Here’s a quick update about more publicity for the TAD Coalition and Ritter Rules:

• San Gabriel Valley Tribune: Amy Yasbeck was interviewed on Friday for an article that appears in today’s Health Beat column. This appears in four other L.A. area dailies as well. Click here to read a PDF of the article.
• The Globe (national tabloid): Writer is doing a story on Ritter Rules. Article should appear next week.
• Doctor Radio (Sirius XM): Amy Yasbeck, Kim Eagle and Patty Peterson (one of the survivors pictured on the TAD website) will be interviewed about the guidelines and Ritter Rules on April 15, from 7-8 am ET. If you don’t subscribe, you can get a trial subscription online so you can listen that day (don’t do this till it gets closer because the trial period is only active for a few days).
• March 25, Dianna Milewicz and Amy Yasbeck are taping a segment for The Doctors (national CBS). Air date may be in April or they may hold it for the “sweeps” period in May (when they air what they believe will be their most popular shows to attract the greatest audience, the shows on which their advertising rates are based). We will publicize the date when we know it.

Click here to read more about the Throacic Aortic Disease Coalition, a project in which EDNF became a founding member over a year ago. Click here to read Ritter Rulers and find more information about thoracic aortic disease.

EDNF, one of the first founding members of the TAD Coalition, is delighted to announce widespread media publicity for the Coalition's announcement of Ritter Rules. These are some of the responses so far.

• CBS This Morning: Amy Yasbeck (wife of the late John Ritter) and Dianna Milewicz, MD, PhD (member of the EDNF Professional Advisory Network) appeared in the “Health Watch” segment of CBS's The Early Show on Wednesday, March 17. The TAD Coalition (www.tadcoalition.org), the new AHA/ACC Guidelines for Diagnosis and Management of Patients with Thoracic Aortic Disease, and the new Ritter Rules, which included mention of Ehlers-Danlos syndrome as one of the genetic risk factors that increase the risk of aortic dissection, were discussed. EDNF is a founding member of the TAD Coalition, and has been working since last February on the project. If you still haven’t watched this, you can go to othe TAD Coalition website, www.tadcoalition.org. Then, click on "Watch" in the Ritter Rules Box on the home page.


• KCAL-TV / CBS affiliate in L.A. – Interviewed Amy on 3/16/10. An article and the segment can be viewed at: http://cbs2.com/tv/john.ritter.heart.2.1565915.html


• KNBC-TV / NBC affiliate in L.A. – Interviewed Amy on 3/16 for segment that aired that day.


• KTRK-TV / ABC affiliate in Houston – Used footage from a previous interview with Dianna and Amy that aired that day


• Omaha World-Herald – Article about the Tyler Kahle (and the efforts of Methodist and Deb McMillan) ran on 3/17/10. http://www.omaha.com/article/20100317/NEWS01/703179947.


• HealthNewsDigest.com – Secured coverage that appeared here.


• Sky Radio Network (airs on major airlines and online) – Arranged for pre-interview with Amy Yasbeck to take place on 3/18; piece will eventually air on American Airlines radio and online.


• Cardiology Today – Online content editor plans to run Ritter Rules online by the end of the week or early next week; may also appear in the print edition.


• San Bernardino Sun (and four other newspapers in the L.A. area) – Health reporter writing a feature on the TAD Coalition, Ritter Rules, etc. Arranging for him to interview Amy and providing illustration of aortic dissection. Article is slated for 3/25/10.

Other developing or possible interest:

• Wall Street Journal – Tom Burton, who co-wrote the Pulitzer Prize winning series on aortic dissection several years ago, suggested we submit as an op-ed.


• People Magazine


• Fitness Magazine – Freelance writer doing an article on women athletes who faced potentially fatal heart condition is possibly interested in one of our spokespeople, 1994 U.S. Olympic speedskater (see her bio on TAD website).


• WebMD – Senior medical writer interested in Ritter Rules; passed to editorial staff for review as a possible feature and the writer is interested in keeping updated on TAD activities.


• CNN – Medical associate producer pitched Ritter Rules to all programs at CNN.


• Family Practice News – Associate editor is very interested.


• Several major daily newspapers are possibly interested in our spokespeople because they are local: Detroit News, NY Post, Newsday (plus NMF home newspaper), Minnesota Star Tribune