Exclusive: ACR Convergence 2024| Focus Rheums

An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

Guidance

Subcategories:Clinical Criteria/GuidelinesEthicsLegal UpdatesLegislation & AdvocacyMeeting ReportsResearch Rheum

Reading Rheum

Daniel Hal Solomon, MD, MPH; Joan M. Von Feldt, MD;  |  

Handpicked Reviews of Contemporary Literature

2007: A Remarkable Year for ARHP

Karen L. Kerr, MSN, NP, CPNP, APRN-BC  |  

As I write this column, we are preparing to meet in Boston for the 2007 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting, and my year as the ARHP president is coming to end. It has been a remarkable year for the ARHP, as we have made significant progress toward achieving the goals identified in our Long-Range Plan…

Become a Champion for RA

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Ask any rheumatologist about the state of RA as a disease and you’re likely to get the same answer: There’s reason for great optimism and there’s a lot of work to be done.

Advocates for Arthritis, We’ll See You on the Hill

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The annual ACR Advocates for Arthritis program will be held in Washington, D.C., Feb. 25–26, 2008. As in previous years, physicians, health professionals and patients will visit congressional offices to discuss current legislation that would advance research, prevention and care for patients with arthritis and other rheumatic diseases.

National HMO Class-Action Case Settled

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The latest development in the healthcare class-action settlement will affect approximately 900,000 physicians (and some major state medical societies) who may be eligible to receive compensation from the settlement – as long as they file a claim. The case has been called “historic” by those representing both physicians and insurance companies.

Voices on the Hill

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On September 19, the ACR and the Arthritis Foundation held a joint legislative briefing to inform Congress members and their staff about the devastating effects of arthritis and related rheumatic diseases, as well as to encourage support of the “Arthritis Prevention, Control, and Cure Act of 2007” (S.626/H.R. 1283), or Arthritis Act.

Pursue Remission

Carol A. Wallace, MD  |  

Disease remission should be the goal for all rheumatologists treating childhood arthritis

REF Fellowship Training Award Expanded

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Workforce training should be at the forefront of every rheumatologist’s mind. The release of the 2006 Rheumatology Workforce Study, commissioned by the ACR, confirms that the current shortage of rheumatologists will continue to increase, affecting current and future patient care.

Innovative Educational Programs for Rheumatology APNs and PAs

Karen L. Kerr, MSN, NP, CPNP, APRN-BC  |  

Arthritis and other rheumatic diseases affect more than 46 million adults and 300,000 children in the United States. With the aging of the U.S. population, the number of adults with rheumatic disease is expected to increase to 67 million by 2030.1 While the demand for rheumatology services is increasing, the supply of practicing rheumatologists is diminishing. The ACR Rheumatology Workforce Study (published earlier this year) predicts that there will be little or no increase in the number of practicing rheumatologists, resulting in a critical shortage of rheumatologists by 2020.