A Conversation with Rheumatology Research Foundation VP Liana Fraenkel, MD, MPH

Dr. Fraenkel

Liana Fraenkel, MD, MPH, likes to fix things, and the dynamic and challenging field of rheumatology always has room for improvement. That mindset has led her down some interesting paths as a researcher and healthcare provider, and as vice president of the Rheumatology Research Foundation. Dr. Fraenkel was a rheumatologist and researcher at the Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Conn., for two decades. She is now adjunct professor of medicine at Yale School of Medicine and the director of medical education and patient-centered population health research at Berkshire Health Systems in rural western Massachusetts.

Her research centered on understanding why patients sometimes ignore sound medical advice and make choices that are not in their best health interests, as well as on developing novel ways to communicate risk and on approaches to encourage better shared decision making between patients and providers. Since joining Berkshire Health Systems four years ago, Dr. Fraenkel has also begun taking a close look at patient access to care.

“Having worked in an urban and now a rural setting, I have developed a deep appreciation for the difficulties and differences in barriers to patient access and the need to find solutions suited to each situation, rather than something that is one size fits all,” she says.

According to Dr. Fraenkel, the one constant in all of her work in research, patient care, and mentoring medical students, residents and fellows has been the Rheumatology Research Foundation. “Speaking from personal experience, I would not have had my career without the support of the Foundation,” she says.

“I am extremely indebted to our Foundation and consider it a joy and privilege to volunteer for an organization dedicated to improving care for our patients by supporting both training and research.”

She says many of her colleagues feel the same gratitude and dedication to the Foundation. “I think the widespread admiration for our Foundation stems from its integrity, values and mission, which is to ensure that we have the right providers and the right knowledge to take the best possible care of our patients.”

With a new 2022–27 strategic plan, the Foundation board has its work cut out for the next several years. One goal set out in the plan holds special interest for Dr. Fraenkel: to promote the Foundation itself.

Too many rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals remain unaware of the Foundation’s myriad contributions to the field, she says, and that needs to change.

“We need the community to know that the Foundation is an absolutely critical resource for research, fellowship training and attracting medical students and advanced practice providers to the field,” she says. “We are at a critical time now, and if we are to increase funding so we can offer more research grants, recruit more diverse people and increase the workforce pipeline to respond to the much-lower-than-expected number of people forecast to enter the field, we need everyone in the rheumatology community to feel they are a part of the Foundation and stand behind it.”

Dr. Fraenkel is looking forward to supporting outreach efforts throughout the coming year and into her term as Foundation president.

“Under the direction of current president V. Mike Holers, MD, the Board has already formed a new Impact Advisory Council to explore ways to communicate our mission and the impact our Foundation has had on the rheumatology community, so we can enlarge this community and broaden our support,” says Dr. Fraenkel. “We want all of us in the rheumatology community to feel this really is our Foundation, and it is something we can take great pride in.”

Leslie Mertz, PhD, is a freelance science journalist based in northern Michigan.