Patients and their families learn from experts at ATS 2014.

Leaders in the care and research of pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome, lung transplantation, scleroderma, sarcoidosis, sleep disorders, and others greeted patients and families during the Meet the Experts forum Saturday at ATS 2014.

Now in its eighth year, Meet the Experts is presented by the ATS Public Advisory Roundtable, a collaboration between the Society and patient advocacy organizations. The focus of this year’s forum was “Living Your Best Life with Lung Disease.”

“The program provided patients with a lot of resources with regard to how they can go back to their providers to improve on their lung disease conditions and own health and well-being. The topics were varied so each patient took something away, and we were more than happy as providers to be the resources for the patients,” says Ni-Cheng Liang, MD, a presenter from the University of California, San Diego.

Jeff Goldstein, who lives in Miami, was diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In July, he will celebrate his 11-year post-lung transplant.

“There is more time here with the doctors than in a patient-doctor setting,” Mr. Goldstein says. “We can meet with them afterward and ask questions. That personal connection outside of a hospital setting is less intimidating. This program offers a lot. It’s very, very valuable.”