Dear DC Rheumatism Society Members, 

I am honored to have the opportunity to serve as the 77th President of the Rheumatism Society of the District of Columbia.  As you know, our society is the second oldest Rheumatology Society in the Unites States and has a rich tradition of education and scholarship.   Welcome to a new year of exciting lectures and other events with the Society!

I would like to thank our past President, Dr. Kundan Karkhanis for his excellent leadership in the previous year, navigating out transition to the alternating -n-person and virtual format that has been very well received by our members.   Dr. Karkhanis has been extremely helpful in the transition of our new leadership team.   This year, I share the Board leadership with Dr. Joyce Joseph from the Washington DC Veterans Affairs Medical Center, who is serving as Vice-President, and Dr. Sonia Silinsky Krupnikova, from Arthritis and Rheumatism Associates, P.C., who is serving as Treasurer.  Ethel Linares Sauro continues her spectacular work as our Society’s dedicated Secretary.

As above, for the 2023-2024 academic year, we will partially return to in-person meetings for some of the lectures, while the others will be held via the virtual format.   Continuing Medical Education Credits (CME) will be provided through MedStar using a telephone text system as years prior.  Please refer to the instructions that will be posted on our website to register.  We will also email instructions with each session announcement.

Our year kicks off virtually on September 13th with guest speaker Dr. Jeffrey Curtis from the University of Alabama, speaking about an extremely timely topic: How artificial intelligence and machine learning can affect the practice of rheumatology.   Our first in-person lecture will be on October 11th with NIH Emeritus Professor Dr. Fred Miller speaking about Environmental triggers of autoimmune disease.  Also scheduled is Dr. Maximillian Konig from Johns Hopkins University on the use of CAR-T Therapy for autoimmune diseases, and Dr. Brittany Weber from Brigham and Women’s Hospital speaking about the Intersection of cardiology and rheumatology.  Additional lectures will be scheduled for the following months and will be posted on the website soon. 

As in previous years, we plan to hold an in-person Research Fellows Forum in May 2024, lead again by Dr. Mercedes Quinones from the VA.  Fellows will be invited to present their research with scientific posters and Board members will award the best research.  The Fellows Forum is one of the highlights of our programs, enjoyed by trainees and the DC Rheumatism community alike.  Additional events, such as a symposium on how to succeed in private practice for our fellows as well as an MSK Ultrasound course are also being developed.  

Please ensure to frequently check our website: www.dcrheumatism.com for updates.  Importantly, everyone is required to register anew this year (subscription expires at the end of each academic year).  Members who have registered, and have paid dues, will receive meeting announcements via email.  I look forward to great year for the DC Rheumatism Society and to seeing you both in-person and virtually.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,