The 2019 ARP Awards of Distinction & ACR Masters

DISTINGUISHED CLINICIAN AWARD

Joni Dean, a nurse practitioner in pediatric rheumatology at American Family Children’s Hospital, an arm of UW Health of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, received the Distinguished Clinician Award for her outstanding clinical expertise in rheumatic diseases.

“I’ve done a lot for pediatric rheumatology over the past 20 years, everything from building the practice here to implementing electronic health records,” says Ms. Dean, who earned a Master of Science in nursing from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, in 1993. “I’m grateful that all of my experiences have helped improve patient care. This award is a wonderful honor. It’s the crowning achievement of my career.”

Although Ms. Dean is contemplating retirement, you’d never know it from her actions. This past year, she has played a big role in the launch of a clinic for children suffering from Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, a group of connective tissue disorders. The clinic, which opened in October 2019, already has a waiting list of children whom she will screen.

Her career accomplishments are quite impressive. Back in 2000, she worked alongside Anna Huttenlocher, MD, the first pediatric rheumatologist hired by the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. Together, they built a successful rheumatology clinic that now employs two more pediatric rheumatologists and a registered nurse.

While in that role, Ms. Dean also created treatment plans for infusions in the day treatment department to eliminate paper orders, served on the task force that created the certified rheumatology nurse designation through the American Nurses Credentialing Center, managed two quality improvement projects with poster presentations and has been a study coordinator for the Childhood Arthritis and Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) since the legacy registry began in 2011.

Currently, she is board chair of the local chapter of the Arthritis Foundation and a member of CARRA’s Research Coordinator Advisory Committee and Office of Continuing Professional Development, which coordinates continuing medical education credit for CARRA seminars.

For the past several years, Ms. Dean has reviewed abstracts for the ARP, and she served as a moderator at the 2017 Annual Meeting. She currently serves on an ACR/ARP task force developing the pediatric portion of The Training Rheum curriculum, a three-day event designed to help rheumatology practices onboard advanced practice providers.

Among the many reasons Ms. Dean is involved with the ARP is its online courses, which have significantly contributed to her knowledge base and skill set, and its ability to connect professionals in pediatric rheumatology.

“I don’t have a co-worker I can call or see because geographically, we’re so far apart,” she says. “We’re very isolated in this field. The ARP is our national link. So when it needs someone in pediatrics and reaches out to me, I’m always happy to help.”