The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) convened its fourth annual public interest organization (PIO) meeting to encourage and promote public input and involvement in Institute activities. Approximately 120 individuals participated in the 1-day meeting. They included members of about 50 public interest organizations, as well as representatives from universities, professional societies, voluntary health agencies, the NHLBI, and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Advisory Council (NHLBAC). The agenda and format for the meeting were designed to foster interaction among all the individuals and organizations attending. The three previous PIO meetings were held

• February 9, 2000
• January 31, 2001
• February 6, 2002

Two related themes for the fourth annual meeting were collaboration and conferences. The agenda included

• remarks by the Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH), on future directions of the NIH
• a resource panel on how to develop and find support for workshops and conferences
• a case study on collaborative advocacy
• a research presentation on the potential of stem cells for treatment of ischemic heart disease
• three concurrent community forums led by resource panels representing the NHLBI areas of interest

The meeting was organized to encourage interactive, small-group, roundtables for the organization representatives to explore potential areas of collaboration among themselves and with the NHLBI. This report summarizes the presentations and discussions at the meeting.