Three Lakes Foundation and MATTER announce project to empower pulmonary fibrosis patients, caregivers and providers to share experiences and inspire innovation

The PF Perspectives Project asks members of the pulmonary fibrosis community to identify their barriers to care to inspire innovation.

Chicago, IL — Three Lakes Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the diagnosis, care and treatment of people living with pulmonary fibrosis (PF), and MATTER, the premier healthcare incubator and innovation hub, today announced the relaunch of an ongoing innovation program designed to help identify the key challenges and source novel solutions for PF. The program kicked off in early 2020 but paused in mid-February as COVID-19 took center stage.

Pulmonary fibrosis is a family of related lung diseases that are characterized by scarring in lung tissue. Over time, the scarring can make it difficult for oxygen to get into the blood. More than 200,000 Americans are living with PF — many of whom depend on therapeutic, supplemental oxygen around the clock. PF symptoms often mimic other, more common diseases, making it very difficult to diagnose.

The relaunched innovation program kicks off today with the PF Perspectives Project, an initiative that encourages patients, caregivers and providers to share what they see as the top barriers to diagnosis, treatment and quality of life for people living with PF — and how the COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated these existing challenges.

Submissions from the PF Perspectives Project will be used to inform the PF Innovation Challenge, which will relaunch in late summer. The challenge will call on a global pool of innovators, including early stage concepts and team-based efforts, between academic and commercial enterprises, to develop solutions that might improve time to diagnosis, care pathways and quality of life for people living with PF.

“We know that the PF community of patients, caregivers, families and healthcare professionals understand the difficulties of respiratory illness and are best positioned to help us focus where innovations can be most meaningful,” said Dana Ball, executive director of Three Lakes Foundation. “We are inviting people to share their experiences and by extension, inspire innovation in the business sector. We also recognize that in our current COVID-19 environment, this forum gives voice and power to our community in a unique way.”

For every story submitted to the PF Perspectives Project, Three Lakes Foundation will donate $10 to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (up to $10,000). Five selected participants will be awarded $500 and will be invited to join MATTER and Three Lakes Foundation on the innovation journey to further share their perspectives with innovators through a series of virtual activities.

“To advance new ideas, we believe there is tremendous value in first listening to the stories of a community that manages disease on a daily basis. Learning from their experiences ensures that our innovation community can then focus their solutions on the right problems,” says Arun Bhatia, senior director of partner engagement at MATTER. “By engaging with, and amplifying the voices of the PF community, we have a unique opportunity to understand their real needs, and to then foster collaborations that can create meaningful solutions.”

For details on the project and instructions for how to submit your story, visit matter.health/pf-perspectives. Submissions will be accepted until 11:59pm CST on June 30, 2020.

About Three Lakes Foundation
Three Lakes Foundation (TLF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing awareness of pulmonary fibrosis, improving care for affected individuals and accelerating the development of promising new technologies and treatments. Through strategic partnerships and impact funding, TLF aims to improve time to diagnosis and ensure every patient has access to treatments that preserve health and quality of life until a cure can be realized. For more information, please visit threelakesfoundation.org.

About MATTER
At MATTER, we believe collaboration is the best way to improve healthcare. The MATTER collaborative includes more than 200 cutting-edge startups from around the world, working together with dozens of hospitals and health systems, universities and industry-leading companies to build the future of healthcare. Together we are accelerating innovation, advancing care and improving lives. For more information, visit matter.health and follow @MATTERhealth.

About the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation
The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation mobilizes people and resources to provide access to high quality care and leads research for a cure so people with pulmonary fibrosis will live longer, healthier lives. The PFF collaborates with physicians, organizations, patients and caregivers worldwide. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation has a three-star rating from Charity Navigator and is a Better Business Bureau accredited charity. For more information, visit pulmonaryfibrosis.org or call 844.TalkPFF (844.825.5733) or 312.587.9272 from outside of the U.S.