The Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals will observe its 50th anniversary during this year’s Annual Meeting by celebrating the advancements in rheumatology treatment, care, and research since 1965.
“This is going to be a great year to celebrate ARHP, and we’ll have friends that we haven’t seen in quite some time in attendance,” said ARHP President Kamala M. Nola, PharmD, MS. “We will celebrate the accomplishments of all those who have been volunteers and health professionals through the years and the significant contributions they’ve made to rheumatic care.”
ARHP Past President Teresa Brady, PhD, senior behavioral scientist in the Arthritis Program at the CDC, will deliver the ARHP Distinguished Lecture, Reclaim Life! Celebrating 50 Years of Advances in Rheumatology Health Professional Practice. Dr. Brady, who served as ARHP president in 1991, will talk about how treatment for rheumatology patients has evolved over the decades.
The Anniversary Yearbook, featuring photos and history throughout the decades, is available to annual meeting attendees on a first-come, first-serve basis at all ARHP events, including the ARHP Discipline Roundtables at noon Sunday, Nov. 8, and the ARHP Topic Roundtables at noon Monday, Nov. 9. The ARHP 50th commemorative lapel pins also will be available at ARHP events.
ARHP Executive Director David Haag said that the yearbook’s theme was a salute to the interdisciplinary team approach shared by ARHP and ACR.
“The ACR is very unique as a professional medical society as it combines the rheumatologist and rheumatology health professionals under one association. Other physician associations have health professionals as members, but only the ACR has an ARHP division that meets the practice, research and educational needs of over 20 health professional disciplines,” he said. “For 50 years, health professionals have been an integral part of the ACR governance system. Our member volunteers are on all their committees, and they’re on all ours. We do everything as a team to treat rheumatic patients.”
Monday’s celebrations conclude with an invitation-only gala in the evening.
For a look back and images celebrating 50 years of ARHP, check the hashtag #ARHP50 on Twitter and Facebook for throwback photos posted by ARHP that link the past with ARHP’s present. You can also share your photos by posting them with the hashtag #ARHP50.