Understanding Osteoporosis

The answers found in the SimplyStated section of this Web site are reviewed and approved by an Advisory Board of doctors, professionals, patients, and caregivers. This group of individuals was established and funded by Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation as an educational service. It is intended to provide clear answers to the most often asked questions about this condition. It should not be used in place of a physician's advice. You should speak with your doctor and other healthcare professionals before making any decision about your individual health.

Osteoporosis SimplyStated Advisory Board

Alexander Headley Krist, MD
Dr. Krist is a practicing family physician and Assistant Professor at Fairfax Family Practice in Fairfax, Virginia. He is the residency director of research, with a particular interest in patient education and preventive medicine. He is currently the principal investigator for several research projects studying the Internet as a tool for shared decision making.

Melinda Murray Ratini, DO, MS
Dr. Ratini is a practicing physician in Bristol, Pennsylvania, with extensive experience in patient education on the Web. She is board certified in Family Practice and Geriatrics. She also serves as a consultant/editor for the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians.

Cathleen Colon-Emeric, MD, MHSc
Dr. Colon-Emeric is a geriatrician and osteoporosis researcher at the Duke University Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development in Durham, North Carolina. Her research interests include fracture prediction and prevention in the elderly, health service delivery to the elderly, and the relationship of religion to end-of-life decision making.

Felicia Cosman, MD
Dr. Cosman, an endocrinologist, is Clinical Director of the National Osteoporosis Foundation, Medical Director of the Clinical Research Center at Helen Hayes Hospital in West Haverstraw, New York, and Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at Columbia University in New York, New York.

Rhonda Atkinson, PhD
Dr. Atkinson is an Assistant Professor at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri. She is a literacy specialist who has developed curricula for low-literate readers. She was the curriculum writer for the Institute for Healthcare Advancement's HELP Curriculum, a literacy curriculum designed to teach ESL students reading and health together.

Tom Atkinson, PhD
Dr. Atkinson is an Associate Professor at Central Missouri State University in Warrensburg, Missouri. He is an educational technologist who has developed software for nearly 25 years including database applications, information kiosks, and multimedia Web-based instruction.

Celeste Cafiero, MA, CHES
Ms. Cafiero is a Certified Health Education Specialist who has led Web-based development teams for interactive patient education programs on a wide range of diseases and conditions. She is Vice President of Strategic Development at HealthEd, The Patient Education Agency, in Westfield, New Jersey.

Susan Eno Collins, MS, CHES, RD
Ms. Collins is a Certified Health Education Specialist who develops patient education programs that meet the principles of health education and health literacy. She is Senior Director of Health Education at HealthEd, The Patient Education Agency, in Westfield, New Jersey.

Shirley S is a patient with osteoporosis in Rhode Island.

Trudy R is a patient with osteoporosis in New York.