The Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP) will celebrate a milestone at ACR Convergence 2025 in Chicago this October.
A division of the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) with more than 1,600 members representing over two dozen disciplines, the ARP will observe its 60th anniversary with special recognition during multiple sessions and activities, including the ARP Networking Lunch & Annual Business Meeting on Sunday, October 26.
During the luncheon gathering, 11 a.m.–1 p.m. CT, ARP leadership will share updates on the Division and its journal, Arthritis Care & Research. They will also outline plans for the upcoming year, and members will elect the next secretary and members-at-large for the ARP Executive Committee. ARP President Adam Goode, PT, DPT, PhD, will also pass the gavel to ARP President-Elect Becki Cleveland, PhD.
For the past six decades, the ARP has been dedicated to empowering rheumatology professionals by equipping them with the tools to provide quality care for patients, support medical practices, and advance research and advocacy in rheumatology. The education and connection the ARP provides for its members have proven to be in high demand.
“We have seen incredible growth in the ARP, not just in the number of members that we have now, but also the growth of particular disciplines,” said Dr. Goode, Vice Chair of Clinical Research and Epidemiology in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine. “We’re excited to see the growth of researchers and pharmacists within the ARP. We’re also excited to continue to expand our membership and networking with physical therapists, occupational therapists, and nurses.”
The organization’s growth is reflected in the ARP programming at ACR Convergence beyond this year’s anniversary activities.
“The education we offer for our members has grown for decades across the ARP,” Dr. Goode said. “It’s really quite exciting to see just how much. We’re adding education and updating education every year in order to accommodate the increased demand from our members.”
One of the highlights of the ARP programming for 2025 is the ARP Keynote Address, 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Featured speaker Heidi Prather, DO, Attending Physiatrist at the Hospital for Special Surgery, will focus on social prescriptions for leveraging connections for better health.
In the Daltroy Memorial Lecture, 8:30 a.m. on Monday, October 27, a trio of experts will address how to break the silence and empower patient-provider conversations on sex and intimacy in rheumatic conditions. The speakers include Lisa Sammaritano, MD, Rheumatologist at the Hospital for Special Surgery; Jillian Rose-Smith, PhD, MPH, MSW, Vice President and Chief Equity Officer at the Hospital for Special Surgery; and Monique Gore-Massy, BA, Patient Experience Researcher and Consultant.
In the ARP Distinguished Lecture, 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, October 28, Susan Murphy, OT, ScD, Professor in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department and the Rheumatology Division at the University of Michigan, will explore how to create health interventions through collaborative research and community empowerment.
“Every year, the ARP Executive Committee works with the Annual Meeting Planning Committee (AMPC) to develop these invited lectures to highlight timely areas of interest to ARP members, and we invite speakers who are able to address these topics that cut across the interprofessional disciplines, which is challenging because we have over 20 disciplines within our membership,” Dr. Goode explained.
The AMPC has scheduled all ARP Track sessions to be held near one another, facilitating learning by cutting down the time it takes to travel between session rooms and encouraging networking among attendees between sessions. All registered ACR Convergence participants also receive on-demand access to scientific sessions after the meeting through October 31, 2026, making it convenient to watch sessions attendees might miss in Chicago.
“One of the highlights for me personally of attending ACR Convergence is the quality of the science that gets disseminated at the scientific sessions, the poster sessions, and the reach of the scientific sessions for the many disciplines of the ARP,” Dr. Goode said. “You get to hear from speakers who are internationally known for musculoskeletal conditions.”
Dr. Goode also recommends that all attendees make time to visit the Networking Lounges to build cross-disciplinary relationships with peers who share similar interests.
“The ARP is a close-knit network and family,” Dr. Goode said. “The folks who get involved and get engaged tend to make lifetime friends and colleagues, regardless of the discipline.”
The ARP helps new conference attendees engage with other ARP members on-site through a buddy system.
“First-time meeting-goers can connect with an ARP experienced meeting-goer or Executive Committee member to spend time networking or go around ACR Convergence with them, which can be helpful because it’s a very large conference,” Dr. Goode said.
He also stressed the importance of audience engagement, such as through moderator-initiated questions and in-session polls.
“Our planning committee works with our speakers on ways to increase audience engagement beyond a question-and-answer period at the end of sessions,” Dr. Goode said.
Registration for ACR Convergence, taking place October 24–29 at McCormick Place in Chicago, is ongoing.
There’s Still Time to Register for ACR Convergence 2025
If you haven’t registered for ACR Convergence 2025, register today to participate in this year’s premier rheumatology experience, October 24–29 in Chicago. All registered participants receive on-demand access to scientific sessions after the meeting through October 31, 2026.