Here are just a few of SAA's Major 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) is 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.
	2007 - TASC Genetic Study identifies two new genes, ERAP1 and IL23R, that play a role in susceptibility to spondylitis. This is the most significant breakthrough in AS research since HLA-B27 was uncovered 34 years ago and SAA played a significant role in making the study possible. 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.
	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 begins support of a second major research project titled "The SAA Screening Tool for Ankylosing Spondylitis", with Michael Weisman, MD as Principal Investigator.
	2003 - SAA offers its first accredited Continuing Medical Education (CME) program for physicians entitled, "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 former executive director, Jane Bruckel, BSN, RN, whose spine is fused due to severe AS, 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. The AS Life Impact Survey results in major findings never before documented that enable physicians and SAA to better address the needs of the AS community. The results are presented at the American College of Rheumatology.
	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) in the US called the AS Family Genetic Project.
	1998 - SAA co-sponsors a 2-day conference with the National Institutes of Health, bringing together 70 scientists from diverse fields to stimulate interest in AS.
	1997 - Jane Bruckel receives an 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 launches its first research campaign to raise money for the first major, nationwide genetic study of Ankylosing spondylitis.
	1996 - Jane Bruckel meets with Dr. Stephen Katz, the National Institutes of Health’s Director of the National Institute of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) to discuss how SAA can work with NIAMS to speed up research and the need for more scientists to study the spondyloarthopathies.
	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.
	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 US, aimed at providing both patients and doctors with the latest information in a field widely overlooked at the time.
	1983 - SAA publishes the first quarterly newsletter focused on ankylosing spondylitis.

For over 25 years, the Spondylitis Association of America has spoken out on behalf of all who suffer from spondylitis. By making a donation to SAA, you will directly contribute to much-needed public awareness efforts, educational outreach programs, research initiatives, treatment advances and the ongoing search for the cure. Add your voice to our mission to be a leader in the quest to cure ankylosing spondylitis and related diseases and to empower those affected to live life to the fullest. Together, our voice is louder. Together, we make a difference.