RICK POPE, PA-C

Rick Pope obtained his certification as a physician assistant in 1980. He has extensive experience in family medicine, emergency medicine, rheumatology, osteoporosis, gerontology, pediatrics, and pain management. He has cared for patients at the Arthritis Center since 1987.

At the Arthritis Center Mr. Pope supervises the physician assistant staff and externing students in physician assistant graduate training. He is the clinical coordinator and sub-investigator for clinical research trials in osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic pain, back pain, and osteoporosis.

Mr. Pope is an assistant clinical professor and clinical coordinator at the Quinnipiac Graduate School for Physician Assistants. He is a regular lecturer for the Naugatuck Valley Technical College and the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA). Mr. Pope is a nationally recognized lecturer. Regular topics include osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, Lyme disease, rheumatoid arthritis, low back pain, pharmacology of NSAID’s, and chronic nonmalignant pain.

Mr. Pope is the founder and president of SPAR (Society for Physician Assistants in Rheumatology), a formally sponsored special interest group under the auspices of the AAPA. In this capacity he is singularly responsible for the education of physician assistants in these areas of interest.

Mr. Pope is on the speaker’s bureaus for G. D. Searle, Smith-Kline Beecham, Wyeth-Ayerst, Immumex, Novartis, and Sanofi.