The IPPF Receives Grant from Sy Syms Foundation to Accelerate Diagnosis Times

The Sy Syms Foundation has awarded a $100,000 grant to the International Pemphigus & Pemphigoid Foundation (IPPF) in support of the IPPF’s Biopsies Save Lives Campaign. This will be the seventh consecutive year the Sy Syms Foundation has supported the Awareness Program.

Since developing the Awareness Campaign in 2013, the IPPF has reached thousands of dental professionals and students. Due to its continued growth and impact, the Awareness Campaign transitioned into a permanent Awareness Program in 2017. This year the IPPF Awareness Program launched a media and marketing campaign that stresses the importance of a biopsy when diagnosing pemphigus and pemphigoid (P/P).

The new campaign centers on a single take-away for dental professionals: “Biopsies Save Lives— 4 questions to ask your patient to determine if a P/P biopsy should be considered.” A new information card was created to help dental professionals both recognize the symptoms of P/P and emphasize the importance of a biopsy. The campaign’s focus includes spreading awareness by exhibiting at dental conferences, emailing dentists throughout the country, reaching out to local dental societies, presenting at dental schools, increasing visitors to the website, and training Awareness Ambassadors to reach local dentists.

“We are incredibly grateful for the continued support of the Sy Syms Foundation,” said Kate Frantz, IPPF Awareness Program Director. “This is a pivotal year for the Awareness Program. We’ve launched our Biopsies Save Lives campaign, which includes new resources for dentists, an increased focus on marketing and communications, and enhanced methods for getting our messages out faster to even more dentists. We cannot thank the Sy Syms Foundation enough for their support in our efforts to accelerate pemphigus and pemphigoid diagnosis times.”

The Sy Syms Foundation was established in 1985 by retail entrepreneur and humanitarian, Sy Syms. His mission was to support education, and through his generosity the non-profit Foundation has affected the continued growth of many institutions of higher learning, medical research, and civic and cultural bodies. For more information on the Sy Syms Foundation, visit sysymsfoundation.org or call (201) 849-4417.