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Charlotte Harris, M.D., F.A.C.P.,
F.A.C.R |
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To learn more about Arthritis, please visit the Arthritis Foundation website at www.arthritis.org |
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| Charlotte
Harris, M.D., F.A.C.P., F.A.C.R. |
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Thank you for your interest in North
Shore Rheumatology.
Rheumatology represents everything I
love in a career: a specialty that
encompasses the whole body, many
different types of clinical challenges,
and a chance to get to know patients and
interact with them in a way that will
allow me to serve as a positive force in
their lives. I have been interested in
science from a very early age. In
elementary school I clearly remember
when we were taught about the heart and
lungs. It was incredible that there was
so much inside ourselves that we were
unaware of. Eventually I focused on
motion. The notion that I could just
think about moving my finger and the
joint would bend amazed me. This path
eventually led me to rheumatology.
I grew up in Flint, Michigan, graduated
magna cum laude from Michigan State
University, and attended Cornell
University Medical College in New York
City. I loved New York, but Midwestern
openness and pragmatism is at the core
of who I am. So I came to Northwestern
Memorial Hospital in Chicago for my
residency and fellowship. After training
I entered a practice that was
three-quarters primary care and the
remainder rheumatology. I found it to be
a wonderful experience because it led me
to understand how vital the teamwork is
between the patient, the primary care
physician, and the rheumatologist.
I then became the chief of rheumatology
at Mercy Hospital. After two years the
opportunity arose to move to Rush
University Medical School. I practiced
there for nearly 25 years, and became an
associate professor. I was privileged to
participate in the education of at least
fifty young rheumatologists. I developed
an interest in osteoporosis and became
the director of the Osteoporosis
Treatment Center at Rush.
Over the years the relationship between
patients and their doctors has changed
in many ways. With plentiful information
at our fingertips about even the rarest
of illnesses, the focus has changed. I
strive to interpret this information and
apply it to the individual. I seek to
summarize and put into perspective what
is relevant to the patient’s goals and
perspective. There are guidelines
available for management of nearly every
disease, but to rely on them too heavily
is to miss the point. The patient is the
center of our efforts. |
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