WELCOME TO OUR
RPPA GROWTH SUMMIT 2026!
October 16-18, 2026 • Houston, Texas
The RPPA Growth Summit 2026 is officially sold out! Join our Priority Waitlist to be notified if additional seats become available.
Since our inaugural summit in 2023, private practice rheumatologists have come together each year for meaningful connections and practical conversations. After another strong event in 2024 and a sold-out summit in 2025, we’re excited for an even bigger RPPA Growth Summit in 2026.
Rheumatology Private Practice Alliance is a UNIQUE community of rheumatologists passionate about the sustainability of private practice, physician autonomy, and delivering high-quality care to their patients.
In this event, you will:
✔ BE INSPIRED by like-minded physicians
✔ BUILD LASTING FRIENDSHIP with rheumatologists from across the country
✔ CONNECT WITH NEW MENTORS!!
✔ LEARN PRACTICAL and EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS to strengthen your practice operations so that you can focus on delivering excellent and ethical care to your patients.
RPPA GROWTH SUMMIT 2026
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RPPA GROWTH SUMMIT 2026 •
MEET OUR RPPA GROWTH SUMMIT STEERING COMMITTEE!
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![Tien-I Karleen Su, M.D., FACR]()
Tien-I Karleen Su, M.D., FACR
Amicus Arthritis & Osteoporosis Center
California
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Adrienne Hollander, MD
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Ashok Jacob, MD
Annapolis Rheumatology LLC
Maryland -
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Julia Buchfuhrer, MD
JB Arthritis and Rheumatology Center
California -
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Padma Chimata, MD
Katy Rheumatology & Associates
Katy Texas
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Aaron Broadwell, MD
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Kiran Farheen, MD
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Nilanjana Bose, MD
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Reeti Joshi, MD
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Elizabeth Perkins, MD
Alabama
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Todd D. Daugherty, MD
New England Rheumatology & Osteoporosis
New Hampshire
For those of us who have already interacted with each other on our online community, this will be the first time that many of us will get to meet face-to-face and to strengthen our connection and collaboration!
If this is your first time learning about our community, WE WELCOME YOU to join us and become part of our community!
THANK YOU TO OUR 2025 SPONSORS
Here are some of our exciting sessions at the 2026 Summit!
From AI Hype to Real-World Implementation: Building a Secure, HIPAA-Compliant AI Environment That Amplifies Your Team
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Everyone is talking about AI and its game-changing potential, but how do you actually implement it safely in a HIPAA-compliant practice? Join Andrew Eckstrom of Succurri for a practical session on building a secure AI environment for private practices without breaking the bank. Learn how customized apps, dashboards, and AI agents can be developed safely using large language models, with attention to security architecture, role-based access, staff permissions, implementation costs, and workflows that amplify your team.
Fraud, Embezzlement, and Financial Risk in Medical Practice
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Fraud and financial loss can come from both inside and outside the practice. Learn how to identify red flags, implement safeguards, and protect your practice from embezzlement, cyber and financial fraud, and costly blind spots.
Expanding Your Rheumatology Toolbox: Botox, Fillers, Biopsies & Coding Pearls
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Learn the clinical applications of Botox for Raynaud phenomenon and digital ulcers, biopsy techniques, cosmetic considerations in autoimmune disease, and coding pearls that can help you confidently bring these procedures into your practice.
The Private Practice Real Estate Playbook: Ownership, Timing, and Tax Strategies
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Should you own your building? When is the right time? Explore financing, tax strategies, ownership structures, partner buy-ins and buyouts, and lessons learned from physicians who have navigated the process.
Detecting Revenue Cycle Leaks Before They Drain Your Bottom Line
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Do you feel overwhelmed by everything you need to track in your revenue cycle? Learn how to analyze revenue cycle data sources for early signs of downcoding, denials, underpayments, and payer behavior changes. This session will also cover ways to organize dashboard emails and spreadsheets, surface key metrics in real time, and apply real-world tracking and reporting approaches from medical practices across the country
Low-Dose Radiation Therapy in Rheumatology: Clinical Evidence and Insurable Revenue Opportunities in Private Practice
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Explore the emerging role of low-dose radiation therapy in rheumatology, review the clinical evidence, and hear firsthand experience from an RPPA member who incorporated low-dose radiation therapy into his practice in 2025.
Clinical Trials in Private Practice: SMO or In-House?
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Thinking about incorporating clinical research into your practice? Hear perspectives from physicians with very different journeys, including those with more than a decade of experience and those who started more recently. Explore the pros and cons of SMO partnerships versus building research infrastructure in-house.
MID Beyond Launch: What Happens After?
Hear real-world experiences, implementation challenges, lessons learned, and insights on available MID vendors and solutions from practices moving beyond the introduction phase.
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The Rheumatology Practice at Risk: Build Your Brand Before It's Too Late
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Are you worried about declining insurance reimbursement and keeping your practice alive? Learn how to build your brand now so you're ready to expand into infusion services beyond rheumatology, cash pay services like PRP and obesity medicine, and stand out in your community. Hear from AI and marketing experts, plus rheumatologists who've done it successfully.
Are you unsure how to fairly and effectively compensate your physicians and APPs? In this session, we’ll explore real compensation models, from RVUs to billing, with candid insights from peers. You’ll gain frameworks and survey tools to help you choose what fits your unique practice.
Cracking the Code: Unlocking Real-World Compensation Wins for Physicians and APPs
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From Lone Wolf to Team Leader: How Physicians Begin the Journey Toward a Self-Managing Practice Without Losing Autonomy
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Are you struggling to hire and lead a team, feeling like every decision is on your shoulders? In this session, physician owners and leadership experts will share real-world stories—what worked, what didn’t—and frameworks to help you start building a self-managing practice. Gain strategies to maintain autonomy while empowering your team.
SUNDAY HANDS-ON AI WORKSHOP
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Learn practical AI tools you can use for your practice
2026 RPPA GROWTH SUMMIT
OCTOBER 16-18, 2026 FRI - SUN
OMNI HOUSTON HOTEL HOUSTON, TEXAS
WE VALUE GROWTH
WE VALUE ADVOCACY
WE VALUE COMMUNITY
WE VALUE TRANSPARENCY
WE VALUE UNIQUE SOLUTIONS
WE VALUE EXCELLENT PATIENT CARE
WE VALUE INNOVATION & TECHNOLOGY
We encourage discussions among members to talk candidly about their challenges WITHOUT JUDGMENT.
Watch what our members say about our community in their own words
