In the 1980s, outpatient physical therapy clinics took center stage as changes in Diagnosis Related Groups limited inpatient stays for patients with arthritis diagnoses. Quick adaptation took place with the shift of treatment to outpatient settings and the Arthritis Treatment Center in Denver was established. Here people with arthritis and rheumatic diseases were treated by physical and occupational therapists.
Although clinical practice has been at the heart of her professional career, education is a close second. Ms. Kimpton has served as clinical coordinator for a 10-state region mentoring physical therapists for a decade. Beyond professional training, she has been invited to give presentations locally, nationally and internationally. Her goals with each talk are to inform professionals and the public alike about arthritis, its impact and the many avenues for treatment. Her voice has also been heard on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., to advocate for people with rheumatic diseases and the rheumatologic community. She has shared her advocacy passion by training and recruiting patients to join her on Capitol Hill over many years.
Ms. Kimpton found her second career in ARP volunteerism. After attending her first annual meeting, she felt the program could benefit from more rehabilitation science content, so she offered to help. The next year she served on the ARP Annual Planning Subcommittee and found her volunteer purpose and professional home for the next 30 years. She has served on numerous ACR/ARP committees and subcommittees and served as ARHP president in 2007–08.
“Thank you, ARP, for providing me with exceptional opportunities and relationships that have positively impacted me as a person and as a professional,” says Ms. Kimpton. “And a heartfelt ‘thank you’ for this award.”
Patrice Fusillo is a writer and editor based in Oakland, Calif.
