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The ACR and the Rheumatology Research Foundation have a rich history of collaboration and significant achievement. In many ways, our collaboration has become the classic triple threat of medicine, as we endeavor to support research, advance clinical care and expand education in so many intertwined and inseparable ways. Although we are greatly encouraged by the enormous progress we have made over the past three decades, we recognize much remains to be done. As the Foundation launches a new fundraising campaign to continue its mission to advance research and training to improve the health of people with rheumatic diseases, we are more motivated than ever to tackle the many challenges facing our specialty.
Everything the Foundation does—supporting groundbreaking research and scholarship, providing students and residents with transformative educational experiences and enabling patients to receive the highest quality care—is about making a positive impact on our specialty. Supporting that goal together helps ensure a better future for all rheumatology professionals and millions of patients affected by rheumatic diseases.
With a goal of raising $75 million, this campaign will support Foundation programs that recruit the best & brightest into the field … .
Transforming Training
We must cultivate future generations of rheumatology professionals to ensure people with rheumatic diseases receive the best treatment possible. The Foundation is dedicated to increasing the number of available fellowships, supporting the development of new tools and educational resources and providing robust education and training opportunities for rheumatology health professionals in all stages of their careers.
Improving Patient Care
Rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals provide life-changing care to our patients. Understanding the shortage of rheumatologists and the growing demand for care, the Foundation is striving to put more clinicians in offices treating patients and is working to increase the geographic distribution of rheumatology healthcare providers across the country.
Leading Boldly
The combined commitment of the ACR and the Foundation to the specialty has resulted in a significant increase in support for rheumatology research and education initiatives. When the Foundation launched its first-ever capital campaign, Within Our Reach: Finding a Cure for Rheumatoid Arthritis, the ACR demonstrated its commitment to the Foundation’s mission through unprecedented generosity. The ACR has since contributed more than $22.5 million to the Foundation. Without the ACR, the Foundation’s ability to expand funding for rheumatology research, education and training over the years would not have been possible. The ACR has led the way, and we must all ask ourselves, “If not us in rheumatology supporting the work of the Foundation, then who?”
Through partnerships and collaborations with the ACR and other healthcare leaders, the Foundation is working to transform rheumatology by advancing solutions that foster the continued development of new treatments and therapies, cultivating future generations of rheumatology professionals and providing patients with access to innovative treatments. Join us as we embark on this transformational initiative to shift the landscape of rheumatology. Visit the Foundation to discover how you can help us transform the lives of patients living with rheumatic diseases.
Paula Marchetta, MD, MBA, is a rheumatologist in New York City and the CEO and managing partner of Concorde Medical Group, a multispecialty private group practice affiliated with NYU Langone Health. She teaches at NYU School of Medicine, where she is clinical professor. Dr. Marchetta is the 82nd President of ACR.
Abby Abelson, MD, FACR, chairs the Department of Rheumatology and Immunologic Disease at Cleveland Clinic and is president of the Rheumatology Research Foundation.
