To say it has been an interesting (the science and the memes), tumultuous (the politics) and heartbreaking (the pandemic and social injustice) year is an understatement. There have been moments of grace and inspiration that we hope have kept everyone going. As we look to 2021, we take lessons from our experiences in 2020. Washington,…
On Friday, Nov. 20, 2020, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a Notice through the Federal Register announcing the withdrawal of guidance documents that established the Unapproved Drugs Initiative. This Notice brings to an end a 14-year-old program that has been blamed for significantly contributing to the rising cost of some…
The ARP’s revised Fundamentals of Rheumatology Course (FRC) will soon be released on the ACR website. The course was revamped by interdisciplinary rheumatology professionals emphasizing an inter-professional approach to patient care. It is intended to reach a broad audience, including nurses, occupational therapists, pharmacists, physical therapists, psychologists and social workers to name a few. However,…
Our patient was a 33-year-old, 5’2″ Asian woman with a past medical history of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The diagnosis was based on serologies positive for anti-nuclear antibodies (ANAs), as well as antibodies to Sm, RNP and SSA. Her illness included neuropsychiatric and cutaneous involvement. She also had a diagnosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. She presented…
Recent breakthroughs in stem cell-based treatments for arthritis may help delay joint replacement for some patients. Farshid Guilak, PhD, described the methods for creating bioartificial cartilage, its implications for inflammation, disease flare and more.
In late December, the ACR convened a COVID-19 Vaccine Consortium via a conference call to consider rheumatology’s place in the massive worldwide effort to develop, test, deliver and further study the vaccines promising to bring the historic pandemic under control.
With a new Congress and many new legislators in key leadership positions, your support today will help RheumPAC start the year off strong.
A young man sits down at my COVID-19 immunization station at Maine Medical Center and stares resolutely ahead, focusing on the far wall. He looks nervous. I make sure the needle and syringe are outside his field of vision. That should help. I pick up a Band-Aid from my box of supplies. It’s a Band-Aid…
The 2020 Basic Science Year in Review covered autoantibody origin and persistence, insights into the major histocompatibility complex and factors in rheumatoid arthritis progression and relapse.
In an ACR Convergence session, two rheumatologists discussed how COVID-19 changed the use of telemedicine, how payers reacted and which changes are likely permanent and which are likely to be temporary.