Meet Julie Ann Campbell: One of Our Newest Foundation Sponsored Fellows!

Meet Julie Ann Campbell: One of Our Newest Foundation Sponsored Fellows!

The Arthritis Foundation has been working to help close the gap on the nation’s rheumatologist shortage through our fellowship initiative, because proper access to care is should be guaranteed. As one of the five new 2020 fellowship grant awardees, the Seattle Children’s Hospital and University of Washington Pediatric Rheumatology Fellowship Program announced their fellowship has been awarded to Dr. Julie Ann Campbell.

Dr. Campbell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Native American Studies, with a minor in Biology, from Dartmouth College. It was during this time that her grandmother was diagnosed with lupus and her interest in rheumatology began. She earned her medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine and is currently completing her pediatric residency at Seattle Children’s Hospital, beginning the pediatric rheumatology fellowship program there in July.

She describes her journey to becoming a pediatric rheumatologist, “Growing up in Montana, I was exposed to the benefits and challenges of rural life from an early age. I was lucky in that I was healthy, and I never required subspecialty care. Had I needed that type of care I would have had to travel two states away to see a provider.

“When I started medical school as a part of the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho (WWAMI) program through the University of Washington, I was immediately immersed in the challenges of providing exceptional healthcare to patients in rural areas,” she continued. “As part of the Targeted Rural and Underserved Track (TRUST), I was matched with a rural community and returned there often, including for 6 months as part of my third year of medical school.

“I learned firsthand the difficulties many patients have in accessing care as well as the complexities around recruiting providers to work in rural areas. While I was there, I discovered my interest in pediatrics and continuity of care, and I made the decision to pursue pediatrics. During the following year, I completed an elective in pediatric rheumatology, and that inspired me to choose pediatric rheumatology as my career.”

During her residency, Dr. Campbell has worked with several pediatric rheumatology researchers on different projects, including one project looking at the onset of psoriasis in children and another looking at the onset of juvenile idiopathic arthritis in infants 12 months and younger.

“As I prepare to transition from my pediatric residency into a pediatric rheumatology fellowship, I plan to combine my love for pediatric rheumatology with my passion for improving access to care in rural areas. My long-term goal is to work in Montana, a state where there’s currently no pediatric rheumatologist. I hope to work with my colleagues to create tools for pediatric patients with autoimmune disease to improve outcomes in rural areas,” she said.

Dr. Campbell’s fellowship award has been made possible by the generous support of the Ludlow-Griffith Foundation. Learn more about donating to support our fellowship program.

 

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