ARHP President Dr. Afton L. Hassett’s Rise from Annual Meeting Attendee to Leadership Role

Dr. Hassett’s first foray into volunteerism was serving as an abstract reviewer for both the ACR and the ARHP, which she did over several years. In 2008, she was tapped to be the ARHP representative on the ACR Pain Management Task Force, chaired by David Borenstein, MD (former ACR president). “There was a desire to add a behavioral science perspective, and not a whole lot of pain psychologists were in membership,” she explains. “I was asked to join the task force to bring that specific perspective.”

Next, Dr. Hassett was asked to chair the Clinical Focus Course in 2010, because the ARHP wanted to develop a program highlighting pain management, and her research interests in pain would allow her to contribute greatly to the program. From there, Dr. Hassett continued to look for opportunities to participate in the ARHP and came full circle back to the Annual Meeting by joining the ARHP Annual Meeting Planning Subcommittee as the chair elect in 2011—followed by chairing that same committee for two years. Her time on the ARHP Annual Meeting Planning Subcommittee was followed by becoming the ARHP representative to the ACR Finance Committee and soon after, she was nominated to be the ARHP president elect. And in November 2016, Dr. Hassett took the gavel as the ARHP’s 48th president.

Something for Everyone

As the longest-running association serving rheumatology healthcare professionals in the U.S., the face of the ARHP looks very different today than it did when it was founded in 1965. Rheumatology has grown to include a more diverse and collaborative care team, and the ARHP has evolved from an organization serving just a few disciplines to one serving many.

Dr. Hassett

“We have grown steadily over the past 50 years—not just in the number of individual members, but in the disciplines we represent. It is quite exciting to now be able to collaborate with so many different professionals in rheumatology. The interdisciplinary nature of ARHP makes us unique,” explains Dr. Hassett.

“No matter its size, the ARHP has always provided a place for its members to establish professional relationships while gaining the skills and rheumatology knowledge that directly affect their research, patients and, really, every aspect of their profession,” she adds.

Dr. Hassett notes that ARHP members are dedicated to rheumatology and to their specific disciplines within rheumatology. “We are a passionate group and are ready to connect with our association more than ever,” she says.

‘Take the plunge, volunteer. If you do something—anything—you will feel more connected to an amazing group of professionals. But you need to take the first step: Sign up.’ —Dr. Hassett

To support that desire to connect within the organization, the ARHP is focused on ensuring there is something for every member. From journals to online education to advocacy opportunities and practice management tools, the ARHP actively works to ensure each member can find his or her network, tools and resources.