IRIS Integral Rheumatology & Immunology Specialists

IRIS Integral Rheumatology & Immunology Specialists Our practice is committed towards treating all patients and improving their quality of life. This is Dr. Valenzuela’s 2nd state-of-the-art practice.

The first is located in Plantation, Florida. Both offices are committed towards treating all patients and improving their quality of life. As leaders in our field, we continually contribute to the development of new treatments and protocols through our contribution in clinical studies. Specialized in complex cases of Arthritic and Rheumatic diseases, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Osteoporosis, Carpal tunnel, Gout, Sjogrens syndrome, Lupus (SLE) and more.

If your child turns 18 next year, this is the year to start.Not because anything urgent happens on the birthday, but bec...
08/30/2026

If your child turns 18 next year, this is the year to start.

Not because anything urgent happens on the birthday, but because the transition from pediatric to adult rheumatology works best when it begins a year or two before it has to.

That time is what allows you to choose an adult rheumatologist rather than accept whoever is available, transfer records properly, and have at least one visit while the pediatric team is still involved.

What the first adult appointment goes better with: age at diagnosis, every medication tried including the ones that did not work and why, imaging and lab history, and any joint damage already documented.

A record that arrives incomplete costs months. That is the practical reason to start now.

One more thing worth saying to the young adults themselves. The most common mistake we see is stopping follow-up because you feel well. Remission achieved in childhood still requires monitoring, and disease that returns after a gap in care is harder to bring back under control.

We see patients through this transition regularly. You do not have to organize it alone.

140 SW 84th Ave B, Plantation, FL 33324.
IRIS Rheumatology & Immunology Specialists | IRIS R&D

It is not "just fatigue" if three or more of these sound familiar.Morning stiffness that lasts more than 30 minutes. Not...
08/25/2026

It is not "just fatigue" if three or more of these sound familiar.

Morning stiffness that lasts more than 30 minutes. Not the stiffness that loosens up after a stretch. The kind that keeps your hands or your back locked well into the morning.
Pain on both sides of the body. Both wrists. Both knees. Both feet. Symmetry is a pattern worth noting, and it is one of the first things a rheumatologist asks about.
Swelling with no injury behind it. A joint that is swollen, warm or tender without anything having happened to it.
Fatigue that rest does not fix.
Psoriasis alongside joint pain.
Recurring fevers or rashes with no clear cause.
A family history of autoimmune disease.

None of this is a diagnosis. It is a reason to be evaluated.

Autoimmune conditions are easier to manage when they are identified early, and the delay usually comes from waiting rather than from the medicine.

140 SW 84th Ave B, Plantation, FL 33324.
IRIS Rheumatology & Immunology Specialists | IRIS R&D

Asking about a clinical trial does not commit you to anything.That is usually the first thing worth saying, because most...
08/21/2026

Asking about a clinical trial does not commit you to anything.

That is usually the first thing worth saying, because most of the hesitation we hear is not about the science. It is about not knowing what happens after the first question.

So here is what the process actually involves.

You are told the design before you decide. Whether the study compares a new approach against standard treatment or against placebo is written into the protocol, and it is explained to you in advance.

You are told what it costs. Study visits and study medication are generally provided at no cost to participants, and the specifics for any given trial appear in the consent documents you review before enrolling.

You are told what you can stop. Participation is voluntary from the first day to the last. Withdrawing at any point, for any reason, does not affect the care you receive from us.

Eligibility is the only part we cannot answer in a post, because criteria differ by protocol. That one requires a conversation.

140 SW 84th Ave B, Plantation, FL 33324.
IRIS Rheumatology & Immunology Specialists | IRIS R&D

Osteoporosis usually shows no symptoms until a bone breaks.It is a progressive disease that makes bones thinner and more...
08/18/2026

Osteoporosis usually shows no symptoms until a bone breaks.

It is a progressive disease that makes bones thinner and more fragile, and it can advance for years without a single warning sign. For many people, the first indication is a fracture, that should not have happened.

It does not have to be discovered that way. A bone density scan can detect osteoporosis early, before the first fracture, and there is a great deal that can be done once it is identified.

At IRIS, we offer on-site bone densitometry and ongoing monitoring to protect your bone health over time.

140 SW 84th Ave B, Plantation, FL 33324.
IRIS Rheumatology & Immunology Specialists | IRIS R&D

Here is the vocabulary behind cell therapy.The approach being studied is whether immune activity can be directed at a na...
08/13/2026

Here is the vocabulary behind cell therapy.

The approach being studied is whether immune activity can be directed at a narrow population of cells rather than lowered broadly, which is how most current treatments for autoimmune disease work.

Where this stands today: investigational. Available through clinical trials, under regulatory oversight.

As research specialists, our role is to study these approaches rigorously and to explain what is known and what is not. Both parts matter.

Gout is one of the most common forms of arthritis, and it can affect anyone. The pain does eventually ease, which is why...
08/11/2026

Gout is one of the most common forms of arthritis, and it can affect anyone. The pain does eventually ease, which is why so many people wait for the next attack instead of preventing it.

That is the part worth changing. Managing uric acid levels early helps protect your joints from lasting damage, and simple daily habits support the treatment plan.

At IRIS, we build a prevention plan around each patient to reduce future attacks.

140 SW 84th Ave B, Plantation, FL 33324.
IRIS Rheumatology & Immunology Specialists | IRIS R&D

Your experience is useful to someone who is still looking for answers.Patients often arrive at IRIS after months of unce...
08/10/2026

Your experience is useful to someone who is still looking for answers.

Patients often arrive at IRIS after months of uncertainty. Reading how others were diagnosed, treated and followed up makes that search shorter. If you have been our patient, we would appreciate your review on Google.

Scan the QR code, or access through this link:
https://g.page/r/CewwphPyYZkgEAI/review

140 SW 84th Ave B, Plantation, FL 33324.
IRIS Rheumatology & Immunology Specialists | IRIS R&D

08/07/2026

"Time and opportunity."

At the Florida Society of Rheumatology Annual Meeting, Dr. Guillermo J. Valenzuela, MD, FACR, opened with those two words and built an argument around them: we can impart changes today that our training never prepared us to expect, and the moment we choose to act determines how much of that capability reaches the patient.

Acting earlier depends on having options to act with. At IRIS, that is why our clinical practice and our research work run alongside each other.

Morning stiffness that lingers. Joints that hurt on both sides. Fatigue that rest does not fix.Rheumatoid arthritis ofte...
08/04/2026

Morning stiffness that lingers. Joints that hurt on both sides. Fatigue that rest does not fix.

Rheumatoid arthritis often begins quietly. Symptoms come and go, which is why many people are told they are simply tired or overworked before receiving the correct diagnosis.

It is an autoimmune condition, and it is systemic, so it can reach beyond the joints. Early diagnosis and treatment help slow the disease and protect your joints from lasting damage.

At IRIS, we focus on catching rheumatoid arthritis early and building treatment around each patient.

140 SW 84th Ave B, Plantation, FL 33324.
IRIS Rheumatology & Immunology Specialists | IRIS R&D

07/30/2026

"We need to start taking responsibility for treating patients earlier."

At the Florida Society of Rheumatology Annual Meeting, Dr. Guillermo J. Valenzuela, MD, FACR, argued that our criterion should move forward: recognizing the patient projected to become refractory upon the first sign of refractoriness, rather than after the damage has accumulated.

Waiting has a cost. It is measured in organ damage.

At IRIS, that conviction shapes how we practice, and it is why expanding the range of therapeutic options available to patients with rheumatologic and immunologic disease remains central to our work.

Address

140 SW 84th Avenue, Ste B
Plantation, FL
33324

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+19542890015

Website

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