| Arthritis Foundation | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Take Control. We Can Help. |
| Formation | 1948 |
| Type | Non-profit organization |
| Legal status | Foundation |
| Headquarters | Atlanta, GA |
| Region served | USA |
| President & CEO | John H. Klippel, MD |
| Main organ | Board of Directors |
| Website | www.arthritis.org |
The Arthritis Foundation is the largest national nonprofit organization solely dedicated to the prevention, control and cure of arthritis, the leading cause of disability in the United States.
More than 100 different types of arthritis and related conditions rob 50 million (one in every five) adults[1] and 300,000 children[2] of living life to its fullest. The Arthritis Foundation works to educate people about this serious, progressive and potentially life-threatening disease through information and programs that improve joint health and promote pain management.
The Arthritis Foundation offers medical advice, physician referrals, a drug guide, books, brochures and more resources to help make living with arthritis easier. It also publishes the award-winning lifestyle magazine, Arthritis Today[3]. Through local offices nationwide, the Foundation sponsors exercise classes, as well as a variety of year-round events[4] to raise funds and create awareness, from local walks and runs to dinners, galas and other affairs.
The Arthritis Foundation has been the world's largest nonprofit contributor to arthritis research since its founding in 1948, investing more than $400 million toward medical breakthroughs that have restored mobility in countless patients.[5] In addition, the organization fights for health care policies, legislation and government-funded research to improve the lives of individuals and families affected by arthritis.
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While many people mistakenly think of arthritis as an inevitable part of aging, or as nuisance aches and pains that afflict only the elderly, it actually strikes people of all ages. Two-thirds of people with arthritis are under the age of 65[6], including 300,000 children.
Arthritis can be severe, debilitating and even fatal. Annually, the disease causes about 44 million outpatient visits, almost a million hospitalizations and more than 9,000 deaths.[7] Nearly 21 million adults report activity limitations due to arthritis. In fact, arthritis is a more frequent cause of activity limitation than heart disease, cancer or diabetes, and more than half of all adults with diabetes or heart disease also have arthritis.[8]
At the current rate, an estimated 67 million Americans (one in four adults) will have a form of the disease within 20 years. Moreover, arthritis and related conditions cost $128 billion annually in medical expenses, lost earnings and reduced productivity.[9] The Arthritis Foundation maintains that the heavy toll arthritis takes is unacceptable, and that arthritis must be taken as seriously as other chronic diseases because of its devastating impact.
Research into the underlying causes of arthritis has been a high priority of the Arthritis Foundation over the past six decades. During that time, the organization has funded more than $400 million in research grants to over 1,300 scientists, resulting in better diagnostic tools, a greater understanding of the genetics involved in disease development, and the discovery of new treatments.[10]
Through a rigorous peer review process, the Arthritis Foundation funds only the best, most promising research proposals, especially enterprising new ideas that could lead to the miracle drugs of the future and ultimately to a cure of arthritis. In the last two decades, Foundation-supported research has significantly advanced the way arthritis is treated, and has given people living with the disease a better quality of life. Today, the Foundation is funding two new patient registries, AIR[11] and TETRAD[12], to help control symptoms and advance the search for a cure by analyzing and correlating biological data.
Every year, the Arthritis Foundation holds its annual Advocacy Summit[13], in which hundreds of arthritis advocates converge on Washington, D.C., to join in Capitol Hill meetings with lawmakers. Participants tell their stories and let Congress know that the disabling pain and cost of arthritis are unacceptable. They also urge elected officials to become a member of the Congressional Arthritis Caucus[14], chaired by Reps. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., and Anna Eshoo, D-Calif. The caucus serves as a bipartisan forum to aid senators and representatives in working together to address arthritis.
The Arthritis Foundation promotes advocacy issues throughout the year to help elevate the disease to a national public health priority. Tools include state-by-state arthritis prevalence data, regular issue briefs, e-advocacy opportunities, a health care reform Q&A, and sample letters and tips to raise awareness about arthritis.
While the Arthritis Foundation supports interventions for all types of arthritis and related conditions with information and other assistance, the organization concentrates on three forms of the disease:
The Arthritis Foundation also provides helpful information and tips about other types of arthritis, including (but not limited to):
Events[15] and programs run by the Arthritis Foundation help educate the public about the realities of arthritis, raise funds and awareness, and encourage people with arthritis to manage their joint pain and improve overall health. Activities include nationwide Arthritis Walks events throughout the year[16] and Jingle Bell Runs/Walk events in the fall. In addition, the Arthritis Foundation hosts dinners, galas and specialty parties, from traditional black-tie galas and tribute dinners to wine tastings and themed parties that benefit the Foundation's efforts.
The Arthritis Foundation's Life Improvement Series[17] empowers people with arthritis through aquatic, exercise and self-help programs that are proven to increase mobility and reduce pain, stiffness and physician visits.
Organized in 1948 as the Arthritis and Rheumatism Foundation, the organization's name was changed in 1964 to the Arthritis Foundation.[18] The following year, the American Rheumatism Association (ARA) merged with the Foundation. In 1965, an additional professional society, Allied Health Professions, was established within the Foundation; its name was changed to the Arthritis Health Professions Association (AHPA) in 1980. The American Juvenile Arthritis Organization (AJAO) was established in 1981 as a membership group within the Foundation; in 1991, AJAO became a council of the Foundation. In 1986, the ARA became a separate, independent organization and now is known as the American College of Rheumatology (ACR). In 1994, the AHPA became a division of the ACR and changed its name to the Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals.
The Arthritis Foundation is headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., and has about 50 local offices nationwide, spanning 10 regions.
Great Lakes Region: Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Western Pennsylvania, West Virginia
Great West Region: Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Washington, Wyoming
Heartland Region: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska
Mid Atlantic Region: Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia
New England Region: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont
Northeast Region: New Jersey, New York, Eastern Pennsylvania
Pacific Region: Arizona, Southern California, Hawaii, Nevada
South Central Region: Oklahoma, New Mexico, Texas
Southeast Region: Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee
Upper Midwest Region: Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin
Florida Chapter: Florida
Northern California Chapter: Northern California