Venus Williams has agreed to be our new partner & lend her star power to help the ACR continue the important work of bringing needed attention to the diseases we treat.
Venus Williams Joins the Cause
This year, we are excited to announce that Venus Williams has agreed to be our new partner and lend her star power to help the ACR continue the important work of bringing needed attention to the diseases we treat, raising awareness of what our specialty does and empowering patients to take control of their illness.
As many of us know, Venus has Sjögren’s syndrome. Although she has faced many formidable opponents in her remarkable career as a world tennis champion, nothing has compared with her battle against Sjögren’s. Venus was diagnosed in 2011 after six years of painful symptoms, incorrect diagnoses and lots of unanswered questions.
When she finally received the right diagnosis, it literally became a game changer for the tennis star. Knowing what she was facing, she was able to harness her energy and work toward getting back on top of her health. She began seeing a rheumatologist, started a treatment plan and made lifestyle changes to help manage her symptoms.
In her PSA, Venus shares her personal journey and encourages viewers to visit the Simple Tasks website to learn more about the resources available to help them get back on top of their game as well.
When patients visit the Simple Tasks website, they can sign up to join the Simple Tasks community. When they do so, they receive bi-monthly updates from the Simple Tasks team, sharing health and wellness articles, health policy updates and special opportunities the ACR has available for patients to get involved in supporting the practice of rheumatology, such as our annual Advocates for Arthritis fly-in event, which happens every September in Washington, D.C. Community members can also take advantage of opportunities to advocate for their access to care by participating in one of the ongoing grassroots campaigns found in the Simple Tasks patient advocacy center.
Media Efforts Focused on Dialogue
In conjunction with RDAM, the ACR will release the results of a national survey conducted to gain insights into the unique access and affordability challenges our patients face. The survey asked participants about their ability to access rheumatology care, afford their medications and treatments, and perform daily tasks.
During September, the ACR will promote the findings of this survey through a satellite media tour comprised of television and radio interviews. We hope the survey findings help continue many of the conversations started with the rollout of the ACR’s 2018 Rheumatic Disease Report Card by providing additional context around the real-world challenges patients and providers experience managing rheumatic disease.
