Asked about his motivation for volunteerism in medicine, Dr. Lakhanpal notes that to provide proper patient care, one has to go beyond just the doctor’s office and the examining room. “A lot of what happens in patient care is actually dictated by policies made by the U.S. Congress and governmental agencies, such as the [Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services] CMS, [the U.S. Food & Drug Administration] FDA and the Department of Health and Human Services. And, in addition to regulatory bodies, there are organizations, such as the Arthritis Foundation, the Lupus Foundation and others, that advocate for patients,” says Dr. Lakhanpal. “It’s important to step out of one’s comfort zone to see what else can be done for patients and the specialty.”
Gretchen Henkel is a health and medical journalist based in California.
Editor’s note: Also see the article New ACR President Dr. Sharad Lakhanpal Recalls Road to Leadership, Outlines Goals for 2017.
