Dr. Robert Sheets, board certified in pediatrics and pediatric rheumatology, has more than 10 years pediatric rheumatology experience working at children's hospitals. He joined Children's Specialists Division of Rheumatology in June 2000. Prior to joining Children's Specialists, he was the medical director of Loma Linda University Children's Hospital Team Center Clinics.

He earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. His postgraduate training included a pediatric residency at Valley Medical Center in Fresno, California, where he served as chief resident.

Dr. Sheets treats patients through Rady Children's Pediatric Rheumatology Outreach Clinics in three counties. He spends one day a week at the Riverside County Regional Medical Center in Moreno Valley and sees patients at Rady Children's outpatient locations in Murrieta, Escondido, El Centro and Rady Children's main campus in Kearny Mesa.

CURRICULUM VITAE

Mailing Address:

3020 Children’s Way, MC 5113
San Diego, CA 92123
Tel:  858-966-8082, Pediatric Rheumatology office

Education:

1966-1970, Brown University, AB Degree
1970-1974, Baylor College of Medicine, MD Degree
1974-1977, Valley Medical Center, Pediatric Internship and Residency, Chief Resident
1990-1991, Informal Pediatric Rheumatology training, Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles
1992-1997, Pediatric Rheumatology mentorship at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital with Dr. Ilona Szer

Professional Experience:

• 2003-Present, Assistant Clinical Professor UCSD, Pediatric Rheumatology, Department of Pediatrics
• 2000-Present, Pediatric Rheumatologist, Children’s Specialists of San Diego, Children’s Hospital and Health Center, San Diego, CA 
• 1987-2000, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Pediatric Rheumatologist, Loma Linda University Pediatric Medical Group, Loma Linda, CA
• 1986-1987, Pediatrician, Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, Fontana and Riverside, CA
• 1983-1986, Pediatrician, CIGNA Health plan, Tempe, AZ
• 1980-1983, Pediatrician, Clinical Instructor in Family Practice, UCSF Family Practice Residency Program, Natividad Medical Center, Salinas, CA
• 1977-1980, Pediatrician, Clinical Instructor in Family Practice, UC Davis School of Medicine, Family Practice Residency Program, Merced, CA

Hospital Affiliations:

• 2000-Present: San Diego Children’s Hospital
• 2000-Present: Riverside County Regional Medical Center
• 2005-Present: El Centro Regional Medical Center

Committees:

• 2003-Present: Clinical Practice Committee, Children’s Specialists of San Diego.
• 2003-Present: Benefits Committee, Children’s Specialists of San Diego.
• 2005-Present: Information Technology Committee, Children’s Specialists of San Diego.

Awards and Community Service:

• Clinical Faculty Member of the Year, Merced Community Medical Center, Family Practice Residency Program, 1977
• Teacher of the Year, Natividad Medical Center, Family Practice Residency Program, 1981-82
• Clinical Faculty Award of Excellence, Department of Pediatrics, Loma Linda University Pediatric Residency Program, 1991-92
• Attending Medical Staff for the Annual Pediatric Rheumatology Camp Stepping Stone, 2000 to present
• Arthritis Foundation of San Diego Video for Education Television station in San Diego, “Kids Get Arthritis”, January 2005.
• Deacon, San Diego Fil-Am Seventh Day Adventist Church, 2005.

National Memberships:

• American Academy of Pediatrics, 1979 to present
• Pediatric Rheumatology Section of AAP, 1998-present
• American College of Rheumatology, 1995 to present
• Pediatric Rheumatology Section of ACR, 2002 to present

Board Certification: 

• National Board of Medical Examiners, 1977
• American Board of Pediatrics, October 21, 1979 to present
• American Subspecialty Board of Pediatric Rheumatology, November 12, 1996-2003. Re-certified, November 11, 2003

Lectures:

• January, 2005-present: Coordinator of the Pediatric Allergy, Immunology, Rheumatology Lecture series at San Diego Children’s Hospital Resident Noon Conference, Presenter of the Pediatric Rheumatology lecture every other month on the 3rd Wednesday of the month.
• May 21, 2005: Pediatric Rheumatology Hands On Minisymposium, “Case Presentation and Discussion of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
• April 28, 2005: Lecture at Mercy Hospital for UCSD Residency Program, “Pediatric Rheumatology in the 21st Century.”
• February 5, 2005: Lecture at Kaiser Permanente Medical Group, “Pediatric Rheumatology in the 21st Century.”
• 07/23-24/04: Lecture to the American Juvenile Arthritis Foundation National Meeting, “What’s New in Spondyloarthritis” and Roundtable discussion on “Joint Injections in Juvenile Arthritis.
• July-December, 2004: Monthly Pediatric Rheumatology Lecture to the UCSD Pediatric Residency Program Noon Lecture Series.
• 05/07/04: Introduction to Pediatric Rheumatology, Lecture at Pediatric Grand Rounds, Sunshine Children’s Hospital, Las Vegas, NV. 
• 08/21/03: “Juvenile Spondyloarthritis” Lecture for Pediatric Grand Rounds at Mercy Hospital. San Diego, CA
• 06/21/03: Lectures to families at the American Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis Annual Meeting on “Systemic Lupus Erythematosus” and “Spondyloarthritis”, at Phoenix, AZ
• 06/06/03: “Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis”, presented to Riverside Community Hospital Pediatric Grand Rounds
• 4/25/03: “Pediatric Rheumatology in the Young Adult”, presented to the medical staff at San Diego State University Health Center
• 10/17/02: “Joint Pain in Children”, presented to the pediatric members of the Oasis IPA, Palm Springs, CA
• 5/5/02: “Etanercept and JRA” at the Pediatric Rheumatology Minisymposium at Children’s Hospital and Health Center, San Diego, CA.
• 4/6/02: “Clinical Presentation of the Acutely Ill Lupus Patient” at 5th Annual Pediatric Acute Care Symposium, Sunrise Children’s Hospital, Las Vegas, NV
• 3/21/02: “Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis” at Mercy Hospital Pediatric Grand Rounds, Mercy Hospital, San Diego, CA
• 2001:  “Introduction to Pediatric Rheumatology”, Pediatric Nurse Practitioner Program, Loma Linda University Medical Center
• 4/17/02: “Fibromyalgia”, lecture at Pomerado Hospital Fibromyalgia Self-Help Group, Poway, CA
• 4/13/01:  Pediatric Grand Rounds at San Diego Children’s Hospital, Childhood Spondyloarthropathies, San Diego, CA
• 1990-2000:  Frequent pediatric rheumatology grand rounds presentations and lectures to pediatric residents at Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital

Publications:

Sheets R, Ashwal S, and Szer IS, “Neurologic Manifestations of Rheumatic Disorder of Childhood”, in Pediatric Neurology: Principles and Practice. Third edition, Swaiman and Ashwal (Eds.) 1999, Volume 2, Chapter 68, pp. 1125-1145. 

Abstracts:

Sheets RM, Szer, IS; A Comparison of intra-articular steroid in JRA and Spondyloarthritis. Pediatric Rheumatology 2003: Park City and Beyond. March 24, 2003.

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