Committees

The Collaborative Initiatives Special Committee shall concern itself with strategic, collaborative activities including piloting innovative projects that support the ACR mission, and advancing health equity. The committee shall review and make recommendations regarding partnerships and funding opportunities to advance these aims. The committee will organize and establish such subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 – 3 meetings per volunteer year (one is typically held in conjunction with the ACR Leadership Development Conference; one to be held in conjunction with the annual meeting)
• 3 – 5 conference calls per volunteer year
• 30 – 50 hours spent on outside work per volunteer year

Committee Roster

Chair: Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman, MD, Chicago, IL (2023)
Christie Barels, MD, MS, Madison, WI (2022)
Melissa Flores, MPH, MSW, New York, NY (2024)
Elizabeth Frame, MD, Los Angeles, CA (2024)
Wambui Machua, MD, Atlanta, GA (2022)
Noelle Rolle, MD, Augusta, GA (2023)
Lauren Smith, MD, Landover, MD (2022)
Jeffrey Sparks, MD, Boston, MA (2024)
Edith Williams, PhD, Charleston, SC (2022)
Tracey Wright, MD, Plano, TX (2023)
Angus Worthing, MD, Washington, D.C. (2022) (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Starla Blanks

The Committee on Communications and Marketing shall present the communications and marketing priorities and plan to the Board of Directors; shall initiate or support all internal and external communications and marketing efforts; shall be responsible for managing the websites and developing content; shall serve as the Committee that oversees The Rheumatologist; shall monitor communications policies; and shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 – 3 meetings per volunteer year (one is typically held in conjunction with the annual meeting)
• 2 – 3 conference calls per volunteer year
• 30 – 50 hours spent on outside work per volunteer year
• The committee does a fair amount of time-sensitive work via email, requiring that members be extremely responsive and able to work under short time frames

Committee Roster

Chair: Mohammad A. Ursani, MD, Spring, TX (2024)
Nina Washington, MD, Jackson, Mississippi (2024)
Bhakti Shah, MD, Middleton, NY (2024)
Lisa Carnago, FNP, Chapel Hill, NC (2024)
Kanika Monga, MD, Houston, TX (2023)
Kristen Lee, MD, New York, NY (2023)
Cheryl Crow, OT, Kirkland, WA (2023)
Seneda Arabelovic, DO, Boston, MA (2022)
Ali Duarte-Garcia, MD, Rochester, MN (2022)
Abin Paul Puravath, MD, Baltimore, MD (2022)
Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, FACR, Beverly Hills, CA (2022) (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Joan Roth

Subject to the direction and control of the Board of Directors, the Committee on Corporate Relations shall serve as the initial clearinghouse to ensure alignment with ACR Guiding Principles and to avoid overlap with other projects for all College-wide corporate initiatives, and concern itself with overseeing and vetting the procedures related to negotiation and acceptance of all external corporate funding, including the ACR exhibit hall, corporate requests for collaboration, inquiries, and project proposals; develop, review and enforce policies on matters that involve external corporate funding and third-party events held during official ACR meetings; and organize and establish such subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and the Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 1 meeting per volunteer year (generally in May)
• 2 – 4 conference calls per volunteer year (depending on the issues)
• Much of the committee's work is just before the annual meeting

Committee Roster

Chair: Deborah Desir, MD, Hamden, CT (2022)
Anca Askanase, MD, MPH, New York, NY (2023)
Jennifer Trizuto, PT, San Mateo, CA (2024)
Vinit Gilvaz, MD, Worcester, MA (2022)
Jonathan Cheah, MBBS, Worcester, MA (2022)
Nitasha Khullar, MD, Modesto, CA (2024)
Vikas Majithia, MD, Jackson, MS (2022)
Brett Smith, DO, Knoxville, TN (2023)
Karina Torralba, MD, Loma Linda, CA (2023)

Staff Contact: Amy Beith Miller

The Division Director Special Committee shall concern itself with advancing academic rheumatology, and thereby rheumatology as a whole, through support of clinical care, research, education and advocacy. The Committee shall serve as a resource to the ACR on matters related to academic rheumatology; shall identify best practices for structuring academic adult and pediatric rheumatology divisions; shall update, analyze, and disseminate data related to divisions, including the state of faculty, trainees and leadership in academic divisions of rheumatology on an annual basis; shall develop rheumatology mentoring programs and resources; shall provide a community for division directors within ACR with an annual communications plan; and shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year (one to be held in conjunction with the Division Directors Conference; one to be held in conjunction with the annual meeting)
• 3 - 5 conference calls per volunteer year
• 30 – 50 hours spent on outside work per volunteer year

Committee Roster

Chair: Jim Oates, MD, Charleston, SC (2022)
Seth Berney, MD, Little Rock, AK (2024)
Hermine Brunner, MD, Cincinnati, OH (2022)
Roberto Caricchio, MD, Philadelphia, PA (2022)
Christina Charles-Schoeman, MD, Los Angeles, CA (2024)
Kristine Lohr, MD, Lexington, KY (2022)
Anthony Reginato, MD, Providence, RI (2024)
Natasha Ruth, MD, Charleston, SC (2024)
George Thieroff, St. Louis, MO (2022)
Kenneth Warrington, MD, Rochester, MN (2022)
John Varga, MD, Chicago, IL (2022) (ACR BOD Liaison)

Staff Contact: Connie Herndon

The ACR Committee on Education shall concern itself with policies and/or guidelines for programs on continuing medical education (CME) in rheumatology and professional education products for specialists and primary care physicians at the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels; shall oversee the development and provide final approval for any meetings or programs for which CME credit is granted by the ACR; shall oversee the development of any educational products or materials which will bear the ACR name; and shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year (generally in January and July/August)
• 2 – 3 conference calls per volunteer year
• 5 – 25 hours spent on outside work per volunteer year (depending on the issues)
• Preferred meeting day is Saturday, typically in Atlanta.

Subcommittees

• Abstract Oversight Subcommittee
• Abstract Selection Subcommittee
• Annual Meeting Planning Committee
• CME Oversight Subcommittee
• Education Partner Program Subcommittee
• Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Planning Group
• Pediatric Rheumatology Symposium Planning Committee
• Professional Meetings Committee
• State-of-the-Art Cinical Symposium Planning Group
• Winter Rheumatology Symposium Planning Committee
• Image Library Subcommittee
• Continuous Assessment Review and Evaluation (CARE) Development Group
• Continuous Professional Development Subcommittee

Committee Roster

Chair: Rebecca Manno, MD, MHS, St. Thomas, USVI (2024)
Jammie Barnes, MD, Kerrville, TX (2024)
Adena Batterman, MSW, LCSW, New York, NY (2023)
Carole Dodge, OT, CHT, Saline, MI (2023)
Vinicius Dominguez, MD, Daytona Beach, FL (2024)
Laura Geraldino Pardilla, MD, MSc, New York, NY (2024)
Sonam Kiwalkar, MD, Portland, OR (2023)
Sharon Kolasinski, MD, Philadelphia, PA (2023)
Ronald Laxer, MD, Toronto, Canada (2022)
Jay Mehta, MD, MS, Philadelphia, PA (2022)
Jose Rubio, MD, Boston, MA (2022)
Sean Fahey, MD, Mooresville, NC (2022) (ACR BOD Liaison)

Staff Contact: Jennifer Wahl

The Committee on Ethics and Conflict of Interest shall concern itself with reviewing and making recommendations regarding the ethics and professionalism of the College, its officers, directors, and members; shall address and respond to questions of conflict of interest; shall be responsible for reviewing and, from time to time, proposing modifications to the Code of Ethics and Disclosure Policy and Statement; shall review charges alleging professional misconduct by members; shall respond to requests from the Board of Directors for guidance and recommendations on matters involving ethics and conflict of interest; shall, from time to time, develop information to educate the membership concerning the Code of Ethics and conflict of interest issues and shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and the Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year (generally in December/January and in conjunction with the annual meeting)
• 1 – 2 conference calls per volunteer year
• Members are "on call" for issues that arise requiring that members be extremely responsive and able to work under short time frames

Committee Roster

Chair: Karen Onel, MD, New York, NY (2022)
Richard Allman, MD Philadelphia, PA (2024)
Karen Ferguson, MS, Colbert, WA (2024)
Eric Gapud, MD, PhD, Baltimore, MD (2022)
Yvonne Golightly, PhD, MS, PT, Chapel Hill, NC (2023)
L. Douglas Graham, MD, Washington, DC (2023)
Charis Meng, MD New York, NY (2024)
Guillermo Quiceno, MD, Dallas, TX (2022)
Margaret Tsai, MD, Kent, OH (2023)
Beenish Zulfiqar, MD Memphis, TN (2022)
Norman Gaylis, MD, Aventura, FL (2022) (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Julie Anderson

Subject to the direction and control of the Board of Directors, the Committee on Finance shall have authority to monitor the financial policies, investments, and expenditures of the ACR, to develop the financial resources needed to carry out the programs of the ACR and shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year (generally in late April/early May and in late September/early October, preferred meeting day is Monday)
• 8 – 12 hours spent on outside work

Committee Roster

Chair: Carol Langford, MD, Cleveland, OH (2022)
Lakshmi Jayaram, MD, Chicago, IL (2022)
Anna Lawrence, MBA, Lawrenceville, GA (2023)
Aileen Ledingham, PT, MS, PhD, Waltham, MA (2022)
Timothy Niewold, MD, New York, NY (2023)
Sangeeta Sule, MD, PhD, Washington, DC (2023)
William Robinson, MD, PhD, Stanford, CA (2022)
Robert Roubey, MD, Chapel Hill, NC (2022)
Zachary Wallace, MD, Boston, MA (2024)
Kelly Weselman, MD, Smyrna, GA (2024)

Staff Contact: Colleen Merkel

The Global Engagement Committee shall concern itself with strategic, collaborative activities promoting productive interactions between the ACR and its international members and constituents. The Committee shall review and make recommendations regarding global collaborations and opportunities focusing on education, training, research, and volunteering. The Committee shall coordinate with various ACR and ARP committees on all products and programs with a global reach. The Committee will organize and establish such subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Roster

Chair: Evelyn Hsieh, MD, PhD, New Haven, CT (2023)
Marven Cabling, MD, Loma Linda, CA (2022)
Rebecca Grainger, FRACP, MBChB, PhD, Otago, NA (2024)
Lesley Jackson, MD, Birmingham, AL (2022)
Sara Kellahan, NP, St. Louis, MO (2023)
Laura Lewanowski, MD, Bethesda, MD (2023)
Javaneh Lyons, MD, MSc, RhMSUS, Anchorage, AK (2024)
Ryan Massay, MBBS, Ann Arbor, MI (2024)
Naomi Schlesinger, MD, New Brunswick, NJ (2024)
Tamar Rubinstein, MD, MS, New York, NY (2022) (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Jennifer Eastin

The Committee on Government Affairs shall concern itself with developing effective liaisons with governmental and nongovernmental research support agencies; shall establish effective liaisons with congressional members and staff; shall establish effective liaison with organizations concerned with public policy aspects of health-care delivery and health-care financing; shall monitor not-for-profit issues of concern to the College and shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year (generally in conjunction with Advocacy Leadership Conference in May and with Advocates for Arthritis in September)
• Monthly conference calls (second Wednesday of the month)
• Periodic work on one-page position papers in groups

Committee Roster

Chair: Elizabeth Solow, MD, Dallas, TX (2022)
Laura (Ballenger) Pratt, MD, RhMSUS, Omaha, NE (2023)
Brenda Frie, OT, EdD, CHT, Lancaster, OH (2023)
Mohammad Kamran, MD, Marietta, GA (2023)
Brian Loggins, BS, BBA, MBA, San Antonio, TX (2022)
Laura Sampson, PA, Skokie, IL (2022)
Amanda Schnell, MD, Birmingham, AL (2022)
Grant Syverson, MD, Fargo, ND (2023)
Howard Yang, MD, Santa Monica, CA (2022)
Louisa Ziglar, MD, Rockville, MD (2022)
Alisa Mueller, MD, PhD, Boston, MA (2022)
Don Miller, PharmD, Fargo, ND (2024)
Belinda Birnbaum, MD, Bryn Mawr, PA (2024)
Eric Dein, MD, Jersey City, NJ (2024)
Alireza (Allen) Meysami, MD, RhMSUS, CPE , Detroit, MI (2024)
Sam Lim, MD, MPH, Atlanta, GA (2022) (ACR Board of Directors Liaison)
Namrata Singh, MD, MSCI, FACP, Seattle, WA (2022) (COR Liaison)
Hermine Brunner, MD, Cincinnati, OH (2022) (Division Directors Liaison)
Christina Downey, MD, Loma Linda, CA (2022) (CORC Liaison)

Staff Contact: Adam Cooper

The Committee on Journal Publications shall concern itself with overseeing the operations of the ACR's two peer-reviewed journals, Arthritis & Rheumatology and Arthritis Care & Research, including monitoring relations with and the performance of the journals' common publishers, developing and reviewing policies on matters that affect both journals, and reporting to the ACR Board of Directors on behalf of both journals.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 – 3 meetings per volunteer year (one is typically held in conjunction with the annual meeting)
• 3 conference calls per volunteer year (on average)
• 12 hours spent on outside work (on average)
• Members have typically been involved with the journal as authors and/or reviewers, with representation from both the clinical and basic sciences

Committee Roster

Chair: Amr Sawalha, MD, Pittsburgh, PA (2024)
Susan Boackle, MD, Denver, CO (2024)
Aileen Davis, PhD, Toronto (2024)
Deborah Feldman, PhD, Montreal (2022)
Donnamarie Krause, PhD, OTR/L, Las Vegas, NV (2023)
Wilson Kuswanto, MD, PhD, Stanford, CT (2022)
Michelle Ormseth, MD, Nashville, TN (2023)
R. Hal Scofield, MD, Oklahoma City, OK (2022)
Daniel H. Solomon, MD, MPH, Boston, MA (Editor of A&R)
Kelli D. Allen, PhD, Durham, NC (Editor of AC&R)
Patricia Katz, PhD, San Francisco, CA (Co-Editor of ACROR)
Edward Yelin, PhD, San Francisco, CA (Co-Editor of ACROR)
Bharat Kumar, MD, Iowa City, Iowa (2022) (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Jane Diamond

The ACR Membership and Awards Committee shall oversee membership and promote the annual awards program and make nominations for the Awards of Distinction, ACR Masters and Distinguished Fellows.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 1 – 2 meetings per volunteer year
• 15+ hours before the meeting to extensively review applications

Committee Roster

Doug White, MD, PhD (Chair) (ACR President-Elect) (2022)
Prateek Gandiga, FACP, MD, Decatur, GA (2023)
Alexei Grom, MD, Cincinnati, OH (2024)
Ryan Jessee, MD, Cary, NC (2024)
Christopher Morris, MD, Kingsport, TN (2024)
Phillip Seo, MD, MHS, Baltimore, MD (2023)
Nora Singer, MD, Cleveland, OH (2024)
Jane Salmon, MD, New York, NY (2023)
David Karp, MD, PhD (Invited Guest) (ACR Immediate Past President) (2022)
Sam Lim, MD (ACR Board of Directors Liaison) (2022)

Staff Contact: Gabrielle Nicolini

The ACR Musculoskeletal Certification Program Oversight Committee shall have responsibility for the organization and implementation of the ACR Musculoskeletal Certification Program. The Committee shall:

• Develop, implement, and monitor program eligibility requirements.
• Develop and implement certification policies and procedures.
• Review and approve all examination items.
• Develop and implement standards for recertification.
• Review domains and tasks annually to ensure relevance/accuracy.
• Review testing data and make recommendations for research studies.

The Committee shall also select and appoint members of the Examination-Item Development Group, Examination Assembly and Review Group, Examination-Criterion Group, Job Analysis Group, and other groups and sub-committees as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives. All such appointments shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• Participate in webinars, conference calls, and emails as needed
• 30-50 hours on outside work
• The committee does a fair amount of time-sensitive work via email, requiring that members be extremely responsive and able to work under short timeframes

Committee Roster

Chair: Veena Ranganath, MD, MS, RhMSUS, Los Angeles, CA (2022)
Suncica Volkov, MD, RhMSUS, Los Angeles, CA (2022)
Amanda Nelson, MD, MS, RhMSUS, Chapel Hill, NC (2022)
Laura Hughes, MD, MSPH, RhMSUS, Birmingham, AL (2022)
Michael Taffe, Kittery, ME (2022)

Staff Contact: Lawrence Cunningham

The Committee shall consider appeals from adverse determinations that an applicant does not meet the examination eligibility requirements; appeals alleging that the examination was administered in an unfair, arbitrary, or inaccurate manner; and appeals alleging failure to comply with the Program’s accreditation standards and procedures. Such as appeals shall be conducted according to procedures developed by the Program Oversight Committee and approved by the Board of Directors.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• Participate in webinars, conference calls, and emails as needed
• 10-30 hours on outside work
• Members are “on call” for issues that arise, requiring that members be extremely responsive and able to work under short timeframes

Staff Contact: Lawrence Cunningham

The ACR Committee on Nominations and Appointments shall make nominations for ACR Volunteer positions: Secretary/Treasurer, who will become President-Elect at the end of the Secretary/Treasurer term, then President in the following year; Members-at-Large of the Board of Directors of the ACR; Chairs and Members of ACR Committees; with the exception of the Committee on Nominations and Appointments.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 1 meeting per volunteer year (generally in July)
• 20+ hours before the meeting to extensively review applications

Committee Roster

Chair: David Karp, MD, PhD, Dallas, TX (2022) (ACR Immediate Past President)
Erin Arnold, MD, Wilmette, IL (2022)
Shervin Assassi, MD, MS, Houston, TX (2023
Hazel Breland, OT, PhD, Charleston, SC (2023)
Ruth Fernandez-Ruiz, MD, MSc, New York, NY (2023)
Jane Kang, MD, MD, New York, NY (2022)
Stuart Kassan, MD, Lakewood, CO (2023)
Marisa Klein-Gitelman, MD, MPH, Chicago, IL(2022)
Anne-Marie Malfait, MD, PhD, Chicago, IL (2022)
Victoria Shanmugam, MBBS, Great Falls, VA (2022)
Christine Stamatos, ANP-C, DNP, Cold Spring Harbor, NY (2022)
Kenneth Saag, MD, MSc, Birmingham, AL (2023) (Invited Guest)

Staff Contact: Julie Anderson

The Committee on Pediatric Rheumatology shall concern itself with advancing pediatric rheumatology through the support of clinical care, research, education and advocacy. The Committee shall implement initiatives designed to improve the recruitment of pediatricians into the field of rheumatology; shall initiate or support the communication efforts to the ACR pediatric membership; shall support the practice needs of pediatric rheumatologists through contributions to activities of ACR standing committees, as needed; and shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year (one is typically held in conjunction with the annual meeting)
• 2 – 3 conference calls per volunteer year

Subcommittees

• Pediatric Rheumatology Residents Program
• AMIGIO ACR/CARRA Mentoring Program

Committee Roster

Chair: Colleen Correll, MD, Minneapolis, MN (2024)
Nancy Delnay, APRN, MSN, Akron, OH (2024)
Anne Eberhard, MBBS, MSc, Lake Success, NY (2024)
Victoria Gennaro, CRNP, Birmingham, AL (2023)
Mileka Gilbert, MD, PhD, Charleston, SC (2022)
William Lapin, MD, Hartford, CT (2022)
Deborah Levy, MD, MS, Toronto, Ontario (2024)
Suzanne Li, MD, PhD, Hackensack, NJ (2023)
Ekemini Ogbu, MD, MSc, Cincinnati, OH (2023)
Jessica Perfetto, MD, New York, NY (2022)
Vidya Sivaranman, MD, Columbus, OH (2024)
Tamar Rubinstein, MD, MS, Bronx, NY (2022) (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Gabrielle Nicolini

The Committee on Quality of Care shall concern itself with quality-related activities including the development of classification and response criteria, practice guidelines, and quality measures. The Committee will organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 3 meetings per volunteer year (in person in January, webinar in May/June, and in conjunction with the annual meeting)
• 2 – 3 conference calls per volunteer year
• 5 – 10 hours spent on outside work

Subcommittees

• Classification and Response Criteria Subcommittee
• Practice Guideline Subcommittee
• Quality Measure Subcommittee
• Guidance Subcommittee

Committee Roster

Chair: Sindhu Johnson, MD, PhD, FRCPC, Toronto, ON (2022)
Alfredo Aguirre, MD, San Francisco, CA (2022)
Bharati Bhardwaja, PharmD, Denver, CO (2023)
Susan Goodman, MD, New York, NY (2022)
Jaime Guzman, MD, MSc, Vancouver, BC (2024)
Julia Harris, MD, Overland Park, KS (2023)
Lisa Mandl, MD, MPH, New York, NY (2022)
Tuhina Neogi, MD, PhD, Boston, MA (2024)
John (Steuart) Richards, MBBS, Pittsburgh, PA (2023)
Sara Tedeschi, MD, Boston, MA (2022)
John FitzGerland, MD, PhD, Los Angeles, CA (Invited Guest)
Ulf Müller-Ladner, Prof, Bad Nauheim, Germany (Invited Guest)
Lisa Suter, MD, New Haven, CT (Invited Guest)
Marcy B. Bolster, MD, Concord, MA (2022) (ACR BOD Liaison)

Staff Contact: Amy Turner

The Committee on Registries and Health Information Technology shall concern itself with health information technology (IT) issues within the field of healthcare and the subspecialty of rheumatology. The committee will work to support and advance the appropriate use of health IT within rheumatology practice and clinical research to provide safe, timely, efficient, effective, equitable, and patient-centered care. The committee will oversee the ongoing growth and development of the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) registry for quality improvement, research, advocacy, and appropriate payment programs, and shall take part in the development and use of defined rheumatology data standards.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year
• Monthly conference calls per volunteer year

Subcommittees

• Research and Publications Subcommittee

Committee Roster

Chair: William Harvey, MD, MSc, Boston, MA (2023)
Thomas Grader-Beck, MD, Baltimore, MD (2022)
Jinoos Yazdany, MD, MPH, San Francisco, CA (2022)
Jean Liew, MD, Boston, MA (2023)
Titilayo Ologhobo, MD, MPH, New York, NY (2023)
Virginia Reddy, MD, Dallas, TX (2022)
Andreas Reimold, MD, Dallas, TX (2022)
John Bridges, MD, Birmingham, AL (2022)
Puneet Bajaj, MD, Dallas, TX (2023)
Meera Subash, MD, San Diego, CA (2024)
Chris Phillips, MD, Paducah, KY (2024)
Amanda Myers, MD, Evanston, IL (2022) (ACR BOD Liaison)

Staff Contact: Tracy Johansson

The Committee on Research shall concern itself with research and research training in rheumatology; shall encourage basic, clinical and health services research on topics that affect patients with rheumatic diseases; shall appoint a liaison to the Committee on Government Affairs and work with that committee on advocacy; shall work to coordinate the research efforts of the ACR and the Rheumatology Research Foundation and shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year (generally in-person in conjunction with ACR Convergence, the ACR’s annual meeting, and the Rheumatology Research Workshop)
• Approximately 2-3 virtual calls, approximately 2-3 hours in duration per volunteer year
• 2-10 hours spent on outside work prior to each meeting, depending on committee assignments

Subcommittee

• Early Career Investigator Subcommittee

ARP Research Subcommittee

The ARP Research Subcommittee members are recognized for their research presentations and publications. They work with the ACR Committee on Research to promote the research efforts of rheumatology health professionals. They present research education and mentoring programs at the annual meeting.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year (generally in December/January and in conjunction with the annual meeting; meetings are typically on Fridays, Saturdays, and/or Sundays)
• 2 – 3 conference calls per volunteer year

Committee Roster

Chair: Kristine Kuhn, MD, PhD, Aurora, CO (2023)
Iannis Adamopoulos, PhD, Boston, MA (2023)
Cong-Qui Chu, MD, PhD, Portland, OR (2022)
Linda Hiraki, MD, ScD, Toronto, Ontario (2024)
Amit Lakhanpal, MD, PhD, New York, NY (2022)
Susan Murphy, OT, ScD, Ann Arbor, MI (2023)
Peter Nigrovic, MD, Boston, MA (2023)
Christine Pellegrini, PhD, Columbia, SC (2024)
Deepak Rao, MD, PhD, Boston, MA (2022)
Namrata Singh, MD, Bellevue, WA (2024)
Eric Ruderman, MD, Chicago, IL (2022) (ACR BOD Liaison)

Staff Contact: Lisa Fatheree

The Committee on Rheumatologic Care shall concern itself with economic, technical, and ethical issues that bear on the practice of rheumatology and allied health professionals related to rheumatology; shall work with the Committee on Education to ensure that training recommendations reflect the changing scope of rheumatology practice; shall oversee the publication of practice-related materials and other publications as deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors; shall provide the ACR membership with information concerning the future changes in medical care organization, health-care delivery, health-care financing, and health-care technology as they may affect the provision of care to patients with rheumatic disease; shall develop a government relations agenda; shall appoint a liaison to the Committee on Government Affairs; and shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 3 meetings per volunteer year (generally in January, June, and in conjunction with the annual meeting)
• Conference calls are rare – most of the committee work is done via email
• Members are asked to respond to weekly questions and draft position statements (1 – 2 pages) and/or review position statements
• It is important for members to be practicing physicians

Subcommittees

• Affiliate Society Council
• Insurance Subcommittee

Committee Roster

Chair: Marcus Snow, MD, Omaha, NE (2023)
Ashley Beall, MD, Wheaton, MD (2022)
Jennifer Cooper, MD, PharmD, San Francisco, CA (2022)
Christina Downey, MD, Loma Linda, CA (2023)
Alicia Hinze, MD, MHS, Rochester, MN (2022)
Aruni Jayatilleke, MD, Philadelphia, PA (2023)
Nehad Solomon, MD, Phoenix, AZ (2022)
Mark Wener, MD, Seattle, WA (2024)
John Botson, MD, Anchorage, AK (2024)
Rebecca Sherpherd, MD, Lancaster, PA (2024)
Timothy Laing, MD, Ann Arbor, MI (2022)
Flavia Castelino, MD, Boston, MA (2023)
Donald E. Thomas, Jr., MD, Greenbelt, MD (2024)
Mehrin Jawaid, DO, Hudson, FL (2022)
Mark Law, PhD, Omaha, NE (2024)
Anne R. Bass, MD, New York, NY (ACR BOD Liaison) (2022)

Staff Contact: Adam Cooper

The Committee on Rheumatology Training and Workforce Issues shall concern itself with developing curricula and other educational tools for trainees in rheumatology, designing and implementing career development programs, monitoring career opportunities in rheumatology, providing networking opportunities and resources for rheumatology training program directors, and monitoring rheumatology workforce trends. The Committee shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 3 meetings per volunteer year (one is typically held in conjunction with the annual meeting)
• 2 conference calls per volunteer year
• 2 hours spent on outside work prior to each meeting

Subcommittees

• Adult Rheumatology In-Training Exam Taskforce
• Fellows-in-Training Subcommittee

Committee Roster

Chair: Bethany Marston, MD, Rochester, NY (2024)
Irene Blanco, MD, Bronx, NJ (2022)
Adam Kilian, MD, Kirkwood, MO (2023)
Fotios Koumpouras, MD, New Haven, CT (2024)
Vaneet Sandhu, MD, Loma Linda, CA (2024)
Stacey Tarvin, MD, Indianapolis, IN (2023)
Nicole Orzechowski, DO, Chapel Hill, NC (2022)
Jane Kang, MD, New York, NY (2022) (ACR BOD Liaison)

Staff Contact: Connie Herndon

The Political Action Committee shall develop and present to the Board of Directors for its approval the criteria that will determine how contributions will be distributed by the Committee to candidates for election to federal office; shall develop and present to the Board of Directors for its approval bylaws governing its operations; shall be responsible for all internal and external political fundraising and related marketing efforts; shall be responsible for all campaign finance filings and distributions to candidates for federal office; and shall organize and establish subcommittee and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 4 meetings per volunteer year (generally in conjunction with Spring Advocacy Leadership Fly-In in March and Advocates for Arthritis in September)
• Monthly conference calls (third Monday of the month)

Committee Roster

Chair: Howard Blumstein, MD, Smithtown, NY (2024)
Shahrzad Abdollahi, MD, MS, Philadelphia, PA (2022)
Asena Bahce-Altuntas, MD, Bronx, NY (2023)
Adam Goode, DPT, PhD, PT, Durham, NC (2023)
Saakshi Khattri, MBBS, MD, New York, NY (2023)
Bonita Libman, MD, Burlington, VT (2022)
Victoria Menzies, PhD, RN, CNS-BC, Gainesville, FL (2022)
Melissa Oliver, MD, MS, Indianapolis, IN (2024)
Stephanie Ott, MD, Lancaster, OH (2022)
Benjamin Widener, MD, Sheridan, WY (2023)
Tyler Williams, MD, Ogden, UT (2022)
Sean Fahey, MD, Mooresville, NC (2022) (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Dan Redinger

The ACR Workforce Solutions Steering Committee shall innovate and implement workforce solutions to train and sustain high quality adult and pediatric rheumatology care in underserved communities, while partnering with the local stakeholders.

• Improving access to care for our rheumatology patients
• Supporting our rheumatology colleagues and healthcare teams
• Providing ACR oversight for our workforce shortages

Committee Member Time Commitments

• The committee meets every other month
• Intervention teams overseeing projects meet every month

Committee Roster

Chair: Dan Battafarano, DO, San Antonio, TX (2022)
Beth Jonas, MD, Chapel Hill, NC (2022)
Colleen Correll, MD, MPH, Minneapolis, MN (2022)
Marcy Bolster, MD, Concord, MA (2022)
Roz Ramsey-Goldman, MD, Chicago, IL (2022)
Lou Bridges, MD, PhD, New York, NY (2022)
Janet Poole, PhD, OTR/L, Albuquerque, NM (2022)
Leah Bettner, MD; Chapel Hill, NC (2022)

Staff Contact: Connie Herndon

The ARP Membership and Nominations Committee is responsible for overseeing the nominations process to ensure the election and appointment of qualified leaders, representative of the diversity of the membership. The committee is responsible for reviewing nominations and presenting a slate of qualified candidates for ARP elected and appointed volunteer positions and reviewing nominations and selecting recipients for the Outstanding Student, Master, Merit, and Lifetime Achievement Awards. In addition, the Committee handles all membership marketing responsibilities.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• This committee meets bi-monthly via conference call with one in-person meeting annually in the Spring. Conference calls are typically Mondays; however, this may change according to member availability throughout the year
• 6-8 conference calls per year

Committee Roster

Chair: Christine Stamatos, DNP, Huntington, New York (2022)
Barbara Slusher, PA-C, MSW, League City, TX (2022)
Kori Dewing, ARPN, DNP, Seattle, WA (2022)
Catherine Christen, PharmD, Ann Arbor, MI (2023)
Nadine Fisher, EdD, Buffalo, NY(2024)
Talitha Cox Black, MA, OT, Los Angeles, CA (2024)
Daniel Battaferano, DO, San Antonio, TX (2023)
Aileen Ledingham, MS, PhD, PT, Waltham, MA (2022) (Invited Guest)

Staff Contact: Autumn Duncan

The ARP Practice Committee includes representatives from each of the major disciplines in the Association. The Committee oversees the rheumatology practice papers and ensures that all ARP educational products and programs meet the practice needs of membership. The Committee explores member needs regarding clinical practice issues and promoting the interprofessional model of care. It is the oversight committee for all ARP practice issues.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• This committee meets about 5 times per year via conference call. There are also two in-person meetings: January and at the annual meeting. Committee calls are typically Thursdays; however, this may change according to member availability throughout the year
• Monthly conference calls

Committee Roster

Chair: Kimberly Steinbarger, PT, MHS, DHSc, Bangor, MN (2023)
Annelle Reed, CRNP, MSN Tuscaloosa, AL(2023)
Jeff Newcomb, BS, Omaha, NE (2022)
Andrea Pauly, APRN, NP, Utica, MN (2023)
Courtney Wells, PhD, White Bear Lake, ME (2023)
Ali Porter, PharmD, Richmond, VT (2024)
Yasser Salem, PhD, PT, Fort Worth, TX (2024)
Julie Jones, DO, Olympia Fields, MN (2024)
Laurie Hughell, MPH, PA-C, Urbandale, IA (2024)
Thomas Bye, PhD, PT, Newark, DE (2022) (ARP/Student)
Fatima Alduraibi, MD, Birmingham, AL (2022) (FIT)
Benjamin Smith, PA-C, Thomasville, GA (2023) (COTW Liaison)

Staff Contact: Autumn Duncan