ACR Tracking Concerns about ANA Testing Results
The ACR is still tracking concerns about ANA test results. Members alerted the ACR about concerns regarding the results of the antinuclear antibody test. This test is used to help screen for systemic lupus erythematosus, drug-induced lupus, and other diseases. Some ACR members are reporting false positives and negatives. Accurate results are crucial because treatment is determined according to the results of the test. Read more.
ACR and EULAR Accepting Proposals for New Collaborative Projects
The ACR and EULAR are accepting proposals for new collaborative projects in the following areas:
- Classification criteria including the revision or revisiting of old criteria sets that are no longer working due to shifts in disease understanding or management;
- Response criteria for evaluating meaningful change in disease status for use in clinical trials and possibly clinical practice; and
- Points to consider consensus projects geared towards establishing standards for conduct of clinical trials in rheumatic disease.
Letters of intent are due September 1, 2009. Applicants Chosen to Submit Full Proposals on October 30, 2009. Full applications will be due November 30, 2009.
Annual Meeting Advance Registration Ends Sept. 4
Join us in Philadelphia October 16 – 21 to experience the premier meeting in rheumatology. This year’s annual meeting offers more clinical sessions, new formats and expanded poster tours, along with the great programming you’ve come to expect. Register before fees go up.
Your Medical Image Could Make You a Winner!
Call for Submissions for the 2009 Annual Slide Competition opened on June 2.
Show us what you've got! Submit your best medical images for a chance to win. The deadline for submission is Friday, September 4, 2009.
This Week in Health Care Reform
The ACR is committed to providing you with the most up to date information regarding health care reform. Each Friday the College will publish an update on the week’s notable health care stories and any legislative movement. Click here to read the latest update.
ACR SessionSelect Delivers Educational Content, Online – Access Sessions Today!
SessionSelect is the ACR's newest online resource that allows users the flexibility to connect and view a library of recorded educational presentations and scientific discoveries presented at some of the ACR/ARHP conferences and professional meetings. Click here to learn more.
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Next Editor of Arthritis & Rheumatism Announced
At its August 1, 2009 meeting, the American College of Rheumatology board of directors approved the recommendation that Joan Bathon, MD be named editor of Arthritis & Rheumatism, July 2010-June 2015 term.
Between April 1 and June 30, 2010, Dr. Bathon will work concurrently with the current editor, Michael Lockshin, MD. Dr. Lockshin and his editorial team will continue to handle manuscripts submitted before April 1 for which a decision has not yet been made, and new manuscripts will be handled by Dr. Bathon and her team.
Dr. Bathon is professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, deputy director of the division of rheumatology at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, and director of the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center.
CMS Fee Schedule Proposal Released: ACR Opposes the Removal of Consultation Codes and Cuts in Payment
On July 1, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released its proposed physician fee schedule for 2010, which includes a removal of consultation codes and a 1 percent cut in Medicare payments for rheumatology services. This cut is on top of a scheduled 21.5 percent reduction to the Medicare conversion factor due to the flawed sustainable growth rate formula. Read more.
The early bird catches the worm!
 Time is "running" out on advance registration for the 2009 REF 5K Run/Walk. Pre-register online until September 4 for a discounted rate of only $40 and secure your spot for a walk—or run—on Philly’s wild side!
Order your Rodnan Commemorative Gout Print by October 1 and save 20%!
The REF is pleased to introduce the 2009 Rodnan Commemorative Gout Print—Palatable Physic—in honor of the 73rd ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting in Philadelphia. Palatable Physic continues the tradition of the previous 17th and 18th century gout prints and makes a great keepsake of the ACR/ARHP Annual Scientific Meeting. Order any print by October 1 and save 20%. Order now!
ACR Rheumatology Clinical Registry Now Available!
The ACR has developed an online clinical data management tool to help rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals comply with increased quality reporting requirements and improve the care they provide to patients. Click here to learn more about the RCR.
Looking for NP and PA Postgraduate Training in Rheumatology?
Explore the NP and PA Postgraduate Rheumatology Training Program to discover how this online training program will lead to less on-the-job training and more rapid high-quality incorporation of NPs, PAs, and other clinicians into rheumatology practices or academic training settings. Read more about the program and register today!
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