President’s Corner: How to Stay on Top of ACR/ARP News

When speaking to ACR and ARP members, people are always interested in hearing about the most recent news coming out of the ACR, specifically in areas of interest to them and their patients. It was these discussions that prompted me to make enhancing connections and communications between the ACR and its members one of my priorities for this year.

Maintaining clear communications with its members has been a long-standing focus of the ACR and ARP. The high priority that the College places on communication came through very clearly in recent weeks, with the rapid actions taken by our advocacy and communications teams in issuing weekly updates to keep members informed about new policies coming out of Washington, D.C., how these may impact rheumatology, and steps being taken by the ACR.

The ACR/ARP understands that there is tremendous value in networking and keeping in touch—not only between the College and its members, but also with each other as a rheumatology community. So how does the ACR seek to achieve this? First, by recognizing that one size does not fit all. The ACR/ ARP crafts its communications with a goal of reaching out to people in a manner, and with content, that is most useful to them.

In the current day, electronic communications represent the primary means through which the ACR/ARP communicates with its members. This is largely done through e-newsletters that carry different purposes. While these present far greater efficiency and global stewardship than materials that are printed and mailed, the method also brings the challenge of recognizing valuable ACR content amid the deluge of emails each of us receives on a daily basis.

In this month’s President Corner, I hope to provide you with a guide to the different types of ACR communications you may receive, with the goal of making news from the ACR more accessible to you, its members.

Guide to ACR Communications

ACR Insider

The ACR Insider e-newsletter is issued weekly and provides updates and links to the most recent information coming from the ACR and ARP that members should be aware of. Although there is always a focus on key upcoming events and deadlines, a broad range of topics is included, making this e-newsletter relevant to every rheumatology discipline.

For those seeking a focused update on the key current issues going in within the College, ACR Insider should not be missed.