SAN DIEGO—During ACR Convergence 2023 in November, the ACR and the ARP honored a group of distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to rheumatology research, education and patient care. This month, The Rheumatologist profiles the recipients of the ARP Merit Awards and ARP Master class, recognizing outstanding contributions to the field of rheumatology. The recipients of the ACR’s Awards of Distinction, and 2023 ACR Masters and ACR Distinguished Fellows were profiled in the December issue. Look for the ARP President’s Awards in the February 2024 issue.
Addie Thomas Service Award
The 2023 Addie Thomas Service Award is presented to ARP members in honor of the Association’s first president and recognizes active volunteers in arthritis-related activities. This year’s recipients are Hazel L. Breland, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, and Christine A. Stamatos, DNP, ANP-C.
Hazel L. Breland, PhD, OTR/L, FAOTA, is the assistant director of the Office of Community Outreach and Engagement at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center, Charleston. She earned her doctorate at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and undergraduate degrees from Howard University, Washington, D.C., and the University of South Carolina, Columbia.
“I am honored to receive the Addie Thomas Service Award and humbled by the recognition alongside the illustrious 2023 awardees,” says Dr. Breland. “I am grateful for the many opportunities to serve and invite all ARP members to lean into professional service.”
Dr. Breland has also distinguished herself as a Fellow of the American Occupational Therapy Association (2016) through her commitment to excellence in occupational therapy service and innovations in interprofessional leadership, advocacy and diversity.
Dr. Breland upholds the ACR’s commitment to empowering rheumatology professionals, evidenced by her dedicated professional volunteerism that prioritizes health equity, mentoring diverse leaders and addressing societal needs by positively impacting and promoting independence, justice and wellness for unrepresented and underserved groups.
Her recent service to the ACR, the ARP and the Rheumatology Research Foundation includes active engagement in the Foundation Awards Audit Committee (2023–24), the ACR Committee on Nominations and Appointments (2021–23), the ACR Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Subcommittee (2020–23), the Foundation Portfolio Review Panel (2022), the Foundation’s Strategic Planning Task Force (2021–22), the ACR Governance Task Force (2020–21) and RheumPAC (2020–21). She served as an executive leader for the ACR, ARP and the Foundation as an ARP officer from 2017–20. Dr. Breland was the 50th president of the ARP (2018–19).
Christine A. Stamatos, DNP, ANP-C, is director of the Fibromyalgia/Long COVID Clinic in the Division of Rheumatology at Northwell Health, Huntington, N.Y., and assistant professor at Hofstra Northwell School of Nursing and Physician Assistant Studies, Hempstead, N.Y. She earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice at Stony Brook University School of Nursing, New York, where her research focused on physical and cognitive behavioral strategies for chronic pain in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).
Her current practice is situated between both a private and academic practice in the Northwell Health system. She created and directs the Fibromyalgia/Long COVID Clinic, which was designed to address the biopsychosocial needs of patients living with chronic widespread pain, fatigue, dyscognition and associated mood disorders through evaluation, education, coordination, treatment and social support.
The focus of Dr. Stamatos’ scholarship includes patient well-being and interprofessional education, practice and community engagement. Dr. Stamatos disseminates her work through peer-reviewed publications, professional and scientific presentations. In addition to patients with fibromyalgia and long COVID, Dr. Stamatos has a full complement of patients with a variety of RMDs, and she brings the focus of wellness to all patient encounters.
As an active member of the ARP, Dr. Stamatos has been involved in the ongoing education and training of the interprofessional team through her work over the years as an active member of the ACR Committee on Rheumatology Training and Workforce Issues, Student and Resident Education Subcommittee, the NP-PA Fellowship in Rheumatology Task Force and the Annual Meeting Planning Committee, eventually serving as the chair of the ARP Annual Meeting Planning Subcommittee.
Dr. Stamatos is a past president of the ARP, serving in that role from 2020–21. Serving in executive leadership, Dr. Stamatos represented her fellow members on both the ACR and ARP Executive Committees and on the Rheumatology Research Foundation Board of Directors. She continues to serve in leadership roles throughout these divisions with an aim of improving access to quality care for patients living with RMDs.
Dr. Stamatos has a strong commitment to education and service. In pursuit of these goals, she conducts monthly education seminars for the community and has been an active member of the American Red Cross, serving in both Super Storm Sandy (2012) and Hurricane Katrina (2005). Additionally, she regularly volunteers with medical missions. In association with Blanca’s House, she has created a standing Continuity Clinic in Rheumatology to advance access to rheumatology in underserved areas across Central and South America.
“It was an absolute honor to have been nominated for this prestigious award,” says Dr. Stamatos. “I am well aware of the amazing work so many others are doing throughout this organization; I am humbled to have been selected from among other very well deserving candidates. I only hope that I can continue to serve so that others can grow and become the best they can be. I started my career in nursing in the U.S. Army years ago; the motto [was] then—and has continued to be throughout my years of service—Be All You Can Be.”
Ann Kunkel Advocacy Award
The 2023 Ann Kunkel Advocacy Award, recognizing an ARP member who has provided extraordinary service in advocating for patients with arthritis and rheumatic diseases or for health professionals in rheumatology, was presented to Jillian Rose-Smith, PhD, MPH, LCSW, vice president and chief health equity officer at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS), New York.
“I am blessed to be in a position to help others achieve optimal health as they grapple with the unpredictability of illnesses that often leads to a lot of loss and devastation. To be recognized for work that is in line with my purpose and passion is truly humbling,” says Dr. Rose-Smith.
Dr. Rose-Smith is an innovative, multi-modal thought leader working from a professional public health and social work perspective of case to cause to understand and address inequalities in healthcare through enhanced access to care and educational interventions that lead to patient partnerships and improved health outcomes. She is responsible for leading the execution of a comprehensive strategy to advance health equity through a whole health approach, in line with the hospital’s mission to provide access to all and its commitment to reducing disparities in care for patients with musculoskeletal conditions.
As a leader in the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Office at HSS, Dr. Rose-Smith seeks to leverage her skills in engaging leadership, staff, patients and communities in meaningful conversations to help orchestrate and unify efforts across the organization to foster the development, implementation and integration of diversity, equity and inclusion practice.
Dr. Rose-Smith develops and implements hospital-wide and external training on working with multicultural populations and fostering an inclusive environment for diverse communities, including the LGBTQ+ community. Driven by her passion for health equity, Dr. Rose-Smith continues to break ground organizationally and nationally by providing ongoing leadership and support for the collection of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity and preferred language data in the electronic medical record. Dr. Rose-Smith has taken the lead in creating an infrastructure that allows clinicians and others to use these data to inform and enhance care decisions. She provides training for the healthcare team and all new employees related to implicit bias and cultural awareness.
Dr. Rose-Smith provides operational leadership for the HSS Ambulatory Care Center and the Department of Social Work programs. Since 2005, Dr. Rose-Smith has had oversight over Charla de Lupus (Lupus Chat) and LupusLine, nationally recognized peer support and psychological education programs for people with lupus and their families. Her team reaches out to diverse populations to provide culturally tailored interventions.
Dr. Rose-Smith is committed to sharing her knowledge and expertise, which she has accomplished through numerous publications, national and international conferences and public forums.
She has received several awards and recognition for her work, including being chosen as one of 2023’s Top 15 Champions of Diversity by DiversityGlobal Magazine, one of The Responsible 100 by City & State New York and one of Crain’s 40 Under 40 Leaders in Healthcare. She received the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Vision Award from Providence College, the ARP Distinguished Educator’s Award, the Wholeness of Life Award from HealthCare Chaplaincy Network and the National Association of Social Workers’ Emerging Leader Award.
“The work of an advocate is not only what is seen in public, but more importantly the personal wrestling—morally and academically—that produces the best strategies to safeguard the humanity of others who are suffering,” says Dr. Rose-Smith. “We help restore hope and dignity to [those who are suffering] through awareness, policies and programs that take into consideration the whole person and the impact of the illness on their lives.”
Distinguished Scholar Award
The 2023 Distinguished Scholar Award was presented to Helene Alexanderson, PhD, RPT, for her exceptional achievements in scholarly activities pertinent to arthritis and rheumatic diseases. She is an associate professor and registered physical therapist at Karolinska University Hospital Solna, Stockholm, Sweden, as well as an adjunct senior lecturer at the Department of Medicine Solna, Division of Rheumatology, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm. She also serves as the team leader for the myositis research group at the Karolinska Institutet.
Dr. Alexanderson has more than 30 years of experience as a clinician in the field of rheumatology, with 28 years of research focused on clinical and molecular effects of exercise and the development of clinical outcome measures in adult idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs). She started her career in geriatric stroke rehabilitation, spending nearly three years in that field before going into rheumatology.
At the Karolinska Institutet, Dr. Alexanderson teaches physical therapy students about IIM and other inflammatory rheumatic diseases, and she is also developing interprofessional student activities during clinical rotations at the Karolinska University Hospital. She has published 83 scientific papers on IIM.
In 2003, Dr. Alexanderson received her doctorate from Karolinska Institutet; her thesis was titled Exercise and Clinical Outcome Measures in Patients with Polymyositis and Dermatomyositis. She completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Rheumatology Division of Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dr. Alexanderson has continued to study clinical and molecular effects of exercise and to develop clinical outcome measures to assess muscle endurance in IIM.
Dr. Alexanderson chairs the International Myositis Assessment and Clinical Studies Group (IMACS) Rehabilitation and Exercise Scientific Interest Group and leads the current project to develop evidence-based consensus exercise guidelines in IIM. She is co-chair of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) Myositis Working Group aiming to develop and validate patient-relevant, patient-reported outcome measures for patients with IIM. In both these international research collaborations, Dr. Alexanderson is working closely with patient research partners as equal members of the research group, as well as with other health professionals, such as physicians, occupational therapists, nurses, physiologists and social workers.
Dr. Alexanderson was an elected member of The Myositis Association Medical Advisory Board from 2014–19, and was reelected for a new term in 2022. She also serves as vice chair of the Global Fellowship on Rehabilitation and Exercise in Systemic Sclerosis and is an affiliated board member of the Swedish Myositis Association.
In 2005, Dr. Alexanderson received the Swedish Rheumatism Association 60th Anniversary Stipend in Care Science award for best clinical doctoral thesis, and in 2021, she was awarded the Pfizer and Swedish Rheumatism Association’s Nanna Svartz stipend for eminent research in the field of rheumatology.
“I am very grateful and humble to receive the Distinguished Scholar Award this year,” says Dr. Alexanderson. “The ACR/ARP provides fantastic possibilities for advancement in clinical and translational research and networking in the field of rheumatology. My research is based on multi-professional research and clinical practice with focus on the group of rare idiopathic inflammatory myopathies, myositis and the role of exercise as a treatment for these diseases. I sincerely want to thank the ARP for acknowledging mine and my collaborators’ efforts in this field.”
Distinguished Clinician Award
The ARP Distinguished Clinician Award is presented to an ARP member who is engaged in clinical practice and demonstrates outstanding clinical expertise in arthritis and the rheumatic diseases. Martha Rosenberg Curry, MS, APRN, CPNP-PC, an instructor in the Department of Pediatrics, Rheumatology Section, Baylor College of Medicine, Texas Children’s Hospital, Houston, is this year’s recipient.
“What an honor and a privilege to be recognized among my peers, mentors and colleagues in our profession,” says Ms. Curry. “It is incredibly meaningful to me, in the context of our collective efforts in the service of our patients, to be the recipient of this very special award.”
Ms. Curry graduated from Louisiana State University College of Nursing, New Orleans, with a BNS in 1980, followed by Master of Science in 1989 and completed the pediatric nurse practitioner program in 1997, both at Texas Woman’s University, Houston. She remains thankful for a student internship in the U.S. Public Health Service COSTEP (Commissioned Officer Student Training and Extern Program) program, stationed in Rapid City, S.D., and Pine Creek Potawatomi Reservation, as well as for her first nursing position in New Orleans Charity Hospital’s emergency department. These rural and urban experiences opened her eyes and heart to what it means to serve the underserved.
Ms. Curry switched gears to pediatrics and research in the Clinical Research Center at Texas Children’s Hospital. In addition to participating in a vast array of pediatric research, she had the privilege to care for David—the boy in the bubble. During this time, Ms. Curry had the good fortune to become friends with rheumatologist Karyl Barron, MD, who provided rheumatology mentoring on nightly dog walks with baby buggies. No coincidence: In 1987, Ms. Curry joined Baylor College of Medicine Pediatric Rheumatology Service as the rheumatology nurse educator.
Ms. Curry’s participation in a large grant aimed at maximizing school attendance and participation of students with special healthcare needs revealed a need for the education of school nurses. She initiated a yearly school nurse symposium focusing on clinical updates and providing a local venue for school nurses to obtain pertinent continuing education units. Academically, Ms. Curry contributed rheumatology content for two pediatric nursing texts for six editions.
Arthritis and lupus weekend camps, directed by Ms. Curry, have provided a much-anticipated annual sojourn for patients, families and volunteer staff.
Ms. Curry advocated on the state and national level with trips to Austin to testify for children with chronic healthcare needs and, later with the ACR on trips to Washington, D.C., to inform Texas legislators of bills affecting children of their constituents. Participation in the ACR Annual Meeting Planning Committee was fun work and an avenue for networking friendships.
In 1998, Ms. Curry switched gears and, with the encouragement of Robert Warren, MD, PhD, MPH, completed her nurse practitioner certification. She then began to see patients independently, maintaining a practice bent toward patient/family education. Working with the collaborative support of Mareitta deGuzman, MD, and Eyal Muscal, MD, MS, she has had the joy and privilege of providing care to children and families in need and has benefited from all their lessons of health, life and love they shared with her.
Distinguished Educator Award
This year’s Distinguished Educator Award was presented to Jessica F. Farrell, PharmD, clinical pharmacist at Albany Medical Center Division of Rheumatology, N.Y., and professor at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, for demonstrating excellence in teaching patients and trainees.
“I am honored and humbled to receive this award,” says Dr. Farrell. “In my position, I am lucky to have the opportunities to combine my two passions, patient care and teaching the next generation of healthcare professionals as part of an interdisciplinary team. When I was first starting in rheumatology there were few pharmacists practicing in this specialty, but my early involvement with ARP helped me pave the way for pharmacists in rheumatology. This award is shared with my amazing team of providers who have helped support me during my career, and who have welcomed my trainees into their practices. Lastly, I am so proud to see the accomplishments of my students and trainees, and it’s even more fun to see them join the rheumatology community.”
Dr. Farrell received her Doctor of Pharmacy at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, New York. She then completed an American Society of Health System Pharmacists–accredited pharmacy practice residency at Englewood Hospital and Medical Center, New Jersey. Following her residency, she was employed by Englewood Hospital as an inpatient clinical pharmacist.
Having spent over 15 years in rheumatology, Dr. Farrell most recently moved to the Division of Rheumatology at Albany Medical Center, where she provides a variety of clinical pharmacy services, including pharmacotherapy consults, assisting with access to medications and providing patient counseling and self-injection training visits. She serves as program coordinator for the Albany College of Pharmacy’s PGY2 Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Residency program, as associate medical officer for the Steffens Scleroderma Center, Albany, as a member of the Rheumatology Advanced Practice Providers Board of Directors and as the first pharmacist member of the national Scleroderma Foundation Medical and Scientific Advisory Board. She previously held officer positions for the New York State Council of Health-System Pharmacists-Northeastern Chapter and committee positions with the ACR.
Dr. Farrell gives presentations on the treatment of numerous rheumatic conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, scleroderma and systemic lupus erythematosus, nationally and internationally.
She has received multiple professional awards including Preceptor of Distinction in Clinical Pharmacy and Faculty Advisor of the Year from Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Steffens Scleroderma Foundation Ernest J. Dupont Award, the 2019 Doctor of the Year from the Scleroderma Foundation and the New York State Chapter of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy 2020 Clinical Practitioner of the Year.
Outside work, she enjoys spending time with her husband, 10-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter. They love to spend time outside hiking, swimming and exploring new places.
ARP Excellence in Investigative Mentoring Award
The Excellence in Investigative Mentoring Award recognizes the importance of the mentor/mentee relationship. This award honors an active ACR or ARP member for their contributions to the rheumatology profession through outstanding and ongoing mentoring. This year’s recipient is Daniel Kenta White, PT, ScD, MSc, associate professor, Department of Physical Therapy, University of Delaware, Newark.
Dr. White received his bachelor’s degree in health sciences, MS in physical therapy and ScD in rehabilitation sciences, all from Boston University. He completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Boston University School of Public Health and earned an MSc in epidemiology from Boston University School of Public Health in 2013.
Research conducted by Dr. White focuses on physical activity, sedentary behavior and physical functioning in older adults, people with knee osteoarthritis and people after joint replacement. His research uses large existing datasets to answer questions related to physical functioning and physical activity. He is also conducting clinical trials to lead ways to better promote and increase physical activity while decreasing sedentary behavior in people with knee osteoarthritis and after joint replacement.
Dr. White is the director of the Delaware ACTIVE Lab, which is focused on the study of free-living behaviors in the home and community environment and how these behaviors benefit health. The goal of the lab is to develop clinically feasible and practical ways to help older adults and those with arthritis sit less and be more active.
An associate editor of Arthritis Care & Research, Dr. White is also an active member in the American Physical Therapy Association, the Association of Rheumatology Professionals and the Osteoarthritis Research Society International. His research is funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Rheumatology Research Foundation.
Dr. White has served on the Rheumatology Research Foundation Board of Directors, as a voting member of the ACR’s Rheumatoid Arthritis Guidelines Development Team and the Osteoarthritis Guidelines Development Team, as a member of the Early Career Investigator Subcommittee and as a member of the Foundation’s Core Portfolio Review Panel.
Dr. White is an author of nearly 90 articles and has given scores of peer-reviewed presentations at national and international scientific meetings.
“I am tremendously honored to receive the ARP’s Excellence in Investigative Mentoring Award,” says Dr. White. “Many if not all of the challenging clinical problems we study will take multiple generations to address. Thus, I personally value training the next cadre of scientists in a manner that inspires their interests and helps solve the many complex clinical problems in rheumatology and rehabilitation.”
ARP Lifetime Achievement Award
Among the ARP’s highest honors is the Lifetime Achievement Award, which is presented to a current or past member who has made meaningful and lasting contributions to the field of rheumatology. This year’s award recipient is Jan K. Richardson, PT, PhD, OCS, FAPTA, chief medical officer for Medical Outcome Indicators, Washington, Pa., and professor emeritus, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C. Dr. Richardson has also served as chief clinical officer for Universal SmartComp, Washington, Pa., as well as a professor of community and family medicine, and executive director of the Department of Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy at Duke University Medical Center.
Dr. Richardson also served as the founding chair/professor of the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, and executive director and chief executive officer for the Institute for Health Care and Research at Slippery Rock University, Pennsylvania. She has been in consulting and advisory positions with One Source, a board member of the U.S. Bone and Joint Institute representing the ACR, and serves as an expert witness.
Dr. Richardson earned a doctorate and a Master of Science from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed her post-graduate physical therapy education from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and a Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University, State College.
Active in the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) at both the national and local levels, Dr. Richardson was APTA president, served as the U.S. delegate to the World Confederation of Physical Therapy, was a member of the executive committee of the APTA Board of Directors, served as chair of the national TriAlliance of the APTA/American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)/American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and was a member of the American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS) Task Force for Specialization.
Dr. Richardson has also served as the president of the ARP and on the Executive Committee of the ACR. Additionally, she initiated the physical therapy component of the Global Health Outreach Initiative at Duke University, traveling to India and Kuwait in the process. She served as a volunteer with a healthcare system in western Pennsylvania and with the Western Pennsylvania Hospital Council.
Dr. Richardson has received numerous awards and honors throughout her career, including the Catherine Worthingham Fellow Award (APTA), Lucy Blair Service Award (APTA) and the Stanley Paris Award (AOPTA/APTA) and was selected nationally as an Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Fellow (ELAM).
With her co-investigator, Chad Cook, PT, PhD, MBA, FAPTA, Dr. Richardson pioneered early work in the establishment of valid and reliable scales for pain and disability. Further areas of research included validation of an item bank in community-dwelling survivors of stroke, looking into the meta-analyses of HIV treatments supported by biomedical oncology and the use of physical therapy in patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of generalized weakness.
“It is an honor to be the 2023 recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award [because] it represents a long history of members who have made lasting contributions to rheumatology,” says Dr. Richardson. “I have gleaned more in return from the national and international network of colleagues I have met and worked with in the profession. I want to especially thank my family for allowing me the time to serve and supporting me during my career. Additionally, I want to thank the ARP and ACR for the privilege of serving in many leadership roles to advance the mission of the College.”
ARP Master Awards
The ARP’s highest honor—the Master Award—went to two ARP members in 2023 for their outstanding contributions to the field of rheumatology: Catherine Backman, PhD, FCAOT, MARP, and Kimberly Kimpton, PT, MARP.
Catherine L. Backman, PhD, FCAOT, MARP, is professor emerita, Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Vancouver, Canada, and senior scientist at Arthritis Research Canada (ARC), Vancouver.
She holds baccalaureate and master’s degrees in occupational therapy from UBC and the University of Washington, Seattle, respectively, and a doctoral degree in healthcare and epidemiology from UBC. She began her career as an occupational therapist in Halifax, Nova Scotia, where she developed interests in arthritis care and professional education.
Returning to UBC as an instructor in 1986, she engaged in a variety of teaching and leadership positions: she served as fieldwork coordinator and curriculum chair and led the design and implementation of a new Master of Occupational Therapy degree, activities recognized by the Killam University Teaching Prize in 2005. She was head of UBC’s Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy for four years, ending in December 2015, as well as three terms as head of the Division of Occupational Therapy when it was under the auspices of the School of Rehabilitation Sciences.
Dr. Backman’s research, which is largely based at ARC, focused on the impact of chronic illness on participation in valued life activities, such as arenting and employment, activity disruption and the effect of rehabilitation interventions. A particular scholarly interest is how people experience balance across life roles and occupations—the practical implications of getting on with life despite arthritis.
Dr. Backman connected with arthritis investigators in the U.K. through a Diamond Jubilee International Visiting Fellowship at the University of Southampton awarded in 2017. Her work is widely published in journal articles and book chapters, and presented at scientific conferences. An advocate for patient and public engagement in research, patients have been integral collaborators to identify research questions and approaches since her earliest research grants. In 2008, Dr. Backman received the Outstanding Consumer Inclusion in Research award from ARC’s Arthritis Patient Advisory Board.
An active volunteer for many organizations, Dr. Backman has participated on the Board, Executive and Academic Credentialing Council of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists (CAOT) and served as president from 2018–20. She served multiple terms as an associate editor of the Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy and was interim co-editor in chief from 2021–22. In 2004, CAOT recognized her contributions to the profession with its highest honor, the Muriel Driver Memorial Lectureship.
Dr. Backman has thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work with interprofessional colleagues over many years in the ARP and ACR, including appointments as chair of the Clinical Focus Course Task Force, Annual Meeting Planning Committee, Committee on Education and three terms as associate editor of Arthritis Care & Research.
Dr. Backman served as ARP president 2005–06, and received the ARP Distinguished Scholar Award in 2009 and Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021.
“I’m very honored to receive the ARP Master designation,” says Dr. Backman. “It has been such a joy to volunteer with the ARP for almost four decades because it’s been the source of lasting friendships and remarkable interprofessional networking and collaborations. I can’t overstate how much I’ve learned from participating in scientific meetings, workshops and committees; to receive this award is a lovely bonus to all these benefits.”
Kimberly Kimpton, PT, MARP, a physical therapist in private practice, completed her physical therapy education at the University of Vermont, Burlington. After growing up in the New England states, she moved to Colorado to start her professional career, where she practiced in the Denver area for nearly 40 years.
“I am truly honored to be recognized by my peers and selected to receive this prestigious award,” says Ms. Kimpton. “It highlights a wonderful career as a clinical physical therapist and as an ARP volunteer. Neither journey could have been achieved without the support of many extraordinary people—mentors, peers and patients.”
Ms. Kimpton’s early interest in rheumatology grew during her first two jobs. The first was at Rose Medical Center, Denver, recognized regionally as one of the best centers for arthritis treatment. Physician mentors, such as Herbert Kaplan, MD, Walter Briney, MD, and Jaime Bravo, MD, welcomed all healthcare professionals as essential members of the patient care team. During inpatient admissions, patients received penicillamine, gold and methotrexate (revolutionary in the early 1980s), while also being treated by rehabilitation therapists daily. For many, this experience was life changing, providing them with the support, treatment and educational resources to make marked, positive changes to their lives.
In Ms. Kimpton’s next practice setting she worked alongside pioneering orthopedic surgeons led by Mack Clayton, MD. It was a time before biologics’ use, and physical and occupational therapy as well as surgery were common treatments to markedly damaged joints; new treatment protocols were being made up to match the ever-changing medical advances.
In the 1980s, outpatient physical therapy clinics took center stage as changes in Diagnosis Related Groups limited inpatient stays for patients with arthritis diagnoses. Quick adaptation took place with the shift of treatment to outpatient settings and the Arthritis Treatment Center in Denver was established. Here people with arthritis and rheumatic diseases were treated by physical and occupational therapists.
Although clinical practice has been at the heart of her professional career, education is a close second. Ms. Kimpton has served as clinical coordinator for a 10-state region mentoring physical therapists for a decade. Beyond professional training, she has been invited to give presentations locally, nationally and internationally. Her goals with each talk are to inform professionals and the public alike about arthritis, its impact and the many avenues for treatment. Her voice has also been heard on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., to advocate for people with rheumatic diseases and the rheumatologic community. She has shared her advocacy passion by training and recruiting patients to join her on Capitol Hill over many years.
Ms. Kimpton found her second career in ARP volunteerism. After attending her first annual meeting, she felt the program could benefit from more rehabilitation science content, so she offered to help. The next year she served on the ARP Annual Planning Subcommittee and found her volunteer purpose and professional home for the next 30 years. She has served on numerous ACR/ARP committees and subcommittees and served as ARHP president in 2007–08.
“Thank you, ARP, for providing me with exceptional opportunities and relationships that have positively impacted me as a person and as a professional,” says Ms. Kimpton. “And a heartfelt ‘thank you’ for this award.”
Patrice Fusillo is a writer and editor based in Oakland, Calif.
