April 27, 2021 – On Friday, April 23, U.S. Representative Lois Frankel (F-21), her District Chief of Staff Felicia Goldstein, JD, and Alina Alonso, MD, director, Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County joined local rheumatologists and members of the international non-profit organization CreakyJoints to celebrate the reopening of the now named John Whelton Arthur Virshup CreakyJoints South Florida Arthritis Clinics.
Also at the event were Dr. John Whelton’s family and Dr. Arthur Vishup and his family, who founded the clinic in 1975 after recognizing the vital need for reliable access to professional medical services for uninsured patients with rheumatologic diseases. For decades, it was maintained locally through a generous bequest by local resident Mary Greissler, who donated money in her will for a building.
As additional Florida-based rheumatologists donated their time to support more patients, the clinic expanded from one location to four and now sees people living with rheumatic diseases monthly in private practice locations in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Stuart, and West Palm Beach, Florida. Identical to services provided to insured patients, clinic patients receive consistent and high-quality care, and have access to laboratory and imaging services subsidized by local supporters. Care is available in both English and Spanish, reflecting the needs of the local community, and coordinated by CreakyJoints Patient Care Coordinator Barbara Boyd-Floering.Last year the Arthritis Foundation experienced financial difficulties, laid off staff nationwide and could no longer afford to fund the clinic. CreakyJoints, a digital arthritis community and part of the Global Healthy Living Foundation, sustained clinic operations by immediately providing a financial and administrative lifeline.
“The clinic is now financially secure,” said GHLF Executive Director and Co-Founder Louis Tharp.
At Friday afternoon’s rededication ceremony, Michael C. Schweitz, MD, a longtime volunteer rheumatologist with the John Whelton Arthur Virshup CreakyJoints South Florida Arthritis Clinics, past president of the Coalition of State Rheumatology Organizations (CSRO), and past president of the Florida Society of Rheumatology, spoke about how the clinic serves patients and his relief that the clinic’s future was ensured. Also in attendance was Dr. Joseph Forstot, who started the Boca Raton clinic with Dr. Ira Pardo. Dr. Catherine Garcia, Dr. Amiel Tokayer, Dr. Michael Ross, Dr. Darrell Fiske, and Dr. Juan Maya, all volunteer doctors for the clinic, Carmen Amodie, who was instrumental in opening the Martin clinic, and Cheryl Scott, a longtime volunteer nurse for West Palm Beach clinic also attended.
W. Benjamin Nowell, PhD., Director of Patient-Centered Outreach at CreakyJoints, traveled to Florida for the event. He said, “CreakyJoints didn’t hesitate to support the John Whelton Arthur Virshup CreakyJoints South Florida Arthritis Clinics because we understand how important it is for people living with arthritis and other rheumatic conditions to have long-lasting relationships with their doctors so that they can manage their condition over a lifetime. We congratulate all the doctors, their supporting staff, and local partners for sustaining the clinic over decades and serving thousands of patients. We further thank Congresswoman Frankel and Dr. Alonso for attending the event and lending their support to the clinic’s mission.”
Although she could not attend, Kelly Skidmore, a Democrat representing the clinics in Florida’s 90th District in the Florida House of Representatives, and a long-time friend and supporter, thanked the physicians, staff and CreakyJoints for their service to the community.
In addition to providing medical care, the volunteer rheumatologists will educate their clinic patients about CreakyJoints’ comprehensive free resources, such as downloadable, disease-specific patient guidelines, ArthritisPower (a disease tracker and research registry), and other educational opportunities available on their websites and social media platforms in both English and Spanish.
