On this page, BHC shares monthly online outreach event opportunities.

Second & Third Tuesday of each month

Both monthly support groups are designed to include people with ME/CFS, FM, Long COVID, and co-existing conditions. We also welcome supporters and loved ones.

These sessions are led by a licensed professional who has personal experience navigating life while living with a complex chronic illness. Each session includes a topic and guided discussion.

Participants are encouraged to participate to their comfort level which may include listening, communicating in the chat box, and/or sharing verbally with the group.

2nd Wednesday 

“Coffee” with a Clinician is a new Bateman Horne Center series designed to share practical, evidence-informed guidance on ME/CFS, Long COVID, and other infection-associated chronic conditions (IACCs) that you can share with your medical provider.

Each month, clinicians will walk us through a chapter of the Clinical Care Guide or host an “Ask Me Anything” session, answering questions submitted ahead of time by the community.

Who should attend:
People living with ME/CFS, Long COVID, or related IACCs; family members and caregivers; and clinicians who want a concise, practical starting point.

Coffee with a Clinician is free to attend, with an optional $5 donation to support BHC’s education and outreach programs.

A recording of each Coffee with a Clinician will be made publicly available.

Teleconferencing Tips:

The Bateman Horne Center uses the teleconferencing platform Zoom to host our online offerings. Here are some helpful tips.

Instructions for installing, testing, and using Zoom Technology required

• A laptop, desktop, or smartphone with a microphone and camera, a broadband network connection, and internet browser. Note: If your laptop doesn’t have a camera, you will still be able to see the materials and other people’s faces on your computer. If your computer does not have a good microphone, you can use your phone for sound. Consider using earpods or a similar device if you have limited speaker/mic capacity.
• Zoom supports the following operating systems and browsers
  • Systems:
    •  Windows 10, 8 or 8.1, or 7
    •  MacOS X with macOS 10.7 or later
  • Browsers:
    • Windows: IE 11+
    • Edge 12+
    • Firefox 27+
    • Chrome 30+
    • Mac: Safari 7+, Firefox 27+, Chrome 30+

Installing Zoom software and testing it out before the meeting

• If you have never used Zoom before, download Zoom before the meeting at the following address: https://zoom.us/download and click on “Download.” Then, follow the normal procedure to install an application on your computer. If you do not do it before the meeting, you will need to install it before you can connect.
• You will be asked if you want to open Zoom. Click on “Open Zoom.US.” If you do not see that prompt, you may need to reinstall Zoom and the screen will prompt you to do so.
• On the next screen, select the option to “Test Computer Audio” and then select the options to test Audio and Video.          

• How to Join a Zoom Meeting

• To join the meeting, click the connection link provided in your registration email.
• You will be prompted to enter the meeting’s password in order to join. This is located within the same registration email below the ‘click here to join’ prompt.
• When you connect, you will be asked if you want to use computer audio or phone audio. Pick one or the other but not both.
• If you cannot connect using the Zoom URL, connect by phone: Dial the number listed in the registration email, then enter meeting ID also found within the same email.
• If you are having trouble getting connected, try copying and pasting the connection link into a new web browser (Google Chrome is most compatible).
• If for some reason that fails, then type in Zoom.us into your web browser, click “join meeting” and enter the meeting ID found in your registration email. 
  

• You can share the screen on your laptop by clicking “Share” on the Zoom screen.
• To control background noise, everyone will be placed on mute and you will have to “raise your hand” to speak. A Zoom moderator will call on you to unmute yourself and speak.
• You can change your screen name if it does not display your full name.
• You can also use “Chat” if you want to send a message to the Zoom moderator or the group.
• Details on how to do these activities are provided below

Zoom Screen Controls to Change Screen Name, How the Participants are displayed.

Northern Hemisphere

Canada

FM-CFS Canada

ME&CFS Canada

AQEM (Association Quebec Encephalomyelitis Myalgic)

National ME/FM Action Network

Danish ME Association

EMEA (European ME Alliance) 

Norwegian ME Association – Rogaland County Council 

United Kingdom

ME Association UK 

Action for ME UK

Invest in ME UK

Southern Hemisphere

ANZMES (Associated New Zealand ME Society)

Emerge Australia

ME/CFS South Australia

ME/CFS Foundation South Africa