If you are reading this, then hopefully you know that part of our mission at the Columbia Center for Eating Disorders is providing education to health professionals and others, such as teachers, coaches, and guidance counselors, who routinely interface with individuals who are experiencing symptoms of eating disorders. This year, we will once again be hosting a conference with our colleagues who comprise the Comprehensive Care Centers for Eating Disorders on December 3rd, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. with the theme Timely Issues: Managing the Complexity of Eating Disorders.
Last year, we hosted our first virtual conference-a necessity due to COVID-which allowed us to reach many people across the state of NY and elsewhere. With a theme of Unique Challenges and Effective Solutions in Young Adults with Eating Disorders, we addressed
- Developmental, Clinical, and Relational Challenges
- Medical and Nutrition Management
- Team Treatment in the College Health Environment
- Identifying and Supporting Student Athletes
- Educating and Empowering Family Caregivers
- Panel Discussion: Diversity in the Lived Experience
Over 400 health professionals, mental/behavioral health providers, teachers, coaches, trainers, dietitians and others who work with or wanted to learn more about this population logged on.
The audience shared feedback and gave suggestions for future topics via a follow-up survey.
We used the feedback from that conference to develop this year’s program, and we are very excited by the result. This year, we will discuss co-morbidities that add to the complexity of eating disorders and provide key takeaways by way of a case example. Topics that will flow from there include discussions of atypical anorexia nervosa; anxiety, depression and OCD in eating disorders; how COVID has impacted eating disorders. Additionally, this year we are offering breakout sessions for those interested in more specific interventions, including dealing with NG tube feeding at home and how to incorporate mindfulness into treatment and recovery. Throughout the program, we will highlight the voices of those with lived experience – individuals who have experienced the challenges being discussed.
Our esteemed faculty representing psychiatry, psychology, medicine, nursing and dietetics who will address these issues include the leadership and faculty from all three CCCEDs: Evelyn Attia, MD, B. Timothy Walsh, MD, Alexandra Muratore, PhD from the Metropolitan region, Mary Tantillo, PhD, PMHCNS-BC, FAED, CGP, Richard Kreipe, MD, Taylor Starr, DO, MPH and Marie Bieber, RD, CSP CDN from Western NY and Sharon Alger, MD from the Capital region CCCED. This conference is supported by a generous grant from OMH and will be offered at no cost along with CME and CEU credits.
Please join us and feel free to spread the word! All are welcome, and you can register here today.
