William “Bill” R. Palmer, MD, MACR, passed away on Aug. 5, 2021, from highly aggressive, metastatic thyroid carcinoma. He was surrounded by his loving family. Continuing a lifelong pattern, he was courageous, dignified and loving through his last moments. I first met Bill on July 1, 1974—my first day of my medical internship at Albany…
Rheumatology advocacy added focus and purpose to Dr. Brittan’s medical training and now, in the rheumatology division at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, strengthens her relationships with colleagues and patients alike.
In the early 1900s, the treatment for rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease (RMD) was primarily targeted at symptomatic relief and included analgesics, physical therapy, splinting and bed rest. With the discovery of methotrexate and its impact on rheumatoid arthritis (RA) management, a much-needed evolution of medications targeting disease activity began. Over the past 30 years, several…
On Dec. 17, 1903, at 10:35 a.m., the restraining wire was released. The Wright brothers—Orville and Wilbur—owned a bicycle sales and repair shop called the Wright Cycle Exchange, in Dayton, Ohio. At the time, the popularity of bicycles was exploding, thanks to an innovation that made them much easier (and safer) to ride. The money…
Brenda Lee Frie, EdD, OTR/L, CHT, uses her experiences in professional advocacy to inspire her students to get involved and make a difference from the earliest stages of their careers.
On July 9, U.S. President Joe Biden issued an Executive Order designed to promote competition in the U.S. economy. The order includes 72 initiatives related to various aspects of the economy, including prescription drugs and health insurance.1 For prescription drugs, Americans pay more than 2.5 times as much for the same prescription drugs as patients…
Diversity, equity and inclusion have implications for pediatric patient care and the rheumatology workforce.
Ralph C. Williams Jr. (Feb. 17, 1928–Feb. 2, 2020) was destined to become an artist. He started painting when he was 8 years old and never stopped. His journey, however, included a substantial career as a rheumatologist. After completing his training in internal medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, he joined the Rockefeller Institute in…
Scrolling through your Twitter feed, a tweet catches your eye: “Great day. Helped anxious patient with poor health literacy understand and come to terms with #SLE diagnosis and agree to start treatment. #RheumTwitter” The tweet, by a well-intentioned physician who cared deeply for her patient, resonated with many others and has been retweeted more than…
Many practitioners can relate to the epiphany of Roy Basch, MD, the lead character in Samuel Shem’s satirical novel The House of God.1 During his first on-call shift as a medicine intern, long work hours combined with jaded advice from his senior resident leave Dr. Basch feeling disenchanted with the medical profession until he cares…