Government and Healthcare: Recent Episodes
ReachMD
Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
Guest: A. Mark Fendrick, MD
With the relaunch of the Cancer Moonshot initiative, implementing strategies to overcome disparities in cancer screening is critical to reducing the rate of cancer mortality. Dr. Charles Turck joins Dr. Mark Fendrick to explore these disparities, and discuss the role of multicancer detection tests.
Host: Jacob Sands, MD
Guest: Edith Mitchell, MD, MACP, FCPP, FRCP
Appointed member to the President's Cancer Panel and Clinical Professor of Medicine at Thomas Jefferson University, Dr. Edith Mitchell, shares what the panel recommends to close gaps in cancer screening in the U.S.—with a focus on colorectal cancer—to improve access for all patients.
Host: John Buse, MD, PhD
Guest: Anne Louise Peters, MD
SGLT-2 inhibitors have been authorized for diabetic patients in Europe, but is it close to receiving FDA approval in the U.S.? Dr. Anne Peters of USC speaks with Dr. John Buse about SGLT-2 inhibitors and considerations for diabetic ketoacidosis, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease.
Host: Linda Bernstein, Pharm.D.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced its approval of Ebanga (Ansuvimab-zykl) for the treatment of the ebola virus infection in adults and children. To learn more about the second ebolavirus treatment to receive approval, Dr. Linda Bernstein walks us through this new drug.
Published December 29, 2020
Host: Linda Bernstein, Pharm.D.
As a growing number of pharmaceutical companies refuse to provide discounts to 340B hospitals for drugs dispensed at community-based pharmacies, a federal lawsuit is challenging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in order to fight for patient communities harmed by this refusal. On this episode of The Drug Report, Dr. Linda Bernstein dives into this lawsuit.
Host: John J. Russell, MD
Social distancing is surprisingly not a new concept in the United States. As our country geared up for World War I in 1918, social gatherings and parades to support the military were at an all-time high. But as feelings of patriotism spread at these events, so too did influenza. Join Dr. John Russell as he recounts The Tale of Two Cities: Philadelphia and St. Louis and how the spread of influenza was dramatically different between the two cities due to the actions each took to mitigate risk.
Published March 28, 2020
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: Asim A. Shah, MD
Healthcare reform has become a leading debate in the media, with supporters of single payer systems touting projections of quality improvements and cost savings alongside other benefits. But what are some of the drawbacks of a one-size-fits-all? That’s the question psychiatrist Dr. Asim Shah addressed in a recent op-ed article from the Houston Chronicle he co-authored.
Host: Mario R. Nacinovich, Jr., MSc
Guest: Jodi L. Liu
Terms like single-payer, universal coverage, and Medicare for All often land at the center of political discussions andat times, get used interchangeably. But as Dr. Jodi Liu, Professor and Associate Policy Researcher at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, explains, these terms can carry different meanings, expectations, and projected impacts on healthcare systems.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: David Himmelstein, MD
The subject of single-payer healthcare is at the forefront of practically every political discussion and debate. Providing unique perspectives on its strengths and setbacks is nationally-renowned advocate Dr. David Himmelstein.
Host: Mario R. Nacinovich, Jr., MSc
Guest: Michael Sparer, JD, PhD
How do we define single-payer healthcare at the national and state levels, respectively, and is either model even realistic for large scale implementation? Dr. Maichael Sparer, Professor and Chair in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Mailman School of Public Health, joins Mario Nacinovich to shed light on this topic.
Host: Mario R. Nacinovich, Jr., MSc
Guest: Liz Hamel
How has public opinion on the idea of a national single-payer healthcare model changed since the late 1990s? Liz Hamel, Vice President and Director of Public Opinion and Survey Research at the Kaiser Family Foundation is here to answer that exact question, as well as reveal the factors, like political party identification and word choice, that affect outlooks toward this type of healthcare model.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: Barbara Levy, MD
Guest: Peter A. Hollmann, MD
In response to physicians’ feedback, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed some big changes to the documentation guidelines for office visits. But is there still room for improvement?
Co-chairs of the American Medical Association’s CPT/RUC Workgroup on Evaluation and Management Services Dr. Peter Hollmann and Dr. Barbara Levy join Dr. Matt Birnholz to discuss the Workgroup’s effort to further simplify the work of the healthcare provider and improve the health of patients nationwide.
Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO
Guest: Mark Friedberg, MD
With the use of alternative payment models (APMs) on the rise, the American Medical Association and the RAND Corporation joined forces to investigate the impact of APMs on physicians across the country. So what exactly did the study uncover? Diving into the study’s findings with Dr. Jennifer Caudle is Dr. Mark Friedberg, senior physician policy researcher at RAND and director of its Boston office.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: Koryn Rubin
Some big changes are taking effect in one of the performance categories under MIPS. The cost category is now affecting your MIPS score differently, and here to make sure you don’t fall behind is Koryn Rubin, Assistant Director of Federal Affairs at the American Medical Association.
Host: Alicia A. Sutton
Guest: Andrew Rosenberg, JD, MP
Guest: Thomas Sullivan
Join in as Andrew Rosenberg, JD, MP, Senior Advisor of CME Coalition and Thomas Sullivan, President, and Founder of Rockpointe, discuss how CE providers will be able to offer a PI-QI improvement activity under the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act (MACRA). They will also address the MACRA law’s physician incentives for quality care under Medicare, a breakdown of the Quality Payment Program and CE Opportunities, the newly adopted QI CME Improvement Activity, and more!
Host: Alicia A. Sutton
Guest: Jamie Reiter, PhD
Guest: Whitney E. Faler, MPA
In medical education, it is frequently asked whether an activity was successful, ie. improved outcomes. But, it rarely asks “why”. What factors contribute to the success or failure of CE activities and how can CE providers ensure they are developing and implementing activities that improve patient outcomes?
Jamie Reiter, PhD* and Whitey Faler, MPA from CME Outfitters, LLC sit down with Alicia Sutton at the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions annual conference to discuss the “why” behind successful and unsuccessful educational activities and the approaches CE providers should understand in creating medical education. More specifically, the value of using predictive modeling and how best to implement this into your activities.
*Jamie Reiter, PhD is now the Chief Executive Officer of MedEvaluate.
Host: Alicia A. Sutton
Guest: Ilana Hardesty, BA
Guest: Julie White, BA, MS, CHCP
At the 2018 Alliance for Continuing Education in Healthcare Professions meeting, host Alicia Sutton spoke with Ilana Hardesty BA, and Julie White, BA, MS, CHCP from Boston University School of Medicine CME Office on trigger videos to model effective communication strategies. Ms. White explais trigger videos as: "..an offiicial description from Academic Medicine. A trigger film is a short scene depicting a typical clinical situation with a patient or fellow colleague. These films trigger discussions of the issues and circumstances raised in the films. Basically, in layman's terms, a trigger video is really designed to elicit emotion, kind of get the audience primed for discussion."
Tune in to see a real trigger video and learn how to effectively develop a patient-centered scenario to illustrate a communication message.
Host: Alicia A. Sutton
Guest: Hilary Schmidt, PhD
Guest: John Ruggiero, PhD, MPA, CHCP
Guest: Gregory Salinas, PhD
Guest: Nili Solomonov
Annually, there are around 150,000 certified activities produced in the US annually. However, meta-analyses and research estimates that less than 20% of those educational activities drive behavior change and probably less than 5% lead to improvements in patient outcomes. With a vast array of continuing education (CE) activities available to healthcare professionals (HCPs) and the delay in data on the effectiveness and outcomes of CE activities, it's difficult for HCPs and CE stakeholders to determine the most effective education that has the greatest potential to lead to behavior change thus improving patient care.
During the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Healthcare Professions annual meeting host Alicia Sutton speaks with guests Hilary Schmidt, PhD, John Ruggiero, PhD, MPA, CHCP, Gregory Salinas, PhD, and Nili Solomonov in a two-part interview covering:
- The current state of CE activities and address the lack of objective, reliable, and empirical assessment available to prospectively identify CE activities that have the greatest potential to lead to improvements in health care practice.
- The development of a new Instructional Design Rating Scale and its reliability and predictive validity in driving behavior change through rigorous research methods based on the science of human learning.
Host: Alicia A. Sutton
Guest: Miriam Uhlmann, PhD
Guest: Samar Aboulsoud, MD, PhD, MSc Med Ed, FHEA, MAcadMEd
Due to research and studies, health care teams are improving and understanding cultural sensitivity issues and cultural competence. However, we still have much to learn. At the Alliance for Continuing Education in Healthcare Professions 2018 annual meeting, host Alicia Sutton interviewed Samar Aboulsoud, MD and Miriam Uhlmann, PhD about their presentation "A Means to an End: Achieving Patient Satisfaction Through Culturally Sensitive Communication".
In this discussion, Drs. Aboulsoud and Uhlmann discuss their personal and professional experience with educating health care teams to deepen the medical knowledge and clinical skills of those who provide holistic approaches for patient care. Furthermore, it will challenge clinician’s understanding of what affects their interactions and understandings that can impact patient care, compliance, and outcomes.
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
Guest: Katherine Baicker
In early 2008, Oregon opened a waiting list lottery for a limited number of spots in its Medicaid program. From the 90,000 people who signed up, the state drew approximately 30,000 names of people who were allowed to apply to its Medicaid program. The results of this lottery have been studied over subsequent years, allowing researchers the ability to analyze the effect of expanding access to public health insurance on health care use and patient outcomes.
Host Dr. Maurice Pickard talks with Katherine Baicker, Dean and the Emmett Dedmon Professor at the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. She is one of the leaders of the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment, which investigated the effects of the Oregon Medicaid lottery. They discuss some of the conclusions from this study, including how a person’s increased exposure to health care through insurance coverage appears to produce significant, multifaceted, and nuanced benefits to one's health.
Host: Alicia A. Sutton
Guest: Alvaro Margolis, MD, MS
Guest: Jann Balmer, PhD, RN, FACEHP, FAAN
From the annual meeting of the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Healthcare Professions in Orlando, Florida, join in as Alvaro Margolis, MD, MS, President and CEO of EviMed, and his colleague Jann Balmer, PhD, RN, FACEHP, FAAN, Director of CME at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, discuss how Facebook and other social network concepts and approaches can be used to promote social learning in health care teams, both for online and for combined online and face-to-face learning.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: Richard Deem
With the advent of the Medicare Quality Payment Program, there are notable practice changes for clinicians. What do these changes mean for you and your practice?
To examine the issues and opportunities, host Dr. Matt Birnholz welcomes Richard Deem who is the Senior Vice President of Advocacy at AMA. Mr. Deem will explain how these changes affect small practices in particular, and what physicians in these practices need to know in order to succeed.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
New rules issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services are providing physicians with a smoother transition to the Quality Payment Program, or QPP. One critical part of this support involves technical assistance programs, which provide information and resources to physicians during and after this transition.
Host Dr. Matt Birnholz talks with Dr. Edward Sobel and Ms. Temaka Williams about what technical assistance is available to physicians navigating the quality payment program. Dr. Sobel is the Medical Director at Quality Insights,which is based in Charleston, WV, while Miss Williams is a Health Information Technology Advisor at Telligen Oak Brook, Illinois.
Host: Tim Rush
Guest: Gail Curtis
In May 2017, the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) House of Delegates approved a new policy, referred to as the Optimal Team Practice Guidelines. These guidelines were intended to expand access to care and better fit the PA profession to the current healthcare marketplace. What does this policy mean for the physician assistant field in terms of patient care, how will they collaborate with physicians, and what new career opportunities will emerge moving forward?
Host Tim Rush talks with Gail Curtis, President and Chair of the AAPA Board of Directors, about ways in which these PA practice guidelines will change the physician assistant profession.
Many listeners may be familiar with the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System or FAERS. Data in FAERS supports the FDA's post-marketing safety surveillance program for drug products and therapeutic biologic products. Recently, CDER's Office of Surveillance and Epidemiology created and released a tool that makes FAERS data easier to query and retrieve. This new interactive dashboard is designed to expand access of FAERS data to the general public.
Dr. Janet Woodcock, Director of the FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, discusses the advantages of the tool as well as its limitations.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: Matthew Fiedler
The future of the Affordable Care Act is uncertain. While there has been much talk about repeal and replace, legislative efforts to carry through with this initiative have failed to gain any bipartisan support and have since fallen short of passing.
Host Dr. Matt Birnholz sits down with Matthew Fiedler to discuss the latest issues involved in health care reform. Mr. Fiedler is a Fellow with the Center for Health Policy at the Brookings' Institution’s Economic Studies Program. Prior to joining Brookings, Fiedler served as Chief Economist of the Council of Economic Advisers, where he oversaw the Council's work on health care policy, including the ACA’s health insurance reforms, Medicaid expansion, and provider payment reform efforts.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: Michael Freytag
Throughout his time as Managing Director of Blacktree Healthcare Consulting, Michael Freytag has seen many changes in the healthcare system. In this program, he will discuss how consulting firms aim to help health care providers optimize the new technologies that are available, as well as adapt to the changing political and economic policies. Dr. Matt Birnholz hosts.
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
Guest: Katherine Schneider, MD
What does MACRA mean to the clinical practice environment, and how will it impact your own practice? Dr. Katherine Schneider, President and CEO of the Delaware Valley Accountable Care Organization, discusses how MACRA is affecting physician practices. Host Dr. Brian McDonough joins her to outline what physicians can do to prepare for the changing landscape of payment through Medicare.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
MACRA’ is one of the hottest buzzwords in clinical medicine and health policy today. But in a fast-changing legislative landscape, questions arise on the current and future directions for MACRA, as well as best practices for all of us going forward.
Host Dr. Matt Birnholz talks with AMA Washington Counsel, Ashley McGlone and Laura Hoffman, Assistant Director of Federal Affairs, about the top questions on MACRA that everyone wants to know.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: Daniel Tropeano
From the Villanova Health Summit's Speaker Event, host Dr. Matt Birnholz speaks with Daniel Tropeano, CEO of UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania & Delaware. Mr. Tropeano reflects on the challenges facing the health insurance industry in a changing policy landscape, and the evolving roles of providers and payers in meeting these challenges.
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
Host Dr. Brian McDonough chats with Jennifer Singleterry, Senior Analyst of Policy and Legislative Support for the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network, about the organization's new report revealing monetary burdens for cancer patients.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is restricting the use of codeine and tramadol medicines in children. Codeine is approved to treat pain and cough, and tramadol is approved to treat pain. These medicines carry serious risks, including slowed or difficult breathing and death, which appear to be a greater risk in children younger than 12 years, and should not be used in these children. These medicines should also be limited in some older children. Single-ingredient codeine and all tramadol-containing products are FDA-approved only for use in adults. The FDA is also recommending against the use of codeine and tramadol medicines in breastfeeding mothers due to possible harm to their infants.
As a result, the FDA is requiring several changes to the labels of all prescription medicines containing these drugs. These new actions further limit the use of these medicines beyond the 2013 restriction of codeine use in children younger than 18 years to treat pain after surgery to remove the tonsils and/or adenoids. The FDA is now adding:
- FDA’s strongest warning, called a Contraindication, to the drug labels of codeine and tramadol alerting that codeine should not be used to treat pain or cough and tramadol …
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
Host Dr. Brian McDonough chats with Dr. John Barrasso, US Senator from Wyoming and former orthopedic surgeon, about the current state of health care policy as seen from the senate floor.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
It's estimated that 80% of serious medical errors involve miscommunications between caregivers during the transfer of patients. But investigations are ongoing to identify the key issues behind these miscommunications, and how patient centered, value based care can address them.
Host Dr. Matt Birnholz speaks with Dr. David Badolato, family physician and founder and CEO of Life Laboratory, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit organization dedicated to research and education in quality models of care. Dr. Badolato authored an article published in Patient Safety and Quality Healthcare titled “The Patient-Family Journey From Outpatient to Inpatient: Improving Quality and Safety With the Outpatient EMR and PCP Collaboration.”
This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Dr. Edward Ellison, Executive Medical Director and Chairman of the Board for the Southern California Permanente Medical Group. He is also National Sponsor of the newly-announced Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine which is being designed to train future clinicians based on Kaiser's coordinated care and value-based delivery model.
Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO
Dr. Jennifer Caudle welcomes Dr./Col. William Bograkos, Clinical Professor of Military Science, Family Medicine, and Emergency Medicine at the University Of New England College Of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Bograkos is also Assistant Professor in Military & Emergency Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, and currently serves as President-Elect for the American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine. He discusses the importance of having active conversations with patients who are veterans, with special emphasis on their unique physical and mental health needs. He then talks about efforts to support Joining Forces, a nationwide initiative helping service members, veterans, and their families receive wellness, education, and employment opportunities.
This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Aneesh Chopra, Co-Founder of Hunch Analytics, author of Innovative State: How New Technologies Can Transform Government. Appointed by President Obama as the first US Chief Technology Officer in 2009, he discusses the job of transitioning American government and health care into the digital age.
Host: Frank Russomano
Host Frank Russomano welcomes Rhondell Domilici, Regional Director for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, to discuss the organization's humble origins in 1967 as a small physician-patient collaborative, its rapid growth on a national scale, and the enduring mission that connects all past and present members.
Host: Frank Russomano
The role of continuing medical education (CME) within government is an important and ever-changing area of high interest and scrutiny among many stakeholders. The CME Coalition is an advocacy group working directly with government officials, lobbyist and other healthcare interest groups to help define and refine what CME is, and the role supporters have in medical education.
Host Frank Russomano, reporting from the floor of the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions Annual Industry Summit in Philadelphia, speaks with Andrew Rosenberg and Thomas Sullivan. Mr. Rosenberg is Founding Partner of Thorn Run Partners and Senior Advisor for the CME Coalition. Thomas Sullivan is President of Rockpointe Corp., a science-based medical education company, and editor of Policy and Medicine, a website devoted to legal, regulatory, and compliance issues affecting the pharmaceutical and device industry.
This week, hosts Mark and Margaret speak with Harvard professor Dr. C. Michael Gibson, Founder and Chairman of WikiDocs.org, an open source website designed to facilitate collaborative authoring of medical content within the international community of healthcare professionals.
This week hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Dr. William Dietz, Director of the Sumner M. Redstone Center for Prevention and Wellness at the Milken Institute of Public Health at George Washington University. Dr. Dietz is an internationally recognized expert on nutrition, prevention and obesity. He talks about the threat to public health and the economy posed by the obesity epidemic and efforts to combat the problem.
This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Dr. Larry Chu, anesthesiologist and Professor at the Stanford School of Medicine. He is also Founder and Executive Director of Stanford Medicine X, a yearly conference created to bring providers, patient groups and designers together to catalyze the development of patient-centered health technologies.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Rajiv Bhatia, founder and director of The Civic Engine, which assists civic leaders in strengthening the economic divers of health in communities. A physician, data scientist, and former Director of Occupational and Evironmental Health for the City of San Francisco, Dr. Bhatia has spent his career championing economic and environmental justice for low-income workers and families. Dr. Bhatia recounts the trajectory of this work, from the use of health impact assessments for advocacy for minimum wage increases and paid sick days laws to the deployment of environmental inspectors to monitor and enforce labor standards.
This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Dr. Sherine Gabriel, Dean of the Mayo Medical School at the prestigous Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, as well as a new medical school to be opened in Arizona. Dr. Gabriel talks about shifting their patient-centered medical training to incorporate 21st century needs including genomics, social determinents of health, and prevention.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Yulun Wang, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer of InTouch Health. Dr. Wang launched his career at the intersection of healthcare and technology with the founding of Computer Motion, Inc. and the invention of AESOP, the first FDA-cleared surgical robot. Under his leadership, Computer Motion went public in 1997 and later merged with Intuitive Surgical to forge the multi-billion dollar surgical robotics industry. In 2002, Dr. Wang founded InTouch Health, which has been recognized as one of the fastest growing healthcare and technology companies in the world.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Antibiotic stewardship, or the responsible prescribing habits of antibiotics, is on the decline in the U.S, and the spread of multidrug resistant bacterial infections through communities has already begun to be observed. Dr. Steven Brown, staff physician at Mercy Hospital in St. Louis, MO and Medical Director of the Lung Injury Center, likens antibiotic prescription expectations by patients to that of gameshow participants, where everyone presumes to take home a "prize" of some kind by the end of the encounter. How can clinicians counteract this trend in antibiotic prescription habits, and what are the risks of ignoring this mandate for better stewardship?
This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Sara Collins, PhD, Vice President of Health Care Coverage and Access at the Commonwealth Fund, a non-partisan foundation dedicated to promoting a high-functioning health care system. Dr. Collins discusses the Fund's recent report showing a marked improvement in the reduction of the uninsured in America since the first open enrollment and the increased utilization of health care among the previously uninsured.
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
The controversy over vaccinations and whether or not to regulate their administration has reached a boiling point in the United States with the recent measles outbreak originating in Disneyland, and prominent politicians like Senator Rand Paul and Governor Chris Christie have weighed in to support the anti-vaccine community's appeal for individual choice. What are the ethical, sociological, and political ramifications of these developments in the national vaccination debate, and how should the medical community respond? Joining Dr. Brian McDonough to discuss the vaccination controversy is Dr. Arthur Caplan, Professor and founding Director of the Division of Medical Ethics in NYU Langone Medical Center’s Department of Population Health.
Host: Frank Russomano
“One cannot understand policy without appreciating the philosophy that is driving it.” That’s a passage taken from author Philip Klein's book, Overcoming Obamacare: Three Approaches to Reversing the Government Takeover of Health Care. Mr. Klein is commentary editor of the Washington Examiner, where he writes about domestic politics and policy, and runs the opinion section. He joins host Frank Russomano to discuss strengths and limitations of the Affordable Health Care legislations, and the plausible alternatives that would need to be implemented before considering an overhaul of current policies.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Steven Brill, journalist, entrepreneur, and author of Bitter Pill: Money, Politics, Back-Room Deals, and the Fight to Fix our Broken Healthcare System. Mr. Brill's work has made national headlines upon its recent release, contending that the American healthcare system is woefully inadequate despite the country's $3 trillion dollar expenditure which outpaces than the next 10 biggest spenders combined.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Jacquelyn Campbell, PHD, RN, National Program Director for the Robert Wood Johnson Nurse Faculty Scholars Program, and an expert in domestic violence issues. Dr. Campbell talks about the need for primary care clinicians and other health professionals to spot the signs of domestic abuse. As one of the world's leading experts, she has developed the diagnostic tool now widely used by clinicians, law enforcement and abuse counselors to assess the risk of lethal harm for victims.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Eric Green, Director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, one of the 27 Institutes at NIH. They have launched a new program called Big Data to Knowledge, or BD2K, which seeks to create better platforms for storing and sharing the large volumes of big data that have emerged in the world of scientific research since the mapping of the human genome. Dr. Green also talks about the threats to future research from young scientists struggling to achieve in a climate of reduced grant funding nationwide.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Robin Guenther, Principal of Perkins+Will and Senior Advisor to Health Care Without Harm. Healthcare Design magazine named her the "#1 Most Influential Designer in Healthcare" in 2010. She co-coordinated the Green Guide for Health Care and co-released the second edition of Sustainable Healthcare Architecture in May 2013. Ms. Guenther has also received the Center for Health Design's Changemaker Award for her leadership and innovation in the design of healing environments.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Indu Subaiya, Co-Chairman & CEO of Health 2.0, an annual leading showcase of the cutting-edge technologies transforming health and healthcare. Ms. Subaiya is responsible for Health 2.0's strategic direction and production values. She started her career in health technology assessment at Quorum Consulting and then served as VP of Healthcare at Gerson Lehrman Group, an investment research firm. When she is not running Health 2.0, she applies her producing and directing skills to making film. In 2013 Indu introduced us to the 7 Deadly Sins of Health Care and this year she will share what she has learned from her investigation into data sources that support a variety of health disparities across the United States.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Russell Branzell, CEO of the College of Health Information Management Executives (CHIME), about being on the front lines of tackling health care's IT issues for hospitals' and providers' Chief Information Officers and Chief Technology Officers.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Carolyn Miles, President & Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children. Save the Children is the leading independent organization inspiring breakthroughs in how the world treats children, achieving immediate and lasting change in their lives. The global Save the Children movement currently serves over 143 million children in the US and in 120 countries. During her senior leadership tenure, the organization has more than doubled the number of children it reaches with nutrition, health, education and other programs. Resources have gone from $250m to almost $700m, with 89.4% spent on programs for children. Carolyn has focused on hunger, learning outcomes, and ending preventable child deaths as her signature issues.
Host: Mimi Secor, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP
Nurse Practitioners were first introduced into healthcare systems in 1965 by Loretta C Ford, and since that time the role has expanded to include over 189,000 NP's in practice today. Joining host Mimi Secor to review the first half-century of the Nurse Practitioner profession and its ongoing priorities and challenges is the founder of the NP movement herself, Dr. Loretta Ford. Dr. Ford is past Dean and Professor Emerita at the University of Rochester School of Nursing, and is an internationally known leader in the nursing field.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Secretary of Health and Mental Hygiene for the State of Maryland, Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, who also served as Chief Deputy Secretary of the Food and Drug Administration. Maryland has major reforms underway in hospital pricing and health care funding that incorporate incentives to reduce hospitalizations - and it's working.
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
What are the differences in managing the Ebola virius in Africa versus the United States? It has been relatively controlled to date, but what are the major concerns in spreading? Host Dr. Brian McDonough welcomes special guest Dr. Kamar Adeleke, cardiologist in New Castle, Delaware, whose practice includes frequent travels to Nigeria where he teaches at affiliated medical schools.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Jonathan Gruber, Professor of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he has taught since 1992. He is also the Director of the Health Care Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research. One of the key architects of the Massachusetts Health Reform legislation, Dr. Gruber also advised the Obama administration on the creation of the Affordable Care Act and has advised several previous presidents on health policy. He has published over 140 research articles and has written several books on the economics of health care.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Deane Marchbein, President of the American Board of Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders). Dr. Marchbein joined MSF in 2006 to work as an anesthesiologist in MSF's surgical program in Ivory Coast. She has worked with MSF in Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Libya, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Syria, and as a medical doctor in Libya and Lebanon.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Erica Frank, President and Executive Director of NextGenU.org, the world's first portal to free, accredited, higher education, including university and graduate-level courses, which she founded in 2001. Dr. Frank is also Professor and Canada Research Chair in the School of Population and Public Health, and the Department of Family Practice at the University of British Columbia.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Humayun Chaudhry, President and CEO of the Federation of State Medical Boards. Dr. Chaudhry has been working to advance the proposed Interstate Compact, a new option for medical licensing that would speed up the process of issuing licenses for physicians who wish to practice in multiple states. The new interstate compact system is expected to facilitate licensure portability and telemedicine while widening access to health care by physicians, particularly in underserved areas of the nation.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Peter Speyer, Chief Data and Technology Officer at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. He is responsible for obtaining and managing the data that fuel IHME's research in global and public health, and he establishes relationships with data providers and statistics offices in governments, international organizations, NGOs and other organizations around the world.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Twenty-five years ago CDC played a pivotal role in the discovery of the virus that causes hepatitis C. After the isolation of HCV, implementation of screening of blood products and organs for donation led to a decrease in rates of HCV infection between 1990 and 2009. In spite of these successes, HCV still remains a serious threat, both domestically and abroad. HCV remains the most common chronic blood borne infection in the United States, affecting approximately 3.9 million individuals. However up to 50% of HCV-infected persons are unaware of their infection. Globally, there are 180 million people who are chronically infected with the virus, and 3-4 million new infections occur every year.
Recent therapeutic advances hold the potential to halt the progression of HCV infection and disease. While HCV-infected persons can be effectively treated, more effort is needed to screen, diagnosis, treat and provide continuity of care. This session of Public Health Grand Rounds will discuss how new screening guidelines, testing methods and therapeutic advances will provide us with an opportunity to improve individual outcomes and to eventually eliminate HCV infection.
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
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Host: Alicia A. Sutton
Whether one is a learner or an educator, the current and potential impacts of legistlative trends from Washington are tremendous. As collaborations between academia, industry, and the government become increasingly complex, advocates of quality improvement in medical education must learn to navigate new challenges in key areas such as conflicts of interest, healthcare reform, physician-patient communications, and healthcare technologies. Joining host Alicia Sutton to discuss this important topic is John F. Kamp, Executive Director of the Coalition for Healthcare Communication.
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
Dr. Brian McDonough interviews Dr. Kimberly Richter, a professor at University of Kansas Medical Center--Author of "Big Marijuana--Lessons from Big Tobacco" in the New England Journal of Medicine. The United States is divided over legalization of marijuana. Some of the points discussed include individual rights, tax revenue, medical effects, and social benefits and costs of marijuana legalization.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Adam Dole, Presidential Innovation Fellow at the White House and former entrepreneur-in-residence at the Mayo Clinic. Mr. Dole is developing better interfaces between patient information and clinical practice from the unique perspective of consumer design. As such, he is illustrating novel ways in which non-medical professionals are helping to transform the health care system.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Regina Herzlinger, health industry expert and pioneer of the concept for consumer-driven health care. Ms. Herzlinger is the Nancy R. McPherson Professor of Business Administration Chair at the Harvard Business School. She was the first woman to be tenured and chaired at Harvard Business School and the first to serve on a number of corporate boards. She is widely recognized for her innovative research in health care, including her early predictions of the unraveling of managed care, the rise of consumer-driven health care, and the advent of health care-focused factories (terms that she coined).
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Alan Weil, Editor-in-Chief of Health Affairs, published by Project HOPE - a leading peer-reviewed journal on health policy thought and research. Before that, Mr. Weil was Executive Director of the National Academy for State Health Policy, a non-partisan organization helping states achieve excellence in health policy and practice. Mr. Weil, an attorney, was director of the New Federalism Project at the Urban Institute. A frequent speaker and author on health reform topics, Mr. Weir co-edited several books including Welfare Reform: The Next Act and Federalism and Health Policy. Mr. Weil served on President Clinton's Consumer Commission on Quality in the Health Care Industry, co-authoring the "Patient's Bill of Rights".
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Elizabeth Bradley, Director of or the Yale Global Health Initiative and Faculty Director of the Global Health Leadership Institute. Dr. Bradley is author of The American Health Care Paradox: Why Spending More is Getting Us Less, which examines reasons for America's extremely high health costs and poor outcomes. Dr. Bradley is a Professor of Public Health Policy at the Yale School of Public Health. She earned her Bachelor's at Harvard, her MBA at the University of Chicago, and her PhD at Yale.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Wendy Everett, CEO of the Network for Excellence in Health Innovation (NEHI). With a breadth of health care experience spanning several decades, Dr. Everett's vision for NEHI since its founding in 2002 has been to create an independent, research-based organization convening diverse members of the health care industry to achieve the common goal of addressing the most urgent health care issues. Under her leadership, this vision has resulted in ground breaking research on medical innovation, patient safety, health care spending and health care information technology, and has influenced significant national policy changes. Dr. Everett works with public and private policymakers to translate NEHI's research findings into long-term solutions that improve health care quality and lower health care costs.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Karen DeSalvo, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology. Dr. DeSalvo is leading the nation's charge to promote, adopt, and meaningfully use health information technology in order to achieve better care, lower healthcare costs, and improve the overall health of everyone in America.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Sonia Sarkar, Chief of Staff of Health Leads, a national organization dedicated to building a different kind of health care system which addresses all patients' basic resource needs as a standard part of quality care. Health Leads matches college volunteer Advocates with patients who are grappling with unmet social needs - food aid, energy assistance, housing and unemployment status - all of which impact their overall health.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Harry Greenspun, M.D., Senior Advisor at the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions (DCHS), part of Deloitte LLP. He has held a diverse range of clinical and executive roles and is now responsible for helping Deloitte's health care, life sciences and government clients address key health information technology (IT) and clinical transformation issues.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Tuberculosis is an ancient disease that remains an important global cause of morbidity and mortality. In most cases, TB can be treated and cured by taking a combination of several drugs for 6 to 12 months. When inappropriate or incomplete treatment takes place, however, TB bacteria can develop multidrug resistance (MDR). Annually, there are approximately 500,000 cases of MDR TB, and 150,000 deaths. Although there are simple rapid tests that have improved the diagnosis of the disease, there is immense potential to increase the number of persons diagnosed with MDR TB, and to do so more quickly to initiate treatment sooner.
This session of CDC′s Public Health Grand Rounds will explore how more patients can benefit from advances in diagnostic and treatment options, resulting in an overall reduction in morbidity from MDR TB. The role of CDC, WHO and other partners in combating this public health epidemic will also be discussed.
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Kevin Counihan, CEO of AccessHealthCT. the state-based insurance marketplace launched in Connecticut. The system has worked so well, it's being adopted by Maryland which has had a myriad problems with its own exchange. Mr. Counihan helped set up the Massachusetts model in 2006 and is considered a thought leader in creating high-functioning exchanges.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with health economist Francois de Brantes, CEO of the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute, which is seeking evidence-based pathways to meaningful payment reform in health care. The institute has just come out with a report card on health industry pricing transparency, for which 45 of the 50 states received failing grades.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Gary Puckrein, PhD, President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Minority Quality Forum, a not-for-profit organization that he founded in 1998. The Forum addresses the critical need for strengthening national and local efforts to use evidence-based, data-driven initiatives to help eliminate the disproportionate burden of premature death and preventable illness for racial and ethnic minorities and other special populations.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Lynne Thomas Gordon, CEO of the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA), the professional association that represents more than 40,000 specially educated health information management professionals who work throughout the healthcare industry. Their conversation will center on the organization's efforts on behalf of its members to serve the healthcare industry and the public by managing, analyzing, and utilizing data vital for patient care -- and making it accessible to healthcare providers when it is needed most.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Joseph C. Kvedar, MD, Founder and Director of the Center for Connected Health. Dr. Kvedar is creating innovative programs to leverage information technology - cell phones, computers, networked devices and simple remote health monitoring tools - to help providers and patients manage chronic conditions, maintain health and wellness and improve adherence, engagement and clinical outcomes.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Bradley Merrill Thomas, General Counsel and co-founder of the mHealth Regulatory Coalition, on the new FDA guidelines for mHealth App Development. Mr. Bradley is conducting a "mobile medical app road show" at medical teaching institutions across the country to inform clinicians and developers on the new FDA regulatory landscape in the emerging world of medical app development.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Darshak Sanghavi, Managing Director of Economic Studies at the Engleberg Center for Health Care Reform at the Brookings Institution. Dr. Sanghavi shares insights on the the Brookings Institution's attempts to utilize massive open online courses (MOOCs), social media, and Kahn Academy videos to better educate the medical workforce and the public on the myriad reforms underway in care delivery and payment reform in health care.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with former Congressman John E. Porter, a partner in the international law firm of Hogan Lovells US LLP. He served 21 years as U.S. Congressman from the 10th district in Illinois, where he served on the Appropriations Committee, and as chair of the subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. Porter also chairs Research!America and is vice-chair of the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. Among over 275 awards for his service in Congress is the Mary Wood Lasker Award for Public Service, and The John Edward Porter Neuroscience Research Center for the NIH is named in his honor.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle, Co-founder and CEO of Iora Health and the former Executive Director of the Harvard Interfaculty Program for Health Systems Improvement. Iora Health is creating new, more efficient and cost-effective systems of care delivery to improve the health of the patients they serve.
Host: Lawrence Sherman, FACEHP, CCMEP
Host Lawrence Sherman is joined by Robin King, CEO and Executive Director of the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions (ACEHP) to discuss how patient-centered care initiatives within health care reform are catalyzing changes within the continuing medical education sector.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Margaret E. O'Kane, President of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), an independent, nonprofit organization that improves health care quality through measurement, transparency and accountability. O'Kane has served as co-chair of the National Priorities Partnership and is a board member of the Foundation for Informed Decision Making and the American Board of Medical Specialties. Modern Healthcare has named her one of the Top 25 Women in Healthcare three times, most recently in 2013.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. David Brailer, CEO of Health Evolution Partners. Dr. Brailer is widely considered one of the fathers of health IT, having served as the first National Coordinator for Health Information Technology under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in 2004. In this role, David was the architect of the nation's effort to drive health care systems toward transparency, quality and efficiency.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Beverly Malone, CEO of the National League for Nursing, which seeks to promote advanced education and leadership training for nursing educators. Dr. Malone is also on the Advisory Board of the Office for Minority Health at the Department of Health and Human Services.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Former HHS Secretary and Utah Governor Michael Leavitt, founder and CEO of Leavitt Partners, a leading health industry consulting firm. Governor Leavitt discusses the rapidly changing landscape of health care and the need to deploy measures that will help reduce health care spending while still improving care.
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
In America, we spend over 2.6 trillion dollars on health care each year, yet we rank 37th in the world for health care outcomes. Speaking on this and other stark revelations of American healthcare is Dr. Ted Epperly, author of the Fractured:America's Broken Health Care System and What We Must Do to Heal it. In this discussion, Dr. Epperly draws on his decades of experience as a family physician to identify the system s gaps and disparities and propose a compelling strategy to mend them, with the goal of creating an integrated, accessible, patient-centered approach to health and medicine.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Robert Pearl, MD, executive director and CEO of The Permanente Medical Group. As CEO of the largest medical group in the nation, Dr. Pearl is responsible for the health care of 3.4 million Kaiser Permanente members. The Permanente Medical Group comprises approximately 8,000 physicians and 33,000 staff members and operates 21 medical centers in Northern California. He was selected as executive director and CEO of The Permanente Medical Group in 1998. In addition, he is the president and CEO of the Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group, which serves 500,000 members in Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Harvey V. Fineberg, President of the Institute of Medicine. He served as Provost of Harvard University from 1997 to 2001, following thirteen years as Dean of the Harvard School of Public Health. He has devoted most of his academic career to the fields of health policy and medical decision making. His past research has focused on the process of policy development and implementation, assessment of medical technology, evaluation and use of vaccines, and dissemination of medical innovations.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Jack Andraka, 16 year old winner of last year's Intel Science and Engineering First Prize. Mr. Andraka has been nicamed the "Teen Prodigy of Pancreatic Cancer" by the Smithsonian for the device he created for early detection of pancreatic, ovarian and lung cancer. It's cheap, fast and accurate in numerous blind tests. He has been awarded by the White House, the Vatican, and the Royal College of Physicians, and he was deemed by his Lab Mentor at Johns Hopkins as the "Thomas Edison of our times."
This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with health law analyst Timothy Jost, Professor of Law at Washington and Lee School of Law, and frequent contributor to Health Affairs and NPR. They discuss the challenges with the rollout of the Federal Exchange and analyze the potential of the Affordable Care Act moving forward.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Cathy Schoen, Sr. VP of the Commonwealth Fund about her recent report in Health Affairs comparing insurance industry complexities and outcomes in the US versus 10 other wealthy nations.
This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Steve Lieber, President and CEO of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS). Historically, HIMSS annually hosts the world's largest health IT educational conference and trade show, attracting over 32,000 healthcare professionals to its US-based event. Lieber has more recently expanded HIMSS industry leadership efforts by launching similar conferences and exhibitions in Europe (in collaboration with the European Commission), Asia and the Mideast to promote HIT knowledge sharing and professional development worldwide.
This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear. He talks about the positive economic as well as public health impact that he expects from the Affordable Care Act, which he says will help more than 600 thousand Kentucky residents gain health coverage, create 17 thousand new jobs, and generate 15 billion dollars in economic growth.
This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Dr. Farzad Mostashari, Visiting Fellow at the Brookings Institution. Dr. Mostashari recently left his post as National Coordinator for Health IT at the Department of Health and Human Services. He talks about the continued quest to deploy health IT throughout the American health care system to improve health care delivery, outcomes and costs.
This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Dr. Steven Spear, MIT Sloan School, author of "Decoding the DNA of the Toyota Production System" and the award winning Harvard Business Review article "Fixing Healthcare From the Inside". Dr. Spear is an expert in applying Toyota's LEAN production principles to improving efficiency in health care.
Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP
Why do only 7-8% of medical school graduates nationwide choose Family Medicine, and what can be done on both micro and macro levels to counter this disparaging trend for primary care practice? Dr. Richard Young, Director of Research and Associate Program Director at the JPS Family Medicine Residency Program in Fort Worth, TX, discusses this issue in detail. Hosted by Dr. Brian McDonough.
This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Dr. Dennis Charney, Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at the Mount Sinai Health System in New York. Dr. Charney speaks about the major redesign underway to transform their health system and medical training models to include big data analytics, genomics and other new technologies to improve the practice of medicine at Mount Sinai and better prepare the health practitioners of the future.
This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Chileshe Nkonde-Price, cardiologist and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation/US Department of Veteran's Affairs Clinical Scholar. Dr. Nkonde-Price is creator of Change Your Step, a digital project to engage African American women to improve their cardiovascular health. She recently participated in a TEDMED Great Challenges webinar on addressing health disparities.
Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter from CHC's Conversations on Health Care program speak with Dr. Ruben Amarasingham, Founder and CEO of PCCI, a non-profit research and development corporation in Dallas, Texas that specializes in real-time predictive and surveillance analytics for health care. Dr. Amarasingham discusses the potential for greatly improved health outcomes utilizing real time health data analytics.
Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter from CHC's Conversations on Health Care program speak with Jennifer Tolbert, Director of State Health Reform at the Kaiser Family Foundation. She breaks down the rollout of the Affordable Care Act and its potential impact on the uninsured population and how it may differ in states across the country.
Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter from CHC's Conversations on Health Care program speak with Dr. Ardis Dee Hoven, an internal medicine and infectious disease specialist in Lexington, KY who has been sworn in as the 168th president of the American Medical Association (AMA), the nation's largest physician organization. During her presidency Dr. Hoven will focus on the AMA's three strategic areas: improving health outcomes, accelerating change in medical education and enhancing physician satisfaction and practice sustainability.
Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter from CHC's Conversations on Health Care program speak with Dr. H. Jack Geiger, co-founder of Physicians for Human Rights and Physicians for Social Responsibility, both of which earned the Nobel Peace Prize. Dr. Geiger is considered the founder of the Community Health Center movement in this country and discusses his decades of activism for equality in health care.
Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter from CHC's Conversations on Health Care program speak with Deven McGraw, Director of the Health Privacy Project at the Center for Democracy and Technology. Ms. McGraw discusses strategies to insure patient privacy and security of patient data sharing in the emerging world of Health Information Technology.
Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter from CHC's Conversations on Health Care program speak with Dr. Rishi Manchanda, Founder and President of HealthBegins, an online portal to link "upstreamists" - health clinicians working on solving the social and environmental determinants of health. He discusses his new book, The Upstream Doctors, in which he promotes a movement to develop a national force of "upstream" medical professionals dedicated to transforming health care at its source, where patients live, work and play.
Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter from CHC's Conversations on Health Care program speak with Dr. Kavita Patel, Managing Director of Delivery System Reform and Clinical Transformation at the Brookings Institution, and Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center's Health Professional Workforce Initiative. Dr. Patel discusses their recently released reports which examine the need for better national planning strategies for projecting health care work force needs in the future.
Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter from CHC's Conversations on Health Care program speak with Aaron Smith, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Young Invincibles, a non-profit working to give young adults a voice in the political process. Mr. Smith discusses their impact on provisions in the Affordable Care Act affecting the "millennial" population and their national efforts to encourage young adults to participate in the Insurance Exchanges.
Host: John J. Russell, MD
Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter from CHC's Conversations on Health Care program speak with Ken Sperling, National Exchange Strategy Leader at Aon Hewitt. Mr. Sperling discusses the growing trend towards health insurance exchanges in the corporate benefits world, and the impact the Affordable Care Act is having on corporate health care costs and employee benefits.
Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter from CHC's Conversations on Health Care program speak with Dr. Harold P. Freeman, Founder and CEO of the Patient Navigator Institute. Dr. Freeman discusses his pioneering work in the patient navigation movement, which seeks to reduce health disparities by using specially trained patient navigators to assist the underserved population in removing barriers to care.
Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter from CHC's Conversations on Health Care program speak with David Chase, CEO and Founder of Avado, and former leader of Microsoft's Health business. He's created a Patient Portal and Relationship Management system, designed to give the patient a seat on the care team, that will help patients better-manage their chronic disease by fostering better communication between patients and providers.
Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter from CHC's Conversations on Health Care program speak with Dr. William Newsome, Stanford University neurobiologist and co-chair of the President's BRAIN Initiative which is seeking to map the human brain. Similar to the Human Genome Project, the BRAIN Intiative will require significant collaboration from all varied fields within neuroscience to unravel the secrets of medical science's "final frontier" - the human brain.
Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter from CHC's Conversations on Health Care program speak with surgeon and entrepreneur Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who is Co-Chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center's new CEO Council on Health and Innovation. Dr. Soon-Shiong discusses the Council's efforts to construct an information superhighway for healthcare that is poised to revolutionize care delivery, payment models, evidence-based treatments and outcomes in health care.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
This session of Grand Rounds explores the burden of human papillomavirus (HPV) -associated cancer and disease in the United States and prevention through HPV vaccination. Each year, there are an estimated 26,000 HPV-attributable cancers in the United States. About 17,000 occur in women, most of which are cervical cancers, and about 9,000 occur in men, most of which are oropharyngeal cancers. CDC estimates that $8 billion are spent each year on direct medical costs for preventing and treating HPV-associated disease.
This session provides more insight about the HPV vaccination program and how CDC, state and local health departments, and health care providers are working together to achieve high vaccination levels and reduce the substantial burden of HPV-associated disease.
This is Part 3 of a lecture in three parts.
Part 1 >>
Part 2 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
This session of Grand Rounds explores the burden of human papillomavirus (HPV) -associated cancer and disease in the United States and prevention through HPV vaccination. Each year, there are an estimated 26,000 HPV-attributable cancers in the United States. About 17,000 occur in women, most of which are cervical cancers, and about 9,000 occur in men, most of which are oropharyngeal cancers. CDC estimates that $8 billion are spent each year on direct medical costs for preventing and treating HPV-associated disease.
This session provides more insight about the HPV vaccination program and how CDC, state and local health departments, and health care providers are working together to achieve high vaccination levels and reduce the substantial burden of HPV-associated disease.
This is Part 2 of a lecture in three parts.
Part 1 >>
Part 3 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
This session of Grand Rounds explores the burden of human papillomavirus (HPV) -associated cancer and disease in the United States and prevention through HPV vaccination. Each year, there are an estimated 26,000 HPV-attributable cancers in the United States. About 17,000 occur in women, most of which are cervical cancers, and about 9,000 occur in men, most of which are oropharyngeal cancers. CDC estimates that $8 billion are spent each year on direct medical costs for preventing and treating HPV-associated disease.
This session provides more insight about the HPV vaccination program and how CDC, state and local health departments, and health care providers are working together to achieve high vaccination levels and reduce the substantial burden of HPV-associated disease.
This is Part 1 of a lecture in three parts.
Part 2 >>
Part 3 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
This session of CDC′s Public Health Grand Rounds explores the control of tobacco use-the leading preventable cause of premature death and disease worldwide. Currently, approximately 6 million people die each year due to tobacco-related illnesses, a figure expected to increase to more than 8 million a year by 2030. If current global trends continue, tobacco use will cause up to 1 billion deaths in the 21st century.
Global tobacco control has been called a "best buy" in public health. Beyond monitoring of tobacco use and exposure, this session will discuss effective prevention strategies at the personal, population, and policy levels.
This is Part 2 of a lecture in two parts.
Part 1 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
This session of CDC′s Public Health Grand Rounds explores the control of tobacco use-the leading preventable cause of premature death and disease worldwide. Currently, approximately 6 million people die each year due to tobacco-related illnesses, a figure expected to increase to more than 8 million a year by 2030. If current global trends continue, tobacco use will cause up to 1 billion deaths in the 21st century.
Global tobacco control has been called a "best buy" in public health. Beyond monitoring of tobacco use and exposure, this session will discuss effective prevention strategies at the personal, population, and policy levels.
This is Part 1 of a lecture in two parts.
Part 2 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is a serious public health problem that affects approximately 1.7 million Americans every year. Of all injury deaths in our country, one in three cases are TBI-related, and an estimated 5.3 million Americans are living with a TBI-related disability. Beyond the potential for impairment to the cognitive, sensory, and motor functions in an individual, the economic burden of TBI is in excess of $76.5 billion. While significant advances in early treatment and prevention policies such as seat belt and motorcycle helmet laws have proven successful in reducing severe cases of TBI, many public health challenges remain. In addition to the economic impact of TBI, there is need for better surveillance, data, and coordination among the medical, public health and community sectors on both the civilian and military sides of the aisle.
This session of CDC′s Public Health Grand Rounds further addressed these challenges and explored promising policies, guidelines, and interventions such as progesterone treatments to further reduce the severity and number of cases of traumatic brain injury in the U.S.
This is Part 3 of a lecture in three parts.
Part 1 >>
Part 2 >>
To view the complete video recording of …
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is a serious public health problem that affects approximately 1.7 million Americans every year. Of all injury deaths in our country, one in three cases are TBI-related, and an estimated 5.3 million Americans are living with a TBI-related disability. Beyond the potential for impairment to the cognitive, sensory, and motor functions in an individual, the economic burden of TBI is in excess of $76.5 billion. While significant advances in early treatment and prevention policies such as seat belt and motorcycle helmet laws have proven successful in reducing severe cases of TBI, many public health challenges remain. In addition to the economic impact of TBI, there is need for better surveillance, data, and coordination among the medical, public health and community sectors on both the civilian and military sides of the aisle.
This session of CDC′s Public Health Grand Rounds further addressed these challenges and explored promising policies, guidelines, and interventions such as progesterone treatments to further reduce the severity and number of cases of traumatic brain injury in the U.S.
This is Part 2 of a lecture in three parts.
Part 1 >>
Part 3 >>
To view the complete video recording of …
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Traumatic brain injury, or TBI, is a serious public health problem that affects approximately 1.7 million Americans every year. Of all injury deaths in our country, one in three cases are TBI-related, and an estimated 5.3 million Americans are living with a TBI-related disability. Beyond the potential for impairment to the cognitive, sensory, and motor functions in an individual, the economic burden of TBI is in excess of $76.5 billion. While significant advances in early treatment and prevention policies such as seat belt and motorcycle helmet laws have proven successful in reducing severe cases of TBI, many public health challenges remain. In addition to the economic impact of TBI, there is need for better surveillance, data, and coordination among the medical, public health and community sectors on both the civilian and military sides of the aisle.
This session of CDC′s Public Health Grand Rounds further addressed these challenges and explored promising policies, guidelines, and interventions such as progesterone treatments to further reduce the severity and number of cases of traumatic brain injury in the U.S.
This is Part 1 of a lecture in three parts.
Part 2 >>
Part 3 >>
To view the complete video recording of …
Guest: Shellie Williams, MD
Guest: Reed Tuckson, MD
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
Currently more than 5.4 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, a number that could triple by 2050 unless advances are made in early detection, treatments and prevention. Second Opinion Live hosts Dr. Michael Greenberg and Dr. Matt Birnholz discuss the many benefits for patients who receive an early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease, one of which is the ability to participate in a clinical trial, with guest Dr. Shellie Williams from The University of Chicago Medical Center and the Alzheimer's Association.
Our Second Opinion Live hosts also discuss the latest national survey on the state of American Health with Dr. Reed Tuckson from the United Health Foundation.
Broadcast Funding for this program was provided in part by the Alzheimer's Association and its free nation-wide Alzheimer's clinical trials matching service - TrialMatchTM.
Guest: Joseph Harrison, PhD
Host: Shane Jackson
For medical professionals interested in serving your country and fullfilling your career goals at the same time, the Army is looking for civilian doctors to treat soldiers and their families at Army facilities around the world. Dr. Joseph Harrison, chief of the civilian human resources division, recruitment and retention division, at the US Army Medical Command, joins host Shane Jackson to discuss the opportunities in the Army and what it's like to be employed by the US government within the military system.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Beyond the inherent moral implications, child abuse is a crime, a tragedy, and a significant public health burden. In the United States, approximately 1 in 5 children have experienced some form of maltreatment, including physical and sexual abuse and the often overlooked danger of neglect. Child maltreatment results in over 1,700 deaths each year; however, the negative health effects reach well beyond these fatalities. In addition to physical injuries, maltreatment causes stress that can disrupt brain development. Thus, children who are maltreated are at higher risk for adult health problems such as alcoholism, smoking, depression, drug abuse, obesity, high-risk sexual behaviors, suicide, and certain chronic diseases.
This session of Public Health Grand Rounds from the CDC focused on the epidemiology and costs of child maltreatment, the need for partnerships, and the potential for policy interventions to combat this urgent public health issue.
This is Part 3 of a lecture in three parts.
Part 1 >>
Part 2 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
And for those interested in receiving continuing education credits for the live broadcasts of Public Health Grand Rounds, register at http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline
CDC's …
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Beyond the inherent moral implications, child abuse is a crime, a tragedy, and a significant public health burden. In the United States, approximately 1 in 5 children have experienced some form of maltreatment, including physical and sexual abuse and the often overlooked danger of neglect. Child maltreatment results in over 1,700 deaths each year; however, the negative health effects reach well beyond these fatalities. In addition to physical injuries, maltreatment causes stress that can disrupt brain development. Thus, children who are maltreated are at higher risk for adult health problems such as alcoholism, smoking, depression, drug abuse, obesity, high-risk sexual behaviors, suicide, and certain chronic diseases.
This session of Public Health Grand Rounds from the CDC focused on the epidemiology and costs of child maltreatment, the need for partnerships, and the potential for policy interventions to combat this urgent public health issue.
This is Part 2 of a lecture in three parts.
Part 1 >>
Part 3 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
And for those interested in receiving continuing education credits for the live broadcasts of Public Health Grand Rounds, register at http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline
CDC's …
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Beyond the inherent moral implications, child abuse is a crime, a tragedy, and a significant public health burden. In the United States, approximately 1 in 5 children have experienced some form of maltreatment, including physical and sexual abuse and the often overlooked danger of neglect. Child maltreatment results in over 1,700 deaths each year; however, the negative health effects reach well beyond these fatalities. In addition to physical injuries, maltreatment causes stress that can disrupt brain development. Thus, children who are maltreated are at higher risk for adult health problems such as alcoholism, smoking, depression, drug abuse, obesity, high-risk sexual behaviors, suicide, and certain chronic diseases.
This session of Public Health Grand Rounds from the CDC focused on the epidemiology and costs of child maltreatment, the need for partnerships, and the potential for policy interventions to combat this urgent public health issue.
This is Part 1 of a lecture in three parts.
Part 2 >>
Part 3 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
And for those interested in receiving continuing education credits for the live broadcasts of Public Health Grand Rounds, register at http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline
CDC's …
Guest: Christie Ballantyne, MD
Host: Alan S. Brown, MD, FACC, FAHA, FNLA
Dr. Christie Ballantyne discusses with host Dr. Alan Brown the use of genetic testing in various phases of disease onset in patients facing heart disease. They talk about how clinicians can utilize the current technologies, what the costs are and the benefits. How does learning more about the genetic mutation behind familial hypercholesterolemia affect treatment? Dr. Ballantyne and Dr. Brown also discuss what new genetic testing techniques are on the horizon.
Brought to you by:
Host: Gary Epstein
Guest: Alice Coombs, MD
A form of the universal healthcare debated in nationwide healthcare reform was implemented in 1996 in the state of Massachusetts. Dr. Alice Coombs, immediate past-president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, critical care specialist at South Shore Hospital and anesthesiologist with South Shore Anesthesia Associates, reports to host Gary Epstein on practicing and paying for medical care under universal coverage.
This week's guest was nominated by:
Host: Bruce Japsen
Guest: Andrew Sama, Dr.
The emergency room has long been an entry point for medical care for the seriously injured, young parents with a sick child and increasingly poor uninsured Americans with nowhere to turn. But policymakers increasingly see the emergency room as less like those depicted on shows like Grey's Anatomy as a place for patients to abuse the system and run up costs. Dr. Andrew Sama, vice president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, tells host Bruce Japsen about how he thinks emergency doctors are beneficial to cost-effective medical care and why patients can and should turn to emergency departments.
Host: Mimi Secor, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP
Guest: Terri Warren, NP
The CDC has recommendations when it comes to the treatment, testing and counseling of patients who may have sexually transmitted infections or at high risk of contracting an STI. There are a number of ways to test for diseases like gonnorhea, chlamidiya, and syphillis and that can be confusing for NPs and their patients. Nurse Practitioner Terri Warren with the Westover Clinic in Portland, Oregon explains to host Mimi Secor some of the most important changes recommended by the CDC to help reduce the number of sexually transmitted infections in the country especially among teens.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
The American College of Physicians Internal Medicine 2011, held April 7 through 9 in San Diego, highlighted recent advances in the prevention, detection, and treatment of illnesses in adults, with over 250 scientific sessions covering a variety of topics, including updates in neurology, oncology, infectious diseases, endocrinology, and cardiology.
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Guest: Luis Ramos, PA-C
Legislation was introduced last year to legally authorize physician assistants to practice in Puerto Rico, the only US territory where they're not. This week's guest, PA Luis Ramos, began the push to bring PAs and other mid-level providers to Puerto Rico. He joins host Lisa Dandrea Lenell to discuss the obstacles and barriers to including mid-level practitioners in the island's medical community. They also talk about the first class of PAs in Puerto Rico training through Chatham University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in partnership with Universidad Metropolitana.
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Guest: Patrick Killeen, PA-C
As the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passes its first anniversary, Patrick Killeen, president of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA), joins host Lisa Dandrea Lenell to discuss some main legislative changes, geared toward improving patient care and outcomes, that the AAPA hopes to see implemented by the 112th United States Congress. The topics include: physician assistants' ability to continue treating patients through end-of-life hospice care; clearance to prescribe medication for opioid addiction; and eligibility for Medicaid electronic health record initiative payments.
Guest: M. Todd Williamson, MD
Host: Gary Epstein
Georgia neurologist Dr. M. Todd Williamson rose through the ranks of his local physician organizations, before serving as president of his state’s medical association during 2009, as national healthcare reform was being debated in Washington, DC. He discusses the role of organized medicine in shaping government's influence over the business of medicine and the nature of the doctor-patient relationship, and his views on giving patients control of medical expenditures as a solution to the challenges faced by the healthcare industry.
Hosted by Gary Epstein. This week's guest was nominated by the
Guest: Stanley Wang, MD, JD, MPH
Host: Gary Epstein
Clinical cardiologist Dr. Stanley Wang describes why he decided to study law as well as medicine. He practices cardiology in an urban and rural outpatient setting, but also devotes his time and energy to legislative matters on behalf of his practice and the Texas Medical Association. In this week's Voices From American Medicine, host Gary Epstein discusses the practice issues Dr. Wang encounters and a career in medicine whose influence is broader than the individual patient.
Guest: Steven Levenson, MD, CMD
Host: Eric Tangalos, MD
As healthcare reform evolves, so too do the public policies governing long-term care facilities. How can healthcare professionals stay up-to-date with the latest changes in federal and state regulations? What are the differences between regulations governing assisted living versus skilled care environments? How successful have regulations been at facilitating better quality of care in skilled care and assisted living? Dr. Steven Levenson, medical director of six long-term care facilities in Maryland and past-president of AMDA, says that having a "watchful eye" over long-term care facilities is generally useful in promoting quality of care, but laments the fact that there are some inconsistencies in the ways regulations are applied and implemented. How can healthcare providers aim towards regulatory compliance and better patient care, without getting bogged down with seemingly overwhelming details? Dr. Eric Tangalos hosts.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
The United States is in the grip of an epidemic of prescription drug overdoses. Over 27,000 people died from overdoses in 2007, a number that has risen five-fold since 1990 and has never been higher. Prescription drugs are now involved in more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.
For health professionals, policymakers and legislators, addressing this problem is complicated. While they push for education, prevention, and enforcement to reverse this epidemic, they must also ensure that patients with a legitimate need for these medications still have access to them. This important session of the CDC's Public Health Grand Rounds addressed these challenges and explored the innovative state and federal policies and interventions that are showing promise in reducing injury and death from this epidemic.
This is Part 3 of a 45-minute lecture in three parts.
Part 1 >>
Part 2 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/.
And for those interested in receiving continuing education credits for the live broadcasts of Public Health Grand Rounds, register at http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline.
CDC's participation in the activity is not meant to serve as …
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
The United States is in the grip of an epidemic of prescription drug overdoses. Over 27,000 people died from overdoses in 2007, a number that has risen five-fold since 1990 and has never been higher. Prescription drugs are now involved in more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.
For health professionals, policymakers and legislators, addressing this problem is complicated. While they push for education, prevention, and enforcement to reverse this epidemic, they must also ensure that patients with a legitimate need for these medications still have access to them. This important session of the CDC's Public Health Grand Rounds addressed these challenges and explored the innovative state and federal policies and interventions that are showing promise in reducing injury and death from this epidemic.
This is Part 2 of a 45-minute lecture in three parts.
Part 1 >>
Part 3 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
And for those interested in receiving continuing education credits for the live broadcasts of Public Health Grand Rounds, register at http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline.
CDC's participation in the activity is not meant to serve as an …
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
The United States is in the grip of an epidemic of prescription drug overdoses. Over 27,000 people died from overdoses in 2007, a number that has risen five-fold since 1990 and has never been higher. Prescription drugs are now involved in more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined.
For health professionals, policymakers and legislators, addressing this problem is complicated. While they push for education, prevention, and enforcement to reverse this epidemic, they must also ensure that patients with a legitimate need for these medications still have access to them. This important session of the CDC's Public Health Grand Rounds addressed these challenges and explored the innovative state and federal policies and interventions that are showing promise in reducing injury and death from this epidemic.
This is Part 1 of a lecture in three parts.
Part 2 >>
Part 3 >>
To view the complete video recording of this and other CDC Public Health Grand Rounds sessions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/about/grand-rounds/
And for those interested in receiving continuing education credits for the live broadcasts of Public Health Grand Rounds, register at http://www2a.cdc.gov/TCEOnline.
CDC's participation in the activity is not meant to serve as an …
Guest: Hank Cardello
Host: Bruce Japsen
With the US amid an obesity epidemic, the White House has made healthy eating a national priority. But will market forces eventually undermine and sabotage this high-profile effort to curtail obesity? Hank Cardello, a fellow of the Washington DC think tank the Hudson Institute, and director of its Obesity Solutions Institute and author of the book Stuffed: An Insider's Look at Who's (Really) Making America Fat, talks with host Bruce Japsen about how to persuade companies that product offerings which help reduce, instead of increase, the country's waistline can also improve the corporate bottom line.
Guest: Carolyn Robinowitz, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
While much of the nation's attention is focused on new medical benefits under the healthcare overhaul signed into law by President Obama, mental health advocates are stepping up attention to the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which began providing benefits to millions of patients with addictions, depression and other mental illness. The act was designed to put mental health services on equal footing with other medical services. Dr. Carolyn Robinowitz, past president of the American Psychiatric Association, tells host Bruce Japsen about this law and its importance for physicians and their patients.
Guest: Matthew Wayne, MD, CMD
Host: Eric Tangalos, MD
Regulations regarding nurses as prescribing agents of physicians in long-term care facilities are more restrictive than in the hospital setting, because controlled substance licenses are not currently approved for nursing homes in most states. These restrictions can make it challenging for long-term care patients to receive timely access to narcotics. Dr. Matthew Wayne, medical director, geriatric medicine, University Hospital Richmond Medical Center in Richmond Heights, Ohio, and assistant professor of medicine at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, suggests revisions to some provisions of the Controlled Substances Act in order to ensure long-term care patients have access to pain medications when they need them the most. What hurdles are the most significant impediments to improving patient care with appropriate access to narcotics, and how can medical professionals best navigate the waters until revisions are made to the current law? Dr. Eric Tangalos hosts.
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
Guest: Rashi Fein, PhD
What can we learn from the past century of healthcare policy that can better inform how we develop such policies today? How has the landscape of medicine and economics surrounding health policy changed, and how have these changes influenced health policy? Join host Dr. Jack Lewin as he welcomes guest Dr. Rashi Fein, professor of the economics of medicine emeritus in the department of global health and social medicine at Harvard Medical School in Boston, and author of the book, Learning Lessons: Medicine, Economics and Public Policy. Although the Affordable Care Act is thousands of pages in length, Dr. Fein suggests that policy makers "keep it simple," even with the most complex health policy issues, in order to have an efficient system that is easy to implement. How can such complicated health policy issues be clearly explained?
Produced in Cooperation with
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
Guest: Harry Greenspun, MD
Will healthcare reform do enough to alleviate the current problems in our system, or is the entire delivery model in need of a substantial re-design? Dr. Harry Greenspun, chief medical officer of Dell Services and co-author of the book Reengineering Health Care: A Manifesto for Radically Rethinking Health Care Delivery, says that while health care reform has changed payment models, reform has not done enough to change the delivery system. What elements of our current system are most in need of re-engineering, and how have some organizations successfully transformed their delivery models? Dr. Jack Lewin hosts.
Produced in Cooperation with
Guest: Betsy Nicoletti
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
ICD-10, HIPPA and OIG sounds more like secret code than medical codes. What do you need to know in order to understand the ever changing world of medical coding and how can you be prepared for what's to come? Betsy Nicoletti, author of The Field Guide to Physician Coding and co-founder of codapedia.com, helps explain to host Lisa Dandrea Lenell how practices can manage changes in coding through technology and billing procedures.
Guest: Betsy Nicoletti
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Every year brings changes to Medicare and Medicaid billing, and 2011 is no exception. This year, one main difference is the addition of an annual wellness visit. Betsy Nicoletti, author of The Field Guide to Physician Coding, helps host Lisa Dandrea Lenell sort out new billing codes and rules to help your practice stay compliant, while at the same time maximizing benefits of CMS.
Guest: Anthony Alessi, MD
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: Robert J. Egge
Dr. Anthony Alessi reports from Haiti, making his fifth trip there to mark the one-year anniversary of the magnitude 7 earthquake that precipitated a massive humanitarian and health crisis in that already-beleagured country. Also, Robert Egee, vice president of public policy and advocacy at the Azheimer's Association, introduces the recently signed landmark National Alzheimer's Project Act. Gary Epstein sits in for the vacationing Dr. Michael Greenberg, alongside host Dr. Matthew Birnholz.
Guest: Karl Steinberg, MD, CMD
Host: Eric Tangalos, MD
"Advance directive" is an umbrella term that encompasses end-of-life documents, including a living will and durable power of attorney for healthcare. Such documents can be scary for many patients, and as such, advance directives are not very common among the general US population. Yet these documents can be powerful tools in ensuring patients receive the type of care they desire. What do physicians need to know about advance directives in caring for patients at the end of life? Dr. Karl Steinberg, associate medical director for skilled nursing care at Scripps Coastal Medical Center in Vista, California, discusses variations, misconceptions and confusion surrounding advance directives, and says there is room for improvement. Many states have enacted Physician Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment (POLST) programs to address end-of-life care issues. What do these programs involve, and how effective are such programs in alleviating confusion with end-of-life care? Dr. Eric Tangalos hosts.
Guest: Timothy Jost
Host: Bruce Japsen
Consumer groups for decades have criticized and wondered how much money health insurance companies actually spend on medical care. Under the health care reform law, they will actually come closer to knowing thanks to the so-called medical-loss ratio provisions of the legislation. Host Bruce Japsen talks with Washington and Lee University School of Law health reform expert Timothy Jost about the impact medical-loss ratio rules will have on physicians and their patients.
Guest: Roland Goertz, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
If patients take advantage of flexible spending accounts to help pay for their medical care, the health reform law is triggering some changes for them and doctor practices. Most notably, over the counter items like pain relievers and allergy meds will require a prescription. Host Bruce Japsen talks with Dr. Roland Goertz, president of the American Academy of Family Physicians about how patients and their doctors can prepare for these health reform law changes.
Guest: Wendell Potter
Host: Gary Epstein
Host of Voices From American Medicine, Gary Epstein, talks this week with Wendell Potter, author of Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans. Mr. Potter made headlines as a former PR executive for the insurance industry turned whistle blower, testifying before Congress about insurance companies' influence over medical decisions and PR tactics to stymie the debate around healthcare reform and the public option.
Guest: Barbara Levy, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
As health reform brings a focus on the budget for Medicare, a little-known but influential group with links to the AMA and specialty societies is getting a closer look. It's called the Relative Value Scale Update Committee and it is at the center of a debate over whether doctors have too much control over the flow of taxpayer dollars in the Medicare program. Dr. Barbara Levy, chair of the RUC tells Bruce Japsen about how this group works and the importance of what it does. In a previous segment, he spoke with Tom Scully, senior counsel in Alston & Bird, LLP, in Washington, DC, and former head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, about the other side of this debate.
Guest: Richard Berger, MD, PhD
Host: Lawrence Sherman, FACEHP, CCMEP
Point of Care CME is learning that is practice-based and takes place in support of specific patient care. Various devices, including computers or internet devices, assist the physician, usually as part of a clinical decision-making tool to reference evidenced based sources and apply a recommendation. Host Lawrence Sherman and Dr. Richard A. Berger, dean of the Mayo School of Continuous Professional Development at the Mayo Clinic and chair of the Accreditation Review Committee of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), discuss breakthroughs, trends and the future of Point of Care CME.
Guest: Thomas Scully, JD
Host: Bruce Japsen
In a two-part series, as health reform brings a focus on the budget for Medicare, we look from two sides at a little known but influential group convened by the American Medical Association. It's called the Relative Value Scale Update Committee and some critics say it has too much control over the flow of taxpayer dollars in the Medicare program. Tom Scully, senior counsel in Alston & Bird, LLP, in Washington, DC, and former head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, tells host Bruce Japsen about problems with the AMA's role in the so-called RUC. In an upcoming program, Bruce Japsen talks with Dr. Barbara Levy, chair of the Relative Value Scale Update Committee.
Guest: Humayun Chaudhry, DO
Host: Lawrence Sherman, FACEHP, CCMEP
Maintenance of Certification and Maintenance of Licensure are topics on the mind of every physician. But what is required and what is proposed? And how does this relate to continuing medical education? This program is a discussion of New Maintenance of Certification and Maintenance of Licensure initiatives and their implications for practicing physicians. Host Lawrence Sherman's guest is Dr. Humayun Chaudhry, president and CEO of the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, a national not-for-profit organization representing the 70 medical and osteopathic boards of the United States.
Host: John Lynn
Health information technology (or HIT) is touted by many to help practices cut costs, but can also be daunting to consider. Host John Lynn, founder of EMRandHIPAA.com, addresses some of the most common questions about HIT with guests from the Practice Fusion Connect User Conference in San Francisco, on November 5, 2010. How can clinicians implement new technologies without going over budget or disrupting the flow of their practices? What are some questions to ask when shopping for an electronic health record (or EHR) system, and what do clinicians need to know about EHR incentives as well as qualifying for meaningful use?
Featured guests include:
- Camille Williams, practice manager from ENT Associates of South Atlanta in Marietta, Georgia
- Ken Harrington, practice manager from Washington Endocrine Clinic in Washington, DC
- Robert Rowley, MD, chief medical officer of Practice Fusion
Guest: Susan Matthews, PhD
Host: Mimi Secor, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP
In September, over 5,000 nurses and nurse practitioners were invited to participate in a conference call with First Lady Michelle Obama to discuss the latest changes in healthcare policy. Five were invited to travel to Washington to participate in a roundtable discussion at the White House with the First Lady. Included in that group was Dr. Susan Matthews, owner of Bluegrass Regional Healthcare in Beaver Dam, Kentucky. Dr. Matthews joins host Mimi Secor to talk about the important issues covered in that summit and the role NPs will play in the future of healthcare.
Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicare will launch a Shared Savings Program for groups of health care providers that join forces, with or without hospitals or health plans, to form legal entities that agree to take responsibility for the quality, cost, and overall care of a population of patients. What will these accountable care organizations (ACOs) look like? Who will step forward to form them? What are the best pathways and likely hurdles to achieving ACO status? What are the risks of entering the arena, and what are the expected benefits for clinicians and patients? In a roundtable discussion moderated by Dr. Thomas Lee, experts Lawrence Casalino, Elliott Fisher, and Gail Wilensky explored these and other questions.
Guest: Shereen Arent, JD
Host: Steven Edelman, MD
Healthcare reform will have significant implications for both patients living with diabetes and the healthcare professionals treating diabetic patients. How will healthcare reform impact current treatment, access and affordability? Join host Dr. Steven Edelman and his guest, executive vice president of government affairs & advocacy of the American Diabetes Association, Shereen Arent, as they discuss the impact of reform to cost of patient care, current and future prevention programs and the Affordable Care Act.
Guest: Robert Harrington, MD
Host: Lawrence Sherman, FACEHP, CCMEP
As continuing medical education continues to evolve, assessing quality in the provision of CME is vital. Joining host Lawrence Sherman this week is Dr. Robert Harrington, director of the Duke Clinical Research Institute at Duke University Medical Center, to discuss quality and performance improvement in CME.
Guest: Robert Morgan, MD, FACP
Host: Lawrence Sherman, FACEHP, CCMEP
Guest: Jason Lazar, MD, MPH
When CME content is designed and developed, it is based on educational needs assessments. But often needs vary across the spectrum of physicians and types of practices they engage in. What are some of the shortcomings of current delivery modes, as wellas CME types? How can they be improved. This is Part Two of a two-part discussion on the topic.
Guest: Robert Morgan, MD, FACP
Host: Lawrence Sherman, FACEHP, CCMEP
Guest: Jason Lazar, MD, MPH
When CME content is designed and developed, it is based on educational needs assessments. But needs vary across the spectrum of physicians and types of practices they engage in. What kind of CME is most needed? What are the shortcomings of current delivery modes, as well as CME types? How can they be improved? This is Part One of a two-part discussion on the topic, with Dr. Robert Morgan, director oncology and director of CME at City of Hope, and Dr. Jason Lazar, associate professor of medicine and director of noninvasive cardiology at State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, and host Lawrence Sherman.
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
Guest: Francois de Brantes, MS, MBA
As we all strive to improve quality of care, two crucial questions remain at the heart of the issue: How do we define, and identify, quality in practices, hospitals and other health care settings? Then, how can new methods of identifying quality in practices help improve the standardization of processes and care that patients receive? Join host Dr. Jack Lewin and his guest, Francois de Brantes, executive director of the Health Care Incentives Improvement Institute in Newton, Connecticut, which manages the Bridges to Excellence and PROMETHEUS payment programs. Mr. de Brantes talks about the specific data that can help identify quality, and ways to utilize these data to improve and facilitate quality improvement. How does identifying quality in cardiovascular practices coincide with the increasing interest in value-based health care delivery?
Produced in Cooperation with
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
Guest: James Wilentz, MD
Before the January 2010 earthquake rattled Haiti, healthcare access for the country's citizens was unreliable, but after the disaster, everything changed. How has an influx of foreign physicians impacted Haiti's healthcare system, and what lessons can the US learn from the proposed public-private partnership solutions in Haiti? Dr. James Wilentz, assistant professor of medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and co-director of Interventional Cardiovascular Research at Lenox Hill Heart and Vascular Institute of New York, volunteered at the General Hospital in Port Au Prince shortly after the disaster struck, and explains the downsides to well-intentioned humanitarian aid. Hosted by Dr. Jack Lewin.
Produced in Cooperation with
Guest: Eric Whitaker, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
An initiative sprouting on the South Side of Chicago that was once led by First Lady Michelle Obama aims to become a national model for re-educating communities on everything from appropriate emergency department usage to outpatient care and healthy life choices. Dr. Eric Whitaker, executive vice president of strategic affiliations and associate dean of community-based research at the University of Chicago Medical Center, tells host Bruce Japsen about the Urban Health Initiative and what it aims to achieve.
Guest: George Korch, PhD
Host: Bruce Japsen
The federal government has acknowledged the United States needs to overhaul its effort to develop better measures to counter pandemic flus and bioterrorist threats. So with nearly $2 billion committed, Dr. George Korch, secretary of preparedness and response at the US Department of Health and Human Services, tells host Bruce Japsen about how this new initiative should improve the system of developing and manufacturing drugs and vaccines to prepare for public health crises.
Guest: Edward Mello, Jr
Host: Mimi Secor, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP
It takes the entire community working together to effectively respond to a disaster. Trained first responders and medical professionals are key to saving lives. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants play a vital role, but it's crucial that community agencies know your specialties and how you can to be best utilized before a disaster strikes. Nurse practitioner Lt. Colonel Ed Mello joins host Mimi Secor to discuss how advanced practice clinicians can be involved in disaster training and what goes into becoming part of a disaster team.
Guest: Angela Gardner, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
As healthcare reforms take place, changes are also in the offing in the emergency department amid demands that EDs be able to turn attention from treatment of routine conditions to disasters and other true emergencies. Dr. Angela Gardner, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians, tells host Bruce Japsen about tomorrow's needs for the emergency department, which will have a greater role as health reform is implemented and patients seek primary care.
Guest: Yvette Petti, PhD, APRN-BC
Host: Mimi Secor, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP
In the next five years, women will account for more than 10 percent of the veterans in the United States. The growing population of female soldiers has raised new challenges for government. Not only are women facing some of the same health issues as men, like depression and post traumatic stress disorder, but they are dealing with issues like sexual trauma, and the need for services such as mammograms and fertility counseling. Dr. Yvette Petti, adult nurse practitioner for the Department of Primary Care and Women's Wellness Services at the VA Medical Center in Battle Creek, Michigan, joins host Mimi Secor to discuss what the Veterans Administration is doing, and how they are reaching outside the VA, to meet the health needs of women veterans.
Guest: Max Brown
Host: Bruce Japsen
Though tort reform has been an elusive goal for some state lawmakers and Congress, health reform will bring grants to come up with alternative medical liability reform initiatives. But meanwhile, some medical providers have developed their own answers. Max Brown, Vice President and General Counsel to Rush University Medical Center in Chicago tells host Bruce Japsen about the hospital's mediation program that has dramatically lowered the academic medical center's liability costs and has become a national model followed by others.
Guest: Connie Mariano, MD
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
In this rebroadcast of the July 21st show, our hosts talk to former presidential physician Dr. Connie Mariano, who made house calls to the White House for 9 years (and on Air Force One and across the globe). Her new book is called The White House Doctor: My Patients Were Presidents — A Memoir (Thomas Dunne Books, 2010). Also, technologist Dr. Joseph Kim checks in to talk about the 'meaningful use' rules that were announced July 13th.
Guest: Michael Powe
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Recently, Aetna, which is one of the largest insurance companies in the United States, announced it would reimburse PAs at 85 percent of the physician pay schedule. So what does this move mean for PAs? Michael Powe, vice president of health systems reimbursement policy for the American Academy of Physician Assistants, joins host Lisa Dandrea Lenell to look at the current reimbursement picture and how PAs can make sure they are being reimbursed for the care they provide. They also look at how this process could change in the future with healthcare reform.
Guest: Michael Powe
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Medicare and physician assistants both entered the healthcare field in the 1960s, but despite their similar ages, physician assistants don't always understand Medicare. Complicated rules and seeming inconsistencies can lead physician assistants to make billing errors — and avoiding these errors is more important than ever, as the federal government is looking more closely at Medicare billing, with an eye on potential fraud. Michael Powe, vice president of health systems and reimbursement for the American Academy of Physician Assistants, joins host Lisa Dandrea Lenell to talk about how to navigate the red tape and successfully obtain Medicare reimbursement.
Guest: Peter Carmel, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
Healthcare reform will bring health insurance benefits to more than 30 million uninsured Americans but the nation's largest doctor group and its new-president elect see more work to be done. Dr. Peter Carmel, elected in June as president-elect of the American Medical Association, tells host Bruce Japsen how he plans to lead the nation's doctors group into a post-health reform era and what additional improvements need to be made by Congress.
Guest: William Fenn, PhD, PA-C
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
The House of Delegates establishes philosophies and beliefs for the physician assistant profession. It was a busy time for delegates at this years AAPA Conference in Atlanta. Several legislative issues passed, some failed, some had to be tabled and some major issues didn't even come up. What changes were made and how will these decisions affect PAs across the country? Dr. William Fenn, immediate past vice president of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, speaker of the House of Delegates and professor at Western Michigan University, reviews what transpired at the meeting with host Lisa Dandrea Lenell. They also explain the process and how PAs can get involved.
Host: John Armstrong, MD
Reporting from the floor of the 2010 AMA House of Delegates meeting, host Dr. John Armstrong gets reactions from key players about some of the most significant proposed resolutions. Public health issues discussed at this year's meeting include the health impacts of the gulf oil spill, mammography guidelines, smoking in multi-unit housing and personalized medicine. Tune in for a round-up of these issues and more of today's biggest questions in medicine, including the future of medical education, the National Health Insurer Report Card, the new health system reform law and the flawed Sustainable Growth Rate (or SGR) formula related to Medicare payments.
Presented in Cooperation with Catch all of ReachMD's coverage and commentary from the 2010 AMA House of Delegates meeting:
AMA House of Delegates: In Conversation With the New AMA President
AMA House of Delegates: Strategies for Better Care Coordination
Host: Bruce Japsen
Guest: Mark Frohlich, MD
The cancer treatment Provenge, known as a "therapeutic vaccine," was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in April, 2010 as a novel way to attack prostate tumors. But this is more than the story of a new treatment. Host Bruce Japsen learns about the long path to FDA approval for this unique therapy that some see as a watershed development in oncology, from Dr. Mark Frohlich, senior vice president of clinical affairs and chief medical officer of Dendreon Corporation, the Seattle-based biotech company that manufactures Provenge.
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
Guest: Rita Redberg, MD, MSc
Guest: Bram Zuckerman, MD
The FDA's premarket approval (or PMA) process was first established over 30 years ago, but thanks to technology, the development of devices has dramatically changed since then. How should the FDA modernize its premarket approval process to ensure medical device safety? Guests Dr. Rita Redberg, professor of clinical medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, and director of women's cardiovascular services at the U-C-S-F National Center for Excellence in Women's Health, and Dr. Bram Zuckerman, director of the division of cardiovascular devices at the FDA, discuss current and ongoing research about the quality of the FDA PMA process.
Produced in Cooperation with
Guest: Captain Linnea Axman, FNP
Host: Mimi Secor, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP
Nurse practitioners can be found in all branches of the military. NPs are deployed to all areas of the globe, wherever there are soldiers— from war zones to humanitarian efforts. How does a career as a Navy NP differ from a civilian NP? Captain Linnea Axman, lead research administrator, project director and family nurse practitioner at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, California, joins host Mimi Secor to talk about her career in the Navy, what role nurse practitioners have in the military and the opportunities the Navy offers to NPs.
Guest: Loretta Ford, EdD, RN, PNP, FNP
Host: Mimi Secor, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP
In 1965, Dr. Loretta Ford, a pediatric nurse at the University of Colorado Medical Center, began to grow concerned about the patients in her community. She saw a need for improved healthcare delivery, especially in the growing number of rural and urban areas where primary pediatric physicians were lacking. Dr. Ford, renowned as the founder of the nurse practitioner field, joins host Mimi Secor to talk about the challenges and triumphs during the early years, and the state of the field in the 21st century.
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
Guest: Mark McClellan, MD, PhD
Defensive medicine and medical liability concerns create a symbiotic relationship that costs everyone in the medical system. Has healthcare reform legislation addressed the medical malpractice issue, and will it do enough to contain healthcare costs? Dr. Mark McClellan, director of the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at the Brookings Institution, former commissioner of the FDA and administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, discusses the impact of defensive medicine on the healthcare system. Dr. McClellan also suggests that health information technology will play a significant role in bending the healthcare cost curve by ensuring safety, as well as increasing coordination of care and effective communication. Among states have taken up tort reform, how successful have these reforms been at reducing liability pressure and overall healthcare costs? Hosted by Dr. Jack Lewin.
Produced in Cooperation with
Guest: Isaac Schiff, MD
Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD
In the 80-year history of hormone therapy, it has been alternately embraced and rejected. Case in point: the original term, hormone replacement therapy, came to be seen as highlighting a negative state, and was changed to simply hormone therapy. Why has the pendulum swung so frequently back and forth? What is the latest "timing hypothesis," and will it again change our evaluation of hormone therapy? Host Dr. Bruce Bloom explores the studies and new thinking, the benefit for bone density, the risk of breast cancer, and more, with Dr. Isaac Schiff, chief of the Vincent Obstetrics and Gynecology Service at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Joe Vincent Meigs Professor of Gynecology at Harvard Medical School.
Series Produced in Cooperation With
Guest: David Fisher, MD, PhD
Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD
Imatinib mesylate was initially approved for chronic myeloid leukemia. It has also been used against gastrointestinal cancer and melanoma. What are the implications of broadening the application of this targeted cancer drug for the way that cancers are diagnosed and classified, and what will the impact be on clinical trial design? Are we getting closer to the end of tumor-typing by location?
Series Produced in Cooperation With
Guest: Daniel Sulmasy, Dr.
Host: Bruce Japsen
While much of the nation's attention has been on expanding medical benefits to millions of Americans under health care reform, President Obama has also taken steps to ensure his medical care delivery is conducted in an "ethically responsible manner." The President does this with the help of a Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues. Dr. Daniel Sulmasy, a member of the President's Commission, tells host Bruce Japsen about this panel's role and some of the bioethical challenges the administration may face.
Guest: Jeffrey Nicholson, PhD, PA-C
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
A malpractice lawsuit is something all physician assistants want to avoid, but what do you do if you are sued by a patient? We'll explore the difference between malpractice for physicians and malpractice for PAs, and can a PA be qualified to testify in court as a legal expert? Dr. Jeffrey Nicholson, president of the American Academy of PAs in Legal Medicine, joins host Lisa Dandrea Lenell to talk about the process of a lawsuit, common themes and mistakes in PA malpractice cases, and what to do if you make a mistake.
Guest: Marie-Eileen Onieal, PhD
Host: Mimi Secor, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP
With more Americans due to become insured as a result of healthcare reform, nurse practitioners will be increasingly necessary to help make up for the shortage of primary care physicians. Residents of Massachusetts have been required to have health insurance since 2007. There, nurse practitioners have stepped in to meet the demand for primary care. Nurse practitioner Dr. Marie-Eileen Onieal, health policy expert and director of health services for the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services, joins host Mimi Secor to look at the role NPs play in Massachusetts' healthcare system, and how this model can help reduce costs and improve patient care throughout the country.
Guest: Joyce Pulcini, PhD, RN
Host: Mimi Secor, DNP, FNP-BC, FAANP
Since 1990 the role of the nurse practitioner has become a vital part of healthcare in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Asia. NPs have also given tirelessly their expertise in world crises like the earthquake in Haiti. Host Mimi Secor discusses with Dr. Joyce Pulcini, assistant professor at Boston College Connell School of Nursing, the roles that NPs play in different countries and her ground breaking research that looks at the overall impact nurse practitioners have on the medical community worldwide.
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
Guest: David Blumenthal, MD, MPP
Electronic management of health information will someday replace the pen and paper chart. How significant a role will health information technology, or HIT, play in the newly-reformed healthcare system? What incentives are the federal government offering to foster the widespread, meaningful use of or HIT, and more importantly, what qualifies as meaningful use? Dr. David Blumenthal, National Coordinator for Health Information Technology under President Barack Obama, weighs in on the value of the National Cardiovascular Data Registry and explains meaningful use criteria. How can your practice implement an electronic system that will comply with federal meaningful use guidelines? Hosted by Dr. Jack Lewin.
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
Guest: Ralph Brindis, MD, MPH
How will the recently-passed health reform legislation impact cardiologists and other physicians in the next year? What can physicians do to prepare for the changes ahead? Dr. Ralph Brindis, senior advisor for cardiovascular disease for Northern California Kaiser Permanente, clinical professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco, and president of the American College of Cardiology, joins host Dr. Jack Lewin to discuss various elements of health reform, including the further needs for tort reform as well as the sustainable growth rate formula (or SGR) and the need for payment reform. Dr. Brindis also weighs in on the role of registries in measuring success, ensuring quality of care, reducing disparities and decreasing healthcare costs.
Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP
Host Dr. Charles Turck talks with Dr. Karen Weiss, project lead for the FDA's Safe Use Initiative, and Dr. Dale Slavin, senior policy analyst. How is the FDA working to ensure that medications are used optimally once they’re available to the public? This program explains this collaborative initiative to address various types of preventable harm from medications.
Guest: Michael Gerchufsky
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
In October 2007, the first program in the Clinicians Roundtable series focusing on the issues of physician assistants aired on ReachMD. This week's program celebrates our 100th show and introduces a new series, Partners in Practice, a new, expanded series addressing the concerns of both physician assistants and nurse practitioners. This week, host Lisa Dandrea Lenell looks back at two and a half years of PA topics and guests. She is joined by Michael Gerchufsky, editor of the journal ADVANCE for Physician Assistants to talk aboutchanges in the PA profession and where it's going in the future. Some of the issues they'll cover are: PA certification, the role of the NCCPA, and trends in PA specialization.
Tune in weekly to the new series, Partners in Practice, hosted by physician assistant Lisa Dandrea Lenell and nurse practitioner Mimi Secor.
Guest: Rebecca Patchin, MD
Guest: Joseph Kim, MD, MPH
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
Dr. Rebecca Patchin, American Medical Association board chair, gives the view from Capitol Hill after several days of testifying and speaking with legislators about the various needs of healthcare reform. Topics include reimbursement rates, health insurance and others. Also on this week's program, Dr. Matt Birnholz and Dr. Michael Greenberg speak with Dr. Joe Kim from the HIMSS Conference in Atlanta about some of the latest in medical IT offerings.
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Guest: Rear Admiral Michael Milner, PA-C
Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin has two new priorities: to combat childhood obesity and to encourage all Americans to put their health histories online. So how do practitioners get involved in these new government initiatives? Rear Admiral Michael Milner, assistant surgeon general and chief of the US Public Health Services Corps, joins host Lisa Dandrea Lenell to get the message out about the latest technology allowing patients to easily share their medical records with doctors and family members, as well as getting kids to start exercising and eating healthily.
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
Guest: John Tooker, MD, MBA, FACP
How can cardiologists and our internal medicine colleagues work together to promote the patient-centered medical home as an efficient strategy for re-organizing care that will reduce costs and improve quality of care? How can we improve communication between specialist and subspecialist providers? Dr. John Tooker, executive vice president and CEO of the American College of Physicians, joins host Dr. Jack Lewin to outline some of the best practices and lessons learned from current integrated health systems, and emphasizes the importance of accountable care organizations. Can some of these lessons even apply to more fragmented delivery of care models?
Host: Lawrence Sherman, FACEHP, CCMEP
ReachMD Presents Conference Coverage Highlights from the Alliance for Continuing Medical Education 2010 35th Annual Conference in New Orleans on January 27-30, 2010.
The theme of the conference — Establishing CME as a Pathway to Better Patient Care — provided the opportunity for medical educators and planners from various specialties to share best practices and discuss broader issues and concerns.
Guests on this program include:
- Jann Balmer, PhD, President of the Alliance for Continuing Medical Education and Director of CME at the University of Virginia School of Medicine
- Dave Davis, MD, Senior Director, Academic Affairs, Association of American Medical Colleges
- George Mejicano, MD, Associate Dean for Continuing Professional Development, University of Wisconsin, School of Medicine and Public Health
- Don Detmer, MD, MA, President and chief Executive Officer, American Medical Informatics Association
Guest: Mark Kaplan, DrPH
Host: Bruce Japsen
When talk of Canadian healthcare emerges in US political debate, the spin often turns to long lines and waits for medical care and short-changed quality. But there are also those, like Dr. Mark Kaplan, whose study indicates more equity and efficiency for our neighbors to the north than here in the US. Dr. Kaplan, professor of community health at Portland State University, tells host Bruce Japsen about advances in the Canadian health system that might surprise you.
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
Guest: Richard Katz, MD
Use of electronic medical records (EMRs) and personal health records (PHRs) can improve adherence, increase efficiency and better coordinate patient care. What role are health information exchanges playing in the integration of EMRs and PHRs, and how effective are disease management software programs? How can we meet the challenges of integrating health information technology, or HIT, tools into cardiology practices? Dr. Richard Katz, the Bloedorn Professor of Cardiology, director of the division of cardiology at George Washington University Hospital, and director of the George Washington Cardiovascular Institute in Washington, DC, discusses the opportunities to utilize existing and emerging technologies to improve patient care. Dr. Katz also offers pragmatic advice about implementing HIT systems, and reviews current HIT initiatives. Hosted by Dr. Jack Lewin.
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
Guest: Chris Kaiser
What payment cuts does the 2010 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule include for cardiology? How will these lower reimbursements affect cardiology practices and impact patients' access to care? Chris Kaiser, editor of Cardiovascular Business, joins host Dr. Jack Lewin to discuss ways cardiology practices can try to adapt to payment cuts by increasing practice efficiency. How can cardiologists optimize use of health information technology to help their practices thrive and encourage better outcomes, despite these payment cuts? What economic challenges will cardiology practices continue to face? Tune in to hear more.
Guest: Robert Tennant, MA
Host: Bruce Japsen
Financial incentives to implement electronic health records are a welcome payment to the nation's physicians. But the proposed rules and regulations to implement this system under the economic stimulus are creating complexities and challenges physicians may face in the coming years. Physicians might want to first listen to words of advice from Robert Tenant, senior policy advisor for the Medical Group Management Association, which represents group practices and other organizations representing some 275,000 physicians.
Guest: Wright Pinson, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
Healthcare reform may bring more medical care services to patients, which means more and complex business for the nation's physicians. But are doctors prepared to be the best business people now and in the future for their patients? Dr. Wright Pinson, deputy vice chancellor for health affairs and CEO of the Hospitals and Clinics at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells host Bruce Japsen about master's programs in healthcare business, like Vanderbilt's Masters of Management in Health Care program.
Host: Mark Chyna, MD
Tune in for highlights and latest research presented at the American Association for Respiratory Care's 55th International Respiratory Congress. This meeting took place in San Antonio, Texas, December 5th through 8th. Findings included the effect of specialized rapid response teams on serious complications like cardiac arrest and respiratory failure, the ability of neonates to ventilate on Neurally Adjusted Ventilatory Assist, or NAVA, and research on the improved prevention of ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Guest: Kriss Halpern, JD
Host: Steven Edelman, MD
The current state of coverage for people living with diabetes is stressed with approximately fifteen percent of all diagnosed diabetics with no health insurance, another group at risk of losing their health insurance and the last group paying exorbitant premiums to keep their insurance. How will reform affect healthcare professionals treating patients with diabetes? Join host Dr. Steven Edelman and his guest, attorney specializing in diabetes, Kriss Halpern, as they discuss the elements of proposed healthcare reform as it relates to treating patients with diabetes.
President Barack Obama has argued that healthcare reform is essential to the future economic health of the United States. But the economics of both healthcare and reform are daunting. Is it possible to pay for healthcare coverage for all Americans without moderating our rapidly rising healthcare costs? And what do we know about the best ways of achieving cost savings? In a roundtable discussion moderated by Dr. Atul Gawande, three experts in health economics — Drs. Elliott Fisher, Jonathan Gruber, and Meredith Rosenthal — explore the most promising ways of slowing the growth of healthcare costs, their potential effects on medical practice, and the likelihood that the current healthcare reform effort will be a step in the right direction.
President Barack Obama has placed US healthcare reform at the top of his domestic agenda, and months of legislative work on the issue have resulted in five bills — three in the House of Representatives and two in the Senate — that proponents believe will move the country in the direction of universal coverage, a fairer insurance system, and slower escalation of health care costs. In part 3 of a symposium co-sponsored by the Journal and the Harvard School of Public Health, health policy expert Mark Pauly explores the promise and limitations of the bills and the outlook for reform. The discussion is moderated by Arnold Epstein of the Journal and the Department of Health Policy and Management at HSPH.
To listen to Part 1 of this discussion, click here.
President Barack Obama has placed US healthcare reform at the top of his domestic agenda, and months of legislative work on the issue have resulted in five bills — three in the House of Representatives and two in the Senate — that proponents believe will move the country in the direction of universal coverage, a fairer insurance system, and slower escalation of health care costs. In part 2 of a symposium co-sponsored by the Journal and the Harvard School of Public Health, health policy experts Katherine Baicker and Jacob Hacker explore the promise and limitations of the bills and the outlook for reform. The discussion is moderated by Arnold Epstein of the Journal and the Department of Health Policy and Management at HSPH.
To listen to Part 3 of this discussion, click here.
President Barack Obama has placed US healthcare reform at the top of his domestic agenda, and months of legislative work on the issue have resulted in five bills — three in the House of Representatives and two in the Senate — that proponents believe will move the country in the direction of universal coverage, a fairer insurance system, and slower escalation of healthcare costs. In Part 1 of a symposium co-sponsored by the Journal and the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH), health policy expert Henry Aaron explores the promise and limitations of the bills and the outlook for reform. The discussion is moderated by Arnold Epstein of the Journal and the department of health policy and management at HSPH.
To listen to Part 2 of this 3-part discussion, click here.
Guest: Stan Brock
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
The need for quality medical care outstrips the capacity of local providers in many cities and towns across the United States. Remote Area Medical (RAM) is one organization working to meet this demand, recruiting volunteers in medicine, dentistry, optometry and beyond to donate their time and energy by participating in coordinated free health care events. At a major health camp in Los Angeles in August, over 15,000 people turned out to receive care, but RAM was only able to provide services to less than half of the people who showed up. The problem? In California, as in nearly every other state, state laws prohibit physicians and other care providers from coming across state lines to secure a temporary medical license to participate in these health camps. With the leadership of founder Stan Brock, RAM is working hard to loosen these restrictions and provide an opportunity for altruistic practitioners to lend a hand. Mr. Brock details these efforts and explains what you can do to help in a conversation with hosts Dr. Michael Greenberg and Dr. Matthew Birnholz.
Dr. Greenberg and Dr. Birnholz assess the back-and-forth over the most recent HIV vaccine trial, and give you their reaction to a new …
U.S. primary care is in crisis. Primary care physicians must care for more and more patients, with more and more chronic conditions, in less and less time, for which they are compensated far less than subspecialists. They must absorb increasing volumes of medical information and complete more paperwork than ever, as they try to function in a poorly coordinated health care system. As a result, their ranks are thinning, with practicing physicians burning out and trainees shunning primary care fields. In a continuing roundtable discussion moderated by Dr. Thomas Lee, four experts in primary care and related policy - Drs. Thomas Bodenheimer, Allan Goroll, Barbara Starfield, and Katharine Treadway - explore the crisis, as well as possible solutions for training, practice, compensation, and systemic change.
The US economy has been in recession for more than a year, the unemployment rate is climbing, the ranks of the uninsured are growing rapidly, and healthcare provider organizations are feeling the squeeze. What help can the federal government offer as part of the economic stimulus package? What will the increasing pressure mean for proposed healthcare reforms? And is there any silver lining in the clouds for the future of the US healthcare system? In a roundtable discussion moderated by Dr. Thomas Lee, three experts in health policy, economics, and healthcare delivery — Drs. James Mongan, Jonathan Oberlander, and Meredith Rosenthal — explore the current and likely effects of the recession on US healthcare and the prospects for systemic change.
US primary care is in crisis. Primary care physicians must care for more and more patients, with more and more chronic conditions, in less and less time, for which they are compensated far less than subspecialists. They must absorb increasing volumes of medical information and complete more paperwork than ever, as they try to function in a poorly coordinated health care system. As a result, their ranks are thinning, with practicing physicians burning out and trainees shunning primary care fields. In a roundtable discussion moderated by Dr. Thomas Lee, four experts in primary care and related policy — Drs. Thomas Bodenheimer, Allan Goroll, Barbara Starfield, and Katharine Treadway — explore the crisis, as well as possible solutions for training, practice, compensation, and systemic change.
In two large randomized trials, researchers examined the effect of annual prostate-specific antigen (PSA) screening on the rate of death from prostate cancer and found that it was small and was offset by false positive diagnoses. Since screening may have benefits in catching cancers early but may also carry risks including that of unnecessary treatment, professional societies have split on the question of whether to recommend regular PSA screening. In a roundtable discussion moderated by Dr. Thomas Lee, oncologist Dr. Philip Kantoff and primary care physician Dr. Mary McNaughton-Collins debate the clinical implications of the new findings and the best way to advise patients about undergoing PSA testing.
Guest: Tom Zampieri, PhD, PA-C
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
The Department of Veterans Affairs is the single largest employer of PAs in the United States. With 1,600 PAs in the VA workforce, the PA leadership is only a part time field position. Dr. Tom Zampieri, director of government relations for the Blinded Veterans Association, joins host Lisa D'Andrea Lenell to talk about the possibility of a full-time director in the VA central office.
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
Guest: Donald Berwick, MD, MPP
There are several prominent points of disagreement in today's health reform debate, but one area of general accord involves hospital readmissions: we can (and must) do much better in coordinating the transition and follow-up process for admissions and readmissions — and, if executed properly, this will improve outcomes for our patients. As we embark on a campaign to reduce unnecessary readmissions, Dr. Donald M. Berwick, president and chief executive officer for the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), joins host Dr. Jack Lewin for an important conversation about the Hospital-to-Home (H2H) campaign, co-sponsored by IHI and the American College of Cardiology, to apply scientifically-based protocol to keep patients healthy at home once they leave the hospital. Dr. Berwick says the shift won't come by simply telling hospital staff to work harder; instead, we need to use the hard evidence we have to change the paradigm for transition and follow-up care.
Guest: Wendell Potter
Host: Bruce Japsen
Once an insider in the health insurance industry crafting messages in a battle against health reform, he's now telling secrets in hopes of affecting change. Wendell Potter, a former public relations executive for health insurance giants Humana and Cigna, warns about industry practices he says short-changed doctors and their patients and boosted health plan profits.
Guest: Ian Jones, PA-C, MPAS
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Physician assistants have been practicing in Manitoba, Canada, for only the past 10 years. With a shortage of physicians across the country, the need for PAs is more crucial than ever. Ian Jones, president of the Canadian Association of Physician Assistants, joins host Lisa D'Andrea Lenell to discuss the success of PAs within the Canadian medical system over such a short time frame, as well as the job openings available to American PAs just across the border.
Representative Charles Boustany, MD, of Louisiana, responds to President Obama's healthcare address in front of a joint session of Congress, September 9, 2009. Listen here or download the podcast.
To hear President Obama's address, click here.
Listen here or download the podcast of President Obama's speech to a joint session of Congress on September 9, 2009, outlining his plan for healthcare reform.
To listen to the Republican response delivered by Rep. Charles Boustany, MD (R-LA), click here.
Guest: Linda Blumberg
Host: Bruce Japsen
An integral part of covering the nation's more than 46 million uninsured that has been discussed by President Barack Obama and key members of Congress in Washington is the so-called insurance exchange. So what is an insurance exchange, and exactly how would it work? Linda Blumberg, an economist and senior fellow in the Urban Institute's Health Policy Center, tells host Bruce Japsen about movements in states and the federal government to use insurance exchanges as a way to cover more Americans with health benefits.
Guest: Kelly Close, MBA
Host: Steven Edelman, MD
The prevalence of diabetes complications and its associated costs represent an infrastructure that may be virtually unsustainable in the near future. Join host Dr. Steven Edelman and his guest, editor-in-chief of the diabetes publications Closer Look and Diabetes Close Up, Kelly Close, as they discuss the challenges of both regulation and reimbursement.
Guest: Tom Dilenge
Host: Bruce Japsen
There appears to be movement in the US to bring less expensive versions of biotech drugs to market. But the brand name drug industry wants these so-called biosimilars to adhere to rigorous safety and efficacy standards currently not built into US laws. Tom DiLenge, vice president and general counsel for the Biotechnology Industry Organization, tells host Bruce Japsen about a palatable pathway biotech companies would like to see approved by Congress to bring cheaper biotech drugs to the US market.
Guest: Sunil Hattangady, MBA, PhD
Host: Bruce Japsen
The wireless movement is a part of more and more consumers' daily lives, from smart phones to laptops. Will this kind of technology soon be ubiquitous in the healthcare field as well? Sunil Hattangady, president of Emblaze Consulting, tells host Bruce Japsen about the coming wireless trends and applications in the healthcare.
Vice President Joe Biden, alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Dr. David Blumenthal, the Obama administration's National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, leads this roundtable discussion on healthcare reform and the need to ‘modernize the system' with broad implementation of electronic health records (EHRs). Hosted by Mount Sinai Hospital in Chicago on August 20, 2009, the discussion ranges from the keys to improving the coordination of care through EHRs, to enhancing patient safety and reducing privacy concerns, to promoting vital cost and effectiveness measures across the spectrum of care.
Vice President Biden announced the availability of $1.2 billion in federal grants for electronic health record systems. The funding comes from the $787 billion stimulus package passed earlier this year. It is ticketed to finance the creation of EHR technology extension-centers, which will provide clinicians and hospitals with on-the-spot support for the installation and utilization of certified EHR systems. Money is also set aside to help providers attain key incentives to encourage the adoption of EHRs. The administration says grants will be awarded on a rolling basis, with the first awards to be issued in fiscal year 2010.
Panelists included cardiologist Dr. Martha Gulati, geriatrician Dr. June McKoy, …
Guest: Stephen Hanson, PA-C
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
The debate over healthcare reform is on the minds of all medical professsionals these days. What could be different for PAs if new legislation is enacted? How is the American Academy of Physician Assistants assuring that PAs are an essential part of the debate? How can you get involved to make sure your representatives in Congress hear your voice? Steven Hanson, president of the AAPA, joins host Lisa D'Andrea Lenell to sort out what the AAPA is doing to keep PAs in the healthcare reform process.
Guest: Nancy Nowak
Host: Bruce Japsen
As President Barack Obama travels the country talking about the need for health care reform, hardly a week goes by when you don't hear the Commander in Chief talk about Intermountain Healthcare and its low costs when compared to the rest of the country. What makes this this large healthcare system an example? Nancy Nowak, vice president of clinical operations and chief nursing officer for Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City, Utah, tells host Bruce Japsen about this much talked-about healthcare system and how its work may be replicated across the country.
Guest: J. James Rohack, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
If you've been following the health care reform debate as closely as we have, you may be suffering from a case of whiplash, with so many proposals and so little time to wade through all the back-and forth on each of them. As Congress heads into its customary August recess, we'll take a step back to examine the issues that could make or break the various proposals for overhauling our health care system. For one perspective on the progress toward reform, host Dr. Michael Greenberg welcomes American Medical Association (AMA) President Dr. James Rohack. Dr. Rohack addresses a range of issues, including the nuances of AMA's recent support for House bill HR 3200, the effectiveness of AMA in representing the interests of all physicians in this reform debate, and the prospects for true medical liability protections in the final reform bill.
Tune in for complete audio of the prime-time presidential news conference from the White House, July 22, 2009. President Obama outlines his plan for overhauling the nation's healthcare system, and takes questions.
Guest: Alfred Casale, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
As President Barack Obama touts what is right and wrong with the nation's healthcare system, hardly a week goes by when you don't hear him or one of this surrogates mentioning Geisinger Health System. So what does Mr. Obama see in this large Pennsylvania based medical care provider? Dr. Alfred Casale, director of Cardiothoracic Surgery at Geisinger Health System tells host Bruce Japsen about the Pennsylvania system's years of experience measuring quality and improving patient care to keep costs low.
Guest: Joseph Golbus, MD, MBA
Host: Bruce Japsen
The economic stimulus package signed into law by President Barack Obama provides doctors money to get their offices set up for electronic medical records over the next few years. But there are actually a few health care systems ahead of the curve on electronic medical records with systems installed and benefits being realized. Host Bruce Japsen talks with Dr. Joseph Golbus, president and CEO of the NorthShore University Health System medical group about achievements made after implementing electronic medical records several years ago.
Guest: Rep. Peter Roskam, (R-IL)
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
It seems every day there is a new batch of developments in the political tussle over health care reform. Many members of the medical community are frustrated at the tenor of the debate in Washington, and concerned that the issues sacred to physicians and other medical professionals appear to have taken a backseat to others involved here. Even for those of us who see the need to change our health care system, it has been a fast moving and oft-confusing period filled with questions: are we moving too quickly on an issue that warrants the full attention of Congress and all of the major players involved? how can physicians do more to ensure that their voices are heard during this frenzied debate? Hosts Dr. Michael Greenberg and Dr. Matthew Birnholz welcome someone with a front-row seat to the health care reform process, Congressman Peter Roskam, of the 6th district in Illinois and a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has designed one of the health care reform bills that is currently circulating the Capitol.
Dr. Greenberg and Dr. Birnholz also discuss two interesting doctor-patient issues percolating in the media: one is a experimental program at Beth Israel …
Guest: Sean Tunis, MD, MSc
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
The Institute of Medicine recently released a list of 100 priority topics for comparative effectiveness research. The first topic on the first page of the report calls for an evaluation of treatment strategies for atrial fibrillation, from surgery or catheter ablation, to pharmacologic therapy. How do we design research to produce an accurate comparison of these treatment options, and what other subjects should stand at the top of our priority list? Dr. Sean Tunis shares his perspective on these questions with host Dr. Jack Lewin. Dr. Tunis, the founding director of the Center for Medical Technology Policy in Baltimore and formerly the director of the Office of Clinical Standards and Quality and chief medical officer for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, says it may not be the spotless level 1 data that proves ideal for improving our evidence base, but rather a broader range of imperfect information that can be shaped for our clinical benefit.
Guest: Karen Davis, PhD
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
The concept of the accountable care organization (ACO) has many things going for it, not the least of which is its name: certainly any entity for care that can encourage more accountability and organization would seem to be something which we can incorporate into our reform movement. But there's more to an ACO than just the name: why might these groups be one of our best options for better quality and reduced costs -- helping patients, providers and hospitals? Dr. Karen Davis, president of the Commonwealth Fund, a national philanthropy engaged in independent health policy research, outlines her vision for ACOs in the future of American healthcare. Dr. Jack Lewin hosts.
Guest: Sharon Treat, Ms.
Host: Bruce Japsen
More and more states, and even the federal government, are moving to ban drug industry gift-giving practices. So how is this legislation working, and what does it mean for physicians and their patients? Sharon Anglin Treat, executive director of the National Legislative Association on Prescription Drug Prices, tells host Bruce Japsen about states moving to ban or curtail gifts from drug makers to physicians and how the effort is working in states like Vermont, Minnesota and Massachusetts.
Guest: Rahul Parikh, MD
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD
President Obama recently gave a speech at the annual meeting for the American Medical Association (AMA) in Chicago. The speech thrust the AMA squarely into the national spotlight as an organization that represents physicians around the country. While the president's discourse with the AMA drew a lot of attention to the issue of health care reform, it has also renewed the conversation in some circles of the medical community, where doctors are wondering whether the AMA speaks to their best interests as practicing physicians, as well as to the best interests of their patients. Dr. Rahul Parikh, a pediatrician based in California, recently wrote an article on the subject for the Health Care Blog. He joins hosts Dr. Michael Greenberg and Dr. Matt Birnholz to examine this question of professional organizations' representation of physicians. As we move toward a series of defining moments in the health reform debate, is the voice of the physician being heard during this ongoing conversation? If not, what can we do to make our professional concerns known?
Dr. Birnholz and Dr. Greenberg will also delve into an interesting ethical discussion of the medical care received by high-profile individuals. In recent weeks, Apple CEO Steve Jobs …
Host: Janet Wright, MD
Guest: Peggy O'Kane
As the debate for health system reform heats up in Washington, we're going to take a break to focus on quality: how to achieve it, how to measure it and how to maintain it. In order to meet these objectives, there are a range of options that would either reward or punish those of us practicing in an attempt to achieve higher levels of quality. Host Dr. Janet Wright probes a litany of ideas in the quality discussion with Peggy O'Kane, founding president of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA), a leading accrediting organization for health plans.
Guest: Carol Paris, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD and Larry Kaskel, MD
We've heard a lot about health system reform in recent months. One possible mode of health care reform is the single-payer approach, but advocates of single-payer believe their principles have not received fair consideration from lawmakers, in large part because of the lobbying influence of the health care industry. Critics of single-payer argue that quality of care will go down and that the model will breed excess demand for medical services; advocates counter that it is the only way to provide comprehensive, cost-effective medical coverage for all. Hosts Dr. Michael Greenberg and Dr. Larry Kaskel welcome single-payer supporter Dr. Carol Paris, a psychiatrist practicing in southern Maryland, to articulate how she and her colleagues in the single-payer camp believe health care should be organized in the United States.
Dr. Greenberg and Dr. Kaskel will also discuss physicians who are blogging about their malpractice trials, and a new study that indicates pagers may be more error prone than we expect. Is it time for physicians to abandon their beepers in favor of a litany of other mobile communication options?
Guest: J. James Rohack, MD
The American Medical Association (AMA) has inaugurated Dr. J. James Rohack, a cardiologist from Bryan, Texas, as the Association's 164th president. In his inaugural address as AMA president, Dr. Rohack covered a range of issues central to the ongoing debate over healthcare reform in the United States, chiefly that we improve access to high-quality, affordable health care for all of our patients.
"I can promise that our AMA is committed to offering guidance, our expertise, the benefits of our relationship with patients, and the powerful voice of our profession, to help the powers that be make the right decisions," said Dr. Rohack. "This is an effort that will define our organization, define our nation and define each and every one of us."
ReachMD brings you the entirety of Dr. Rohack's speech, along with complete coverage of the 2009 AMA House of Delegates Meeting. Listen now!
Dr. Rohack discusses President Obama's plan for healthcare reform
President Obama's keynote address to the AMA House of Delegates
Delegates respond to President Obama's address
Leaders in long term care medicine react to the 2009 Delegates Meeting
Perspectives from members of the AMA Board of Trustees
Voting round-up and …
Guest: Steven Stack, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
Join host Bruce Japsen for an overview of some of the major votes from the American Medical Association's 2009 House of Delegates Meeting in Chicago. Afterward, he sits down for an in-depth discussion of the issues with Dr. Steven Stack, an emergency physician from Lexington, Kentucky, and a member of the AMA board of trustees.
ReachMD brings you complete coverage of the 2009 AMA House of Delegates Meeting. Listen now!
President Obama's keynote address to the AMA House of Delegates
Delegates Respond to President Obama's Address
Leaders in long term care medicine react to the 2009 Delegates Meeting
AMA President Dr. J. James Rohack's inauguration speech
Dr. Rohack discusses President Obama's plan for healthcare reform
Perspectives from members of the AMA Board of Trustees
Guest: J. James Rohack, MD
Host: John Armstrong, MD
How will the AMA shape healthcare reform? The day after President Barack Obama's historic address to the AMA, host Dr. John Armstrong gets reaction from Dr. J. James Rohack, cardiologist from Bryan, Texas, and the American Medical Association's 164th president. Dr. Rohack discusses ways to achieve the common goals of working toward universal and affordable healthcare coverage, and also addresses the issues of liability reform and a public plan option.
ReachMD brings you complete coverage of the 2009 AMA House of Delegates Meeting. Listen now!
President Obama's keynote address to the AMA House of Delegates
Delegates respond to President Obama's address
Leaders in long term care medicine react to the 2009 Delegates Meeting
AMA President Dr. J. James Rohack's inauguration speech
Perspectives from members of the AMA Board of Trustees
Voting round-up and one-on-one with Dr. Steven Stack
Guest: Steven Stack, MD
Host: John Armstrong, MD
Guest: Samantha Rosman, MD
Join host Dr. John Armstrong at the American Medical Association's House of Delegates Meeting in Chicago. Dr. Armstrong sits down with two members of the AMA's board of trustees, Dr. Samantha Rosman, a fellow in pediatric emergency medicine at Boston Medical Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Dr. Steven Stack, chairman and medical director of the department of emergency medicine at St. Joseph Hospital East in Lexington, Kentucky. This interview took place June 16, 2009, the day after President Barack Obama's speech to the AMA House of Delegates Meeting outlining his aspirations for healthcare in America. Dr. Stack and Dr. Rosman discuss their reactions to the President's speech.
ReachMD brings you complete coverage of the 2009 AMA House of Delegates Meeting. Listen now!
President Obama's keynote address to the AMA House of Delegates
Delegates Respond to President Obama's Address
Leaders in long term care medicine react to the 2009 Delegates Meeting
AMA President Dr. J. James Rohack's inauguration speech
Dr. Rohack discusses President Obama's plan for healthcare reform
Voting round-up and one-on-one with Dr. Steven Stack
Host: John Armstrong, MD
President Barack Obama delivered a lengthy address on his vision for health system reform to delegates of the American Medical Association (AMA) at their 158th annual meeting in Chicago. The speech generated a range of reactions from physicians in the audience. Host Dr. John Armstrong captures their sentiments on the floor of the meeting hall. How will this speech affect America's physicians? Will President Obama ensure that our concerns are represented in the health system reform debate? Tune in to hear the unfiltered responses from your colleagues in medicine!
ReachMD brings you complete coverage of the 2009 AMA House of Delegates Meeting. Listen now!
President Obama's keynote address to the AMA House of Delegates
Leaders in long term care medicine react to the 2009 Delegates Meeting
AMA President Dr. J. James Rohack's inauguration speech
Dr. Rohack discusses President Obama's plan for healthcare reform
Perspectives from members of the AMA Board of Trustees
Voting round-up and one-on-one with Dr. Steven Stack
Guest: Ken Aldrich
Host: Bruce Japsen
Expanded guidelines for stem cell research have favored federal financing for embryonic stem cell development. But some researchers in the field are looking beyond embryonic stem cells. Ken Aldrich, chief executive officer and co-founder of International Stem Cell Corporation, tells host Bruce Japsen about pluripotent stem cell research, not yet eligible for federal funding.
Host: John Armstrong, MD
All this week on the radio at XM 160 and online at www.ReachMD.com
ReachMD brings you coverage of President Barack Obama's unprecedented keynote address to the American Medical Association's House of Delegates at their 158th annual meeting.
And don't miss the multimedia presentation of the President's speech from American Medical News. Audio courtesy of ReachMD.
Guest: Julie Cantor, MD, JD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD and Larry Kaskel, MD
Friends and family of Dr. George Tiller recently laid the prominent abortion physician to rest, after he was shot and killed while serving as usher during a Sunday church service in Wichita, Kansas. Authorities have charged a man with murder in the case, but Dr. Tiller's death has sparked a fresh debate about the role of physicians and other health care providers in abortion cases, as well as other areas of medicine where moral and religious convictions may overlap with our duty to the health and well-being of our patients.
One aspect of this debate revolves around efforts from the administration of President George W. Bush to bolster federal conscience protection statutes for health care providers, regulations which were implemented by the department of Health and Human Services in the final weeks of his time in the White House. The Obama administration began the process of determining whether to rescind the regulations. For more insight into the legal wrangling over this issue, hosts Dr. Michael Greenberg and Dr. Larry Kaskel welcome Dr. Julie Cantor, adjunct professor of law at the University of California, Los Angeles.
Dr. Kaskel and Dr. Greenberg will also delve into concerns about health insurance adminstration, sharing …
Guest: Linda Powers, Ms.
Host: Bruce Japsen
President Obama expanded federal funding for certain embryonic stem cell research and many are excited about what it means to the entire field of discovery of new drugs and medical treatments. Linda Powers, of the Maryland Stem Cell Commission, tells host Bruce Japsen about the importance of Obama's move to, not only those interested in embryonic stem cells, but the entire field and drug discovery in general.
Join us for highlights from the American Psychiatric Association's 2009 Annual Meeting, May 16th through the 21st, in San Francisco.
Guest: Kim Belshé, MPP
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
California is the largest state in our union. Bigger than a host of nations in many ways, from population to gross domestic product, its sheer size is one of many reasons why the state's health care system is under duress. Despite the state's budget woes, California is one the few states in our union to take significant steps toward health care reform. As national reform efforts begin to take shape, what lessons can we draw from California's experience, to inform future federal policy initiatives? Host Dr. Jack Lewin welcomes California Health and Human Services Agency Secretary Kim Belshé for a wide-ranging conversation, covering California's previous attempts at reform, progress toward greater health information technology adaptation across the state and the burden to the healthcare system posed by California's ever-expanding population of undocumented workers and their families.
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
Guest: Harlan Krumholz, MD
The transition from inpatient to outpatient status is a vulnerable spot in our health care system: more than one in four patients with congestive heart failure are back in the hospital within 30 days of discharge, and readmission rates for a host of other conditions are above 20 percent. The right improvements during this transition phase could have a profound impact, reducing the incidence and cost of unnecessary readmissions, and most importantly, improving outcomes for our patients. Dr. Harlan Krumholz, the Harold H. Hines, Jr., Professor of Medicine, Epidemiology and Public Health at the Yale University School of Medicine, talks with host Dr. Jack Lewin about the new Hospital-to-Home (H2H) initiative to lower rates of unneeded readmissions, and how the field of cardiology can contribute toward improving the hospital discharge process.
Guest: Regina Herzlinger, PhD
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
The role of specialization in our economy dates back to the 18th century. Now fast-forward to healthcare in the present day: one application of specialization is the concept of a focused factory, where care providers focus on one or two specific organs or disease processes. Host Dr. Jack Lewin welcomes Dr. Regina Herzlinger, the Nancy R. McPherson Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, for an interesting conversation about the potential role of focused factories in healthcare. We have seen this model take hold in a few areas of medicine, including cardiology, but is the time ripe for an expansion of the focused factory model? Dr. Herzlinger also explains where a specialty hospital or a general tertiary care facility would fit within this system.
Guest: David Himmelstein, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
The single payer form of health insurance for all Americans: could this be the year that the long-debated model for medical care coverage becomes a reality? Dr. David Himmelstein, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a long-time advocate of single payer coverage, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about the best chance in years for this model in the healthcare reform debate.
Guest: William Hersh, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
The stimulus package approved by Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama promises unprecedented money for health IT and electronic medical records. But if the money is enough, are there enough health informatics specialists to pull it off? Dr. Bill Hersh, chair of the Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology in the School of Medicine at Oregon Health & Sciences University in Portland, tells host Bruce Japsen about the healthcare system's needs from the world of health informatics.
Guest: J. James Rohack, MD
Host: Michael Greenberg, MD and Larry Kaskel, MD
News out of Washington, DC, last week has many sectors of health care abuzz about the possibility of meaningful reforms to our system: President Barack Obama announced the initial framework of a commitment from six of the major players in the healthcare industry to cut nearly two trillion dollars in health care costs over the next 10 years. If the plan moves forward as it is currently stands, what will be the lasting impact on our work and our practices? Dr. James Rohack, president-elect of the American Medical Association and a leading figure in these high-level meetings at the White House, joins hosts Dr. Larry Kaskel and Dr. Michael Greenberg to share his perspective on the progress toward significant changes in healthcare.
Dr. Kaskel and Dr. Greenberg will also reflect on the H1N1 frenzy over the past few weeks, and muse about the apparent gravitation toward Wikipedia among physicians who use the Web as a medical resource.
Guest: Joshua Hare, MD
Host: Janet Wright, MD
Cardiac disease was once thought to be both progressive and irreversible. As stem cell therapies emerge across many fields of medicine, our patients with cardiac disorders may be among the first to benefit from this translation of basic science into very valuable clinical applications. What do the latest findings tell us about our ability to tap into the promise of stem cells to treat, reverse or even prevent cardiac disease? Dr. Joshua Hare, director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute and the Louis Lemberg Professor of Medicine at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, walks us through the most promising developments in this cutting-edge research and provides his insights on how you can talk with your patients about where they can expect to see benefits in the short term. Dr. Janet Wright hosts.
Guest: Ann Davis
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Guest: Beth Grivett
Each state has its own laws and regulations on what physician assistants may and may not do within their practice. Host Lisa D'Andrea Lenell is joined by two guests for her discussion on state law. PA Ann Davis, director of state government advocacy and outreach with the American Academy of Physician Assistants discusses six key elements that help determine good state law for the PA practice. PA Beth Grivett, legislative chair for the California Academy of Physician Assistants, talks about how she lobbied and succeeded in removing restrictions on PAs when it comes to performing and signing physicals for the division of motor vehicles in California.
Host: Janet Wright, MD
Guest: Salim Yusuf, DPhil, FRCPC
Start with one part diuretic. Add one part ACE inhibitor, and sprinkle in one part beta blocker. Then add a dose of statins, and top it off with a portion of antiplatelets. Here we have the proposed recipe for a singular pill that some experts believe will eventually help us stick a fork in heart disease. Yet there are pharmacologic concerns and certainly clinical trials to pass before this drug comes to a practice near you. That said, it's fair to wonder: how close are we? Dr. Salim Yusuf, professor of medicine and the director of the Population Health Research Institute at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, is the lead author of one of the most recent polypill clinical trials, presented at the American College of Cardiology's 2009 Scientific Sessions. Dr. Yusuf joins host Dr. Janet Wright to give us an update on the global effort to create a polypill that will improve compliance, increase convenience and reduce cost.
Guest: Scott Gottlieb, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
The highly publicized decision by President Obama to add more federal dollars toward embryonic stem cell research may be fueling misconceptions about how drugs and medical products are created. But it's a part of the debate on stem cells that some in medicine think needs to be heard. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, former Food and Drug Administration deputy commissioner and resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, discusses with host Bruce Japsen funding realities, and what he sees as misconceptions related to the National Institutes of Health's new funding powers in the area of embryonic stem cells.
Guest: Wayne McCormick, MD, MPH
Host: Lee Freedman, MD
House calls have become a rarity in the US, but were the cornerstone of medical care for most of modern medical history. Dr. Wayne McCormick, professor of medicine at the University of Washington's division of gerontology and geriatric medicine, talks about how physicians are once again incorporating house calls into their practice. How do insurance companies and Medicare reimburse house call visits, and are house calls a viable option for your practice? Hosted by Dr. Lee Freedman.
Host: Todd Mahr, MD
Guest: Warner Carr, MD
What phases does the FDA use to approve a new medication, and why does this process take several years? Why must the active and excipient components of the medication, as well as the device, complete all of the testing phases? Dr. Warner Carr, allergist at Allergy and Asthma Associates in Mission Viejo, California, shares insight from his role as a new drug reviewer at the FDA. How do physicians play a vital role in the drug-approval process by providing clinical feedback to the FDA? Dr. Todd Mahr hosts.
Guest: Cynthia Lord, MHS, PA-C
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Despite the current economic recession in the United States, the PA profession is growing at a rapid pace. Currently there are 73,000 PAs nationwide and 5000 new PAs are graduating every year. Cynthia Lord, president of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and the program director of the Physician Assistant Program at Quinnipiac University in Hamden, Connecticut, talks with host Lisa D'Andrea Lenell about why the PA profession remains solid and whether a PA career is immune to troubled financial times. The two also look at the growing pains of a thriving field and how the profession is dealing with current growth.
Guest: Angela Gardner, MD
Host: Shira Johnson, MD
Emergency medical care makes up only three percent of the 1.5 trillion dollars the nation spends on healthcare. There are currently two bills before Congress that propose an increase in dollars spent on emergeny medical services. Host Dr. Shira Johnson is joined by Dr. Angela Gardner, president-elect of the American College of Emergency Physicians, to discuss how this legislation will improve the care in the nation's crowded emergency rooms, what part of the population will be impacted most by this legislation, and how the Obama plan will affect practicing physicians.
Guest: Les Paul, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
Evidence-based medicine has been gaining momentum among the medical community, but there are things happening in our nation's capital that could impact this coming trend. Dr. Les Paul, vice president of clinical and scientific affairs for the National Pharmaceutical Council, tells host Bruce Japsen about the economic stimulus, bills in Congress and other initiatives that could move evidenced-based medicine further into the physician's office. But he also warns of potential pitfalls from the pharmaceutical industry's perspective.
Guest: Les Paul, MD
Host: Bruce Japsen
Comparative effectiveness is gaining momentum as a way to decide what drugs and devices should be used by doctors. But why was it part of the economic stimulus approved by Congress and pushed by President Obama? Dr. Les Paul, vice president of clinical and scientific affairs at the National Pharmaceutical Council, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about how policymakers are looking at comparative effectiveness and how medical care providers and the healthcare industry should be involved.
Guest: Janet Lathrop
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Every six years, physician assistants are required to take a re-certification exam on primary care medicine. Many PAs question if this test is still relevant, given that more than 70 percent of physician assistants work in more than 60 different specialites. Host Lisa D'Andrea Lenell is joined by Janet Lathrop, president and CEO of the National Commission on Certification for Physician Assistants, to talk about the pros and cons of PA specialty certification and how the PA's role is evolving into specialized areas of expertise.
Guest: Janet Lathrop
Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA
Certification for the physician assistant field has come a long way since 1965, when four ex-navy corpsmen were enrolled in the first physician assistant program. Now more than 40 years later, PAs are the most tested profession in medicine. Janet Lathrop, president and CEO of the National Commission on Certification of Physicians Assistants, talks with host Lisa D'Andrea Lenell about how the certification process has changed and where it's headed.
Guest: Helen Darling
Host: Bruce Japsen
The stimulus bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama has employers excited about the potential for saving healthcare dollars from comparative effectiveness, technology assessment and cost control. Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, a nonprofit coalition representing some of the nation's largest employers, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about various goodies in the economic stimulus package that will benefit medical research, and innovative efforts that doctors, insurers and employers are looking at to provide cost-effective medical care.
Guest: Helen Darling
Host: Bruce Japsen
Employers are finding it tougher and tougher to provide increasingly expensive health benefits. So when President Barack Obama makes healthcare reform a priority this year, what would employers like to see in this proposal? Helen Darling, president of the National Business Group on Health, discusses with the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen what employers are looking for in healthcare reform.
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
Guest: Mark McClellan, MD, PhD
It takes a substantial measure of time, money and manpower to bring a new drug from the bench to the marketplace. One key aspect of this sequence is the drug approval process, overseen by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Host Dr. Jack Lewin welcomes Dr. Mark McClellan, director of the Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform at the Brookings Institution, former commissioner of the FDA and administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, to discuss a range of issues within the FDA's approval process: from essential boosts in funding, to more transparency about conflicts of interest, to the imperative need for comprehensive, real-time surveillance of long-term drug outcomes, how can the agency devote more attention to each of these areas of concern?
Guest: Alfred Bove, MD
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
The next year promises to be an important one in health policy, in cardiology and in many other areas of medicine, as we set our sights on significant transformations across our health care system. What improvements can you anticipate that will enrich your practice environment and enhance the care you provide to your patients? Host Dr. Jack Lewin welcomes Dr. Alfred Bove, the newly installed president of the American College of Cardiology (ACC), for a look ahead at key points of emphasis during the coming year, from more rigorous quality measurements, to patient empowerment and value of care, to the broader issue of health care reform and the ACC's role in furthering the priorities of cardiologists and care providers across the entire health care spectrum.
Guest: Thomas Lee, MD, MSc
Host: Martin Samuels, MD
What change can we realistically expect of the national healthcare delivery system, given the existing institutions and agendas, the economy and the current presidential administration? Will the practice of medicine fundamentally change? To discuss these and other topics, host Dr. Martin A. Samuels welcomes Dr. Thomas H. Lee. Dr. Lee is an internist, cardiologist, and CEO of Partners Community HealthCare, Inc., founded by Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.
Guest: Chris Jennings
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
It seems we all work so much these days, we might as well get our personal mail delivered at work, or maybe even consider a hide-a-bed for the office. That may seem a bit far-fetched, but many of us do receive our health insurance coverage from our place of employment, and an increasing percentage of us are participating in so-called wellness programs at work. As we anticipate reforms in our health care system, what is the future role of the employer and the workplace in this movement? For a look at these questions, host Dr. Jack Lewin welcomes Chris Jennings, president of Jennings Policy Strategies, a health policy and advocacy consulting firm based in Washington, DC, and a former White House Senior Health Care Advisor during the Clinton administration. Mr. Jennings also compares the current efforts toward health care reform to those of the early Clinton years, and outlines what he sees as the key reasons why the present climate will be more receptive to the achievement of meaningful reform.
Guest: Keith Kelleher
Host: Bruce Japsen
Why is healthcare been such a growing area for organized labor to expand? From home health care workers and registered nurses, and even doctors, organized labor is finding an important audience in the medical care field. Keith Kelleher, president of SEIU Healthcare of Illinois and Indiana tells host Bruce Japsen about the labor movement among health professionals.
Guest: Keith Kelleher
Host: Bruce Japsen
Following the historic election of Barack Obama, one of the new president's longtime allies in organized labor now has a key voice in the nation's economic recovery and the healthcare debate. Keith Kelleher, president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Healthcare of Illinois and Indiana, talks with host Bruce Japsen about the seat at the table SEIU will have when the Obama administration and the Democratic Congress push a stimulus package that could make strides to expand medical care for more Americans while benefiting doctors and other providers.
Guest: Sandy Praeger
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
Sandy Praeger, past-president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), joins host Dr. Larry Kaskel to discuss the NAIC's July 2008 survey that analyzed how consumers handle healthcare expenditures.
Guest: Artemis Simopoulos, MD
Host: Lee Freedman, MD
The field of genetics was developing so rapidly in 1975, that the National Academy of Sciences published a set of genetic screening guidelines. These guidelines are still considered classic over three decades after their publication. Do all of the recommendations remain true today? Host Dr. Lee Freedman outlines the guidelines with guest Dr. Artemis Simopoulos, founder and president of the non-profit Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health. Which recommendations have been adhered to, and which ones need more attention?
Guest: J. Peter Rosenfeld, PhD
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
Guest: Henry T. Greely, JD
In some ways, it sounds like a modern-day witch trial: using brain scans to detect a suspect’s first-hand recollection of an act they stand accused of committing. Some experts around the world have suggested that a test like this could hamper the efforts of those who attempt to lie their way out of trouble in court, hailing the technology as an advance potentially as important as DNA evidence. What are the legal ramifications of using this kind of technology in court, and if this test isn’t a panacea, is there another method in the forensic pipeline that could be? Host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill peers into the future of lie detection with Dr. J. Peter Rosenfeld, professor of psychology at Northwestern University, and Henry Greely, professor of law and director of the Center for Law and the Biosciences at Stanford University.
Guest: J. Peter Rosenfeld, PhD
Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD
Guest: Henry T. Greely, JD
Neuroscientists have been working for years to find unfailing methods of lie detection, a breakthrough that could dramatically change law enforcement as we know it. One newer test aims to separate events that a suspect has witnessed from actions they have committed, and despite growing scientific suspicion of its validity, the technology is being used in India as critical trial evidence. Why would India’s court system be the first to allow the submission of evidence based on this test? Could this potentially affect the practice of lie detection in the United States and around the world? Host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill examines the scientific and legal angles of this development in India with Dr. J. Peter Rosenfeld, professor of psychology at Northwestern University, and Henry Greely, professor of law and director of the Center for Law and the Biosciences at Stanford University.
Guest: Teri Mills, RN
Host: Susan Dolan, RN, JD
Guest: Alisa Schneider, RN
What is a National Nurse? In this segment, registered nurses Teri Mills, president of the National Nursing Network Organization, and Alisa Schneider, secretary of the National Nursing Network Organization, describe the effect a National Nurse would have on the nursing profession. Ms. Schneider discusses how nurses from across the country would be involved and how the National Nurse position could help to address the nursing shortage. Ms. Schneider describes the prevention programs the National Nurse would champion, and how listeners can support the National Nurse initiative. Hosted by Susan Dolan.
Guest: Teri Mills, RN
Host: Susan Dolan, RN, JD
Guest: Alisa Schneider, RN
Is it time for nursing to have a seat at the nation's healthcare table? In this segment, registered nurses Teri Mills, president of the National Nursing Network Organization, and Alisa Schneider, secretary of the National Nursing Network Organization, describe the organization's efforts in support of a National Nurse. Ms. Mills explains the legislative history in support of a National Nurse and discusses who would serve as the National Nurse. Ms. Schneider discusses how the National Nurse role would differ from the United States Public Health Service Chief Officer position and explains the goals of the National Nurse. Hosted by Susan Dolan.
Host: Todd Mahr, MD
Guest: Steven Weinstein, MD
Clinical trials are essential to the safe development of medications. How are clinical trials structured, and what are the features of the various clinical trial stages? Dr. Steven Weinstein, clinical professor in the department of pediatrics at the University of California at Irvine, provides an overview of clinical trials with host Dr. Todd Mahr. What are the ethical considerations taken into account during clinical trials?
Guest: James M. Galloway, MD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
What is the role of physicians in a community effort to improve the health of its citizens? Dr. James Galloway, assistant US Surgeon General, rear admiral in the United States Public Health Service and regional health administrator in Region V, Chicago, is leading a community health initiative called 'Building a Healthier Chicago.' Joined by the American Medical Association, the Chicago Department of Public Health and many smaller community organizations, this program takes a collaborative community approach towards urban wellness. Find out the physician's role in this effort and how the utilization of medical students is a critical part of this prevention model.
Guest: James M. Galloway, MD
Host: Maurice Pickard, MD
"Building a Healthier Chicago" is a collaborative initiative to build a model community-wide partnership for health promotion that can be replicated nationwide. Join host Dr. Maurice Pickard as he interviews Dr. James Galloway, assistant US Surgeon General, rear admiral in the US Public Health Service and regional health administrator in Chicago's Region V. They talk about this proactive healthcare model that ultimately aims to prevent chronic disease across the country.
Guest: Jeffrey Levine, MD, CMD
Host: Eric Tangalos, MD
Death certificates are essential to the creation of public health policies and determination of funding allocation. In addition, death certificates can bring public health epidemics to the forefront. Dr. Jeffrey Levine, clinical associate professor of medicine at New York Medical College, discusses how physicians can accurately report the immediate, intermediate and underlying causes of death. What medical-legal issues might be impacted by the accuracy or inaccuracy of death certificates? Dr. Eric Tangalos hosts.
Guest: Paul Katz, MD
Host: Eric Tangalos, MD
How can we address the shortage of physicians in nursing homes, and how does this relate to the broader issue of dwindling primary care physicians nationwide? Dr. Eric Tangalos addresses this topic with Dr. Paul Katz, professor of medicine at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in upstate New York. What are the advantages to working as a physician in a nursing home? Will a nursing home specialist model be likely in the near future?
Host: Janet Wright, MD
Guest: Gregory Demske
How can individual practitioners interact with industry in a positive, lawful and commendable manner? Are there regulations we can and should put on companies in this arena which fund initiatives such as continuing medical education? Industry certainly plays a major role in health care today, but one wonders whether we are managing these relationships to the best of our abilities. Greg Demske, assistant inspector general for legal affairs in the Office of the Inspector General for the United States Department of Health and Human Services, joins host Dr. Janet Wright to discuss a range of issues related to the role of industry in health care, as well as potential conflicts of interest that may arise.
Host: Ketan Sheth, MD, MBA
Guest: J. Allen Meadows, MD
How are Medicare and health insurance companies affecting physicians and their patients' access to care? What can physicians do to influence policy at the local level? Dr. J. Allen Meadows, clinical instructor in the Montgomery Internal Medicine Residency Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, suggests ways allergists and other physicians can get involved with their communities and shape policies affecting how physicians care for their patients. Dr. Ketan Sheth hosts.
Guest: Craig T. Standen, MBA
Craig Standen, senior vice president of Ziegler Healthcare's finance team, reports to host Dr. Larry Kaskel the effects of the capital crunch and sub-prime debacle on hospitals and healthcare systems, and ultimately physicians. Mr. Standen explains how many hospitals and private practices began to depend on cheap credit that is no longer available, and have halted capital expenditures and reduced expenses accordingly in order to deal with the limited access to cash. Tune in to hear Mr. Standen's comments on the effects of the crisis on hospitals, smaller practice groups, and patients, as well as strategies for managing internal cash flow, and how this may impact access to care.
Guest: Scott Riccio
Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD
Guest: Phil Schein, MD
Translation for cancer therapeutics is taking too long and costing too much, according to Dr. Philip Schein, visiting professor in cancer pharmacology at the University of Oxford in England and leading international authority in the treatment of cancer. How can we improve in the future? Join host Dr. Bruce Bloom's conversation with Dr. Schein and Scott Riccio, founder and director for Accelerate Progress, a not-for-profit "action-tank" focused on bringing new promising and potentially lifesaving therapies to cancer patients, about why and how we should truncate the lengthy approval process and decrease the costs of bringing new therapeutics to market.
Guest: Scott Riccio
Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD
Guest: Scott Gottlieb, MD
While new science continues to evolve the development of drugs and cures, the scientific principals we use to evaluate the drugs is arguably obsolete. Host Dr. Bruce Bloom is joined in this segment by Scott Riccio, founder and director for Accelerate Progress, a not-for-profit "action-tank" focused on bringing new promising and potentially lifesaving therapies to cancer patients, and Dr. Scott Gottlieb, a practicing physician and resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI). Listen in to learn how clinical trial models might be changed to better evaluate the success of new drugs that target subsets of the population with certain cancers, and expedite translatable cures.
Guest: Christopher Ruhm
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
One would think that the health of the nation would suffer during an economic downturn. But strange as it may seem, bad times can be good for the health of entire societies. Forgetting about individual health, Christopher Ruhm, professor of economics, explains the results of his study that showed that during a recession, traffic accidents, obesity, alcohol consumption, smoking and even deaths from heart disease go down. Professor Ruhm discusses these counterintuitive results with host Dr. Larry Kaskel, which also shows this interesting relationship between the health of an economy and its population.
Guest: Robin Rudowitz, Ms.
Host: Bruce Japsen
With the economy in a downturn, more Americans are turning to Medicaid and related government health insurance programs as they lose private coverage. This may lead to some serious repercussions for medical-care providers and their patients. Robin Rudowitz, principal policy analyst for the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about how health benefit program cuts and reduced government spending in a slow economy could impact patients and their medical-care providers.
Guest: Bianca Dijulio, MHS
Host: Bruce Japsen
Healthcare costs for family coverage continue to rise. But what are the trends this year faced by US workers? Bianca DiJulio, senior policy analyst for the Health Care Marketplace Project at the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen how cost shifts will impact consumers and patients as they deal with rising deductibles and co-payments.
Guest: Mishka Terplan, MD
Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD
Researchers have no way to determine how significant the problem of substance abuse and pregnancy really is. Very few women will be open and honest when it comes to answering questions about elicit drug use. So how do doctors get their patients the proper help? Dr. Mishka Terplan, an associate professor at the University of Chicago, looks at the issues of universal drug screening for all pregnant women, confidentiality, inpatient and outpatient drug rehabilitation programs and the stigma of being a substance abuser, with host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo.
Guest: Marilyn Keefe
Host: Lisa Mazzullo, MD
A new president in the White House will change the climate of reproductive health in this country. Where did we stand under the Bush administration, and how will an Obama administration view access to birth control, emergency contraception, preventive health programs for women and comprehensive sex education programs? Marilyn Keefe, director of reproductive health programs for the National Partnership for Women & Families in Washington, DC, joins host Dr. Lisa Mazzullo to discuss these questions and how the Supreme Court will look at these issues over the next four years.
Guest: Carla Ginsburg, MD, MPH
Host: Jay Goldstein, MD
Physicians continue to face payment cuts from Medicare, largely due to a flawed payment formula. What is on the horizon for 2009 and beyond? President-elect Obama has identified sweeping health care reform as a goal of his presidency. How could the new administration's health care overhaul affect physician reimbursement? Dr. Carla Ginsburg, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and private practice counselor on the governing board of the AGA, dissects the complexities of Medicare with host Dr. Jay Goldstein.
Guest: William Jessee, MD
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
Each year the Medical Group Management Association produces a report on practice operating costs and profitability. Dr. Larry Kaskel discusses the most recent results with Dr. William Jessee, president of Medical Group Management Association. The critical finding is that practice-operating costs are increasing at a higher rate than practice revenue in all areas of medicine. Dr. Jessee reports that the greatest driver of costs is labor due to shortages of healthcare workers and resulting increases in salaries. Notwithstanding, Dr. Jessee notes that practices with more FTE support staff were more profitable than those with fewer FTE support staff, highlighting the importance of proper staffing for the job function. Dr. Jessee discusses the importance of real-time adjudication and the developing trend of more hospital-owned practices.
Host: Jack Lewin, MD
Guest: Uwe Reinhardt, PhD
In a recent survey tracked by Dr. Uwe Reinhardt, the James Madison Professor of Political Economy and professor of economics and public affairs at Princeton University, Medicare patients in northern New Jersey accrued three times the medical costs in their last two years of life as patients in the southern half of the state. Save for seismic demographic differences, Dr. Reinhardt explains how our current system produces these staggering billing disparities. How could a peer-review mechanism stem the tide of clinical ‘cost-ineffectiveness' and concurrently improve quality assurance in American healthcare? Dr. Jack Lewin hosts.
Guest: John McConnell, PhD
Host: Shira Johnson, MD
The reality of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act is that patients can not be turned away. But the economics of providing emergency care to all is overburdening hospital resources. Our guest, healthcare economist specializing in ED care and associate professor of emergency medicine at Oregon Health and Science University, Dr. John McConnell, joins host Dr. Shira Johnson to talk about the economics of emergency care. Learn strategies and solutions that could solve the on-call crisis in hospitals.
Guest: Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD
The second of two programs consisting of excerpts of a panel discussion examining the issues surrounding healthcare coverage for millions of uninsured Americans. The panel was presented by U.S. News and World Report's National Issues Briefing, in association with the American Medical Association.
Panelists include Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Senate Finance Committee Chairman; Mary R. Grealy, president of the Healthcare Leadership Council; and Paul H. Keckley, PhD, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. Brian Kelly, editor, U.S. News and World Report, moderates. The panel was introduced by Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, president of the American Medical Association.
Given latest U.S. Census profiles of uninsured Americans, and the obstacles to retaining coverage, including evolving private sector and employee work patterns and gaps in existing health care plans, panelists debate possible solutions -- from group coverage to state and federal benefits plans -- as well as current and emerging solutions from within the Administration and Congress, the presidential candidates, and other experts. The panel was recorded on September 23, 2008, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Guest: Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD
The first of two programs consisting of excerpts of a panel discussion examining the issues surrounding healthcare coverage for millions of uninsured Americans. The panel was presented by U.S. News and World Report's National Issues Briefing, in association with the American Medical Association.
Panelists include Senator Max Baucus (D-MT), Senate Finance Committee Chairman; Mary R. Grealy, president of the Healthcare Leadership Council; and Paul H. Keckley, PhD, executive director of the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. Brian Kelly, editor, U.S. News and World Report, moderates. The panel was introduced by Nancy H. Nielsen, MD, PhD, president of the American Medical Association.
Given latest U.S. Census profiles of uninsured Americans, and the obstacles to retaining coverage, including evolving private sector and employee work patterns and gaps in existing health care plans, panelists debate possible solutions -- from group coverage to state and federal benefits plans -- as well as current and emerging solutions from within the Administration and Congress, the presidential candidates, and other experts. The panel was recorded on September 23, 2008, at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.
Guest: Donald Patrick, MD, JD
Host: Larry Kaskel, MD
Medical license applications have jumped 58% since Texas approved tort reform legislation that limited non-economic damages in medical liability cases to $250,000 among other provisions. Dr. Donald Patrick, JD, the former executive director of the Texas Medical Board discusses with host Dr. Larry Kaskel the key elements of the legislation and the role of the state's medical board in fixing the medical crisis that affected Texas.