The editors of the ACR journals, Arthritis & Rheumatism and Arthritis Care & Research, deserve congratulations for their success and for encouraging important clinical work as well as basic scientific efforts. The ACR published its Clinical Care in the Rheumatic Diseases textbook in 1998, and the text is now used in more than 20 different training programs. The third edition of Clinical Care debuted at our annual meeting.
Road Ahead
Both ARHP and ACR need to look to the future of the organization and of rheumatology. We are exploring educational teleconferencing and alternative media for educational opportunities; to support this we are developing our Web site and expanding hosting capabilities.
How do we create continuity and use the roadmap to get to our future destinations? We established a structure of committees that will ensure that the College survives and thrives and looks to the interprofessional future while still asserting our presence today. Another source of continuity and one of the major assets of ACR/ARHP is the annual meeting. In my experience, it is also a source of research ideas that get funded. The ACR must continue to provide superb patient education and care, expand research endeavors, and advocate for the best in rheumatologic patient care.
For the past 20 years I have seen our organization grow. Serving on many committees and in many roles has allowed me to look closely at the work of ACR and the division of ARHP—the research, training, spirit of our members, and most of all, the care given to our patients. It has been an extremely inspiring two decades. We inverted the pyramid, added biologics, encouraged exercise, collaborated in our treatment regimens, expanded our provider base, and improved our practice patterns.
ACR’s commitment to rheumatology remains strong. The organization is evolving and bringing in new members. We are proving that you can have the best of both worlds—a strong sense of tradition coupled with new innovations. Some of the steps we take to achieve our future goals will be new, daunting, and groundbreaking—one is having ARHP and ACR work more closely together, recognizing each other’s strengths.
Something Special
While working within a predominantly physician-oriented group is sometimes challenging, there is something special and different about the ACR. It is meeting colleagues outside your discipline-specific organization. It is the patient focus that encourages professional growth and asking questions. It is the blend of clinical and research insights put forth each year. It is the interaction with colleagues across many spectrums, whether pediatrics, biochemisty, nanotechnology, genetics, or informatics.
