The ACR is pleased to welcome new and returning leaders to the ACR board of directors and ARHP executive committee who were appointed in November. The following members were selected to serve as the newest members-at-large of the ACR board of directors. Each of them shared what they will bring to the table.
Erin L. Arnold, MD, is a partner at Illinois Bone and Joint Institute in Morton Grove, Ill. As a fellow of the ACR, Dr. Arnold participated on the Ideal Rheumatology Practice Task Force, and represented the ACR on the American College of Radiology’s imaging task force. As a member of the ACR Working Group on Musculoskeletal Ultrasound, she co-authored the group’s state-of-the-art paper on musculoskeletal ultrasound in the U.S., published in the September 2010 issue of Arthritis & Rheumatism.
“I take great pride in and am passionate about providing innovative care to patients with arthritis in an optimistic, professional, and compassionate environment,” says Dr. Arnold. “Recognizing that optimal care for patients with arthritis is only possible if the subspecialty of rheumatology flourishes, I am equally committed to promoting and insuring the success of rheumatologists.” She continues, “with my patients’ best interests first in mind, I intend to devote my time and energy as a member of the ACR board of directors to enhancing and expanding the opportunities for success for rheumatologists in both academic and private practice.”
Sharad Lakhanpal, MD, is clinical professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He has been in practice at Rheumatology Associates in Dallas since 1987. He is also an investigator at Metroplex Clinical Research Center in Dallas.
Dr. Lakhanpal is the immediate past chair of the ACR’s Committee on Government Affairs and has served on various other ACR committees in the past. Dr. Lakhanpal reports, “I am privileged to be able to serve on the board of directors of the ACR. The College has a very distinguished history and is a world leader in the field of rheumatology.”
He continues, “My goal on the board is best summed by the mission statement of the College, ‘Advancing Rheumatology.’ I look forward to serving the College and its members to the best of my ability.”
Carlos J. Lozada, MD, is professor of clinical medicine in the division of rheumatology and immunology and is director of the rheumatology fellowship training program at the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center. He is also director of rheumatology clinical services at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami.
Dr. Lozada has served in multiple roles at the ACR, including as a member of the Committee on Rheumatology Training and Workforce Issues and the Committee on Communications and Marketing and as chair of the task force that implemented an ERAS/Match-based admission system to rheumatology fellowship program nationwide. Dr. Lozada states, “I am looking forward to helping to build on recent advances in rheumatology to create an exciting future for our specialty, particularly as it relates to attracting the best and brightest to our field.”
Dr. Lozada also has served on the board of the ACR Research and Education Foundation.
Yvonne R. S. Sherrer, MD, is the medical director and director of clinical research of the Centre for Rheumatology Immunology and Arthritis, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Dr. Sherrer has served on multiple committees at the ACR, including the former Women in Rheumatology Subcommittee, the former Immunological Testing Guidelines Subcommittee, and the Committees on Research, Rheumatologic Care, and Rheumatology Training and Workforce Issues. She says, “These are difficult times for physicians in general and rheumatologists in particular. Many anticipate the small rheumatology group or individual practitioner is becoming extinct. It is expected that specialty care along with primary care will be moved to large practices and centers. Yet both patients and doctors should have choices. Such choice is essential to maintaining autonomy in U.S. healthcare. I look forward to being a voice for those who desire to maintain autonomy in the practice of rheumatology while keeping the focus on quality of care and using innovative technologies to improve care and keep costs down.”
The following members were selected to serve as the newest members of the ARHP executive committee. Each of them shared what they will bring to the table.
Barbara A. Slusher, PA-C, MSW, is a physician assistant with Rheumatology Associates of Houston and has been an active member of the ARHP since 2006. She’s been involved in developing and facilitating the Advanced Practice Skills Course, which provides fundamental education in the skills of musculoskeletal exam and joint injection techniques. Slusher says, “The ARHP was a great resource for me when I was new to the field of rheumatology, and I strongly support the continuance of that vital goal for our specialty during my tenure with the ARHP executive committee.”
Slusher has a passion for education and enjoys teaching both peers and patients about rheumatologic diseases and available treatment options. She strongly supports lifelong education, particularly in the field of medicine/ rheumatology. She believes that the ACR and ARHP together have a central role in providing up-to-date and enduring education to rheumatology health professionals.
Karen L. Smarr, PhD, is a licensed counseling psychologist and researcher who focused her career in the area of health psychology and arthritis rehabilitation. She is a clinical assistant professor of medicine and psychiatry at the University of Missouri and psychologist/research compliance officer at the Harry S. Truman Memorial Veterans Hospital in Columbia, Mo. Dr. Smarr says, “I have been a member of the ARHP since 1991 and have had the pleasure of meeting many wonderful, committed arthritis professionals. I have learned so much over the years by attending the annual meetings and networking with colleagues. It is with great excitement that I join the executive committee as the ACR Committee on Education representative. I have enjoyed working with Benjamin J. Smith, PA-C, this past year on the ARHP Education Committee, in preparation of launching the Mini Pearls: Rheumatology Online Cases in the near future.”To view a complete list of board and executive committee members, visit www.rheumatology.org/about. If you are interested in serving in a leadership position, contact Naama Davidai at [email protected] for information on the upcoming nominations process.
