Page 9 - Mecklenburg_Medicine_November-December-2020

Member News

Grants Awarded from the Smith Arthritis Fund

By Janice E. Huff, Chair, Smith Arthritis Fund Committee 24, was the largest educational conference on lupus in the state
and provided a variety of discussions led by physicians and other
The MCMS Smith Arthritis Fund Committee is pleased experts dedicated to solving the mystery of lupus.
to announce three grants totaling $3,000 were awarded in
September for programs and studies which benefit, either directly The third grant of $1,000 was awarded to Atrium Health
or indirectly, patients who have arthritis. Levine Children’s Hospital Pediatric Rheumatology. This grant
provides funding for the study, “Extending Our Reach: Ensuring
The first grant of $1,000 was awarded to Arthritis Services Pediatric Rheumatology Access to Safety-Net Clinics.” Sheetal
to provide funding for computers to help with the production Vora, MD, and Lisbeth Labrada Labrada, MD, are the principal
of grants/studies. One study will be to compare results of doing investigators. The aim of the study is to increase timely referrals
programming virtually versus direct face-to-face contact. Data for pediatric patients from four low- to moderate-income Atrium
with respect to pain, activities of daily living, mental health, social Health safety-net clinics to Levine Children’s rheumatology clinic
health, and self-efficacy will be collected pre- and post-intervention in order to limit care delays that vulnerable pediatric populations
of their evidence-based programming and then they will analyze experience and the negative consequences this has on their health.
any differences between the two program delivery formats. The project will use a quality improvement (QI) framework to
expand the use of an original referral tool in these four safety-net
The second grant of $1,000 was awarded to the Lupus clinics in the Charlotte metro area. The ultimate recipients of all
Foundation of America, Inc., North Carolina Chapter. This grant interventions will be pediatric patients presenting at these clinics
provides funding to support the 20th Annual N.C. Lupus Summit with symptoms related to rheumatic conditions, including arthritis
to continue its efforts in educating individuals living with lupus of myriad etiologies.
in Mecklenburg County. The summit, held this year on October

FIRAS KASSAB, MD, FACR

South Charlotte Rheumatology, a division of Articularis Healthcare Group, Inc.,
opened October 5, 2020 in the Blakeney/Ballantyne area of South Charlotte.

Services:
• In-office and virtual visits
• Infusion therapy
• Musculoskeletal ultrasound
• Laboratory

Dr. Kassab is accepting new and transferring patients.

8840 Blakeney Professional Drive
Suite 200

Charlotte, NC 28277
P: 704-672-0449
F: 866-469-2745

southcharlotterheumatology.com

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