World Arthritis Day Health Leader Panel: RA Treatment, Support, and Advocacy

World Arthritis Day was October 12, and RheumatoidArthritis.net held a special event to help raise awareness and celebrate this incredibly important day. Watch the video replay of the panel discussion below!

During the panel, attendees were asked several poll questions about their treatment journeys, support systems, and self-advocacy.

When asked, "How do you feel about your current treatment plan?" 37 percent said, "Overall, pretty good," 43 percent said, "Okay," and 20 percent said, "I think I may need a different treatment plan." How do you feel about your current treatment plan?

When asked, "Do you feel like you have adequate support in your RA journey?" 44 percent of attendees answered, "I have some support but could use more." About 36 percent of attendees said, "Yes, I feel generally supported," while 20 percent said, "No, I don't feel supported." Do you feel supported in your RA journey?

The final poll question to attendees was, "How comfortable are you advocating for yourself?" and 48 percent said, "I am very comfortable." About 36 percent said, "I struggle but I still manage to do it," and 16 percent said, "I rarely advocate for myself." Do you find yourself comfortable with self-advocacy in your daily life?

We thank everyone who attended the panel discussion, as well as members of our community catching up with our video replay, for sharing their experience!

Read more below on the World Arthritis Day live event and the Health Leaders who participated on our panel.

Our Health Leader panel discussion on RA treatment experiences and support

Our live, online, 1-hour Health Leader panel took place on Thursday, October 12, 2023 at 5 pm Eastern Time (US).

Panelists shared their experiences of living with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and working with people who are pursuing RA treatment.

Information provided during the panel is for general informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical or healthcare advice or create a doctor-patient relationship. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making any decisions or taking any actions based on the information provided.

Meet our Health Leader panelists

We had 3 incredible community Health Leaders speak on diverse treatment experiences, how to get the support we need, and how to advocate for ourselves in medical and social settings. Read more about our Health Leaders below!

Donica Liu Baker, MD, FACR
Donica Liu Baker, MD, FACR, is a board-certified rheumatologist practicing the art of medicine in her beloved hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. With roots in the field of kinesiology, she developed an early passion for helping patients improve their mobility, which evolved into an interest in arthritis and autoimmune diseases. For her, the best part of being in medicine is having a window of perspective to understand humanity from all walks of life, and getting to see points of view that are different from her own. Read more about Donica here.

Lynn Marie Witt, MSOT
"I was in my twenties when I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. The diagnosis took my life in a direction that I honestly was not planning for. As with any life-changing diagnosis, there are negative physical, mental, emotional, and life ramifications that occur due to the disease process. However, I choose to focus on the disease and use my life story to help others along on their journey. Instead of looking at my negative ramifications as a weakness, I instead view them as a strength. Those hard times in my life are what help to define who I am today." Read more about Lynn Marie here.

Lawrence "Rick" Phillips
Rick was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1974 and RA in 2000. He was also diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis in 2015. Rick has used 6 biologic medicines and has had several surgeries related to RA. He grew up and lives in central Indiana with his wife of more than 40 years, Sheryl. They have 2 sons and 3 grandchildren. Rick has spent more than 30 years in local government and local school district administration in Indiana. Read more about Rick here.