ACR on Air Podcast
ACR on Air seeks to have informative conversations rheumatology professionals want to hear – ranging in topic from trends in clinical practice, to issues affecting rheumatology professionals, and the changing landscape of the rheumatology field. Tune in bi-weekly for new interviews and commentary that are sure to empower listeners to excel in their specialty.
Podcast Host
Our host, Jonathan Hausmann, MD, is a pediatric and adult rheumatologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Boston Children’s Hospital. He is also an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. His research interests include autoinflammatory diseases, health technology, and medical education. Connect with Dr. Hausmann on Twitter (@hausmannMD).
Episodes
New episodes will be available twice a month on Tuesdays.
Episode 115 – The Evaluation and Management of Osteoporosis
Episode 114 – Degos Disease
Episode 113 – Partnering With Your Pharmacist
Episode 112 – Cognitive Dysfunction in Inflammatory Arthritis
ACR Convergence – Assessing and Addressing Grief and Depression Utilizing Lifestyle Medicine
Browse previous episodes in the ACR on Air archive.
Episode Show Notes
In this episode, our expert guest challenges a common assumption by explaining why the T-score—despite being central to osteoporosis diagnosis—is surprisingly easy to misinterpret. He walks us through how to read a DEXA scan like a detective, highlighting subtle clues that can dramatically improve diagnostic accuracy for your patients. Once osteoporosis is identified, the conversation turns to clinical decision-making: how to choose between anabolic agents, denosumab, and bisphosphonates, and why that choice depends on thoughtful risk stratification and patient-specific comorbidities. We also dive into the often-overlooked importance of sequencing osteoporosis medications correctly, including a compelling discussion on why starting with an anabolic agent may offer greater long-term benefits than reserving it as a last-line option.
S. Bobo Tanner, MD – LS. Bobo Tanner, MD, graduated cum laude from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with a BA in History and Science, and received his medical degree with honors from Bowman Gray Medical School of Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
He completed his residency and ABIM Board Certification in Internal Medicine at the Vanderbilt University Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee, and completed fellowships and board certification in Rheumatology and in Allergy/Immunology.
Dr. Tanner has served as Registrar of the Department of Rheumatology at the Royal Free Hospital, London, England where he participated in Scleroderma studies.
His current position at Vanderbilt University is an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology and the Division of Allergy and Immunology.
He founded and is the Director of the Vanderbilt Osteoporosis Clinic, where he sees patients with a variety of metabolic bone diseases and works with 3 nurse practitioners to provide daily clinical activities in bone health.
His research is a collaborative effort with Orthopaedic Surgery and Radiology Imaging to develop better ways to evaluate bone health. He is a past president and board member of the International Society for Clinical Densitometry (ISCD) where he teaches the Quality Bone Density course and helps develops professional guidelines for the use and reporting of DXA. He was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Irish Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry Society in 2024 and the Paul Miller MD Educator of the Year Award at the Santa Fe Bone Symposium, 24th Annual Meeting in 2024.
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In this episode, we explore malignant atrophic papulosis—also known as Degos disease—an extraordinarily rare microvascular disorder so uncommon that most clinicians will never see a single case. For decades, medical literature labeled it “uniformly fatal.” Our guest, Lee Shapiro, MD, encountered this reality when he began treating a rapidly deteriorating 16-year-old boy with no clear treatment path. Driven by urgency, he reached out to experts across the country, slowly piecing together clues that ultimately led to the first successful treatment of systemic Degos disease. Today, Dr. Shapiro is a leading advocate for patients, connecting a global community, promoting early recognition, and working tirelessly to expand access to life-saving therapies.
Learn more at The Degos Disease Foundation.
Lee Schulman Shapiro, MD – Lee Schulman Shapiro, MD, is a distinguished rheumatologist recognized for more than four decades of clinical care, research, and leadership in systemic sclerosis and Degos disease. Dr. Shapiro earned his BA magna cum laude in 1973 and his MD from Columbia University in 1977 before completing internal medicine training and a rheumatology fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh under Dr. Gerald Rodnan. Dr. Shapiro spent his career practicing and teaching in New York’s Capital Region, serving on the rheumatology staff of St. Peter’s Hospital, Albany Medical Center, and Saratoga Hospital, and ultimately becoming Professor of Medicine (Emeritus) at Albany Medical College and Director of its Scleroderma Clinic. A fellow of the American College of Rheumatology and American College of Physicians, he has authored numerous influential publications on systemic sclerosis, pulmonary hypertension, and Degos disease. He founded and serves as Chief Medical Officer of both the Ann Steffens Scleroderma Research Foundation and the Degos Disease Foundation, advancing clinical research and patient advocacy internationally. Widely honored—including the Scleroderma Foundation’s Distinguished Physician Lifetime Achievement Award and repeated Castle Connolly “Best Doctor” recognitions—Dr. Shapiro is regarded as a leading voice in rare disease research, interdisciplinary education, and compassionate patient-centered care.
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Once the prescription is written, pharmacists like Katherine McCarthy, PharmD, BCACP, step in—often becoming the steady guide patients rely on throughout their health journey. Specializing in the care of people with rheumatic diseases, Katherine tackles insurance barriers, supports patients through biosimilar transitions, and helps demystify complex medication regimens. Her work underscores just how pivotal pharmacists are in driving better outcomes in rheumatology.
Katherine McCarthy, PharmD, BCACP – Kate McCarthy, PharmD, BCACP, is a clinical pharmacist at the University of Rochester Medical Center. She completed her studies at Cornell University and pharmacy degree at Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, followed by an ambulatory care residency at the University of Rochester community pharmacy program. She serves both pediatric and adult rheumatology patients from the University of Rochester Specialty Pharmacy to help improve medication access, education, and engagement. Through collaborative drug therapy management, she helps guide medication therapy and adherence to biologic treatment.
She continues to expand pharmacist interest, education, and involvement in rheumatology as a resident preceptor, research mentor and board member, as well as authored various chapters within rheumatology textbooks, pharmacist continuing education in rheumatology, and ACR Medication Guides. She enjoys interprofessional collaboration with the ACR Practice Committee and multi-site collaboration and research with health-system specialty pharmacies nationally.
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This episode explores the evolving intersection of rheumatology and cognitive science, beginning with what initially drew researchers to investigate cognitive symptoms in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). We discuss the prevalence and nature of patient-reported cognitive concerns, how these subjective complaints compare with objective neurocognitive testing, and what current studies reveal underlying inflammatory and neurobiological mechanisms. The conversation examines the cognitive effects of commonly used RA therapies, as well as modifiable contributors—including physical activity, sleep apnea, diet, and stress—that clinicians should assess in routine practice. We also consider when formal neuropsychological evaluation is warranted, how to counsel patients seeking to prevent cognitive decline, and the most pressing unanswered questions that remain in the field.
Patricia Katz, PhD – Patricia Katz, PhD, is Professor of Medicine and Health Policy at UCSF. She is a past Editor-in-Chief of Arthritis Care & Research and the current co-Editor-in-Chief of ACR Open Rheumatology. She has edited 3 volumes of Arthritis Care & Research in which outcome measures for rheumatology were reviewed, the most recent published in 2020. She received the ARHP Distinguished Scholar Award in 1997, the STAR Award in 2005, the ARHP Presidential Award in 2003 and 2010, the ARHP Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015, and ACR Excellence in Investigative Mentoring Award in 2019.
Her research has followed three main paths, studying the measurement of patient-centered outcomes, mental health issues in rheumatic diseases, and the impact of “lifestyle” factors such sleep, stress, and physical activity on clinical and patient-centered outcomes. She has authored more than 300 publications and has received grants from a variety of sources including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Department of Defense Lupus Program, and the Rheumatology Research Foundation (RRF). Most recently, she led the working group that made recommendations for the SLE patient-reported outcome quality measure, and she is working with the Lupus Research Alliance/Lupus ABC to foster greater integration of patient-reported outcomes into lupus clinical trials.
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In this episode, we explore what happens when clinicians look beyond the prescription pad and begin listening more deeply to what their patients have lost. This isn’t a conversation about rejecting medications but about expanding the tools we use to foster healing. We discuss the concept of disenfranchised grief—the often-unspoken losses that accompany chronic illness—the intricate links between depression and inflammation, and the transformative power of helping patients heal in ways that no pill alone can achieve.
This episode was sponsored by Pfizer.
Barbara Slusher, MSW, PA-C, DFAAPA – Barbara Slusher, MSW, PA-C, DFAAPA, is a Physician Associate with Hope Health, a federally qualified health center serving rural communities in Manning, South Carolina. She earned her PA degree from the University of North Texas Health Science Center, College of Osteopathic Medicine, and holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore.
Barbara integrates her background in social work with her medical training to provide whole-person care, recognizing that true health encompasses mental, emotional, and physical wellness. Her clinical career spans oncology, allergy/immunology, and rheumatology, with more than 19 years dedicated to improving the lives of patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. In 2024, she became board certified in Lifestyle Medicine, underscoring her commitment to incorporating evidence-based lifestyle approaches into the management of chronic rheumatic disease.
She is a Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (DFAAPA) and an active volunteer and past executive leader with the Association of Rheumatology Professionals. Barbara is passionate about servant leadership and remains dedicated to advancing both individual and community health.
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