Two of the ACR’s Collaborative Initiatives (COIN) programs share a goal: to educate non-rheumatologist providers about systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) symptoms to facilitate referrals, accurate diagnosis and therapy. Small Group Provider Sessions Launched in 2016, Small Group Provider Sessions provide lupus education while connecting frontline providers to a local rheumatologist in often underserved areas. The…
Honestly, I’m not sure why I bothered to listen. I was in my kitchen, early on a Saturday morning, with the radio keeping me company. It started with the news and the usual litany of tragedies, both major and minor, that comprise such programs. The news gradually faded into other programming, which I can no…
With magnificent skylines and a reputation for art, culture and fun, Chicago is a great setting for the 2018 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. Here are some must-see places in our host city…
Pendaar Pooyan was diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) in elementary school. He learned to ask for what he needed: use of a computer in class because of wrist pain and a locker that didn’t require him to bend down so far. And he learned to talk about his disease. This helped make participating for…
Managing the administrative work necessary to keep members of the Virginia Society of Rheumatologists (VSR) active and engaged was proving a challenge for volunteer rheumatologists balancing their society activities with busy practice schedules. After attending several other state society meetings and talking to society leaders about the value of creating an executive director role, VSR…
Medical students and residents are choosing careers in rheumatology, thanks to an annual event hosted by the Rheumatology Research Foundation during the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting. The Choose Rheumatology Experience, formerly known as the Student and Resident Experience, is a daylong event designed to help future physicians and health professionals navigate the Annual Meeting. Cultivating interest…
Growing up in Iowa, Christine Thorburn, MD, loved to run track and cross-country and dreamed of one day being an Olympic runner. Little did the future rheumatologist know that a knee injury would cause her to change course and become a professional road cyclist who would represent the U.S. in two Olympic Games. Dr. Thorburn…
Like other areas of medicine, rheumatology is facing a significant workforce shortage. As documented in a recently published study by the ACR, the demand for rheumatology clinical services is expected to exceed the supply of rheumatology providers by 2030.1 Without a concerted effort to explore ways to retain rheumatology providers in the workforce, this imbalance…
In 2005, a workforce study conducted by the ACR projected a shortage of 2,500 rheumatologists by 2025.1 This resulted in an increase in the number of rheumatology fellows trained and the development of online training programs for nurse practitioners and physician assistants in rheumatology. In 2014, Daniel Battafarano, DO, MACP, was a member of the…
September is national Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month. Encourage your patients to take the ACR’s pledge to live well with rheumatic disease, and help your community understand how these diseases affect your patients…