Since 2020, the ACR has received funding support from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the Developing and Disseminating Strategies to Build Sustainable Lupus Awareness, Knowledge, Skills, and Partnerships initiative (CDC-RFA-DP20-2008). This six-year cooperative agreement, which began Sept. 30, 2020, and continues through Sept. 29, 2026, provides more than $9.2 million in total funding (approximately $1.6 million annually) to strengthen lupus awareness and care nationwide.
Each subproject under this agreement aims to increase the awareness, knowledge and skills of healthcare providers—helping clinicians recognize lupus symptoms, initiate appropriate work ups and provide coordinated, culturally and linguistically responsive care.
ACR Fellows in Training Lead the Way
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Among the ACR’s most innovative efforts, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is the Teaching Fellows in Lupus Project (TFLP), a program designed to increase the knowledge and confidence of nonrheumatology providers when suspecting lupus and making timely referrals.
Coordinated by the ACR’s Collaborative Initiatives Division (COIN), rheumatology fellows in training deliver lupus education sessions to physicians, nurse practitioners and physician assistants in their local communities. Each fellow receives a standardized presentation developed by an ACR work group and facilitates one-hour sessions, either in person or virtually, that include pre- and post-tests to measure changes in knowledge and confidence.
Both pediatric and adult rheumatology fellowship programs are engaged in this effort, reaching primary care and community clinicians through partnerships with hospitals, health systems and medical networks.
“It’s an exciting model that strengthens both sides of the education equation,” says Noelle A. Rolle, MBBS, chair of the ACR Collaborative Initiatives Committee. “Fellows gain teaching and leadership experience, while local providers gain the awareness and skills needed to better recognize and refer lupus cases.”
Over the past two years, the Teaching Fellows in Lupus Project has educated more than 1,200 healthcare providers through 85+ sessions across the country.
“Fellows often share how impactful these sessions are not just for attendees, but for their own growth as rheumatologists and peer educators,” says Kate Chiseri, MPH, senior specialist, Collaborative Initiatives.
Bringing Care Education to Areas of Need
Another cornerstone of the Lupus Initiative is the Rural Health Outreach Project, which focuses on reducing health disparities and time to diagnosis in rural and medically underserved communities. This project strengthens referral connections between primary care providers and rheumatologists through targeted education and collaboration.
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Educational sessions, designed around a PowerPoint presentation developed by an ACR work group, are delivered by ACR member rheumatologists and include live Q&A sessions. The program collaborates with Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) to recruit and convene rural clinicians for virtual or in-person training.
Through the collaboration ACR has with the National AHEC Organization (NAO), participating sites are selected based on local need and rheumatology access gaps. Rheumatologists continue to serve as regional resources after the sessions, fostering ongoing communication and consultation between rural primary care and specialty care.
Since 2020, Rural Health Outreach sessions have taken place in 25 states across the country, reaching hundreds of clinicians who otherwise might not have direct contact with rheumatology specialists.
In just the past two years, the project has educated more than 380 healthcare providers through more than 10 statewide sessions, fostering new connections between rural providers and rheumatologists while increasing awareness of lupus and lupus disparities.
“These education sessions bring that expertise closer to where patients live,” notes Nat Cabrera, senior specialist, Collaborative Initiatives.
Sustaining Progress & Expanding Reach
As the current cooperative agreement approaches its final year, the Collaborative Initiatives Department is working to refine and expand these educational models to ensure long-term impact and alignment with the latest available science in lupus, such as the 2025 ACR Guideline for the Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.1
“This work reflects the power of partnership,” Dr. Rolle says. “By bringing education and connection directly to areas of need, which is a key part of the Collaborative Initiatives charge, whether they’re fellows in training bolstering their education skills or rural primary care providers, these initiatives are helping ensure that patients with lupus are recognized earlier and receive the coordinated care they deserve.”
To learn more about these projects and explore training materials, visit https://rheumatology.org/collaborative-initiatives.
Reference
- Sammaritano, LR, Askanase A, Bermas, BL, et al. 2025 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Guideline for the Treatment of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). https://assets.contentstack.io/v3/assets/bltee37abb6b278ab2c/bltdf97323a3723de0f/lupus-guideline-sle-2025.pdf.
