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Educational Support Groups

Be sure to join our e-mail list to receive meeting announcements and other useful resources. (See form at right.)

Locations and Meeting Schedules

Click here for a CALENDAR of meetings and other events

OR see below for listings by location.

Additional meeting dates are added as plans are confirmed.

Check back here regularly for details, or join our e-mail list  to receive e-mail meeting announcements for your area.
(See form at right. We will not share your address with anyone.)

 

AAFA New England affiliated Educational Support Programs meet in the following locations:

Massachusetts

Boston, MA
Framingham, MA
ShoreSide Area, MA (currently inactive)
Lexington, MA
Ludlow, MA (currently inactive)
Marshfield, MA (ShoreSide)  (currently inactive)
Newton-Wellesley, MA
North Andover, MA
Salem-North Shore, MA
Taunton, MA (Southeastern MA) (currently inactive)
Yarmouth Port, MA

Nashoba Valley, MA (currently inactive)

Rhode Island
Providence, RI (currently inactive)

What are educational support programs?

Educational support  programs provide an opportunity for people with asthma and allergies (and/or family members, parents, and caregivers) to hear speakers, ask questions, learn more about managing asthma and allergies in “the real world,” and share ideas and strategies in a small group.

Each group has a physician advisor and a volunteer leader or co-leaders who plan topics of interest.  The locations of the meetings are listed below.  Updates will be posted on this website regularly.

To start an educational support program in your area, call us toll free at 1-877-2-ASTHMA.  Most groups meet September through May. (See dates and topics, below.)

Please send us your e-mail address and where you live, so that we may notify you of upcoming meetings.  Complete the form at the right or send an e-mail to: aafane@aafane.org. Please tell us where you live so we can let you know about programs in your area.

Call the AAFA New England office if you have questions or if weather issues may cause the cancellation of a meeting (781-444-7778).

All programs are free and open to the public.

All groups meet from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm unless otherwise noted.

For further information, call AAFA New England, 781-444-7778, toll free 1-877-2-ASTHMA, or the local contacts listed below.


SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS

Additional meetings will be planned. Check back or add your name to our e-mail list to receive meeting announcements (see form to the right).

 

BOSTON FOOD ALLERGY SUPPORT GROUP
Boston Children’s Hospital
Fegan Building – 7th Floor Conference Room
Medical Advisor: John Lee, MD

Dates and topics to be announced.

 

METRO-BOSTON ALLERGY & ASTHMA SUPPORT GROUP
Newton, MA 

Meets 7:00 p.m. at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, 2014 Washington st., Newton MA (one quarter mile from the intersection of Routes 16 & 128 (I-95 – Exit 21/21A at Route 16 East (Washington St .)

Leader:  Sharon Schumack
Medical Advisor: Curtis Moody , MD

FALL 2016

Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016
“Food Allergies and Anaphylaxis: What You Need to Know Now”
Speaker: Allergist Michael Pistiner, MD
Don’t miss this important overview about how to prevent, recognize, and safely deal with severe allergic reactions. Bring your questions, including about current and future options for epinephrine administration, and everyone who needs to learn about keeping safe: babysitters, family members and friends

Tuesday, October 18, 2016
“Food Allergy: What’s New in Research, Treatment, and Prevention?”
Speaker: allergist Michael Young, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School; Division of Allergy & Immunology, Children’s Hospital Boston; Author of The Peanut Allergy Answer Book (Third Edition)
Dr. Young will review the results of new research on risk factors for the development of food allergies, including the landmark Learning Early About Peanut Allergy (LEAP) study and more recent follow-ups, and how dietary recommendations for pregnant women and infants are changing. Other topics: new studies on food allergies in schools, current guidelines for school management of food allergies, and current research on treatment protocols including oral immunotherapy.

Speaker: Allergist Michael C. Young, M.D.
Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School;
Division of Allergy & Immunology, Children’s Hospital Boston
Author of The Peanut Allergy Answer Book (Third Edition)

Tuesday, November 15, 2016
“Going to College with Food Allergies”
Speaker: Jan Hanson, M.A. author of a new book: Food Allergies and College: Your Complete Planning Guide, a comprehensive “how to” for college-bound teens with food allergies who are planning to attend college, and their families. It addresses the process in stages, up to and including living safely at college.
Jan Hanson is a food allergy educator whose two sons attended college with food allergies. She is a former college administrator and worked as the Assistant Director of Residence at Simmons College.

NORTHWEST SUBURBAN BOSTON AREA
Lexington, MA 

Meets 6:45 p.m. at Beth Israel and Children’s Hospital Medical Care Center, 482 Bedford St. , Lexington , MA .

Directions:  Rt. 128, take exit 31B (“Bedford, Rts. 4 & 225”). Get in right lane to make “Jug handle” U-turn,  then turn into parking lot.
Leaders:  Laurel Francoeur, Heather Tighe
Medical Advisor:  Ana Dioun Broyles, MD

FALL 2016

Monday, Sept. 19, 2016
“Anaphylaxis: Understanding and Preventing Severe Allergic Reactions to Foods, Medicines, Insect Stings and Latex”
Speaker: allergist John Saryan, MD, Chairman of the Department of Allergy and Immunology, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center

Monday, Oct. 24, 2016
“Legal Rights for People with Food Allergies”
Speaker: Laurel Francoeur, Attorney, will share her legal perspective about how life with food allergies affects places of public accommodation, restaurants, travel, and schools. You will learn how the law handles food allergies and what rights it provides to the allergic person.

Monday, November 14, 2016
“New Research in the Desensitization of Allergies”
Speaker: William Sheehan, MD, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Children’s Hospital Boston

SPRING 2017

Monday, June 5, 2017
“Allergic infant proctocolitis and its relationship to food allergies,”
Speaker:  Dr. Qian Yuan, Massachusetts General Hospital for Children

This program is sponsored by EGID Boston (Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Disease Support Group of Boston).
For more info, see: www.EGIDBoston.org

 

FOOD ALLERGY GROUP of the NORTH SHORE
Salem, MA 

Meets 7:00 p.m. at Salem Hospital (North Shore Medical Center), 81 Highland Ave., Davenport Conference Center – First floor. Room D-102A

Medical Advisor: James MacLean, MD

FALL 2016
Thursday, October 13, 2016
“Food Allergies and Anaphylaxis: What You Need to Know Now”
Don’t miss this important overview by the group’s Medical Advisor about how to prevent, recognize, and safely deal with severe allergic reactions. Bring your questions, including about current and future options for epinephrine administration, and everyone who needs to learn about keeping safe: babysitters, family members and friends.


Thursday, November 10, 2016
“Going to College with Food Allergies”
Speaker: Jan Hanson, M.A. author of a new book: Food Allergies and College: Your Complete Planning Guide, a comprehensive “how to” for college-bound teens with food allergies who are planning to attend college, and their families. It addresses the process in stages, up to and including living safely at college.
Jan Hanson is a food allergy educator whose two sons attended college with food allergies. She is a former college administrator and worked as the Assistant Director of Residence at Simmons College.

 

MERRIMACK VALLEY ASTHMA & ALLERGY SUPPORT GROUP
North Andover, MA

Leaders: Linda Sullivan , RN, Mary Hadjian, RN,  Kim Sousa
Medical Advisors:  Kenneth Chan, MD, John Saryan , MD

FALL 2016

Dates, topics, speakers to be confirmed.
Please see above for programs at our Northwest Suburban Boston meeting site.

 

 

METRO-WEST ALLERGY & ASTHMA SUPPORT GROUP
Framingham, MA
Meets 7:00 p.m.at Allergy & Asthma Treatment Specialists, 475 Franklin St., Suite 206, Framingham (near intersection of Mt. Wayte Ave.)
Leaders: Linda Drews, Lori Brockway
Medical Advisor: Stuart Rhein, MD

2016 – Dates, topics and speakers to be confirmed. Please see above for Metro-Boston programs at Newton-Wellesley Hospital.

 

CAPE COD ASTHMA & ALLERGY GROUP
Yarmouth Port, MA
Meets at Allergy & Asthma Center for Cape Cod, 244 Willow St.,
Call 508-362-0099 to confirm dates and topics.

 

 

THESE GROUPS ARE CURRENTLY INACTIVE:

SOUTHEASTERN MA FOOD ALLERGY PARENT SUPPORT GROUP
(Formerly met in Foxborough, MA)
Medical Advisor: Donald Accetta, MD
No meetings scheduled at this time.

NASHOBA VALLEY  ASTHMA & ALLERGY EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT GROUP
(Previously met in Ayer, MA)
Medical Advisor:  Jordan E. Scott, MD

PIONEER VALLEY FOOD ALLERGY SUPPORT GROUP
Ludlow, MA
(Previously met in Ludlow, MA)
Leaders: Nicole Sweeney, Lucy Saloio, Lisa Holloway
Medical Advisor: Jonathan Bayuk, DO

RHODE ISLAND ALLERGY & ASTHMA EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT GROUP
Providence, RI

SHORESIDE ASTHMA & ALLERGY EDUCATIONAL SUPPORT GROUP
Medical Advisor: John Costa, MD