In late November, Carol Langford, MD, MHS, assumed the role of 88th president of the ACR. She looks forward to continuing the ACR’s focus on its mission and fulfilling the goals of its strong strategic plan.
Dr. Langford
Dr. Langford received her medical degree at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1987, then did her internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, from 1987 to 1990. She followed those accomplishments by becoming a fellow in rheumatology at Duke University, Durham, N.C., and earning a master’s degree in health sciences. In 1994, she joined the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), as a senior investigator. After a decade at NIAID, she moved to Cleveland Clinic and currently holds the Harold C. Schott Endowed Chair in Rheumatic and Immunologic Diseases, is the director of the Center for Vasculitis Care and Research, and professor of medicine at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine.
Throughout her career, Dr. Langford has focused on patient care, education and research in vasculitis.
The Rheumatologist spoke with Dr. Langford about the value of the ACR to rheumatologists and to patients, and how she hopes to contribute to that value as the ACR’s newest president.
The Rheumatologist (TR): What drove you to begin volunteering for the ACR in the first place?
Dr. Langford: At my very first annual meeting of the ACR, I saw how the ACR brought the whole rheumatology community together, and I knew right away that it was an organization that I wanted to be a part of. My first volunteer activity was in 1995 doing abstract review, after which I gradually got involved in committee work.
TR: Which committees did you participate in?
Dr. Langford: A substantial amount of my volunteer activity was focused in the education branches of the ACR. I served as clinical abstract chair for the annual meeting (now ACR Convergence) and led the Continuous Professional Development Subcommittee in developing Maintenance of Certification activities and advocating for rheumatologists in the ACR’s interactions with the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). I have been the chair of the Committee on Education, served on the ACR Board of Directors, and since joining the Executive Committee, I have gained experience in the Committee on Finance as ACR Treasurer and [as a member of] the Membership and Awards Committee.
Outside committee work, I developed further appreciation of the breadth of the ACR by serving as an associate editor of one of our great ACR journals, Arthritis & Rheumatology, and participating in ACR guideline development for vasculitis.
TR: You mentioned that your draw to the ACR was its role in bringing together the entire rheumatology community. Why was that important to you?
Dr. Langford: It has been a privilege for me to be involved in vasculitis—it has been my lifelong career passion, where I have had an opportunity to work with an amazing group of colleagues in patient care and research. I have also been fortunate to be part of a wonderful rheumatology department at Cleveland Clinic. The ACR was a way to expand opportunities to be able to work, collaborate and connect with people across the entire spectrum of rheumatology: investigators in clinical, translational and basic science who have different disease interests, dedicated community practitioners, people engaged in advocacy and skilled rheumatology health professionals—just to name a few. The ACR has really allowed me to be part of the rheumatology community in a way that I would not have been able to experience otherwise.
TR: Speaking of the significance of the ACR, what are some of the achievements you would like to highlight from your volunteer activity with the College?
Dr. Langford: When I was part of the Committee on Education, we worked closely with ACR staff in advancing some of the first national programs that utilized audience-response participation, so there was active input and exchange during educational offerings. That was quite unique at the time, and indicative of the ACR’s commitment to developing innovative approaches to fit the educational needs of each rheumatologist, in terms of when, what and how they want to learn.
TR: What initiatives do you hope to implement as ACR president?
Dr. Langford: The ACR is committed to advancing the specialty of rheumatology through its mission to empower rheumatology professionals to excel in their specialty. It is our dedicated volunteers and staff that play the key role in the implementation of the mission, and it is my hope to shine light on their work, with a focus on three areas.
The ACR’s educational mission will always have a place of importance to me, not only because it represents a key part of my ACR history, but also because it is fundamental to us as rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals. The rapid growth of advancements that benefit patients has been an element that drew so many of us to this field, and this comes hand in hand with the privilege of professional growth through lifelong learning. It is my goal to highlight the many ways the ACR can meet each person’s educational goals [by] being the place they choose to come to advance their knowledge.
The catalyst of those rapid advancements has been research, which remains of fundamental importance to every rheumatologist regardless of their individual career path. I hope to highlight how the ACR is there to support clinical, translational and basic scientists in the conduct of their research, presentation of their findings at ACR Convergence, and publication through our journals. Directly linked with this is the critical work being done by our amazing Rheumatology Research Foundation in funding research and training the next generation of clinicians and investigators.
Finally, I hope to enhance connections between the College and its members in being a rheumatology community. It is my goal over the next year that every fellow and member gains a greater understanding of the ACR as their organization and sees their objectives and priorities reflected through the ACR’s activities and commitment to our mission.
TR: What do you see as the biggest obstacles for rheumatologists and rheumatology in the coming year, as well as in the long term, and how will the ACR approach them?
Dr. Langford: The need for rheumatologic care will continue to increase, with recent projections showing those needs will outpace the current workforce. In addition to numbers, there are also geographic disparities, where patients may have to travel hours to see an adult or pediatric rheumatologist. We also recognize the numerous challenges being faced by practicing clinicians in terms of barriers to medication access, prior authorizations, and reimbursement. All of these are challenges that the ACR and the ARP are actively working to address. We want not only to address workforce issues, particularly in underserved locations, but also to find, develop and communicate ways to assist practices in their goals of being able to provide efficient and effective patient care.
TR: With multifaceted challenges like those, how do you view the future of rheumatology overall?
Dr. Langford: I am very optimistic for the future. Rheumatology remains one of the most exciting medical specialties, particularly with the many advances we have seen—and will continue to see—that beneficially impact our patients. It is tremendously rewarding to be part of the dynamic specialty that is rheumatology, and I have great enthusiasm for the future of the field and confidence in the ACR in moving us forward.
TR: Now, for the toughest question of all, what is something that ACR/ARP members may not know about you, but should or might like to?
Dr. Langford: I am grateful to have been supported by my rheumatologist husband Matt Bunyard, who I met in fellowship. My happy place is anywhere Matt and I can be around nature, surrounded by animals and plants, appreciating that beauty through my eyes or a camera lens. I have great interest in tapir conservation and am happy to share my enthusiasm for these amazing animals with anyone at any time!
Leslie Mertz, PhD, is a freelance science journalist based in northern Michigan.
