Committees

The Collaborative Initiatives Special Committee shall concern itself with strategic, collaborative activities including piloting innovative projects that support the ACR mission, and advancing health equity. The committee shall review and make recommendations regarding partnerships and funding opportunities to advance these aims. The committee will organize and establish such subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2–3 meetings per volunteer year (one is typically held in conjunction with the ACR Leadership Development Conference; one to be held in conjunction with ACR Convergence)
• 3–5 conference calls per volunteer year
• 30–50 hours spent on outside work per volunteer year

Committee Roster

Chair: Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman, MD, Chicago, IL (2023)
Charmayne Marie Dunlop-Thomas, MPH, MS, Atlanta, GA (2025)
Melissa Flores, MPH, MSW, New York, NY (2024)
Elizabeth Frame, MD, Los Angeles, CA (2024)
Sarfaraz Ahmed Hasni, MD, MSc, Bethesda, MD (2025)
Vagishwari Murugesan, MBBS, Toronto, Ontario (2023)
Noelle A. Rolle, MBBS, Augusta, GA (2023)
Lauren Smith, MD, District Heights, MD (2025)
Jeffrey Sparks, MD, MSc, Boston, MA (2024)
Tracey Wright, MD, Plano, TX (2023)
Saira Sheikh, MD, Chapel Hill, NC (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Starla Blanks

The Committee on Communications and Marketing helps shape strategic internal and external communications and related activities through involvement in a broad variety of ongoing and special projects in the areas of public relations, media relations, patient education, content development, and technology, among others. Additionally, the Committee oversees and reviews advertising policies and opportunities. The group may also organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as deemed necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 1–2 meetings per volunteer year (may be virtual)
• 4–6 conference calls per volunteer year
• 30–50 hours spent on outside work per volunteer year
• The committee does a fair amount of time-sensitive work via email, requiring that members be extremely responsive and able to work under short timeframes.

Committee Roster

Chair: Mohammad A. Ursani, MD, Spring, TX (2024)
Lisa Carnago, FNP, Chapel Hill, NC (2024)
Karmela Chan, MD, New York, NY (2025)
Cheryl Crow, OT, Kirkland, WA (2023)
Kristen Lee, MD, New York, NY (2023)
Kanika Monga, MD, Houston, TX (2023)
Bhakti Shah, MD, Middleton, NY (2024)
David Waldburg, MD, Decatur, GA (2023)
Kiren Sahni, DO, FACR, Rumson, NJ (2024)
Howard Yang, MD, Santa Monica, CA (2025)
Sam Lim, MD, MPH, Atlanta, GA (2023) (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Susan Case

Subject to the direction and control of the Board of Directors, the Committee on Corporate Relations shall serve as the initial clearinghouse to ensure alignment with ACR Guiding Principles and to avoid overlap with other projects for all College-wide corporate initiatives, and concern itself with overseeing and vetting the procedures related to negotiation and acceptance of all external corporate funding, including the ACR exhibit hall, corporate requests for collaboration, inquiries, and project proposals; develop, review and enforce policies on matters that involve external corporate funding and third-party events held during official ACR meetings; and organize and establish such subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and the Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 1 meeting per volunteer year (generally in May)
• 2–4 conference calls per volunteer year (depending on the issues)
• Much of the committee's work is just before ACR Convergence

Committee Roster

Chair: Hermine Brunner, MBA, MD, MSc, Cincinnati, OH (2025)
Anca Askanase, MD, MPH, New York, NY (2023)
Jody Hargrove, MD, Edina, MN (2025)
Nitasha Khullar, MD, Turlock, CA (2024)
Shereen Nesha Mahmood, MD, New York, NY (2023)
Chinenye Osuorji, MD, Bronx, NY (2023)
Karina Torralba, MD, Redlands, CA (2023)
Jennifer Trizuto, DPT, San Mateo, CA (2024)
Steven C. Vlad, MD, PhD, Boston, MA (2025)
Tamar Rubinstein, MD, MS, White Plains, NY (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Amy Beith Miller

The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Committee shall concern itself with advancing ACR’s strategic goal of embedding DEI best practices in the College’s policies, processes and programs. This committee will provide insights, advice and recommendations to facilitate DEI integration in peer committee processes and programs; collaborate with peer committees on DEI messaging, education, training and forum development strategy; advise senior leadership on prioritization and resource allocation for DEI initiatives; collaborate with peer committees on DEI data collection and progress reporting; and direct the communication plan regarding the College’s DEI commitment and progress.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 3–4 meetings (at least one in-person typically held in conjunction with ACR Convergence)
• 2–3 conference calls per volunteer year, as needed
• 25–35 hours of outside work per volunteer year

Staff Contact: Michele Andwele

The Division Director Committee shall concern itself with advancing academic rheumatology, and thereby rheumatology as a whole, through support of clinical care, research, education and advocacy. The Committee shall serve as a resource to the ACR on matters related to academic rheumatology; shall identify best practices for structuring academic adult and pediatric rheumatology divisions; shall update, analyze, and disseminate data related to divisions, including the state of faculty, trainees and leadership in academic divisions of rheumatology on an annual basis; shall develop rheumatology mentoring programs and resources; shall provide a community for division directors within ACR with an annual communications plan; and shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year (generally in-person in conjunction with ACR Convergence and the Division Directors Conference)
• Approximately 2–3 virtual calls, approximately 2-3 hours in duration per volunteer year
• 2–10 hours spent on outside work prior to each meeting, depending on committee assignments

Committee Roster

Chair: Jim Oates, MD, Charleston, SC (2024)
Saud Abaalkhail, MD, Miami, FL (2023)
Seth Mark Berney, MD, Little Rock, AR (2024)
Anna Broder, MD, MSc, Hackensack, NJ (2025)
Christina Charles-Schoeman, MD, MS, Santa Monica, CA (2024)
Randy Cron, MD, PhD, Birmingham, AL (2025)
Eyal Muscal, MD, MS, Houston, TX (2025)
Debendra Pattanaik, MD, Memphis, TN (2025)
Anthony M. Reginato, MD, PhD, Providence, RI (2024)
Natasha Ruth, MD, MS, Charleston, SC (2024)
Jane Kang, MD, MS, New York, NY (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Lisa Fatheree

The ACR Committee on Education shall concern itself with policies and/or guidelines for programs on continuing medical education (CME) in rheumatology and professional education products for specialists and primary care physicians at the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate levels; shall oversee the development and provide final approval for any meetings or programs for which CME credit is granted by the ACR; shall oversee the development of any educational products or materials which will bear the ACR name; and shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year (generally in January and July/August)
• 2–3 conference calls per volunteer year
• 5–25 hours spent on outside work per volunteer year (depending on the issues)
• Preferred meeting day is Saturday, typically in Atlanta.

Subcommittees

• Abstract Oversight Subcommittee
• Abstract Selection Subcommittee
• Annual Meeting Planning Committee
• CME Oversight Subcommittee
• Education Partner Program Subcommittee
• Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Planning Group
• Pediatric Rheumatology Symposium Planning Committee
• Professional Meetings Committee
• State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium Planning Group
• Winter Rheumatology Symposium Planning Committee
• Image Library Subcommittee
• Continuous Assessment Review and Evaluation (CARE) Development Group
• Continuous Professional Development Subcommittee

Committee Roster

Chair: Rebecca Manno, MD, MHS, St. Thomas, USVI (2024)
Jammie Barnes, MD, Kerrville, TX (2024)
Adena Batterman, MSW, Harrington Park, NJ (2024)
Vinicius Domingues, MD, Daytona beach, FL (2024)
Sarah Donohue, MD, Madison, WI (2023)
Angelo Gaffo, MD, Birmingham, AL (2025)
Laura Geraldino-Pardilla, MD, MSc, New York, NY (2024)
Sandy Hong, MD, MS, Iowa City, IA (2025)
Sonam Kiwalkar, MD, Portland, OR (2023)
Sharon Kolasinski, MD, Philadephia, PA (2023)
Eli Miloslavsky, MD, Newton, MA (2025)
Anthony M. Reginato, MD, PhD, Providence, RI (2023)
Daniel White, PT, ScD, Newark, DE (2025)
Sean Fahey, MD, Mooresville, NC (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Dawn McEvoy

The Committee on Ethics and Conflict of Interest shall concern itself with reviewing and making recommendations regarding the ethics and professionalism of the College, its officers, directors, and members; shall address and respond to questions of conflict of interest; shall be responsible for reviewing and, from time to time, proposing modifications to the Code of Ethics and Disclosure Policy and Statement; shall review charges alleging professional misconduct by members; shall respond to requests from the Board of Directors for guidance and recommendations on matters involving ethics and conflict of interest; shall, from time to time, develop information to educate the membership concerning the Code of Ethics and conflict of interest issues and shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and the Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year (generally in December/January and in conjunction with ACR Convergence)
• 1–2 conference calls per volunteer year
• Members are "on call" for issues that arise requiring that members be extremely responsive and able to work under short time frames

Committee Roster

Chair: Anne R Bass, MD, New York, NY (2025)
Richard Allman, MD, Villanova, PA (2024)
Erdal Diri, MD, Minot, ND (2025)
Karen Ferguson, MS, Colbert, WA (2024)
Yvonne Golightly, MS, PhD, PT, Omaha, NE (2023)
Lee Douglas Graham, MD, Kailua-Kona, HI (2023)
Charis Meng, MD, New York, NY (2024)
Kabita Nanda, MD, Seattle, WA (2025)
James S Topilow, MD, Short Hills, NJ (2023)
Margaret Tsai, MD, Kent, OH (2023)
Deborah Parks, MD, St. Louis, MO (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Stephanie Graham

The Committee on Finance is responsible for monitoring the financial policies, investments and expenditures of the ACR and Foundation; making recommendations for, and assisting in, the development of financial resources needed to carry out the programs of the ACR and Foundation; reviewing and approving the budgets developed by all ACR and Foundation; reviewing and approving the financial audits of the ACR and Foundation; organizing and establishing subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objective; monitoring not-for profit issues of concern to the ACR and the Foundation.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year (generally in late April/early May and in late September/early October, preferred meeting day is Monday)
• 8–12 hours spent on outside work

Committee Roster

Chair: Zsuzsanna McMahan, MD, MHS, Lutherville, MD (2025)
Becki Cleveland, PhD, Chapel Hill, NC (2025)
Rashmi Dhital, MD, San Diego, CA (2023)
Anna Lawrence, MBA, MS, Lawrenceville, GA (2023)
Bonita Libman, MD, Burlington, VT (2025)
Jay Mehta, MD, Philadelphia, PA (2025)
Timothy B. Niewold, MD, New York, NY (2023)
Christine Stamatos, ANP-C, DNP, Cold Spring Harbor, NY (2025)
Sangeeta Sule, MD, PhD, Washington, DC (2023)
Zachary Wallace, MD, MSc, Newton, MA (2024)
Kelly Weselman, MD, Sandy Springs, GA (2024)
Carol Langford, MD, MHS, Moreland Hills, OH, ACR Treasurer
Elizabeth Blair Solow, MD, MSc, Dallas, TX (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Colleen Merkel

The Global Engagement Committee shall concern itself with strategic, collaborative activities promoting productive interactions between the ACR and its international members and constituents. The Committee shall review and make recommendations regarding global collaborations and opportunities focusing on education, training, research, and volunteering. The Committee shall coordinate with various ACR and ARP committees on all products and programs with a global reach. The Committee will organize and establish such subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Roster

Chair: Evelyn Hsieh, MD, PhD, Westport, CT (2023)
Joad Eseddi, MD, Dallas, TX (2023)
Rebecca Grainger, MBChB, PhD, Wellington (2024)
Laura B. Lewandowski, MD, Bethesda, MD (2023)
Javaneh Lyons, MD, MSc, Anchorage, AZ (2024)
Ryan Massay, MBBS, Ann Arbor, MI (2024)
Sebastian Eduardo Sattui, MD, MS, Pittsburgh, PA (2025)
Naomi Schlesinger, MD, Salt Lake City, UT (2024)
Eric Matteson, MD, MPH, Rochester, MN (Invited Guest)
Andrew Laster, MD, Charlotte, NC (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Jennifer Eastin

The Committee on Government Affairs shall concern itself with developing effective liaisons with governmental and nongovernmental research support agencies; shall establish effective liaisons with congressional members and staff; shall establish effective liaison with organizations concerned with public policy aspects of health-care delivery and health-care financing; shall monitor not-for-profit issues of concern to the College and shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year (generally in conjunction with Advocacy Leadership Conference in May and with Advocates for Arthritis in September)
• Monthly conference calls (second Wednesday of the month)
• Periodic work on one-page position papers in groups

Committee Roster

Chair: Christina Downey, MD, Redlands, CA (2025)
Bibi Ayesha, MD, Metuchen, NJ (2025)
Belinda Birnbaum, MD, Bryn Mawr, PA (2024)
Julie Campbell, MD, Seattle, WA (2023)
Adela Castro, MD, Dalton, GA (2025)
Eric Dein, MD, Jersey City, NJ (2024)
Robert Francis Starosta, MBA, Edina, MN (2025)
Brenda Lee Frie, OT, Rogers, MN (2023)
Lesley Jackson, MD, Birmingham, AL (2025)
Mohammad Kamran, MD, Marietta, GA (2023)
Victoria Merrell, MPT, PA-C, Encinitas, CA (2024)
Alireza Meysami, MD, Detroit, MI (2024)
Donald R. Miller, PharmD, Fargo, ND (2024)
Karla Otero-Vo, FNP-C, Santa Clarita, CA (2024)
Laura R. Pratt, MD, Omaha, NE (2023)
Andre Smith, BSc, Panama City Beach, FL (2025)
Grant Syverson, MD, Fargo, ND (2023)
Howard Blumstein, MD, Mount Sinai, NY (Invited Guest)
Hermine Brunner, MD, MSc, MBA, Cincinnati, OH (Invited Guest)
Namrata Singh, MD, MSc, Bellevue, WA (Invited Guest)
Louisa Ziglar, MD, Rockville, MD (Invited Guest)
Amanda Myers, CCD, MD, Wilmette, IL (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Adam Cooper

The Committee on Journal Publications shall concern itself with overseeing the operations of the ACR's three peer-reviewed journals, Arthritis & Rheumatology, Arthritis Care & Research, and ACR Open Rheumatology, including monitoring relations with and the performance of the journals' common publishers, developing and reviewing policies on matters that affect all the journals, and reporting to the ACR Board of Directors on behalf of the journals.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2–3 meetings per volunteer year (one is typically held in conjunction with ACR Convergence)
• 3 conference calls per volunteer year (on average)
• 12 hours spent on outside work (on average)
• Members have typically been involved with the journal as authors and/or reviewers, with representation from both the clinical and basic sciences.

Committee Roster

Chair: Amr Sawalha, MD, Pittsburgh, PA (2024)
Susan Boackle, MD, Denver, CO (2024)
Aileen Davis, PhD, Toronto (2024)
Daniel Horton, MD, New Brunswick, NJ (2025)
Bharat Kumar, MD, Iowa City, Iowa (2024)
Brandon Law, MD, Baltimore, MD (2025)
Michelle Ormseth, MD, Nashville, TN (2023)
Suraj Rajasimhan, PharmD, Wilmington, DE (2025)
Daniel H. Solomon, MD, MPH, Boston, MA (Editor of A&R)
Kelli D. Allen, PhD, Durham, NC (Editor of AC&R)
Patricia Katz, PhD, San Francisco, CA (Co-Editor of ACROR)
Edward Yelin, PhD, San Francisco, CA (Co-Editor of ACROR)
S. Sam Lim, MD, PhD, Atlanta, GA (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Kimberly Murphy

The ACR Membership and Awards Committee shall oversee membership and promote the annual awards program and make nominations for the Awards of Distinction, ACR Masters and Distinguished Fellows.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 1–2 meetings per volunteer year
• 15+ hours before the meeting to extensively review applications

Committee Roster

Co-Chair: Deborah Dyett Desir, MD, Woodbridge, CT (2023)
Co-Chair: Aileen Ledingham, MS, PhD, PT, Waltham, MA (2023)
Linda Ehrlich-Jones, PhD, RN, Aurora, IL (2025)
Heather Finlayson, PA-C, Littleton, CO (2025)
Prateek Gandiga, MD, Decatur, GA (2023)
Alexei A. Grom, MD, Cincinnati, OH (2024)
Ryan Jessee, MD, Cary, NC (2024)
Christopher Richard Morris, MD, Kingsport, TN (2024)
Linda Rodamaker, NP, Denver, CO (2024)
Jane Salmon, MD, New York, NY (2023)
Philip Seo, MD, MHS, Baltimore, MD (2023)
Nora Singer, MD, Cleveland, OH (2024)

Staff Contact: Tami Brehm

Volunteers

Coming soon

Committee Description and Charge
The ACR Musculoskeletal Certification Program Oversight Committee shall have responsibility for the organization and implementation of the ACR Musculoskeletal Certification Program. The Committee shall:

• Develop, implement, and monitor program eligibility requirements
• Develop and implement certification policies and procedures
• Review and approve all examination items
• Develop and implement standards for recertification
• Review domains and tasks annually to ensure relevance/accuracy
• Review testing data and make recommendations for research studies

The Committee shall also select and appoint members of the Examination-Item Development Group, Examination Assembly and Review Group, Examination-Criterion Group, Job Analysis Group, and other groups and sub-committees as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives. All such appointments shall be subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• Participate in webinars, conference calls, and emails as needed
• 30–50 hours on outside work
• The committee does a fair amount of time-sensitive work via email, requiring that members be extremely responsive and able to work under short timeframes

Committee Eligibility Criteria Including Special Positions
The ACR Musculoskeletal Certification Program Oversight Committee will consist of five (5) members plus the Director, Certification, who will serve ex officio as a nonvoting member.

Initial appointments of Oversight Committee members are made by the ACR Board of Directors, as follows: One member will be appointed as Chair of the Oversight Committee; one member will be appointed as Chair of the Examination Group(s); two members will be appointed as at-large appointees, and the fifth member will be appointed as a representative of the public.

The term of office for Oversight Committee members will be four (4) years and staggered, with the opportunity to be re-appointed for one additional term.

The following expectations pertain to the nomination and appointment of all members of the Oversight Committee:

• All members of the Oversight Committee must strongly support the vision of the certification program and be committed to ensuring its successful implementation.
• Membership on the Oversight Committee is volunteer based.
• All appropriate stakeholders should be involved – candidates, certificants, patients, and the public, with due consideration to gender and all other facets of diversity, to the fullest extent possible.
• All members must sign a confidentiality agreement committing to strict confidence and not to use or disclose any confidential information.
• Five or more years as an educator or direct supervisor (does not apply to public member).

The following expectations pertain to the nomination and appointment of the public member of the Oversight Committee:

• The public member represents the direct and indirect users of certificants’ skills and/or services. Because this may be defined broadly, a rotating system for representation of various publics may be implemented over time.
• The public member may be a professional, but should not have similar credentials to certificants.
• The public member may be or have been a potential consumer of the certificants’ skills or services.
• The public member should also have experience with public advocacy.

Committee Member Conflict of Interest Policies
Members of the Oversight Committee have fiduciary responsibility for the certification of qualified individuals who meet its standards related to the performance of musculoskeletal ultrasound in their practice of rheumatology. The primary obligations are to stakeholders (e.g., patients, employers). In order for Oversight Committee members to ensure their decisions uphold these obligations, all Oversight Committee members will abide by the following requirements concerning conflict of Interest:

• Members whose primary employment is in commercial entities or health care insurance companies are not eligible to serve on the Oversight Committee.
• Members of the Oversight Committee must be free of conflict of interest relevant to the subject matter throughout the length of their term and for 12 months following the end of their term.
• Members of the Oversight Committee cannot serve as course directors or planning committee members for any CME granting musculoskeletal ultrasound instructional courses including ACR courses throughout the length of their term and for 12 months following the end of their term.*
• Members of any entity that provides training that fulfills RhMSUS Program eligibility criteria cannot serve on the Oversight Committee.
• Members cannot serve as members of the ACR Committee on Education or the ACR Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Planning Committee throughout the length of their term and for 12 months following the end of their term.

*The Chair of the Examination Group(s) cannot serve as faculty for any musculoskeletal ultrasound instructional course including CME and non-CME courses and ACR courses throughout the length of their term and for 12 months following the end of their term.

The Examination Group(s) will carry out the review and approval of all examination items on behalf of the Oversight Committee. Except for the Chair of the Examination Groups, members of the Oversight Committee shall not review the examination in its entirety or any individual questions unless their opinion regarding an individual question is specifically requested by the psychometric consultant, other committee leaders within RhMSUS, the ACR staff member for RhMSUS or the ACR board.

The Committee shall consider appeals from adverse determinations that an applicant does not meet the examination eligibility requirements; appeals alleging that the examination was administered in an unfair, arbitrary, or inaccurate manner; and appeals alleging failure to comply with the Program’s accreditation standards and procedures. Such as appeals shall be conducted according to procedures developed by the Program Oversight Committee and approved by the Board of Directors.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• Participate in webinars, conference calls, and emails as needed
• 10-30 hours on outside work
• Members are “on call” for issues that arise, requiring that members be extremely responsive and able to work under short timeframes

Staff Contact: Lawrence Cunningham

The ACR Committee on Nominations and Appointments shall make nominations for ACR Volunteer positions: Secretary/Treasurer, who will become President-Elect at the end of the Secretary/Treasurer term, then President in the following year; Members-at-Large of the Board of Directors of the ACR; Chairs and Members of ACR Committees; with the exception of the Committee on Nominations and Appointments.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 1 meeting per volunteer year (generally in July)
• 20+ hours before the meeting to extensively review applications

Committee Roster

Chair: Kenneth Saag, MD, MSc, Birmingham, AL (2023)
Shervin Assassi, MD, MS, Houston, TX (2023)
Elana Bernstein, MD, MSc, New York, NY (2024)
Hazel L. Breland, OT, PhD, North Charleston, SC (2023)
Ruth Fernandez-Ruiz, MD, MSc, New York, NY (2023)
Norman B. Gaylis, MD, Aventura, FL (2024)
Mileka Gilbert, MD, PhD, Charleston, SC (2024)
Stuart S. Kassan, MD, Lakewood, CO (2023)
Amanda Myers, CCD, MD, Wilmette, IL (2023)
Didem Saygin, MD, Pittsburgh, PA (2023)
Barbara Slusher, MSW, PA-C, Summerton, SC (2023)

Staff Contact: Stephanie Graham

The Committee on Pediatric Rheumatology shall concern itself with advancing pediatric rheumatology through the support of clinical care, research, education and advocacy. The Committee shall implement initiatives designed to improve the recruitment of pediatricians into the field of rheumatology; shall initiate or support the communication efforts to the ACR pediatric membership; shall support the practice needs of pediatric rheumatologists through contributions to activities of ACR standing committees, as needed; and shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year (one is typically held in conjunction with ACR Convergence)
• 2–3 conference calls per volunteer year

Subcommittees

• Pediatric Rheumatology Residents Program
• AMIGIO ACR/CARRA Mentoring Program

Committee Roster

Chair: Colleen Correll, MD, MPH, Minneapolis, MN (2024)
Nancy Delnay, APRN, MSN, Akron, OH (2024)
Anne Eberhard, MBBS, MSc, Lake Success, NY (2024)
Victoria Gennaro, CRNP, Birmingham, AL (2023)
Miriah Gillispie-Taylor, MD, Houston, TX (2025)
Deborah Levy, MD, MS, Toronto, Ontario (2024)
Suzanne Li, MD, PhD, West Orange, NJ (2023)
Ekemini Ogbu, MD, MSc, Cincinnati, OH (2023)
Vidya Sivaraman, MD, Columbus, OH (2024)
Cathy Tsin, MD, Redwood City, CA (2023)
Leandra Woolnough, MD, MS, Gainesville, FL (2025)
Marcy B. Bolster, MD, Concord, MA (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Connie Herndon

The Committee on Quality of Care shall concern itself with quality-related activities including the development of classification and response criteria, practice guidelines, guidance documents, and quality measures. The Committee will organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 3 meetings per volunteer year (in person in January, webinar in May/June, and in conjunction with ACR Convergence)
• 8–10 other hours per year (e.g. reviewing meeting materials or manuscripts submitted for ACR endorsement

Subcommittees

• Classification and Response Criteria Subcommittee
• Practice Guideline Subcommittee
• Quality Measure Subcommittee
• Guidance Subcommittee

Committee Roster

Chair: Tuhina Neogi, MD, PhD, Brookline, MA (2025)
Bharati Bhardwaja, PharmD, Fort Collins, CO (2023)
Jun Chu, APRN, CRNP, Bethesda, MD (2025)
John FitzGerald, MD, PhD, Los Angeles, CA (2025)
Michael George, MD, MSc, Philadelphia, PA (2025)
Ofelya Gevorgyan, MD, University Place, WA (2025)
Jaime Guzman, MD, MSc, Vancouver, British Columbia (2024)
Julia Harris, MD, Overland Park, KS (2023)
Kamini Kuchinad, MD, MPH, Towson, MD (2023)
Jiha Lee, MD, MS, Ann Arbor, MI (2024)
John Richards, MBBS, Pittsburgh, PA (2023)
Ulf Müller-Ladner, MD, Bad Nauheim (Invited Guest)
Lisa Gale Suter, MD, New Haven, CT (Invited Guest)
Eric Ruderman, FACR, MD, Chicago, IL (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Amy Turner

The Committee on Registries and Health Information Technology shall concern itself with health information technology (IT) issues within the field of healthcare and the subspecialty of rheumatology. The committee will work to support and advance the appropriate use of health IT within rheumatology practice and clinical research to provide safe, timely, efficient, effective, equitable, and patient-centered care. The committee will oversee the ongoing growth and development of the Rheumatology Informatics System for Effectiveness (RISE) registry for quality improvement, research, advocacy, and appropriate payment programs, and shall take part in the development and use of defined rheumatology data standards.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year
• Monthly conference calls per volunteer year

Subcommittees

• Research and Publications Subcommittee

Committee Roster

Chair: William Harvey, MD, MSc, Boston, MA (2023)
Titilayo Adeniran, MPH, New York, NY (2023)
Titilola Falasinnu, PhD, Palo Alto, CA (2025)
Joseph Huffstutter, MD, Signal Mountain, TN (2025)
Danette Ko, MD, Murray, UT (2025)
Jean Liew, MD, MS, Boston, MA (2023)
Christopher Phillips, MD, Paducah, KY (2024)
Meera Subash, MD, Houston, TX (2024)
Rachel Wallwork, MD, Towson, MD (2023)
Jane Kang, MD, MS, New York, NY (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Tracy Johansson

The Committee on Research shall concern itself with research, research training in rheumatology, and the research needs of the interprofessional team, including the development and dissemination of products and services; shall encourage basic, clinical and health services research on topics that affect patients with rheumatic diseases; shall appoint a liaison to the Committee on Government Affairs and work with that committee on advocacy; shall appoint a liaison to the Annual Meeting Planning Committee to develop and promote research content therein; shall collaborate with other committees as relevant; shall work to coordinate the research efforts of the ACR and the Rheumatology Research Foundation; and shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year (generally in-person in conjunction with ACR Convergence and the Rheumatology Research Workshop)
• Approximately 2–3 virtual calls, approximately 2-3 hours in duration per volunteer year
• 2–10 hours spent on outside work prior to each meeting, depending on committee assignments

Subcommittee

• Early Career Investigator Subcommittee

ARP Research Subcommittee

The ARP Research Subcommittee members are recognized for their research presentations and publications. They work with the ACR Committee on Research to promote the research efforts of rheumatology health professionals. They present research education and mentoring programs during ACR Convergence.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 2 meetings per volunteer year (generally in December/January and in conjunction with ACR Convergence; meetings are typically on Fridays, Saturdays, and/or Sundays)
• 2–3 conference calls per volunteer year

Committee Roster

Chair: Kristi Kuhn, MD, PhD, Aurora, CO (2023)
Iannis Adamopoulos, PhD, Holliston, MA (2023)
Caoilfhionn M. Marie Connolly, MD, MSc, Baltimore, MD (2023)
Tejpal Gill, PhD, Portland, OR (2025)
Linda Hiraki, MD, ScD, Toronto, Ontario (2024)
Hanna Kim, MD, MS, Bethesda, MD (2025)
Kaleb Michaud, PhD, Omaha, NE (2023)
Susan Murphy, OT, ScD, Grosse Ile, MI (2023)
Peter A. Nigrovic, MD, Brookline, MA (2023)
Christine Pellegrini, PhD, Columbia, SC (2024)
Namrata Singh, MD, MSc, Bellevue, WA (2024)
Kai Sun, MD, MS, Durham, NC (2025)
Marie Westby, PhD, PT, Vancouver, British Columbia (2024)
Jeffrey Rice, PhD, Rockville, MD (Invited Guest)
Su Yau-Mao, Bethesda, MD (Invited Guest)
Maura Daly Iversen, DPT, MPH, PT, ScD, Fairfield, MA (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Lisa Fatheree

The Committee on Rheumatologic Care shall concern itself with economic, technical, and ethical issues that bear on the practice of rheumatology and allied health professionals related to rheumatology; shall work with the Committee on Education to ensure that training recommendations reflect the changing scope of rheumatology practice; shall oversee the publication of practice-related materials and other publications as deemed appropriate by the Board of Directors; shall provide the ACR membership with information concerning the future changes in medical care organization, health-care delivery, health-care financing, and health-care technology as they may affect the provision of care to patients with rheumatic disease; shall develop a government relations agenda; shall appoint a liaison to the Committee on Government Affairs; and shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 3 meetings per volunteer year (generally in January, June, and in conjunction with ACR Convergence)
• Conference calls are rare – most of the committee work is done via email
• Members are asked to respond to weekly questions and draft position statements (1–2 pages) and/or review position statements
• It is important for members to be practicing physicians

Subcommittees

• Affiliate Society Council
• Insurance Subcommittee

Committee Roster

Chair: Marcus Hilton Snow, MD, Omaha, NE (2023)
Meggan Baudek, NP, West Salem, WI (2025)
John Botson, MD, Anchorage, AK (2024)
Jon Michael Burnham, MD, MS, Philadelphia, PA (2025)
Flavia Castelino, MD, Boston, MA (2023)
Christopher Gibson, DO, Mandeville, LA (2023)
Arundathi Jayatilleke, MD, MS, Philadelphia, PA (2023)
Mark Law, PhD, Omaha, NE (2024)
Jason Liebowitz, MD, Englewood, NJ (2025)
Meriah Moore, MD, MS, Columbus, OH (2025)
Mark William Niemer, MD, Dubuque, IA (2025)
Rebecca Shepherd, MBA, MD, New Providence, PA (2024)
Donald Eugene Thomas, MD, Silver Spring, MD (2024)
Mark Wener, MD, Seattle, WA (2024)
Susan Williams-Judge, ARNP, MN, Seattle, WA (2023)
Hanna Zembrzuska, MD, Iowa City, IA (2023)
Louisa Ziglar, MD, Rockville, MD (2025)
Marcy B. Bolster, MD, Concord, MA (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Adam Cooper

The Committee on Rheumatology Training and Workforce Issues shall concern itself with developing curricula and other educational tools for trainees in rheumatology, designing and implementing career development programs, monitoring career opportunities in rheumatology, providing networking opportunities and resources for rheumatology training program directors, and monitoring rheumatology workforce trends. The Committee shall organize and establish subcommittees and task forces as the Committee deems necessary or appropriate to carry out its objectives, subject to the approval of the Board of Directors or the Executive Committee and Executive Vice President.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 3 meetings per volunteer year (one is typically held in conjunction with ACR Convergence)
• Approximately 2–3 virtual calls, approximately 2-3 hours in duration per volunteer year
• 2–10 hours spent on outside work prior to each meeting, depending on committee assignments

Subcommittees

• Adult Rheumatology In-Training Exam Taskforce
• Fellows-in-Training Subcommittee
• E-Learning Subcommittee
• Curriculum Subcommittee

Committee Roster

Chair: Bethany Marston, MD, Rochester, NY (2024)
Sarah Bayefsky, MD, Philadelphia, PA (2023)
Ibtissam Gad, MD, Novi, MI (2023)
Adam Kilian, MD, St. Louis, MO (2023)
Fotios Koumpouras, MD, New Haven, CT (2024)
Mathilde Pioro, MD, Seattle, WA (2025)
Laura Sampson, PA-C, Skokie, IL (2025)
Vaneet K. Sandhu, MD, Loma Linda, CA (2024)
Benjamin Smith, PA-C, Thomasville, GA (2023)
Irene Tan, MD, Bala Cynwyd, PA (2025)
Stacey Elaine Tarvin, MD, MS, Indianapolis, IN (2023)
Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, Beverly Hills, CA (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Lisa Fatheree

The RheumPAC Committee is responsible for developing all political fundraising content and related marketing efforts as well as creating the criteria for how PAC funds can best be used to advance the ACR’s policy priorities. Committee members will strategize ways to educate and engage potential new donors on the importance of RheumPAC, identify which advocacy issues best resonate with different sects of the ACR/ARP membership, brainstorm ideas to incentivize donors and plan donor appreciation events, draft educational content for ACR@Work or The Rheumatologist, directly solicit individuals via email or phone, and assist in creating disbursement budget to maximize impact of political donations.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• 1-hour virtual meetings each month
• Attendance at 2-day Advocacy Leadership Conference event in Washington, DC each May
• Time may also be spent on your own brainstorming ideas, drafting educational content, and soliciting donations

Committee Roster

Chair: Howard Blumstein, MD, Mount Sinai, NY (2024)
Asena Bahce-Altuntas, MD, Hackensack, NJ (2023)
Rebecca Baum, MD, PhD, Clarksville, MD (2023)
Khalil Bourji, MD, PhD, Las Vegas, NV (2025)
Allyn Bove, DPT, PhD, PT, Pittsburgh, PA (2024)
Kaitlyn Brittan, MD, Elkhorn, NE (2025)
Saakshi Khattri, MBBS, MD, New York, NY (2023)
Jeff Li, MD, Houston, TX (2025)
Melissa Oliver, MD, MS, Indianapolis, IN (2024)
Tiffany Westrich-Robertson, BS, St. Louis, MO (2025)
Benjamin Widener, MD, Sheridan, WY (2023)
Nehad Soloman, MD, Peoria, AZ (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Dan Redinger

The ACR Workforce Solutions Steering Committee shall innovate and implement workforce solutions to train and sustain high quality adult and pediatric rheumatology care in underserved communities, while partnering with the local stakeholders.

• Improving access to care for our rheumatology patients
• Supporting our rheumatology colleagues and healthcare teams
• Providing ACR oversight for our workforce shortages

Committee Member Time Commitments

• The committee meets every other month
• Intervention teams overseeing projects meet every month

Committee Roster

Chair: Daniel Battafarano, DO, San Antonio, TX (2025)
Amanda Schnell Alexander, MD, Homewood, AL (2025)
Beth Laurie Jonas, MD, Chapel Hill, NC (2026)
Marc Phillpotts, MBBS, San Diego, CA (2026)
Iman Qaiser, MBBS, MD, Shreveport, LA (2023)
Swamy Venuturupalli, MD, Beverly Hills, CA (ACR Board Liaison)

Staff Contact: Connie Herndon

The ARP Membership and Nominations Committee is responsible for overseeing the nominations process to ensure the election and appointment of qualified leaders, representative of the diversity of the membership. The committee is responsible for reviewing nominations and presenting a slate of qualified candidates for ARP elected and appointed volunteer positions and reviewing nominations and selecting recipients for the Outstanding Student, Master, Merit, and Lifetime Achievement Awards. In addition, the Committee handles all membership marketing responsibilities.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• This committee meets bi-monthly via conference call with one in-person meeting annually in the Spring. Conference calls are typically Mondays; however, this may change according to member availability throughout the year
• 6-8 conference calls per year

Committee Roster

Chair: Barbara Slusher, MSW, PA-C, Summerton, SC (2023)
Kori Dewing, ARPN, DNP, Everett, WA (2024)
Bethany Walker, CRNP, Trussville, AL (2023)
Nadine Fisher, EdD, Buffalo, NY (2024)
Talitha Black, MA, OT, Burbank, CA (2024)
Daniel Battafarano, DO, San Antonio, TX (2023)
Adam Goode, DPT, PhD, PT, Augusta, GA (2023)

Staff Contact: Katie Shikany

The ARP Practice Committee includes representatives from each of the major disciplines in the Association. The Committee oversees the rheumatology practice papers and ensures that all ARP educational products and programs meet the practice needs of membership. The Committee explores member needs regarding clinical practice issues and promoting the interprofessional model of care. It is the oversight committee for all ARP practice issues.

Committee Member Time Commitments

• This committee meets about 5 times per year via conference call. There are also two in-person meetings: January and at ACR Convergence. Committee calls are typically Thursdays; however, this may change according to member availability throughout the year
• Monthly conference calls

Committee Roster

Chair: Kimberly Steinbarger, PT, MHS, DHSc, Dixmont, ME (2023)
Annelle Reed, CRNP, MSN, Tuscaloosa, AL (2023)
Andrea Pauly, APRN, NP, Rochester, MN (2023)
Katharine McCarthy, PharmD, Rochester, NY (2025)
Yasser Salem, PhD, PT, Hempstead, NY (2024)
Laurie Hughell, MPH, PA-C, Urbandale, IA (2023)
Sonali Bracken, MD, PhD, Apex, NC (2023)
Burcu Aydemir, PhD, Chicago, IL (2023)
Mark Law, PhD, Omaha, NE (2023)
Benjamin Smith, PA-C, Thomasville, GA (2023)

Staff Contact: Katie Shikany