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
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis 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
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • 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 / Channel Policy Frustrations into Advocacy to Improve Patient Care

Channel Policy Frustrations into Advocacy to Improve Patient Care

April 2, 2021 • By Leslie Mertz, PhD

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

As a fellow in training, Howard Yang, MD, RhMSUS, became frustrated with certain policy issues he viewed as obstacles to providing timely, optimal care for patients. Rather than simply grumbling about it, he accepted an ACR invitation to channel those feelings into action and became an advocate for rheumatology. It was such an eye-opening and rewarding experience that Dr. Yang, now a practicing rheumatologist at UCLA Health’s Santa Monica and Ronald Reagan Medical Centers, encourages other up-and-coming professionals to think about how they can get involved and make a real difference in the field.

You Might Also Like
  • The ACR’s RISE Registry Can Help Rheumatologists Improve Patient Care
  • Why Fellows Should Care about Advocacy
  • Why Fellows Should Care about ACR Advocacy
Explore This Issue
June 2021
Also By This Author
  • Barbara Slusher, MSW, PA-C, Takes the Reins of ARP
Howard Yang

Dr. Howard Yang

Dr. Yang recently took some time from his busy schedule to discuss his advocacy efforts—and why such work is critical—with The Rheumatologist.

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

The Rheumatologist (TR): Why did you decide to get involved with advocacy?

Dr. Yang: While I was still a fellow in training, I started to see things that needed changing. For example, I wanted to use certain medications, but the insurance [company] would reject [my prescriptions], and I couldn’t understand why. I was told that’s just the way it is, but I thought, ‘This is not right.’ And then I got an email from the ACR asking if I would be interested in advocacy. I did not even know what advocacy was at that point, but I replied, ‘Sure. I want to learn.’

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

TR: What happened next?

Dr. Yang: The ACR brought me to Washington, D.C., and I got to speak to rheumatologists and other fellows in training, as well as patients, nurses, physical therapists and pharmacists. It was quite a humbling experience learning the lingo and how our government works. I mean, we’ve all seen the cartoon about how a bill turns into a law, but this showed me what all goes into that and what happens afterward, and it introduced me to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services and their roles.

Once I was fortunate enough to join the ACR’s Government Affairs Committee (GAC), I learned that advocacy is about looking at a larger issue and finding those specific parts that are the problem, such as the amount of time rheumatologists have to spend filling out insurance paperwork or calling for prior authorization. Once you identify those parts, we can then figure out how to change them.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

TR: How are you helping effect change as an advocate?

Pages: 1 2 | Single Page

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Advocacy, Government Affairs Committee (GAC), Howard YangIssue: June 2021

You Might Also Like:
  • The ACR’s RISE Registry Can Help Rheumatologists Improve Patient Care
  • Why Fellows Should Care about Advocacy
  • Why Fellows Should Care about ACR Advocacy
  • The Social Workers’ Role in Rheumatology Care & Patient Advocacy

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

American College of Rheumatology

Visit the official website for the American College of Rheumatology.

Visit the ACR »

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence 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 © 2006–2022 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

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