The Rheumatologist
COVID-19 News
  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed
  • Home
  • Conditions
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • SLE (Lupus)
    • Crystal Arthritis
      • Gout Resource Center
    • Spondyloarthritis
    • Osteoarthritis
    • Soft Tissue Pain
    • Scleroderma
    • Vasculitis
    • Systemic Inflammatory Syndromes
    • Guidelines
  • Resource Centers
    • Axial Spondyloarthritis Resource Center
    • Gout Resource Center
    • Psoriatic Arthritis Resource Center
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
    • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
  • Drug Updates
    • Biologics & Biosimilars
    • DMARDs & Immunosuppressives
    • Topical Drugs
    • Analgesics
    • Safety
    • Pharma Co. News
  • Professional Topics
    • Ethics
    • Legal
    • Legislation & Advocacy
    • Career Development
      • Certification
      • Education & Training
    • Awards
    • Profiles
    • President’s Perspective
    • Rheuminations
    • Interprofessional Perspective
  • Practice Management
    • Billing/Coding
    • Quality Assurance/Improvement
    • Workforce
    • Facility
    • Patient Perspective
    • Electronic Health Records
    • Apps
    • Information Technology
    • From the College
    • Multimedia
      • Audio
      • Video
  • Resources
    • Issue Archives
    • ACR Convergence
      • Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Resource Center
      • Rheumatoid Arthritis Resource Center
      • Gout Resource Center
      • Abstracts
      • Meeting Reports
      • ACR Convergence Home
    • American College of Rheumatology
    • ACR ExamRheum
    • Research Reviews
    • ACR Journals
      • Arthritis & Rheumatology
      • Arthritis Care & Research
      • ACR Open Rheumatology
    • Rheumatology Image Library
    • Treatment Guidelines
    • Rheumatology Research Foundation
    • Events
  • About Us
    • Mission/Vision
    • Meet the Authors
    • Meet the Editors
    • Contribute to The Rheumatologist
    • Subscription
    • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Search
You are here: Home / Articles / The Georgia Society of Rheumatology in Focus

The Georgia Society of Rheumatology in Focus

June 15, 2020 • By Linda Childers

  • Tweet
  • Email
Print-Friendly Version / Save PDF

‘If a [GSR] member has a challenging patient scenario or health policy concern, they know they can receive guidance & input from their GSR colleagues.’ —Dr. Machua

You Might Also Like
  • The Nebraska Rheumatology Society Grows to Meet State’s Challenges
  • Advocating for Change: Q&A with Georgia State Rep. Kim Schofield
  • ACR Addresses Workforce Challenges at the State Level
Explore This Issue
June 2020
Also By This Author
  • The Prescription for a Healthy Rheumatology Practice

Sung Sam Lim, MD, MPH, clinical director of rheumatology for Grady Health System, has also conducted research on racial disparities in lupus. Last year, Dr. Lim and his colleagues released research showing lupus health data from two counties in Georgia. Their work found that African American women with lupus are disproportionately impacted by the disease and experience more rapid progression and worse outcomes than other races.3

ad goes here:advert-1
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Telemedicine could potentially expand to other parts of Georgia, because the state’s telemedicine law went into effect this past January. SB 118 was passed as a direct effort to increase the prevalence of tele­medicine and requires insurance companies to cover telemedicine services.

Addressing the Looming Physician Shortage

With many rheumatologists in Georgia approaching retirement age, Dr. Machua says a physician shortage, especially in rural areas, is a concern. Last year, the ACR reported 31% of Georgia’s rheumatologists are approaching retirement age.2

ad goes here:advert-2
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Dr. Machua says the rheumatology fellowship program at Augusta University and other programs that have increased fellowship positions are one way the state is hoping to increase the number of future rheumatologists. In addition, the Augusta University Medical College of Georgia announced in 2019 its “three plus three plus six” program, which—beginning in 2021—will offer medical students free tuition or loan forgiveness if they commit to medical school for three years, residency in the state of Georgia for three years and then practice in rural Georgia for six years. More rheumatologists are also needed to care for Georgia’s aging patient population. By 2030, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates more than 20% of Georgia’s residents will be 60 or older.4

The GSR’s annual meeting, originally slated for June 5–7 at the Ritz-Carlton, was moved to an online format given the COVID-19 pandemic. Speakers included Alan Baer, MD, founder and director of the Jerome L. Greene Sjögren’s Syndrome Center in the rheumatology division at Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore; Adam Brown, MD, a rheumatologist with the Cleveland Clinic; Jeffrey Curtis, MD, a professor of medicine in the division of clinical immunology and rheumatology at the University of Alabama, Birmingham; and Catherine Najem, MD, a staff rheumatologist and assistant professor of medicine at Temple University’s Lewis Katz School of Medicine and director of Temple’s Vasculitis Clinic, Philadelphia.

Supporting Independent Rheumatology Practices

John A. Goldman, MD, a retired rheumatologist in Atlanta, has been a member of the GSR since its inception. One of his concerns is the difficulty private rheumatology practices are having staying afloat.

ad goes here:advert-3
ADVERTISEMENT
SCROLL TO CONTINUE

Dr. Goldman notes the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has cut reimbursement rates for dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in the private practice setting. “The Medicare reimbursement rate for many rheumatologists is $37,” Dr. Goldman says.

The GSR is one of many organizations that has supported S. 283: Increasing Access to Osteoporosis Testing for Medicare Beneficiaries Act of 2019, legislation that would preserve access to DXA testing and establish national minimum payments for such services. The bill was introduced last year in the U.S. Senate by Rep. Susan Collins (R-Maine). 

Pages: 1 2 3 | Single Page

Filed Under: Legislation & Advocacy, Professional Topics, Workforce Tagged With: access, Georgia Society of Rheumatology (GSR), step therapy, workforce shortageIssue: June 2020

You Might Also Like:
  • The Nebraska Rheumatology Society Grows to Meet State’s Challenges
  • Advocating for Change: Q&A with Georgia State Rep. Kim Schofield
  • ACR Addresses Workforce Challenges at the State Level
  • S.C. Rheumatism Society Benefits from ACR Partnership

Meeting Abstracts

Browse and search abstracts from the ACR Convergence and ACR/ARP Annual Meetings going back to 2012.

Visit the Abstracts site »

Rheumatology Research Foundation

The Foundation is the largest private funding source for rheumatology research and training in the U.S.

Learn more »

ACR Convergence

Don’t miss rheumatology’s premier scientific meeting for anyone involved in research or the delivery of rheumatologic care or services.

Visit the ACR Convergence site »

The Rheumatologist newsmagazine reports on issues and trends in the management and treatment of rheumatic diseases. The Rheumatologist reaches 11,500 rheumatologists, internists, orthopedic surgeons, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and other healthcare professionals who practice, research, or teach in the field of rheumatology.

About Us / Contact Us / Advertise / Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

  • Connect with us:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Feed

Copyright © 2006–2022 American College of Rheumatology. All rights reserved.

ISSN 1931-3268 (print)
ISSN 1931-3209 (online)