J.T. was a former professional baseball player who came to our practice after being diagnosed at age 45 with severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the […]

J.T. was a former professional baseball player who came to our practice after being diagnosed at age 45 with severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In the […]
In nursing school, we are taught to use care plans to help manage our patients’ health problems. First, we assess the patient; next, we develop […]
Sometimes, we encounter a patient in our practice who touches our life and our soul, and never leaves our heart. One such patient of mine […]
As rheumatology nurses, we are lucky to be able to touch so many lives in a memorable way. Consequently, when a patient appears in our […]
Over a decade ago, I had the pleasure of hearing Michael F. Holick, MD, PhD, discuss his cutting edge research on vitamin D. At the […]
Is there a more confounding lab test in rheumatology than the antinuclear antibody (ANA) test? It can lead us straight to a diagnosis or set […]
Biomarkers have been an important addition to the toolbox of rheumatology healthcare providers, which was illustrated in my interactions with G.H., a recent patient of […]
Twelve years ago, I met R.T., a 35-year-old female patient who had previously been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Her rheumatoid factor was positive at 49. […]
Several years ago, I was involved in an early trial of adalimumab in pediatric patients with juvenile inflammatory arthritis (JIA). One precocious 12-year-old girl enrolled […]
Learning the science of rheumatology is, for me, an ongoing project. The immune cascade is amazing and yet daunting to comprehend. The exciting part is […]
When I first started as a rheumatology nurse, I got my hands on anything I could to help me learn about things that would help […]
Picture this: A 43-year-old nurse practitioner (that’s me) on the floor of her 8-year- old daughter’s Disaster Area bedroom, drawing different colored blobs with pointy […]
In the winter of 1994, I was working as a young nurse in the respiratory ICU at a hospital in Lansing, MI. Upon my arrival […]
In the clinical setting, the topic of quality improvement (QI) is often met with groans. One more thing to keep track of. One more thing […]
In rheumatology, we are challenged with the formidable task of simultaneously improving quality, enhancing equity, and ensuring value in the care we provide for our […]
In 2000, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) published its landmark report, To Er is Human: Building a Safer Health System, upon which the current trend […]