Leadership Development: Emphasis on defining and supporting the future for our practicing community must be paired with a commitment to advance rheumatology through growth in our research enterprises, training programs, and career development programs that work in concert to advance discovery and ensure that we will have a strong, capable workforce. As a result of recommendations from the 2020 Task Force and the Blue Ribbon Panel on Academic Rheumatology, our Strategic Planning Task Force recommended the creation of a robust leadership development program. Under the leadership of past ACR presidents Peggy Crow, MD, and Sherine Gabriel, MD, MSc, the planning for this critical program is well under way—stay tuned! While our Committee on Rheumatology Training and Workforce supports the work of our dedicated network of program directors to a degree that is the envy of many specialty and subspecialty societies, they work with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and American Board of Internal Medicine to define the scope of our discipline and the competencies that our trainees must acquire to become independent practitioners.
Research: The Committee on Rheumatology Training and Workforce and the Committee on Research work in concert with our Foundation to provide career development opportunities, define the research agenda, and provide much-needed funding. The future of rheumatology relies, in large part, on the success of these efforts and on our ability to share our passionate message and expand our reach to attract potential new trainees, and to motivate more of our colleagues, patients, and others to become donors in our Journey to Cure, and to advocate to increase National Institutes of Health funding.
People Are the Heart of the ACR
As I reflect on my past year and on each of our critical missions, I see no simple tasks. As I look towards the future, I am confident that the strength of our College and our commitment to excellence and innovation at every turn will serve us well.
I am encouraged by the energy, vision, and dedication of our young colleagues—Dr. Harvey, the Young Board of Directors member, (BOD), Erin Arnold, MD, a BOD member, Elizabeth Perkins, MD, chair of the Insurance Subcommittee, Peter Embi, MD, chair of Registry and Health IT, and Zsuzsanna McMahan, MD, incoming young member of the BOD, to name just a few.
I have been fortunate to have been a member of an amazing Executive Committee: Joseph Flood, MD, E. William St.Clair, MD, Joan Von Feldt, MD, MSEd, Jan Richardson, PT, PhD, OCS, David Daikh, MD, PhD, and David Karp, MD , MD, PhD.
