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

Articles tagged with "Politics"

The Language of Lawmaking

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Many people shy away from participating in advocacy efforts because they are uncomfortable with the terminology used.

I Am an Advocate

Susan Leigh  |  

Earlier this year, I was privileged to be part of the ACR’s Advocates for Arthritis advocacy visit. My rheumatologist recommended that I apply for the event, and I was thrilled when I was accepted, even though my acceptance wasn’t necessarily competitive (I was the only patient representative from Delaware).

I Am an Advocate

Deanna Sanchez Yamamoto, NP  |  

I have never considered myself to be a political person, much less an “advocate,” which is why I was surprised to become an ARHP advocacy committee member.

I Am an Advocate

Charles King, MD  |  

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” Cliché perhaps, but certainly fitting in describing the practice of rheumatology of late. We have been blessed with a widening array of therapies with which to treat rheumatologic illnesses. The advent of the biological era promises even greater potential for meaningful reductions in disability and death from these diseases.

Key Grassroots Opportunity

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Congress is in recess August 11 through September 5. During this time, members of Congress are meeting with constituents in their district offices, so this is a great opportunity for you to…

Where Do RheumPAC Donations Go?

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RheumPAC has been a standing committee of the ACR since 2007. The PAC was established to increase the ACR’s presence in Washington, D.C., and is charged with managing the contributions to congressional campaigns, as well as soliciting the membership for funds to increase the purse for these contributions.

RheumPAC: One Year, One Contribution, One Opportunity

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Responders to the recent ACR membership survey emphasized the importance of political advocacy for their practices and institutions. RheumPAC, the ACR’s political action committee, was created in February 2007 to focus on the legislative issues affecting the rheumatology community.

Fredrica Smith, MD, Appointed to Practicing Physicians Advisory Council (PPAC)

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Fredrica Smith, MD, a rheumatologist in Los Alamos, N.M., was recently invited to become a part of the Practicing Physicians Advisory Council (PPAC), a congressionally mandated council that advises the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and the administrator of CMS on proposed changes in regulations.

American College of Rheumatology (ACR) on Capitol Hill

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“By tomorrow night, there will be so many more people on Capitol Hill who know—and are sensitive to—rheumatology and the issues that impact you and your patients. There is no substitute for what you are doing,” says Martha M. Kendrick, a partner at Patton Boggs, LLP, the ACR’s lobbying firm. This is what she told the physician, health professional, and patient participants of the ACR’s 2008 “Advocates for Arthritis” advocacy event—termed a fly-in—before they took their personal stories to the lawmakers on Capitol Hill.