Something for clinicians, researchers & practice management professionals
Long known as the place to learn clinical best practices, connect with colleagues, see the most important data and engage in debates in rheumatology worldwide, the ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting to be held Nov. 14–19 in Boston will be no exception.
In fact, the meeting’s Planning Committee members say this event will be one of the most appealing and thought-provoking gatherings yet, featuring a wide range of programs to educate professionals in every segment of the field. Anyone who works in rheumatology clinical practice, research or practice management will find enlightening and practical information presented at this year’s meeting, along with hot topics of interest.
“We believe our programs this year will have a broad appeal to the pure academicians, as well as clinical practitioners,” notes Chester V. Oddis, MD, chair of the Annual Meeting Planning Committee, a group of volunteers who have gathered ideas from rheumatologists in private practice, researchers in academic settings, rheumatology health professionals and many others to create this year’s diverse slate.
Register to be a part of this year’s Annual Meeting, so you can enjoy the world’s leading experts discussing the most important issues facing rheumatology professionals and their patients today, including:
- A groundbreaking opening lecture on an integrative approach to the emerging concept of predictive, preventive, personalized and participatory (P4) medicine by Leroy Hood, MD, PhD, president of Institute for Systems Biology;
- An exciting journey into rheumatic disease patients’ innate immunity and inflammation, and how innate immunity reacts to external disease triggers, presented by UCSD professor Robert A. Terkeltaub, MD;
- The always-provocative Great Debate, this year focusing on the potentially controversial use of belimumab in SLE treatment;
- Healthcare Bounty Hunters, a gloves-off session on practice audits by an expert consultant who will provide practical tips on how to respond to them;
- Rheumatology on the Street, a frank, cutting-edge discussion of the rheumatic disease aspect of illegal drug use of all types;
- Macrophages Gone Wild, an in-depth look at pediatric MAS and new, effective treatments;
- A timely look at the impact of malignancies that may complicate rheumatic disease treatment and how malignancies may even mimic rheumatic diseases; and
- Practical tips for rheumatology health professionals on talking with patients about the use of alternative and complementary treatments.
Inspired by the host city’s powerful Boston Strong! slogan, this year’s health professionals track focuses on wellness and resilience, as well as important clinical updates, says Afton Hassett, PsyD, 2014 ARHP Planning Committee chair. Keynote speaker Cindy Coney, who has lived with lupus for 30 years, and speaker Monique Gignac, PhD, will both offer inspiring ideas for rheumatology practitioners on how to help patients thrive despite their conditions. They’ll also share tips on how healthcare workers in all clinical settings can achieve work-life balance and cope with stress in their own lives.
Clinical updates will give busy professionals working in every area of rheumatology care a deeper understanding of the science behind new treatments, says Hazel Breland, PhD, 2014 ARHP chair elect. “We want to make sure our members are able to stay up to date with what’s going on in the common rheumatic diseases,” she notes.
Exciting ARHP sessions will include:
- Great Debate on Low Back Pain—Clinically relevant data on how to treat this common, debilitating condition;
- Statistics and Immunology Boot Camps—Build your knowledge step by step in these series of informative sessions. Great for those involved in clinical trials;
- Alternative Treatments—Explore the latest science behind acupuncture, tai chi, popular supplements and other complementary therapies patients may use; and
- RheumChat—Enjoy four gifted speakers offering inspiring 12-minute talks about big ideas affecting rheumatology care today.
To maximize the practice manager’s time at the meeting, an integrated program for practice managers was created, and special package rates are available.
The ACR/ARHP three-day practice management track provides in-depth training that focuses on practical skills needed to keep rheumatology practices current with medical coding updates, compliance rules and federal regulations. The program includes three full days of training with interactive classroom discussions on the following critical areas:
- Friday, Nov. 14: Coding Course—Advance training on E/M coding and clinical documentation;
- Saturday, Nov. 15: Office Efficiency—Tools for your practice to improve compliance and efficiency; and
- Sunday, Nov. 16: Practice Regulations—Overview of healthcare reform changes that impact day-to-day operations of a medical practice.
To experience these and many more educational sessions, as well as workshops, opportunities for fellows to network and interact with experienced rheumatologists, practice management resources and more, register today for the 2014 ACR/ARHP Annual Meeting at ACRannualmeeting.org. Boost your knowledge, forge your career path, expand your network and join the exciting ride to rheumatology’s future.
