Overview
The Rheumatology Program of Rady Children’s Specialists of San Diego offers comprehensive care for the full spectrum of pediatric rheumatology diseases. All of our pediatric specialists are board certified in rheumatology, have faculty appointments at the UC San Diego School of Medicine and are part of the Department of Pediatrics.
Our pediatric specialists provide care to children from a large catchment area, which includes Mexico, Orange County, southern Texas, Nevada and Arizona. Care is provided at Rady Children’s Hospital-San Diego and satellite offices in San Diego and southern Riverside counties. As we are known for our expertise in diagnosing pediatric rheumatologic conditions, our program is major referral source for for health professionals/pediatricians with complex rheumatology disease cases.
For the children we see, a multidisciplinary care approach for pediatric rheumatology provides the best outcomes. We refer children with joint or muscle problems who need a specific exercise program for occupational and physical therapy. And we work with other pediatric specialists when additional expertise is needed for patients. An example of this is the Lupus Clinic, a collaboration between the Rhematology and Nephrology divisions.
We encourage families, including families of patients, to get involved with the Arthritis Foundation, which helps fund a summer camp for kids, provides support for an annual educational mini-symposium, supports an annual holiday party, and helps coordinate the transition for teenagers from pediatric rheumatologists to medical professionals/adult specialists. The Foundation also holds a yearly Arthritis Walk and Jingle Bell 5K run to raise awareness and educate the public about rheumatic diseases.
Along with providing expert care and treatment, our medical professionals are involved in cutting-edge research to advance the treatment of pediatric rheumatologic diseases. Our health professionals also educate future specialists by training pediatric residents at UC San Diego and Balboa Naval Medical Center, as well as adult medicine fellows from UC San Diego and Scripps Health.