From the PRS President

Dear PRS Members, Colleagues, and Sponsors,


Greetings! My name is Phil Dunn, DO, and I will be serving as the Pennsylvania Rheumatology Society (PRS) President for the next two years. I’m a rheumatologist with Lehigh Valley Health Network, Jefferson Health. As a member and officer on the PRS Advisory Council for the past 5 years, I’ve watched the organization grow and thrive under the leadership of my predecessors Dr. Tanmayee Bichile, Dr. Irene Tan, and Dr. Al Denio. With your help, I’m looking forward to continuing their success.


In September, PRS held another successful Annual Scientific Meeting at the Hershey Lodge. Attendees participated in CME-bearing sessions presented on a wide range of topics, by leading experts. The family-friendly opening event drew a sizable crowd, catching up, and enjoying games, crafts and fun. Again this year, PRS supported the professional education of rheumatology Fellows, with pre-meeting lectures, a Fellows outing to build connections, and the annual Thieves’ Market competition. Attendees tell us they appreciate the quality of the sessions, and the ability to interact with fellow rheumatologists in a collegial, relaxed setting.   


PRS continues to monitor legislative issues important to Pennsylvania’s rheumatologists. The Advocacy Committee is in the early stages of mounting an effort to follow through on reports of excessive turn-around times for urgent prior authorizations, unreasonable step requests, and inability to have peer-to peers with rheumatologists. We’ll keep you posted as this develops.


Please feel free to reach out to me with your suggestions for PRS - we’re in this together!


As we head toward the end of 2025, best wishes for the holiday season, and for a healthy, productive 2026.


Phil Dunn, DO

Lehigh Valley Health Network, Jefferson Health

President, Pennsylvania Rheumatology Society

Renew Your PRS Membership Today!

PRS members recently received renewal emails for 2026.

Here's why PRS matters to Pennsylvania's Rheumatologists:


Education: throughout the year, PRS provides professional education opportunities, like the Annual Scientific Meeting and Cross Borders Summer Series,


Community: from the vibrant, informal exchange of ideas at the Annual Scientific Meeting to programs supporting early career rheumatologists, PRS is the state-wide association for all Pennsylvania Rheumatologists,


Advocacy: count on PRS to represent your professional concerns and issues!


Renew or Join here

Welcome New PRS Advisory Council Member,

 Dr. Orysia Kozicky!

PRS is pleased to welcome Dr. Orysia Kozicky to the Advisory Council as Early Career Representative, West. Dr. Kozicky is Assistant Professor in the Division of Rheumatology and Clinical Immunology at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. She holds an MD from New York Medical College, and completed her residency in the Department of Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Beth Israel (New York, NY), where she then served as a fellow in Medical Education and Administration. Dr. Kozicky acted as Chief Rheumatology Fellow at UPMC from 2019-2020. 


We asked Dr. Kozicky three questions to get to know her better:


What are your biggest professional challenges?

Physician Advocacy: working for a large health care system can be challenging to advocate for yourself and your practice. 


How would you describe your work to someone who doesn’t know much about Rheumatology?

Rheumatology is a specialty that detects and manages conditions related to an inappropriate response by the immune system. While the purpose of our immune system is to protect the body against infections or cancers, at times it can become confused and cause an attack against the body that may include skin, joints and internal organs. 


Any advice for new practitioners?

Don't be afraid to ask questions. Transitioning from training to independent practice presents with a lot of challenges. Keep close with your mentors and never shy away from asking questions as this will help you grow your career. 

Fellow-in-Training Representatives Join Advisory Council

Dr. Pallavi Velagapudi is a first-year rheumatology fellow at Jefferson Einstein Philadelphia Hospital. She graduated from Nova South- eastern Kiran C Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2022 and completed her internship and residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach, Florida in 2025. She is a member of the American College of Rheumatology, Pennsylvania Rheumatology Society, Philadelphia Rheumatism Society, American Medical Association, and American College of Physicians.


Dr. Vladimir Falb is a 2nd year Rheumatology fellow at Lehigh Valley Hospital. He grew up in Brooklyn, New York and attended medical school in Pikeville, Kentucky.


Next year Dr. Falb will be staying on as an attending at Lehigh Valley Hospital. He tells us that he is “ very excited to be a part of PRS and be a voice for Rheumatology fellows in the Pennsylvania area.”

PRS Advocacy: What We're Watching

Prior Authorization continues to be major issue for our patients and PRS members. Issues include long turnaround times, untenable step requirements, and a lack of peer-to-peers with rheumatologists.


Any delay of longer than 15 business days in response to a prior authorization request is in violation of state regulation, and if the request is urgent, 3 days is maximum turnaround time as per the regulation passed by Legislature and Governor in 2022.


PRS Advocacy Committee Chair Dr. Al Denio and PRS’s lobbying firm recently met with the Deputy Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner to express PRS’s concerns.  


Join the effort for accountability! Contact us: PRS Advocacy

2025 Thieves' Market Competition Winner!

Congratulations to Dr. Divya Mamootil, winner of PRS's 2025 Thieves' Market Competition!


Her presentation, "Don’t Break Out, It’s Just a Rash” presented a case study of a diagnosis of Mycobacterium haemophilus. The presentation’s take away points were:


  • Watch out for mimics of vasculitis and other rheumatologic rashes, even when the patient has an underlying connective tissue disease.
  • Infections can mimic cutaneous presentations of rheumatic diseases.


Dr. Mamootil is a second-year Rheumatology fellow at St. Lukes University Health Network, in Bethlehem, PA. A native of Toronto, Canada, she received her MD from the Ross University School of Medicine, Barbados, and completed her Internal Medicine Residency at Ascension St. Agnes, Baltimore.

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