Bernard Ng receives federal funding to establish a National Tele-Rheumatology Program

Dr. Bernard Ng, associate professor (Rheumatology) has been awarded a $1.6 million federal grant from the VA Office of Rural Health to establish a National Tele-Rheumatology Program (NTRP) to improve access to rheumatology care for Veterans, especially those who live in rural areas.

The NTRP will provide general rheumatology care through current telehealth modalities, as well as develop, test and validate new and established telemedicine examination techniques that can be done over virtual video connections.

Dr. Ng is the pioneering director of the NTRP and will be hiring and managing clinical teams of rheumatologists, RNs, telecare technicians and clinical pharmacists. There will also be opportunities for rheumatology fellows to train in the NTRP during their clinical rotations.