ARP Launches Boot Camp for Advanced Practice Providers New to Rheumatology

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The 2015 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Workforce Study projected that by 2030 the number of adult rheumatologists will decline by 25%.¹ The result: Demand for rheumatologists is projected to be more than twice the available supply of providers by 2030. Advanced practice rheumatology professionals can help practices overcome the barrier this mismatch will create with regard to patient access to care.

The Training Rheum, developed by the ARP, is structured as a boot camp to give advanced practice providers the background information needed to competently take care of patients with rheumatic diseases. The 2022 ACR Education Exchange will host The Training Rheum April 29 and 30 (see sidebar and website for details).

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Designed for New Practitioners

“The Training Rheum was designed specifically to educate NPs and PAs coming into the field of rheumatology,” says Carole Dodge, OTRL, CHT, allied health supervisor of rehabilitation services at Michigan Health, Ann Arbor. “Students learn the foundational concepts needed in rheumatology. These include the most common conditions encountered, ordering and interpreting laboratory tests, the use of appropriate imaging, performing musculoskeletal examinations and prescribing medications.”

Originally, The Training Rheum was a 2.5-day in-person program. That was changed with the onset of COVID-19. “Prior to the pandemic, there was talk about making The Training Rheum a hybrid teaching experience,” says Christine Stamatos, DNP, ANP-C, director of the Fibromyalgia Wellness Center at Northwell Health, Long Island, N.Y., and the immediate past president of the ARP. “Using both live and recorded [presentations] makes for a more efficient program. COVID-19 moved this along.” Currently, the program is completed over two days. It includes both recorded online lectures and live interactive question-and-answer sessions facilitated by experts to add to the educational experience.

“A practice wants to get their new NPs/PAs up to speed as quickly as possible so they can start seeing patients and be competent,” says Ms. Dodge, who also serves as the chair of the ARP e-Learning Subcommittee to the ACR Committee on Education. “The course was planned with this in mind.”

The hope going forward is to be able to present a true hybrid experience utilizing both in-person and remote learning. “If someone wants to attend from home, that will be an option,” says Dr. Stamatos. “For those who prefer a live experience, that will also be available.”

Supplement to Formal Education

Joey McCracken, PA-C, a physician assistant with Shanahan Rheumatology and Immunotherapy, Durham, N.C., found The Training Rheum very helpful.

“Because of COVID-19, I wasn’t able to do an elective rheumatology rotation during my time in school,” he says. “When I got a job with a rheumatology practice, I had limited hands-on experience in rheumatology. The Training Rheum was a good fit for me because I was able to gain exposure to the specialty that I couldn’t get during my training.”

Hands-on experience is especially important in rheumatology, in which patients can have very complicated presentations.

“My time in The Training Rheum helped solidify my clinical reasoning when faced with a cluster of disease features,” says Mr. McCracken. “It helped me approach these clusters and disease features more confidently, aided in my history taking and my diagnostic skills. I definitely was steered in the right direction, [discovering] areas I needed to work on.”

Another important plus for participants: increased opportunities for networking. “When you are new, you don’t really know what the ACR is and what [the organization] can offer you,” says Mr. McCracken. “The Training Rheum introduced me to the available resources and how to access them. It [serves as] an introduction to the College, [and offers] ways to get involved and resources I can use.”

In Sum

The Training Rheum is part of a package of programs from the ACR’s interprofessional division to help practices onboard NPs and PAs and support them as they enter practice.

An important aspect is a $25,000 Mentored Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant Award for Workforce Expansion from the Rheumatology Research Foundation that can be used by a practice to offset time and educational expenses incurred when bringing new people into the practice. These grants are offered twice a year, with applications due Dec. 1 and March 1. New hires must have been with the practice for less than 18 months to qualify.

To build on the basic education provided by The Training Rheum, the ARP also offers an online advanced rheumatology course. This independent study program allows the student to proceed at their own pace.

“The concept for The Training Rheum is that it gives you the very basics,” says Dr. Stamatos. “This should be supplemented by other course offerings that go into much greater detail.”

Kurt Ullman is a freelance writer based in Indiana.

Reference

1. Battafarano DF, Ditmyer M, Bolster MB, et al. 2015 American College of Rheumatology workforce study: Supply and demand projections of adult rheumatology workforce, 2015–2030. Arthritis Care Res (Hoboken). 2018 Apr;70(4):617–626.