Advancing the Work of CORC: Q&A with New Chair Chris Phillips, MD

As a community rheumatologist in Paducah, Ky., Chris Phillips, MD, understands firsthand the practice challenges that rheumatologists face. He’s advocated for the voice of rheumatology on these very challenges for nearly a decade through various volunteer roles within the ACR.

Dr. Phillips

Dr. Phillips recently stepped into his latest volunteer role for the College as chair of the Committee on Rheumatologic Care (CORC). CORC is tasked with supporting the economic, technical and ethical issues that bear on the practice of rheumatology. It engages in this work with a team of volunteer members and through collaborations with ACR committees that handle related work, such as the Committee on Education and the Government Affairs Committee. CORC also includes two subcommittees—the Insurance Subcommittee (ISC) and the Affiliate Society Council.

“I’ve met a lot of great, like-minded volunteers through my work within the ACR over the years and look forward to collaborating with many of them, who are now spread across various roles within the College,” Dr. Phillips says. Here, he explains his plans to continue advancing the important work of CORC as its new leader.

The Rheumatologist (TR): Why did you decide to take on the role of CORC chair as your next volunteer position within the ACR? 

Dr. Phillips: I am excited by this opportunity and honored to be given this role. Chairing CORC is a natural extension of the work I have done in the past. I served as a CORC member from 2016–2018 and then as chair of CORC’s ISC from 2018–2021. I also worked on the COVID Practice and Advocacy Task Force in 2020–2021 and served a brief stint with the Registries and Health Information Technology Committee from 2021–2023. The charge of CORC revolves around supporting the practice of rheumatology, especially our community practices. As an independent private practitioner, this new role serving the College is near and dear to my heart.

TR: What knowledge and experience do you bring to your new role as CORC chair?

Dr. Phillips: I’ve had a lot of conversations with community rheumatologists about their pain points, as well as with some of the payers creating those pain points, during my time on ISC. Rheumatologists are a small part of the medical community, but we are the gatekeepers to some very expensive and life-changing therapies. This puts a bullseye on our backs from payers and regulators. We have evidence-based guidelines to support how we use those treatments, but we increasingly find payers putting non-evidence-based barriers between us and our patients’ best outcomes in the name of cost savings. CORC will continue to provide rigorous support to our members who are trying to provide the best care for their patients, starting with the position statement platform that is one of CORC’s chief duties. These are official statements that reflect the policy of the ACR on issues related to the management of rheumatic and musculoskeletal conditions. CORC will also continue supporting the economics of our members’ practices in several ways, such as developing business-focused educational resources, because our practices need to stay afloat to provide this care.