New ARP President Kori Dewing, ARNP, DNP, Traces Her Journey to This Point & Possibilities Moving Forward

As she begins her term as president of the ARP, Kori Dewing, ARNP, DNP, looks forward to helping the ARP and the ACR continue their “amazing work” to support rheumatology professionals, so they, in turn, can provide the finest care to patients.

Dr. Dewing has been an adult nurse practitioner specializing in rheumatology since 2003. She earned her doctor of nursing practice degree in 2009 and currently holds two positions at the University of Washington, Seattle, and is a rheumatology nurse practitioner at the Seattle Arthritis Clinic.

Dedicated to rheumatology practice and patients, Dr. Dewing has been volunteering with the ARP and the ACR for nearly two decades, first as a member of the Clinical Focus Course Task Force, and on many other committees thereafter, including the ARP Practice Committee, the ACR Committee on Rheumatologic Care (CORC), the Committee on Finance, the Annual Meeting Planning Committee, the Abstract Oversight Subcommittee and the ARP Advanced Practice Skills Training Task Force. She has also contributed to the Volunteers to Expand Rheumatology (VERA) initiative and the annual ACR Advocates for Arthritis event.

Dr. Dewing

In discussing her new role as ARP president, Dr. Dewing recalls her journey to this point, how she envisions the ARP and why she is so enthusiastic about the organization and its possibilities moving forward.

The Rheumatologist (TR): What drew you to begin volunteering for the ACR and the ARP?

Dr. Dewing: I still remember the first annual meeting I attended, a year after entering the field of rheumatology. During the business meeting, I was amazed at the breadth of volunteer work and projects described by the presiding ARP president. Later, at the networking event, I was approached by one of the ARP leaders asking if I’d be interested in volunteering. I was a new nurse practitioner (NP) graduate and unsure what I could offer, but I filled out my volunteer application and turned it in that day. A couple of months later, I got a call asking me to be a member of the Clinical Focus Course Task Force, my first volunteer position within the ARP.

TR: You haven’t stopped volunteering, so it must have been a good experience.

Dr. Dewing: It was a great experience for me, working not only with other NPs but also physical therapists (PTs), occupational therapists (OTs), pharmacists and other clinicians as we developed educational programs intended for a wide range of care providers. The experience was deeply rewarding. I felt valued, supported and part of a community. I had found my professional family. That community is what brought me back year after year to volunteer and attend the annual meeting. Those events feel like professional family reunions.