In preparing for the second year of his term leading the Rheumatology Research Foundation, Eric Matteson, MD, MPH, has developed an ambitious set of goals for the year ahead, and he says the strong professional and personal inspiration he gets from serving in various volunteer roles within the College is what helps drive him to achieve these objectives.
“I have lots of goals because we have lots of challenges, as well as lots of opportunities in our practice and in the inspired work of the ACR,” Dr. Matteson says. “It’s a very exciting time in the field of rheumatology.”
The ultimate driver behind Dr. Matteson’s work with the ACR for the past 20 years is encapsulated in the Foundation’s mission to advance research and training to improve the health of people with rheumatic diseases.
“The ACR is a very creative and dynamic organization because of the people in it,” he acknowledges. “When we can bring together our different areas of expertise—whether it is in research, education or clinical care—we have the power to truly make a positive difference in the lives of our patients.”
Exciting Work on the Horizon
Building off the work he and the Foundation achieved last year, Dr. Matteson has set forth the following goals for 2017:
- Finish the Journey to Cure campaign.
- Launch a new campaign with the goal of raising $75 million over the next five years to create supportive resources for research and training.
- Work toward the goals of the Foundation’s strategic plan finalized this past year to achieve these three aims:
- Improve patient access to care by supporting research training;
- Demonstrate the value of care of patients with rheumatic disease; and
- Establish new relationships with industry partners, insurers, employers and members to advance the mission of the Foundation.
In addition, Dr. Matteson serves on the ACR Executive Committee. Through his work with this committee, and through his overall support of the ACR and ARHP, he hopes to:
- Enhance workforce development by training rheumatology care providers, such as physician assistants and advanced practice nurses;
- Ensure efficacy efforts to provide the highest level of care to support the highest quality of life for patients; and
- Promote the work of the ACR’s RISE Registry to collect and share patient outcomes data that can be leveraged to further advance care.
The Power of Participation
Dr. Matteson encourages every member of the ACR to realize what the College can offer as a strong and dynamic organization that continuously strives to improve the care of patients with rheumatic diseases.
