Below are some of our advocacy accomplishments.

	2009 - SAA completes development and production of the first-ever training video for emergency first responders, titled "Ankylosing Spondylitis: Managing Patients in an Emergency Setting, A Primer for First Responders". The program is accredited by CECBEMS (Continuing Education Coordinating Board for Emergency Medical Services); First Responders can receive continuing education credit for this training.
	2008 - Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act (GINA) was signed into law. SAA contributed to the effort to bring about this important legislation through its participation in the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) Coalition, which has actively lobbied for the bill's passage since its inception in 1997.
	2008 - SAA publishes Third Edition of Straight Talk On Spondylitis with expanded and updated sections on spondylitis in women, medications and treatment, employment issues, childcare, and health insurance.
	2007 - TASC Genetic Study identifies two new genes, ARTS1 (ERAP1) and IL23R, that play a role in susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis. SAA oversaw the nationwide recruitment of patients and families for the study. Together with HLA-B27, these genes account for roughly 70 percent of the overall cause of the disease. This is the most significant breakthrough in AS research since HLA-B27 was uncovered 35 years ago and SAA played a significant role in making the study possible.
	2007 - Partners with Cedars-Sinai Medical Center to offer physicians the CME course, "Medical and Surgical Approach to Spine Disease and Spine Deformity in Ankylosing Spondylitis".
	2006 - NIH gives second grant to Dr. John Reveille to continue with a goal of identifying exact genes within the chromosome regions, previously discovered by the TASC Genetic Study.
	2006 - SAA and the National Institutes of Health co-sponsor the "Spondyloarthritis: The Unmet Needs" conference which led to a more comprehensive picture of where spondyloarthritis research needs to be heading.
	2006 - SAA launches a second major research project titled "The Development of a Screening Tool to Identify People at Risk for AS", with Michael Weisman, MD as Principal Investigator.
	2005 - Arthritis Care and Research publishes findings from SAA's Life Impact Study. The article, "Juvenile-onset ankylosing spondylitis is associated with worse functional outcomes than adult-onset ankylosing spondylitis" highlights the need for increased awareness and earlier treatment of the disease.
	2004 - SAA offers a CME for rheumatologists and other clinicians titled "The Diagnosis and Management of Ankylosing Spondylitis" in partnership with Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center.
	2004 - The five-year NIH grant for the Family Genetic Study expires. The project resulted in the discovery of seven chromosomes regions linked to AS and yielded multiple publications for these findings. The project also spawned offshoot projects by other investigators. The researchers, along with SAA, prepare for the next grant application process.
	2004 - SAA offers its first accredited Continuing Medical Education (CME) program for physicians titled, "Ankylosing Spondylitis & Related Spondyloarthropathies: Aggressive Management of Aggressive Diseases."
	2003 - SAA holds an organizational meeting for US Researchers to form the Spondyloarthritis Research and Treatment Network (SPARTAN) for the purpose of advancing clinical research of spondyloarthritis in the United States.
	2003 - SAA's co-founder and then executive director, Jane Bruckel, BSN, RN, whose spine is fused due to severe ankylosing spondylitis, testifies on her personal experiences with etanercept (Enbrel) to encourage the FDA to speed approval of the medication.
	2002 - SAA sponsors and develops the first extensive survey among AS patients nationwide. Named the AS Life Impact Survey, the study results in major findings never before documented that will enable physicians and SAA to better address the needs of the AS community. The results are presented at the American College of Rheumatology.
	2002 - SAA, together with an international group of clinical researchers, leads the effort to produce a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Guidance Document on AS, which will speed the development of clinical trials and shorten the time to market for groundbreaking AS treatments.
	1999 - SAA and the University of Texas (UT) form the North American Spondylitis Consortium (NASC) - a consortium of 10 university medical centers and SAA. The National Institutes of Health provide a $6.5 million grant and designate SAA as clinical coordinating center for the AS Family Genetic Project.
	1998 - SAA provides the seed money for Dr. John Reveille and Dr. Li Jin of the University of Texas (UT) Health Sciences Center at Houston to begin the first major, nationwide genetic study of ankylosing spondylitis (AS) called the AS Family Genetic Project.
	1998 - SAA co-sponsors a 2-day conference with the NIH, bringing together 70 scientists from diverse fields to stimulate interest in AS.
	1997 - SAA founder Jane Bruckel receives invitation to the White House to attend a press conference with President Clinton, who endorses genetic privacy legislation to protect individuals against discrimination by insurance companies and employers.
	1997 - SAA begins "Quest for the Cure", a campaign to finance the AS Family Genetic project with major league baseball player, Rico Brogna, championing the cause. The campaign raised $235,000 for research.
	1997 - SAA Board of Directors determines genetic research to be a priority and embarks on a project in partnership with John Reveille, MD, University of Texas at Houston.
	1996 - Jane Bruckel visits with NIH officials to announce SAA's research commitment and to discuss cutting-edge research areas.
	1992 - SAA launches a 10th Anniversary Public Awareness Campaign with Dixie Carter as spokesperson.
	1990 - SAA co-sponsors an international research symposium with the University of Texas in Dallas to bring the world's leading scientists together to share their research findings.
	1989 - SAA launches a public awareness campaign with Ed Asner as spokesperson.
	1988 - SAA becomes a founding member of the Ankylosing Spondylitis International Federation.
	1987 - SAA establishes a national Medical & Scientific Advisory Board made up of distinguished spondylitis researchers and clinicians to unify efforts towards research and better patient care.
	1985 - Straight Talk on Spondylitis, the first comprehensive self-help book for spondylitis patients, is published.
	1984 - SAA co-sponsors the first AS symposium in the U.S., aimed at providing both patients and doctors with the latest information in a field widely overlooked at the time.
	1983 - SAA offers first quarterly newsletter focused on ankylosing spondylitis.