Evelyn Hsieh, MD;PhD (she/her/hers)
Yale School of Medicine / VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut, United States
Disclosure(s): No financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose
Eric Matteson, MD
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science
Rochester, Minnesota, United States
Disclosure information not submitted.
Anja Strangfeld, MD
Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin
Berlin, Germany
Disclosure information not submitted.
Farhanah Paruk, PhD
University of Kwa-Zulu Natal
Berea, South Africa
Disclosure information not submitted.
Sakir Ahmed, MD, MBBS, DM (he/him/his)
Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences
Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
Disclosure(s): No financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose
Daniel Battafarano, DO
Daniel F. Battafarano, DO, PLLC, San Antonio, TX
San Antonio, Texas, United States
Disclosure information not submitted.
The number of practicing rheumatologists in virtually every part of the world cannot meet the current overwhelming demand for rheumatology care. This shortage is expected to worsen in the coming years. Factors contributing to this shortage include limited pipelines and programs for training new rheumatologists, aging and retirement of the current rheumatology workforce, and the increase in rates of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases worldwide. In many countries where acute workforce shortages exist, advanced practice practitioners or general physicians may play a critical role in providing rheumatology care, but few are trained in rheumatology care. Finally, in many areas, the demographics of healthcare providers does not reflect the diversity of the patient populations, adding a further barrier to engaging patients and improving outcomes. This year’s Global Summit Closing Session convenes a panel of representatives from each of the LARS to discuss the challenges of rheumatology workforce shortages around the world and strategies taken within each region to address this critical issue.
Virtual Panelist: Sakir Ahmed, MD, MBBS, DM (he/him/his) – Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences
Virtual Panelist: Ana Maria Arredondo, MD – Hospital de San José
Virtual Panelist: Daniel Battafarano, DO – Daniel F. Battafarano, DO, PLLC, San Antonio, TX
Virtual Panelist: Farhanah Paruk, PhD – University of Kwa-Zulu Natal
Virtual Panelist: Anja Strangfeld, MD – Deutsches Rheuma-Forschungszentrum Berlin