AF Responds to Shortage of Pediatric Rheumatologists

[Guest guest]

Contact:

Arthritis Foundation

(404) 965-7661

Sbryan@...

ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION RESPONDS TO SHORTAGE OF PEDIATRIC

RHEUMATOLOGISTS OUTLINED IN U.S. GOVERNMENT REPORT

Arthritis Foundation Assists in Recruiting Pediatric Rheumatologists

ATLANTA, October 3, 2007 – In response to a severe shortage of pediatric

rheumatologists in the United States, as revealed in a recent report by the Health

Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of

Health and Human Services, the Arthritis Foundation Alabama Chapter launched an

initiative to recruit pediatric rheumatologists to serve Alabama children living with

juvenile arthritis. The culmination of this effort was this month’s opening of Alabama’s

newly established Pediatric Rheumatology Center. It is led by two board-certified

pediatric rheumatologists recruited to start the program.

With an estimated 6,000 children living with arthritis within the state’s borders,

the Arthritis Foundation Alabama Chapter knew it was vital that medical care be made

available for these children and their families. In early 2006, the Alabama Chapter began

a successful campaign to raise $1 million to establish an endowed chair in pediatric

rheumatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The Alabama

Chapter partnered with UAB and Children’s Hospital of Alabama to establish a full

service pediatric rheumatology program and a dedicated clinical facility to care for these

children.

-moreThe

Alabama Chapter spent most of 2006 soliciting donations and assisting UAB

and Children’s Hospital of Alabama to interview qualified candidates. After months of

dedication and hard work, Drs. Randy Cron and Tim Beukelman were welcomed to the

pediatric rheumatology department of UAB. They began seeing patients in mid-

September at a new, state-of-the-art rheumatology clinic at Children’s Hospital.

“Nearly 300,000 children in the United States are living with juvenile arthritis,

and the Arthritis Foundation is firmly committed to ensuring access to treatment for

every child who suffers from this devastating disease,” said H. Klippel, M.D.,

president and CEO of the Arthritis Foundation. “We are immensely proud of the efforts

of our Alabama Chapter and its partners in spotlighting the incredible need for

specialized care in their state and working hard to bring their plan to fruition.”

Prior to the recruitment of Drs. Cron and Beukelman, Alabama was one of 13

states identified in the HRSA report as lacking the services of a practicing pediatric

rheumatologist. A staggering statistic revealed in the HRSA report is that fewer than 200

certified pediatric rheumatologists practice in this country, requiring most children living

with arthritis to travel an average of 57 miles to reach the nearest specialist. Without a

single pediatric rheumatologist in Alabama, the state’s children were forced to travel

much longer distances to seek specialized care.

“Since juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is one of the most common chronic illnesses

among children, the need for pediatric rheumatologists is vital,” says Jan Bell, Arthritis

Foundation Alabama Chapter president. “By having two highly experienced and

qualified pediatric rheumatologists available for the children of Alabama, we can provide

more accessible and much needed care to help prevent severe disability caused by

untreated juvenile arthritis.”

The combined efforts of the Arthritis Foundation Alabama Chapter, UAB and

Children’s Hospital of Alabama have fueled a much needed program for the children of

-more-

Alabama as well as inspired others to support education and recruiting programs for

pediatric rheumatologists. As a whole, the Arthritis Foundation supports the Arthritis

Prevention, Control and Cure Act, which is recently introduced legislation that would

authorize loan repayment programs for pediatric rheumatology, increase the number and

size of institutional training grants to institutions supporting pediatric rheumatology, and

expand public-private partnerships to encourage pediatric rheumatology education and

training.

For additional information on the Arthritis Foundation, Alabama Chapter’s

recruiting efforts, please visit http://www.alabamajai.org. More information about the

HRSA report, the Arthritis Prevention, Control and Cure Act and the Arthritis Foundation

research program is available at www.arthritis.org.

About the Arthritis Foundation

The Arthritis Foundation is the leading health organization addressing the needs

of some 46 million Americans living with arthritis, the nation’s most common cause of

disability. Founded in 1948, with headquarters in Atlanta, the Arthritis Foundation has

multiple service points located throughout the country.

The Arthritis Foundation is the largest private, not-for-profit contributor to

arthritis research in the world, funding more than $380 million in research grants since

1948. The foundation helps individuals take control of arthritis by providing public

health education; pursuing public policy and legislation; and conducting evidence-based

programs to improve the quality of life for those living with arthritis. Information is

available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-283-7800 or www.arthritis.org.

# # #