MDNews - Greater Kansas

He says this risk, simila r to that of a diabetic, has more to do with the inflammatory burden of rheumatoid disease than traditional risk factors, but the use of the right therapies to control the disease can reduce mortality rates significantly. Other conditions, such as osteoarthritis, can be aggravated by both the disease and its treatments. To monitor and minimize the inflammation and impact, ARCK's Wichita clinic is well-equipped with digital radiography, ultrasound, extremity MRI and a bone densitometry machine. "What's driven a lot of these technologies is the availability of biologic therapies," Dr. Shaver says. "Because the biologic therapies are more costly and also potentially more e‚ective, we need some tools to help in our decision-making process. This can help strategize the aggressiveness of our treatment plan." Dr. Shaver cites MRI, which can help predict whether continuation of a treatment will result in further damage. While MRI is more expensive than ultrasound, it can provide an in-depth look at the bony structures involved and costs a fraction of the monthly cost of some therapies. Dr. Shaver says the intense focus on quality care can pay tremendous dividends for patients' quality of life. "We want to make sure we're optimizing their ability to function, their ability to work, their ability to provide for their families and their ability to do the things they enjoy doing," he says. PRACTICE GROW TH A RCK a lso has made a na me for itself a mong both patients — who c ome f rom a l l over K a n sa s , nor t her n Ok l a hom a a nd we s t er n Missouri — a nd providers, ma ny of whom spend time at the clinic for their rheumatolog y rotations. Shadi Sha houri, MD, FACP, a nd Shirley Wa ng, MD, FACR , both a re known for their compassionate practice a nd the role they play in fur ther educating the medica l community. One of A RCK's newest physicia ns, Maya Estepha n, MD, was a resident at A RCK . Dr. Shaver says this is a compliment to the practice. " I feel positive about t he people who have tra ined here wa nt- ing to return here," he says. " I rea l ly believe the rea son this ha s happened is they see how invested we a re in treating our patients who have these illnesses a nd doing so in a qua lit y-conscious a nd cost-conscious fashion." A nother new physicia n at A RCK, Mela nie Rohr, MD, wa nted to be nea r her fa mily, so she returned home to Wichita a f ter her tra ining. A RCK a lso expa nded this yea r a nd added a second clinic, under the direction of Dr. Wa ng, in the Ka nsas Cit y suburb of Olathe. For more information about A RCK's mission , physicians or clinics, please visit arck.org or call 316- 612- 4815. ■ About Shadi Shahouri, MD SH A DI SH A HOURI, MD, FACP, brings top-notch medical care and a passion for clinical research and education to his partnership role at ARCK. Dr. Shahouri received his medical degree from the American University of Beirut in Lebanon. He made his home in Kansas after completing one year of family practice and a three-year internal medicine residency at the University of Kansas in Wichita, followed by a fellowship in rheumatology at the University of Kansas in Kansas City. Dr. Shahouri's mission at ARCK is to provide cutting-edge medical care for patients with different rheumatic conditions, perform state-of-the-art diagnostic and interventional musculoskeletal ultrasound procedures, par- ticipate in research to advance understanding of rheumatic diseases, and prepare future Kansas physicians as a volunteer faculty at his alma mater in Wichita. Shadi Shahouri, MD About Shirley Wang, MD SHIRLE Y WA NG, MD, FACR, has been a leader through her partnership role at Wichita's ARCK campus and in expanding the clinic to its second location in the Kansas City metro. Dr. Wang completed her medical education at the University of Kansas with subsequent internal medicine training at KU-Wichita and a rheumatology fellow- ship at the University of Oklahoma. She was honored on the 2015–16 list of Best Doctors in America and is a member of many leading physician groups in the field of rheumatology. Dr. Wang's key interests include early detection and timely treatment of joint and rheumatic diseases, scleroderma, rheumatic diseases and pregnancy, and pediatric rheumatic diseases. Shirley Wang, MD PHOTO © ARCK The Arthritis and Rheumatology Clinics of Kansas expanded this year, with Shirley Wang, MD, heading up the opening of a second location at 801 N. Mur-Len, Suite 112, in Olathe. The new clinic is positioned to meet a need in the Kansas City metropolitan area. 0 8 0 8C O V E R F E A T U R E

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