This effort involved multiple ACR departments and committees and built on a long history of working with internal and external partners, including state and local rheumatology societies. The connections between different ACR priorities, such as clinical guidance and advocacy, may not always be immediately clear. But the effort to improve COVID-19 vaccination of rheumatology patients, from the development of clinical guidance though state outreach to get those patients access to vaccines, has been a shining example of the great strength of ACR advocacy.
One of the most effective parts of rheumatology’s advocacy capacity comes from the ability to translate the work of the ACR into strong, actionable public policy recommendations, then amplify those messages through member engagement. ACR/ARP members sent over 500 messages to state leaders supporting the ACR’s position on vaccinations. Additionally, our volunteer leaders and staff put in countless hours, often on evenings and weekends, to execute every phase of this strategy, from the formulation of the clinical guidance to the final media outreach. It took many different parts of the ACR working together to achieve this win for the patients that our members treat. It is, however, an important reminder of how strong and effective this organization and the rheumatology community can be when working toward a common goal. After more than a year of living in this pandemic, patients are one step closer to resuming a normal life because of the work of the ACR and its members. That is truly an accomplishment to celebrate.
Joseph Cantrell, JD, is the senior manager of state affairs for the ACR.
