Today the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) announced the appointment of Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) rheumatologist Anne R. Bass, MD, as its 90th president. A nationally recognized clinician-scientist and leader in the field, Dr. Bass brings more than three decades of clinical, research, mentorship, and leadership experience to the organization’s top leadership role.

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HSS Rheumatologist Anne R. Bass, MD, Elected 90th President of the American College of Rheumatology

HSS Rheumatologist Anne R. Bass, MD, Elected 90th President of the American College of Rheumatology

The ACR is the leading professional organization for rheumatologists and rheumatology health professionals, representing thousands of members dedicated to advancing the treatment of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases.

“I’m extremely excited to lead and give back to the ACR, which has been very important to my professional life and development,” said Dr. Bass. “I’ve volunteered for the ACR for more than two decades and it’s been central to my professional growth in ways that extend beyond clinical medicine.”

Prior to being elected president, Dr. Bass served in numerous leadership positions at the ACR, including chair of the Committee on Training and Workforce, chair of the Committee on Ethics and Conflicts of Interest, and service on the Board of Directors of both the ACR and the Rheumatology Research Foundation (RRF). She was also the principal investigator for the 2022 ACR Guideline for Vaccinations in Patients with Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases.

Dr. Bass has cared for patients at HSS for more than 30 years. She is widely respected for her expertise in the treatment of patients with autoimmune side effects of cancer immunotherapy and patients with inflammatory arthritis. She directs the HSS Checkpoint Inhibitor-Associated Immune Related Adverse Events Registry and has conducted both clinical and translational research to better understand these conditions.

“My research is related to the off-target autoimmune side effects of immune checkpoint inhibitors,” said Dr. Bass. “These medications are being used to treat more and more types of cancer, so the number of people receiving them is growing exponentially by the year. Seventy-five percent of patients using these drugs will develop some type of off-target side effect such as inflammatory arthritis or myositis. These conditions often mimic the autoimmune diseases that we see outside of the checkpoint inhibitor setting. Although checkpoint inhibitor myositis is much rarer than arthritis, it can be life-threatening if it involves the muscles of breathing or the heart. Our goal is to identify the safest and most effective treatments to manage these complications while preserving patients’ anti-cancer responses.”

“Dr. Bass is a transformative leader in rheumatology who has made a significant impact on the field,” said Douglas E. Padgett, MD, Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical Director at HSS. “Her research has improved the understanding and management of complex rheumatic diseases and has blazed promising new pathways for better treatments. Dr. Bass’s mentorship over the years has helped train the next generation of rheumatologists. These contributions, along with her unwavering commitment to deliver the highest-quality patient care, uniquely position Dr. Bass to lead the ACR and help advance the future of rheumatology through research, education, and innovation.”

“Dr. Bass is a globally recognized clinician-scientist who stands at the vanguard of research and treatments for the autoimmune side effects of cancer immunotherapy,” said Anca D. Askanase, MD, Chair of the Department of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Rheumatology at HSS. “As ACR president, Dr. Bass will champion advances in rheumatology care through education, research, advocacy, and practice management support. Her leadership will be instrumental in advancing innovation, driving meaningful progress, and delivering impactful improvements that enhance people’s lives.”

Dr. Bass earned her medical degree from Columbia University’s College of Physicians & Surgeons. She completed her internship and residency at Columbia, followed by a rheumatology fellowship at New York University Medical Center and the Hospital for Joint Diseases (now known as NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital).

Throughout her professional career, Dr. Bass credits the ACR with providing ample opportunities for meaningful collaborations and forming strong professional relationships. “When I became the associate program director of the HSS rheumatology fellowship in 2004, I went to my first ACR Program Directors Conference and I found the experience amazing,” said Dr. Bass. “I met 100 program directors, learned best practices for my new role, and made lifelong friends. From that point on, the ACR became a new home for me, which led to many volunteer experiences for the organization.”

In her role as president, Dr. Bass plans to enhance the scope and reach of the ACR’s educational programs. “The ACR is the premier source of rheumatology education, but its resources can be hard to access, and there are a lot of competing organizations that also offer educational content. People can now get their medical knowledge in many different ways,” she said. “My priority is to modernize the ACR’s digital presence and make our educational and advocacy resources more accessible, really “at the fingertips” of our members. We also plan to seek ways to collaborate with other organizations that are producing educational content.”

Dr. Bass also hopes to strengthen the rheumatology research pipeline. “The current political climate is severely threatening rheumatology research due to reductions in funding, cutbacks to staffing at the National Institutes of Health, and the politization of the peer review process,” she said. “We want to enhance advocacy for research funding and infrastructure, and hope to partner with the organizations that provide the bulk of rheumatology research funding, including the RRF, the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.” To do this she also aims to engage more researchers as volunteers in the College.

Dr. Bass is especially excited to support her fellow ACR volunteers. “The best ideas bubble up from our committee chairs and volunteers. Ultimately, my role as ACR president is to help facilitate existing and new volunteer projects that best address the needs of our members and the field of rheumatology as a whole,” said Dr. Bass.

For Dr. Bass, her role as ACR president brings her closer to her longstanding goal to improve the lives of people living with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. “I’ve been in the practice of rheumatology for over 30 years and working with patients is the backbone of everything I do,” she said. “The research, training, education, and advocacy—ultimately, I do it all to serve our patients.”

About HSS

HSS is the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the 17th consecutive year), No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2026-2027), and the best pediatric orthopedic hospital in NY, NJ and CT by U.S. News & World Report “Best Children’s Hospitals” list (2026-2027). HSS is the worlds most awarded hospital in orthopedics by Newsweek each year since the “World’s Best Specialized Hospitals” survey was introduced in 2020. Founded in 1863, the Hospital has the lowest readmission rate in the nation, and among the lowest infection and complication rates. HSS was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center six consecutive times. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State, as well as in Florida. In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. In addition, more than 200 HSS clinical investigators are working to improve patient outcomes through better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat orthopedic, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The HSS Education Institute is a trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal knowledge and research for physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, academic trainees, and consumers in more than 165 countries. The institution is collaborating with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make world-class HSS care more widely accessible nationally and internationally. www.hss.edu.

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