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News

The Ten Year History of ARCK

On January 2nd, 2001, with a skeleton crew staff, Dr. James Anderson and Dr. Timothy Shaver saw their first patients at Arthritis and Rheumatology Clinics of Kansas. Having just left a hospital-owned multi-specialty group, they desired to form an independent practice focusing on rheumatic disease care to fulfill a need they saw in their community and region. Motivated by their mission statement – to relieve pain and suffering by providing quality care in a compassionate and efficient manner – Drs. Anderson and Shaver took on the risk of an uncertain future. Ten years later, ARCK has grown to 8 physicians, 1 nurse practitioner, and over 20 employees located in 3 offices and is still growing.

Drs. Anderson and Shaver began their practice by renting a section of their previous office for 3 months until space became available at 2450 N. Woodlawn, where they have been located ever since. For the first few years, they shared the building with another practice, but as time went on, their patient loads increased, and more practitioners were added, they eventually grew to occupy the entire building.

Dr. David Weidensaul joined the group in 2004 and eventually moved to occupy the Hutchinson office. Ruth Busch, ARNP joined ARCK shortly thereafter in response to the growing demand for rheumatology care and to work alongside Drs. Anderson and Shaver. Dr. Shadi Shahouri was added in 2006, Dr. Shirley Wang in 2008, and Dr. Vivian Illera left a busy practice after several years to become part of ARCK in 2010. Dr. Anderson relocated to Leawood, KS in 2006 as well, and instead of ending his partnership with the physicians of ARCK, he opted to form a branch office in the Kansas City area. In 2010, that office added Dr. Aruna Baratham and Dr. Nancy Olson, adding allergy and pediatric rheumatology, respectively, to the services offered by the practice.

Now, at 10 years, ARCK has outgrown the building the practice used to share and is preparing to expand to a new facility, in the Wilson Estates Office Park, 1921 N. Webb Rd (see below for full story). The new facility will once again feature a well-furnished waiting room complete with a television monitor running health tips, a fully staffed infusion suite, a clinical laboratory, imaging (including digital x-ray, extremity MRI, ultrasound, and bone density equipment, and an expanded number of exam rooms.

“In my wildest dreams, I would have never imagined growing this big and providing as many services as we’ve been able to provide within 10 years of our inception,” remarked Tim Shaver, M.D. “As we were naming the practice, we made a point of putting an ‘s’ at the end of ‘Clinic’ to leave open the option of launching new branch offices – eventually. How were we to know that ‘eventually’ would come so soon?”