Clinical Care
With a long history of outstanding care, the Johns Hopkins Division of Rheumatology has been ranked #1 by U.S. News & World Report every year since 2005. Since its establishment in 1998, the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center has been at the forefront of care for patients with arthritis.
Faculty members are thought leaders in the clinical care of patients with inflammatory arthritis. They have served on national and international committees to develop treatment guidelines, diagnostic criteria, patient care, and research methods.
Our faculty and staff work together to provide the best possible outcomes. As a team we provide education as well as treatment, allowing each patient to make informed decisions in their care. Through the use of traditional medications and the latest biologic therapies, we strive to reach clinical remission in each patient. Our experienced and dedicated team is committed to ensuring the highest quality, state-of-the-art care for patients in the Baltimore community and around the world.
Our patients have access to the medical expertise of our own Rheumatologists and staff, as well as specialists from around the institution. Our rheumatologists work closely with Hopkins experts of every kind, from orthopedics to hematology; from neurology to gastroenterology. Johns Hopkins provides access to state-of-the art imaging and diagnostic modalities.
Our most recent clinical initiatives are for Spondyloarthritis (ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and inflammatory back pain) and a program to evaluate musculoskeletal and autoimmune conditions that are developing in people treated with immunotherapy drugs for cancer.
Research
The research in the Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center encompasses many different rheumatic diseases. Most of our studies are multidisciplinary and highly collaborative efforts with faculty in our Division, in other specialties within Hopkins, and with investigators across the globe. Conducting basic science, clinical, and translational research, our experts are exploring new ways to diagnose disease, design clinical trials, measure outcomes, and deliver treatment. Our experienced research teams effectively integrate many studies with clinical care.
Areas of current research include:
- Clinical, biochemical, genetic, and imaging characterization of arthritis patients
- Autoantibody and biomarker discovery and characterization
- Improving patient-reported outcomes in rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and spondyloarthritis
- Advanced and molecular imaging of arthritis
- Exercise and nutrition in arthritis
- Inflammatory arthritis in the elderly
- Investigational medication trials
- Relationships between autoimmune conditions and cancer
Research within the Arthritis Center is funded through peer-reviewed foundation, federal, and industry grants, and with the support of our grateful patients and donors.
Education
We are dedicated to providing quality education to patients and healthcare providers alike. As part of our mission we train Fellows, residents, and students to understand the complexities of arthritis and to become future leaders in the field.
We provide audio, video, printed materials, CME, and non-CME offerings of the latest information on inflammatory arthritis and related subjects to enhance knowledge in the rheumatic diseases. Many of these are available through our award-winning website (www. hopkinsarthritis.org). These include videos related to the diseases we take care of, the medications and their side effects including instructional videos on giving injections, information about our research, and tips for exercise and healthy living. Other videos can be found on our Facebook page and in the newly launched “Rheum TV” section of our website (https://www.hopkinsrheumatology.org/rheumtv/).
We direct a Rheumatology Continuing Medical Education Course (CME) each spring addressing the advances in diagnosis and treatment of rheumatic diseases.
