An estimated one in four American adults live with a rheumatic disease, and according to a new national patient survey by the ACR, the healthcare and lifestyle challenges have become worse for these patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. Key survey findings include: Patients currently seeing a rheumatologist declined 52% between 2019 and 2020; 68% of…
This September marks the ACR’s fifth annual Rheumatic Disease Awareness Month (RDAM), which is designed to build support and advocate for patients with rheumatic diseases. This year’s theme, “My disease may be invisible, but I’m not,” emphasizes patients’ personal experiences…
National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, has selected Lindsey A. Criswell, MD, MPH, DSc, as director of NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS). A rheumatologist, Dr. Criswell is currently the vice chancellor of research at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). She is a professor…
Editor’s note: Registration for ACR Convergence 2020 is now open. Less than a year after becoming editor in chief of The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), Eric Rubin, MD, PhD, found himself in the thick of the COVID-19 pandemic. SARS-CoV-2-related submissions flooded the journal office at an unprecedented pace, making an impact on the…
Each year, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) recognizes outstanding achievements by a promising young scientist in biomedical research by bestowing the Lurie Prize in Biomedical Sciences. First presented in 2013, this $100,000 award is made possible by a gift from philanthropist Ann Lurie. Nominations for the 2021 Lurie Prize in Biomedical…
Looking back on last year’s ACR/ARP annual meeting, I recall the energy and excitement of attendees as they participated in sessions covering the latest scientific concepts and new directions in our field. In 2019, we piloted a number of innovative ways to modernize and enhance future ACR meetings, with the promise of delivering a transformed…
The ACR, on behalf of its more than 7,700 members of the professional rheumatology community, wishes to express strong support for Anthony S. Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), and his continued and close involvement in the work to address the nation’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During…
Many in-person meetings have been canceled, postponed or moved to virtual formats, likely with lasting economic impacts on state societies.
No event in recent history has caused such far-reaching changes within the medical industry as the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Similar to its ability to spread indiscriminately—infecting people regardless of age, race or socioeconomic background—the virus is inducing immediate and, likely, permanent changes across the entire spectrum of healthcare. Comfortable routines of healthcare delivery have been…
These are difficult times for rheumatologists. We have seen sharp declines in face-to-face patient visits since the COVID‑19 pandemic began. Many of us have questions about the best ways to maintain employee and patient safety while keeping our practices afloat and continuing to provide optimal care. The volunteer leaders at the ACR continue to care…