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An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

The Lupus Initiative Launches Cohorts & Partnerships to Reduce Health Disparities & Improve Outcomes

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The Lupus Initiative (TLI) of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) continues its work to reduce the health disparities for people with lupus through multiple, national-level, grant-funded projects, targeting primary care physicians with lupus education to increase appropriate rheumatology referrals and—when necessary, appropriate and effective—distance-managed care. Since 2009, the ACR has received funding through the…

Rheumatology Coding Corner Answer: Coding for Acute Flare of Idiopathic Gout

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Take the challenge. M10.072—Acute gout has an Excludes 1 note of chronic gout (M1A.-). This means that acute gout and chronic gout cannot be coded for the same encounter, as the codes are mutually exclusive. M45.6—The patient is diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis of the lumbar region. M81.8—Other osteoporosis without current pathological fracture. M79.622—The patient has…

NIH-Funded Trials Dip While Industry Trials Are on the Rise

Kathryn Doyle  |  

(Reuters Health)—Every year since 2006 in the U.S., the number of clinical trials funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has gone down, while the number of industry-funded trials has gone up, a new study shows. Analyzing the ClinicalTrials.gov database, researchers found that after trial registration became a requirement for publication in major scientific…

Rheumatologist Rudy Molina, MD, Pursues Passion for Paleontology

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When Rodolfo “Rudy” Molina, MD, was 8 years old, a college recruiter visited his home. Unbeknownst to his parents, their son, now a rheumatologist at Arthritis Associates in San Antonio, Texas, had entered several of his drawings in a competition intended for high school students. The recruiter, unaware of the young artist’s age, was definitely…

When to Claim Social Security

Samuel Baldwin, CFP, AIF  |  

As a Certified Financial Planner, I run a practice specializing in guiding families to and through retirement. A question we almost always hear is, “When should I take my Social Security?” The best answer to that question often depends on the client’s personal situation, but clients are often unaware of three common scenarios that may…

Case Report: Sternoclavicular Erosions in a Patient with Uncontrolled RA

Diana M. Girnita, MD, PhD, Avis Ware, MD, Sangita Kapur, MD, & Christine Chhakchhuak, MD  |  

Sternoclavicular joint involvement has rarely been reported in the context of active rheumatoid arthritis (RA).1 Traditionally, rheumatologists use serial radiographs of hands and feet to diagnose, monitor for progression or evaluate the response to treatment. The sternoclavicular (SC) joint is not a typical joint assessed for RA. However, the fact that it is a diarthrodial…

New President Dr. Von Feldt Looks at Where ACR Is Headed in 2016

Joan M. Von Feldt, MD, MSEd, FACR, FACP  |  

I am honored, humbled and excited to serve as your ACR president. I’d like to share the following background information to illustrate the diverse set of life experiences I draw from to represent the ACR membership effectively. Personal Background Thanks to my mom, who was born and raised in Guatemala, I am bilingual in Spanish…

Air Pollution: Is There an Association with Rheumatic Disease?

Gavin R. Sun, MD, Sasha Bernatsky, MD, Gilaad G. Kaplan, MD, & Cheryl Barnabe, MD  |  

Interactions between an individual’s genetic background and their exposure to environmental factors are thought to result in a cascade of immune reactions, ultimately leading to the development of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and juvenile dermatomyositis.1,2 For example, an environmental factor that conclusively affects susceptibility…