty Family Education Center in the Intermountain Medical Center in Murray, UT.

And best of all – it’s free!

The conference is only a half-day long, so it won’t take up your entire Saturday, but you’ll get a ton of useful information in that short time-span. The planned conference schedule is below.

Even though it’s free, you need to register to attend so that UFAN will know how many people to accommodate. To register, go to the UFAN website at www.utahfoodallergy.org, click on the link to the Conference, and then click on the registration link. The registration form just takes a minute to fill out (don’t forget to choose which breakout session you want to attend), and then you can print your own tickets!

The conference promises to be educational, helpful, and fun! If you have any questions, contact support@utahfoodallergy.org. See you there!

Conference Schedule:

2^nd Annual Utah Food Allergy Conference

Saturday June 23, 2012
8:30am – 1:00pm
Intermountain Medical Center - Doty Family Education Center
5121 Cottonwood St, Murray, Utah

8:30 – 9:00 am            Registration

9:00 – 9:10 am            Welcome
                                    Michelle Fogg, President – Utah Food Allergy Network

9:10 – 10:10 am          Food Allergy, Anaphylaxis Management, & Research

                                    Rafael Firszt, MD, MBA – Allergy & Immunology

10:10 – 10:20 am        Break

10:20 – 11:20 am        Concurrent Sessions (choose one to attend):

                                    * Allergy and Asthma Safety at School and at Home

Andrea Johnson, CHES - Environmental Health Educator, Utah County Health Department, and mother of a son with food allergies and asthma, will address strategies for creating a safe environment both at home and at school. Topics to be covered include basics of setting up an allergy and asthma friendly home environment, working with school personnel to establish an allergy and asthma friendly school environment, and Utah laws and resources that can be used to aid in accomplishing both of those goals.

                                    * Developmental Stages of Kids with Food Allergy

Kristen Kauke, MSW, LCSW. Understand how children accomplish tasks and growth at each developmental stage and how food allergies can impact this. Gain strategies to cope with bullying and how to be a supportive adult along the way.

                                    *Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disorders (EGIDs)

Jan Bernhisel-Broadbent, MD – Allergy & Immunology, and Kathryn Peterson, MD – Gastroenterology. Learn the fundamentals of EGIDs and how they relate to food allergy, current treatments, studies & research findings, and support/resources available.

11:20 – 11:30 am        Break

11:30 – 12:15 pm        Avoiding Food Fights

                                    Kristen Kauke, MSW, LCSW

12:15 – 12:50 pm        Question & Answer Discussion w/ Panel of Presenters

12:50 – 12:55 pm        Awards Presentation

                                    Tiffany Scherbel, Vice President – Utah Food Allergy Network

12:55 – 1:00 pm          Closing Remarks