Dear ACR Member and Arthritis Foundation Community,
The events surrounding Hurricane Katrina have called attention to the needs
of the thousands of Americans affected by the tragedy. Among the thousands
of displaced citizens are people with arthritis, who under the most difficult
of circumstances must cope with the pain and limitations of arthritis, the
loss of medical care and the loss of access to needed arthritis medication.
As leaders of the arthritis community, we are dedicated to ensuring that coordinated
help is offered to people with arthritis who have also been affected by the
hurricane. Many of these people have been displaced to communities all over
the country, and we intend to reach out to them in their time of need.
A key role we can play is to provide information and immediate referral for
those affected to a local rheumatologist for appropriate medical care and treatment
with prescriptions or other therapies. One immediate need may be the re-establishment
or provision of arthritis care and vital prescription medication for those
with arthritis. This is of particular concern for individuals with disease
flares or those on disease modifying treatments whose medication may be interrupted.
As a result, we ask the following:
1) As a rheumatologist, if you are willing to see displaced citizens with
arthritis outside your normal patient base, please contact your local Arthritis
Foundation chapter to be placed on a referral list. This will be a distinct
referral list containing only those willing to see short-term, immediate displaced
hurricane victims and separate from any current permanent referral list the
chapter may have in your community. Rheumatologists may find the contact information
for the nearest local chapter by going to www.arthritis.org and
typing your zip code into the zip code locator on the left of the page or by
clicking on the following link taking you to a chapter map: www.arthritis.org/communities/Chapters/ChapDirectory.asp
2) After placement on the referral list, rheumatologists will be contacted
as need arises directly by the patient or the Arthritis Foundation office.
The Chapter will follow-up at periodic intervals to let those on the list know
how extensively it may have been provided to others, including to national
coordinating medical authorities.
3) Because many displaced citizens may not have adequate health insurance,
chapters and rheumatologists may provide information from the following Web
link that serves as an industry-wide patient assistance program for prescription
medication for people unable to afford medication: www.pparx.org .
Also, please recommend other local resources that you may be familiar with.
People who may already be on prescription medication or are already in the
health care system may need appropriate follow-up and newly written prescriptions.
Local Arthritis Foundation chapters also have medication tips available for
displaced patients. The ACR has created a resource area of its Web site devoted
to hurricane resources for rheumatologists both in the affected areas and around
the country, including a forum where members can post messages: www.rheumatology.org/katrina.asp.
There will be many months of recovery for the areas affected by the hurricane.
We thank you for any efforts you may be able to provide in this time of national
need.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth A. Tindall, MD - President, American College of Rheumatology
John H. Klippel, MD - President & CEO, Arthritis Foundation
