Dr. Carter Thorne

2015 Distinguished Rheumatologist Award

There has never been anyone like Dr. Carter Thorne! Carter combines boundless energy, service and dedication to the Rheumatology community with a mantra of making things better. Carter never sleeps. He has served for all of us as an advocate and leader in the CRA. Carter was the treasurer and secretary for 11 years and has served as vice president and president. He is Director of The Arthritis Program (TAP), Chief of Medicine, PANLAR treasurer) Liaison Ministry of Health (Ontario) – EAP/MOC, private payers and pharmaceutical companies, he was on the Board of Directors, Ontario Division of the Arthritis Society.

Carter has been passionate about models of care and is ahead of his time with respect to team care, efficient yet excellent rheumatology care and has converted most of us to subcutaneous methotrexate. He created a thriving Ontario Rheumatology Association (ORA) where multiple committees such as models of care can help provincially in our achievement of excellent care. Carter is strategically involved in CATCH (Canadian Early Arthritis Cohort), OBRI (Ontario Best Practices Research Initiative) and at local, provincial and national models of care initiatives. Carter has been an investigator for years and was an executive member of the CRRC (Canadian Rheumatology Research Consortium) in order to Canadian-ize trials that would be good for our patients and feasible to recruit.

Carter is an author on more than 80 peer reviewed publications. He manages rare diseases that no one else will (Fabry’s), he does perioperative consults in orthopedics, he has been known to run wound care clinics, he is instrumental in trying to obtain access to Ytrium for patients and also liquid NSAIDs for kids with inflammatory arthritis. His public service hours number in the years, much of it that has benefited patients and our organization.