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ACR on Air Podcast

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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

Jonathan Hausmann, MD

Our host, Jonathan Hausmann, MD, is a pediatric and adult rheumatologist at Massachusetts General 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 54 – Relapsing Polychondritis (RP)

Episode 53 – Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition (CPPD)

Episode 52 – ACR Workforce Solutions

Episode 51 – Gout

Episode 50 – In Practice: Tech Solutions

Browse previous episodes in the ACR on Air archive.

Episode Show Notes

Join us this week for a very special episode, that is just as much a personal story as it is an educational discussion. Jonathan Hausmann, MD, discusses a vasculitis disease that affects cartilage, particularly around the ears, nose, joints, eyes, and throat, known as Relapsing Polychondritis (RP). Our guest, Marcela Ferrada, MD, is board certified in internal medicine, critical care, infectious diseases, and rheumatology. Dr. Ferrada is an expert in the research, diagnosis, and clinical treatment of RP and is a world-renowned leader in its subject. Dr. Ferrada also lives with the disease, as she was diagnosed with RP in 2015. Her inspiring story of hard work and dedication through adversity truly sets the stage for this educational and informative episode about a very rare disease.

Marcela Ferrada, MD

Marcela Ferrada, MD – Marcela Ferrada, MD, is board certified in internal medicine, critical care, infectious diseases, and rheumatology. She is a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha honor medical society at the University of Miami. She is the recipient of several awards, including the ACR’s Distinguished Fellow Award in 2018, the Outstanding Research Award from the Rheumatism Society of the District of Columbia in 2018, the Lawrence Shulman Scholar Award in 2019, and the NIH Director's Award in 2021.

Dr. Ferrada has been pivotal in recruiting and evaluating patients on the first available prospective cohort of patients with RP at the NIH and has become a world leader in the field. She has given several grand rounds in academic institutions and international meetings about RP.

In 2015, Dr. Ferrada was diagnosed with RP, a rare autoimmune rheumatic disorder, and changed her career focus to studying the condition. She completed a rheumatology fellowship at the NIH’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases.

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Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition (CPPD) – is one of the most common inflammatory arthritis in the world, and yet, it doesn’t receive the recognition it deserves. Our discussion features everything you’ve ever wanted to know about this disease. We review the basics, diagnosis through arthrocentesis and various imaging studies, creating classification criteria for CPPD, treating both the acute and chronic manifestations of CPPD as well as all the questions that remained unanswered.

Sara Tedeschi, MD, MPH

Sara Tedeschi, MD, MPH – Sara Tedeschi, MD, MPH, is a rheumatologist and clinical investigator at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. After receiving her medical degree from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, she completed her internal medicine residency and rheumatology fellowship training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where she serves as Head of Crystalline Arthritis Diseases and is Rheumatology Director of the Giant Cell Arteritis Fast Track Clinic. She receives grant support from NIH-NIAMS to study calcium pyrophosphate crystal deposition disease (CPPD) epidemiology and imaging. Dr. Tedeschi serves on the ACR Committee on Quality of Care, the ACR/EULAR CPPD Classification Criteria steering committee, and is section editor for Current Opinion in Rheumatology - Crystal Deposition Diseases.

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This week we discuss a pressing issue facing healthcare in the United States – the shortage of rheumatologists nationwide. With millions of Americans suffering from rheumatic diseases, the demand for specialized care has never been greater. Meanwhile, the supply of rheumatologists has not kept pace with this demand, leaving many patients struggling to access the care they need. Today, we are joined by Daniel Battafarano, DO, chair of the ACR Workforce Solutions Steering Committee and one of the lead authors of the 2015 ACR Workforce Study, whose aim was to understand this very topic. We explore the root causes of this shortage, its impact on patient care, and potential solutions for addressing this critical issue.

Daniel Battafarano, DO
Daniel Battafarano, DO - Daniel Battafarano, DO, currently serves as Chair, ACR Workforce Solutions Committee and on the ARP Nominations and Membership Committee. Dr. Battafarano served 36 years of total U.S. government service; 21 years on active duty with the U.S. Army, retiring at the rank of Colonel followed by 15 years as civilian Chairman and Professor of Medicine for the Rheumatology Service at San Antonio Military Medical Center (SAMMC).

He has served in multiple graduate medical education (GME) leadership roles, including program director for the transitional year and rheumatology fellowship, research director for the internal medicine residency and the rheumatology fellowship, Deputy Director for GME for the U.S. Army, Associate Dean for GME at SAMMC, and Associate Dean for TRISERVICE Allied Health Programs at Fort Sam Houston. He established the South Texas ACP Associates Resident Research Meeting in 1993 which is still ongoing. In 1998, he was Director of Curriculum redesign for the U.S. Army Medic training program, which has saved innumerable lives and limbs since 2000. The Colonel Daniel F. Battafarano Education Conference room at SAMMC was dedicated in honor of his many contributions to medical education.

His clinical research has focused primarily on RA, drug side-effects, GME, and the rheumatology workforce. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, nonindexed publications, indexed abstracts, and interviews.

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Gout, despite being one of the most well-known and recognizable rheumatic diseases, still has large populations of people struggling with its management, as they do not receive urate-lowering treatment, even when they qualify. Of those who receive this treatment, only a small percentage reach their target urate goal. To shed some light on this, we’ve invited Nicola Dalbeth, MBChB, MD, FRACP, FRSNZ, a Specialist Rheumatologist, who leads research on the mechanisms, impact, and treatment of gout. We discuss treatment efficacy, the disparities, myths and barriers to them, diagnosis, and strategies regarding management of gout.

Nicola Dalbeth, MBChB, MD, FRACP, FRSNZ
Nicola Dalbeth, MBChB, MD, FRACP, FRSNZ – Nicola Dalbeth, MBChB, MD, FRACP, FRSNZ is a Specialist Rheumatologist and Professor of Medicine from Auckland, New Zealand. She leads a research programme focusing on the mechanisms, impact, and treatment of gout. She has been principal investigator of trials for novel therapeutic agents and treatment strategies in gout and has led international initiatives to define central concepts of the disease, including nomenclature, staging, and response to treatment. She was a member of the core oversight team for the 2020 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) Gout Management Guidelines, and a steering committee member on the 2015 ACR/European League Against Rheumatism gout classification project.

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Founder of Attune Health and Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at The David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, is our guest today. We discuss innovative tech solutions designed to keep you—the clinician—working smarter, not harder. Dr. Venuturupalli explains some of his favorite tech adoptions in his practice, such as use of VR, AI, social media, and other software designed to increase efficiency and productivity in a field desperately searching for more hands to heal and assist an ever-growing patient load.

Swamy Venuturupalli, MD
Swamy Venuturupalli, MD - Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, founder of Attune Health, is an innovative clinician and researcher in the field of rheumatology. Dr. Venuturupalli has dedicated himself to taking care of patients and conducting research that aims to find cures for rheumatic diseases. During his career, he has been involved in over 150 clinical trials of cutting-edge therapies for illnesses such as inflammatory muscle disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases. Dr. Venuturupalli is a sought-after teacher and is a core faculty member of the Cedars-Sinai Rheumatology fellowship program. He holds the title of Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. His current research efforts are focused on using technology, diet, and lifestyle to help patients with autoimmune diseases. Dr. Venuturupalli has held numerous prestigious positions, including secretary, treasurer, and president of the Southern California Rheumatology Society, Clinical Chief of the Division of Rheumatology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

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