Member Spotlight – Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation

By Theo Smith, Associate, Marketing & Communications  

Known collectively as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis are painful, medically incurable diseases that attack the digestive system, causing symptoms including abdominal pain, persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, fever, and weight loss. These conditions are the result of your immune system’s overactive response. 

Crohn’s disease may attack anywhere along the digestive tract, while ulcerative colitis inflames only the large intestine (colon). In addition to the impact on the GI tract, in some patients, IBD may also affect the joints, skin, bones, kidneys, liver, and eyes.  

The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation has been at the forefront of IBD research and care for more than 50 years and counting. The Foundation is a non-profit, volunteer-fueled organization dedicated to finding cures for IBD and improving the quality of life of children and adults affected by these diseases. The Foundation sponsors basic and clinical research of the highest quality. They also offer a wide range of educational programs for patients and health care professionals, while providing supportive services to help people cope with these chronic digestive diseases. They have invested more than $384 million into finding the causes, treatments, and cures for Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis.  

The Foundation is proud of its affiliation with the National Health Council (NHC) and values its work toward a society in which all people have access to quality, affordable health care that respects personal goals and aspirations to promote their best possible health outcomes. 

For more information about the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, visit their website.  

For information on joining the NHC, contact Bob Scott, NHC’s Associate Director, Membership & Operations.