Clinician's Roundtable

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 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: Andrew Wilner, MD, FACP, FAAN 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 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: 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, FACP, FAAN 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.

Host: Andrew Wilner, MD, FACP, FAAN Guest: Stanley Burns, MD The Burns Archive is best known for providing photographic evidence of forgotten, unseen, and at times disquieting aspects of medical history through its collection of over one million historic photographs. Stanley B. Burns, MD, founder of the Burns Archive, sits down with Dr. Andrew Wilner to talk about the story behind his amazing collection of historic photographs. To see some of the photos from the Burns Archive, check out our Burns Archive video. To see more photos in the Burns Archive, please visit http://www.burnsarchive.com/.

Host: Andrew Wilner, MD, FACP, FAAN Guest: Elizabeth Donner, MD Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) refers to the unexplained death of a seemingly healthy person with epilepsy where no cause of death can be found. What do doctors need to know about this mysterious and devastating phenomenon? Dr. Elizabeth Donner, Director of the Comprehensive Epilepsy Program and Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto joins host Dr. Andrew Wilner to talk about the risks and investigated causes of SUDEP.

Host: Andrew Wilner, MD, FACP, FAAN Guest: Thomas Snyder, MD Dr. Thomas Snyder, retired urologist, founder of the Society for the History of Navy Medicine, and the current Secretary of the Naval Order of the United States Foundation, speaks with Dr. Andrew Wilner about the history of naval medicine. They touch upon historical milestones such as building on Mare Island, the Navy's first West Coast hospital.

Host: Renée Simone Yolanda Allen, MD, MHSc., FACOG Guest: Heidi Faith Doulas have become an integral part of the obstetrics field. In recent years, a new, specialized type of doula, called the bereavement doula, has emerged. But what roles and duties are performed by this care provider? Host Dr. Renee Allen speaks with Heidi Faith, Founder, President and CEO of StillBirthDay, a highly specialized doula program. The two talk about the unique care roles a bereavement doula can play in the labor and delivery of stillborn babies.

Host: Andrew Wilner, MD, FACP, FAAN Guest: Lawrence Loh, MD Almost two-thirds of medical students expect to join a medical mission during medical school and their medical early careers. Yet despite positive intent, such short-term experiences may exacerbate global health inequities and even cause harm. Dr. Lawrence Loh, Adjunct Professor at the University of Toronto Dalla Lana School of Public Health, joins host Dr. Andrew Wilner to talk about the benefits and pitfalls of medical mission work for the communities being served.

Host: John Russell, MD Guest: Timothy Brigham, MD Physician stress and burnout are reaching epidemic proportions in the United States. Host, Dr. John Russell talks with Dr. Timothy Brigham, Chief of Staff and Senior Vice President of Education at the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, about what can be done to ensure work satisfaction and prevent burnout for health care professionals.

Host: Andrew Wilner, MD, FACP, FAAN Guest: John Kihm, MD Host Dr. Andrew Wilner explores different opportunities to combine medicine with outside interests when off call. Today, he talks with Dr. John Kihm, an internist in private practice in Durham, NC. who fell in love with North Carolina's Outer Banks and Ocracoke Island off Cape Hatteras while a 4th year medical student. He has found a way to combine his passion for volunteer medical work with his passion for flying by commuting to Ocracoke one weekend a month to conduct his special "house call" practice.

Host: Prathima Setty, MD More than one third of US adults are considered obese, and obesity-related conditions including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain cancers are now among the leading causes of preventable death in the United States. How are health care providers tackling this national and global problem? Dr. Prathima Setty talks with Dr. Neeraj Bhushan, an internal medicine physician with extensive experience in obesity and associated chronic illnesses, about how physicians can approach and counsel their patients in regard to managing obesity and obesity-related conditions.

Host: Prathima Setty, MD A couple of extra minutes attached to the umbilical cord at birth may translate into a significant boost in neurodevelopment several years later, research suggests. Dr. Prathima Setty is joined by Dr. Kecia Gaither, a perinatal consultant at St. Lukes Hospital in Kansas City, MO as they talk about how delaying cutting the umbilical cord can be beneficial.

Host: Andrew Wilner, MD, FACP, FAAN Guest: Steven Neal, MD Dr. Andrew Wilner chats with Dr. Steven Neal, board certified ENT surgeon and Fellow of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. Dr. Neal is a Clinical Instructor at the Oregon Health Science Center in Portland, OR, who also serves on the faculty of the Art of Rhinoplasty Course in San Francisco, CA. He teaches a seminar called "Aesthetics Boot Camp for Surgeons." and has taught hundreds of surgeons over the past 25 years to apply the "art" that must be combined with medical science to achieve optimal results with plastic surgery.

Host: John Russell, MD Guest: Amy Mackey, MD Hosts Dr. John Russell and Dr. Amy Mackey sit down to reflect on their individual and shared experiences participating in medical missions from their respective vantage points of family medicine and obstetrics & gynecology.

Host: John Russell, MD Guest: David Fajgenbaum, MD Castleman disease, a rare idiopathic multicentric disorder, is diagnosed in approximately 5000 people in the United States each year. When one 3rd year medical student suddenly found himself facing this diagnosis personally, at a time when knowledge about the disease was minimal, he helped create a broad-based initiative to address this knowledge gap. Host Dr. John Russell talks with Dr. David Fajgenbaum, a Research Assistant Professor of Medicine in Translational Medicine/Human Genetics and Associate Director of Patient Impact for the Penn Orphan Disease Center at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also co-founder of the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network, a global initiative dedicated to accelerating research and treatment for Castleman disease and improving survival for all patients.