ACR ANNOUNCEMENTS AMERICAN COLLEGE OF RHEUMATOLOGY 2200 Lake Boulevard NE, Atlanta, Georgia 30319-5312 www.rheumatology.org
ACR Meetings Annual Meetings November 9–14, 2012, Washington October 25–30, 2013, San Diego State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium April 28–29, 2012, Chicago Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course for Rheumatologists— Fundamentals April 28–29, 2012, Chicago Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course for Rheumatologists with Interventional Cadaver Workshop—Intermediate June 22–24, 2012, Jacksonville For additional information, contact the ACR office.
Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course for Rheumatologists—Fundamentals Register now for the ACR Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course for Rheumatologists—Fundamentals, taking place April 28–29, 2012 in Chicago, and learn the essentials of musculoskeletal ultrasound in a hands-on environment. Designed to meet the specific needs of rheumatologists who want to integrate musculoskeletal ultrasound into their practice and are currently at a beginner experience level, this intensive 2-day course provides an excellent foundation for rheumatologists in the sonoanatomy and pathophysiology of the shoulder, elbow, hand and wrist, hip, knee, and foot and ankle, as well as ultrasound guidance of aspirations, injections, and biopsies. With an international faculty of experts, the Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course for Rheumatologists— Fundamentals offers participants more than 7 hours of handson experience scanning live models and instruction in basic needle guidance technique with a comfortable 5/1 student/ faculty ratio. The course is strictly limited to 150 participants, so register now for the ACR Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course for Rheumatologists—Fundamentals. The advance registration rate is available through April 11. For a complete program or to register online, visit www.rheumatology.org/education.
Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course for Rheumatologists with Interventional Cadaver Workshop—Intermediate If you are interested in enhancing your skills and knowledge in musculoskeletal ultrasound, register now for the ACR Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course for Rheumatologists with Interventional Cadaver Workshop—Intermediate, which will be held June 22–24, 2012 in Jacksonville, Florida.
This comprehensive 3-day course is designed for rheumatologists experienced in the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound in their practice who are interested in developing a deeper understanding and enhancing their skills in this technology for the diagnosis and monitoring of rheumatic conditions. Days 1 and 2 of the course will combine didactic and hands-on training utilizing live patient models with evidence of the pathologies under discussion. Day 3 will be dedicated to hands-on skill building with cadaveric tissue specimens, providing you the opportunity to practice and refine your scanning technique as well as perform ultrasound-guided injection procedures. Course topics include upper- and lower-extremity nerve entrapments, ultrasonography of rheumatoid arthritis, the fundamentals of ultrasound physics, ultrasonography of crystal arthritis, and ultrasonography of spondylarthritis. In addition, prosection stations will allow participants an opportunity to engage in a detailed review of musculoskeletal anatomy, and participants will be instructed in precise needle localization in diverse anatomic regions utilizing unembalmed cadaveric tissue. The Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Course for Rheumatologists with Interventional Cadaver Workshop—Intermediate is limited to 100 participants, so register now. The early-bird registration rate is available through May 16. Preregistration ends June 8, and the housing deadline for the ACR discounted rate is May 25. Please note: This course is intended for rheumatologists who have performed at least 60–100 scans in the last 2 years and have attended at least one beginner-level course. For a complete program and to register online, visit www.rheumatology.org/education.
ACR State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium Exercise your clinical muscle and register for the 2012 State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium. Held annually in Chicago, this program is frequently referred to as the “mini– annual meeting” and features topics with specific relevance to the clinical practice setting. The 2012 program, taking place April 28–29, is designed to strengthen skills in diagnosis and disease management. Sessions will include topics such as lupus, comorbidities in rheumatoid arthritis and psoriatic disease, pauciarticular juvenile idiopathic arthritis, macrophage activation syndrome and systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and much more. Added to the program this year are difficult cases presented by fellows, designed to challenge expert faculty. The alwayspopular curbside consults will again be on the program, including topics such as calcinosis, and cancer and dermatomyositis. In addition to the opening lecture on the immunology of gout, sessions have been developed to address medical
subspecialties and provide divergent points of view. Included in a variety of lunch sessions is a sneak-peek at the ACR Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Appropriateness Criteria. This year’s presymposium Clinical Focus Course will take place on April 27, and will address the topic Targeted Approaches to Complex Pain Management. On Sunday afternoon, a postsymposium training session on ICD-10 will take place. Plan to attend the State-of-the-Art Clinical Symposium. The last day for preregistration acceptance is April 11. For a complete program or to register online, visit www. rheumatology.org/education.
Nominations for ACR Awards of Distinction and Masters Due May 15 The American College of Rheumatology has many Awards of Distinction, including the Presidential Gold Medal. Members who wish to nominate a colleague or mentor for an Award of Distinction must complete the online form at www.rheumatology.org/membership/awards. The nomination process includes a letter of nomination, 2 additional letters of recommendation, and a copy of the nominee’s curriculum vitae. Recognition as a Master of the American College of Rheumatology is one of the highest honors the ACR bestows. The designation of Master is conferred on ACR members age 65 or older who have made outstanding contributions to the field of rheumatology through scholarly achievements and/or service to their patients, students, and the profession. To nominate someone for a Master designation, members must complete the online nomination form at www.rheumatology. org/membership/awards and include a letter of nomination, 2 supporting letters from voting members of the ACR, and the nominee’s curriculum vitae. Nominees for ACR Master must have reached the age of 65 before October 1, 2012.
ACR Invites Nominations for Volunteer Positions The ACR encourages all members to participate in forming policy and conducting activities by assuming positions of leadership in the organization. Positions are available in all areas of the work of the American College of Rheumatology and the Research and Education Foundation. Please visit www.rheumatology.org/about/leadership for more information about nominating yourself or a colleague for a volunteer position with the College. The deadline for volunteer nominations is June 1, 2012. Letters of recommendation are not required but are preferred.
Education Programs Eighth International Congress on Autoimmunity. May 9–13, 2012, Granada, Spain. The congress will begin with a 5-hour basic immunology course (for which there is an additional registration fee) on May 9, followed by plenary and parallel sessions May 10–13. Registration fees are as follows: €550 (full participants), €375 (residents), €120 (basic immunology course) February 15–May 1, 2012; €625 (full participants), €420 (residents), €150 (basic immunology course) thereafter. Official language will be English. For additional information, e-mail
[email protected] or visit the web site http://www2.kenes.com/autoimmunity/ Pages/Home.aspx. World Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Conference. June 27–July 1, 2012, Stockholm, Sweden. Sponsored by the International Federation of Psoriasis Associations. The theme of the conference is Psoriasis—A Global Health Challenge. Official language will be English. For additional information, e-mail
[email protected] or visit the web site www. ifpaworldconference.com.
