The American College of Rheumatology and the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals, a division of the ACR, are organizations of physicians, health professionals and scientists serving members through programs of education, research, advocacy and practice support that foster excellence in the care of people with arthritis and rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The ACR is the largest professional organization of rheumatologists in the United States with over 7,000 physician members.
Membership
The American College of Rheumatology is the largest professional organization of physicians, scientists and health professionals devoted to the study and treatment of rheumatic diseases. As a member, you are eligible for benefits designed to provide the best education and practice resources available, as well as discounts that will multiply the value of your membership.
If you have questions about ACR member benefits, please contact the ACR membership department at [email protected] or (404) 633-3777. If you have questions about ARHP member benefits, please contact the ARHP membership department at [email protected] or (404) 633-3777.
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Education, Resources and Tools
Rheumatology Meetings and Events
The American College of Rheumatology and the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals are committed to providing comprehensive education to improve the knowledge and performance of physicians, health professionals and scientists and offers a number of educational resources and tools.
Through evidence-based educational meetings, clinical symposia, and workshops the organization strives to enhance practice performance and improve the quality of care in those with or at risk for arthritis, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.
Rheumatology Clinical Registry (RCR)
The ACR Rheumatology Clinical Registry is an easy-to-use tool developed to assist members in practice improvement, local population management, and efficient, successful participation in national quality programs. RCR integrates evidence-based quality measures aimed at improving care and drug safety for patients with rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis and gout.
In 2009 alone, 240 rheumatologists submitted data on almost 7,500 patients to the RCR. For more information, or to register, visit www.rheumatology.org/rcr or email [email protected].
Clinical Support
The ACR offers clinical support through easy access to information such as bibliographies, classification and response criteria, health status assessments, disease activity indexes and damage indexes, practice guidelines, position statements, standards of practice for rheumatology health professionals, resources for your patients, information for clinician researchers, information about the ACR’s rheumatology clinical registry, and information about quality and drug safety.
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Office Support
The ACR’s certified coders and practice management experts offer coding, billing and practice management support for the rheumatology office answering questions and providing tools and resources relating to patient documentation, coding, Medicare, PQRI, health information technology, insurance, and legal and compliance resources.
Certification, Recertification and Maintenance of Certification Initiatives
The ACR offers an interactive review course and web-based practice assessment and improvement tools that are designed to assist rheumatologists preparing for the ABIM Maintenance of Certification Rheumatology Exam, fellows-in-training preparing for the certification exam and any physician looking for an in-depth review of the diagnosis, management and treatment of rheumatic diseases.
The ACR offers the only rheumatologist‐led recertification resources designed specifically for rheumatologists that offer Maintenance of Certification points and CME credit.
Career Center
The ACR’s online career center, ACR Career Connection, is the primary resource for high-quality Rheumatology job applicants and jobs in academic, research and general areas.
Publications
The ACR publishes Arthritis & Rheumatism, the premier scientific journal for research in rheumatic diseases. Arthritis Care & Research is published by the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals, a division of the ACR. This journal focuses on the health services and clinical aspects of rheumatology.
