ACR outgoing president: Rheumatologists must balance ‘activism’ with focus on care
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PHILADELPHIA — The “lanes” of medical organizations such as the American College of Rheumatology are widening, as current events require trusted medical professionals to weigh in, said outgoing ACR president Kenneth G. Saag, MD, MSc.
“As you can see, our response to the Supreme Court ruling on Dobbs v. Jackson was deliberate, comprehensive and timely,” said Saag, a professor of medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, in his presidential address opening ACR Convergence 2022. “As of this meeting, the repercussions of this potential problem, thankfully so far, have not been widespread, but time will tell.”
According to Saag, the No. 1 reason rheumatologists should weigh in on potential geopolitical questions is that they are trusted and care about the events impacting the world.
“We are a trusted source of information, and we care,” Saag said. “We follow the Hippocratic oath and we care for even those with whom we may disagree.”
Saag added, “Our voices count, and if those reasons aren’t enough — these issues affect our patients through their rheumatologic diseases and, at a minimum, their social determinants of health.”
In times of uncertainty, Saag said, it is essential for medical professionals and rheumatologists to do “what is right.”
“When we are unclear of the role of the ACR in these issues, we must collectively do what we view as the right thing, at least as best as we can determine it,” Saag said. “Doing what is right is not always straightforward, but it is essential for us to keep our trusted role.”
Additionally, “increasing activism” continues to promote the participation of medical institutions in addressing societal issues, Saag said.
“When society takes a wrong turn, and medical professionals go along, mistrust in medicine grows,” Saag said.
While getting involved in potentially controversial issues, it is imperative to take the diversity of views present among society members and leadership, he added.
“We must continue to represent our members well and thread the needle between big-picture visionary work, that may include activism, and staying in a more narrowly focused rheumatology lane,” Saag said.
Just as important as building trust among the public, he added, is building and maintaining trust among college colleagues.
“Civility and making attempts to understand those with whom we see things differently are critical for the ACR and for the world overall,” Saag said.
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Saag K. Opening welcome and presidential address. Presented at: ACR Convergence 2022; Nov. 11-15, 2022; Philadelphia (hybrid meeting).
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