FROM TMJA WEBSITE…..JULY 2004 OFFICE BRIEF

What's New - TMJA Monthly Office Brief

TMJA Monthly Office Brief - July 2004

We have created this monthly office brief to keep you informed of The TMJ Association's (TMJA) month-to-month activities and news items of interest to TMJ patients. We hope you will find this informative and encourage you to visit www.tmj.org regularly.

WORD FROM WASHINGTON

TMJ Voices need to be heard!

TMJ patients are fortunate to have the support of Senators Tom Harkin and Edward Kennedy. Both senators have recently sent letters to the National Institutes of Health, asking the leadership to bring quality science, involving the expertise of many of the institutes, to the TMJ area.

Renee and Milton Glass, Founders and Co-Presidents of Jaw Joints and Allied Musculoskeletal Disorders Foundation (JJAMD), located in Boston, Massachusetts have enlisted the support of Senator Edward Kennedy to the TMJ cause and we applaud Renee and Milton on their advocacy efforts. On May 18, 2004 Senator Kennedy wrote a letter to Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), describing the pain and dysfunction TMJ patients experience and the chaos and controversy that prevails in the scientific and health care communities. Senator Kennedy states TMJ "disorders are a major health challenge for the nation and should have the attention of Institutes throughout the NIH." To read Senator Kennedy's letter to Dr. Zerhouni, visit JJAMD's Web site and click on the topic News of Interest http://www.tmjoints.org

TMJ Implant patients, please contact Senator Edward Kennedy ranking member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee with your concerns about, and experiences with TMJ devices. This committee is responsible for public health policy issues and should be concerned with medical device issues. The mailing address is: Senator Edward Kennedy, U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, 428 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510-6300

In a March 29th, 2004 letter to Dr. Elias Zerhouni, Senator Tom Harkin reemphasized the report language in the 2004 Senate Appropriations NIH budget - "to oversee the development of a TMJ research agenda that would guide further research planning at the NIH, as well as the entire scientific community." Senator Harkin stated that research at NIH represents the best source of hope that the suffering of TMJ patients will come to an end and he asked the NIH to mount a coordinated effort to find a cure for these disorders. For eleven years Senator Harkin, as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education, has championed the research needs of TMJ patients. We thank him for his support and action on our behalf and appreciate the respect he has for the advocacy efforts of The TMJ Association. Our thanks also go to Senator Arlen Specter, committee chairman.

We encourage you to send letters to:

* Senator Tom Harkin (tom_harkin@harkin.senate.gov)

* Senator Arlen Specter (arlen_specter@specter.senate.gov)

* Senator Edward Kennedy (senator@kennedy.senate.gov)

Let them know you appreciate their actions on behalf of all TMJ patients and let them know how TMJ has affected your life. Please send a copy of your letters to us at info@tmj.org.