Originally Published in The Rheumatologist
On Jan. 31, the ACR partnered with the Arthritis Foundation to host an Arthritis 101 Congressional briefing on Capitol Hill. Panelists educated new and returning members of Congress and their staffers about arthritis and other rheumatic diseases, the cost and impact of rheumatic disease to constituents and the U.S. healthcare system, and current policy challenges and opportunities.
Speaking on behalf of the ACR were Angus Worthing, MD, FACP, FACR, chair of the ACR’s Government Affairs Committee, and Colin C. Edgerton, MD, FACP, RhMSUS, former Army physician and member of the ACR’s Committee on Rheumatologic Care. Other panelists included Shannan O’Hara Levi, a juvenile arthritis patient and Arthritis Foundation advocate, and Cavan Redmond, former CEO of WebMD, pharmaceutical healthcare executive and Arthritis Foundation board member.
The event was co-sponsored by Congressional Arthritis Caucus co-chairs Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA) and David McKinley (R-WV) and moderated by former U.S. Senator Tim Hutchinson (R-AR).
The briefing was well attended, with Congressional staffers from both House and Senate leadership present.
