Dr. Amanda King, MBBS (UWI), FRCP (Glas.), ACR International fellow, SLMM (Gold), is a St. Lucian Island Scholar. She returned to St. Lucia in 1995 as Consultant Internist and Rheumatologist. She started the first multidisciplinary diabetic clinic at St. Jude Hospital and became Vice President of The St. Lucia Diabetic and Hypertensive Association. In 1997 she was Founding President of The St. Lucia Arthritis and Lupus association (SLALA). Dr. King was instrumental in introducing Stanford’s Arthritis Self management program to St. Lucia in 2002, as a voluntary empowerment program. In 2005 she, along with the other two Master Trainers cross- trained in Chronic disease self management (CDSMP)  to better serve the entire population. CDSMP in St. Lucia is now known as “Viv byen”.

In 2007 Dr. King met with rheumatologists from the region to start The Caribbean Association for Rheumatology (CAR). In 2008 St. Lucia hosted the first CAR scientific meeting. CAR was officially incorporated in 2014. She is CAR’s Founding President. In 2011 she received the award from The St. Lucia Medical and Dental Association for ‘Most outstanding physician ‘.

In 2017 she was awarded the St. Lucia Medal of Merit (Gold), a national award for her contribution to Medicine.

She believes in collaborating regionally and globally. CAR has grown from an English speaking organization to one that includes the French, Dutch and Spanish- speaking territories. CAR is now a global partner of The Association of women in rheumatology (AWIR).

In 2016 CAR decided to dedicate a session to teach non-rheumatologists so that accurate diagnoses may be made early and patient-centred multidisciplinary care be instituted. This is now an annual commitment.

The Scottish Rheumatology ultrasound group (SRUG) began teaching MSK ultrasound to CAR members at the meeting in 2017 and this is to be an annual event.

CAR is working on’ Guidelines for Shared Care of patients with RA and lupus’.

One of the goals of the 2018 meeting is to decide ‘How to improve care in territories with no rheumatologist’.

Dr. King continues to explore affordable avenues for expression for people with chronic disease and pain and as such organized ‘Soul art for healing’ tutored by a psychotherapist and artist. She looks forward to similar ventures in music and the written word.