B. Shine Rheumatology Unit

תמונה ראשית - ריאומטולוגיה

B. Shine Rheumatology Unit

The B. Shine Rheumatology Unit cares for patients with different rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, psoriatic arthropathy, connective tissue diseases (systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, vasculitis, myositis, Sjogren’s syndrome), autoinflammatory diseases (Behcet’s disease, familial Mediterranean fever), degenerative joint diseases, crystal-induced joint diseases (gout, pseudogout), musculo-skeletal pain syndromes (enthesopathy, regional pain syndromes, fibromyalgia), and osteoporosis. The unit has extensive experience in treating patients with collagen diseases and internal organ complications (lung and heart involvement in collagen diseases, pulmonary hypertension due to collagen disease, Raynaud’s syndrome, and gastrointestinal complications in autoimmune diseases).

Treatments provided by the unit staff include intravenous drug therapies, joint injections, use of second line drugs (DMARD’s), and physical and occupational therapy. In addition, the unit team provides immediate diagnosis of joint/tendon disease and administers joint/tendon injections using a portable ultrasound device. The unit has an active day care clinic with dedicated staff that provides every kind of biological treatment such as anti-TNF drugs, mabthera, actemra, abatacept, benlysta, and IVIG. The unit team has extensive training and experience in the use of biologic agents.

The holistic approach embraced by the unit enables patients to receive comprehensive treatment by a multidisciplinary team (rheumatologist, rheumatology nurse, study coordinator, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, social worker, and psychologist) in the framework of the consulting clinic as well as during hospitalization. This approach is particularly important for patients with systemic rheumatic diseases. Unit specialists coordinate closely with other Rambam subspecialty units (pulmonology, gastroenterology, nephrology, cardiology, pharmacology, dermatology, orthopedics, and imaging).

Concomitant to their work at Rambam Health Care Campus, the senior unit physicians provide consulting services to the community clinics of the various HMOs.

The unit is an integral part of the Technion's Faculty of Medicine and students from Israel and abroad train here. The unit is also nationally recognized for its specialization in rheumatology and is a center for specialization training for physicians from the departments of internal medicine, community physicians, and interns.

In addition to its ongoing activities, the unit is involved in numerous research projects, focusing mainly on scleroderma, joint inflammation, use of musculo-skeletal ultrasound, use of biological drugs.

The unit staff is an active member of Israeli Rheumatology society, European and American rheumatology associations (EULAR, EUSTAR, and ACR).