When Jeanne Scott first entered nursing school, she planned to become a women’s health nurse practitioner. She was not expecting her final clinical placement in rheumatology to change the entire course of her career. “Truthfully, I did not understand what rheumatology practitioners did until this introduction to the field,” says Ms. Scott, who describes being…
Fifteen women and men seated around a conference table in a New York City hospital listen intently to one of their peers. A 40-year-old elementary school teacher shares her challenges related to the intersection of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and the responsibilities of a demanding job.* With the support and counsel of fellow group members, the…
The ACR and the ARHP have a long, rich history of collaboration, spanning close to 25 years together. Our predecessors saw the value of an interprofessional team and having an organization that brings together a vast number of constituencies. The result was these two organizations coming together in 1994 when the ARHP became a division…
On May 16 and 17, ACR/ARHP leaders serving on the Board of Directors, Affiliate Society Council, Government Affairs Committee, Committee on Rheumatologic Care, RheumPAC Committee and Insurance Subcommittee once again went to Capitol Hill to advocate on behalf of ACR/ARHP members and their patients. The group represented 27 states and the District of Columbia, and…
A recent position statement by the Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) concludes that patients with persistent pain need better access to psychosocial care in all healthcare settings.1 The SBM offers 10 health policy recommendations for improving such access, including removing system-related barriers, providing referral tools, reimbursing for evidence-based psychosocial approaches, prioritizing generalist-level and specialist pain…
The underlying tenet of the ACR’s advocacy efforts is that we cannot effect change for our profession and our patients unless we take our issues directly to decision makers. As I write this column, I am highly encouraged by the progress we have made so far this year in the advocacy realm. At the same…
Greetings, Advocates! In my last update, I described the great news from February’s budget agreement that fixed Medicare’s payment adjustments so MIPS penalties would not include Part B drug costs, ensuring stabilization of the Medicare Part B drug system, among other successes. (Read the ACR’s press release on this topic.) I also described the Trump administration’s…
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The ACR hosted the 2018 Advocacy Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., on May 16–17. Rheumatology professionals from around the country flew to our nation’s capitol to attend the conference, where advocates heard from key policymakers and spoke with lawmakers about the issues that affect the rheumatology community—and what ACR/ARHP members can do to influence policy….
When Marilynn “Lynn” Punaro, MD, MACR, isn’t working with medical students, seeing patients in the clinic, participating in translational research or performing leadership duties, she’s enjoying a good book—especially a good mystery. This shouldn’t be a surprise. It was mystery that led Dr. Punaro to a career in pediatric rheumatology more than 30 years ago,…
Patients with rheumatic disease require a team of specialists working together to meet the patient’s needs. Social workers can advocate for these patients and play a variety of other roles to help them manage their disease…