anmc rheumatology :: Article CreatorDivision Of Pediatric Rheumatology
Pediatric Rheumatology diagnoses and treats children with autoimmune disorders, including juvenile arthritis, lupus, myositis, scleroderma, and various vasculitides. A variety of treatment options are available from intraarticular corticosteroid joint injections to newer biologic agents that target inflammatory cytokines. Research in the division covers basic mechanisms of T lymphocyte function , translational studies of the role of the microbiome in spondyloarthritis, clinical studies of temporomandibular joint arthritis and macrophage activation syndrome , and several projects aimed at optimizing the treatment of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).
Division Overview
The Division of Pediatric Rheumatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham/Children's Hospital of Alabama was created in the summer of 2007 in response to a great need for pediatric rheumatic care in the state of Alabama, the largest state population without a Pediatric Rheumatologist at the time. A partnership among the University, the Children's Hospital, the local chapter of the Arthritis Foundation, and the greater Birmingham community helped to establish new clinic space, the creation of an endowed chair in Pediatric Rheumatology, and ongoing support for the growth of the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology. The Division maintains strong ties with the Arthritis Foundation local chapter and the outstanding adult Rheumatology division at UAB.
There are currently 6 clinical faculty members and 4 Pediatric Rheumatology nurse practitioners with ongoing recruiting efforts to expand the physician-scientist base of the Division of Pediatric Rheumatology. Overriding goals of the division are to: 1) provide state of the art care to all children with rheumatic disorders in Alabama and the surrounds; 2) conduct well-funded cutting edge research in the basic, clinical, and translational sciences as they relate to rheumatology and immunology; 3) educate the medical and lay communities in Alabama regarding diagnosis and management of pediatric rheumatic diseases; and 4) train additional Pediatric Rheumatologists to further populate the southeastern United States via an ACGME-accredited Pediatric Rheumatology training program (approved in 2009).
Patient Care
Clinically, Pediatric Rheumatology diagnoses and treats children with autoimmune disorders, including but not limited to:
juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA)
oligoarticular
polyarticular (RF+ and RF-negative)
psoriatic
enthesitis related, including inflammatory bowel related
systemic
reactive arthritis
juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE)
Sjogren disease
mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD)
juvenile dermatomyositis (JDMS) and polymyositis
sarcoidosis
linear scleroderma and morphea
systemic sclerosis
various vasculitides (HSP, PAN, Kawasaki, Wegener, Takayasu, polyangiitis, Behcet, etc.)
periodic fever syndromes (TRAPS, FMF, Hyper IgD, PFAPA, etc.)
autoimmune sensorineuronal hearing loss
autoimmune uveitis/iritis
macrophage activation syndrome (MAS)
relapsing polychondritis
autoinflammatory disorders (including CRMO)
Click here for more information about the clinical services Pediatric Rheumatology provides.
Give
Support UAB/Children's Pediatric Rheumatology
Through the generous financial support of foundations, patients and their families, and individuals, coupled with the strong support of UAB leaders, we are making excellent progress toward garnering the financial support needed to allow optimal growth of our basic, translational, and clinical research programs and our clinical endeavors. This support comes in the form of endowments, funds for development of pilot projects and exploration of novel ideas, and to support our mission of educating the next generation of clinicians and investigators in rheumatic diseases. In addition, this support will also accelerate our research efforts to better understand the pathogenesis of rheumatic diseases and develop more effective strategies to diagnose, treat, and ultimately cure or prevent these diseases.
The Goal of The Arthritis Foundation, Alabama Chapter Endowed Chair in Pediatric Rheumatology, is to provide support to the division of Pediatric Rheumatology in terms of clinical, translational, and basic science research support, support and recruitment of clinical scientist faculty members, and support of educational efforts, particularly as it relates to training the next generation of Pediatric Rheumatologists in the southeastern United States through our accredited Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship training program.
To Contribute to the Arthritis Foundation, Alabama Chapter Endowed Chair in Pediatric Rheumatology, click on the icon below
Faculty & Staff Division Director
Randy Cron, M.D., Ph.D.
Faculty List
Rheumatology Faculty
Staff
Nurses
Jamelle Maxwell, RN, Department Director Jackie Crandall, RN, Head of InfusionErin Carr, RN, Clinic CoordinatorJennifer Haithcoat, RNLaura King, RNKayla Patterson, RNIsabella Robles-Sanchez, RNKelsey Haynes, RNLinda McAllister, CRNPAnnelle Reed, CRNPCarolyn Smith, CRNPBethany Walker, CRNP
Clinical Social Worker
Erica Reynolds, LCSW
Research Coordinator
Livie Huie
Office Staff
Kim Jerkins, Administrative SupervisorKJerkins@uabmc.EduJoanne Zech, Office Service Specialist III
Michael Haney – Office Service Specialist III
Nicole Lewis - Clinical Administrative Associate
Lupus Foundation Of America Research Accomplishments To Be Presented At The 2023 American College Of Rheumatology Annual Meeting
The American College of Rheumatology Convergence 2023 meeting will be held in San Diego, CA from November 10-15, 2023. Innovative studies and research funded or supported by the Lupus Foundation of America (LFA) will be presented including discoveries from the Foundation's Research Accelerated by You (RAY®) patient and caregiver registry, Strategies to Embrace Living with Lupus Fearlessly (SELF) self-care program and Health Education Specialist program.
The RAY study, Factors Influencing Time to Diagnosis in U.S. Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, identified an average delay of more than six years between when a person first experiences symptoms to when they receive a lupus diagnosis, as well as many factors that seemingly influence time to diagnosis. Additionally, older people, those living in the southern region of the US, and people identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native experience longer delays in diagnosis compared to other groups.
The abstract, Strategies to Embrace Living with Lupus Fearlessly (SELF): A Promising Digital Intervention for Lupus Self-Management, found strong interest in people with lupus to improve their disease self-management skills for better quality of life. Program participants reported increased self-management skills, decreased fatigue, better overall mental and physical health, and improved medication adherence and doctor/patient communication.
The observational study, Meeting the Educational and Language Needs of the Lupus Community: A Snapshot of 2022 Lupus Inquiries, evaluates inquiries to the Lupus Foundation of America's Health Education Specialists (HES). More than 2,450 people with lupus in the US and other countries contacted the LFA for disease education, non-medical support, and helpful resources in 2022. Overall, information about living and coping with lupus and available resources were the top two topics received by HES.
"As exploration and understanding of lupus grows, the Lupus Foundation of America continues to lead, contribute and support many novel and exciting investigations that propel the field forward," said Joy Buie, PhD, MSCR, RN, Director of Research, Lupus Foundation of America. "Leveraging the depth of data from the Lupus Foundation of America's Research Accelerated by You (RAY®) registry, new research will be presented this year that identifies four unique factors that influence how long it takes a person to receive a lupus diagnosis. These insights are especially critical when managing a time-sensitive disease like lupus whereby faster access to treatment leads to better outcomes."
The Lupus Foundation of America is also deeply committed to building trust in the Black/African American community to foster participation in lupus clinical trials and reduce disparities in trial participation. In the study, Lupus Research Action Network: Increasing Minority Clinical Trial Participation Through Peer Leaders, a community-based popular opinion leader model increased awareness of and commitment to diversity in lupus clinical trials among Black/African American people with lupus. In peer-to-peer outreach, members of the LFA's Lupus Research Action Network (LRAN) have been engaged in opportunities to discuss the importance of participation in lupus research. LRAN participants (60%) reported an increased understanding of trial needs and barriers to enrollment among racial and ethnic minoritized people with lupus, eight out of ten reported that their understanding of clinical trials and implications of the history of racism in clinical trials increased, and nearly all (94-97%) participants increased their commitment to helping diversify trial participation for people with lupus. Showing that after two trainings, an adapted, community-based popular opinion leader model proved useful in increasing awareness of and commitment to diversifying participation in lupus trials.
The study, Understanding the Burden of Cutaneous Lupus: A Subset Analysis from the 2022 World Lupus Federation Global Impact (WLFGI) Patient Survey, was supported by the Lupus Foundation of America and offers a unique, global insight into lupus patient-reported burden of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) compared to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The LFA, which serves as the Secretariat of the World Lupus Federation, surveyed over 6,700 people with lupus on organ impact and had the cutaneous lupus data further analyzed. The investigators found that skin-limited or CLE disease appears to carry as high a quality-of-life burden as SLE in several areas of disease impact , and that the presence of CLE among people with SLE is associated with higher quality of life burden, with particular impact on mental health (44%) and social interaction.
The Lupus Foundation of America's 2022 Evelyn V. Hess Award recipient, Eric Morand, MBBS, PhD, Monash University, will present the abstract, Identifying Important Domains for Inclusion in a Novel Treatment Response Measure for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (TRM-SLE): Results of a Modified Delphi Study. TRM-SLE is a new clinical outcome assessment for SLE randomized controlled trials and is supported by the LFA for representing and elevating the patient voice in clinical research. In this study, 14 areas or domains were deemed important to measure treatment response in SLE by both experts and patients, and will be further evaluated to create a final list of domains to include in this new treatment response measure for SLE.
Throughout the ACR Meeting, the Lupus Foundation of America will share updates on social media highlighting the innovative scientific initiatives and research studies presented, as well as breaking news. Follow the Lupus Foundation of America for evolving conference hot topics and research highlights at LFA's Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn.
General Rheumatology
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