Better Edge : A Northwestern Medicine podcast for physicians: Recent Episodes

Northwestern Medicine

Better Edge is a podcast for physicians. It showcases current research and breakthroughs in care by Northwestern Medicine. Northwestern Medicine is an academic medical center located in Chicago, IL.

In this episode of Better Edge podcast, Rajesh N. Keswani, MD, explores major advances within the Northwestern Medicine Pancreas Program, including standardized pancreatitis care and findings from key trials. He also highlights progress in high‑risk pancreatic cancer surveillance and the expanding use of AI to enhance early detection and diagnostic accuracy.

How can clinicians make age-friendly care a seamless part of practice? Join moderator Lee A. Lindquist, MD, and experts Alexandra Petrakos, MD, Jennifer Woodward, MD, and Alaine Murawski, LSW, as they explore integrating age-friendly principles into care delivery to improve outcomes for older adults.

Learn more: breakthroughsforphysicians.nm.org/geriatrics.html

Grazia Aleppo, MD, discusses the evolving role of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in non-insulin-treated Type 2 diabetes, drawing from her recent review published in Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics that examines evolving evidence and real world implications.
Practical considerations for integrating CGM into routine care are also reviewed, with an emphasis on early intervention and data-driven decision-making.
Key Topics
• Evidence supporting CGM use in non-insulin-treated type 2 diabetes
• Limitations of A1C and the role of time in range
• Impact of CGM on patient engagement and self-management
• Clinical and real-world outcomes associated with CGM adoption
• Practical applications for endocrinology and primary care

Learn more about Northwestern Medicine Endocrinology

As new data reshape treatment discussions for high-risk localized prostate cancer, understanding the nuances behind the evidence is critical. Ashley E. Ross, MD, PhD, a member of the PROTEUS (Perioperative Treatment with Erleada United with Surgery) steering committee, offers an insider's perspective on the landmark trial, including how it’s adding options for standard of care.

In this episode of Better Edge, Northwestern Medicine geriatricians explore how emerging technologies are transforming the care of older adults. Moderated by Lee A. Lindquist, MD, and featuring Jennifer Woodward, MD, Alexandra Petrakos, MD, and Alaine Murawski, this expert panel shares how they are integrating gerontechnology into clinical practice, research and education.

What you’ll hear:
• Improving access to care: Virtual memory clinic expanding dementia evaluation and management
• Real-time clinical insights at home: Point-of-care ultrasound enabling faster diagnosis and decision-making for homebound patients
• Supporting caregivers: NIH-funded AI training (NegotiAge) helping families navigate conflict and complex care decisions
• Enabling aging in place: Practical use of telehealth, remote monitoring, and assistive technologies to enhance safety and independence
• Exploring emerging tools: Early experience with VR and other innovations to support engagement, well-being and care delivery

In this episode of Better Edge, Transplant Hepatologist Laura Lulik, MD moderates a panel discussion about the Northwestern Medicine Liver Transplant Tumor Clinic. The conversation covers advances in imaging, systemic therapies and innovative procedures, as well as the clinic’s multidisciplinary approach.
The panel includes:
• Daniel Borja, MD, transplant surgeon
• Aparna Kalyan, MD, medical oncologist
• Robert Lewandowski, MD, interventional radiologist
• Amira Borhani, MD, abdominal radiologist

In this episode of Better Edge, Paul Bryar, MD, and Dustin French, PhD, reflect on key takeaways from the 2026 ARVO Annual Conference, including insights from their own presentations, notable research highlights and emerging developments in ophthalmology.

AI and robotic-assisted technologies in spine surgery have moved beyond early promise and are shaping clinical practice today.

In this episode of Better Edge, Alpesh A. Patel, MD, moderates a conversation with fellow spine surgeons Srikanth N. Divi, MD, and Najib El Tecle, MD, on how AI use in the field has evolved.

What They Cover:
• Where AI and robotics deliver real clinical value today
• How these technologies are being integrated into daily OR workflows
• Why surgeon judgment remains the driver of decisions
• Where the limitations are and what evidence is still needed
• How AI and robotics are reshaping the standard of care
• What’s next at the Northwestern Medicine Center for Spine Health

In this episode of Better Edge, Palak Shah, MD, the new chief of the Section of Heart Failure and medical director of the Heart Transplant Program at Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, shares how his career has been shaped by the transformation of advanced heart failure care, from LVADs to transplantation. Dr. Shah discusses his clinical training and research, his systems-based vision for delivering advanced heart failure and surgical care closer to patients’ communities, and his commitment to equitable access, innovation and multidisciplinary collaboration. The conversation offers referring physicians insight into how Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute is shaping the next era of personalized, longitudinal heart failure care across a regional health system.

In this episode, Ishaan Hublikar, DO, and Kevin Roy, DO, discuss a complex case of ischemic spinal cord injury following abdominal aortic aneurysm repair, highlighting the clinical nuances and rehabilitation challenges unique to vascular etiologies of SCI. They explore how early, intensive, multidisciplinary rehabilitation at Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital — supported by specialized expertise and advanced technology — contributed to an unexpectedly rapid and meaningful functional recovery.

In this episode of Better Edge, Elnur Babayev, MD, MS, physician scientist and reproductive endocrinologist, discusses a complex case involving diminished ovarian reserve, advanced reproductive age and complications following intra ovarian platelet rich plasma (PRP).

Using this case as a lens, he examines the evidence gaps, safety concerns and opportunity costs associated with commercially marketed, unproven fertility interventions. The conversation highlights common misconceptions about ovarian “rejuvenation,” the limitations of ovarian reserve testing, and practical guidance for counseling, referral, and informed consent in caring for patients navigating reproductive aging.

Nearly two decades after the introduction of combined radiation therapy and temozolomide, the Stupp protocol remains the foundation of glioblastoma treatment. In this episode, Roger Stupp, MD, and Rimas Lukas, MD, take a look at how this regimen emerged as a durable standard of care and how clinical insights since then have refined its use.

Dr. Stupp and Dr. Lukas walk through the modern care pathway for newly diagnosed glioblastoma and the clinical trial landscape. They dive into why survival gains remain limited and what may finally move the field forward.

In this episode of Better Edge, Robert Brannigan, MD, president of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), discusses key updates from ASRM’s 2026 committee opinion on fertility preservation. Dr. Brannigan outlines what urologists should know about early identification, rapid referral, preservation options across adult and pediatric populations, documentation requirements and barriers to access. The conversation focuses on practical workflow considerations and how urologists can better support patients facing fertility threatening therapies.

In this episode, Sachin Patel, MD, chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the launch of Northwestern Medicine Dauten Behavioral Health Institute. Dr. Patel outlines the institute’s vision for advancing care for complex psychiatric conditions through integrated clinical excellence, research innovation and technology-enabled models of care.

The conversation highlights the institute’s role in establishing Northwestern Medicine as a national destination for bipolar disorder care and a leader in the future of academic psychiatry.

In this episode of Better Edge, orthopaedic surgeons Michael Stover, MD, and Ryan Selley, MD, discuss the latest in hip preservation strategies for young adults, with a focus on periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) for acetabular dysplasia.
Dr. Stover and Dr. Selley cover:
• Differentiating hip pathology appropriate for preservation vs. arthroplasty
• Clinical and radiographic criteria for PAO candidacy, including the role of cartilage health
• Long-term outcomes and durability of PAO in delaying or preventing total hip arthroplasty
• Emerging innovations such as 3D surgical planning, AI-assisted imaging and dynamic hip assessment

In this episode of Better Edge, Oncologist Seth M. Pollack, MD, discusses the evolving treatment landscape for leiomyosarcoma and highlights clinical trial data recently published in The Lancet Oncology. Dr. Pollack was co-author on the study, which evaluated the combination of cabozantinib, a multitargeted tyrosine kinase inhibitor, with temozolomide in patients with refractory soft tissue sarcomas.

The conversation covers the biologic mechanisms underpinning this strategy, trial design and outcomes, and how the trial’s findings compare with existing systemic therapies. The discussion also emphasizes the value of referral to specialized sarcoma centers with multidisciplinary expertise and access to subtype specific clinical trials.

In this episode of Better Edge, pulmonologist Maanasi Samant, MD, highlights the multidisciplinary approach to pulmonary embolism (PE) survivorship at Northwestern Medicine Canning Thoracic Institute’s Blood Clot Clinic. The clinic offers structured follow-up for patients recovering from PE, with a focus on persistent symptoms, functional limitation, and early identification of chronic thromboembolic disease, including chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH). Through standardized post-discharge evaluations, advanced diagnostics, coordinated anticoagulation management, and supportive counseling, the clinic addresses the full spectrum of post-PE syndrome. This comprehensive model supports earlier diagnosis of long-term complications, timely access to advanced therapies, and improved recovery and quality of life, serving as a centralized, evidence-based resource for referring pulmonologists.

In this episode of Better Edge, Northwestern Medicine Endocrinologist Ioannis Papagiannis, MD, reviews key updates from the 2025 American Thyroid Association Differentiated Thyroid Cancer Guidelines. He highlights refined, pathology specific risk stratification and a growing emphasis on individualized care. The discussion explores treatment de-escalation strategies, including active surveillance, surgical decision making, selective radioactive iodine use and tailored follow up, all designed to improve outcomes while minimizing overtreatment.

In this episode of Better Edge, Kevin E. Hodges, MD, discusses persistent undertreatment of atrial fibrillation (AFib) and barriers to Cox-maze procedure adoption that persist despite data supporting it. He highlights expanded use of concomitant Cox-maze procedures and advances in minimally invasive and robotic AFib approaches.

In this episode of Better Edge, Kevin C. Welch, MD, professor of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, talks about his recent study that evaluated if endoscopic sinus surgery affects the long term risk of asthma and bronchiectasis in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis. Drawing from a large retrospective cohort with extended follow up, the study explored differences in outcomes by disease severity and nasal polyp status. The episode also highlights how these findings may inform clinical decision making and patient counseling in the management of refractory CRS.

In this episode of Better Edge, GI surgeons Srinadh Komanduri, MD, MS, and Eric Hungness, MD, and Bariatric Surgeon Matthew Pittman, MD, take a look at the evolving landscape of obesity medicine.

They share insights on treatment selection, long term weight maintenance, safety and the emerging combinations shaping the future of metabolic health.

In this episode of Better Edge, CTEPH experts Daniel R. Schimmel, MD, and Stephen F. Chiu, MD, discuss how multidisciplinary evaluation and a high volume of procedures have shaped one of the nation’s leading CTEPH program at Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. Having recently performed its 200th PTE, Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute has strong outcomes and the infrastructure to support them. Recent publications have reported zero 30 day mortality after PTE and BPA. Dr. Schimmel and Dr. Chiu review advances in complication prevention, evolving criteria for surgical vs. interventional treatment, and emerging research in AI enhanced diagnostics. Their conversation offers practical guidance for recognizing persistent symptoms after a pulmonary embolism and identifying patients who may benefit from referral to a specialized CTEPH center.

In this episode of Better Edge podcast, Francesca E. Duncan, PhD, a reproductive scientist at Northwestern Medicine, discusses her groundbreaking research on immune‑mediated remodeling of the aging ovary. By characterizing the unique inflammatory and metabolic signatures of multinucleated giant cells, she provides a new framework for understanding ovarian senescence and preserving ovarian health.

This Better Edge podcast episode features Robin L. Cohen, MD, Michelle Armour, MS, CCC-SLP, and Shamun Mohammed, MS, CCC-SLP, as they discuss the rehabilitation of a 77-year-old stroke patient with severe fluent aphasia, auditory comprehension challenges and apraxia. They highlight how interdisciplinary collaboration, strong family involvement and the Northwestern Medicine Aphasia Program at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital led to significant functional gains and renewed independence.

In this episode of Better Edge, Akhil Narang, MD, associate professor of Cardiology at Northwestern Medicine, examines the phase 3 ENHANCE trial, which evaluates a novel syringe-mounted surfactant device designed to generate uniform microbubbles and reduce variability in saline contrast echocardiography. By improving right-heart opacification and the fidelity of right-to-left shunt detection, the device aims to improve diagnostic accuracy and reduce rates of non-diagnostic and repeat studies. Rooted in Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute’s commitment to advancing translational imaging, this trial may improve both workflow efficiency and patient care.

Prostate MRI is changing how clinicians decide when a biopsy is needed and how sampling is targeted to better detect clinically significant prostate cancer. In this episode of Better Edge, Hiten Patel, MD, discusses MRI‑informed risk stratification, including the use of an MRI‑based risk calculator, and how MRI‑targeted biopsy can reduce missed high‑grade disease. The episode also highlights how PSA density informs decision‑making after a negative MRI and how to manage discordant targeted and systematic biopsy results. Dr. Patel reviews lesion characteristics, like size and suspicion score, in the context of follow‑up and treatment intensity, along with emerging tools like PSMA PET and AI that may further refine detection and biopsy targeting.

In this episode of Better Edge, Baljash S. Cheema, MD, assistant professor of Cardiology at Northwestern Medicine, explores the integration of FDA-approved digital health technologies in cardiovascular care, focusing on a photoplethysmography-based algorithm for remote AFib detection and monitoring. Dr. Cheema discusses the clinical validation of this smartphone-enabled tool and its advantages over traditional wearables. He also highlights its implications for patient empowerment, stroke prevention and the evolving landscape of AI-driven diagnostics.

Oncologist George Georges, MD, moderates a discussion with Christine Hsieh, MD, rheumatologist, and Arjun Seth, MD, neurologist, on advancing care for inflammatory myopathies. The panel introduces the Northwestern Medicine Myositis Clinic, a one-stop model that simplifies diagnostics and connects patients to clinical trials. They review current treatment strategies — steroids, IVIg, steroid-sparing agents, rituximab, and JAK inhibitors — along with approaches for refractory disease. The panel also explores cellular therapies, including CAR-T cell trials.

In this episode of Parts and Labor, Angela Chaudhari, MD, hosts a panel of experts from Northwestern Medicine’s Division of Gynecologic Oncology to discuss the groundbreaking research and clinical trials shaping the future of gynecologic cancer care. The panel explores innovations in immunotherapy, investigator-initiated trials, survivorship and symptom science, while highlighting efforts to expand access and diversity in clinical research across Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.

This episode’s panel of guests includes:
• Emma L. Barber, MD, John and Ruth Brewer Professor of Gynecology and Cancer Research, Division Chief of Gynecologic Oncology and Director of Robotic Surgery
• Daniela E. Matei, MD, Diana, Princess of Wales Professor of Cancer Research and Chief of Reproductive Science in the Departments of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Hematology and Oncology
• Dario R. Roque, MD, Associate Professor of Gynecologic Oncology and Fellowship Program Director
• Emily M. Hinchcliff, MD, Assistant Professor of Gynecologic Oncology and Program Director of the OB-GYN Residency Program

In this episode of Better Edge, Chandrika Shankar, MD, explores the dynamic intersection of mental health and law. Learn how forensic psychiatrists assess competency, navigate ethical dilemmas and balance risk assessment tools with clinical judgment. Dr. Shankar also shares insights on telepsychiatry, AI-assisted evaluations and the core skills needed to succeed in this evolving field.

In this episode of Better Edge, a Northwestern Medicine Ophthalmology panel including Paul Bryar, MD, Rukhsana G. Mirza, MD, and moderator Angelo P. Tanna, MD, discusses practical applications of artificial intelligence in eye care. Topics include point‑of‑care diabetic retinopathy screening with immediate results, oculomics and multimodal imaging, and collaborations using AI to identify biomarkers such as retinal ischemic perivascular lesions (RIPLs). The panel also reviews early experience with large language model triage and MyChart responses, EMR‑based risk scoring that incorporates social drivers of health and workflow optimization.

Edward M. Schaeffer, MD, PhD, moderates a thoughtful conversation with two former Northwestern Urology residents, Richard Matulewicz, MD, MSCI, MS, urologic surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and Neema Navai, MD, MHCM, professor and chair of the department of urology and special advisor to the chief physician executive for care development at MD Anderson Cancer Center. Together, they share insights from their professional journeys, explore the evolving landscape of urologic care and discuss how their experiences have shaped their career paths and approach to patient care.

In this episode of Parts and Labor, Angela Chaudhari, MD, hosts a panel of experts from Northwestern Medicine’s Division of Gynecologic Oncology to explore the innovative role of robotic surgery in cancer care. The discussion highlights how robotic technology is improving outcomes for patients with gynecologic cancers through minimally invasive techniques, enhanced precision and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The panel covers advancements in robotic systems, patient populations who benefit most from this approach, including those with high BMI, complex surgical histories, and fertility concerns, as well as the future of surgical innovation at Northwestern Medicine.

This episode’s panel of guests includes:
• Emma L. Barber, MD, John and Ruth Brewer Professor of Gynecology and Cancer Research, Division Chief of Gynecologic Oncology and Director of Robotic Surgery.
• Dario R. Roque, MD, Associate Professor of Gynecologic Oncology and Fellowship Program Director.
• Jenna Z. Marcus, MD, Associate Professor of Gynecologic Oncology, Director of Robotic Simulation and Associate Fellowship Program Director.

In this episode of Better Edge, a Northwestern Medicine Neurology panel including Niccolo Mencacci, MD, PhD, Sarah Brooker, MD, PhD, and Elizabeth Gerard, MD, discuss their groundbreaking research surrounding the NUS1 gene and its impact on neurological disorders.

Their recently published research, The Spectrum of Neurologic Phenotypes Associated With NUS1 Pathogenic Variants: A Comprehensive Case Series, covers a comprehensive case series of 41 patients with pathogenic variants in the NUS1 gene, highlighting a spectrum of neurological phenotypes that include developmental delays, epilepsy, and various movement disorders. Notably, the study emphasizes the lack of genotype-phenotype correlations, suggesting the influence of additional genetic and environmental factors on clinical presentations.

In this episode of Better Edge, Edgar Woznica, MD, explores the clinical challenges of diagnosing and treating patients with four or more co-occurring psychiatric conditions, including substance use disorders. He shares strategies for distinguishing primary versus substance-induced symptoms, emphasizes the importance of collaborative care and offers guidance for teaching diagnostic clarity to trainees. The episode also highlights the value of embracing diagnostic uncertainty and measuring success through functional outcomes.

Clinical impact: This conversation provides practical tools for managing diagnostic complexity and reinforces the importance of integrated, patient-centered care in high-acuity psychiatric cases.

In this episode of Better Edge, Sean W. P. Koppe, MD, moderates a panel of Northwestern Medicine hepatologists as they discuss recent scientific updates from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) annual meeting held in November 2025.

The conversation addresses key updates in the management of patients with cirrhosis, MASLD, HCC, alcohol liver disease, cholestatic liver diseases and autoimmune hepatitis that were presented at the meeting.

A panel of Northwestern Medicine ophthalmologists, including Robert Feder, MD, Liza Cohen, MD, and Timothy Janetos, MD, share key highlights and clinical implications from the 2025 AAO Annual Meeting focusing on cornea and external disease, orbital and oculoplastic surgery, and uveitis — including cases associated with cataract.

In this episode of Better Edge, Quentin R. Youmans, MD, assistant professor of Cardiology at Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, discusses the recent joint scientific statement from the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA) and the American Society of Preventive Cardiology (ASPC) published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure. This statement explores the integration of multidisciplinary care models in heart failure management, focusing on proactive strategies for early detection and prevention. It also emphasizes the importance of lifestyle modifications, social determinants of health and a shift in language from "failure" to "function" for enhancing patient engagement. Additionally, the research investigates the role of emerging technologies, such as wearables and AI, in revolutionizing care and proposes a cohesive framework that promotes cardiovascular, kidney and metabolic health to reduce heart failure incidence.’

Danny Bega, MD, of Northwestern Medicine Neurology, joins Will Meador, MD, to discuss a major breakthrough in Huntington’s disease — a gene therapy that has shown the first evidence of slowing disease progression. Dr. Bega talks about how the RESET-HD trial is reshaping treatment possibilities and what physicians should watch for as this therapy advances.

In part two of the Better Edge series on women in physiatry, Larissa Pavone, MD, and Mary Keen, MD, reflect on how the field has evolved — from training structures and technology to the growing presence of women in leadership. They discuss the increasing demands of the specialty, the impact of mentorship and the importance of visibility and support for women entering PM&R.

Looking ahead, they share their excitement about the role of technology and expanded access to education in shaping the future of physiatry. The episode offers practical insights for women navigating the field today and encourages continued growth through collaboration and innovation.

In this episode of Better Edge, Brandon Hamm, MD, discusses an evidence-based approach to ketamine therapy, including patient selection, safety protocols and a newly expanded infusion suite. He compares ketamine with TMS and ECT, addresses common misconceptions and highlights training opportunities for residents. The episode also previews emerging treatments like vagus nerve stimulation.

Clinical impact: This conversation underscores ketamine’s growing role as a safe, effective option within a comprehensive interventional psychiatry framework.

In this episode of Better Edge, Larissa Pavone, MD, and Mary Keen, MD, share their insights on the power of mentorship among women in physiatry. They reflect on their own mentor and mentee relationship, emphasizing how guidance, partnership and shared clinical experiences have shaped their careers and personal growth.

They explore the challenges of balancing clinical demands with personal well-being and the importance of being present for patients and families. The episode highlights how mentorship can come from many sources and evolve over time. Both physicians offer practical advice for women seeking mentorship and underscore the importance of recognizing mentors across disciplines within the rehabilitation team.

This is part one of a two-part series. Be sure to listen to part two where Dr. Pavone and Dr. Keen discuss the evolution of women in physiatry and the future of the field.

In this episode of Better Edge, Jennifer Miles-Thomas, MD, moderates a thoughtful conversation with Anthony Schaeffer, MD, discussing complicated urinary tract infections (cUTIs) and their management. Dr. Schaeffer, who contributed to the recent IDSA guidelines on cUTIs, emphasizes the need to understand underlying causes of recurrent infections rather than treating them as isolated events. The conversation explores critical topics such as antibiotic resistance, effective treatment strategies and the importance of early intervention in febrile cases.

In this episode of Better Edge, Reena Dhanda-Patil, MD, a professor of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses her journey into the field and the importance of a holistic approach to patient care. Dr. Dhanda-Patil emphasizes the rapid advances in sleep medicine and surgery, highlighting her commitment to integrating innovative techniques and multidisciplinary strategies to address complex health issues, particularly obstructive sleep apnea. Through her dedication to personalized treatment and collaboration, she aims to improve patient quality of life and foster clinician growth in this evolving specialty.

In this episode of Better Edge, Joshua Meeks, MD, PhD, discusses the implications of the FDA's recent approval of TAR-200, a novel therapy for bladder cancer. Having played a key role in the clinical trials and development of this treatment, Dr. Meeks provides an in-depth look at this breakthrough’s potential to transform patient care, especially for those with BCG-unresponsive bladder cancer.

In this episode of Better Edge, a multidisciplinary team gets into the intricacies of diagnosing and managing scleroderma. Join Pulmonologist Anthony Esposito, MD, Rheumatologist Carrie Richardson, MD, and Domenico Farina, MD a gastroenterology specialist with a focus on scleroderma-related esophageal diseases. Together, they share how they collaborate to provide comprehensive care for patients.

Grazia Aleppo, MD, Kasey J. Coyne, MD, and Jelena Kravarusic, MD, PhD, from the Northwestern Medicine Division of Endocrinology, join the Better Edge podcast. The trio discusses a recent clinical trial they led, published in The New England Journal of Medicine. This trial aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of using an automated insulin delivery system for treating patients with Type 2 diabetes, a method already well established for those with Type 1 diabetes.

In this episode of Better Edge, C. Charles Jain, MD, the new associate medical director for Adult Congenital Heart Disease at Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, shares his clinical expertise and strategic vision for advancing adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) care. Dr. Jain discusses his new role and outlines a comprehensive approach to improving outcomes for ACHD. He emphasizes the importance of multidisciplinary collaboration and seamless transitions from pediatric to adult care, key parts of Northwestern Medicine's approach. Dr. Jain also highlights his research interests, commitment to providing whole-person care and upcoming initiatives to expand access and enhance continuity of care at Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute.

In this episode of Better Edge, Bruce K. Tan, MD, discusses the newest clinical practice guidelines for the surgical management of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS). Dr. Tan covers how treatment paradigms have evolved over the past 15 years, from antibiotic-centric approaches to multifaceted strategies that recognize CRS as a complex inflammatory condition.

He dives into the guidelines’ recommendations on diagnoses, biologic therapies and multidisciplinary collaboration. Additionally, Dr. Tan shares insights on future directions for research and the promise of precision medicine in tailoring effective treatments for a range of patient profiles.

In this episode of Better Edge, Allison S. Komorowski, MD, discusses her findings on the role of anti-Müllerian hormone in managing PCOS. Discover how this hormone’s levels influence ovulation rates, the importance of personalized treatment strategies and the hormone’s potential as a diagnostic tool in fertility treatment.

Join Anton Dietzen, MD, FAAPMR, fellowship-trained in pediatrics, Ishaan Hublikar, DO, FAAPMR, a spinal cord injury specialist, and Julie E. Witkowski, MD, FAAPMR, an expert in brain injury, as they discuss the role of fellowship training in enhancing PM&R care. They share their personal journeys, insights on complex cases and future advances in their fields.

Dr. Clara Peek, assistant professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, is here to walk us through a new Northwestern Medicine study she led that was published in Science Advances, suggesting that circadian rhythms play a role in how quickly damaged muscles heal.

In this episode of Better Edge, Sadiya S. Khan, MD, discusses the AHA's groundbreaking PREVENT-HF paradigm, which aims to implement a risk-based approach to heart failure prevention like other established methods for heart attack and stroke. Dr. Khan covers the alarming trends of heart failure prevalence in the U.S., the importance of early detection, and the integration of traditional and non-traditional risk factors in clinical practice. She also highlights how innovative strategies and emerging technologies like AI are helping shape the future of heart failure risk assessment and patient care.

In this episode of Better Edge, we delve into innovative strategies for enhancing inpatient rehabilitation outcomes in physical medicine and rehabilitation. Anthony Phan, MD, a physiatrist, discusses the importance of multidisciplinary approaches and optimizing consult practices. Join us as we explore effective techniques and best practices for maximizing functional recovery in an acute care setting.

Eric Ruderman, MD, leads a Northwestern Medicine panel discussion with Irene Blanco, MD, Anisha Dua, MD, and Carrie Richardson, MD. Together, they dive into the latest advances in clinical trials and treatment strategies for scleroderma, vasculitis and lupus.

The panel discusses the goals and complexities of contemporary clinical trials, recent breakthroughs in therapies and the innovative potential of CAR-T therapy for managing autoimmune diseases. They emphasize the significance of personalized medicine and the collaboration needed among clinicians, industry collaborators and patient advocacy groups to drive research forward.

In this episode of Better Edge, Sean W. P. Koppe, MD, moderates a panel of hepatologist, featuring Laura M. Kulik, MD, Andres Duarte, MD, Sarang B. Thaker, MD and Amanda C. Cheung, MD, as they discuss recent advances and challenges in liver research. The conversation addresses such key issues as the timing of immunotherapy in relation to transplants, the role of albumin management and the implications of these factors on patient outcomes. This discussion offers valuable insights to fellow researchers and clinicians navigating the complexities of liver medicine.

The panel includes:

Laura M. Kulik, MD, Professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Radiology and Organ Transplantation at Northwestern Medicine.
Andres Duarte, MD, Professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and Organ Transplantation at Northwestern Medicine.
Sarang B. Thaker, MD, Assistant Professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Northwestern Medicine.
Amanda C. Cheung, MD, Assistant Professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Northwestern Medicine.

Research discussed:

Dr. Kulik: Intention-to-treat outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma receiving immunotherapy before liver transplant: The multicenter VITALITY study - Journal of Hepatology
Dr. Thaker: Early Diagnostic Paracentesis Improves Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients With Cirrhosis and Ascites: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis - PubMed
Dr. Cheung: Low-to-moderate alcohol consumption is associated with increased fibrosis in individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease - Journal of Hepatology
Dr. Duarte: Controversies regarding albumin therapy in cirrhosis - PubMed

Claim your CME credit here: https://northwestern.cloud-cme.com/better-edge-liver

In this episode of Better Edge, we discuss the Collaborative Advanced Reconstructive Evaluation (CARE) Clinic, a collaboration between Northwestern Medicine and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, led by Julia Geynisman-Tan, MD, Julia E. Grabowski, MD, Elizabeth B. Yerkes, MD, and Dana Elborno, MD. Learn how this team uses a multidisciplinary approach to provide leading-edge reconstructive treatments for congenital anomalies and acquired genitourinary tract diseases.

In this episode of Better Edge, Northwestern Medicine Neurologist Shailee Shah, MD, and Neuro-oncologist Ditte Primdahl, MD, unpack the latest advancements in paraneoplastic syndrome management, highlighted at the 2025 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting.

Together, they explore:

The complex interplay between immune checkpoint inhibitors and autoimmune neurologic syndromes
Emerging therapies, including CD19-directed CAR T-cell treatments
Updates to diagnostic criteria and risk stratification using high-risk autoantibodies
The role of predictive biomarkers and advanced omics in diagnosis
The launch of a dedicated paraneoplastic clinic at Northwestern Medicine

In this episode of Better Edge podcast, Sri Komanduri, MD, discusses the latest advances in the screening and management of Barrett's esophagus and esophageal cancer. He highlights the significance of risk stratification to enhance patient outcomes and minimize the incidence of interval cancers. Additionally, Dr. Komanduri emphasizes the importance of improving patient access to care and the role of advocacy organizations in supporting both patients and clinicians.

In this episode of Better Edge, Baljash S. Cheema, MD, assistant professor of Cardiology at Northwestern Medicine, and Zach Miller, PhD, manager of Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence at Northwestern Medicine, discuss the innovative use of machine learning to identify patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and heart failure. Emphasizing the critical collaboration between clinical experts and data scientists, Dr. Cheema and Dr. Miller explain the process of designing and optimizing AI models to better meet clinician needs and improve patient outcomes.

In this episode of Parts and Labor, Angela Chaudhari, MD, hosts a panel of experts to discuss the PEARL Program, a multidisciplinary initiative providing comprehensive care for patients with obesity as they prepare for pregnancy. The panel covers the program's approach to lifestyle management, preconception counseling and integrating specialties to support maternal health.

Neurosurgeon Stephen T. Magill, MD, PhD, leads a panel discussion on the management of tumors that compress the optic nerve. He is joined by Preeti J. Thyparampil, MD, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, and Adam D. Baim, MD, a neuro-ophthalmologist.

The panel discusses tumors commonly associated with optic nerve compression, their impact on eye function, and the signs and symptoms that suggest a tumor is pressing on the optic nerve. They also delve into diagnostic strategies and treatment options, emphasizing key factors that determine the appropriate surgical approach.

In this episode of Better Edge, Christina E. Boots, MD, MSCI, associate professor of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the impact of obesity on reproductive outcomes and the promising role of GLP-1 agonists in treating obesity and infertility. Discover how these groundbreaking medications are reshaping reproductive health, offering hope for patients with higher BMIs. Learn about the latest insights and clinical considerations for their use in preconception care plans.

In this episode of Better Edge, a panel of ophthalmologists from Northwestern Medicine discuss their insights from the 2025 Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) Annual Conference. Nicholas Volpe, MD, president of the AUPO, joins Rukhsana Mirza, MD, and Dmitry Pyatetsky, MD, as they share their perspectives on important topics such as residency education, the future of ophthalmology and the impact of AI in the field. The panelists also explore initiatives aimed at improving faculty development and patient care, emphasizing the need for innovation and collaboration within academic ophthalmology.

In this episode of Better Edge, Kevin Y. Zhan, MD, director of the Northwestern Medicine Cochlear Implant Program, outlines the program’s multidisciplinary approach and its expanded candidacy criteria. The program now serves people with significant hearing loss who struggle with speech clarity despite using hearing aids. Dr. Zhan also shares the innovative surgical techniques and personalized rehabilitation strategies that make Northwestern Medicine a leading center for hearing restoration.

In this episode of Better Edge, Stewart Shankman, PhD, psychologist, and Lilian Li, PhD, postdoctoral scholar, discuss their research at the NEAR Lab on capturing aspects of mood and mental health through adolescent smartphone social communication. They explore the challenges in diagnosing and treating adolescent depression and the potential of using smartphone data to detect depressive symptoms. The conversation also addresses the ethical considerations and future implications of this innovative approach to mental health monitoring.

Defining "obesity" is not straightforward. Using body mass index (BMI) alone may miss some unhealthy individuals and mislabel others. New global clinical recommendations aim to improve the definition of obesity. The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Commission, supported by 75 medical organizations, proposes to use objective measures of illness based on individual risk factors.

Dr. Kushner states that these recommendations represent a significant advancement in recognizing obesity as a disease rather than just a risk factor, allowing clinicians to identify those in need of treatment.

Aziz Aadam, MD, interventional endoscopist, Daniel Borja-Cacho, MD, transplantation surgeon, and Ahsun Riaz, MD, vascular and interventional radiologist, discuss a complex biliary case involving a patient with advanced stage cancer. They explore the innovative, multidisciplinary approach taken to manage the patient's biliary fistula and hepatic duct obstruction. The physicians highlight the collaborative efforts and advanced techniques that led to a successful outcome and improved quality of life for the patient.

Anita W. Asgar, MD, recently named section head of Interventional Cardiology at Northwestern Medicine, introduces herself and reveals what drew her to join the team at Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. Dr. Asgar shares her goals for the future of the Interventional Cardiology program, her clinical and research interests in structural heart interventions and moderate secondary mitral regurgitation, and her experience working on MitraClip procedures in Canada.

Join podcast host Angela Chaudhari, MD, and a panel of experts in urogynecology and reconstructive pelvic surgery for the seventh episode of Parts and Labor. In this episode, they discuss urogynecology, complex case management, uterine-sparing surgery, the CARE Clinic for congenital anomalies, and future research areas.

This episode’s panel of guests include:
Emi Bretschneider, MD, Division Chief of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Teni Brown, MD, Director of Diversity and Inclusion, McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University; Assistant Professor of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery and of Medical Education, Northwestern Medicine

Julia Geynisman-Tan, MD, Assistant Professor of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Douglas Luchristt, MD, Assistant Professor of Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Lisa J. Rosenthal, MD, discusses the recently launched Northwestern Medicine West Health Accelerator, an initiative designed to enhance access to mental health services through evidence-based collaborative care models. Learn how this program integrates psychiatric care into primary care settings, using advanced technology and data analytics to improve patient outcomes.

Join Sean W. P. Koppe, MD, and Justin R. Boike, MD, both of Northwestern Medicine Gastroenterology and Hepatology, as they discuss how communities are affected by the availability of expert liver care close to home. We’re proud to offer liver transplant care clinics in Northern and Central Illinois and Northwest Indiana, providing essential pre-transplant services near where our patients live and work.

In this Better Edge podcast episode, a multidisciplinary panel of Northwestern Medicine experts — R. Mark Wiet, MD, otologist and neurotologist; Nicholas Hac, MD, otoneurologist; Stephen T. Magill, MD, PhD, neurosurgeon; and Kevin Y. Zhan, MD, otologist and neurotologist — discusses advances in the management of acoustic neuroma. They explore detection, diagnosis and treatment options and outline the advantages of a multidisciplinary approach, while also engaging in a case-based discussion.

Physicians who listen to this podcast may claim continuing medical education credit after listening to an episode of this program.

In this Better Edge podcast episode, Margrit Urbanek, PhD, associate professor of Endocrinology, and doctoral student Rosie Bauer discuss key insights from their recent research on the potential role of a rare genetic variation in the LMNA gene in the development of PCOS.

Immense pressure on hospitals from the COVID-19 pandemic prompted CMS to waive its three-day rule for skilled nursing facility (SNF) care. Effective March 1, 2020, this waiver allowed patients to transfer to SNFs without the usual inpatient criteria or a three-day hospital stay. A recent study by Northwestern Medicine published in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society explores the trends in hospital discharges to SNFs during this period.

Join study authors Lee A. Lindquist, MD, MPH, and Marianne Tschoe, MD, on this episode of the Better Edge podcast as they discuss their research and findings.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Anjan Tibrewala, MD, discusses his paper published in Circulation: Heart Failure, “Impact of Heart Transplant Allocation Change on Waitlist Mortality and Posttransplant Mortality in Patients With Left Ventricular Assist Devices.”

The study’s results found that despite the 2018 heart transplant allocation change deprioritizing patients with LVADs, patients with LVADs are living longer on the heart transplant waitlist. Interestingly, the study also demonstrated that patients with LVADs have slightly higher mortality after heart transplant following the allocation change. Dr. Tibrewala discusses recent advances in LVAD technology and what’s next in advanced heart failure care.

Ziho Lee, MD, discusses how ureteral stricture disease management has evolved over the past decade, emphasizing the impact of minimally invasive surgical techniques. Dr. Lee shares insights on how his team developed a patient-reported outcome measure, detailing their approach, validation process and the potential implications for clinical practice.

Join Larissa Pavone, MD, Mary Keen, MD, and Anton Dietzen, MD, as they discuss the significance of muscle tone in young pediatric patients. They explore the causes and manifestations of high muscle tone, including hypertonia, and share insights on managing spasticity, dystonia, and rigidity.

Learn about the latest diagnostic approaches and therapeutic strategies to support early development in children with muscle tone abnormalities.

Dr. Pavone is associate chief medical officer of Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital; Dr. Keen is a pediatric PM&R specialist; Dr. Dietzen is medical director of Pediatrics at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital.

David W. Manning, MD, and Caroline P. Thirukumaran, PhD, both of Northwestern Medicine Orthopaedic Surgery join the Better Edge podcast. They delve into the CMS Orthopedic Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) Performance Measure for Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) and Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA).

Dr. Manning and Dr. Thirukumaran provide an in-depth discussion on these performance measures:

The benefits and challenges
Integrating them into clinical practice
How they may affect patient outcomes and satisfaction
The future of PRO measures in orthopaedic care
Anticipated advances in the reporting process

Jennifer U. Miles-Thomas, MD, explores the diagnosis and treatment of overactive bladder in women. She covers:
• Underlying causes
• Impact on quality of life
• The range of treatment options

Dr. Miles-Thomas highlights the importance of personalized care, shared decision-making and guidelines-based management for effective diagnosis and treatment.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Bruce K. Tan, MD, associate professor of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses his recent research study titled, “Increased Autoreactivity and Maturity of EBI2+ Antibody-Secreting Cells from Nasal Polyps,” which sheds light on the cells’ role in predicting polyp recurrence after sinus surgery and the potential implications for diagnosing and treating nasal polyps. The findings also contribute to our understanding of immune response, antibodies and inflammation in respiratory conditions, highlighting the unique activation mechanisms and tissue-resident memory cells in the airway.

Quentin R. Youmans, MD, MSc, and Alyssa M. Vela, PhD, discuss a recent paper they co-authored that explores the importance of addressing the unique psychosocial and emotional challenges faced by patients with advanced heart failure.

Yvonne C. Lee, MD, shares key takeaways from her ACR Convergence presentation on sleep disturbances in patients with rheumatoid diseases. Additionally, Dr. Lee gives an overview of the meeting’s standout presentations.

Perry Xu, MD, discusses his paper, which was a retrospective analysis of HoLEP in patients who held or continued blood thinners. Dr. Xu explains:
• The use of the holmium laser in the procedure
• Common indications for blood thinner therapy
• Intraoperative and post-op outcomes
• The clinical implications of the study findings

Hiten D. Patel, MD, joins this episode of Better Edge to discuss his research on using AI to help more accurately detect and stage prostate cancer.

Nilay S. Shah, MD, MPH, explores how social factors and disparities affect cardiovascular health in Asian American subgroups. He emphasizes the need to understand and address these factors in patient care.

Mary Keen, MD, a pediatric physiatrist, shares her extensive experience with rare pediatric conditions. Dr. Keen discusses the challenges of diagnosing these conditions, helpful resources for the diagnostic process, multidisciplinary approaches, innovative treatments, and the role of exercise in managing mitochondrial disorders and other rare conditions.

Sarah E. Chuzi, MD, and Courtney Bartelstein, PA-C, offer insights on the broad clinical and community impact of the COMPASS-HF program at Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. COMPASS-HF, which stands for Comprehensive Palliative Care and Supportive Services for People with Heart Failure, seeks to support patients with advanced heart failure and their caregivers as they navigate a variety of symptoms, unique psychosocial challenges and complex decisions.

Keith Summa, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Northwestern Medicine, explores the intricate relationship between circadian rhythms and gastrointestinal health. Discover how disruptions in sleep and circadian alignment can affect metabolic processes, intestinal permeability and overall GI function. Dr. Summa also covers the latest research findings and their implications for conditions like obesity, diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease.

Join Laura M. Kulik, MD, a gastroenterologist at Northwestern Medicine, as she explores the latest advances in liver cancer care. Dr. Kulik shares her expertise on emerging therapies and the role of collaborative management in this complex field.

Northwestern Medicine’s Srikanth N. Divi, MD, an orthopedic surgeon, and Najib El Tecle, MD, a neurosurgeon, discuss the transformative impact of AI on spine surgery. They explore how AI enhances diagnostic accuracy, reduces complications and improves surgical outcomes. Additionally, Dr. Divi and Dr. El Tecle delve into the critical aspects of AI in medical applications, including machine learning and imaging analysis.

Learn more or refer a patient to the Northwestern Medicine Center for Spine Health

Clyde W. Yancy, MD, MSc, discusses “Heart Failure in African American Individuals, Version 2.0,” his editorial recently published in JAMA. He emphasizes the importance of understanding genetic factors in predicting and managing heart failure in African American people, as well as the implications for genetic screening.

Dr. Yancy highlights ways to address health disparities in cardiovascular care that Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute is putting into practice.

Robert E. Brannigan, MD, expands on the American Urological Association and American Society for Reproductive Medicine’s 2024 amendment to the male infertility guideline. As chair of these guideline amendments, Dr. Brannigan delves into recommendation updates, as well as their effect on diagnostic processes and how male infertility is evaluated.

En este episodio de Better Edge, la Dra. Irene Blanco y la Dra. Paulina González-Latapi hablan sobre la clínica de lupus para hispanohablantes y la clínica de trastornos del movimiento para hispanohablantes en Northwestern Medicine. La Dra. Blanco y la Dra. González-Latapi ofrecen un resumen de las clínicas y cómo buscan mejorar los resultados de salud entre la población que habla español. También hablan sobre el desarrollo de cada clínica y ofrecen consejos sobre cómo brindar atención a las personas que prefieren hablar en español.

Jennifer U. Miles-Thomas, MD, a trailblazing urologist and advocate for gender diversity in the field, shares her personal journey, from her specialization in female reconstructive surgery to her recent appointments as vice chair – Regional Integration and Innovation and assistant professor of Urology at Northwestern Medicine, and as treasurer-elect of the American Urological Association.

As an expert in the field, Dr. Miles-Thomas sheds light on her unique approaches to her practice and discusses obstacles that hinder gender diversity in urology. She discusses her vision for the future of gender diversity in urology and how it can positively impact patient care and outcomes.

In this episode of Better Edge, Daniela E. Matei, MD, chief of Reproductive Science in Medicine at Northwestern Medicine, discusses her groundbreaking research on chemotherapy-resistant ovarian cancer. She explains how her team discovered the role of cholesterol in cancer cell survival and the innovative use of nanoparticles to block cholesterol uptake, offering new hope for treatment. Dr. Matei also highlights the potential for combining this approach with traditional chemotherapy and immunotherapy to enhance patient outcomes.

In this Better Edge episode, Irene Blanco, MD, and Paulina Gonzalez-Latapi, MD, discuss the Spanish-speaking lupus clinic and the Hispanic movement disorders clinic at Northwestern Medicine. Dr. Blanco and Dr. Gonzalez-Latapi provide an overview of the clinics and how they aim to improve health outcomes among the Spanish-speaking population. They also discuss each clinic’s development and offer advice on providing care to people who prefer to speak Spanish.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Anton N. Dietzen, MD, a diplomate of the American Board of Obesity Medicine and fellowship-trained pediatric physiatrist at Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, discusses the challenges of weight management in pediatric patients with special needs. He highlights the higher prevalence of weight issues in this population and the multifactorial causes, including medication side effects and behavioral factors. Dr. Dietzen emphasizes the importance of a multidisciplinary approach, involving dietitians, physical therapists and psychologists, to create a comprehensive weight management plan tailored to the child’s needs.

This episode of Better Edge delves into the challenges of medication management for individuals with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Rachel O’Conor, PhD, MD, associate professor of Geriatrics at Northwestern Medicine, and a health services and public health researcher specializing in community-engaged research, shares insights from a recent study involving patients and their caregivers. The discussion highlights the difficulties faced by those with changing cognitive abilities in managing multi-drug regimens and the crucial role of family members in this process. Dr. O’Conor emphasizes the importance of understanding both patient and caregiver perspectives to navigate these challenges effectively.

Join Eric B. Larson, PhD, director of Psychology and Brain Injury at Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, as he discusses his intensive seminar in Ukraine with students Diana, Olya and Zhenia. They share their experiences and insights on treating neurologic injuries and emotional trauma related to war. Translator Zhanna Rawalska facilitates the conversation. This episode offers rehabilitation specialists valuable perspectives on the impact of war on mental health and the importance of specialized training.

Robin Cohen, MD, a physiatrist, and Nicolette Bernhardt, PsyD, a board-certified clinical health psychologist, discuss the integration of cancer rehabilitation and psychology.

Dr. Cohen emphasizes the importance of physical medicine in addressing issues patients with cancer often experience. Dr. Bernhardt highlights the emotional challenges faced at different stages of cancer journeys. They underscore the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to ensure holistic care.

Both Dr. Cohen and Dr. Bernhardt provide care at Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital.

In this episode of Better Edge, Channa A. Amarasekera, MD, dives into the creation of the Gay and Bisexual Men’s Urology Program at Northwestern Medicine – the first clinic of its kind. Dr. Amarasekera walks through identifying care gaps with gay and bisexual men, overcoming systematic barriers in LGBTQ+ focused clinics and the future of the Gay and Bisexual Men’s Urology Program at Northwestern Medicine.

In this Better Edge episode, Mohamed Al-Kazaz, MD, and Paul C. Cremer, MD, share insights on how the Northwestern Medicine Pericardial Disease Program at Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute offers comprehensive evaluations. This key offering helps uncover alternative treatment options for high-risk patients past the first-line treatments for acute and recurrent pericarditis. In addition, Dr. Al-Kazaz and Dr. Cremer weigh in on the prevalence of pericardial disease across the U.S.

Dr. Al-Kazaz is chief of the section of General Cardiology, and Dr. Cremer is the director of Multi-modality Imaging, both at Northwestern Medicine.

In this episode of BetterEdge, geriatrician Alexandra Petrakos, MD, shares information about the Northwestern Medicine Geriatrics Home Care program.

This episode of Better Edge delves into the critical process of transitioning pediatric patients with complex needs to adult specialists. From continuity of care to setting expectations, a panel of experts shares valuable insights on this pivotal milestone.

This episode’s guests are three physicians from Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital:

• Anton Dietzen, MD, Pediatric Physiatrist and Rehabilitation Specialist
• Mary Keen, MD, Pediatric Physiatrist and Rehabilitation Specialist
• Larissa Pavone, MD, Pediatric Physiatrist and Program Director of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program

Sanjiv J. Shah, MD, and Robert F. Kushner, MD, join a thought-leader panel to share their insights on the connection between diabetes and heart disease, as well as using semaglutide medication for prevention. They discuss the outcomes of their recent clinical trial studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine, SELECT and STEP-HFpEF.
These studies aimed to measure the effects of semaglutide in patients with obesity and pre-existing cardiovascular disease, and Dr. Kushner and Dr. Shah explain how the studies’ results complement each other and inform patient care.
Dr. Shah is director of Research at Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute and Dr. Kushner is professor of Endocrinology at Northwestern Medicine.

Patricia Vassallo, MD, Assistant Professor of Cardiology at Northwestern Medicine, highlights her research investigating the impact of socioeconomic status on readmission rates in patients undergoing acute type A aortic dissection repair.

Dr. Vassallo, medical director of Code Aorta, discusses this program, which aims to provide expedited surgical care to patients with life-threatening aortic emergencies.

In this episode of Better Edge, Borna Bonakdarpour, MD, associate professor of Neurology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the highlights from the 2024 American Academy of Neurology (AAN) Annual Meeting. Several sessions stood out during the meeting, providing valuable insights and spotlighting advances in the field of neurology.
Dr. Bonakdarpour discusses leveraging the learnings from the meeting by incorporating the latest research and treatment approaches into patient care.

In this episode of Better Edge, neurologist Danny Bega, MD, and hepatologist Amanda Cheung, MD, from Northwestern Medicine, explore the multifaceted aspects of Wilson disease. They discuss diagnostic challenges and innovative approaches to management. They also highlight the collaborative efforts at the Northwestern Medicine Wilson Disease Clinic and the latest research that is shaping the future of care for this rare condition.

In this episode of Better Edge, Cody L. Nathan, MD, and Stephen A. VanHaerents, MD, of the Northwestern Medicine First Seizure Clinic, delve into the complexities of first-time seizure management. They share theircutting-edge diagnostic and treatment approaches,success stories, andvisionary strategies for advancing the field.

In this episode of Parts and Labor, join Angela Chaudhari, MD, chief of Gynecology and Gynecologic Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, and a panel of maternal-fetal medicine physicians from Northwestern Medicine. From referral criteria to effective collaboration with other disciplines, Dr. Chaudhari and her guests dive deep into the world of maternal-fetal medicine and the complexities of high-risk pregnancies.

This episode’s panel of guests include:
• Kathleen A. Drexler, MD, Assistant Professor of Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• LaTasha D. Nelson, MD, MS, Co-director of Northwestern Medicine Placental Accreta Program and Maternal-Fetal Medicine Physician
• Bethany T. Stetson, MD, Chief of Obstetrics and Associate Program Director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine

(Yu) Jenny Zhang, MD, assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the Northwestern Medicine Recovery from Early Psychosis Program (REPP), an initiative for patients 18 to 26 years old who have symptoms of psychosis that significantly impede their ability to lead fulfilling lives.

Led by a collaborative team and centered around a ‘whole person’ approach, REPP goes beyond medication management by emphasizing functional assessments, therapy groups and peer support specialists. REPP empowers patients by fostering personal connections, promoting social reconnection and providing resiliency training. As it continues to evolve, the program remains committed to early intervention and comprehensive care to help young adults redefine their experiences and pursue fulfilling lives.
Get more information about REPP, or call the program intake number at 312.695.5060.

David A. Ramirez, MD, assistant professor of Pediatric Ophthalmology at Northwestern Medicine, shares his personal journey as an LGBTQ+ physician in this Better Edge episode, highlighting the need for mentorship and support. He discusses the challenges he faced during his medical training and the importance of LGBTQ+ representation in the field of ophthalmology.
Dr. Ramirez also delves into the specific eye care needs and concerns of LGBTQ+ patients. He emphasizes the lack of data and research in this area, and he explores the role of physician allies in advancing diversity, equity and inclusion.

Sarah E. Chuzi, MD, of Northwestern Medicine Cardiology, highlights the intersection between burnout, end-of-life issues and team engagement in cardiac care units. Dr. Chuzi offers suggestions on how to mitigate these issues and enhance team cohesion to create meaningful connections within the workspace that foster an environment of resilience for both patients and physicians.

In this episode of Better Edge, Kevin C. Welch, MD, professor of Otolaryngology -Head and Neck Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, delves into cutting-edge research and clinical developments within the field of rhinology for symptoms of chronic sinusitis. Dr. Welch provides a scholarly approach while bridging basic science with practical applications in patient
care to discuss topics ranging from diagnosis and treatment of chronic sinusitis to the Northwestern Medicine Sinus and Allergy Center’s innovative multidisciplinary approach to rhinologic patient care.

A recent study from the Bass Lab has revealed how transcription factors within individual cells influence the identity and function of insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas, according to findings published in Cell Metabolism.

In this episode of Better Edge, Amy E. Krambeck, MD, chief of Endourology and Stone Disease and a professor of Urology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses her experience performing holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) procedures and the evolution of the procedure, including the influence of scope size.
Dr. Krambeck explains the results of a study she conducted to assess whether scope size impacts patient outcomes, surgical outcomes or surgical satisfaction. The study found no significant difference in complications or outcomes between larger and smaller scopes, however, patients treated with smaller scopes were more likely to be able to go home the same day with their catheter removed.

In this episode of Better Edge, a Northwestern Medicine podcast for physicians, we are joined by Nirmala Gonsalves, MD, professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Northwestern Medicine. She delves into the world of eosinophilic gastrointestinal disorders, discussing crucial aspects of diagnosis, treatment and patient care. Dr. Gonsalves shares her extensive experience and research in the field, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and treatment, and highlighting the exciting advances and clinical trials in the area.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Douglas R. Johnston, MD, chief of Cardiac Surgery, and Jane E. Wilcox, MD, MSc, associate chief of Cardiology at Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, discuss recent developments and innovations within cardiology and cardiac surgery. They go into detail about the latest technology, minimally invasive operations and services offered at Northwestern Medicine to improve patient access, care and outcomes.

In this episode, Better Edge hosts a thought-provoking panel discussion with distinguished Lurie Cancer Center oncologists John Hayes, MD, Sheetal Kircher, MD, and renowned colorectal surgeon, Vitaliy Poylin, MD, on organ preservation approaches for rectal cancer. The conversation between these Northwestern Medicine experts delves into the evolution of treatment modalities, highlighting the shift from a one-size-fits-all approach to a more nuanced, patient-specific strategy. Their insights offer an insightful exploration of the balance between aggressive disease control and improved quality of life.

In this Better Edge podcast, Harris Perlman, PhD, and Arthur Mandelin, MD, PhD, of Northwestern Medicine Rheumatology, discuss their participation and findings from a study that used multi-modal single-cell RNA-sequencing coupled with histology of synovial tissue from 79 donors to build single-cell atlas of rheumatoid arthritis synovial tissue. Dr. Perlman and Dr. Mandelin discuss using the findings of this study to propose a bench to bedside, then back to bench plan to individualize treatments and therapies for patients with RA.

In this Better Edge episode, David J. Palmer, MD, clinical associate professor of Ophthalmology at Northwestern Medicine, and Jeff Good, chief sustainability executive at Northwestern Medicine, discuss the current and future sustainability efforts at Northwestern Medicine, and how the Ophthalmology department has integrated them into daily operations. Dr. Palmer speaks on the medical industry’s impact on greenhouse gas emissions, including drug waste (in the OR and take-home medications) and environmental changes on eye health. Additionally, the guests share advice for other healthcare organizations and physicians that are looking to enhance their sustainability practices.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Sadiya S. Khan, MD, MSc, the Magerstadt Professor of Cardiovascular Epidemiology and associate professor of Cardiology and of Epidemiology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses PREVENT, the American Heart Association’s new cardiovascular disease risk calculator. Dr. Khan goes into detail about her involvement in the study on the PREVENT risk calculator, including its methodology, findings and implications for predicting cardiovascular disease risk.

In this Better Edge podcast episode, Edward M. Schaeffer, MD, PhD, chair and the Edmund Andrews Professor of Urology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the PREVENT Randomized Trial (PReclude infection EVEnts with No prophylaxis Transperineal), a study in which he was co-primary investigator. The trial, funded by the National Cancer Institute, compared the outcomes of transperineal biopsy without antibiotic prophylaxis to transrectal biopsy with targeted prophylaxis.

In this Better Edge podcase episode, Joshua Meeks, MD, PhD, the Edward M. Schaeffer, MD, PhD, Professor of Urology, sits down with Song Jiang, MD, PhD, a new member of Urologic Oncology at Northwestern Medicine’s Central DuPage Hospital. Dr. Meeks and Dr. Jiang discuss advanced therapies in the management of bladder cancer, and how Northwestern Medicine’s integration efforts are extending leading-edge treatments and clinical trials past Chicago, to the west and beyond.

In this episode of Better Edge, Darren M. Brenner, MD, a gastroenterologist at Northwestern Medicine, discusses chronic constipation, its prevalence, risk factors, subtypes, and treatment options. He uses specific symptom-based criteria to define constipation, such as frequency, texture, straining, sensations of incomplete evacuation, a sensation of mechanical obstruction and the performance of manual maneuvers. Join us as Dr. Brenner puts constipation into context.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Katelyn O. Stepan, MD, assistant professor of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the significant changes in the incidence and prevalence of oral cavity cancer in recent years. She goes into detail about the role of HPV in the epidemiology of oral cavity cancer, changes in the treatment landscape, the importance of multi-disciplinary care in treating oral cavity cancers and Northwestern Medicine’s ongoing research in this field.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Brandon Hamm, MD, assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern Medicine, provides an overview of the Ketamine Infusion Clinic at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and how ketamine therapy works. He discusses how the clinic was formed and how patients are referred and evaluated for mood disorder diagnosis to be candidates for ketamine therapy. Dr. Hamm also goes into detail about the induction and maintenance period for ketamine therapy and the metrics used to measure its success.

Join Eric Larson, PhD, , Dolly Devara, MD, and Arnold Hoskins, MTS, as they discuss a thought-provoking case study at Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, offering a candid exploration of the challenges that patients and families face when adapting to life-altering conditions. This insightful conversation sheds light on how an interdisciplinary approach and compassionate care impacts patients' rehabilitation journeys.

In this episode of Better Edge, Tiffany Karas, MD, discusses how physicians and clinicians can create a welcoming and inclusive practice environment to care for all patients.

Scientists have recently found a highly accurate way to predict the best treatment for patients with meningioma based on patterns of gene expression in their tumors. In this Better Edge podcast episode, Stephen Magill, MD, PhD, of Northwestern Medicine Neurological Surgery, discusses this innovative test that could change treatment for one in three patients with meningioma.

Robert S. Feder, MD, and Manjot K. Gill, MD, of Northwestern Medicine Ophthalmology, join this episode to share key retina and cornea highlights and clinical pearls from the 2023 AAO Annual Meeting.

Eric M. Ruderman, MD, of Northwestern Medicine Rheumatology, joins this episode of the Better Edge podcast to share key highlights and clinical pearls from the 2023 ACR Annual Meeting.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Sadiya S. Khan, MD, MSc, the Magerstadt Professor of Cardiovascular Epidemiology and associate professor of Cardiology and Preventive Medicine at Northwestern Medicine, discusses her research on the associations between neighborhood-level racial residential segregation, socioeconomic factors and life expectancy in the US. Dr. Khan explains how social determinants of health contribute to disparities in life expectancy and recommends how physicians can improve health equity in their own practice. JAMA Health Forum.2023;4(7):e231805.

In this episode of Better Edge, Robert Kushner, MD, discusses the approval of the new obesity management drug, tirzepatide, as a treatment option for patients. He emphasizes the need to shift the conversation from weight loss to improved health.

Recent data suggests a rising trend in testosterone replacement therapy, even in cases without a clear clinical indication. In this Better Edge podcast episode, Channa Amarasekera, MD, of Northwestern Medicine Urology, sheds light on the common reasons people seek this therapy, potential benefits and risks, diagnostic criteria, patient selection, contraindications and the critical decision-making process.

Join podcast host Angela Chaudhari, MD, for the fifth episode of Parts and Labor on a captivating discussion with Northwestern Medicine complex family planning experts Cassing Hammond, MD, Leanne R. McCloskey, MD, and Ashley M. Turner, MD, as they explore the evolution of this crucial OB-GYN subspecialty. The distinguished panel explains what complex family planning is, explores how best to raise awareness among clinical staff regarding patient options, and shares thoughts on the impacts of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision.

Join us in this episode of Better Edge, as we explore the remarkable work of the Northwestern Medicine Wheelchair Skills Clinic at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital.

This episode features Mahesh Ramachandran, MD, chief medical officer at Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, along with Anna Chavez, PT, DPT, and Barbara Peraino, PT, both physical therapists from the Northwestern Medicine Wheelchair and Positioning Center at Marianjoy. The episode explores how this program revolutionizes patient care by enhancing wheelchair users' independence, empowering them to overcome real-world barriers and ultimately improving their quality of life.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Michael Brook, PhD, associate professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern Medicine and director of the Isaac Ray Research Program in the Division of Psychiatry and the Law, goes into detail about the role of forensic psychiatry, psychology and neuropsychology in legal proceedings. He discusses the expertise of the division’s highly trained team in a variety of legal issues and clinical subspecialties, as well as the research he is leading to address community violence using a public health approach.

In this episode of Better Edge, Stephen Hanauer, MD, and Parambir Dulai, MD, both gastroenterologists of Northwestern Medicine delve into the intricate world of inflammatory bowel diseases. They explore the causes of IBDs and address genetics, the microbiome and environmental factors. They emphasize the need for a holistic approach to patient care, encompassing potential complications and the necessity of multidisciplinary collaboration. Additionally, they touch on the IBD Clinical Decision Support Tool and the future of IBD research, with hopes of advancing treatments and ultimately finding a cure.

Dr. Beutler's research has focused on how the gut and the brain communicate with each other to maintain body weight, and how this goes awry in diseases such as obesity. This interview focuses on new research, including dual incretin agonist tirzepatide as the first pharmacological agent that rivals the efficacy of bariatric surgery for obesity management.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Vehniah K. Tjong, MD, answers the frequently asked question: does running increase the risk of hip and knee arthritis? She discusses a recent survey of 3,800 runners from the 2019 and 2021 Bank of America Chicago Marathons.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, we speak with Amber Watters, MD, an OB-GYN at Northwestern Medicine, about the groundbreaking obstetrics application LaborLink. The app has revolutionized the landscape of labor and delivery by streamlining patient care and physician workflows. Dr. Watters discusses the crucial role of fetal heart rate tracings in labor and delivery and how LaborLink has improved the process of assessing fetal health. The episode also explores how the app contributes to physician well-being, reducing stress and supporting OB-GYNs, and the positive response and feedback from obstetricians.

In this episode of Better Edge, we explore the world of aphasia care and recovery at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital. Join our engaging conversation with experts Sonia Sheth, MD and Michelle Armour, MS, CCC-SLP, as we discuss the innovative Intensive Comprehensive Aphasia Program at the Northwestern Medicine Aphasia Center at Marianjoy and the principles of neuroplasticity that drive breakthroughs in aphasia rehabilitation. Tune in to learn how patients are triumphing over language barriers and achieving remarkable progress toward on their path to improved communication.

Learn more about The Northwestern Medicine Aphasia Center at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital

A multidisciplinary team from Northwestern Medicine — Ocular Oncologist Chris Bowen, MD, Neurooncologist Karan Dixit, MD, and Neurosurgeon Stephen Magill, MD, PhD — join this episode of the Better Edge podcast. They discuss primary vitreoretinal lymphoma, a rare and complex disease that poses unique challenges in both diagnosis and treatment, and unravel the mysteries surrounding this condition and its management.

Yvonne C. Lee, MD, of Northwestern Medicine Rheumatology, explores pain mechanisms in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Dr. Lee is an expert on the effects of central nervous system (CNS) modulation of pain in rheumatoid arthritis. She has contributed novel insights into the role of CNS modulation of pain using novel techniques, such as quantitative sensory testing and neuroimaging. She shares her recent findings on sex differences in pain, and quantitative sensory testing in patients with RA and their clinical implications.

Dive into the captivating realm of transplant oncology as Laura M. Kulik, MD, a renowned gastroenterologist at Northwestern Medicine, shares groundbreaking insights. Uncover the remarkable journey of transplantation options for liver cancers, including novel strategies like downstaging and immune checkpoint inhibitors. Join us as we explore how Northwestern Medicine's multidisciplinary expertise is shaping the future of cancer treatment in this Better Edge podcast episode.

Paul Bryar, MD, professor of Ophthalmology and Pathology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses how AI is being used to transform diabetic retinopathy screening.

In this Better Edge podcast episode, Adam Murphy, MD, delves into a critical and often overlooked aspect of healthcare—prostate cancer disparities among minority populations, particularly Black men. Dr. Murphy's pioneering research has uncovered new ways to address disparities, from refining cancer nomograms to integrating advanced genomics into patient care. He also discusses his impactful online workshop that enhances urologists' shared decision-making skills, fostering equitable healthcare for all.

Join our thorough examination of weight loss modalities with Eric Hungness, MD, a general and bariatric surgeon at Northwestern Medicine, and Veronica Johnson, MD, a specialist in internal medicine at Northwestern Medicine, both esteemed experts in their field.

In this episode of Better Edge, Dr. Hungness and Dr. Johnson share a comprehensive comparison between surgical and medical approaches to weight loss, offering valuable insights into the evolving landscape of obesity treatment within gastroenterology.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Andrew C. New, MD, assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the benefits of having a behavioral health team integrated into the Emergency Department at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He talks about how this team of psychiatrists and other clinicians works in tandem with Emergency Department staff, as well as his interest in medical education with residents working in this environment.

Tune into Better Edge as we sit down with Emma Barber, MD, director of Robotic Surgery in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology at Northwestern Medicine. Dr. Barber is an accomplished researcher, having published more than 45 peer-reviewed articles and five book chapters.

In this episode, Dr. Barber covers the game-changing study results from the phase 3 KEYNOTE-775 trial. The combination of lenvatinib and pembrolizumab has transformed the landscape of advanced endometrial cancer treatment, showcasing remarkable improvements in progression-free survival and overall survival rates. Gain valuable insights into the potential implications of these findings and how to incorporate this innovative approach into clinical practice.

Mariam A. Siddiqui, MD, of Northwestern Medicine Rheumatology, delves into the relationship between connective tissue diseases and the skin. She explains the common cutaneous manifestations observed in patients with these conditions, highlighting the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration in diagnosis, treatment, and optimizing patient care. She also explores notable advancements in managing connective tissue diseases and their dermatologic manifestations.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, S. Christopher Malaisrie, MD, surgical director, Center for Heart Valve Disease and professor of Cardiac Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, talks about the complexities, technical expertise needed and evolution of performing the Ross procedure. He also discusses the advantages of the procedure, patient selection, homograft and autograft failure and advancements on the horizon for the Ross procedure.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Bradley P. Knight, MD, director, Cardiac Electrophysiology, director, Center for Heart Rhythm Disorders and the Chester C. and Deborah M. Cooley Distinguished Professor of Cardiology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the intricacies of safely and effectively implanting LAAO devices for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation. He talks about the criteria for determining whether a LAAO device is optimal for a patient and his greatest clinical challenge as a cardiac electrophysiologist when placing this closure device.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Lubna Choudhury, MD, professor of Cardiology, at Northwestern Medicine discusses diverse manifestations, diagnostic testing, medical treatments and surgical options for patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) at Northwestern Medicine. She talks about the new treatment advances on the horizon, when to refer a patient to a HCM specialist and what makes Northwestern Medicine uniquely qualified to treat HCM.

Neuro-Otologist Nicholas Hać, MD, and Neuro-Ophthalmologist Neena Cherayil, MD, both of Northwestern Medicine, shed light on eye movement abnormalities in patients with dizziness, including their causes and significance. They discuss comprehensive evaluation and optimal management strategies for patients with dizziness and eye movement abnormalities.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Joy Jia Liu, MD, gastroenterologist and instructor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Northwestern Medicine, talks about the causes and prevalence of gastroparesis as well as the approaches Northwestern Medicine takes to treat gastroparesis. She goes into detail about the best practices for managing it and covers the difference between gastroparesis and functional dyspepsia.

Amy E. Krambeck, MD, of Northwestern Medicine Urology, describes the percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) equipment whiteboard her team developed. It which improved equipment communication accuracy, case item accuracy and PCNL cost efficiency. Their evaluation was recently published in Urology.

This episode of the Better Edge podcast features Anita Kou, MD, physiatrist, and Leslie S. Rogers, PhD, psychologist, both at Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital. They discuss how psychology is incorporated into spinal cord injury rehabilitation at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital and how it benefits patients. Dr. Kou and Rogers talk about Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital’s multidisciplinary approach to evaluating and treating patients with spinal cord injuries and how they involve the patient’s family in the recovery process.

This episode of the Better Edge podcast features Michael David Stover, MD, professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, and Sanjeev Bhatia, MD, orthopaedic surgeon at Northwestern Medicine and director of the Hip and Knee Joint Preservation Center. They talk about the field of hip preservation and the different types of hip preservation surgeries available, including all-arthroscopic versus combined open-and-arthroscopic surgery. Dr. Stover and Dr. Bhatia also discuss ideal candidates for these types of hip preservation surgeries and how the approach taken at Northwestern Medicine leads to a higher number of positive patient outcomes.

Northwestern Medicine scientists, led by Joshua J. Meeks, MD, PhD, have developed a biomarker signature test to predict which patients with bladder cancer will respond to immunotherapy. The discovery, from a new study published in Nature Communications, could improve the survival of bladder cancer patients. Dr. Meeks joins this episode of the Better Edge podcast to discuss the results.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Alpesh A. Patel, MD, professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the Northwestern Medicine Spine Center and how the center has streamlined the complex area of spine care. He also talks about his recent publication “Spine Surgery and Ankylosing Spondylitis: Optimizing Perioperative Management,” as well as the optimal treatment strategies for patients with Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Melanie Stearns, MD, a physiatrist and medical director at Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, discusses the importance of rehabilitation following an organ transplant. She explains Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital’s multidisciplinary approach to addressing the complexities following transplant surgery. She also discusses how, at Marianjoy, comprehensive care involves collaboration with the transplant team, therapy disciplines working together to achieve the best possible outcomes for the patient and educating the family on the patient’s needs before they return home.

Melissa Watts, MD, an allergist and immunologist, joins the show to discuss at-home food sensitivity tests and their potential drawbacks and limitations. These tests are not based on scientific evidence and are inaccurate, often checking for a memory antibody rather than an allergic antibody. Dr. Watts warns that the use of these tests can lead to harmful effects, including a delay in accurate diagnosis and restrictive diets that can lead to increased anxiety and malnutrition.

In this Better Edge podcast episode, Anna Liggett, MD, and Alexandra Petrakos, MD, both assistant professors of Internal Medicine and of Geriatrics at Northwestern Medicine, discuss the importance of patient-centered care and "What Matters Most" in geriatric medicine. Their conversation focuses on the five M's of age-friendly health care: medications, mentation, mobility, multi-morbidity and what matters most. Dr. Petrakos and Dr. Liggett share their research methods and findings, including survey responses from patients who were in a skilled nursing facility in the last six months.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Lauren K. Crisanti, PhD, a neuropsychologist, discusses how neuropsychological assessments are conducted at Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital and how they benefit patients in recovery. She describes how neuropsychological testing and imaging depend on each other, how the healing of a patient after injury is measured and what makes Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital’s neuropsychology program unique.

A 20-year-old female college volleyball player developed headaches and high fevers, which led to multiple seizures per day. The patient presented to Northwestern Medicine Neurology when she stopped following commands and conversing intelligibly between seizures.
In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Northwestern Medicine’s Stephen A. VanHaerents, MD, associate professor of Neurology in the Divisions of Epilepsy and Clinical Neurophysiology, and Neuroinfectious Disease and Global Neurology, and Margaret Y. Yu, MD, assistant professor of Neurology in the Divisions of Comprehensive Neurology and Hospital Neurology, discuss this recent FIRES (febrile infection-related epilepsy syndrome) case.

Epileptologist Jessica W. Templer, MD; Neuro-oncologist, Karan S. Dixit, MD; and Neurosurgeon Matthew Tate, MD, PhD, join this episode of the Better Edge podcast to discuss management strategies for patients with low grade glioma. They are members of the Northwestern Medicine Low Grade Glioma Program, which is part of Northwestern Medicine Malnati Brain Tumor Institute.

Neuro-ophthalmologist, Nicholas J. Volpe, MD, and Orbit and Oculoplastic Surgeon, Liza M. Cohen, MD, of Northwestern Medicine, discuss complex cases that overlap their complementary areas of expertise, including thyroid eye disease, orbital trauma and idiopathic intracranial hypertension. They also present an interesting patient case of lateral rectus metastasis presenting with diplopia.

In this Better Edge podcast episode, we are joined by Urjeet Patel, MD, professor of Otolaryngology and of Head and Neck Surgery at Northwestern Medicine. Dr. Patel discusses the latest advances in the treatment of HPV-related head and neck cancer, providing valuable insights for fellow physicians. He shares new treatment options, the importance of early detection and the role of HPV in the development of head and neck cancer.

Ashley Ross, MD, PhD, David VanderWeele, MD, PhD, and Sean Sachdev, MD, join this episode of the Better Edge podcast to discuss the Northwestern Medicine Genitourinary Oncology Program in the Polsky Urologic Cancer Institute of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. The program takes a comprehensive approach to care, collaborating across medical disciplines to develop an integrated and personalized treatment plan for patients with genitourinary cancers.

All three are faculty members at Northwestern Medicine. Dr. Ross is an associate professor of Urology. Dr. VanderWeele is an associate professor of Hematology and Oncology. And Dr. Sachdev is an associate professor of Radiation Oncology. All are members of Lurie Cancer Center, which is an NCI-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center serving as hub for interdisciplinary collaboration, clinical trials and tumor boards.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Mohamed M. Al-Kazaz, MD, assistant professor of Cardiology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the prevalence of pericardial disease, the different ways that it presents itself and diagnostic criteria. Dr. Kazaz also talks about the variety of treatment options and multidisciplinary approach that Northwestern Medicine provides as well as the advancements that are on the horizon in treating pericardial disease.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Srinadh Komanduri, MD, professor of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and of Gastrointestinal Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses Barrett’s esophagus. He covers the diagnosis progress, the treatment options at Northwestern Medicine for the disease and how they screen for signs of esophageal adenocarcinoma.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Larissa Pavone, MD in Pediatric Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Trinette Carney, PT, discuss the Pediatric Gait Clinic at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital. Dr. Pavone and Ms. Carney go into detail about what the services the clinic offers, the types of orthotics offered by the clinic, and how they go about choosing the best orthotic for a child.

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory disease characterized by inflammatory low back pain, inflammation in peripheral joints and entheses, and other extra-articular or systemic manifestations. Although understanding of the natural history of axSpA has been limited by incomplete knowledge of disease pathogenesis, axSpA is increasingly understood as a spectrum of axial, peripheral, and extra-articular inflammatory conditions that includes nonradiographic axSpA and radiographic axSpA, also known as ankylosing spondylitis.

In this podcast episode, Eric Ruderman, MD, associate chief and professor of Rheumatology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses this axSpA continuum, highlighting the spectrum of clinical manifestations, factors known to influence the development and progression of axSpA, reasons for and implications of diagnostic delay, as well as current and emerging therapeutics.

Over the past year, Amy Krambeck, MD, chief of the Division of Endourology and Stone Disease and professor of Urology at Northwestern Medicine and a world leader in Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate (HoLEP), has diagnosed prostate cancer in nearly 13% of her patients who underwent HoLEP for benign prostatic hyperplasia. She has partnered with Ashley Ross, MD, PhD, associate professor of Urology at Northwestern Medicine and a nationally recognized expert in prostate cancer, to develop an active surveillance protocol for the management of incidental prostate cancer after HoLEP. They explain their recommendations in the latest episode of the Better Edge podcast.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Dennis J. Keane, MD, physiatrist at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, discusses several leading-edge specialty programs that Marianjoy offers. From the Northwestern Medicine Driver Rehabilitation Program to the on-site Northwestern Medicine Prosthetics and Orthotics Clinic, Dr. Keane breaks down how each program functions and what makes Marianjoy’s programs unique compared to other rehabilitation programs.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Aaron Cohn, MD, gastroenterologist, and Eugene Yen, MD, associate professor of Medicine (Gastroenterology and Hepatology), discuss the Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) program at Northwestern Medicine. They talk about the clinical implications that this treatment has for diseases such as colorectal cancer and Lynch syndrome, and what makes Northwestern Medicine uniquely qualified to handle these cases.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Daniel R. Schimmel, MD, MS, associate professor of Medicine (Cardiology) and director of the cath lab at the Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute, discusses Northwestern Medicine’s Pulmonary Embolism Response Team and how they take swift, coordinated action to save the lives of patients with pulmonary embolisms. Their multidisciplinary approach, along with new advanced technology, allowed them to become experts in the care of this disease.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Nilay S. Shah, MD, MPH, discusses his recent study about the social and psychosocial determinants of racial and ethnic differences in cardiovascular health in the U.S.

He outlines several of the proposed interventions that emphasize the need for further studies in underrepresented populations that can then help inform tailored, effective preventive interventions. He identifies key knowledge gaps that need to be addressed, the clinical implications of the findings and what other physicians involved in cardiology should keep in mind when working with populations that experience disparities.

In this episode of Better Edge podcast, Angela Chaudhari, MD, the vice chair of Faculty Development and system director of the P2P Network at Northwestern Medicine discusses the P2P Network and how it supports to physicians facing stress and burnout. Dr. Chaudhari explains how the program was created as a result of the Scholar of Wellness Program, with the goal of creating physician leaders in well-being to address physician burnout at both the individual and department level. She also discusses how the program has shifted since the COVID-19 pandemic began and how it continues to adapt to help physicians.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Nausheen Akhter, MD, associate professor of Medicine (Cardiology), gives us an inside look into Northwestern Medicine’s Cardio-oncology program. She discusses the importance of this program and the advances that are on the horizon for cardio-oncology.

Despite a prevalence of over 50% among patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), neuropsychiatric symptoms of SLE (NP-SLE), including anxiety and movement disorders, have not been well understood. The paucity of data examining underlying mechanisms is what spurred the work of Carla M. Cuda, PhD, pointing to microglia as a driver of disease.

Dr. Cuda, who is assistant professor of Rheumatology at Northwestern Medicine, and other Northwestern Medicine investigators were the first to show that microglial expression of disease-associated microglia (DAM)-associated genes correlates with the severity of hippocampal- and cerebellar-associated behavioral deficits in an NP-SLE model prior to overt systemic disease. While DAM have been extensively studied in Alzheimer's disease, no studies have specifically examined DAM in NP-SLE, until now.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Kaitlyn N. Kunstman, MD, instructor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the importance of Northwestern Medicine's Gender Pathways Program, and specifically her role leading an outpatient psychiatry Gender Clinic. She talks about collaborating with different clinical specialties and how the program is committed to providing gender-affirming care to transgender and gender nonbinary patients.

Rod Passman, MD highlights a new study on wearables for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation: the Rhythm Evaluation for AntiCoagulaTion (REACT-AF) trial.

Northwestern University and Johns Hopkins University were recently awarded a $37 million grant by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to conduct this seven-year trial. The study will use Apple Watches and a specially developed app available on iPhones to create personalized care for each patient.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Sonia V. Sheth, MD, medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Stroke Rehabilitation Program at Marianjoy, discusses symptoms and recovery after stroke. She talks about the effects of stroke on patient speech and cognition, including aphasia, and how rehabilitation plays a key role in the recovery process.

The healthcare industry accounts for 10% of all U.S. greenhouse gas/carbon dioxide emissions, with a significant portion of that attributable to operating rooms. With millions of ophthalmic surgeries performed each year, ophthalmologists can play a big role in reducing our carbon footprint.

This Better Edge podcast episode features a conversation with a leader of the sustainable surgery movement, David J. Palmer, MD, who is a clinical associate professor of Ophthalmology at Northwestern Medicine. Dr. Palmer sheds light on waste generation associated with ophthalmic surgery and offers several interventions for reducing the environmental impact of these procedures while maintaining the safest and highest quality clinical outcomes.

Join the podcast host Angela Chaudhari, MD, Serdar Bulun, Julie Kim, Magdy Milad, Robert Vogelzang for the fourth episode of Parts and Labor, a podcast series featuring roundtable discussions with OB-GYN experts. In this episode, a panel of experts focuses on uterine fibroids and the research that has taken us to where we are today in our understanding of what causes uterine fibroids and how to treat them.

Von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) disease is a rare hereditary cancer syndrome caused by mutations in the VHL gene. These mutations predispose patients to the development of cysts and tumors in several systems and organs, including the central nervous system, retina, kidneys, pancreas, adrenal glands and reproductive organs. VHL is a complex disease that requires specialized advanced treatment from a multidisciplinary team of specialists.

In this Better Edge podcast episode, the following experts from the Northwestern Medicine Von Hippel-Lindau Disease Program discuss VHL and the clinical management for this patient population: Rimas V. Lukas, MD, Associate Professor of Neuro-Oncology; Niraj K. Shenoy, MD, PhD, MS, Associate Professor of Hematology/Oncology and of Pathology; and Brittany M. Szymaniak, PhD, CGC, Instructor of Urology. They share a recent Northwestern Medicine study published in Neuro-Oncology that examined belzutifan, the first approved HIF-2α inhibitor, in VHL-associated tumors.

In this podcast, David M. Mochel, MD, clinician of Orthopaedic Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the Disability Chapter of the Northwestern Medicine Champion Network and his learnings about treating patients with disabilities that may be helpful for other physicians. He also talks about his work with the Myositis Association and how can others support this work.

Join the podcast host Angela Chaudhari, MD, Magdy Milad, MD, MS, Susan Tsai, MD, Linda C. Yang, MD, MS, and Robert Vogelzang, MD for the third episode of Parts and Labor, a podcast series featuring roundtable discussions with OB-GYN experts. In this episode, a panel of experts focuses on treatment options available for uterine fibroids.

In this episode, Sheehan D. Fisher, PhD, associate professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern Medicine, discusses maternal and paternal mental health. Dr. Fisher covers association between maternal and paternal mental health, cultural and societal influences, as well as some of the differences in the healthcare system's relationship and engagement with perinatal mothers and fathers.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded Northwestern Medicine a transformative grant of $16 million. This funding will aim to disrupt systemic barriers that impede the full participation of underrepresented groups.

This initiative, called the Northwestern University Recruitment to Transform Under-Representation and achieve Equity (NURTURE) Program, is one of only 11 such awardees to date in the country.

In this episode of Better Edge podcast, Melissa A. Simon, MD, MPH, primary investigator and project leader for the grant, discusses how Northwestern Medicine plans to use the grant to ensure the success of faculty members from historically underrepresented populations.

Angelo P. Tanna, MD, Surendra Basti, MD, and Manjot K. Gill, MD, of Northwestern Medicine Ophthalmology, were among the featured presenters at the 2022 American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Annual Meeting on September 30 through October 3. They join the latest episode of the Better Edge podcast to summarize the key highlights and clinical pearls from the event, including a discussion of a phase 3 trial of avacincaptad pegol in geographic atrophy, light-adjustable lenses for cataract surgery, updates from the LiGHT trial of selective laser trabeculoplasty or medical therapy in ocular hypertension and glaucoma, and more.

In this episode, Kyle H. Mueller, MD, assistant professor of Gastrointestinal Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses updates in robotic cholecystectomy. Dr. Mueller covers the advantages of a robotic-assisted laparoscopic cholecystectomy compared to a standard laparoscopic cholecystectomy, how this approach may evolve in the future and more.

In this episode of Better Edge, Richard M. Green, MD, professor of Medicine in the Divisions of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses nanoparticles therapy for liver disease and how nanoparticles are targeted to the liver. He also shares nanoparticle therapies that may become available in the future for treating liver disease.

Eric B. Larson, PhD, ABPP-CN, Director of Psychology and Brain Injury Medicine at Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, describes updates in neurorehabilitation. He shares the principles of neuroplasticity to help us understand what happens during rehabilitation, what diagnoses benefit from neuroplasticity and how physicians at Marianjoy tap into the guiding principles of neuroplasticity to help their patients achieve better outcomes.

Join the podcast host Angela Chaudhari, MD, Melissa Simon, MD, Susan Tsai, MD, and Linda C. Yang, MD for the second episode of Parts and Labor, a podcast series featuring roundtable discussions with OB-GYN experts. In this episode, a panel of experts focuses on the disparities in care for uterine fibroids and how the OB-GYN team at Northwestern Medicine works to recognize and try to address these disparities everyday.

Irene Blanco, MD, is a professor of Medicine in the Division of Rheumatology at Northwestern Medicine and co-chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Sub-Committee of the American College of Rheumatology. In this episode, Dr. Blanco discusses her research on the health disparities in rheumatic diseases and the role of medical education in addressing such disparities and thus improving patient care and outcomes.

Marked pregnancy-induced insulin resistance may require that patient receive high-dose large-volume insulin injections. However, these types of injections may reduce the therapeutic effectiveness of the insulin.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Grazia Aleppo, MD, and Emily D. Szmuilowicz, MD, discuss their recent research published in Postgraduate Medicine. Their research proposes a new treatment regimen for pregnancy-induced insulin resistance that is guided by continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). This aims to give internists and family medicine physicians a simplified and consistent approach to CGM interpretation that can be easily implemented in a brief office visit.

Complex urologic infections are a heterogeneous group of underlying conditions. These patients have upper urinary tract infections (UTIs) and structural or functional abnormalities that reduce the efficacy of antimicrobial therapy. They are at greater risk for treatment failure and morbidity, such as bacteremia and sepsis, perinephric abscess, renal deterioration and emphysematous pyelonephritis. While there are general management principles that can be applied to most patients with complex urologic infections, effective treatment requires a comprehensive, personalized approach to improve patient outcomes.

In pursuit of this goal, the Northwestern Medicine Complex Urologic Infectious Diseases Clinic is the first of its kind in the country. The clinic will provide a multidisciplinary, coordinated approach to care for affected patients. In this Better Edge podcast episode, the clinic’s founders – Anthony J. Schaeffer, MD, of the Northwestern Medicine Department of Urology, and Teresa R. Zembower, MD, and Janna L. Williams, MD, of the Northwestern Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department Medicine – introduce the new clinic and discuss their team’s current projects and future directions.

Vehniah Tjong MD discusses women in sports medicine. She tells us about her practice at Northwestern Medicine and the athletic programs that she supports. She shares her research interests that are in qualitative patient-centered interviews with a special interest in return to sport. Lastly, she offers advice to female physicians wanting to specialize in sports medicine.

In this episode, Parambir S. Dulai, associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses biologic therapies for IBD. Dr. Dulai addresses challenges and decision support tools associated with this type of intervention, and what physicians considering care plans for their IBD patients should keep in mind.

Join Angela Chaudhari, MD, Magdy P. Milad, MD, MS, Susan Tsai, MD and Linda C. Yang, MD in the first episode of Parts and Labor, a podcast mini-series featuring roundtable discussions with OB-GYN experts. In this episode, a panel of experts discusses the symptoms, various steps in diagnosis, and overall management of uterine fibroids. They also talk about the impact on fertility, specific cases they’ve encountered, and advice for other physicians treating patients with fibroids.

In this panel discussion, three Northwestern Medicine faculty members discuss innovations in GI psychology and navigating the brain-gut connection. They share criteria for patients, their clinical approaches to therapy and their latest research.

This episode features:
Anjali Uma Pandit, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of Medicine in the Divisions of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Tiffany H. Taft, PsyD, research associate professor of Medicine in the Divisions of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical Social Sciences and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Kathryn N. Tomasino, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Divisions of Gastroenterology and Hepatology and of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

In this episode, Dolly K. Devara, physiatrist at Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, reflects on treating a patient with a rare diagnosis of Wet Beriberi. Dr. Devara discusses the comprehensive treatment plan, patient outcomes and what physicians should keep in mind when treating rare conditions such as Wet Beriberi.

In this episode, Vitaliy Y. Poylin, MD, associate professor of Gastrointestinal Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses how the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer has evolved over the years, particularly advances in surgical interventions. Dr. Poylin highlights Lynch syndrome, adenomatous polyposis syndromes and more.

Between the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and May 2022, more than 527 million cases of SARS-CoV-2 have been confirmed. COVID-19 represents an ongoing challenge to the field of neurology, as neurologic complications of the disease are leading to an increase in demand for both acute and long-term neurologic evaluation and management. Three experts from Northwestern Medicine Neurology — Igor J. Koralnik, MD, Eric M. Liotta, MD, and Edith L. Graham, MD — have been investigating the pathogenic mechanisms of acute and long-term COVID-19, as they may inform clinical evaluation and management. They discuss their guideline "Therapeutic Approaches to the Neurologic Manifestations of COVID-19," published in Neurotherapeutics in July 2022.

While testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) has become more popular and has been proven to be an effective treatment for male hypogonadism, it raises several safety concerns. In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Joshua A. Halpern, MD, assistant professor of Urology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses alternative therapies to TRT, including selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and aromatase inhibitors. These therapies can be used to promote the endogenous production of testosterone. Dr. Halpern recently presented a plenary on this topic at the 2022 American Urological Association Annual Meeting.

Hiten D. Patel, MD, MPH, assistant professor of Urology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses promising novel diagnostic approaches for small renal masses and treatment options for localized renal masses suspicious for cancer. These approaches and treatments include active surveillance, thermal ablation, radical or partial nephrectomy, and tumor enucleation.

“If biopsy is not going to change our ultimate management decision, why would we use it? What we want is a diagnostic approach that adds something to the decision-making process and something that can increase our certainty in making a benign tumor diagnosis,” says Dr. Patel. “Some of my recent research efforts focus on how to use novel imaging or unique aspects for our traditional imaging to augment biopsy so, maybe together, we can better identify these benign tumors.”

Erdafitinib (balversa), an oral pan-fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) 1-4 inhibitor, is being used in one of the first biomarker-directed trials of high-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The Thor-2 trial (NCT04172675) targets tumors with driver mutations in the FGFR3 gene. This gene is altered in 40% to 70% of early-stage bladder cancers and may be a rare driver mutation in bladder cancer. If successful, Erdafitinib would the first precision therapy for early stage bladder cancer.

In this podcast episode, lead investigator Joshua J. Meeks, MD, PhD, the Edward M. Schaeffer, MD, PhD Professor of Urology and associate professor of Urology and of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at Northwestern Medicine, explains the Thor-2 trial and how it could be a new paradigm in bladder oncology.

Disclosure Statement:
Joshua J. Meeks, MD, PhD has received consulting-related fees from Janssen.

In this episode, Mohammad Ali Abbass, MD, assistant professor of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Charles M. Muller, MD, instructor of Medicine in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, and Brittany M. Szymaniak, PhD, CGC, instructor of Urology with a focus in Genetics, discuss how the diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer have evolved over the years, and the latest advancements made at Northwestern Medicine.

In this episode, Ezra N. Teitelbaum, MD, MEd, assistant professor of Gastrointestinal Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses what makes a patient a good candidate for anti-reflux surgery. Dr. Teitelbaum shares the surgical and endoscopic options available for patients requiring treatment, and what patients can expect in terms of recovery, outcomes and side effects after surgery.

In this episode, Vehniah K. Tjong, MD, assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses her study on opioid medications for postoperative pain control. Dr. Tjong shares clinical implications of her findings and how learnings will influence opioid prescriptions in the future.

Rachel O'Conor PhD, MPH discusses her research published in JAGS surrounding caregiver involvement in managing medications among older adults with multiple chronic conditions. She shares what she uncovered about patient independence and caregiver management of medications and how she is incorporating this research into her work at Northwestern Medicine.

Northwestern Medicine's Liza Cohen, MD, Oculoplastic Surgery, and Stephen Magill, MD, PhD, Neurological Surgery, discuss the case of a young woman who developed pulsatile proptosis after trauma in childhood. Imaging identified a connection between the brain and the orbit: Brain tissue was pushing into the orbit with every heartbeat, causing significant headaches and "bouncing" vision for the patient. Hear how these physicians worked together to repair the patient's orbital defect, preserve vision and prevent complications.

Chordomas are rare primary malignant spine tumors that occur in one out of every one million people. As rare as chordomas are, neurosurgeons with the extensive training and experience required to remove them are even more uncommon. Jean-Paul Wolinsky, MD, of Northwestern Medicine, is one of a handful of surgeons in the country capable of performing en bloc chordoma resections. Dr. Wolinsky is a professor of Neurological Surgery and Orthopaedic Surgery, vice chair of Strategy and Operations in the Department of Neurological Surgery, and a member of Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. He joins this episode of Better Edge to discuss his unique surgical technique, as well as investigational therapies for chordoma.

Stephanie Kielb MD and Mara Markzon discuss improving outcomes and discharge planning for complex urologic surgery. They share their approach to discharge planning for patients undergoing these complex urologic procedures, how this approach has improved patient flow and reduced hospital length of stay/time to discharge and how physicians can help facilitate the discharge planning process.

Mandi Buss LCSW, OSW-C discusses the importance of supportive care for urologic cancer patients. She talks about the Supportive Oncology Program at Northwestern Medicine – which provides tailored emotional and practical support for patients and families coping with the challenges of cancer diagnosis, treatment and recovery – and how supportive cancer care optimizes outcomes for patients.

Magdy P. Milad, MD, MS, the chief of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses a unique type of surgery that Northwestern Medicine offers that does not require a blood transfusion — a surgery without blood.

Dr. Milad discusses the importance of blood conservation and the responsibility of caring for patients whose religious preferences do not allow them to accept blood transfusions, meaning that they may need blood transfusion alternatives. These patients may have trouble finding physicians who optimize their surgical outcomes. He also describes techniques that can minimize blood loss during bloodless surgeries and talks about what physicians should consider when planning this type of surgery.

Meningiomas can be hard to diagnose because they often grow slowly and it can take years for the onset of symptoms to occur. In this episode, Stephen T. Magill, MD, PhD, talks about how advances in meningioma classification have improved recurrence predictions and potential therapeutic targets. Dr. Magill, an assistant professor of Neurological Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, specializes in surgical neuro-oncology, and his research focuses on meningioma biology and patient outcomes.

Ankit Bharat M.B.B.S and Duc Pham M.D discuss their collaborative case presentation on the first heart & double-lung transplant at Northwestern Medicine.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Mahesh V. Ramachandran, MD, chief medical officer Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, and Dhruvil J. Pandya, MD, health system clinician in the Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology at Northwestern Medicine, discuss their study involving 3D virtual reality devices for upper extremity rehab after stroke. They share clinical implications of their findings, and what these findings could mean for the future use of 3D virtual reality in medicine.

In this episode, Srikanth N. Divi, MD, assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Neurological Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses how artificial intelligence and machine learning is advancing spine surgery. Dr. Divi discusses his research in this field, clinical implications of his findings and what these advancements could mean for the future of spine health.

In this episode, Albert C. Lin, MD, associate professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the treatment of LLA closures, including the devices that are impacting outcomes.

The Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University at Northwestern Memorial Hospital is a nationally recognized leader in the fight against brain and spinal cord tumors. It offers patients individualized, compassionate care and the most advanced clinical trial and treatment options available. Rimas V. Lukas, MD, a member of Lurie Cancer Center and associate professor of Neurology in the Division of Neuro-oncology at Northwestern Medicine, joins the latest episode of the Better Edge podcast to discuss some of those options for patients with rare central nervous system (CNS) tumors. He talks about exciting research on the potential benefits of immunotherapy and the use of leading-edge technologies, including DNA methylation profiling, for diagnosis. Dr. Lukas also discusses some of the CNS specialized programs offered at Northwestern Medicine, such as the low-grade glioma program, Von Hippel-Lindau disease program and chordoma program.

David VanderWeele, MD, PhD, summarizes the highlights in urologic oncology from the 2022 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Genitourinary Cancers Symposium.

Many patients with epilepsy can manage their seizures with medications and lifestyle changes. But for nearly one-third of patients with severe epilepsy, other treatment plans, including surgery, may be necessary.

In this podcast, Stephen Schuele, MD, MPH, chief of Epilepsy and Neurophysiology and professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the latest advancements in epilepsy diagnosis and surgical treatment. He talks about indications for epilepsy surgery and pre-surgical evaluation, including the 5-SENSE score, which can predict the outcome of more invasive explorations with stereotactic depth electrodes (SEEG), according to a study published in JAMA Neurology that he co-authored. Dr. Schuele also discusses exciting clinical trials currently underway and innovative treatment options offered at the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, including neuromodulation and laser ablation.

Robert Kushner MD explores nutrition and weight management with Semaglutide. He shares how Semaglutide is changing the approach for treating patients and on average, how long patients need to be on it to reach full effectiveness.

He talks about how he is incorporating these findings into his work at Northwestern Medicine and how this study can impact weight management research and potentially other treatment options for patients in the future.

Rod Passman MD discusses advances in AF monitoring and screening. He tells us about the research being done at the Center for Arrhythmia Research at Northwestern Medicine.

He shares his work with implantable and wearable technology, what advances are being made at Northwestern Medicine in this area and the clinical implications of these learnings.

Joshua Halpern MD, MS will be discussing his recent paper on the adverse impact of COVID-19 on men's health. He shares his study examining the negative impact COVID-19 has on the male genitourinary system, what inspired this research and the relationship between COVID-19 and testicular function.

Eric Ruderman MD shares the research presented at ACR Convergence 2021 in November that looked at rheumatic disease activity following COVID-19 vaccination. He explores whether immunosuppressive medications affect vaccine effectiveness and any contraindications to COVID-19 vaccination for patients with rheumatic disease. Lastly, he discusses the timing or use considerations for immunomodulatory therapy in relation to COVID-19 vaccination and other important considerations for providers caring for patients with rheumatic disease in the COVID-19 era.

In this episode, Laura M. Kulik, MD, professor of Medicine in the Divisions of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Radiology and Surgery (Organ Transplantation), discusses updates in hepatocellular carcinoma, including how screening, disease management and transplant criteria have evolved.

In this episode, Marie-Pier Tetreault, PhD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses her research published in Cellular and Molecular Gastroenterology and Hepatology.

A recent Northwestern Medicine study published in Nature Gene Therapy has shown that the degeneration of brain motor neurons in ALS is not merely a byproduct of the spinal motor neuron degeneration, and is a target for future treatments for the disease. Lead study author, P. Hande Ozdinler, PhD, associate professor of Neurology and director of the Ozdinler Lab in the Les Turner ALS Center at Northwestern Medicine, explains the importance of these findings.

Joseph Bass, MD, Ph.D. discusses the focus of his research on circadian rhythms and metabolic homeostasis. He tells us about the relationship between homeostasis and metabolism and the conclusions he has drawn from his recent study published in Nature Metabolism.

He shares the significance of finding NADH inhibition of SIRT1 links energy state to transcription during time-restricted feeding and how he is incorporating these findings into his work at Northwestern Medicine.

Arjun Seth MD and Sarah Fantus MD discuss a multidisciplinary approach to myositis. They share how the introduction of therapy involvement of multiple subspecialists and the utilization of a multidisciplinary team has been ideal for managing these complex patients and the largest benefits of the combined clinic at Northwestern Medicine

Anjum Koreishi MD explores the indications for cataract surgery in uveitis patients,. He shares the importance of counseling patients and setting expectations when planning to perform cataract surgery for the uveitic eye, why this type of surgery is often challenging and current research taking place at Northwestern Medicine.

In this episode, Ramsey Wehbe, MD, fellow at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Fellowship program at Northwestern University, and how AI is being used to transform cardiovascular care.

In this episode, Anish R. Kadakia, MD, professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses his work with complex foot and ankle reconstruction cases.

Today, we're discussing DNA methylation profiling for brain tumors. As of November, Northwestern Medicine is one of four institutions worldwide to offer methylation profiling for brain tumors.

Joining Andrew Wilner, MD in this panel discussion and to share details of this groundbreaking diagnostic tool are three physicians from Northwestern Medicine. Dr. Craig Horbinski., Dr. Lawrence Jennings and Dr. Lucas Santana dos Santos.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Lisa J. Rosenthal, MD, chief of Consultation Psychiatry and associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, discusses the Collaborative Behavioral Health Program at Northwestern Medicine, and how the program is helping to address behavioral health access challenges that many patients face.

In this episode, Anita W. Kou, MD, physiatrist at Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital, discusses a complicated case report of COVID-19 leading to spinal hematoma. Dr. Kou reviews the patient’s rare complications, treatment plan and outcomes.

Ashley Ross MD discusses his experience at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the Society of Urologic Oncology. Dr. Ross and his Northwestern colleagues Dr. Edward Schaeffer and Dr. William Catalona were among the featured speakers at the conference and he shares some of the key takeaways from his presentation.

In this episode, Josh Levitsky, MD, MS, professor of Medicine in the Divisions of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical Education and Organ Transplantation at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the grant he received to conduct a clinical trial on the utility of biomarkers of rejection and kidney injury in tailoring liver transplant immunosuppression, and what findings could mean for the future of liver transplantation.

Amy Krambeck MD discusses urology practice in the post-COVID era. She examines backlog management, shift to same-day discharge, efficiency improvement, health care expenditures, and more.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Traci A. Kurtzer, MD, medical director of Trauma-Informed Care and Education in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses trauma-informed care and goals for the department in training and education. She describes the signs and techniques physicians should know to identify and approach a patient who has experienced trauma.

Dr. Kurtzer has more than 25 years of clinical experience in menopause, sexual medicine and vulvovaginal conditions. She is a certified menopause practitioner of the North American Menopause Society, a member of the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease and of the National Vulvodynia Association. She won the Certified Menopause Practitioner of the Year Award in 2019 by the North American Menopause Society. She is a founding member of the Healthcare Committee of the Cook County Human Trafficking Task Force and a member of the Trauma-Informed Hospital Collaborative. She is the President-elect for the American Medical Women’s Association- Physicians Against the Trafficking of Humans (AMWA- PATH), on the Gun Violence Prevention steering committee for Doctors for America and is a former President of the Chicago Gynecological Society. Dr. Kurtzer trains medical professionals on Intimate Partner Violence, Human Trafficking, the Neurobiology of Trauma, Trauma Informed Care and the intersection of gender based violence and firearm violence

In this episode, Michael David Stover, MD, professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses his findings regarding fractures involving the quadrilateral plate (QP), recently published in the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Dr. Stover shares key takeaways from his study, including types of fractures that affect the QP, and what surgical approaches and fixation techniques should be considered when addressing them.

Deborah (Debbie) Winter PhD discusses functional genomics for precision medicine in rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma. She describes recent studies in rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma using functional genomic approaches to study disease. She explains the various types of functional genomic data that may be obtained from patients and evaluates the quality of functional genomics data to determine its relevance to clinical decision-making.

Michael Markl, PhD, vice chair for research in the Department of Radiology and the Lester B. and Frances T. Knight Professor of Cardiac Imaging at Northwestern Medicine, discusses his research published in JACC Cardiovascular Imaging regarding the association of regional wall shear stress and progressive ascending aorta dilation in bicuspid aortic valve patients.

Elizabeth M. McNally, MD, PhD, cardiologist at Northwestern Medicine and the Elizabeth J. Ward Professor and Director of the Center for Genetic Medicine at Northwestern University, discusses the important role that genetic testing plays in cardiovascular care. Dr. McNally shares who can benefit from genetic testing, and what makes the genetic testing process at Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute so unique.

Melissa Simon MD, MPH discusses health equity and the Center for Health Equity Transformation (CHET) at Northwestern Medicine. She shares the importance of this initiative and the service and impact of the Center on the community.

Nicholas J. Volpe, MD, and Shira S. Simon, MD, discuss the fascinating field of neuro-ophthalmology. They describe what patient characteristics and concerns should alert physicians to potential problems. In addition, they discuss the high-stakes diagnoses they have encountered while seeing inpatients for ophthalmology consultation and some common “pseudo” emergencies where a fairly compelling finding likely has a benign etiology.

The FDA recently approved PSMA PET imaging agent 18F-DCFPyL (Pylarify) for identifying suspected metastasis or recurrence of prostate cancer. Northwestern Memorial Hospital is the first site in the Chicagoland market to perform prostate imaging using the this agent. What makes this approval so exciting, how will it change the field? How will it improve the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer patients?

Edward Schaeffer MD, PhD, Ashley Ross MD, PhD and Hatice Savas MD discuss PET PSMA imaging for prostate cancer the recent FDA approval of Pylarify for prostate cancer detection.

Nausheen Akhter MD discusses managing treatment related cardiovascular side effects. She examines why has this sub specialty grown in importance with the ever increasing cancer survivorship and development of novel cancer therapies that have acute & long-term cardiovascular effects. She shares the structure of Northwestern Medicine’s cardio-oncology clinic, the need to shift referrals upstream for “pre-chemo cardiac evaluation” in high risk patients & how cardiac imaging used in cancer therapy surveillance.

Emily Szmuilowicz MD discusses the management of diabetes during pregnancy and gestational diabetes. She shares new technologies, such as continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) in monitoring GDM and the top recommendations for her colleagues on how to manage diabetes during pregnancy.

June McKoy MD, MPH, JD, MBA discusses proactivity and partnership: how the geriatrics team mitigated COVID-19's impact on the nursing home. She shares the challenges for nursing staff and residents, the technologies and strategies in use in other areas of healthcare that are helping to improve care and outcomes at these nursing facilities and how she thinks learnings, such as the roll of adapting technologies, will continue to help improve the quality of nursing home care in the future.

Kevin N. Swong, MD, assistant professor of Neurological Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses trauma to and reconstruction of the brachial plexus. He describes how patient outcomes have improved because of surgical innovations and his team’s multidisciplinary approach to the management of brachial plexus injuries.

On this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Eric B. Larson, PhD, ABPP-CN, discusses health concerns in people that have had COVID-19. Dr. Larson also shares the broader picture of mental health implications with the diagnosis of any disease, and offers the latest treatment options available for the mental health crisis we are now experiencing.

Channa Amarasekera MD discusses prostate cancer treatment considerations for gay and bisexual men. He shares his published study assessing areas of sexual function predicted to be important after treatment and what other urologists need to know about when caring for gay and bisexual patients with prostate cancer.

Lucas Buchler, MD discusses teaming up with physical therapy and what sports medicine physicians should know. He talks about how it might seem that sports medicine and physical therapy are two competing entities, however, he shares how it’s beneficial for a patient when physical therapy and sports medicine work together in a more synergistic manner and how this collaboration improves quality of care and treatment selection.

Urinary incontinence affects 20% to 65% of women depending on their age, parity and menopausal status. In this Better Edge podcast, Emi Bretschneider, MD, assistant professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology with a specialization in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery, discusses the link between dementia and medications used to treat overactive bladder.

Stephen T. Magill, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Neurological Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the evolving field of minimally invasive cranial and endoscopic skull base surgery. Outlining advances in the diagnosis and treatment of skull base tumors, he describes how minimally invasive approaches are helping patients with otherwise inoperable tumors. He talks about the importance of the multidisciplinary care model at Northwestern Medicine, as well as exciting developments currently underway.

Katherine L. Wisner, MD, director of the Asher Center for the Study and Treatment of Depressive Disorders and a professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the treatment of depression during pregnancy, balancing disease control and medication exposure.

In this Better Edge podcast, Katherine T. O’Brien, MD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics at Northwestern Medicine, discusses research she recently presented at the 2021 American Geriatric Society Annual Scientific Meeting regarding the use of voice-controlled intelligent personal assistants by homebound older adults. Dr. O’Brien shares her findings on how technology can play a role in reducing social isolation, as well as the benefits and challenges of using these types of devices.

Jessica W. Templer, MD shares some of the unique clinical and research updates coming from Northwestern Medicine's Low Grade Glioma program.

Aruna Ganju, MD, discusses the importance of spinal stabilization in patients with a spinal cord injury. She shares the latest advances in the treatment of those with spinal column and cord injury, and the trial investigating the role of intrathecal administration in those with subacute, incomplete spinal cord injury. She tells us about her collaboration with Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and how the Northwestern Medicine Spine Health Center improves outcomes and the way patients receive care.

Margaret G. Mueller, MD, assistant professor of Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, discusses complex congenital anomalies and the Northwestern Medicine Collaborative Advanced Reconstructive Evaluation (CARE) Clinic established to care for young women with complex congenital anomalies in partnership with pediatric surgery. Dr. Mueller, who leads the CARE Clinic, is an expert in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery and has earned Focus Practice Designation for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology from the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

The multi-disciplinary team at the CARE clinic:
Urogynecology
Margaret G. Mueller, MD
Sarah A. Collins, MD
Julia Geynisman-Tan, MD

Pediatric Surgery:
Julia Grabowski, MD

Pediatric Urology:
Elizabeth B. Yerkes, MD

Advance Practice Specialists:
Maureen Sheetz MS, APRN, WHNP-BC
Samantha Kopin Silverman MSN, APRN, WHNP-BC

In this Better Edge podcast, Rupal C. Mehta, MD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension and a principal investigator in the Center for Translational Metabolism and Health at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the close link between kidney disease and heart disease and why patients with kidney disease are at increased risk for cardiovascular disease. She also discusses her research on heart failure risk in patients with kidney disease and the multidisciplinary care approach at Northwestern Medicine.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, James M. Walter, MD, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care and medical director of the Lung Rescue Program at Northwestern Medicine, discusses how treatment recommendations for patients with severe forms of COVID-19 have evolved since the onset of the pandemic. He also shares several key treatment recommendations. Dr. Walter previously spoke on this topic in a March 2020 podcast: COVID-19 Key Learnings form the ICU.

Drs. Mary Mahieu & Shikha Wadhwani join us to discuss their multi-specialty approach to treating patients with Lupus Nephritis. They also share how they have evolved amid the global COVID pandemic, and what new trials and treatments are exciting in this area.

Geoffry Striscek, MD, neurosurgeon at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the unique considerations in treating Cervical Myelopathy.

Daniela B. Rakocevic, MD, MSc, assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, discusses substance use disorder and the COVID-19 pandemic. She talks about the recent increase in substance use disorders, the use of telehealth in caring for patients, and what psychiatrists can do to help patients struggling during this unique time.

Northwestern Medicine Ophthalmology's Angelo P. Tanna, MD, Jessica M. Kang, MD, and Brenda L. Bohnsack, MD, review minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) procedures and devices, discuss patient selection, and share ways to help improve surgery success.

Sean Sachdev, MD, discusses his unique focus on stereotactic radiotherapy of metastatic cancers. He offers insight into the role of imaging in diagnosis and ongoing treatment for prostate cancer treatment, and he shares information from a recent publication in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, Mahesh Ramachandran, MD, and Shelly Armour, MS, CCC-SLP, discuss aphasia. They share how Marianjoy is unique in delivering Aphasia treatment for patients, including the life participation approach. They also explore how technology has impacted the treatment of Aphasia, and how Marianjoy is using this technology to support therapy for patients.

Abdul Aziz Aadam, MD, offers new perspectives in two endoscopic treatments for gastroenterologic conditions: peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) for esophageal disorders not responding to medical therapies, and endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD), an outpatient procedure to remove deep tumors from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. He shares how POEM was developed based on both the already established surgical principles of esophageal myotomy and the advanced techniques of ESD and how this relates to its use in practice and outcomes.

Anand Srivastava MD, MPH, discusses a recent study he co-authored, which explores AKI treated with renal replacement therapy in critically ill patients with COVID-19. Although AKI is an important sequela of COVID-19, data on AKI treated with RRT (AKI-RRT) in patients with COVID-19 are limited. This multi-center cohort study of 3099 critically ill adults with COVID-19 admitted to intensive care units at 67 hospitals across the United States identified several patient-and hospital-level risk factors for AKI-RRT and death. AKI-RRT is common among critically ill patients with COVID-19 and is associated with high mortality and persistent RRT dependence.

In this Better Edge Podcast, Lauren Streicher, MD, medical director of the Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause and clinical professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, and Rajal C. Patel, MD, co-director of the Program for Vulvar and Vaginal Health at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, discuss complex vulvar and vaginal diseases and information useful for physicians to pass on to their patients about vulvar health. The Northwestern Medicine Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause is a first-of-its-kind center dedicated to providing highly specialized and personalized care for women.

Lauren Streicher, MD and Rajal Patel, MD join us to discuss complex vulvar and vaginal diseases and new treatments.

This segment explores personalized approaches to managing the treatment of achalasia. Dustin A.Carlson, MD, MS, shares insights on the importance of diagnostics to long-term management and care as he discusses his paper in The American Journal of Gastroenterology that identifies repeated diagnostics as an important step in diagnosis.

Dr. Ashley Evan Ross, M.D., Ph.D and Brittany Szymaniak, PhD, CGC, an expert researcher in Cancer Genetics will participate in this podcast discussing Germline genetic testing and prostate cancer.

Alicia Morgans MD, MPH discusses the most important factors that influence a patient’s quality of life when undergoing treatment for prostate or bladder cancer. She shares specific questionnaires and tools used to measure patient quality of life, strategies she recommends providers implement to optimize patient quality of life and how providers can incorporate these assessments into practice.

She also tells us about her research on quality of life in patients with prostate cancer treated with chemohormonal therapy and how they are incorporating patient-reported outcomes into clinical trials at Northwestern Medicine.

Joshua J. Meeks, MD, PhD, discusses his work exploring the complex genomic landscape of muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). He talks about his recent review published in Nature Reviews Urology examining the concept of genomic heterogeneity as a predictor of treatment outcomes for MIBC. Ultimately, he hopes to use genomic information to develop novel systemic and intravesical therapies that would preserve the bladder and quality of life without shortening survival in MIBC patients.

Targeted audits have found a high percentage of inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) did not comply with Medicare coverage and documentation requirements over the past several years. A recent report released from the Office of Inspector General (OIG) concluded an 80% error rate was found through a stratified random sample chart audit of 220 IRF claims. The estimated financial impact of this report was $5.7 billion for care to beneficiaries that was not reasonable and necessary.

Mahesh Ramachandran, MD, and Vanessa Flaherty, PT, DPT, discuss their project titled, “Improving Quality of Physician Documentation in the IRF Setting,” which was presented at an American Medical Rehabilitation Providers Association event. They share that the goal is to improve the quality of physician documentation as it relates to the inpatient rehabilitation documentation guidelines and regulations by achieving the percent of charts compliant with all IRF Medicare documentation requirements to 100%.

Preeti Thyparampil, MD discusses lid abscess associated with personal protective eyewear in COVID-19 unit. She talks about her published work in the Canadian Journal of Ophthalmology that described a case of a nurse working in a COVID-19 ward who was diagnosed with an eyelid abscess associated with protective goggles. She shares how her team has seen in increase in ocular injuries as a result of wearing masks and the advice she is offering patients or other health care providers working in COVID-19 units using personal protective eyewear.

Magdy Milad, MD, MS joins us today to discuss how surgical innovations have improved patient outcomes and safety for the treatment of tubal disease. He shares the how surgical treatments for tubal disease have evolved in recent years. He examines the role minimally invasive surgery has played in treating women with tubal disease, why is this an important treatment for women who desire future fertility and how robotic-assisted surgery has changed outcomes and recovery time for women with tubal disease versus traditional procedures.

In this episode of the Better Edge Podcast, Aneesha Shetty, MD, MPH, assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, discusses finding from a recent case report published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

This study highlights an emerging COVID-19 related kidney disease that is characterized by podocytopathy and/or collapsing FSGS. In investigating this phenomenon among six patients with proteinuria collapsing FSGS and COVID-19 infection, it was observed that the patients were all of recent African ancestry. This led to further investigation into whether this kidney disease is associated with the high risk APOL1 genotype. This association may help predict how a patient will do with COVID-19, their needs after infection recovers, and sheds light on APOL1 genotypes and kidney disease.

Jyoti Patel, MD, is the medical director of thoracic oncology and assistant director for clinical research at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. In this episode of the Better Edge Podcast, she discusses emerging treatments for lung cancer, including the introduction of seven new therapies approved by the FDA this year. She shares how treatment of lung cancer has evolved to become more personalized with both biologic and immunotherapy options and how new therapies will continue to shape the standard of care for lung cancer.

Amisha Wallia, MD, is an assistant professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology. In this episode of the Better Edge podcast, she discusses the complications that can arise for patients who have diabetes or pre-diabetes and test positive for COVID-19. She shares key treatment recommendations including those diagnosed with COVID-19 who need dexamethasone or corticosteroids; the role technology plays in the hospital setting; and how COVID-19 has shifted perspectives in research and clinical practice.

Eric M. Ruderman, MD and Emily Louise Keimig, MD, discuss the benefits of establishing a multidisciplinary clinic for psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis at Northwestern Medicine. They speak about the value of a combined clinic for the management of psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis, the advantages of running the clinic this way and how this model improves quality of care and treatment selection.

Abnormal results on screening tests may mean a patient has prostate cancer, but these tests alone can’t diagnose prostate cancer. A prostate biopsy is needed for a definitive diagnosis.

Edward M. Schaeffer, MD, PhD, shares the latest prostate biopsy techniques. He discusses transrectal ultrasound-guided (TRUS) biopsy and the ways that Northwestern Medicine is working to optimize cancer detection and ensure patient safety.

In this panel discussion, Dr. Ikuo Hirano and Dr. Nirmala Gonsalves join the show to share details about a recent study published in the The New England Journal of Medicine that examined the use of a novel anti–Siglec-8 antibody known as AK002 for Eosinophilic Gastritis and Duodenitis.

Lucas Buchler MD, Dr. Buchler discusses sports medicine during COVID. He shares what he has learned about sports and it’s role for our youth, our communities and our states teams. He updates us on what if anything, we know about whether players affected by COVID-19 will endure any long-term effects on their health or game performance.

He offers guidance on the return to sports participation and a phased approach to decrease risk of community spread along with a gradual increase in physical activity to decrease risk of injury. He explains how this thoughtful approach to exercise give athletes a chance to acclimatize to the temperature and the intensity/duration of practices and how a slow ramp up of exercise can decrease the injury risk and heat illness.

James D. Flaherty, MD discusses treating mitral regurgitation with transcatheter mitral heart valve procedures. He shares the procedure and indications for a transcatheter mitral valve replacement/repair, including mitral valve in valve, and why referring physicians should consider Northwestern Medicine for their patients transcatheter mitral replacement/repair procedure.

Amy E. Krambeck, MD, professor of Urology, discusses holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms related to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). She describes how HoLEP compares to other surgical BPH treatments and how MOSES-enabled pulsed laser modulation (MoLEP) advances the procedure.

Surendra Basti, MD, and Robert S. Feder, MD, discuss the latest research and updates on femtosecond laser-assisted cataract surgery (FLCS). They debate aspects of the controversy around this approach and whether there is a clear medical criterion for using the procedure.

Michael Terry MD examines eliminating opioid medications for postoperative pain control. He discusses his study and shares the multimodal approach used at Northwestern Medicine that significantly reduces the number of unused opioids circulating in the community.

In this episode, Bennet Butler, MD, assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Northwestern Medicine, delves into complex limb reconstruction. He discusses indications and patient selection as well as current techniques and future directions.

Laura J. Davidson, MD, MS describes the seriousness of tricuspid regurgitation and how the treatment option of transcatheter tricuspid valve replacement and repair, currently being evaluated via clinical trials, may revolutionize the care of these patients. She shares the evolution of this therapy, the indications for and how patients are evaluated for transcatheter tricuspid valve procedures.

Ranya N. Sweis, MD, MS describes the indications for treating severe aortic stenosis with transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). She shares how the cardiovascular team at Northwestern Medicine continues to evolve TAVR therapies to include high-risk and low-risk patients, additional access points and valve-in-valve procedures. She also discusses the evolution of TAVR clinical trials including active, enrolling clinical trials.

Allison Hahr, MD, is the director of the Northwestern Medicine Bone Health and Osteoporosis Program and an associate professor in the Division of Endocrinology Metabolism and Molecular Medicine. In this episode of the Better Edge Podcast, she discusses the challenges of diagnosis, treatment and medication adherence for osteoporosis and osteopenia. She also shares emerging treatment options including a new class of therapeutics, a monoclonal sclerostin antibody called romosozumab, which is the first medication that is known to have a dual effect—it is both anabolic and antiresorptive.

In this episode of the Better Edge Podcast, Jane Winter, MD, professor of Medicine in the Division of Hematology and Oncology and a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, discusses results from recent study published in the journal Blood. Findings showed that a brief course of immunotherapy resulted in complete and near complete remission in nearly two-thirds of previously untreated patients with classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

Over the past decade, rapid advancements in rehabilitative technology have dramatically expanded treatment options for our patients. Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital’s expert clinicians have been at the forefront of these advances helping to guide the clinical application of best practices. Additionally, Marianjoy is one of a select few clinical facilities in the nation to offer such a wide range of the latest technology featuring virtual reality, robotics and biofeedback–technology, including Armeo® Power, Ekso GT™ Bionic Exoskeleton, ZeroG® Gait and Balance Training System, and more. We are also one of five facilities in the nation and the only facility in Illinois designated as a Center of Excellence by Ekso Bionics.

In this episode, Marianjoy’s Anita Kou, MD, a double board-certified subspecialist practicing in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Spinal Cord Injury Medicine and fellowship-trained in Spinal Cord Medicine, and medical director of the Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Program, and Stephanie Salentine, MS OTR/L, MOL, manager of rehabilitation services, explain how our leading-edge technologies are integrated into patient treatment plans, used for research and ultimately contributing to improved patient outcomes.

In this episode of Better Edge, Northwestern Medicine's Lee Jampol, MD, the Louis Feinberg, MD, Professor of Ophthalmology, and Amani Fawzi, MD, the Cyrus Tang, and Lee Jampol Professor of Ophthalmology, both members of the DRCR Retina Network, discuss some of the exciting new developments in diagnosis and therapy for retinal diseases, including optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) for imaging, photobiomodulation for diabetic macular edema, and more.

A study led by Igor Koralnik, MD, chief of Neuro-infectious Disease and Global Neurology in the Department of Neurology, found that 32 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients experienced encephalopathy, leading to significantly worse outcomes. The Northwestern Medicine study, published in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, is the first to examine the frequency and severity of neurologic manifestations in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the United States. In this episode of Better Edge, Koralnik, who also leads Northwestern Medicine's Neuro COVID-19 Clinic, explains the results of the study and discusses his clinic's unique approach to treating COVID-19 "long haulers."

Rimas V. Lukas, MD discusses the pathophysiology of Von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL) and its nervous system manifestations. He walks us through the clinical diagnostic criteria, the therapeutic management of CNS hemangioblastomas and endolymphatic sac tumors and how recent advances have increased our understanding of pathologies of VHL. He tells us about the VHL Clinic at Northwestern Medicine, what makes it unique, and what he and his colleagues are doing to advance the understanding and treatment of VHL.

S. Christopher Malaisrie, MD discusses recent advancements in open heart valve surgery, including minimally invasive access for cardiac surgery. His podcast also includes topics related to improvements in both tissue and mechanical valves, the indications for valve-in-valve procedures, and the benefits of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS).

Mohammad Abbass MD shares his background and expertise in the area of hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes and he examines recent developments and advances in the clinical management of the most commonly encountered hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes. He talks about how the quality of life is a primary outcome measure, he walks us through NM’s management decision-making process and he shares what he and his colleagues at Northwestern Medicine are doing to advance the understanding and management of hereditary colorectal cancer syndromes.

In this episode of Better Edge, Anna Strohl, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology and a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, discusses how surgical innovations have improved patient outcomes and safety for the treatment of gynecologic cancers.

Related: Northwestern Medicine John I. Brewer Trophoblastic Disease Center is one of only two centers in the country dedicated to the treatment of gestational trophoblastic diseases (GTD). Anna Strohl, MD shares how the establishment of the center has led to nearly one hundred percent cure rates and the development of the first-ever NCCN national care guidelines for GTD in a video.

Yara Mikhaeil-Demo, MD, discusses the use of the ketogenic diet, a restrictive high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet, as a treatment for epilepsy, including its applicability and efficacy.

Each year, Northwestern Medicine Otolaryngology sees approximately 10,000 patients with sinusitis and performs more than 1,000 sinus surgical procedures using state-of-the-art technology.

In this episode of Better Edge, Robert Kern, MD, chair of the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Northwestern Medicine discusses some of the emerging surgical procedures and biologic therapies and how the Northwestern Medicine Otolaryngology team collaborates with the Division of Allergy and Immunology to provide a comprehensive approach to treatment and management of severe chronic rhinosinusitis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on the wellbeing of older adults. In this episode of Better Edge, Anna Liggett, MD, assistant professor of Geriatric Medicine, discusses the delicate balance many geriatricians are facing between keeping seniors safe and managing social isolation in long-term care facilities. She shares recommendations and details of a new initiative her team is launching to pair medical students and seniors in underserved areas together for phone conversations to help combat social isolation.

Related: Read the study, "Reducing Social Isolation of Seniors during COVID-19 through Medical Student Telephone Contact," led by Lee Lindquist, MD, MPH, MBA and published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association.

Vikram Aggarwal, MD, discusses how the Northwestern Medicine Home Hemodialysis program has expanded in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Aggarwal describes the training program their team quickly activated, benefits of home hemodialysis, as well as a particularly complex case that required a rapid shift to home hemodialysis at the onset of the pandemic.

Related: Aggarwal shares details of a patient who survived three heart transplants, multiple near-fatal infections, and a failed kidney transplant and then found herself also having to confront COVID-19. "This is one of the most challenging cases of home dialysis training I have seen in my 15 years of practice," says Aggarwal. Read more.

On average, there are between 25 and 50 million documented cases of influenza each year. With this in mind, the overlap of COVID-19 and influenza has many experts in the United States concerned that we may soon face two epidemics at the same time and that this combination could precipitate a crisis for our country's health system.

In this episode of Better Edge, Benjamin Singer MD, pulmonologist and assistant professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care joins to discuss the clinical management of these two illnesses, the critical protocols the Northwestern Medicine team is implementing to manage the situation, and more.

Related: Read the editorial "COVID-19 and the next influenza season," written by Singer and published in Science Advances.

Endometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer in North America. When detected early, it has very good survival outcomes. But when the cancer spreads outside of the uterus and into the lymph nodes, this cancer can become more deadly and cause a higher rate of re-occurrence. Edward Tanner, MD, chief of gynecologic oncology at Northwestern Medicine and a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, discusses the use of sentinel lymph node (SNL) mapping to diagnose and treat endometrial cancer.

COVID-19 has not only uncovered significant health inequalities, but it has also shed light on how racism has impacted the health of minority populations even before the pandemic. In this episode of Better Edge Aderonke Pederson, MD, psychiatrist and instructor in the Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern Medicine, discusses how COVID-19 and civil unrest have had a disproportional impact on Black Americans. She shares how mental health can be reformed to better serve patients in underserved communities and provides recommendations for physicians when treating Black patients.

Related: Pederson and her colleague wrote an opinion piece for The Washington Post, addressing how Black women are facing a heavy burden because of COVID-19 and racism.

Minimally invasive robotic surgery has revolutionized gastrointestinal surgery by offering greater precision for complex procedures, resulting in improved patient outcomes. In this panel interview, Vitaliy Poylin MD, assistant professor of Surgery in the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, and Jonah Stulberg, MD, PhD, MPH, assistant professor of Surgery in the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, expand on the utility of robotic-assisted minimally invasive gastrointestinal surgery. They review the latest advances and outcomes and share how Northwestern Medicine is bringing robotic surgery for diseases affecting the GI tract to the forefront of care.

Anjali Pandit PhD, MPH and Kaitlin Fiore APN, FNP-BC discuss the bariatric surgery program at Northwestern Medicine. They share what the bariatric program offers, how it differs from other programs, and what they are doing to optimize patient outcomes from a behavioral medicine perspective.

In this episode of Better Edge, Anna Liggett, MD, discusses geriatric home care and how the practice has made a resurgence during the COVID-19 era.

Ashley Ross, MD, PhD, discusses the role and efficacy of focal therapy in the management of prostate cancer. He talks about recent advances, patient selection and future directions for this emerging "middle ground" treatment modality.

Linda Suleiman, MD discusses racial and ethnic disparities in orthopaedic outcomes. She shares what patient characteristics or factors may contribute to poorer physical function, infection or other complications and what role orthopedic surgeons play in reducing those disparities.

Roneil Malkani, MD discusses Sleep and Neurodegenerative Diseases. She shares her recently published findings in the Neurobiology of Stress regarding the relationship between sleep and circadian rhythm disruption and neurodegenerative disease.

Now more than ever it is important to consider the mental health of our patients, but also of our colleagues and ourselves. In this episode of Better Edge, Angela Chaudhari, MD, associate professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Division of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery and director of P2P Network, a physician peer support network created to help physicians cope after experiencing adverse events. She discusses the importance of peer support and how the program has pivoted to support physicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Robert Brannigan, MD discusses emerging therapeutic strategies and technologies for male infertility. He shares recent advances in assisted reproductive technologies and techniques such as IVF and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and he tells us what’s unique about what his team is doing at Northwestern Medicine.

Alpesh Patel, MD discusses the impact of COVID-19 on orthopaedics. He shares what the clinic is doing to mitigate the crisis, how they have utilized televisits for patient care, and how they are managing the clinic’s plans to recover from the pandemic.

Lucas Buchler MD discusses the pathology of rotator cuff muscle atrophy and fatty infiltration as it applies to surgical indications. He shares the variables that need to be considered when choosing a treatment plan.

Katherine Carroll MD discusses headaches and migraines. She shares some of the challenges associated with treating headache and migraine patients, how Northwestern Medicine is treating headaches differently and why comprehensive care for headaches at a center like The Urgent Headache Infusion Clinic at Northwestern Memorial Hospital is so important.

GR Scott Budinger, MD, chief of the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, and Ankit Bharat, MD, chief of Thoracic Surgery, share how the Northwestern Medicine team is handling an influx of and caring for patients with severe COVID-19 illness in the ICU. They discuss when ventilators should be used and alternative approaches the Northwestern Medicine team is utilizing, including extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), prone positioning and verticalization therapy, to provide the next level of care when a patient does not respond to ventilation.

Clyde W. Yancy, MD, MSc, discusses the increased risk faced by patients with COVID-19 and cardiovascular disease, COVID-19 as it relates to ACE inhibitors and ARBs, racial disparity in COVID-19 cases, and other topics related to treating cardiovascular patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this panel, Mary Rinella MD and Lisa VanWagner MD, MSc, FAST, FAHA discuss Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. They share information on their study in Journal of the Neurological Sciences on the association between NAFLD and stroke and how the association with cardiovascular disease is becoming more appreciated. They talk about the role and limitations of current diagnostics and how important early diagnosis is as being crucial to improve outcome prediction. They also tell us about Northwestern Medicine’s approach to the management of patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and some of the new and exciting research happening in the Northwestern Medicine Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Program.

Magdy Milad, MD, chief of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, recently published an article in The Journal of Minimally Invasive Gynecology examining the use of laparoscopy during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode of Better Edge, Milad discusses laparoscopic surgery as a safe approach and additional precautions gynecologists can take to minimize exposure during these procedures amidst COVID-19.

Grazia Aleppo, MD, is a professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, director of the Northwestern Medicine Diabetes Training and Education Program and an expert in diabetes research and clinical care. In this episode of Better Edge, Aleppo discusses why patients with diabetes are at greater risk of developing severe illness from COVID-19 and key treatment recommendations for patients with diabetes including those diagnosed with COVID-19 who present with hyperglycemia and diabetes ketoacidosis (DKA).

Lisa Wolfe, MD, is an associate professor of Neurology and of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care at Northwestern Medicine and an expert in respiratory devices used to treat patients with neuromuscular disorders and sleep-related breathing disorders. In this episode, Wolfe discusses key considerations for sleep medicine clinicians in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) use, CPAP as a ventilator alternative and strategies that Northwestern Medicine's sleep medicine team is implementing during this pandemic.

Stephen Hanauer, MD, and Scott Strong, MD, discuss key considerations for gastroenterologists in the context of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), including the gastrointestinal manifestations, risks and treatment for patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or other conditions who may be taking immunosuppression drugs, potential fecal-oral transmission and how Northwestern Medicine Gastroenterology and GI Surgery are optimizing telehealth and evolving care during this pandemic.

Fernanda Heitor, MD, a geriatrician and instructor in the Division of General Internal Medicine and Geriatrics, discusses how the Northwestern Medicine Geriatrics team has evolved in response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, including shifting to telehealth and working to keep COVID-19 out of nursing home facilities.

James Walter, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care and Medical Director of the Lung Rescue Program, shares lessons his team has learned while treating some of the most critically ill patients suffering from Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). Walter discusses how the team is using evidence-based therapies such as prone positioning, early mechanical ventilation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) to improve outcomes for patients with COVID-19 and protect staff from exposure.

Jing Jin, MD, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension and his team work to identify pathological mechanisms of kidney and vascular diseases. His work with the therapy ACE2-Fc was recently included in an article published by Robert Kruse, MD, PhD in F1000 Research discussing a potential therapy for the novel coronavirus, COVID-19. In this episode, Jin explains how the therapy could potentially be used to guard against and treat COVID-19 and highlights the important role cross-collaboration plays in facilitating discovery.

Recent promotion by several countries, including the United States, of hydroxychloroquine as an effective treatment for COVID-19 has left patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus) facing a severe shortage of the medication they rely on. How should rheumatologists balance the supply of hydroxychloroquine for testing and potential use in COVID-19 with its critical use in the treatment of lupus? How should they allocate the drug to their patients?

Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman, MD, discusses key considerations for rheumatologists in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the risks for patients with rheumatic conditions such as lupus and how Northwestern Medicine Rheumatology is evolving care.

Northwestern Medicine has rapidly evolved to ensure the safe and effective treatment of pregnant women during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Melissa Simon, MD, MPH, George H. Gardner Professor of Clinical Gynecology and vice-chair of Clinical Research in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, explains new protocols in place for safe labor and delivery and how physicians can provide reassurance to their pregnant patients during COVID-19.

The Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University has rapidly evolved to develop new protocols and a Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) response team to ensure the safe and effective treatment for cancer patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this episode, Leonidas C. Platanias, MD, PhD, director of the Lurie Cancer Center of Northwestern University, explains the protocols in place to minimize risk, and how the team is safely delivering critical treatment and providing emotional support for patients during this time.

Igor Koralnik, MD, FAAN, FANA, chief of Neuroinfectious Diseases and Global Neurology and professor of Neurology at Northwestern Medicine, discusses the neurological manifestations of patients with COVID-19, the risks for those with neurological diseases that impair the respiratory system such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease, and how Northwestern Medicine is evolving care during this pandemic.

Systemic lupus erythematosus is a chronic, autoimmune, inflammatory, multisystem disease of unknown cause that affects between 1.5 and 2 million people in the United States.

In this panel, Rosalind Ramsey-Goldman MD and Mary Mahieu MD discuss The Northwestern Medicine Lupus Program and how it aims to improve care for patients with lupus by improving clinical outcomes, developing and testing new treatment strategies and working towards a cure for lupus.

In this Better Edge podcast, Kara N. Goldman, MD, assistant professor of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, and Mary Ellen G. Pavone, MD, MSCI, associate professor of Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility, discuss the latest advances in fertility preservation. They share reasons why patients may decide to explore fertility preservation options, why it is important for physicians to appropriately refer patients and discuss recent advancements in fertility preservation options available at Northwestern Medicine Center for Fertility and Reproductive Medicine.

[Note: The number of states that mandate insurance companies to cover fertility preservation has increased from 8 to 10 since the time this podcast was recorded.]

Arthur M. Mandelin MD/PhD, RMSK, RhMSUS discusses ultra-sound-guided synovial biopsy. He examines the RhEumatoid Arthritis SynOvial tissue Network (REASON), it’s objective and why it was formed. He shares how Northwestern Medicine is utilizing ultrasound-guided synovial tissue biopsies for RA research and how he envisions this research translating into patient care.

Stephanie Kielb MD and Diana Bowen MD discuss Northwestern Medicine’s adult multidisciplinary Transitional Urology Program. They discuss a study that summarized perceptions and best practices for the care of adult spina bifida patients. They also share top recommendations for physicians or healthcare providers to consider when creating a successful transition experience and monitoring adults with these conditions, and how best to serve these populations most effectively.

It is estimated that 10 to 12 percent of physicians and nurses develop substance use problems. While there is no direct connection between individuals who work in healthcare and substance abuse, there are job-specific contributing factors. Gaurava Agarwal, MD, assistant professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Northwestern Medicine, specializes in healthcare professional wellness. He discusses resources available to address physician burnout and promote overall wellness as well as signs to look out for in your colleagues.

Related: Combating Physician Burnout: Scholars of Wellness Program

Richard Wunderink, MD, is a professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care and a world-renowned expert in pneumonia. He shares his research and work on the Successful Clinical Response in Pneumonia Therapy (SCRIPT) project, including factors in the host that determine the susceptibility to develop pneumonia from viruses such as Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), how it differs from other coronaviruses and how his work could translate into potential therapies.

Angelo P. Tanna, MD shares the biggest challenges ophthalmologists face when treating glaucoma and ocular hypertension. He discusses his recently published review of Rho Kinase Inhibitors as a novel treatment for Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension.

A Functional Movement Disorder (FMD) is defined by abnormal involuntary movements or body positions that are not caused by organic disease. The Northwestern Medicine Functional Movement Disorders Clinic addresses disabling functional movement disorders by using motor reprogramming strategies and pairing rehabilitation with cognitive behavioral techniques to improve symptoms for patients with FMD.

Kathrin LaFaver MD discusses what makes this program unique and that it is that it is one of the few programs in the country that has an active collaboration between many interdisciplinary specialists, including neurology, psychology, behavioral medicine and physical therapy. The Northwestern Medicine Functional Movement Disorders Clinic is committed to conducting intensive research to increase our knowledge and understanding of the condition, allowing us to provide advanced, individualized treatment to every patient.

There has been a great deal of progress in the field of kidney transplants including advances in treatment and faster recovery time for both donors and recipients. Northwestern Medicine Nephrologists Aneesha Shetty, MD and John Friedewald, MD, share more about their recent work examining the long-term health of living kidney donors, advancements in treatment for kidney donor recipients and patient education initiatives underway at Northwestern Medicine.

Anisha Dua MD, MPH discusses Vasculitis. She shares what Northwestern Medicine is doing to advance the understanding and treatment of systemic vasculitis, what research is being done in this area and what she would like providers to know about optimizing effective treatment among patients with vasculitis.

In this panel, Anupama Anchala, MD and Dmitry Pyatetsky, MD discuss the importance of a modern ophthalmology residency program at Northwestern Medicine. They share how ophthalmology residency training has evolved in the past several decades, what is required of modern ophthalmology physicians and how Northwestern Medicine is poised to deliver.

The Northwestern Medicine Cardiovascular Genetics Program at the Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute provides comprehensive cardiovascular care encompassing genetic testing and medical management for all forms of inherited cardiovascular diseases.

Jane E. Wilcox, MD, MSc discusses the role of genetics in the etiology of heart failure. She shares some of the challenges that exist in identifying the genetic determinants of common, complex diseases such as CHD and how with the use of genetic testing, the ability to diagnose those who are at risk for heart disease before it has developed, can help to assure the latest treatments for the best patient outcomes.

Clyde W. Yancy MD, MSc discusses high-level treatment options for heart failure based on the ACC/AHA heart failure guidelines. He shares that heart failure is not inevitable but can be indeed prevented. He examines why the SGLT2-inhibitor story is exciting, how it came about and what the practitioner should do today with this new information.

Obesity has nearly tripled worldwide since the 1970s. Consequently, a major health concern related to obesity is that excess fat can spill into organs such as the liver, which can lead to fatty liver disease or even liver cancer. Grant Barish, MD, assistant professor in the Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Molecular Medicine, explains his latest work examining metabolic switches to understand why metabolic disorders such as obesity occur and how they could be used as potential therapies.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, is one of the most serious of motor neuron diseases. It can progress quickly with life expectancy of only three to five years after diagnosis. There's a sense of urgency here at Northwestern Medicine to study, better understand and treat this disease with faculty member, Robert Kalb, MD, leading the way.

Robert Kalb MD discusses the latest research and treatments for ALS.

Stephen B. Hanauer, MD, a world-renowned expert in IBD, discusses the latest advances in IBD treatment, including the evolving role of conventional therapy and expanding the role of biologic therapy. Hanauer also shares his research on the efficacy of adalimumab and study of higher versus standard adalimumab dosing regimens in patients with moderate to severely active ulcerative colitis.

One of the most common benign urologic conditions faced by men is benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). In fact, more than 90 percent of men over 80 years of age will develop BPH, with 50 percent of men developing the condition by the age of 50. The Northwestern Medicine Department of Urology has a longstanding history of achieved breakthroughs in the understanding and treatment of common urological conditions such as BPH.

Matthias Hofer, MD, PhD, and Hayley Silver, MD, join us to share the latest advances in BPH treatment.

More than 635,000 Americans have had sinus surgery, but many still face recurring symptoms. In recent years, new advances in the treatment of nose polyps and sinus issues have proved to be more effective. In this episode, Robert Kern, MD, chief of Otolaryngology at Northwestern Medicine discuss the latest advances in the treatment of nose and sinus polyps.

In this episode, three physiatrists from Northwestern Medicine Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital discuss strong female leadership within the world of rehabilitation. Included in the discussion are Larissa R. Pavone, MD, pediatric physiatrist and program director of the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Residency Program; Sonia Sheth, MD, medical director of the Stroke Rehabilitation Program; and Dolly Devara, MD, physiatrist. They share about their clinical contributions, and about their experiences with female mentorship, preventing burnout and more.

Northwestern Medicine is proud to welcome Igor Koralnik MD, FAAN, FANA, as the chief of the new Division of Neuroinfectious Disease and Global Neurology. In this episode, Dr. Koralnik shares his research on the neurologic complications of HIV and JC virus and discusses the new Neuroinfectious Disease Program, a unique program that provides comprehensive care for patients who have acute and chronic neurological infections.

Lisa Beutler, MD, PhD takes a neuroscience and genetic-based approach to understand how neurons, hormones and metabolites in the gastrointestinal tract communicate both hunger and satiation with the brain. Tune in to hear more about her work and its potential impact on treating diseases such as obesity, diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease.

Esophageal cancer is the fastest growing malignancy in the United States that often has no symptoms in its early stages. David Odell, MD, associate professor of Thoracic Surgery at Northwestern Medicine and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University, specializes in minimally invasive treatment of esophageal cancer. Tune in to hear him share more about Northwestern Medicine's comprehensive approach to treating esophageal cancer, the latest technology and his team's work to development of protocols for early detection.

First-hand experience with the extreme heat and humidity of the 2007 Chicago Marathon, resulting in the need to cancel the event mid-race, gave George Chiampas, DO, CAQSM, FACEP, unique knowledge in the management of a mass-gathering event in the face of adversity. Today, the Chicago Marathon—which utilizes the emergency plan called the Chicago Model that Chiampas helped establish—is recognized as a world leader in emergency preparedness and public safety. In this episode, Chiampas shares strategies for enhancing preparedness for medical emergencies at mass-gathering sporting events, from high school football games to big city marathons.

Diabetic macular edema (DME), an accumulation of fluid in the retina from leaking blood vessels, is a major cause of visual acuity loss worldwide. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections are a standard treatment today. VEGF is a protein that stimulates leakage from blood vessels, so blocking the protein can help reduce edema, or swelling of the retina.

Joining the podcast is Lee Jampol, MD, who recently co-authored a study published in JAMA that found that waiting to start injection treatments until patients began to experience vision loss had similar outcomes when compared to starting injection treatments as soon as the condition was diagnosed. The injections are time consuming, costly and can carry the risk of harmful side effects, so waiting until the treatment is necessary has advantages for both the patient and providers.

There are currently more than 50 million people over the age of 65 in the United States and according the U.S. Census Bureau that number is expected to grow to 78 million by 2035. Northwestern Medicine's Dwayne Dobschuetz, APRN is taking using an old concept in medicine – the house call – to solve new challenges presented with a rapidly aging population. In this episode he shares how Northwestern Medicine's Home Care Program is improving patient outcomes and allowing more seniors to age in place.

Matthew Beal MD discusses total knee replacement. He shares what conditions can complicate a primary knee replacement, when it should be considered and what is unique about what Northwestern Medicine is doing to optimize patient outcomes.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital is the only hospital in the United States to have achieved exceptional high-quality outcomes at the lowest-possible costs in two of the country’s biggest public health threats, heart failure (HF) and myocardial infarction (MI) according to recently released data from the CMS.

R. Kannan Mutharasan, MD discusses how Northwestern Medicine is a leader in providing the safest, highest quality care at the lowest cost. He shares how they accomplish this and what multiple process improvement initiatives in place at Northwestern Medicine helped to achieve these results.

Northwestern Medicine Center for Spine Health at Northwestern Memorial Hospital is the only Center in Illinois that brings together orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery under the same roof in order to meet the needs of our patients. Alpesh Patel, MD, joins us today to discuss the inconsistencies in treatment in the field today and how Northwestern Medicine's unique, multidisciplinary spine program is addressing patients' confusion about back and neck pain and improving patient outcomes.

Men with inflammatory bowel disease have four to five times higher risk of being diagnosed with prostate cancer, according to a 20-year study from Northwestern Medicine published in the journal European Urology.

Shilajit Kundu, MD, chief of Urologic Oncology and a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University discusses the link between prostate cancer and inflammatory bowel disease. He shares Northwestern Medicine's approach to screening, diagnosing and treating this unique combination of conditions.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) brings together 28 of the leading cancer centers devoted to patient care, research and education. NCCN is the global leader in advancing and setting the standards for high-quality cancer care.

Dr. William Gradishar joins the show to share how Northwestern Medicine plays a critical role in the development of resources that guide cancer care around the world.

Lung cancer is the second most common cancer and is the leading cause of cancer death in men and women. Ankit Bharat, MD, chief of Thoracic Surgery and a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, discusses the latest advances in lung cancer treatment, and when it is important to refer to the specialists at Northwestern Medicine. He discusses how Northwestern Medicine team is using innovative research to prevent, treat, and manage lung cancer.

Pregnancy often marks an exciting time in a woman’s life, but for women with a serious illness it can be plagued with complicated considerations about which medications and treatments to take.

Crystal Clark, MD, shares how she has devoted both her research and her psychiatry practice to optimizing treatment for women with bipolar disorder during pregnancy and post-partum. In this episode, she walks us through her work and some of the approaches she takes with patients who have bipolar disorder and have or would like to start a family.

Joining me is Dr. Lauren Streicher, the medical director of Northwestern Medicine's Center for Sexual Medicine and Menopause, a first-of-its-kind center dedicated to providing highly specialized and personalized care for women. Today we are discussing post menopause orgasmic dysfunction – a topic that is rarely discussed during appointments. Tune in to hear Dr. Streicher explain how we can approach this conversation and provide solutions for women who are experiencing post menopause orgasmic dysfunction.

Male hypogonadism (testosterone deficiency) affects nearly 5 million men—or more, since symptoms are frequently ignored.

Joshua Halpern MD, MS tells us how The Northwestern Medicine Department of Urology is committed to conducting innovative research to help advance men’s health in the field of male sexual medicine, allowing us to provide specialized urological care to patients with hypogonadism and other conditions. Our research program ranks second nationally among all urology departments for National Institutes of Health funding, with amounts totaling more than $6.8 million.

According to the American Cancer Society, rates of melanoma have been rising rapidly over the past few decades with an estimated 96,480 cases diagnosed in 2019 alone. Joining me today is Dr. Jeffrey Wayne, chief of Surgical Oncology at Northwestern Medicine and the associate director for clinical affairs at the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center at Northwestern University. Dr. Wayne is here today to share the latest advances and treatment of melanoma.

Nearly eight million women have osteoporosis, but most are unaware that they have it until they experience a break – making screening, prevention and treatment critical. Dr. Kristi Tough DeSapri is the director of the Northwestern Medicine Program for Women's bone health and is joining us today to share the latest strategies to protect women's bone health.

In the United States, there are an estimated 72,570 new cases of bladder cancer each year. The Northwestern Medicine Department of Urology evaluates and manages each patient with emphasis on an integrated, multidisciplinary and stage-specific approach. Our team is committed to conducting innovative research to increase our understanding of the biology of bladder cancer and identifying new therapies and technologies for bladder cancer in order to improve quality of life for our patients.

Joshua Meeks, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Urology and a member Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, of the joins the show to shares how his team of scientists are involved in three active trials focused on genetic and epigenetic changes in bladder cancer, as well as immuno-oncology in bladder cancer.

Northwestern Medicine has one of the premier organ transplantation programs in the country including a renowned lung transplantation program. Rade Tomic, MD, is a pulmonologist and the medical director of the Lung Transplant Program at Northwestern, joins us today to share more about the program and highlight some of the latest advances in the field.

One of the side effect of aging can be the beginning of a complex medication regimen. For many, taking multiple medications can be confusing but it can also prevent adherence and create unsafe interactions. Sara Bradley, MD, and the Northwestern Medicine Geriatrics team are working to prevent medical complications that arise due to multiple medications and streamline the process for patients by taking a comprehensive approach to geriatric care.

According to data from the American Psychiatric Association, people from racial/ethnic minority groups are 50% less likely to receive mental health care. There are many barriers to care at play including access to care such as lack of insurance or underinsurance, mental illness stigma, language barriers, etc. Inger Burnett-Zeigler, PhD, is interested in understanding the factors associated with mental health service utilization. Her research focuses on examining attitudes and beliefs about mental health, access to mental health treatment, engagement in mental health treatment, and barriers to mental health treatment among under resourced populations including racial/ethnic minorities and those with low income, limited education, and limited access to resources.

In this episode, Darren Brenner, MD, and Jennifer Cai, MD, MPH, discuss the Northwestern Medicine Functional Bowel Disease Program's unique multidisciplinary biopsychosocial approach to functional bowel disease treatment and the latest research that could impact the future of treating patients with the condition.