To me, thinking and writing are powerfully conjoined. I suggest that The Rheumatologist would be a great place for members of the ACR and ARHP to do their collective political thinking, sending up ideas and relaying their research and experience on healthcare issues in their communities. I am putting out the welcome mat for articles—whether they are opinion pieces, broadsides, or manifestos on healthcare—so that these pages can resonate with a lively and constructive dialogue for years to come.
For those of you who may be reluctant to submit an article, let me assure you that seeing your ideas in print is both an important public service and a great thrill. You can even send a copy of The Rheumatologist with your article as a memento to your parents or children. They will beam. You will also relish the feedback from readers. Whether they tell that your ideas are brilliance or nonsense, the fact that your ideas engaged someone enough to write to you is an accomplishment that should give great pride.
The struggle for healthcare goes on. Be a player. Send an article to The Rheumatologist.
Dr. Pisetsky is physician editor of The Rheumatologist and professor of medicine and immunology at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C.