Jen Brea’s film Unrest has made a big splash and has greatly advanced public awareness of ME/CFS! We at MassME/CFS decided to build on this momentum by arranging a series of screenings of Unrest throughout Massachusetts this year, to follow on from our very successful public screening at the Regent Theatre in Arlington last fall. These new events will reach diverse audiences, and most will include an educational program in the form of a post-film panel with our MassME/CFS volunteers sitting on the panels. Some of these events are open to the public, and you are welcome to attend if you can. Two of these post-film panels will be professionally videotaped and made available online so all can watch.

In addition to raising public awareness with these events, MassME/CFS is also focusing on bringing information to patients, health care providers, and researchers. Our goal to improve access to treatment for patients by creating a wider pool of knowledgeable providers, and to establish a community of researchers in Massachusetts.

Here’s the list of the 2018 fall events MassME/CFS is organizing/sponsoring:

• September 12 – Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA. Hosted by the Russell Museum. Unrest film and panel. Discussion moderated by Dr. Ron Tompkins, Panel included: Dr. Michael vanElzakker, ME/CFS researcher at MGH; Mary Dimmock, national ME/CFS advocate, author, and retired pharmaceutical industry professional, and Susan Buckley, parent of a teen with ME/CFS. This event was attended by 85 researchers/scientists and health care professionals, MGH staff, and members of the public. MGH event flyer.

• October 10 – Tsai Performance Center, Boston University, Boston, MA. Unrest film and panel. Hosted by Sargent College Alumni Association. Opening remarks by Karen Jacobs, Professor of Occupational Therapy and Director of Post-Professional Occupational Therapy Program. Panelists include: Dr. Jean Hubbuch, clinician with many years experience treating ME/CFS patients, Dr. Michael vanElzakker, ME/CFS researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and an ME/CFS patient or caregiver. Open to the BU community and the public. BU Event flyer. BU event flyer - text. Press release. Video.

• October 16 – Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth, Hanover, NH. Unrest film and panel. Open to Medical School staff and students, staff of Dartmouth Medical Center, and the public. Co-hosted by the Geisel School of Medicine and Massachusetts ME/CFS & FM Association, and organized by Dr. Paul Guyre, Active Emeritus Professor of Immunology and Microbiology. Panel includes David Systrom, MD, ME/CFS researcher, Pulmonary and Critical Care Physician at Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston; Darren Lynch MD, Northampton Integrative Medicine with 10+ years experience treating ME/CFS patients; Mary Dimmock National ME advocate, author, and retired pharmaceutical industry professional; and Robyn Jacobs, MD, Functional Medicine specialist at Hygeia. More information. Dartmouth event flyer. Press Release.

• October 30 – Northeastern University School Health Academy, N.U. School of Nursing, Burlington, MA. MassME/CFS is joint provider. Nurses will receive contact hours and other school professional receive Professional Development Points ($65 fee). Featured content provider is Peter C. Rowe, M.D., Professor of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins and Director, Children's Center Chronic Fatigue Clinic. The program also features stories from three families with children who have ME/CFS. More information.

• November 3 – "How Investigative Journalism Succeeds in a Hostile Medical Environment: A Conversation with David Tuller," Mass ME/CFS Annual Meeting and Conference, Newton Wellesley Hospital, Newton, MA. With media partner STAT news! Get more information and register now! Download the flyer.

We are also in discussions with other institutions and groups to schedule more events, including the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission and the Institute of Health Professions at Massachusetts General Hospital.