Research shows that a significant delay in diagnosis of rheumatic disorder has been correlated to the travel distance to a rheumatologist. Research further shows a significant rheumatology workforce shortage exists and is projected to worsen significantly, thereby making this gap and disparity much bigger. To address this need, the American College of Rheumatology’s (ACR) Rural Health Outreach Project delivers an opportunity to build a connection between healthcare providers and a rheumatologist in rural areas where patients may experience a long wait to receive rheumatology care, or where a rheumatologist is not locally available. This project focuses on strengthening provider connections while providing needed information on the diagnosis and treatment of lupus, which can be an important step in ensuring people with undiagnosed or diagnosed lupus receive consistent care.

ACR works with local Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) within the National AHEC Organization network that service rural communities to conduct virtual educational sessions on lupus for primary care and non-rheumatology practitioners. Each session includes a presentation on lupus delivered by an ACR member rheumatologist, and a Q&A session with the presenting rheumatologist that is moderated by the local AHEC. Upon completion, attendees will have the opportunity to connect with a practicing ACR member rheumatologist whom they can contact should they have questions in the future.

Please reach out to Nat Cabrera at coin@rheumatology.org for more information on linking your health district to the next cohort starting October 2023.