Webinar: ACR/CHEST ILD Guidelines in Practice| Video: All the Lonely People

An official publication of the ACR and the ARP serving rheumatologists and rheumatology professionals

From the College

Apply for ARHP’s Graduate Student Award

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The deadline to apply for 2007 ARHP Graduate Student Recognition Awards is July 5. Last year, the ARHP successfully launched this new award campaign to recognize health professional students pursuing creative research or clinical projects that merge theory and clinical practice to assess or improve the lives of patients with rheumatic diseases.

Prior Authorization Struggle Continues

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Many Medicare Part D plans continue to request prior authorizations for several drugs commonly prescribed by rheumatologists. The ACR has been working diligently with Robert Bennett of the Physician Regulatory Issues Team (PRIT) to avoid the same problems many physicians had last year. PRIT advises all physicians to write “for Part D” along with the diagnosis on the prescription, to verify that the drugs are for Part D diagnoses and should not be paid under Part B. This way the administrators of the prescription drug plans (PDPs) can waive the need for a new prior authorization—saving time and money for physicians, pharmacists, and the PDPs.

The Quest for Quality

Karen L. Kerr, MSN, NP, CPNP, APRN-BC  |  

The ARHP has an important role to play as the ACR addresses the emerging quality movement in healthcare. Most healthcare professionals are familiar with terms such as quality assurance, continuous quality improvement, and total quality management. In the late 1980s, healthcare organizations, following the lead of the manufacturing industry, began to implement quality-management programs as a way to improve the quality and cost efficiency of healthcare services and meet rising consumer expectations.

Maximize Reimbursement by Managing Denials

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Could you use an additional $50,000 to $80,000 in revenue each year? If you are like most clinicians, you have superbills and well-trained office staff but you still receive frequent denials. Though some denials are appropriate, many can be corrected and the lost revenue recovered.

ARHP Needs You!

Karen L. Kerr, MSN, NP, CPNP, APRN-BC  |  

I would like to personally invite every ARHP member to consider volunteering for an ARHP committee, task force, or other volunteer opportunity. Volunteer opportunities are available to all ARHP members, including international and associate members. Volunteering in ARHP is stimulating, rewarding, and a lot of fun!

ARHP Lifetime Achievement Award Winner Robert Richardson Reflects on Career

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We all bring to the table our skills to form a comprehensive treatment plan, and that’s essential for meeting the patient’s total needs. It’s an excellent model to deliver quality care. —Robert Richardson, PT, MEd Robert Richardson, PT, MEd, has a lively voice that conveys his deep enthusiasm for a profession he’s had a hand…

ACR REF Award Provides Big Research Career Break

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With many professions, getting that initial experience in an area of expertise is the hardest part of building a career. Kelli Dominick Allen, PhD, can testify that this holds true for new research scientists, or junior investigators.

Honoring Our Winners

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The ACR Research and Education Foundation (REF) maintains an extensive award and grant program with research, training, and education opportunities for medical students, fellows, clinicians, researchers, health professionals, and academic institutions. This month, the REF continues to recognize its latest group of award recipients, who will begin their award terms in July.