Bill St.Clair, MD, MACR, says one of the most exciting and proudest moments in his life wasn’t earning his medial degree or seeing his first published article on arthritis and rheumatology. Not even close. It was the 1991 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball semifinal. Specifically, the basketball game between Duke University and the University…
Retirement is not always the closing chapter of a long career. For some rheumatologists, it’s the start of new, fulfilling storylines. “I never thought I wouldn’t practice medicine until I was physically unable to do it anymore,” says Harry Gewanter, MD, who retired from his Richmond, Va., pediatric rheumatology practice two years ago. Dr. Gewanter…
Many trainees tell me they’re attracted to rheumatology because it demands becoming a complete physician. We need knowledge of the brain, eye, lung, kidney, liver, skin, bones and vascular system to be effective rheumatologists. And because our diseases are frequently multisystem diseases, rheumatologists must be the quintessential collaborators. For more than 30 years, I’ve directed…
In Japan the use of guselkumab to treat erythrodermic, plaque and pustular psoriasis is approved, and anakinra is now indicated for Still’s disease in the E.U…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—An international task force says patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) should be treated to a target of clinical remission, among other new recommendations. “The Task Force is convinced that transferring (the recommendations) into clinical practice will significantly improve the outcomes in patients with JIA,” Dr. Angelo Ravelli of the Istituto G….
There has long been a wall separating adult rheumatologists from pediatric rheumatologists. A recent review article published in the January edition of Arthritis & Rheumatology (A&R) suggests that genetics, rather than age, may be a better way to categorize forms of primary inflammatory arthritis across the lifespan.1 “Pediatric and adult rheumatologists don’t generally interact that…
When Paul Sufka, MD, a rheumatologist with HealthPartners Medical Group and Regions Hospital in St. Paul, Minn., wants to connect with his colleagues or keep abreast of the latest rheumatology journal articles, he turns to Twitter. Dr. Sufka is one of many rheumatologists who have found effective ways to incorporate social media into their medical…
NEW YORK (Reuters Health)—In Lyme-endemic areas, synovial fluid white blood cell (WBC) count isn’t very helpful in distinguishing septic from Lyme arthritis of the hip, a new study suggests. Use of newer-generation Lyme disease diagnostics are necessary to avoid the “under- and overdiagnosis of Lyme arthritis at the time that initial management decisions must be…
Whether he is teaching rheumatologists how to leverage technology tools in their practice or working with the ACR’s Communications and Marketing Committee (CMC) to connect members with practice knowledge and support, Suleman Bhana, MD, FACR, a rheumatologist with Crystal Run Healthcare in Middletown, N.Y., is focused on connecting with his colleagues to improve patient care….
In March, the ACR released a white paper designed primarily to help rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals gain an understanding of biosimilars.1 This research-based education piece examines the scientific, economic and prescribing issues related to the use of biosimilars. Now, the ACR has released an update to its official position statement on the use of…