LymeTV's 2024 IMPACT REPORT
With Gratitude
As we enter a new year, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on some of our accomplishments from 2024.
Since 2017, LymeTV has been dedicated to educating the public & healthcare professionals about the burden, causes, prevention, diagnosis, & treatment of tick-borne infectious diseases across the nation. With your support, LymeTV reached thousands more during fiscal year 2024, through virtual educational activities, outreach & awareness programs, professional public health trainings, & collaborations with many partners—all in support of a vision of healthier lives through effective education & prevention of tick-borne diseases. LymeTV remains committed to continued collaboration with a wide range of partners as one of our core values.
Thank you for your ongoing support of LymeTV & our efforts to collectively advocate for disease prevention & treatment, since "a tick bite can kill you."
The mission of LymeTV remains vital to protecting public health. LymeTV is committed to supporting projects that will lead to the development of novel health tools for the education of disease prevention. This impact report provides highlights of our accomplishments, many of which you helped us achieve.
With Gratitude,
Adina Bercowicz, MPH, Executive Director
SCIENTIFIC ADVOCACY
LymeTV's team engages at the federal level for advancing scientific research to improve testing, treatment, & prevention of tick-borne diseases.
WASHINGTON, D.C.
LymeTV's Executive Director, Adina Bercowicz, was invited to advocate in Washington, D.C. on two significant occasions:
- The first was when the Department of Health and Human Services requested stakeholder feedback on the new National Vector-borne Disease Strategy.
- The second was a Department of Defense meeting about Lyme and Military Readiness, for which we partnered with the Center for Lyme Action to meet with several Congressional representatives.
DOD PANEL
Our Director of Science & Director of Advocacy served once more in 2024 on the Department of Defense, Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs, Tick-Borne Disease Research Program as Scientific Consumer Reviewers. The selection requires months of work with a rigorous critique process. LymeTV's leadership has been selected to serve on the CDMRP panels in '19, '21, '22, '23, & '24–contributing to the impact assessment of millions of dollars in federal research funding.
CENTER FOR LYME ACTION
Various Board members & volunteers participated in the Center for Lyme Action's annual Lyme Fly-In, where hundreds of patient advocates across the nation were successful in securing increased federal funding by educating their state representatives about the dangers of tick-borne diseases. Many of our team are also getting ready for the upcoming 2025 Lyme Fly-In.
FUNDING
LymeTV's operational expenses are funded by a foundational grant. In 2024 we also received additional grant funding from Maine AHEC Network & Walmart Community Grants earmarked for our Health Education Programs. Please help us diversify & expand our funding sources by making a donation to our year-end capacity campaign today!
EVENTS & PROGRAMS
YOUTH HEALTH EDUCATION
30,000 Students
LymeTV's Tick JEDI Health Education Program™ is always growing, currently used by schools located in:
13 Maine counties, 12 states, & 1 Canadian school
Tick JEDI Program Love!
The kids loved your program & they immediately put what they learned into practice all on their own!
~ Focus Group Parent
Your program's website & curriculum is easy to follow. My students really enjoy it!
~ Teacher in Maine
The first group of Tick Jedi's!!!!!!! 2nd grade!!!!!!
~ NJ School Administrator
EVENTS
- Long Lyme CME
We received federal funding through Maine AHEC for promoting medical education in underserved areas, which allowed us to invite Lyme expert, Dr. Monica Embers, Director of Vector-Borne Disease Research at the Tulane National Primate Research Center, to present to clinicians on the immunological complexities of Lyme disease.
- Microsoft Employee Event
Microsoft invited LymeTV to their corporate campus in Seattle to offer tick-borne disease education. The event reached Microsoft employees in Washington state & other parts of the world at global Microsoft centers. This event was possible because of the awesome Microsoft employees who dedicated their time to promote tick safety education. THANK YOU Team Microsoft!
FOSTERING STUDENTS
LymeTV also hosted two graduate students from the University of North Carolina's Gillings School of Public Health for their practicum field study projects. The graduate students conducted literature reviews for novel research into Alpha-gal Syndrome & created clinical guides on different aspects of this emerging topic. LymeTV highlighted their work on a new dedicated AGS web page for clinicians.
COMMUNITY OUTREACH
We directly served 1,200 Maine adults (almost 1,000 of them unhoused) with our Community Outreach program, & reached thousands more between virtual events & our prevention materials distributed by health agencies in multiple states.
We target the underserved of our community to provide them with the best resources to prevent tick bites. Based on our unhoused community survey, we modified our prevention material distribution strategy from providing permethrin-treated socks to permethrin-treated blankets.
CELEBRATING VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers play a vital role in the success of our community. Our volunteers help the organization in many ways, including planning community & fundraising events, educating the public, & helping with pipeline programs. Between partner organizations, schools, & tick-borne disease patients, LymeTV is fortunate to have a very active group of supporters who truly believe in our mission.
As always, the incredible support of our volunteers is a critical part of everything we accomplish. LymeTV's all-volunteer team provides pro-bono work that keeps our mission advancing.
In total, 14 volunteers contributed their time to support our life-saving mission in 2024. Our team is a group of amazing, dedicated Tick JEDIs from all over the world.
To each of them we say: Thank You!
Thank You For Making An Impact!
Our accomplishments are possible because of supporters like you.
