2007: A Remarkable Year for ARHP

As I write this column, we are preparing to meet in Boston for the 2007 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting, and my year as the ARHP president is coming to end. It has been a remarkable year for the ARHP, as we have made significant progress toward achieving the goals identified in our Long-Range Plan:

• Promote leadership through identification, placement, and mentoring of volunteers;
• Market ARHP products, services, and member benefits internally (to membership) and externally (to other interested parties, including potential members) and increase membership by 15%;
• Be recognized as a leader in interdisciplinary and interprofessional collaboration, education, research, and patient care;
• Increase and stabilize funding for health professional research awards;
• Ensure educational offerings are high quality, current, state of the art, streamlined, diverse, and varied for a worldwide audience; and
• Ensure that ARHP services and products address the needs of the international members.

Specifically, I would like to highlight just a few of the ARHP’s many accomplishments this year.

Membership:

The ARHP is on track to set a new membership record this year. We had 1,010 members in July, which accounted for nearly 14% of the overall ACR membership. The diversity of our membership is one of the ARHP’s greatest strengths. Our members are clinicians, researchers, educators, administrators, and leaders from many different healthcare disciplines. (See Fig. 1)

Education:

Progress continues on the Nurse Practitioner (NP) and Physician Assistant (PA) Post-Graduate Rheumatology Training Program, which is scheduled to launch in early 2008. Interested parties can visit ACR Central during the Annual Scientific Meeting to view a sample online module and sign up to receive registration materials. This program, consisting of 19 online modules authored by leaders in the field of rheumatology, is designed to provide NPs and PAs with basic knowledge and clinical skills in the management of adults and children with rheumatic diseases.

Research:

Arthritis Care & Research continues to be the premier journal for disseminating relevant research findings to rheumatology health professionals around the world. The journal’s success necessitated its expansion to eight issues this year; it will increase to 12 issues in 2008.

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Interprofessional collaboration:

The ARHP continues to work collaboratively with our ACR colleagues to advance the ACR’s mission and strategic objectives. ARHP representatives to ACR and ACR Research and Education Foundation (REF) committees work to ensure an interprofessional perspective.

For example, ARHP representative Erica Stern, PhD, OTR/L, worked with the ACR Committee on Ethics and Conflict of Interest and the ARHP Executive Committee this year to revise the ACR Code of Ethics, Conflict of Interest Guidelines for Officers, and Guidelines for Expert Witness Testimony to be more inclusive of all health professional members.

Technology enhancements: The ARHP technology task force recommended improvements for the ARHP Web site and electronic communications that will better meet our members’ needs. Improving Web site navigation, expanding and improving online education, and enhancing and expanding external links on the Web site are the key priorities that the ARHP executive committee will address next year.

Volunteer leadership opportunities:

Each and every ARHP member brings unique talents and expertise to our organization. Volunteer opportunities are available to all ARHP members, including international and associate members. The Committee on Nominations implemented an improved, electronic process for volunteer nominations this year. Detailed information about ARHP volunteer opportunities is available on the ARHP Web site.

The ARHP continues to be the premier professional organization for rheumatology health professionals and office staff. Our success results from the hard work and dedication of countless volunteers who, along the with ARHP staff, give their time, talent, and energy to our organization. It has been a privilege and a delight to work with this group of gifted, knowledgeable, and caring individuals. I want to thank all the volunteers and staff for their efforts and support. You can find a list of the ARHP team by clicking on the ARHP link.

My year as president has been an incredible journey – one that has been both personally and professionally rewarding. One of the greatest rewards has been the countless opportunities I have had to meet and talk with so many wonderful rheumatology colleagues. It truly has been a tremendous honor and privilege to serve as the ARHP president this year and I want to thank you for giving me this wonderful opportunity.

With the collective expertise and enthusiasm of its members and staff, the ARHP is well positioned to build on its accomplishments, meet new challenges, and create new opportunities for growth and success in the coming years. I look forward to continuing to work with all of you in 2008 and beyond.

Karen Kerr is president of the ARHP and a pediatric nurse practitioner at Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit. Contact her via e-mail at [email protected].