The only clinic in Wisconsin dedicated to the treatment of lupus officially opened on February 12, 2018. The UW Health clinic is directed by Shivani Garg, MD, assistant professor (CHS), Rheumatology, who was quoted in media coverage about the opening. 

Lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus), a chronic autoimmune disease, often strikes young women of minority race and ethnicity. The onset of fatigue, joint pain, rashes and sometimes seizures, strokes or kidney failure can be devastating. 

“It’s overwhelming,” said Dr. Garg. “It leads to a lot of social issues, depression, emotional and physical limitations.”

The multidisciplinary clinic brings together physicians, pharmacists, and social workers to direct their areas of expertise toward improving quality of life for people living with lupus. 

Goals of the effort by UW Health include earlier identification of the signs of lupus, to prevent potential kidney disease and provide comprehensive care.

Resources:

• "UW Health opens state's only lupus clinic," WISC-TV, February 22, 2018
• "UW Health opens clinic for lupus, which often strikes young women," Wisconsin State Journal, February 2, 2018
• Lupus Clinic information - UW Health

Photo caption: The image shows a high magnification micrograph of histomorphologic changes in a lymph node due to systemic lupus erythematosus. Public domain photo CC BY-SA 3.0 courtesy of Michael Bonert.