Voices From American Medicine: Recent Episodes
ReachMD
These 15-minute conversations, produced in cooperation with the state medical societies and associations of America, highlight today's practicing physicians' unique accomplishments, perspectives, triumphs, and challenges— as well as the strategies they use in their practice that listeners will find informative and empowering.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: Asim A. Shah, MD
Healthcare reform has become a leading debate in the media, with supporters of single payer systems touting projections of quality improvements and cost savings alongside other benefits. But what are some of the drawbacks of a one-size-fits-all? That’s the question psychiatrist Dr. Asim Shah addressed in a recent op-ed article from the Houston Chronicle he co-authored.
Host: Mario R. Nacinovich, Jr., MSc
Guest: Jodi L. Liu
Terms like single-payer, universal coverage, and Medicare for All often land at the center of political discussions andat times, get used interchangeably. But as Dr. Jodi Liu, Professor and Associate Policy Researcher at the Pardee RAND Graduate School, explains, these terms can carry different meanings, expectations, and projected impacts on healthcare systems.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: David Himmelstein, MD
The subject of single-payer healthcare is at the forefront of practically every political discussion and debate. Providing unique perspectives on its strengths and setbacks is nationally-renowned advocate Dr. David Himmelstein.
Host: Mario R. Nacinovich, Jr., MSc
Guest: Michael Sparer, JD, PhD
How do we define single-payer healthcare at the national and state levels, respectively, and is either model even realistic for large scale implementation? Dr. Maichael Sparer, Professor and Chair in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Mailman School of Public Health, joins Mario Nacinovich to shed light on this topic.
Host: Mario R. Nacinovich, Jr., MSc
Guest: Liz Hamel
How has public opinion on the idea of a national single-payer healthcare model changed since the late 1990s? Liz Hamel, Vice President and Director of Public Opinion and Survey Research at the Kaiser Family Foundation is here to answer that exact question, as well as reveal the factors, like political party identification and word choice, that affect outlooks toward this type of healthcare model.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: Kenneth Thorpe, PhD
In today’s polarized political climate, the road toward greater healthcare access, delivery, and cost coverage is still highly uncertain. So to help shed light on some of the merits and challenges of a single-payer model, Dr. Matt Birnholz sits down with Dr. Kenneth Thorpe, the Robert W. Woodruff Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Policy and Management in the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
Guest: James Capretta
On this episode of Voices From American Medicine, Dr. Matt Birnholz speaks with James Capretta, a Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, studying health care, entitlement, and US budgetary policy, as well as global trends in aging, health, and retirement programs. They discuss the future for American health care policy, and where health care professionals and the general public alike will go from here.
Host: Matt Birnholz, MD
The Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010 to provide more Americans access to affordable quality health insurance and to reduce health care spending. But have these goals actually been met, and if not, what will it take to get there?
On this episode of Voices From American Medicine, Dr. Matt Birnholz speaks with James Capretta, a Resident Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, studying health care, entitlement, and US budgetary policy, as well as global trends in aging, health, and retirement programs. Mr. Capretta has directed several major studies, including one on reforming US healthcare according to market principles and consumer choice.
Host: Frank Russomano
Interest in health policies related to drug pricing has spiked in recent times. While remarkable research discoveries have positively escalated the pharmaceutical industry with release of more novel drugs, the question on how drugs should be priced is continually resurfacing. How are high drug costs justified when they become financially inaccessible to many patients, and what measures are being put in place to address these access gaps?
Host Frank Russomano welcomes Andrew Rosenberg J.D. of the CME Coalition and Thomas Sullivan, President of Rockpointe Corporation and editor of Policy and Medicine, to discuss recent developments in drug pricing.
Host Frank Russomano welcomes Andrew Rosenberg J.D. of the CME Coalition and Thomas Sullivan, President of Rockpointe Corporation and editor of Policy and Medicine. - See more at: https://reachmd.com/programs/voices-from-american-medicine/all-things-educational-panel-discusses-independent-cme-sunshine-act-reporting/7901/#sthash.CkKA6uPe.dpuf
Host: Frank Russomano
There has been ongoing dialogue about the guidance needed to provide clarity on the reporting of indepedent medical education payments and the Sunshine Act. In this discussion, expert panelists analyze the definition of indirect payments and their exclusion as applied to CME-related payments and transfers of value. Additionally, they examine when payments to medical associations, physician speakers/lecturers, and related entities may or may not be reportable.
Host Frank Russomano welcomes Andrew Rosenberg J.D. of the CME Coalition and Thomas Sullivan, President of Rockpointe Corporation and editor of Policy and Medicine.
Host: Frank Russomano
Host Frank Russomano welcomes Rhondell Domilici, Regional Director for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation, to discuss the organization's humble origins in 1967 as a small physician-patient collaborative, its rapid growth on a national scale, and the enduring mission that connects all past and present members.
Host: Frank Russomano
Host Frank Russomano welcomes Dr. Tracey Haas, Chief Medical Officer of DocbookMD, an innovative communication platform for health care providers. Dr. Haas shares her story of how she and her husband, Dr. Tim Gueramy, discovered DocBookMD, the challenges of being a physician entreprenuer, and how she has integrated technology into everyday practice to improve patient care.
Host: Frank Russomano
There are far too many diseases that do not have proven means of prevention or effective treatments. As such, health care providers must gain better insights into the biology of these diseases to make a difference for the millions of patients who suffer from them. Precision medicine is an emerging approach for treatment and prevention that accounts for individual variability in genes, environment, and lifestyle. Host Frank Russomano welcomes Brian Wells, Associate Vice President of Health Technology and Academic Computing at Penn Medicine, to discuss how Penn Medicine contributes to the precision medicine initiative, from technological developments to supportive infrastructures.
Host: Frank Russomano
The role of continuing medical education (CME) within government is an important and ever-changing area of high interest and scrutiny among many stakeholders. The CME Coalition is an advocacy group working directly with government officials, lobbyist and other healthcare interest groups to help define and refine what CME is, and the role supporters have in medical education.
Host Frank Russomano, reporting from the floor of the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions Annual Industry Summit in Philadelphia, speaks with Andrew Rosenberg and Thomas Sullivan. Mr. Rosenberg is Founding Partner of Thorn Run Partners and Senior Advisor for the CME Coalition. Thomas Sullivan is President of Rockpointe Corp., a science-based medical education company, and editor of Policy and Medicine, a website devoted to legal, regulatory, and compliance issues affecting the pharmaceutical and device industry.
Host: Frank Russomano
Trauma care is one of the most complex health system infrastructures in the US. Depending on the type of injury sustained, a patient may require multidisciplinary intervention from any and/or every medical and surgical specialty, as well as all branches of allied health professionals, at a moment's notice. Given these requirements, the notion to physically move an entire trauma care center, from its staff and patient populations to its equipment, records, and maintenence operations, is a daunting challenge. At Penn Medicine, this monumental task was recently undertaken and completed successfully. Leading the effort was Garry L. Scheib, Chief Operating Officer of the University of Pennsylvania Health System, and Executive Director of the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He joins host Frank Russomano to reflect on lessons learned from overseeing one of the biggest trauma care transition projects in American history.
Host: Frank Russomano
“One cannot understand policy without appreciating the philosophy that is driving it.” That’s a passage taken from author Philip Klein's book, Overcoming Obamacare: Three Approaches to Reversing the Government Takeover of Health Care. Mr. Klein is commentary editor of the Washington Examiner, where he writes about domestic politics and policy, and runs the opinion section. He joins host Frank Russomano to discuss strengths and limitations of the Affordable Health Care legislations, and the plausible alternatives that would need to be implemented before considering an overhaul of current policies.
Host: Frank Russomano
"When political considerations trump basic medical strategies proven effective over centuries, the danger can be grave." That's a passage taken from a recent article called "The Deadly Politicization of Ebola," written by Dr. Richard Amerling, guest on this episode of Voices. Dr. Amerling is President of The Association Of American Physicians And Surgeons. He is Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and a renowned academic nephrologist at the Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City.
Host: Frank Russomano
Host Frank Russomano welcomes Nutrisystem, Inc CEO and President, Dawn Zier. Ms. Zier discusses her successful career path from an electrical engineering scholarship to publishing at Reader's Digest to her current executive role at Nutrisystem, Inc. Ms. Zier focuses on ways in which she has navigated these academic, publishing, and health & wellness sectors, and the importance of adopting innovative work cultures throughout to inspire positive changes.
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Host: Frank Russomano
What are the continuing rehabilitation efforts in Haiti? And, how can you assist in the continual medical needs of this country? Host Frank Russomano welcomes pharmacist Ro Brual to discuss his special volunteer work in Haiti before, during and after the Haiti earthquake of 2010. Mr. Brual is a pharmacist and Associate Consultant of Medical Education at Eli Lilly & Company.
Guest: Anthony Blalock, MD
Host: Gary Epstein
After hurricanes Katrina and Rita, nephrologist Dr. Anthony "Andy" Blalock helped his home state of Louisiana, establish Emergency Medical Units to help community physicians plan and prepare for their role after a disaster—now a model for other states. Dr. Blalock discusses best practices with host Gary Epstein, as well as his involvement in physician advocacy groups and why his participation has positively affected patient care statewide.
This week's guest was nominated by:
Host: Gary Epstein
Guest: Alice Coombs, MD
A form of the universal healthcare debated in nationwide healthcare reform was implemented in 1996 in the state of Massachusetts. Dr. Alice Coombs, immediate past-president of the Massachusetts Medical Society, critical care specialist at South Shore Hospital and anesthesiologist with South Shore Anesthesia Associates, reports to host Gary Epstein on practicing and paying for medical care under universal coverage.
This week's guest was nominated by:
Guest: Audrey Corson, MD
Host: Gary Epstein
Internist Dr. Audrey Corson discusses why the practice of medicine remains satisfying to her, despite the challenges of maintaining an independent medical practice. She and host Gary Epstein talk about why she feels maintaining her current practice model, with no insurance contracts, is critical to her provision of excellent patient care. Her unique background includes serving as a nurse practitioner before going to medical school. Having worked both sides of the extender equation, she also discusses her views of the role of extenders in practice.
This week's guest was nominated by:
Guest: David Hexter, MD, MPH, FACEP
Host: Gary Epstein
Host Gary Epstein's guest is Dr. David Hexter, practicing emergency physician in Baltimore and president of the Maryland State Medical Society (known as MedChi). He tells the story of his first spontaneous entrance into organized medicine. And he describes the transformation of emergency medicine since the 1980s and 90s, when treatments were much less sophisticated and the hospital emergency department was often starved of resources. Contrast with the recognition today that the emergency department is the public face — the front door — of the hospital.
This week's guest was nominated by:
Host: Gary Epstein
Guest: Kimberly Avila Edwards, MD
An obese child has an 80 percent chance of staying obese throughout their lifetime. The children that Texas pediatrician Dr. Kimberly Avila Edwards saw in her practice, combined with statistics showing her home state had an even higher childhood obesity rate than the already-high national average, prompted Dr. Avila Edwards to leave her general pediatric practice to devote herself to the fight against childhood obesity. In her conversation with host Gary Epstein, Dr. Avila Edwards notes she was completely unprepared by medical school to deal with obesity, and its related health problems, in children. They discuss Dr. Avilla Edwards' efforts to collaborate, and in some cases create her own resources, in order to work with children and their families.
This week's guest was nominated by the
Guest: M. Todd Williamson, MD
Host: Gary Epstein
Georgia neurologist Dr. M. Todd Williamson rose through the ranks of his local physician organizations, before serving as president of his state’s medical association during 2009, as national healthcare reform was being debated in Washington, DC. He discusses the role of organized medicine in shaping government's influence over the business of medicine and the nature of the doctor-patient relationship, and his views on giving patients control of medical expenditures as a solution to the challenges faced by the healthcare industry.
Hosted by Gary Epstein. This week's guest was nominated by the
Guest: Stanley Wang, MD, JD, MPH
Host: Gary Epstein
Clinical cardiologist Dr. Stanley Wang describes why he decided to study law as well as medicine. He practices cardiology in an urban and rural outpatient setting, but also devotes his time and energy to legislative matters on behalf of his practice and the Texas Medical Association. In this week's Voices From American Medicine, host Gary Epstein discusses the practice issues Dr. Wang encounters and a career in medicine whose influence is broader than the individual patient.
Guest: Sidney Ontai, MD, MBA
Host: Gary Epstein
The first conversation in this series highlighting practicing physicians' unique accomplishments, perspectives, triumphs, and challenges, and the strategies they use in their practice, introduces listeners to Dr. Sidney Ontai: a Hawaii-born physician who began his career near Los Angeles, California, before building a career in rural Texas. In West Texas, Dr. Ontai still makes house calls, and extends care to his patients with high-tech telemedicine and high-speed video for patients in isolated small towns up to 100 miles away.
This week's guest was nominated by the
Guest: John Foley, MD, FACC
Host: Gary Epstein
Cardiologist Dr. John Foley started his medical career as a registered nurse. Dr. Foley discusses with host Gary Epstein how his bedside experience as a nurse later shaped his perspective and cardiology practice, and his perspective on the structure of the healthcare system.
This week's guest was nominated by:
The Connecticut State Medical Society — founded by the physician-patriots of the American Revolution
Guest: Douglas Gerard, MD
Host: Gary Epstein
Dr. Douglas Gerard runs a one-exam-room solo practice serving the rural Connecticut town of New Hartford (population 6,000), where he lives, and treats his friends and neighbors. Dr. Gerard talks with host Gary Epstein about the doctor-patient relationship, and the practice management decisions he's made in order to deliver quality, personal care to the many patients who rely on him.
This week's guest was nominated by:
Guest: R. Scott Anderson, MD
Host: Gary Epstein
It's not uncommon for physicians to have varied interests and passions in addition to their full-time practice. Dr. Russell Scott Anderson, a radiation oncologist in rural Mississippi, has been a diving medical officer in the military, written a novel, made a movie, and paints in his spare time. He discusses the physician's capacity for multiple pursuits, with host ReachMD CEO Gary Epstein.
This week's guest was nominated by the
Guest: W. Scott Bohlke, MD
Host: Gary Epstein
Host Gary Epstein speaks with Dr. Scott Bohlke, family practice physician in private practice in rural Brooklet, Georgia. In this interview, Dr. Bohlke discusses the family practice he joined, and how it has changed over time. He also discusses what his work does to him, and for him.
This week's guest was nominated by the
Guest: Steven Wolfson, MD
Host: Gary Epstein
Cardiologist Dr. Steven Wolfson is co-founder of a grassroots effort in New Haven, Connecticut, to bring together 200 primary care and specialty physicians to provide pro-bono care to low-income uninsured patients. The program began originally in North Carolina out of physicians' frustration with the inability to secure coordinated specialty care for patients who couldn't afford insurance. Project Access-New Haven is now one of 55 Project Access Chapters nationwide.
This week's guest was nominated by:
Guest: Sister Anne Brooks, DO
Host: Gary Epstein
When Dr. Anne Brooks finished her medical training at the age of 40, she had already been a Catholic nun for most of her life. She began her career in the small town of Tutwiler (population 1,364, average per capita income $7,177) in the Mississippi Delta, where she re-opened a shuttered medical clinic that now treats the "whole person" on a shoestring budget.
Hosted by Gary Epstein. This week's guest was nominated by the
Guest: Dorothy Mitchell-Leef, MD
Host: Gary Epstein
Dr. Dorothy Mitchell-Leef tells host Gary Epstein why she decided to go into medicine, despite the lack at the time of female physician role models, details many of the changes she has seen in the evolution of the role of women in medical practice. She also discusses the changes in reproductive medicine she has seen and worked on. Her practice had the very first IVF baby born in Georgia, the first ICSI baby in the United States, as well as the first frozen egg pregnancy in the United States, the first gestational pregnancy in Georgia, and other firsts.
This week's guest was nominated by the
Guest: J. Edward Hill, MD
Host: Gary Epstein
Dr. J. Edward Hill has participated in both practice and policy. He began in family practice in the rural Mississippi Delta, and started an extremely successful maternal child health program that was instrumental in lowering fetal mortality. Dr. Hill also served as the president of the American Medical Association and was president of the World Medical Association for four years. Dr. Hill and host Gary Epstein discuss policy, practice and the future of medicine.
This week's guest was nominated by the
Guest: Wendell Potter
Host: Gary Epstein
Host of Voices From American Medicine, Gary Epstein, talks this week with Wendell Potter, author of Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans. Mr. Potter made headlines as a former PR executive for the insurance industry turned whistle blower, testifying before Congress about insurance companies' influence over medical decisions and PR tactics to stymie the debate around healthcare reform and the public option.