Healthcare Archives - Page 20 of 25

Patient Engagement – Top Docs Radio

February 25, 2015 by angishields

Top Docs Radio

Patient Engagement - Top Docs Radio

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Patient Engagement

This week I caught up with our friend, Frank Martin, of The Medical Consultants Group. We talked about how his consulting firm can help a wide range of medical practices, from solo offices to multi-site large groups. Frank talked about the variety of facets of a business that is a medical practice improve operations.

Frank talked about strategies for helping patients related to managing their out-of-pocket obligation, including deductible and co-payment. We also discussed how the ACA has placed new emphasis on patient satisfaction and outcomes relating to how the practice (or isn’t) reimbursed. Another requirement is to provide an electronic portal that allows remote access to patient data BY the patient, coupled with a means to transmit/receive relevant information to/from patients.

We discussed the difference between legacy EMR systems (where software was installed on hardware in the office) and cloud-based applications where data and the software exist on a remote cloud-computing-based architecture. The decision-making capability of the cloud-based applications, coupled with security and rapid access to important data, make modern cloud-based EMR applications the wise choice for practices to convert to today. These modern applications do not require on-site updates of the application on every device. Now, the application is updated where it lives, meaning the user’s experience is not interrupted or inconvenienced.

Frank places great emphasis on helping his client practices become better-running businesses. To that end he works with the group to be able to change processes, or software, business plan, and/or other key facets such as office location and office space leasing to operate more efficiently and profitably.

Special Guest

Frank Martin / Medical Consultants Group

Past recipient, “Volunteer of the Year, Big Brothers Big Sisters”
Published author
Successful entrepreneur in the healthcare sector

National Parkinson Foundation

February 18, 2015 by angishields

Health Connect South

National Parkinson Foundation

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National Parkinson Foundation

This week we sat down with the President and CEO of National Parkinson Foundation, Joyce Oberdorf and Larry Kahn, CEO/Founder of PD Gladiators, a man who develoed early-onset Parkinson disease. Approximately 1 Million people are living with Parkinson disease in the US today. The National Parkinson Foundation’s website describes Parkinson disease this way, “Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a chronic and progressive movement disorder, meaning that symptoms continue and worsen over time. Nearly one million people in the US are living with Parkinson’s disease. The cause is unknown, and although there is presently no cure, there are treatment options such as medication and surgery to manage its symptoms.

Parkinson’s involves the malfunction and death of vital nerve cells in the brain, called neurons. Parkinson’s primarily affects neurons in the an area of the brain called the substantia nigra. Some of these dying neurons produce dopamine, a chemical that sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination. As PD progresses, the amount of dopamine produced in the brain decreases, leaving a person unable to control movement normally.”

Joyce came by to talk about research the National Parkinson Foundation is supporting that is aimed at improving the quality of life of patients living with the disease today. They seek to share best practices that show promise among providers, with regard to the pace of progression and/or severity of symptoms so these persons can enjoy life more fully, longer.

She brought Larry Kahn, founder of PD Gladiators, a boxing gym exclusively for PD patients that was launched after Larry learned about and experienced the benefits of vigorous exercise on his symptoms. He shared his poignant story about learning he has PD (after having had it missed over a year earlier by his initial doctor), how he and his wife approached the diagnosis, and how/why he started PD Gladiators. Larry and Joyce talked about research that has shown the benefits of vigorous exercise on cognitive function among ALL of us, including PD patients. They endeavor to share that information widely so that more PD patients can receive the reparative benefits themselves.

We talked about the resources needed by the National Parkinson Foundation and Larry that will enable them to further advance awareness and quality of life among Parkinson disease patients. We hope you share this podcast, as the information they shared will very likely help someone you care about who’s suffering with Parkinson today.

Special Guests:

Joyce Oberdorf, President and CEO, National Parkinson Foundation

Larry Kahn, Founder, CEO, PD Gladiators

The 4 R’s of Gut Health – Top Docs Radio

February 18, 2015 by angishields

Top Docs Radio

The 4 R's of Gut Health - Top Docs Radio

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The 4 R’s of Gut Health

Did you know that as much as 80% of your body’s immune capacity comes from your gut? Neither did we. That’s why we’re glad Dr. Ellie Campbell of Campbell Family Medicine came by to blow our minds(again) with information (The 4 R’s of Gut Health) about ways we can dramatically improve our health. She shared how she progressed from her traditional primary care practice to a Direct Pay model to get away from the pressure to see more patients, faster, in order to make a respectable physician’s income. In her office she doesn’t work with insurance companies. Instead, her patients simply pay a monthly membership fee to have access to her 24 hours a day, 7 days per week (sometimes even when on vacation!). She also wanted to be able to provide care to her patients that is based on best practices and evidence rather than being simply limited to what an insurance company will or won’t pay for.

We talked about the fact that, with limited time per patient, prescribing a medication and moving on to the next patient is often the way physicians must conduct their practice. She shared how allergic responses to foods and other environmental sources are behind many of our illnesses (or mirror many illnesses). We also talked about how important what we eat and drink is in our overall health. Dr. Campbell described how food and beverages have such dramatic impacts on our hormone levels and cellular health that we need to look at what we consume much like drugs one can take in a pill.

Dr. Campbell discussed The 4 R’s of Gut Health, going over foods we should eliminate (or at a minimum significantly reduce) from our diets because they cause inflammatory responses in the gut and vascular system (and elsewhere). Things like wheat and plants from the nightshade family such as tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, and eggplant can, for many, create allergic reactions. The challenge is, many of these allergic responses don’t manifest in immediately-recognizable ways. It could be a general feeling of malaise, skin problems, GI problems that can emulate reflux, and more.

The 4 R’s of Gut Health (Explained in greater detail in the interview):

Remove offending substances from the diet.
Replace digestive enzymes, bile salts, immunoglobulins, DAO, and stomach acid where necessary
Re-inoculate the bowel with pre- and probiotics
Repair gastroentestinal mucosa through proper nutritional support

Special Guests:

Dr. Ellie Campbell, DO, Family Practice & Integrative Medicine at Campbell Family Medicine

Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine
Family Medicine Residency, Medical College of Georgia
Board Certified Family Medicine

GeorgiaSHAPE

February 12, 2015 by angishields

Health Connect South

GeorgiaSHAPE

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GeorgiaSHAPE

The Centers for Disease Control published these striking statistics about childhood obesity in the US:

Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years.^{1, 2}
The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2012. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to nearly 21% over the same period.^{1, 2}
In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.¹
Overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors.³ Obesity is defined as having excess body fat.⁴
Overweight and obesity are the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed—and are affected by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors.^5,6

Clearly, the trends are alarming and we must act now to reverse them or we will face enormous human and financial costs in a variety of health issues that tend to increase among obese patients. Obese persons face higher rates of developing diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, poor healing, and other challenges. In addition to the health concerns associated with obesity, research has revealed connections between physical activity and academic performance.

We sat down with several key team members from the multifaceted task force whose goal it is to tackle the problem of obesity and caloric imbalance among our youth. Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, MD, serves as the Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) and State Health Officer. In addition to her numerous duties, she oversees a program put forth by the governor called, “GeorgiaSHAPE“. This program, a public-private partnership, provides research-supported recommendations for Georgia schools to incorporate an additional 30 minutes of physical activity in the course of the day (often within the classroom itself during brief breaks from academic work). See: Pledge to Power Up for 30 The goal is to enroll the roughly 1300 state-wide grade schools into the program to help reduce obesity and improve academic performance. Participating schools receive funds to support the program and also gain access to grants through philanthropic organizations such as the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation.

Along with Dr. Fitzgerald we hosted experts from the Georgia Department of Education, Georgia State University’s Public Health Policy Center, HealthMPowers, the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation, and an educator and student from Carrollton Elementary Schools (one of the early adopters of the program). They shared research findings regarding the value of physical activity as it relates to brain function and, correspondingly, math, reading, and spelling performance among young students. We talked about the fact that currently, only ~1/3rd of Georgia’s schools are enrolled to participate in this important program that has clear, far-reaching benefits to our young people and our collective community health.

“You need to remember that yes, there had been an increase throughout the country [in childhood obesity]. But, Georgia, as far as childhood obesity—we were the second worst state in the entire country,” according to Dr. Fitzgerald. “. . .We now have three years of measurements from looking at Georgia’s children. . .Here are the numbers: 40% of the children in our school systems are not at a healthy weight. . .Here’s the one that scares me. We looked at a variety of things—not just weight. But also, it’s called ‘aerobic capacity’. And we looked at flexibility and we looked at muscle strength. And, the tests are not trying out for the Olympics. It’s not even trying out for the football team. It’s walking a mile and touching your toes. And only 19% of Georgia’s children were able to do all tests. . . So, clearly, this became the governor’s main interest because we knew unhealthy kids, of course, would lead to unhealthy adults.”

Panelists:

Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, MD, Commissioner of Georgia Department of Health

Dr. John Bare, PhD, Vice President of Programs, Arthur M. Blank Foundation and Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation

Dr. Emily Vall, PhD, Obesity Project Manager, GeorgiaSHAPE

Diana Keough, CEO/Founder, ShareWIK Media Group

Deborah Kibbie, Georgia State University Public Health Policy Center, Chief Evaluator of GeorgiaSHAPE

Therese McGuire, Health and Physical Education Program Specialist at Georgia Department of Education

Wendy McDowell, Educator, Carrollton County Elementary Schools

Colt Shadrix, 3rd Grade Student, Carrollton Elementary Schools

Correctional Medicine – Top Docs Radio

February 12, 2015 by angishields

Top Docs Radio

Correctional Medicine - Top Docs Radio

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Correctional Medicine

This week we continued our monthly series with Medical Association of Georgia. I sat down with MAG CEO/Executive Director, Donald Palmisano, Jr., and Director of Correctional Medicine, Clyde Maxwell. We talked about how MAG became involved with accreditation of numerous correctional medicine facilities in the state of Georgia.

MAG created its Correctional Medicine Committee in 1975 – following the prison riots in Attica, New York, and just before Georgia State Prison was placed under the jurisdiction of the federal courts for maintaining health care facilities that violated a constitutional prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment. The committee was charged with “studying and recommending ways to improve the delivery of health care in non-federal prisons in Georgia.”

MAG developed standards for evaluating health care in jails and prisons in the state as part of a national initiative; these evolved into the standards that are now used by the National Commission on Correctional Health Care.

In 1982, MAG developed legislation to establish an accreditation program for health care for correctional facilities in Georgia. The state began funding the program in 1983, and MAG subsequently started charging application fees for site accreditation visits.

The Medical College of Georgia assumed responsibility for the health services contract for state prisons in the 1990s.

MAG currently surveys eight county jails and 33 state prisons.

A number of major deficiencies have been corrected at jails and prisons in the state as a result of MAG’s site accreditation visits, including some that were related to…

Physician and nurse licensure
Physician and nurse CPR/ACLS certification
Expired pharmaceuticals
Needle and narcotics security
Nurse call systems
Inmate physicals
Mandatory CQI and infection control meetings

Special Guests:

Donald Palmisano, CEO, Executive Director of Medical Association of Georgia

JD Law, Loyola School of Law
Board of Directors, Physician Advocacy Institute
Medical Payment Subcommitte Member, State Board of Workers’ Compensation
Treasurer, Board of Directors, Physicians’ Institute for Excellence in Medicine
Former Director, Government Relations/General Counsel/Director, GAMPAC

Clyde Maxwell, Director of Correctional Medicine of Medical Association of Georgia

Masters, Hospital Administration, Baylor University
Certified Correctional Health Professional
Active duty in the Medical Service Corps for more than 20 years
Designed the “Quick Reaction Hospital” that is used to respond to natural disasters through much of the world

Georgia Prostate Cancer Coalition – Top Docs Radio

February 11, 2015 by angishields

Top Docs Radio

Georgia Prostate Cancer Coalition - Top Docs Radio

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Georgia Prostate Cancer Coalition

Statistics show that 1 in 6 men will develop prostate cancer in their lifetime. The risk for developing the disease rises with age, being most prevalent among men over the age of 60. However, the risk begins to rise after 40 and prevailing medical thought is men should get at a minimum a PSA test (a blood test that can detect prostate cancer) or if possible a digital rectal exam as well around the age of 40. This will provide an early warning if there are worrisome findings on either study that will afford the patient more options for treatment that are much less traumatic and much more likely to be successful than if the cancer is found at a more advanced stage.

Ken shared his own story about how he was found to have a lump on his prostate on an insurance exam but was not actually recommended to have a biopsy until roughly a year later. At that point it was found he did, in fact, have prostate cancer and that it was a more advanced stage. He ended up having a radical prostatectomy, followed by a recurrence of the cancer. To fight the recurrence of the cancer he underwent radiation therapy and more surgeries. After all of that it was found his PSA levels were rising yet again, prompting his physicians to recommend hormone therapy to slow the progress of the cancer.

After his challenging experiences he began to work to increase awareness of the value of early detection of the disease to help his male counterparts avoid having to undergo similar difficulties. He interfaced with the American Cancer Society to lobby for increased information for men about the risks of prostate cancer and the benefits of early detection. He spent some time as a spokesman for the American Cancer Society. He ultimately co-founded the Georgia Prostate Cancer Coalition, a non-profit organization aimed at creating community awareness as well as raising funds to help provide screening (including some free PSA testing) for men in the community. The organization also collaborates with community businesses to help them provide prostate cancer screening for their male employees.

In speaking with Ken it’s clear that we men can do ourselves a big favor and go to our primary care physician or one of the screening events held by the Georgia Prostate Cancer Coalition to get a PSA test done and ideally, couple that with a digital rectal exam. If our lot in life is to be a prostate cancer patient, we can have a large impact on what our journey is like in dealing with it if we endeavor to catch it early.

Special Guest:

Ken Stevens, Co-founder of Georgia Prostate Cancer Coalition

Innovations in Heart Health

February 4, 2015 by angishields

Health Connect South

Innovations in Heart Health

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Innovations in Heart Health

This week, for Week 5, we focused on innovations in heart health. Emory physician, researcher, and professor, Dr. Omar Lattouf came by to share about research he’s been working on developing new techniques for some challenging heart disorders, and an exciting project he’s working on that is aimed at reducing the number of patients who die from cardiometabolic syndrome. Dr. Lattouf’s work on how conduction problems are treated by insertion of pace makers using a minimally-invasive approach has helped improved outcomes for countless critically-ill patients. Dr. Lattouf talked about their soon-to-launch study on an application designed to help patients with, or at risk for, cardiometabolic syndrome. The application will empower patients to track key vital signs and other health information and make decisions that will improve key factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure, weight, and more. As Dr. Lattouf shared his personal story about his own family’s experience with heart disease, his passion for helping fight heart disease, which in large part is preventable, was obvious.

Robert Arkin, CEO and Founder of Sensiotec joined us to talk about the way they are using technology and health data to provide clinicians the ability to monitor key vital signs and patient movement patterns in a hands-off way. He talked about how he has long held a desire to help his community on a large scale that he knew that being involved in developing healthcare innovations provides the best way to do that. Robert described how their device uses a special radar technology that is able to measure body movements and even internal organ function, providing real-time vital signs and patient movement patterns. Their technology’s algorithms enable providers to get a degree of predictive information that could potentially help avoid patient falls/injury, or even detect troublesome trends in vital signs that could enable proactive care decisions that could prevent a serious cardiovascular event.

These two health innovators discussed the additional resources they need that could facilitate the acceleration of their respective work with regard to making their solutions available to patients on a larger scale. We are pleased to support their work by helping them tell their story.

Special Guests:

Dr. Omar Lattouf, MD, of Emory University School of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine
Board Certified, American Board of Surgery, American Board of Thoracic Surgery
Performed Georgia’s first domino heart transplant
He and a colleague implanted the state’s first Abiomed biventricular assist system to support the failing heart of a patient suffering from post-cardiotomy shock

Robert Arkin, CEO of Sensiotec

Juris Doctor, University of Virginia School of Law
Recipient, 2012 Atlanta Business Chronicle Healthcare Heroes Award for Healthcare Innovation
Fomer CEO, Chairman, Modavox, Inc.
Former Member, Board of Directors, Frontline Healthcare Workers Safety Foundation

Mitochondrial Diseases and Hyperbaric Medicine – Top Docs Radio

January 30, 2015 by angishields

Top Docs Radio

Mitochondrial Diseases and Hyperbaric Medicine - Top Docs Radio

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Mitochondrial Diseases and Hyperbaric Medicine

This week I sat down with experts in the fields of mitochondrial diseases and hyperbaric medicine. Each cell in our body has an “engine” where the nutrition we consume through eating is converted to the energy we need to function and survive. These engines are known as “Mitochondria”. These cellular components use genetic code to function and on occasion there will be problems with the genetic code or with how it is decoded. In these cases, a variety of health problems can reveal themselves, depending on what sort of tissue is made up by these cells in question. These can range from challenges with learning, developmental problems, or disease states such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Muscular Dystrophy, and others. Dr. John Shoffner, neurologist and geneticist of Medical Neurogenetics came by with Laura Stanley of the Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine.

We talked about the research Dr. Shoffner is doing in an effort to find medical therapies that could help patients who are dealing with the variety of disorders caused by mitochondrial dysfunction. We talked about how challenging it can be to identify a health problem(s) that are caused by mitochondrial disease unless a patient’s family is fortunate enough to be seen by a physician familiar with the genetic tests that can be utilized to diagnose them.

As described by the Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine, “Every aspect of our beings – seeing, breathing, thinking, moving – requires energy. Mitochondria, often called the cells’ “powerhouses,” supply that energy by turning raw materials found in the food we eat and in the air we breathe into a substance called ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which our cells can use as fuel. ATP is, quite simply, vital to life. Without enough ATP, children cannot appropriately develop, grow, learn, move, or even sleep. Adults without enough ATP are unable to sustain brain, muscle, and other vital organ function. A deficit of ATP can also cause invisible damage in some disease states, leading to early failure or dysfunction of organs, or just a chronic state of inefficiency leading to pain, fatigue, changes or limitations in thinking and learning, and increased susceptibility to acquired diseases.”

Laura and Dr. Shoffner shared how they are working to improve awareness of mitochondrial diseases and through research, uncover treatments to halt or at least slow the effects of these diseases. The ultimate goal is to find a way to prevent or reverse these problems.

Dr. Helen Gelly joined us to talk about a recent article she co-authored with Dr. Caroline Fife in Today’s Wound Clinic, called, “Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Wound Care: A Service Under True Pressure“. In the article, Dr. Gelly and Dr. Fife talked about how numerous Medicare Administrative Contractors and Commercial insurers are making changes to indications they are willing to reimburse hyperbaric oxygen therapy for. That means that patients with wounds that place them at risk for amputation or for degraded quality of life due to previous radiation therapy may not be able to receive this evidence-based, effective treatment. We talked about how in some cases where the providers in a given MAC were asked for clinical documentation of their HBO treatments provided, as many as 30% failed to respond. Dr. Gelly shared how this lack of response leads to suspicions of fraud.

It was clear from the Today’s Wound Clinic article and from our conversation that hyperbaric medicine specialists must begin to activate and collaborate to protect this evidence-proven treatment modality. HBO providers need to not only be responsive to requests for data but ACTIVE as it relates to advocating on behalf of educated decisions being made as it relates to the availability of the modality for tomorrow’s patients in need.

Special Guests:

Dr. John Shoffer, MD, CEO of Medical Neurogenics

Former Associate professor of neurology and molecular medicine at Emory University
Former Director of the molecular diagnostics program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Discovered some of the first gene mutations causing mitochondrial diseases and one of the first genes causing epilepsy
Finalist, 2012 Atlanta Business Chronicle’s Health-Care Heroes Awards

Laura Stanley, of Foundation for Mitochondrial Medicine

IMBA, University of South Carolina Darla Moore School of Business
Former Senior Associate, Korn Ferry
Former Vice President, EzGov
Parent of a child with mitochondrial disease

Dr. Helen Gelly, MD of HyperbaRXs

Doctor of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine
Internship/Residency: Pediatrics/Emergency Medicine at Emory University Affiliated Hospitals
Board Certified in Emergency Medicine
Fellow of the American College of Emergency Physicians
Fellow of the American College of Certified Wound Specialists
Subspecialty Certified Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine

Alzheimer’s Research

January 28, 2015 by angishields

Health Connect South

Alzheimer's Research

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Alzheimer’s Research

This week we sat down with experts in neurologic diseases and alzheimer’s research. According to the CDC,

In 2013, as many as 5 million Americans were living with Alzheimer’s disease.¹
The symptoms of the disease first appear after age 60 and the risk increases with age.
Younger people may get Alzheimer’s disease, but it is less common.
The number of people with the disease doubles every 5 years beyond age 65.
By 2050, this number is projected to rise to 14 million, a nearly three-fold increase.¹

This devastating disease currently has no cure. In our ongoing mission to get the word out about important research and health solutions available in our community we focused this week on studies and solutions that will likely have a marked impact on patient outcomes.

We were joined by Dr. Marshall Nash, a neurologist whose practice is focused on investigating a variety of diseases of the brain, including alzheimer’s disease, stroke, Parkinson’s disease and others. He shared his personal story of how as a teenager he learned a family member was developing dementia and at the time there was essentially nothing that could be done for them. He talked about how the experience potentially influenced his decision to focus on neurology as his clinical field in medical school. His practice has transitioned from a neurology practice to one focused on research. We discussed the Tommorrow Study, in which they are looking to find older adults from 65-83 who are in essentially good health that they can evaluate for potential to develop dementia/alzheimer’s as well as effectiveness of medications to slow/prevent progression if it does occur.

We also spoke with a gentleman in studio whose wife has been a participant in a study with Dr. Nash’s practice, and who has since learned that he also carries genetic markers that place him at risk for alzheimer’s/dementia. He shared his perspective on how being a part of Dr. Nash’s research helped him and his wife. He gave advice to folks in the community to talk about changes in mental function/memory with their physicians and his view on the value of knowing if you or a loved one is at risk for developing alzheimer’s/dementia.

Jim Schwoebel, co-founder of Neurolaunch came by to talk about their organization that serves as an incubator/accelerator for start-ups focused on addressing neurologic diseases. Neurolaunch helps device companies, emerging pharma, and researchers commercialize their ideas to help get them to the community more quickly. Jim talked about how long it can take to go from idea/research to a product or medication to reach the community in need these solutions serve. He introduced us to Alex Turjman, CEO of Cognition Medical.

Cognition Medical is a company developing a device to be used in treating acute strokes. We know that during the acute phase of stroke, the area of damage can be extended in some patients when blood flow is re-established quickly (called reperfusion injury). Their device helps modulate the rate that blood flow is resumed to the injured area of the brain, preventing the reperfusion injury from occurring. Alex shared how interfacing with Neurolaunch has helped them make progress on the development of their device, bringing them closer to making the device available to patients in need.

Special Guests:

Dr. Marshall Nash, MD, of Neurostudies.net

Jim Schwoebel, Co-founder of Neurolaunch

Alex Turjman, CEO of Cognition Medical

Bob B., Significant Other of an Alzheimer’s patient