A Wealth of Achievements

For Dr. Hannan, the reward for dedicating her professional efforts to musculoskeletal disorders is what she calls the fascinating and far-reaching finding that for common rheumatologic diseases, everything is modifiable. She recalls that health professionals used to tell patients that, because they had a degenerative disorder, little could be done for them. Now, the situation is changed because so much can be done to modify pain and even the progression of the disease. Making modifications to help older people, and even to help younger adults stay active, is even more important with the growing understanding of the importance of physical activity to healthy aging.

Dr. Hannan is a board member for the U.S. Bone and Joint Decade, an initiative designed to promote awareness of musculoskeletal disorders. One benefit of this initiative is that today, 100% of American medical schools teach students how to perform musculoskeletal exams; six years ago, most schools did not include this skill in the curriculum, even though musculoskeletal disorders are a main reason adults over age 50 see a physician.

Q: What is the biggest change that you’ve observed personally in public health initiatives during your career?

A: Just looking at changes in generations of my own family, I know that we pay more attention to health issues and ways to change our own situations than family members did back in the 1960s. We know we have more control now than they did then. We have the information and the products to make changes like becoming vegetarian, or cutting our dietary fat consumption in half. The information we need is right there on the nutrition label.

Q: Were you surprised to win the Master Educator Award?

A: This was a totally unexpected recognition because I consider myself a researcher, not necessarily an educator. But this award process helped me take my own blinders off. Many letters were written to support me, and they made me aware of educational partnerships that existed, but that I wasn’t really aware of. It’s good to know you’ve made a difference in someone’s life. Every little droplet that each of us contributes matters, and these small educational or research conversations we all engage in every day can add up to a much bigger picture.

ARHP Award

ARHP President’s Award

Edward H. Yelin, PhD

Professor of Medicine (Rheumatology) and Health Policy, University of California, San Francisco

Background: Dr. Yelin shares this year’s ARHP President’s Award with Patricia Katz, PhD. The award is presented to the ARHP/ACR member or team that has provided outstanding service during the current year to advance the goals, ideals, and standards of ARHP. Dr. Yelin and Dr. Katz are long-time colleagues and co-editors of Arthritis Care & Research (AC&R), an official journal of the ACR. Dr. Yelin’s research group examines the impact of rheumatic disease on individual people and on society. In his own research, he has explored employment issues and the impact of healthcare system changes among persons with RA and SLE and studied the relationship between disparities in access to care and outcomes. He has authored hundreds of publications in the course of his career.