Kick off the 2024 HS Awareness Week Summit with us. Come socialize with event attendees, speakers, AHSID staff, and volunteers. There will be food, live entertainment, prize giveaways, and an address from our keynote speaker.

6:30 PM EST - Opening Ceremony and Award Reception

The Opening Ceremony is a momentous kickoff event, setting the tone for an engaging and impactful summit. The ceremony will offer a glimpse into the groundbreaking research, innovative therapies, and collaborative efforts that will be explored throughout the summit. This opening marks the commencement of a transformative experience, uniting healthcare professionals, researchers, patients, and advocates in their mission to enhance understanding and management of HS.

Day Two, which officially launches the first full day of the summit, is dedicated to unveiling current HS research and helping attendees to understand their associated comorbidities.

These sessions are designed to be digestible and engaging so that you can understand and retain information about your disease states without barriers. We'll cover topics such as Advances in HS research and Therapies, HS Comorbidities, Wound Care, Alternative Medications, Health Policy, and more.

9:00 AM EST - Advances in HS Research & Therapies

Renowned HS Specialist and Dermatologist Dr. Iltefat Hamzavi will share groundbreaking research and a comprehensive overview of the latest advancements in hidradenitis suppurativa.

10:15 AM EST - Bridging Connections: HS Common Comorbidities

This session provides a comprehensive understanding of how hidradenitis suppurativa intersects with common comorbidities.

1:00 PM EST - Wound Care Strategies for HS

Effective wound care is crucial for HS management. Join our speakers as they break down everyday wound care for HS and pre- and post-op wound care. This session also doubles as a live demo where attendees can learn firsthand how to care for open wounds and drainage properly.

2:15 PM EST - Empowerment Through Alternative Medicine

This panel discussion combines Western medicine with Eastern philosophy and indigenous medicine to provide attendees with additional avenues to heal and cope with HS. This panel of experts will provide a deeper understanding of the benefits and risks of using emerging alternative treatments to improve attendees' overall quality of life.

3:30 PM EST - Crafting Tomorrow's Healthcare Policies

Living with Hidradenitis Suppurativa entails navigating intricate healthcare systems and policies that can significantly impact access, resources, and care. This session explores the pivotal connection between HS and healthcare policy, equipping attendees with the tools and knowledge to become effective advocates for themselves and others.

4:45 PM EST - Building Bridges of Support: Patient Stories and Shared Experiences

Engage in targeted support group sessions that cater to specific HS demographics. Share your journey, gain insights, and find strength in shared experiences. Breakout sessions are led by an advocate and an HS specialist or medical student.

Breakout Sessions include:

HS for Men Facilitators

HS for Women Facilitators

HS for Toddlers, Adolescents, and Teens Facilitators

6:30 PM EST - Networking Reception

The day will wind down with an opportunity for attendees to connect with each other on a deeper level outside daily sessions to share stories and exchange other valuable resources that could improve their journeys with HS. This reception is designed to foster community and create connections amongst like-minded individuals.

Day Three is one of our favorite days, as we will end the summit with sessions, workshops, and demos taught by some of your favorite social media influencers and advocates.

This is a chance for you to connect with the faces you know and love in person and learn directly from them about what has helped them in their journeys with HS and associated comorbidities. We will end this day with a special HS patient makeover. If you're interested in applying or want to nominate someone you know for the makeover, keep an eye out for an announcement on our social media channels.

Breakout Room #1: 9:15 AM EST - Storytelling Workshop

Social media has created a space for people living with HS to tell their stories on their terms, inspiring others worldwide to want to do the same. TitTok Influencer Cydney Carter has taken the HS community by storm, sharing her journey dealing with the disease. He will lead this session, showing how attendees can own their stories beyond social media.

Breakout Room #2: 9:15 AM EST - Navigating HS's Impact on Sexuality Workshop

Join an open and candid discussion about intimacy and relationships while living with HS, led by Dr. Erin Martinez. She will address the challenges and offer insights to maintain healthy connections through the exploration of some taboo but necessary topics, including exploring your sexuality, understanding your intimacy limits, and using external devices to explore erogenous zones.

Breakout Room #3: 9:15 AM EST - How To Create Your Medical Dream Team

Learn firsthand from social influencer Yasmeen Ahmed Yount and Tono Health co-founder Dr. Mondana Ghias about crafting a supportive medical network tailored to your HS journey and budgeting to support your care.

Breakout Room #1: 11:15 AM EST - Exploring the Role of Leading a Health Life

HS Nutritionist Jillian Ondreyka will lead a live demo and a workshop on creating an anti-inflammatory lifestyle that supports wound healing and HS wound management.

Breakout Room #2: 11:15 AM EST - Cultivating Positive Self-Perceptions Workshop

HS deforms the body in more ways than one, and sometimes, it can be hard to cope with those changes. This can lead to a host of mental health challenges that can have an even greater impact on quality of life. HS Patient, Disability Activist, and Healer Najee Nixon will lead this live demonstration/ workshop, where attendees will learn how to guide themselves through mirror work to heal some of the emotional wounds HS has caused.

Breakout Room #1: 2:00 PM EST - Patient-Caregiver Empowerment Panel

This session is for caregivers looking for space to understand their role in the lives of the people they support and how to care for themselves. Attendees will hear from a diversified panel of caregivers willing to share practical tips and tricks.

Breakout Room #2: 2:00 PM EST - Advocacy in Action: Strategies for HS Awareness

Equip yourself with practical strategies for raising HS awareness and advocating for change. This session, led by HS Connect co-founder Brindley Brooks, will uncover what it means to be an HS advocate and what attendees can do to start showing up.

3:30 PM EST - Reflecting on Empowerment: Closing Remarks, Summit Celebration & HS Patient Makeover

The summit concludes with AHSID giving back to the community in a huge way. Two people living with HS will have the opportunity to get a head-to-toe makeover from our team of glam experts. Winners will be selected and filmed before the closing ceremony.