Patient Care

The clinical service consists of active inpatient and outpatient consultation services, including two general Rheumatology outpatient clinics per week supervised by our general faculty at Los Angeles General Medical Center, as well as a third clinic specifically for patients requiring ultrasonographic evaluation, supervised by Dr. Shinada. Two additional clinics per week are staffed by Dr. Christianakis, and another two clinics per week are staffed by Dr. Ortiz. Thus, our physicians handle approximately 10,000 outpatient visits annually. In addition, we consult on 500+ inpatients at Los Angeles General Medical Center each year, and we continue to have an active working relationship with the Department of Orthopedics at Rancho’s Arthritis Service in the management of patients needing joint replacement and rehabilitation.

Drs. Arkfeld, Ehresmann, Christianakis, Ortiz, Panush, and Shinada treat more than 100 different types of arthritis and rheumatic conditions at the USC Healthcare Center and satellite offices. More than 5,000 patients are seen each year, and the numbers have been increasing. Our physicians develop and present an annual community education symposium on rheumatic diseases.