The ARHP Promotes Interdisciplinary Approach to Rheumatology Patient Care

We will look for opportunities to reach out to our members through better use of social media and to enhance dialogue among practitioners through such platforms as LinkedIn, blogs and listservs. This expanded collaboration will be important because our committee has also been tasked with examining the impact of the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), which was passed on April 16, 2015, and healthcare reform on health professional practice. The ARHP Practice Committee will also work to identify and develop member resources, such as quality of care assessment and reporting tools.

In addition, the committee will work closely with the ARHP senior representative to the ACR Government Affairs Committee regarding the rapidly evolving impact of healthcare reform on rheumatology professionals.

We are grateful for our outstanding staff support, enthusiastic learners and dedicated ARHP Practice Committee members and special projects volunteers. If rheumatology practice issues and professional resources are an interest of yours, consider volunteering as a committee member or to work on a special project in the coming year. If interested, take a few moments to complete the Volunteer Opportunities Survey. Please direct any questions or feedback regarding this article to [email protected].

Marie D. Westby, PT, PhD, the ARHP Practice Committee chair, completed her doctorate in rehabilitation sciences at the University of British Columbia in 2010. She is the physical therapy teaching supervisor at the Mary Pack Arthritis Centre and an associate researcher at the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, both located in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.

ARHP President Afton L. Hassett, PsyD, is a clinical psychologist and an associate research scientist in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Michigan. As a principal investigator at the Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research Center, she conducts interdisciplinary research related to exploring the role of cognitive, affective and behavioral factors in pain and functioning in rheumatologic populations.