Clinician's Roundtable

Host: Barnett Mennen, MD Guest: Sarah Hallberg, MD Carbohydrates are our main source of energy and provide important nutrients for good health. However, they are also the main culprit behind elevated blood sugar and are problematic for diabetic patients trying to control their blood sugar levels. Host Dr. Barry Mennen sits down with Dr. Sarah Hallberg to talk about carbohydrate restriction as a key to successful weight loss programs. She prescribes that adherence to a low-carb, high-fat diet is vital to patients for controlling their diabetes, with the possibility of being able to come off medications over time. Dr. Sarah Hallberg is the Medical Director at Virta Health and Founder of the Indiana University-Arnett Health Medical Weight Loss Program in Lafayette, Indiana.

Host: John J. Russell, MD Guest: Thomas Doyle, MD About 40,000 babies are born with Congenital Heart Disease each year, making it one of the most common birth defects and causes of infant death in the US. CHD is usually present at birth but shows very few outward signs and, in most cases has no known cause or origin. New and evolving surgical techniques, along with the dawn of pediatric heart transplant, are transforming the field of pediatric cardiology and offer new options for CHD patients. Host Dr. John Russell talks with Dr. Thomas Doyle about how continued research, improved surgical treatments and, emerging technology have altered the course of treatment for CHD, resulting in approximately 69% of children with CHD now living to age 18. Dr. Thomas Doyle is the Ann and Monroe Carell Jr. Family Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Doyle was a 2016 Project Heart CHD research grant recipient.

Host: Shira Johnson, MD Guest: Bennett Omalu, MD Many studies have demonstrated long-lasting and even permanent brain damage that can originate from just one concussion. With athletes suffering multiple repeated head traumas due to high-contact sports, the controversies over player safety and long-term health risks remain hot-button issues. Pathologist Dr. Bennett Omalu coined the term "CTE" and published the first evidence for chronic traumatic encephalopathy after autopsying American football players. In this second of a two-part interview, he shares his perspectives on CTE in athletes and the lifelong dangers of contact sports.

Host: Shira Johnson, MD Guest: Bennett Omalu, MD Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease found in athletes, military veterans, and others who experience repetitive brain trauma. Pathologist Dr. Bennett Omalu coined the term "CTE" and published the first evidence for this condition after autopsying American football players. Host Dr. Shira Johnson welcomes Dr. Omalu to share the story of his discovery and the medical, athletic, and public responses that followed.

Host: Thomas C. Wright, Jr., MD Guest: Andrew M. Kaunitz, MD, FACOG Recorded live at a recent Women’s Health Annual Visit symposium, host Dr. Thomas Wright Jr. welcomed Dr Andrew Kaunitz to discuss the misconceptions of hormonal therapy of menopausal patients, current guidelines and recommendations, and patient safety. Dr. Andrew Kaunitz is Professor and Associate Chair of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Florida College of Medicine. He also serves as Director of Menopause and Gynecologic Ultrasound Services at Southside Women's Health.

Host: Andrea J. Singer, MD, FACP, CCD Guest: Lisa Larkin, MD, FACP, NCMP, IF Direct Primary Care, or DPC, is a new healthcare model that focuses on affordability, accessibility and personalization. Health insurance is an obstacle that many patients face and one of DCP's goals is to create an affordable way for patients to get the healthcare they need at a reasonable price with a physician who has the time to see them. Joining Dr. Andrea Singer in this emerging discussion of Direct Primary Care is Dr. Lisa Larkin, President and CEO of Lisa Larkin M.D. & Associates, Internal Medicine and Women's Health Group Practice, Medical Director of Women's Health Services for TriHealth Corporate Health, and Founder of the Cinncinati Sexual Health Consortium in Cinncinati, Ohio. The two discuss both the benefits and challenges of Direct Primary Care as well as the similiarities and differences between DCP and traditional primary care.

Host: Matt Rosenberg, MD Guest: Zil Garner Golstein, FNP-BC The medical knowledge needed to treat trangender patients is not as equipped as it should be, which leads to trouble in finding adequate doctors to meet their specifc needs. This conversation includes tips on how to offer transgender patients adequate healthcare and how medical practioners can make their offices more welcoming. Joining Dr. Matt Rosenberg in this discussion is Ms. Zil Gardner Goldstein, Family Nurse Practioner, Assistant Professor of Medical Education at the Icahn School of Medicine, and Program Director at the Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery at Mount Sinai.

Host: Andrea J. Singer, MD, FACP, CCD Guest: Stephen M. Cohen, MD, FACOG Over 6 million women in the United States are impacted by infertility. Luckily, there are many treatment options available for couples dealing with infertility, and there are many things physicians can do to help infertile couples in their office. At a recent live event in Pasadena, CA, program moderator, Dr. Andrea Singer, was joined by Dr. Stephen M. Cohen, Faculty at SUNY Upstate Medical School in Syracuse, New York to discuss infertility testing and treatments.

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD "Medical improv" is an emerging subset of comedic performance art using improvisational theater principles and training techniques to improve communication, cognition, and teamwork among health care professionals. Joining Host Dr. Michael Greenberg is Valeri Lantz-Gefroh, Improvisation Program Director at the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science at Stony Brook University. They talk about how the fundamentals of improv can be applied to medical practices.

Host: Matt Rosenberg, MD Guest: Aiden Harrington, ANP, CNM Current CDC Treatment Guidelines include transgender men and women as special populations. These guidelines recommend risk assessment based on current anatomy and sexual behaviors and screening for asymptomatic STIs based on the patient's history and sexual practices. At a recent live event recorded in Chicago, moderator Dr. Matt T. Rosenberg welcomes Aiden Harrington, ANP, CNM from Howard Brown Health in Chicago, Illinois. Topics covered include health risks in the LGBTQ community, STI screening and treatment, and how to discuss sexuality with your patients.

Host: Andrew Wilner, MD, Author of "The Locum Life: A Physician's Guide to Locum Tenens" There is still a great deal to learn about the long term effects of blast injuries on military personnel. Emerging evidence suggests that exposure to a blast can produce both overt and subtle neurological consequences in the brain, but much remains unknown. Host Dr. Andrew Wilner is joined by Dr. Jack Tsao, Director of Traumatic Brain Injury Programs for the US Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, and Professor of Neurology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. He is a Captain in the United States Navy, and an expert in detection and prevention of traumatic brain injury in active duty military personnel.

Host: David Weisman, MD It is estimated that approximately 30% of epilepsy patients are drug-resistant, meaning their seizures do not successfully respond to anti-seizure medications. What other treatment options are available to patients who aren’t responding to medication? Host Dr. David Weisman chats with Dr. Lara Marcuse, Co-Director of Mount Sinai Epilepsy Center, about new and emerging treatment options for epilepsy.

Host: Shira Johnson, MD Physicians spend their entire careers striving to heal sick patients. But when these care providers become patients themselves, the abrupt reversal of roles can make for difficult adjustments. Host Dr. Shira Johnson sits down with Dr. John Mulligan, VP for Emergency Room Physicians Medical Group and a practicing emergency physician, to share his experience, takeaways, and advice for transitioning from doctor to patient.

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Guest: Michele Meltzer, MD Rheumatology services are limited or non-existent in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Basic diagnostic tests, biological agents, and treatments are either unavailable or not affordable for the majority of people living in that area. This shortage results in patients not having the benefit of early diagnosis and management of relatively cheap and cost-effective therapies. Instead, they present at advanced stages of disease with otherwise preventable morbidity. Host Michael Greenberg chats with Dr. Michele Meltzer, Associate Professor at Jefferson University Hospitals in Philadelphia and President of the non-profit organization, Rheumatology for All, about providing medical training and care for countries with limited or non-existent rheumatology services.

Host: Andrew Wilner, MD, Author of "The Locum Life: A Physician's Guide to Locum Tenens" While most people with epilepsy are treated with medications, other modalities such as surgery, diet, and neuromodulation are often necessary. Since the FDA approval of the vagus nerve stimulator in 1997, there has been a growing interest in neuromodulation. A second, more sophisticated device, the responsive neurostimulator, received FDA approval in 2013. Host Andrew Wilner talks with Dr. Robert Fisher, Professor of Neurology and Director of the Sandford Epilepsy Center at Stanford University about the role of neuromodulation therapy for treatment of epilepsy.

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Medical schools are increasingly adapting improv tools to enhance patient interviewing, simulate difficult conversations and facilitate learning in medical teams. Research has shown that such training can enhance physician-patient communication and improve diagnostic accuracy, patients’ adherence to treatment, and overall patient satisfaction. Host Dr. Michael Greenberg chats with Lillian Frances, owner of Laugh Out Loud Theater in Chicago, about how improv comedy training and the phrase “yes and” can improve your skills as a health care provider.

Host: David Weisman, MD Guest: John Khoury, MD For the first time, the FDA has approved a direct-to-consumer genetic test from 23andme that will inform patients if they are predisposed to diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer's, and Celiac Disease among others. Proponents applaud this decision, saying this will allow for people to know their genetic health risks and be more proactive about their health. Others argue that this information doesn’t tell the whole story since predisposition doesn't reflect someone's ultimate risk or likelihood of developing a disease. What are the benefits and liabilities of consumers' access to genetic testing? Host Dr. David Weisman, Director of Clinical Trials at Abington Neurological Associates, sits down with Dr. John Khoury, Associate Director at Abington Memorial Hospital Sleep Disorders Center, to debate the merits and pitfalls of direct-to-consumer genetic testing.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Guest: Matthew Fiedler The future of the Affordable Care Act is uncertain. While there has been much talk about repeal and replace, legislative efforts to carry through with this initiative have failed to gain any bipartisan support and have since fallen short of passing. Host Dr. Matt Birnholz sits down with Matthew Fiedler to discuss the latest issues involved in health care reform. Mr. Fiedler is a Fellow with the Center for Health Policy at the Brookings' Institution’s Economic Studies Program. Prior to joining Brookings, Fiedler served as Chief Economist of the Council of Economic Advisers, where he oversaw the Council's work on health care policy, including the ACA’s health insurance reforms, Medicaid expansion, and provider payment reform efforts.

Host: Andrew Wilner, MD, Author of "The Locum Life: A Physician's Guide to Locum Tenens" Guest: Michael Weisberg, MD What happens when you are admitted to the hospital as a patient, and the physician assigned to be your doctor has never seen you before and knows absolutely nothing about you? Says Dr. Michael Weisberg, gastroenterologist and author of The Hospitalist, situations like these are increasingly common in modern medicine and can have disastrous consequences for patients. Dr. Weisberg joins host Dr. Andrew Wilner to talk about his novel, which underscores how doctors are now at heightened risk of being thwarted by the modern health care system.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Guest: Luanne Freer, MD Practicing medicine at 17,000 feet brings a unique set of challenges for doctors, including altitude-related sicknesses, IV fluids freezing, and the need for duct tape to serve as an essential medical tool. Dr. Matt Birnholz chats with Dr. Luanne Freer, Founder and Director of Everest ER, a medical clinic at Mount Everest Base Camp serving Everest climbers, support staff, and the local Nepalese population. To find out more information about Everest ER, please visit http://www.everester.org.