A group of well-respected physicians specializing in rheumatology, orthopaedic surgery, physical and rehabilitation medicine, pain management and sports medicine, as well as physical therapists and other health professionals, comprise the Arthritis Education by Professionals Medical Advisory Board. Their purpose is to contribute and review content to ensure we provide medically accurate, reliable arthritis information and to assist in the development and presentation of new arthritis education programming.

   They also may serve as guest speakers at the public "Feeling Good With Arthritis" Seminars, Forums and other events presented by Arthritis Education by Professionals, Inc.

Member: Dennis Armstrong, M.D.

   Dr. Armstrong earned his undergraduate degree at Michigan State University and graduated from Wayne State School of Medicine in Detroit, Michigan. He served internships at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu and Walton Army Hospital, Fort Dix, New Jersey. His orthopaedic residency was served at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit. Dr. Armstrong is board certified by the American Academy of Orthopaedics, and has been in private practice in Arizona since 1977. He has participated in many design concept meetings and clinical studies of orthopaedic implants, especially total hip and total knee implant designs. Dr. Armstrong has also presented many original papers at national and international symposia on total joint replacement techniques.

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Member: Ralph Bennett, M.D.

   Dr. Bennett graduated from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York. He completed his internal medicine residency and rheumatology fellowship at Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Bennett is board certified in internal medicine and in rheumatology. He has been a member of the medical scientific committee of the Arthritis Foundation and is actively involved in arthritis research projects. Dr. Bennett is associated with Arizona Arthritis & Rheumatology Associates.

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Member: Leonard Bodell, M.D.

   Dr. Bodell is a specialist in orthopaedics of the hand and upper extremity, and in the medical management of chronic pain. He received his medical degree from New York Medical College in New York City, and served his orthopaedic residency and hand surgery fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery with added qualifications in Hand Surgery, and the American Academy of Pain Management. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a Diplomat of the American Academy of Pain Management, and a member of the American Association for Hand Surgery, the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society and the Mayo Clinic Hand Society. Dr. Bodell is Chief of Hand Services for the Phoenix Orthopaedic Residency Program, which is affiliated with the University of Arizona College of Medicine and Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. He also serves as an adjunct professor at Arizona State University, an adjunct research scientist at the Harrington Arthritis Research Center in Phoenix, and affiliate assistant professor at Midwestern University, Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine in Glendale, Arizona. He travels extensively as an authority and speaker on management of the upper extremity and chronic pain. He is affiliated with Med Pro Orthopaedics in Phoenix, Arizona.

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Member: Dennis Crandall, M.D.

   Dr. Dennis Crandall received his medical degree from St. Louis University School of Medicine and completed his orthopaedic residency at St. Louis University Hospitals in St. Louis, Missouri. He completed a fellowship in spinal reconstructive surgery, adult and pediatric spinal deformity and spinal trauma from the University of Maryland, Section of Spinal Surgery, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Maryland Hospital and Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Crandall is board certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners and the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American College of Surgeons, the Scoliosis Research Society, North American Spinal Society and the Spinal Fixation Study Group to name a few of his affiliations.

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Member: Michael Fairfax, D.O.

   Dr. Fairfax is a board-certified rheumatologist in private practice in Phoenix, Arizona. His special interests include rheumatoid arthritis, pediatric arthritis and osteoporosis. Dr. Fairfax graduated from the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine; he served an internal medicine residency at Naval Hospital in San Diego and a rheumatology fellowship at St. Louis University School of Medicine in Missouri. Dr. Fairfax is a member of the International Society of Clinical Densitometry and the American College of Rheumatology, and holds teaching positions at the Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine--Southwest Campus and at the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine.

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Member: James Garrick, M.D.

   Dr. Garrick, an orthopaedic surgeon, is founder and director of the Center for Sports Medicine in San Francisco, California, the first hospital-based multi-specialty clinic dealing with athletic injuries in the nation. He also founded the Sports Medicine Division at the University of Washington, the first facility of its kind at a major U.S. university. Dr. Garrick graduated from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and served his residency and orthopaedic fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. He is a founding member of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and a member of both the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Dr. Garrick is a clinical professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of California San Francisco. He frequently presents at national and international medical meetings and has served on the editorial boards for major medical journals. He has authored four books on sports medicine: Ski Conditioning (1978), Peak Condition (1986), Be Your Own Personal Trainer (1989) and Sport Injuries--Diagnosis and Management (1990). His new book, Anybody's Sports Medicine Book, is published by Ten Speed Press.

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Member: Jon Gelsey, M.D.

   Dr. Jon Gelsey received his medical degree from and completed his general surgery residency at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. He completed his orthopaedic residency at Wilford Hall, United States Air Force Medical Center at Lakeland Air Force Base in Texas. Dr. Gelsey is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Dr. Gelsey specializes in treatment and surgery of the hip, knee and shoulder. He specializes in treatment and surgery of the hip, knee and shoulder.

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Member: Paul Howard, M.D.

   Dr. Paul Howard graduated from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson, Arizona, and his rheumatology fellowship at the John Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Howard is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine and Rheumatology. He is a fellow of the American College of Rheumatology, a national board member of the National Sjorgren's Syndrome Association and is a member of the American College of Physicians. Dr. Howard is Director of Arthritis Health, which promotes traditional and complementary therapies. He is a clinical lecturer at the University of Arizona Medical School in Tucson and teaches arthritis care to Family Practice and Internal Medicine Residents, and participates in clinical pharmaceutical studies of arthritis and metabolic bone disease.

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Member: Robert Karpman, M.D.

   Dr. Robert Karpman received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Arizona Health Sciences Center in Tucson. Dr. Karpman received his master's degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix, in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Karpman is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons. He is also a member of the Association of Bone & Joint Surgeons. Board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Karpman specializes in orthopaedic surgery, specifically the foot and ankle. He is an associate of Sun Valley Orthopaedics and holds academic positions including clinical professor, Department of Surgery, University of Arizona and as associate professor, Mayo Medical School.

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Member: Rene Lucas, M.D.

   Dr. Rene Lucas received his medical degree from the University of California School of Medicine in San Francisco, California. He completed his medical residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at UCLA-VMAC West Los Angeles Program. Dr. Lucas is a diplomat of the American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and is board certified by the American Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. He is the Medical Director of Del Webb's Acute Rehabilitation Unit and Sun Health's Industrial Rehabilitation Center.

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Member: Lori McCormick, P.T.

   Lori McCormick is a physical therapist licensed in Washington and South Dakota. She has more than 20 years of well-rounded experience working with orthopaedic, neurological, cardiac and sports medicine patients, with a major focus and interest in gerontology. She is certified by the American Council on Exercise as a Group Fitness Instructor and is a member of the Geriatrics Section of the American Physical Therapy Association. In 1997 she joined the staff of "Sit and Be Fit," a public television program promoting exercise and fitness techniques for older adults. She has developed exercises to be featured on the new "Sit and Be Fit" series and has co-developed, along with the founder of "Sit and Be Fit," one- and two-day seminars entitled "Geriatric Chair Exercise: Fitness Programming for Older Adults." She designs and teaches exercise classes for seniors at retirement communities, presents seminars and lectures to the public and healthcare professionals on physical therapy topics, supervises physical therapy students and has trained volunteers and tested participants for local and national assessments of the fitness of older adults. She earned her bachelor's degree in physical therapy at the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks.

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Member: Blair Packard, P.T.

   Blair Packard received his Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah and his Master's degree in Physical Therapy from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. Blair is co-owner of East Valley Physical Therapy & Aquatic Rehabilitation in East Mesa, Arizona. Previously he was owner of Professional Therapy Associates in the same location as well as co-owner of Affiliated Physical Therapists in Phoenix. Blair is active in his profession at many levels including being past-president of the Arizona Chapter of the American Physical Therapy Association. He is currently president of the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. He has previously been awarded Physical Therapist of the Year and the President's Award from the Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy. Blair has contributed numerous papers for professional publications as well as providing multiple presentations to his peers and colleagues.

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Member: Sanford Roth, M.D.

   Dr. Sanford Roth is internationally known for his expertise and experience in the treatment and research of arthritis. Dr. Roth received his medical degree from Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. He completed a fellowship in rheumatology and internal medicine at the Mayo Graduate School of Medicine in Rochester, Minnesota. Dr. Roth is medical director of Arizona Education & Research. He is also Senior Consulting Rheumatologist for ArthroCare, Arthritis Care and Research, and Director of the Aging and Arthritis Program at Arizona State University. Dr. Roth is an authority on arthritis drug research and a consultant to the United States Food & Drug Administration office of Compliance Rheumatology and to numerous pharmaceutical companies. He is author and medical editor of major arthritis textbooks and journals. Dr. Roth is a founder and past president of the American Society of Clinical Rheumatology and the International Society for Rheumatic Therapy.

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Member: Michael Winer, M.D.

   Dr. Winer is an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in traditional and minimally invasive spinal surgery. He earned his degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago, and completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Barnes Hospital at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Winer is board certified in orthopaedic surgery and minimally invasive spinal surgery. Formerly, he was an instructor in clinical orthopaedic surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Association of Minimally Invasive Spinal Medicine & Surgery, and the North American Spine Society. Dr. Winer is affiliated with the Arizona Spine Care Alliance in Tempe, Arizona.

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