The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / The ACR, ARHP Keep Members, Patients’ Priorities on Congressional Legislative Slate

The ACR, ARHP Keep Members, Patients’ Priorities on Congressional Legislative Slate

June 13, 2017 • By Sharad Lakhanpal, MBBS, MD, & Afton Hassett, PsyD

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

We can’t change the direction of the wind, but we can adjust our sails.

You Might Also Like
  • Board Members Lobby Congress on Arthritis Act and Other Legislative Priorities
  • RheumPAC Calls on the ACR, ARHP Members to Support Advocacy Efforts
  • ARHP Stands Up for Members and Patients
Explore This Issue
June 2017
barkarola/shutterstock.com

barkarola/shutterstock.com

The origin of this proverb is unclear. Some citations link it to ancient Hindu philosophers, and others suggest the origin may be closer to home (i.e., Jimmy Dean or Dolly Parton). Nonetheless, the sentiment is apt: We are living in an almost-unprecedented time in which troubling policies emerge in an unrelenting succession. Like a series of tropical storms, such policies threaten our workforce, patient access to healthcare and the rheumatology research central to the breakthroughs our patients envision.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

The ACR, and by extension the ARHP, has earned the reputation on the Hill of being a politically active, but reliably nonpartisan organization. Over the years, we have forged strong relationships with congressional representatives on both sides of the aisle. These relationships have enabled the ACR to successfully advocate for our members and their patients. Volunteers serving on various committees, including the Committee on Government Affairs, RheumPAC, the Affiliate Society Council, the Committee on Rheumatologic Care, the Board of Directors and the Executive Committees, have successfully lobbied for numerous causes that advance rheumatology practice and research.

The ACR has a time-tested process with checks and balances to develop positions on pertinent issues that help guide its advocacy and other efforts. The Board of Directors is the governing body of the ACR. The position statements for the ACR are developed by the relevant committees and brought to the Board for discussion and vote for approval. Once approved by the Board, these become the policies of the ACR that govern its business and are carried out by its volunteers and staff.

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Although there have been challenges along the way, the wind, for the most part, had been at our back. The direction of political winds in our country has changed recently. In January, a new administration took office, and the political climate shifted appreciably. There is concern about how our patients’ healthcare and access to it will be affected, the potential impact on the practice of medicine, and the future of federally funded rheumatology research and training. All are critical issues for the ACR.

Travel Bans & H-1B Visas

Dr. Lakhanpal & Dr. Hassett

Dr. Lakhanpal & Dr. Hassett

On Jan. 27, the White House issued an Executive Order that broadly suspended travel from certain foreign countries into the U.S. Such a travel ban could have a negative impact on patient care, medical research, education and international collaboration. The ACR/ARHP issued a statement emphasizing our support for the open interchange among individuals from around the world with regard to research, training, education and the provision of healthcare. Further, along with 36 other medical organizations, the ACR was a signatory on a letter developed by the Council of Medical Specialty Societies (CMSS) to express our opposition to the travel restrictions.

Pages: 1 2 3 | Single Page

Filed Under: President's Perspective Tagged With: AC&R, Advocacy, Affordable Care Act, American College of Rheumatology, American Health Care Act, ARHP, Congress, Legislation, political, Rheumatic Disease, Washington DCIssue: June 2017

You Might Also Like:
  • Board Members Lobby Congress on Arthritis Act and Other Legislative Priorities
  • RheumPAC Calls on the ACR, ARHP Members to Support Advocacy Efforts
  • ARHP Stands Up for Members and Patients
  • ACR Board of Directors Tackles Slate of Business at Annual Meeting

Simple Tasks

Learn more about the ACR’s public awareness campaign and how you can get involved. Help increase visibility of rheumatic diseases and decrease the number of people left untreated.

Visit the Simple Tasks site »

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2021 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This site uses cookies: Find out more.