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Articles by From the College

Advocating for Arthritis: My First Time on the Hill

Colin C. Edgerton, MD  |  

Amidst the most momentous week of the year’s tumultuous healthcare reform activities, we arrived in Washington, D.C., for the annual ACR Advocates for Arthritis Capitol Hill Fly-In. This was to be my first visit to Congress. Although my alma mater, Georgetown University, was a short distance from the Capitol dome, as a student I had little interest in the political process—particularly as it related to medicine. Now, however, as a young rheumatologist, I am increasingly aware of the impact health policy has on my daily practice. I have also watched the healthcare reform debate unfold over the last year, recognizing that this is a critical time for physicians to be vocal and active. There is a great deal at stake, and we are surrounded daily by the very issues debated in Washington. Why not take our opinions directly to the decision makers?

New Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course

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The ACR is broadening its educational offerings in musculoskeletal ultrasound by holding its first stand-alone musculoskeletal ultrasound course for rheumatologists this August in Chicago. The same course will be offered prior to the 2010 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting.

Annual Meeting Travel Scholarship Offered to Fellows-in-Training

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The ACR will soon be accepting applications for the Fellows-in-Training (FIT) Travel Scholarship, which gives fellows-in-training the opportunity to experience the 2010 ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting. Through the scholarship program, rheumatology fellows can network and learn from other fellows-in-training. In addition to free meeting registration, fellows-in-training will be provided support for five nights’ accommodations, airfare, and ground transportation, and will receive an invitation to attend—with their program directors—a fellow’s reception.

New Workshops on Patient Findings and Joint Injections

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There is a critical shortage of rheumatologists in the U.S. The aging of the U.S. population, along with recent changes in healthcare reform, makes it critical for rheumatology practices across the U.S. to plan for the maintenance of accessible, high-quality care for patients. Establishing a collaborative rheumatology practice between a rheumatologist and a nurse practitioner or physician assistant (NP/PA) has been identified as one solution, but there are few rheumatology specialty training opportunities for NPs and PAs. The ARHP has identified the need to provide training for this portion of its membership and is now expanding its offerings for NPs and PAs through four new workshops at the annual meeting in November.

Tips on Audits

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”Recovery Audit Contractor” (RAC) is a term that every healthcare professional and staff member who deals with Medicare needs to know.

The ACR Benchmark Survey Results

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In 2009, the ACR’s Committe­e on Rheumatologic Care (CORC) began its third Economic Benchmark Survey to update information from the previous surveys conducted in 1999 and 2003.

Annual Meeting Looks at the Business of Rheumatology

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In response to the need for education to help a busy practicing rheumatologist tackle some of the business tasks associated with practice, the 2010 Annual Meeting Planning Committee has created a new track: the Business of Rheumatology. This track was created to help the busy private practitioner identify sessions that address pertinent and timely business issues, such as coding, reimbursement, the impact of healthcare reform, EHRs, and other business-related issues.

Breaking Down Medical Decision Making

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The medical decision making (MDM) of an evaluation and management visit is just one part of a patient’s visit. Rheumatologists can make the mistake of thinking that the level of visit can be determined just by the MDM, but that is often not the case.