Lisa Francis, MD

A specialist in rheumatology

Dr. Lisa Francis, a board-certified rheumatologist comes from a family of physicians. She found the specialty where she can make a difference in her patients' lives.

Dr. Francis treats a wide range of inflammatory arthritis including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and connective tissue diseases such as lupus, scleroderma and Sjogren's syndrome and more. She is board-certified in rheumatology and internal medicine. She also has musculoskeletal ultrasound certification through the American College of Rheumatology and uses ultrasound for diagnosis and to guide joint injections. She is also an expert in the management of osteoporosis and has certification from the International Society of Clinical Densitometry.

Helping patients become educated about their condition and treatment options is important to Dr. Francis. "My goal is to empower my patients so that they become champions for their health care," she said.

Rheumatology is a rapidly growing specialty with several new advancements in treatments in the last few years. "By diagnosing early, I can closely follow each patient, make adjustment in their medications and control their disease before they develop problems."

Dr. Francis earned her medical degree from Calicut Medical College, Calicut, Kerala, India. She completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in rheumatology at State University of New York-Affiliated Hospitals, Syracuse.

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Speaks: English