Castries - Saint Lucia
Caribbean Rheumatology Conference 2018

The Caribbean Rheumatology Conference is the premier educational activity for Rheumatologists and allied health professionals working in the field across the Caribbean.

Date
May 3rd - 5th, 2018
registration
Registration Opens Spring 2018.

Caribbean Rheumatology Conference 2018

 

Coco PalmThe Caribbean Association for Rheumatology (CAR) hosts an annual meeting where members educate each other, share research and innovative ideas, and collaborate on ways to improve and deliver best care across all Caribbean countries. The meeting includes lectures and workshops aimed at educating general practitioners and allied health professionals on rheumatic diseases. This promotes our health and wellness agenda in a more holistic way on a regional level and is aimed at raising awareness, enabling early diagnosis and shared care for people with rheumatic disease according to International guidelines.

Conference attendance is anticipated to be between 25 and 50 rheumatologists from Saint Lucia, the English, French, Dutch and Spanish Caribbean countries and beyond. Saturday afternoon is devoted to teaching rheumatology to non-rheumatologists.100-120 attendees are expected.

This year will be the second CAR ultrasound workshop provided by the Scottish rheumatology ultrasound group. 

There will be a public opening lecture, the inaugural Professor Eon Nigel Harris lecture by Dr. Karel deCeulaer and a keynote lecture by Dr. Carter Thorne, internationally recognised for his successful model of care of patients with rheumatic and other chronic illnesses.  We will have a workshop to discuss how we can improve care in the Caribbean, particularly in the territories without rheumatologists. 

Dr. Karel De Ceulaer
Keynote Speaker

Dr De Ceulaer graduated from the Medical School, University of Leuven (Belgium) in 1973 and received the Specialist Diploma in Rheumatology from the same university after training in Turnhout (Belgium), Leiden and Amsterdam (The Netherlands), Glasgow (Scotland) and Paris (France). He started teaching at UWI in 1978. In 1980 he joined the Medical Research Council for Sickle Cell Disease unti 1991. Presently he is a Consultant Rheumatologist at the Unversity Hospital of the West Indies and Associate Lecturer at UWI. He was the President of the Lupus Foundation of Jamaica from 1995 till 2013. Dr. De Ceulaer participated in over 60 published research articles and reviews. Apart from his professional activities, he plays tennis during the week and looks after bees in the weekend.

Dr. Carter Thorne
Keynote Speaker

Dr. Thorne is an Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto, and is on the Consultant Staff at Southlake Regional Health Centre in Newmarket, Ontario where he is Chief of the Division of Rheumatology and Director of The Arthritis Program; the latter is a unique Inter-Professional care program established to optimize outcomes for people who have arthritis and other rheumatic disorders. He is sought for his expertise in developing Outcome Based clinical Programs, not only in Arthritis Care, but also Shared Care in a Comprehensive Musculoskeletal Program, Wound Management and NeuroRehab/Stroke Care.

Dr. Anishka Rolle

Dr. Anishka Rolle is a clinical rheumatologist at AMDC Physicians in the Richmond, tri-cities area of Virginia. She also provides rheumatology consultations at the Bahamas Health and Healing Medical Center in Nassau, Bahamas. She received her medical degree from the University of the West Indies. She completed Internal Medicine specialty training at Virginia Tech Carilion Clinic and Rheumatology subspecialty training, at Roger Williams medical center and Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. Rolle has been a frequent contributor to Ferri’s Clinical Advisor and currently enjoys practicing diagnostic and therapeutic musculoskeletal ultrasonography.

Dr. Alwin Almeida

Dr. Alwin is an Orthopedic Surgeon that brings over 10 years of experience in arthroscopic procedures and joint replacements. He has performed more than 4,000 orthopaedic surgeries, including 600 joint replacement surgeries, 1,000 arthroscopies and 700 arthroscopic ligament reconstructions of the knee. He has a strong academic and research background and has presented many of his published papers. As an orthopaedist, Dr. Alwin is passionate about arthroscopy and joint replacements. He is expected to play a pivotal role in advancing Health City Cayman Islands’ state-of-the-art Orthopaedic Department. His extensive knowledge spans across the most innovative techniques such as computer navigation for joint replacements and Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation (ACL) for cartilage injury treatment. Having an opportunity to be a part of a leading-edge, pioneering project such as Health City Cayman Islands, he brings a total commitment

Dr. Nicole Johnson

Dr. Nicole Johnson is a clinical pediatric rheumatologist practising at the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary, Alberta Canada since 2004. She is of Jamaican descent and joined the Caribbean Association of Rheumatology in 2015. She is a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Calgary. Dr. Johnson received her university education at Canadian Institutions including McGill, McMaster, Queen’s and the University of Toronto. Dr. Johnson has been a passionate advocate for community awareness for children with rheumatic diseases. She volunteers her time conducting multiple media appearances to highlight childhood arthritis. In addition, she has a special interest on the subject of transitioning young adults with chronic rheumatic illnesses to adult health care systems. She has contributed to medical education, both at the undergraduate, and postgraduate level. She also participates in Canadian and international clinical research of childhood rheumatic diseases.

Dr. Cindy Flower

Dr. Cindy Flower is a senior associate lecturer, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus and an associate consultant at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Barbados. She is an international fellow of the American College of Rheumatology and a fellow of the American College of Physicians. With the establishment of the rheumatology clinic at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in 1997, Dr. Flower was able to establish a registry of rheumatic disease in Barbados and publish articles on the epidemiology of rheumatic disease with special emphasis on systemic lupus erythematosus. Dr. Flower lectures locally and internationally and is on the medical advisory committee of the Hope Foundation of Barbados a non-governmental organization representing patients with lupus and other lesser-known chronic diseases. She credits her mentor -the late Professor George Nicholson with stimulating her interest in rheumatology and her patients with sustaining her continuing love for the specialty.

Dr. Amanda King

Dr. King is an internist and rheumatologist at Bay Medical Centre in St. Lucia. She is part of a team consisting of a dedicated general practitioner, surgeon, physiotherapist, psychologist, psychiatrist, visiting podiatrist and plastic surgeon. She conducts self-management classes at the centre. She was the founding president of The St. Lucia arthritis and lupus association and is current president of CAR. She is married with four children.

Dr. Lynda Tilluckdharry

Dr. Lynda Tilluckdharry graduated with honors from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in 2004. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology fellowship at Fletcher Allen Health Care at the University of Vermont. She is board certified in Internal medicine and Rheumatology. She returned to her home country of Trinidad in 2011 and practiced as a rheumatologist at her family- run medical institution, Cross Crossing Medical Centre for a few years before returning to the USA. She is presently an Assistant Professor in Internal Medicine at Howard University in a Washington DC.

Dr. Hasem Youssef

Dr Youssef is a Consultant Rheumatologist in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Division of Applied Medicine at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, UK since 2007. He is regularly involved in undergraduate and postgraduate education and is the Training Programme Director for Rheumatology in the North of Scotland Deanery. He is experienced in the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound for early diagnosis and management of inflammatory arthritis. He is a European-certified rheumatology sonographer (EFSUMB level II) and a certified trainer and examiner of musculoskeletal ultrasound in Scotland as a member and cofounder of the Scottish Rheumatology Ultrasound Group (SRUG). His Masters degree (MSc) in 1995 was on the role of TNF in adult and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. MD degree in 2003 on immuno-genetics of lupus was completed in the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK.

Dr. Grace C. Wright, MD, PhD, FACR

Grace C. Wright, MD, PhD is a clinical associate professor of medicine and attending rheumatologist at the New York University (NYU) Langone Medical Center in New York City. Dr. Wright received her undergraduate degree at Barnard College, Columbia University, graduating magna cum laude in 1983, and earned her medical and doctorate degrees at NYU School of Medicine in 1990. She completed an internship and residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in rheumatology at the NYU Medical Center. Dr. Wright has research and clinical interests in the management and treatment of Rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic diseases, Osteoporosis, and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus. She has served as a principal or co-principal investigator of several clinical trials. She is a founding member and President of the Association of Women in Rheumatology and is a fellow and member of the American College of Rheumatology.

Prof. Michel De Bandt

Baccalauréat série D, 1978. PCEM 1, Faculté Paris V, 1979. Études de médecine au CHU Paris-Ouest de 1978 à 1983. Reçu aux concours de l’Internat des Hôpitaux de Paris, de Rouen et de Lille mars 1983. Service militaire au titre de la coopération, de novembre 1984 à Mars 1986, en Afrique (République du Cap-vert). Ancien Interne des Hôpitaux de Paris (1983-1989) Chef de clinique à la Faculté, assistant des hôpitaux de Paris de 1989 à 1993. Service de Rhumatologie, Professeur MF Kahn. Hôpital Bichat. Thèse de doctorat de médecine: faculté de Paris, mars 1988,"Manifestations rhumatologiques au cours de l'infection VIH". Assistant de 1993 à 1996, dans le service de Médecine Interne du Pr D Herman, Hôpital Bichat. Attaché temps plein, service de rhumatologie, Pr O Meyer, Hôpital Bichat . 1996-2000. Assistant temps plein, Département de Médecine, Hôpital Européen Georges Pompidou. 20 rue Leblanc, 75015, Paris. 2000-2003. Chef de service de rhumatologie, Hôpital R Ballanger, Aulnay sous Bois, 93600, 2004-2012. PU-PH chef de service de rhumatologie , CHU de Martinique .

Dr. R. Carmona

Dr. Carmona is a rheumatologist and Associate Professor of Medicine at McMaster University. He completed medical school and internship at the University of the West Indies (Trinidad). He went on to do Internal Medicine Residency and Rheumatology Fellowship at McMaster University, following which he joined the faculty at McMaster in 2009. His clinical interests include all inflammatory arthropathies (including rheumatoid arthritis, and seronegative disorders such as ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthritis, and enteropathic arthritis), as well as inflammatory ocular diseases. Dr. Carmona is actively involved in the undergraduate and postgraduate training programs, and is the Director of Medical Foundation 5, McMaster MD Program. He is also a Royal College examiner for the Rheumatology certification examination. He is the recipient of the McMaster Department of Medicine Undergraduate Teaching Award (2015), and the McMaster AFP Internal Career Clinician Award (2010). Dr. Carmona is also the creator of Rheumtutor.com, an open-access website that hosts an array of educational content that he develops. This includes the acclaimed video series “McMaster MSK Examination Series” and “McMaster MSK Injection Techniques”. These tools are used by universities and trainees across North America and internationally.

Dr. Stacy Davis

Dr. Stacy Davis is a graduate of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies, Mona where she obtained her MBBS in 2001. During her medical training she was a recipient of the Bustamante Foundation Award and Shell Company West Indies Jamaica Limited Scholarship. She completed her Internal Medicine residency at the University of Virginia/Carilion Clinic and her Rheumatology fellowship at the Medical College of Georgia. Dr Davis has published papers on various autoimmune diseases including sarcoidosis, demyelinating disease associated with biologic therapy and osteoporosis along with presenting at many conferences. She was a Faculty speaker for Abbott Pharmaceutical Company while practicing in the USA. She is currently board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in both Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. She is a member of the American College of Rheumatology and the Caribbean Association of Rheumatology. She is also a past member of the UWI Medical Alumni Association, Central Florida Chapter and the Florida Society of Rheumatology. She is immediate past president of the Lupus Foundation of Jamaica. Dr. Davis is a part time consultant in the Department of Medicine at the University Hospital of the West Indies and also cares for patients in private practice. She manages patients with general rheumatologic disorders.

Dr. Karen Nathalie Franco Gómez

Dr Franco earned her MD degree with a Magna Cum-Laude recognition from the Universidad Iberoamericana UNIBE in Dominican Republic. She then became specialist in Rheumatology at the La Paz University Hospital in Madrid Spain, where she held different positions within the clinical and research departments. Currently she is a professor for Clinical Immunology and Rheumatology at the PUCMM and the UNIBE at Dominican Republic. Dr. Franco is an attending rheumatologist at the Francisco Moscoso Puello Hospital in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

Dr. Gail Kerr

Dr. Kerr is a graduate of the University of the West Indies, and holds the DM in Medicine and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, UK. She has been in academic medicine since the 1990’s, and is currently Professor of Medicine at Georgetown and Howard University Hospitals. She also serves as Chief of Rheumatology at the DC VAMC and Howard University. Dr. Kerr has been involved in the initiation of multiple clinical registries: VARA, CRYSTAL and PULSAR covering rheumatoid arthritis, gout and the spondylarthropathies, respectively, in the VA system, and EMRAC – engaging private and academic practices that care for rheumatoid arthritis in ethnic minorities. As the Director of Clinical Research in the Alliance of Women in Rheumatology, she has also initiated the capture of rheumatoid arthritis clinical parameters via EHRs in routine care, aimed at the assessment of disease burden in various geographic locales. Through these efforts, she has authored many abstracts and manuscripts on various aspects of rheumatic diseases. Dr. Kerr, through her establishment of VARC, has provided a forum for VA rheumatologists to meet, discuss and corporate in delivering best practice management of rheumatic diseases to Veterans. She is currently a Board Member of the Institute of Clinical Research, at the DC VAMC, and of the Association of Women in Rheumatology.

Dr. Sharon Dowell

Dr. Sharon Dowell earned her medical degree from the University of the West Indies and completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. She subsequently completed further training at the University of Connecticut, followed by a fellowship in Rheumatology at the University of Maryland. She is an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Howard University and currently participates in clinical research trials in lupus, rheumatoid arthritis and gout.

Dr. Neil D McKay

I am a Consultant Rheumatologist at the Lothian Rheumatic Diseases Unit of the Western General Hospital. My duties involve clinical, teaching, research, service development, and managerial work. I run 5 clinics per week in Rheumatology. I developed the service for the Early RA clinic and rheumatology musculoskeletal ultrasound. I am a specialty advisor for Rheumatology Consultant Revalidation and an External consultant interview panel Advisor. I am involved in clinical research as the PI for a number of commercial studies and run a clinical research team of 5 permanent staff members. I have co-authored a small number of research publications in ultrasound, systemic sclerosis, and early RA patients. I sit on the Scottish Society Rheumatology (SSR) Council, Chair SSR clinical standards group and Chair Scottish Rheumatology Ultrasound Group (SRUG). SRUG run 3 Edinburgh Ultrasound courses per year, and a Consortium for the Accreditation of Sonographic Education (CASE) certified competency programme. The affordable and competitive programme furnishes an individual with the highly desirable skill to run a synovitis detection service with musculoskeletal ultrasound. CASE's philosophy is to promote best ultrasound practise through the accreditation of those training programmes that develop safe and competent ultrasound practitioners. I hold a diploma in medical education I enjoy walking in the hills and coastline, spending time with my wife and 3 boys at home.

Sponsors

Our Board of Directors 2021-2024

2021-2024


Previous Executive

President - Dr. Amanda King
Vice President - Dr. Cindy Flower
Treasurer - Dr. Lynda Tilluckdharry
Secretary - Dr. Sharon Dowell


Other directors were 

Dr. Nicole Johnson, Dr. / Prof. Eon Nigel Harris and Dr. Vincent Nwosa

Caribbean Association for Rheumatology
Bay Medical Centre
P.O. Box GM712
Castries | Saint Lucia

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