Two ARP members who currently serve on the ACR Government Affairs Committee discuss why & how they got involved in advocacy.

Andre Smith & Brenda Frie, EdD, OTR/L, CHT |
Two ARP members who currently serve on the ACR Government Affairs Committee discuss why & how they got involved in advocacy.
Leslie Mertz, PhD |
Kori Dewing, ARNP, DNP, has been working in healthcare since high school. As she begins her term as president of the ARP, she is building on nearly two decades of volunteer experience with the ARP and ACR to continue supporting rheumatology professionals and advancing the College’s values of inclusion, collaboration and community.
Janet L. Poole, PhD, OTR/L, & Daniel F. Battafarano, DO, MACP, MACR |
All of us have a professional story to share. We have come from various backgrounds that make us different and allow us to link unique contributions from our professional journey. Some of us dedicate our careers to academics, many serve in private practice, and others have a combination of career experiences. Unfortunately, many of our…
Donald Miller, PharmD, & Laura Sampson, PA-C |
The growing use of copay accumulator programs, which restrict the application of patient assistance funds toward cost-sharing requirements, hurts patient access to life-changing treatments. This was one topic discussed during the ACR’s Advocacy Leadership Conference in D.C. this May.
Charmayne Dunlop-Thomas, MS, MPH, Nancy Delnay, MSN, APRN-CNP, & the ARP Research Subcommittee |
Information overload generated by the media, family, friends and colleagues is apparent today. Personal beliefs play an important role in how we filter and process the abundant information available and subsequently identify its utility in daily life. Regardless of professional specialty, individual beliefs underpin personal approaches to clinical care, research development and engagement with patients…
Sara Jo Santangelo, PharmD candidate, & Wendy Ramey, BSPharm, RPh, CSP |
In its COVID-19 treatment guidelines, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) lists several drugs commonly prescribed for patients with rheumatic conditions as potential therapies in those who are hospitalized for COVID-19 and require high-flow oxygen, noninvasive ventilation, intermittent ventilation (IMV) or extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), as of Aug. 25, 2021, and current as this is…
The 2015 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Workforce Study projected that by 2030 the number of adult rheumatologists will decline by 25%.1 The result: Demand for rheumatologists is projected to be more than twice the available supply of providers by 2030. Advanced practice rheumatology professionals can help practices overcome the barrier this mismatch will create…
Elizabeth Hofheinz, MPH, MEd |
It may not take a village, but when it comes to providing stellar care to rheumatology and musculoskeletal patients, it definitely takes a team. To ensure all rheumatology professionals are thoroughly prepared to serve their patients’ needs in a personalized manner, there is the ARP—the Association of Rheumatology Professionals. The ARP, the interprofessional division of…
Leslie Mertz, PhD |
Ms. Slusher brings a varied background and many goals to her new role as ARP president, including engaging with volunteers and building connections with all members of healthcare teams.
Janet L. Poole, PhD, OTR/L, & Christine Stamatos, DNP, ANP-C |
Over the past 16 months, the world has shone a bright light on the importance of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Although the College has been focused on diversity initiatives since 2020, the interprofessional division of the College, the ARP, has recently taken a deeper dive into DEI initiatives in its processes, procedures and volunteering….