ACR Rural Health Outreach Project
The ACR Rural Health Outreach Project (RHOP) is designed to reduce health disparities and time to lupus diagnosis in rural communities by educating healthcare providers and improving referral connections. The project consists of virtual and/or live meetings implemented by rural Area Health Education Centers (AHECs) between ACR member rheumatologists and prescribing providers who serve in rural communities. Through 2022, RHOP has reached over 500 providers spanning 17 states.
The 2023 application is closed. We are currently recruiting sites for future cycles!
Participation in this project is best suited for:
- AHECs located in rural service areas that are underserved by rheumatologists
- AHECs serving rural healthcare providers (i.e., MDs, DOs, PAs and NPs only) who have difficulty scheduling a consult with geographically accessible rheumatologists
- AHECs serving rural healthcare providers who largely see patients who are African American, Latino, Asian, and/or American Indian/Alaskan Native, populations disproportionally affected by lupus