About the Coalition to Prevent Deep-Vein Thrombosis

In February 2003, more than 70 organizations assembled at the Public Health Leadership Conference on Deep-Vein Thrombosis (DVT) in Washington, D.C. to discuss the urgent need to make DVT a major U.S. public health priority. As a result of this meeting, which was co-hosted by the American Public Health Association (APHA) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and funded by sanofi-aventis, participants agreed to establish a Coalition of organizations committed to educating the public and healthcare community about DVT.

In August 2003, national thought leaders and representatives from key organizations, including the American College of Chest Physicians, the APHA and the Society of Hospital Medicine met to set and guide the direction of the Coalition to Prevent DVT. A key outcome of this meeting was the decision to sponsor DVT Awareness Month, a campaign to bring DVT into the public eye on a national and local level.

To date, more than 60 organizations have joined the Coalition to Prevent DVT in a united effort to raise awareness and educate others about the importance of the medical condition.

Since then, the Coalition has been successful in achieving a number of milestones including:

• March 2004: The inaugural DVT Awareness Month took place and featured actress Lainie Kazan, who nearly died from complication of DVT.
• Fall 2004: Melanie Bloom joined the Coalition as its national patient spokesperson. A year earlier, on April 5, 2003, Melanie’s husband, David – an NBC correspondent and 39-year-old father of three – died from a pulmonary embolism (PE), a complication of DVT, while covering the war in Iraq.
• March 2005: The United States Senate unanimously approved Senate Resolution 56 officially declaring March as ―DVT Awareness Month." The resolution was co-sponsored by Senators Arlen Specter (R-PA) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND). Melanie Bloom helped the Coalition mark the second annual DVT Awareness Month.
• March 2006: The Coalition literally "kicked–off" the third-annual DVT Awareness Month by hosting simultaneous kick-line events in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Miami.
• March 2007: A national survey conducted by the Coalition reveals that while nearly 75% of Americans believe DVT deserves more attention, 60% have not heard about this condition.
• March 2007: The Coalition launched DVT Awareness by Design, a program that went beyond highlighting the traditional signs and symptoms of DVT and actively empowered individuals to show their DVT support through designing and personalizing socks to showcase their meaning of DVT.
• March 2008: The Coalition declared March 25, 2008 as the first National DVT Screening Day, as part of DVT Awareness Month.
• September 2008: The U.S. Surgeon General issued a national Call-to-Action on DVT and PE. The Coalition to Prevent Deep-Vein Thrombosis praised the Office of the Surgeon General in raising awareness of this under-recognized condition, now deemed a national public health priority.
• March 2009: The Coalition kicked off its sixth annual DVT Awareness Month with the introduction of a resolution by the U.S. House of Representatives to mark the second Tuesday of every March as National DVT Screening Day.
• March 2009: The Coalition launched a nationwide RV tour to raise public awareness about DVT and to encourage dialogue between health care professionals and patients about the serious, yet preventable condition. A customized RV visited hospitals and local communities nationwide during the Driving to Reduce the Risks of DVT tour. The RV’s first stop was at Rockefeller Plaza in New York City on March 10, 2009.
• March 2010 – In 2010, the Coalition moved into action by introducing DVT Awareness In Motion, an educational program designed to drive dialogue about the importance of preventive care for DVT via simple movements that can be done anywhere and anytime mobility is restricted. Working with Mary Ann Wilson, R.N., founder and host of the PBS broadcast, "Sit and Be Fit," the Coalition developed an educational video and movement guide that features simple movements to help increase blood circulation and encourage movement and mobility.