If someone had told me that one day I would serve as the 82nd president of the ACR, I would have thought it as likely as lassoing the moon. Now, with the gavel passed to me at our 2018 Annual Meeting, I assume this role in awe of the enormity of this honor, as well…
In our fast-paced world, a great deal can happen in 12 months. Reflecting on this past year and my service as ACR president, I find this has certainly been the case. For the foreseeable future, it appears the factors that influence our ability to effectively care for our patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal disease will…
As rheumatology professionals, we focus on how to achieve better outcomes for our patients: lower disease activity, remission, milder symptoms and prevention of joint damage or serious complications, such as heart disease. Another outcome is just as important: good quality of life. What can we do to engage our current patients and those at risk…
The 11th annual Investigators’ Meeting and the Rheumatology Research Workshop, held in June in San Francisco, were by all accounts great successes. California sunshine greeted more than 120 attendees as we came together to share the latest advances and updates in rheumatology research. These annual meetings have something for every research professional, whether you work…
The ACR and the ARHP have a long, rich history of collaboration, spanning close to 25 years together. Our predecessors saw the value of an interprofessional team and having an organization that brings together a vast number of constituencies. The result was these two organizations coming together in 1994 when the ARHP became a division…
The underlying tenet of the ACR’s advocacy efforts is that we cannot effect change for our profession and our patients unless we take our issues directly to decision makers. As I write this column, I am highly encouraged by the progress we have made so far this year in the advocacy realm. At the same…
Last month I expressed my thoughts on the valuable and varied opportunities the ACR offers for professional and personal growth. Such engagement not only provides an opportunity to connect with your rheumatology colleagues, but also to have a positive impact on patients, supporters and all consumers of healthcare. ACR and ARHP members from every aspect…
Time certainly flies, and 2018 marks the second year that rheumatologists who see Medicare patients are operating under the new Quality Payment Program (QPP) created by the Medicare Access & CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). MACRA repealed the Fee-for-Service model under the Sustainable Growth Rate (SGR) formula and transitioned Medicare reimbursement to a system more overtly…
Rheumatology is a small specialty, but the ACR has a large footprint in terms of activities and impact. The ACR’s remarkable success can be attributed to effective collaboration between a highly professional and talented staff and a large number of volunteer members. Under the direction of the Board of Directors, the activities and strategic initiatives…
In 2017, did you interact with the Medicare payment system, receive payment for a consultation code or worry about the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reducing reimbursement through its proposed Part B Demonstration Project? If your answer to any of those questions is yes, then you directly benefited from the ACR/ARHP’s advocacy efforts….