As the need for specialists increases, the Rheumatology Fellowship Program at HHS seeks to grow the number of practicing rheumatologists. Program Director Anne Bass, MD, discusses the program’s ideas behind funding rheumatology fellowships and the challenges of attracting medical students to the field…
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) called on Wednesday for an end to Obamacare‘s financial protections for people with serious medical conditions, saying these consumers should be placed in state high-risk pools. In election-year remarks that could shed light on an expected Republican healthcare alternative, Ryan said existing federal policy that prevents…
For keen students of American politics, the unending intrigue of the 2016 presidential race has been riveting. With an assemblage of aspiring candidates that, at its start, included a bevy of U.S. senators and former governors, a media-savvy real estate mogul, a renowned Hopkins neurosurgeon and an ophthalmologist, political junkies among us have feasted on…
There is no denying that the past few years have been a time of immense change in healthcare. Sweeping pieces of legislation have fundamentally altered the way we practice medicine. This is absolutely the case when it comes to the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA, for short). MACRA is an enormous…
Robert Thoburn, MD, finds discipline and the opportunity for continual learning in both rheumatology and karate, an activity he has pursued for decades. Karate Lessons “I was fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn karate and achieve a black belt,” Dr. Thoburn says. “I used my training journal and [did] extensive research to write a…
The boy who could not walk: S.L. is a previously healthy 10-year-old boy who has not walked for three months. Physical examination reveals swollen wrists, knees, ankles and several toes. There is reduced hip range of motion and flexion contractures of both knees. He can stand with assistance, but is unable to take a single…
NEW YORK (Reuters)—U.S. health insurers that provide Medicare Advantage plans to elderly and disabled Americans will receive government payments in 2017 that are 0.85 percent higher on average than in 2016, reflecting small anticipated growth in medical costs, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said on Monday. Health and Human Services’ final plan…
For rheumatologists, research is important, but some clinical trials may not be worth collaborating on. In a recent interview, Hermine Brunner, MD, MSc, MBA, FACR, outlined important considerations to make when deciding to participate in a clinical trial to ensure a good fit…
Discussing aching joints, sore muscles and tender limbs is all in our day’s work. We are rheumatologists; we deal in misery. But trying to parse the true meaning of these terms is among the most vexing of clinical challenges.
Slow, slow, quick, quick. Don Miller, PharmD, has repeated that phrase to himself countless times over the past 40 years. Since the 1980s, Dr. Miller, a professor of pharmacy practice in the College of Health Professions at North Dakota State University (NDSU), has been a competitive ballroom dancer. Repeating that phrase is common to all…