Meet Abby!

Abby was diagnosed at 20 months with JIA, uveitis, and Crohn's disease. Mom Kerry says they were given a lot of "old school" misinformation about her JIA.

“Among some of the most basic info, her first rheumatologist told us she'd outgrow it, that she wasn't in any pain, and that we probably would never need to escalate treatment beyond NSAIDs,” she says. “He also performed a steroid injection and knee aspiration on her while she was awake when she was 21 months old.”

Abby is now 11 and seen at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Kerry says switching to a center that values quality improvement made a huge difference in both the treatment and the appointment experience. Improved wait times was one of those experiences.

At Abby’s first rheumatologist, wait times were never shorter than an hour.  Something they’ve never experienced at CHOP. Also, she feels their voices are heard.

“We also are able to discuss current research and know that we’ll be listened to. When I brought up my daughter’s food allergies and tried to discuss possible diet changes in addition to starting the NSAIDs, the first rheumatologist completely dismissed us.”

Even though CHOP wasn’t part of PR-COIN when they switched rheumatologists, it has a culture that embraces quality improvement.

“It comes down to centers who participate in PR-COIN have rheumatologists who are constantly striving to learn and improve, and it shows,” Kerry says. Kerry is now a familiar name in the PR-COIN network as the Engagement Lead.

Visit our Get Involved page to learn more about how you can get involved in PR-COIN.