ACR on Air Podcast

Join us this week as our host, Jonathan Hausmann, MD, meets with a truly influential woman in the medical field, Elizabeth Ang, MBBS, MMed, MRCPCH, being one of the first pediatric rheumatologists in the Southeast Asian region to receive pediatric rheumatology training and is the Co-Convenor of the Paediatric Rheumatology Special Interest Group of APLAR (Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology). Beyond this, and so that children with rheumatic disease in the region can be diagnosed and treated, Dr. Ang trains local doctors and shares her knowledge and experience with them in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Myanmar. In this episode, she, and Dr. Hausmann discuss Singapore’s healthcare system, access to biologics, cultural barriers to treatment and more.

Elizabeth Ang, MBBS, MMed, MRCPCH – Elizabeth Ang, MBBS, MMed, MRCPCH, is a senior consultant with the Division of Paediatric Allergy, Immunology and Rheumatology at the National University Hospital, Singapore. Her specialty training is in Paediatric Rheumatology. Her clinical practice also involves all areas of General Paediatric in- and out-patients. Dr. Ang is also an Adjunct Associate Professor with the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.

Dr. Ang received her MBBS with Honours from the National University of Singapore, then her Master of Medicine (Paediatrics). She was awarded the top prize for best performance in exams leading to the Membership of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (MRCPCH) of the United Kingdom. She did her clinical fellowship in Paediatric Rheumatology at Boston Children’s Hospital, USA from 2012. Thereafter, she returned to Singapore to care for patients as the first doctor to receive formal training in Paediatric Rheumatology in the National University Hospital. This hospital receives many international patients as well. There, she also teaches the Paediatric Rheumatology curriculum for medical students and Paediatric residents.

Since 2022, she has been the Co-Convenor of the Paediatric Rheumatology Special Interest Group of APLAR (Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology), the Asia-Pacific equivalent of EULAR, PANLAR, PAFLAR. This role has given her even more opportunity to do what she finds especially meaningful: linking the amazing clinicians in the Asia Pacific to train others and share their experiences within the context of the countries they are in, with their specific cultural, social, economic distinctives.

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Bone health may not be first on the mind when discussing rheumatology; however, Marcy B. Bolster, MD, believes it plays a vital role in caring for ‘the whole patient’. As such, Dr. Bolster’s innovative contributions to the field of osteoporosis cannot be overstated. In this episode, we discuss the role of the rheumatologist in helping to prevent or treat osteoporosis, how often it’s under-recognized, plus the services she created to help identify, diagnose, and treat the condition among patients.

Marcy B. Bolster, MD – Marcy B. Bolster, MD, is a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. She is the Director of the Rheumatology Fellowship Training Program in the Division of Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). She sees patients in the Rheumatology and Endocrine Associates Outpatient Clinics. She led the efforts to create a Fracture Liaison Service at MGH and served as the Medical Lead from 2014–2021. She sees patients in the MGH Endocrine Clinic for Osteoporosis, and the MGH Rheumatology fellows rotate through this clinic for an enriched training experience in osteoporosis and bone health management.

Related Links:

• International Osteoporosis Foundation
• Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation
• ACR Patient Fact Sheet: Osteoporosis
• MGH – Osteoporosis Guidelines
• MGH – Osteoporosis and Bone Health
• Book Suggestion: Facing Osteoporosis: A Guide for Patients and Their Families – By Theodore Stern (Author), Marcy Bolster (Editor)
• Video Suggestion: Medications for Osteoporosis Treatment with Dr. Marc Wein, MGH, Boston
• Video Suggestion: Medications — What is the ANSWER? Have you been prescribed medication for osteopenia/osteoporosis?

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When a patient is diagnosed with cancer, treatments that force the immune system into overdrive are given in hopes that it will recognize the cancer and destroy it. Unfortunately, this can mean that various Immune Related Adverse Events (IRAEs) can occur. In rheumatology, our treatments are meant to tame an overactive immune system, creating a unique dilemma. We are joined today by Laura Cappelli, MD, MHS. Dr. Cappelli explains what these IRAEs really are, how they commonly occur, what risk factors exist in their development, the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to treatment and much, much more.

Laura C. Cappelli, MD, MHS – Laura C. Cappelli, MD, MHS, is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology, and a faculty member of the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center. She earned her MD from Johns Hopkins. She completed her residency in internal medicine and fellowship in rheumatology at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. Dr. Cappelli also obtained an MHS in Clinical Investigation at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her primary research focus is rheumatologic adverse effects of cancer immunotherapy including the clinical characteristics, epidemiology, impact on patients, and biologic mechanisms of these adverse events. Dr. Cappelli co-chairs the Immune-related Toxicity Team at Johns Hopkins. She also leads the Rheumatic Immune Related Adverse Events Program in the Division of Rheumatology. In addition, she studies rheumatoid arthritis, focusing on patients with seronegative disease and on the use of autoantibodies as biomarkers.

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April is just around the corner, and so is the State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium (SOTA) 2024! This week, we welcome Sobia Hassan, MD, MRCP, RhMSUS, Chair of the SOTA Planning Group and Ibtissam Gad, MD, Chair of the Fellows in Training subcommittee. We discuss the topics and speakers chosen for SOTA and how they were selected, some highlights including discussions on CAR T cells, CPPD, and Check Point Inhibitors, what’s in store for our fellows in training and how our listeners can get involved.
See more information and register for SOTA

Sobia Hassan, MD, MRCP, RhMSUS – Sobia Hassan MD, MRCP, RhMSUS, is an associate professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at RUSH University Medical College, Chicago. Hassan is a graduate of the University of Nottingham (UK) and has completed residencies in both the UK and at St. Luke's Roosevelt Hospital in NY. She completed her rheumatology fellowship at Case Western Reserve University, MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland. She has been an academic rheumatologist at RUSH University since 2016 and has a special interest in musculoskeletal ultrasonography.

Hassan has served on several American College of Rheumatology committees including the Committee on Education and the CME Oversight Subcommittee. She is currently the chair of the State-of-the-Art Meeting Planning Group.

Ibtissam Gad, MD – Ibtissam Gad, MD, prioritizes exceptional patient care and is dedicated to medical education. She completed the Baccalaureate/MD Accelerated Program at the University of Toledo and the University of Toledo College of Medicine. Her internal medicine training, including the Leadership in Medical Education Track, was at University Hospitals/Case Western. As a Clinical Assistant Professor at Case Western Medical School, Dr. Gad actively employed innovative and active learning techniques in medical school education.

She pursued a fellowship in adult rheumatology at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, where she focused on creating a comprehensive rheumatology curriculum for internal medicine residents. She is actively involved in the American College of Rheumatology and has served in various capacities within the organization and is currently Chair of the Fellows in Training (FIT) Subcommittee.

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Join us this week for an insightful and encouraging discussion with Jennifer Mandal, MD, and Wendy Grant, MD, founders of The Rheumatology Access Expansion Initiative (RAE). RAE is a project designed to support the Navajo Nation, an underserved community with respect to rheumatic disease. Our guests explain how leveraging the established educational model, Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO), was used to remotely train PCPs among the Navajo in the diagnosis and evidence-based treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Jennifer Mandal, MD – Jennifer Mandal, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at the University of California San Francisco. In her clinical work, she serves a diverse population of vulnerable rheumatology patients at San Francisco’s safety net hospital, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital. Her scholarship focuses on medical education, health equity, and improving access to rheumatology care. She is the Director of the Rheumatology Access Expansion (RAE) Initiative, a program dedicated to supporting people living with rheumatic diseases in communities with little access to rheumatology providers, through novel education programs for primary care providers and community health representatives. She is also the UCSF School of Medicine Lead for Interprofessional Education, the Director of Evaluation for the UCSF Rheumatology Fellowship Program, and the recipient of the Ira M. Goldstein Award for Outstanding Teaching in Rheumatology.

Gwendolyn Grant, MD – Wendy Grant, MD, is a practicing rheumatologist in southwest Colorado. Her rural, hospital-based practice has grown to include two rheumatologists and a rheumatology PA who collectively provide rheumatology care to a large area of southwest Colorado, northwest New Mexico, and southeast Utah. She also provides rheumatology consultations to patients on the Navajo reservation in Red Mesa, AZ, and on the Ute Mountains Ute reservation in Towaoc, CO. She has been committed to expanding access to quality RA care for the Navajo community and other tribal and rural communities of the southwest since 2005.

Related Links:

• The Rheumatology Access Expansion Initiative (RAE)

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Kicking off a new series in conjunction with the Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP), we’re spending time with professionals in the field of rheumatology that can, and do, much for our patients. The focus of this episode centers on the occupational therapist (OT).

But how much do we know of our colleagues and their contributions toward our patients? What exactly does an occupational therapist do, with our referrals in hand? We caught up with the founder of Arthritis Life and host of the Arthritis Life podcast, Cheryl Crow, OT, to answer these questions and more. Cheryl explains to us what happens at an OT visit, what sorts of patients should see an OT, how to manage pain from exercise, as well as sharing her favorite life hacks and her personal journey from patient to advocate.

Cheryl Crow, OT – Cheryl Crow, OT, is a fierce advocate for meeting the full picture of patients’ needs beyond joint pain. After living with rheumatoid arthritis for over a decade and becoming an occupational therapist, Cheryl founded the podcast Arthritis Life with the mission of educating, empowering, and supporting people with arthritis.

Cheryl is known for her entertaining yet educational videos featuring arthritis life hacks, product demonstrations, and insights into the psychosocial aspects of life with invisible chronic illness. She created and hosts the Arthritis Life podcast and runs the online self-management course and support group Rheum to THRIVE, where she helps people adjust to their conditions and live full and meaningful lives.

Related Links:

• Arthritis Life (podcast)
• Rheum to THRIVE (self-management course/support group)

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