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Duration: 1 hr 14 min

B12
Sally Pacholok, RN, Jeffrey Stuart, D.O.

Sally Pacholok, R.N., B.S.N:
The Consequences of Misdiagnosed Vitamin B12 Deficiency
This presentation will raise awareness to the dangers of vitamin B12 deficiency and how the medical community is failing to diagnose this common disorder. The lecture will educate participants why vitamin B12 is critical for normal growth and development in children and normal health in adults. Participants will learn how to recognize, diagnose and treat B12 deficiency as well understand subclinical B12 deficiency. We will reveal which groups are at greatest risk for misdiagnosis and review the cost-effectiveness of early diagnosis and proper treatment. Lastly, we will explain why education, advocacy, and a standard of care change are critical to combat this epidemic.

Sally Pacholok, R.N., B.S.N., an emergency room nurse with 24 years of experience, received her bachelor’s degree in nursing from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.  Prior to entering the field of nursing, she received an Associate’s Degree of Applied Science with magna cum laude honors. She was also an Advanced Emergency Medical Technician (A-EMT), and worked as a paramedic prior to and during nursing school. She has worked in health care for a total of 32 years, and has cared for thousands of patients. In addition, she is an Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) provider, and has assisted instructors at a local community college in training paramedics in ACLS. She is a Trauma Nursing Core Course (TNCC) Provider, an Emergency Nurse Pediatric Course (ENPC) Provider and a member of the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA).
In 1985, Pacholok diagnosed herself with vitamin B12 deficiency, after her doctors had failed to identify her condition. As a result, she is passionate about the need to educate the public about the dangerous consequences of this hidden and all-too-common disease.

In 2009, Pacholok and her co-author, Jeffrey J. Stuart, started B12 Awareness, an organization to educate the health-care community and the public to the dangers of B12 deficiency. B12 Awareness has declared the last week in September to be B12 Awareness Week and are working to get legislation passed to officially recognize B12 Awareness Week annually. Visit B12 Awareness on the Web at B12Awareness.org.

Pacholok is a passionate crusader in the cause of educating the public, health-care professionals and health-care policy leaders about vitamin B12 deficiency and treatment. Says Pacholok, “We cannot rest until this disorder gets the attention it deserves and we stop needless injury, suffering and poor outcomes. The only way to solve this epidemic is to educate others to what is going on behind closed doors. There is a simple solution: Education, Awareness, Advocacy, Responsibility and Prevention.”