“We definitely have a need for more pediatric rheumatologists,” he says. “There are only one or two in Memphis and three or four in Nashville.”
Dr. Smith says TRS is interested in partnering with other organizations, including the ACR and the Tennessee Medical Association, to address legislative efforts, such as Medicare reimbursement and prior authorization requirements.
“Over the past two years, we’ve seen Medicare reimbursement cut by 7%,” says Dr. Smith. “Step edits, or step therapy, have also been a big issue over the past two years.”
Last year, Gov. Lee passed a bill to reform step therapy, allowing patients to access the medications prescribed by their doctors without interference from the patient’s insurance company.4
Fostering a Sense of Community
In 2022, Puja Patel, DO, chief rheumatology fellow in the Department of Rheumatology, University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center, Memphis, attended the TRS annual conference as a first-year fellow and presented a case on drug-induced vasculitis. “It’s a rare condition associated with an increasing number of therapeutic agents,” she says.
Dr. Patel says she attended 85% of the conference presentations and enjoyed both the camaraderie and knowledge shared by others in the rheumatology field.
“Rheumatic diseases aren’t always straightforward,” Dr. Patel says. “This conference gives us a forum to discuss these cases with experts in the field, and in doing so, we gain cutting-edge knowledge in both diagnostic and therapeutic interventions.”
Dr. Patel is excited to be moving back to her hometown of San Diego to practice rheumatology. Thanks to her experience with TRS, she hopes to join the California Rheumatology Alliance.
“I tend to learn best in a collaborative environment, and being part of a state society allows you the opportunity to share information and learn from your colleagues,” she says. “I’ve had great mentors, and I hope in the future that I can pay it forward by mentoring other rheumatology fellows.”
TRS member Leslie Crofford, MD, professor and chief of the Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, was chosen this year to receive the organization’s President’s Award.
This honor is given each year to a board-certified rheumatologist in Tennessee who has made significant contributions to the field through scholarly, research, educational, administrative and clinical service. Awardees also represent rheumatologists who have contributed to improving patient care and advancing the role of the profession in Tennessee.
