I hope you have additional ideas for our future focus. We are not simply practitioners or researchers or educators, we are far more complex and interrelated than a one-dimensional designation can portray. How can we best serve the field as we think strategically about the future of rheumatology? What do we need to focus on and what do we need to add to our current portfolio to meet your needs as members of this greater community, to meet the needs of the field of rheumatology on a national and international basis, and to ultimately help us to meet the needs of our patients? We need to hear from each of you.
I encourage you all to stay connected, to let us know when you have a good idea, if you need help, or if you would like to contribute your skills and abilities through a volunteer role with the ACR. You can contact me anytime at [email protected]. Complaints and criticisms are always welcome, and providing possible solutions for us to consider is always appreciated! I look forward to working with you in this coming year to advance rheumatology and to nurture our treasure, the American College of Rheumatology.
Dr. Uknis is professor of medicine and senior associate dean for admissions and strategy at Temple University in Philadelphia.