The ARHP is the premier professional organization for rheumatology health professionals primarily because of the talent and energy of its volunteers.
The ARHP needs both new and experienced volunteers to continue its mission, meet new challenges, and grow as an organization. Each and every ARHP member brings unique talents, abilities, and expertise to the organization, and we need your participation.
“Volunteering for the ARHP puts you in the position to collaborate and network with some of the key professionals in all disciplines of rheumatology,” explains ARHP volunteer Carole Dodge, OTR, CHT, allied health supervisor/clinical specialist of physical medicine and rehabilitation in the occupational therapy division of the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. “You not only have the privilege of serving the organization, but creating other opportunities for your own professional development.”
Volunteering with the ARHP can broaden your horizons and help you develop new skills that could be beneficial to your career. Volunteer opportunities are available to all ARHP members, including international and associate members, and there are many ways you can become involved in the ARHP. ARHP volunteers could select any of the following areas of interest:
Executive Committee: The Executive Committee is the governing body of the ARHP and determines appropriate plans, policies, and programs for the division, consistent with the policies and procedures of the ACR. The Executive Committee supervises, controls, and directs the business, budget, and affairs of the ARHP and its committees, products, education, and publications. The Executive Committee comprises the ARHP president, president-elect, secretary-treasurer, member-at-large, immediate past-president, ACR board liaison (appointed by the ACR president), and the chairs of the ARHP committees on practice, membership and nominations, education, and research. The Executive Committee meets in person three times a year and has approximately eight to nine conference calls each year.
Membership and Nominations Committee: The Membership and Nominations Committee is responsible for overseeing the nominations process to ensure the election and appointment of qualified leaders who are representative of the diversity of the membership. The committee is responsible for reviewing nominations and presenting a slate of qualified candidates for ARHP elected and appointed volunteer positions and for reviewing nominations and selecting recipients for the Graduate Student, Merit, and Lifetime Achievement Awards. In addition, this committee handles all membership marketing responsibilities. The committee meets in person once a year and has additional conference calls as needed.
Education Committee: The Education Committee is responsible for overseeing the educational offerings of the ARHP. Members suggest future topics for the Clinical Focus Course and Web-based cases, oversee the ARHP Program Subcommittee, develop new ideas for educational products and services, and work with the ACR education committees. The committee meets in person once a year and has additional conference calls as needed.
Practice Committee: The Practice Committee includes representatives from major disciplines in the ARHP. The committee is responsible for developing and disseminating practice tools and information to the membership. The committee meets in person twice a year (either in January or February and during the annual meeting) and has additional conference calls as needed.
Research Committee: Research Committee members are recognized for their research presentations and publications. They work with the ACR Committee on Research, the Arthritis Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health to promote the research efforts of rheumatology health professionals. They present research education and mentoring programs at the Annual Scientific Meeting and conduct pre-reviews of Arthritis Foundation grant applications. The committee meets in person once a year, during the Annual Scientific Meeting, and has additional conference calls as needed.
Annual Meeting Program Subcommittee: The Annual Meeting Program Subcommittee designs and implements the ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting and oversees the Clinical Focus Course Task Force. The committee meets in person three times a year—in January, June or July, and during the annual meeting—and has additional conference calls as needed.
E-Learning Subcommittee: The E-Learning Subcommittee designs and implements online educational sessions and products. The subcommittee meets in person once a year and has additional conference calls as needed.
Advanced Practice Skills Training Task Force: The Advanced Practice Skills Training Task Force is responsible for the development and implementation of the Advanced Practice Skills Training Course, a preconference course offered prior to the ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting and the ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium. The task force meets in person once a year and has additional conference calls as needed.
Clinical Focus Course Task Force: The Clinical Focus Course Task Force is responsible for the development of this preconference course based on a specific topic chosen by the education committee. The task force meets in person once a year and has additional conference calls as needed.
In addition to these opportunities, the ARHP has added an additional volunteer opportunity:
Patient Education Brochure Reviewer: The Patient Education Brochure Reviewer will assist the Education Committee by reviewing and editing patient education brochures on various rheumatology topics. No travel is required. Requests to review brochures occur at various times throughout the year.
As you map your involvement in the ARHP, consider where your time and talent can most benefit your career and your professional association. You might discover new areas of interest and make new business contacts and lifelong friends.
For more information on volunteer opportunities and to complete a volunteer application, visit www.rheumatology.org.
