Attendance was good and participation was productive at the Arizona COPD Coalition Strategic Planning Session on Wednesday, Oct. 1 at Arizona State University West. Mary Alba Kurth, COPD collaborative program director, said nearly 50 people from all over Arizona attended the meeting.

Almost half of the participants were members of the original Arizona COPD coalition that formed in 2007 and also included people newly diagnosed with COPD and health care industry workers.

"It exceeded our expectations. People were engaged and seemed to be excited about some of the projects we talked about," Kurth said.

Kurth added that the meeting provided participants an opportunity to create a vision for the coalition. She said the themes and issues surrounding COPD, such as education, awareness, tobacco cessation and best practices, have remained the same for over time. Discussions focused on these topics and helped to support the planning effort.

The group also was able to define the coalition's the mission statement. The mission of the Arizona COPD Coalition is to promote lung health and prevent disease through education, advocacy and outreach to provide an increased quality of life. Although this statement is not yet finalized, Kurth said currently it does capture the overall messages from the planning meeting.

Some of the closing comments from the session illustrated the commitment people have to promoting awareness of COPD. One participant said: "Next year when we come back, I challenge us to bring someone else with us."

The date for the next strategic planning meeting has yet to be determined but Kurth said her goal is to have meetings quarterly and to encourage more participation from rural communities.