The ICN is Proud of Our Service to the US Army IC Research Program

For the fourth year in a row, ICN President Jill Osborne has served as a panelist for the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP) administered by the US Army. Interstitial Cystitis is one of more than two dozen medical conditions that are considered critical to combat readiness. In Fiscal Year 2014, the US Government set aside $200 million dollars to fund research studies.

As the patient representative (aka consumer reviewer) on the IC research panel, her job is to assess proposed studies for their impact and relevance to the patient community. She said “I’m looking for studies that can provide both a short and long term benefit for patients who are struggling today with IC. We could fund studies that might yield a new treatment in 20 years but that’s just not good enough. We need timely studies that can produce new treatments and/or knowledge about IC that will improve patient care immediately.”

Today, Jill received a lovely letter from the program that we’d love to share.

The Department of the Army
Headquarters, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command
Fort Detrick, Maryland, 21702-5000

Dear Ms. Osborne:
On behalf of the Department of Defense, U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP), I would like to express our sincere gratitude for your exemplary efforts as a consumer reviewer for applications submitted for the fiscal year 2014 Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP). The continued success of this highly visible and competitive program is dependent on maintaining the highest standards of excellence in scientific peer review. We recognize that you have responded generously with your time and valuable perspective to fulfill the demanding requirements of this peer review process. Because of your hard work and dedication, the PRMRP draws that much closer to fulfilling its mission.

Please know you have the thanks and appreciation from researchers, fellow consumers, and the entire CDMRP community….

Sincerely,

Wanda L. Salzer, M.D.
Colonel, U.S. Air Force, Medical Corps
Director

The ICN is also proud of our work with active duty and retired veterans of the Armed Services. If you are in the Armed services (Officer or Enlisted), struggling with IC, chronic prostatitis and/or pelvic pain, please don’t hesitate to contact us! You’re very near and dear to our hearts.

By Jill Osborne|2017-01-31T10:44:15-08:00December 29th, 2014|Jill's Journal, Our Blog|Comments Off

About the Author: Jill Osborne

My Google Profile+ Jill Heidi Osborne is the president and founder of the Interstitial Cystitis Network, a health education company dedicated to interstitial cystitis, bladder pain syndrome and other pelvic pain disorders. As the editor and lead author of the ICN and the IC Optimist magazine, Jill is proud of the academic recognition that her website has achieved. The University of London rated the ICN as the top IC website for accuracy, credibility, readability and quality. (Int Urogynecol J - April 2013). Harvard Medical School rated both Medscape and the ICN as the top two websites dedicated to IC. (Urology - Sept 11). For many years, Jill served on the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Panel (US Army) where she collaborated with researchers to evaluate new IC research studies for possible funding. Jill has conducted and/or collaborates on a variety of IC research studies on new therapeutics, pain care, sexuality, the use of medical marijuana, menopause and the cost of treatments, shining a light on issues that influence patient quality of life. An IC support group leader and national spokesperson for the past 20 years, she has represented the IC community on radio, TV shows, at medical conferences. She has written hundreds of articles on IC and its related conditions. Jill has a Bachelors Degree in Pharmacology and a Masters in Psychology, Jill was named Presidential Management Intern (aka Fellowship) while in graduate school. (She was unable to earn her PhD due to the onset of her IC.) She spends the majority of her time providing WELLNESS COACHING for patients in need and developing new, internet based educational and support tools for IC patients, including new live IC Support Group Meetings via Youtube and the “Living with IC” video series. Jill was diagnosed with IC at the age of 32 but first showed symptoms at the age of 12.