Clinician's Roundtable

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Integrative medicine is an approach to care that purports to address a more wholistic range of physical, emotional, mental, social, spiritual and environmental influences affecting a person’s health than traditional care models. How did this field come into prominence, and where is it headed? From the floors of the A4M Meeting in Las Vegas, Dr. Matt Birnholz talks with James LaValle, clinical pharmacist, nutritionist, and author, about the rise of integrated medicine and how clinicians are incorporating its principles in someone’s life.

Host: Patrice L Basanta-Henry, MD, MHSc, FACOG Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, including preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome, complicate up to 10% of pregnancies worldwide. Hypertension is the leading medical problem encountered in pregnancy and, despite major advances in medicine, remains one of the greatest causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. Host Dr. Patrice Basanta-Henry speaks with guest Dr. Fyama Wenner, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at Atlanta Maternal Fetal Medicine, about updated recommendations for the management of hypertensive disease in pregnancy.

Host: Shira Johnson, MD Guest: Charles N. Walker, MD Dr. Shira Johnson speaks with Dr. Charles Walker, Assistant Professor of Surgery in the Department of Urology at Yale University School of Medicine. The two focus on erectile dysfunction as a common complication for patients dealing with diabetes and heart disease, and ways that clinicians can help patients manage this problem through lifestyle modifications. Dr. Walker also introduces emerging pathophysiological understandings of ED as a potential predictor of diabetes.

Host: Renée Simone Yolanda Allen, MD, MHSc., FACOG Obstetrical emergency care units offer pregnant women highly-specialized emergency care as a better alternative to the traditional emergency room visit. These units have been proven to increase patient satisfaction and improve emergency room wait time lengths. Where are they being utilized, and what are the barriers to implementing them nationwide? Host Renee Allen talks with guests Dr. Brian Gilpin, National Clinical Director of Operations for OB Hospitalists at Mednax National Medical Group, and Dr. Christopher Swain, Founder and Chief Medical Officer for Ob Hospitalist Group (OBHG). They discuss the benefits and challenges of obstretical emergency care units.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Guest: Patricia Sulak, MD The American Heart Association instituted a Strategic Impact Goal to reduce the incidence of cardiovascular deaths and disabilities by 20% by 2020. Host Dr. Matt Birnholz chats with Dr. Patricia Sulak, Endowed Professor of the Texas A&M University College of Medicine about the 7 key health metrics to reduce cardiovascular deaths including blood pressure, physical activity, and healthy diet, among others.

Host: Renée Simone Yolanda Allen, MD, MHSc., FACOG Babies born before 37 weeks gestation face many challenges in their first weeks of life. For premature babies to thrive in the NICU, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends all preterm babies weighing less than 1500 grams be fed human milk. However, this recommendation creates a dilemma for mothers who are unable to supply their own breast milk and must therefore turn to donation programs to feed their babies. Dr. Renee Allen chats with Scott Elster, CEO of Prolacta Bioscience, about the goals of breast milk donor programs to improve health outcomes for critically ill preemies, while also reducing NICU costs.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Guest: Ronald J. Wapner, MD Innovations in medical genetics are changing the practice of obstetrics and gynecology. With advancing knowledge of underlying genetic predispositions, doctors can provide more precisioned care plans for patients in women's health centers. Dr. Matt Birnholz talks with Dr. Ronald J Wapner, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of Reproductive Genetics at Columbia University, about how the ever-changing field of medical genetics is revolutionizing OB/GYN treatment options and patient care.

Host: Renée Simone Yolanda Allen, MD, MHSc., FACOG Many physicians are daunted by the contract negotiation process for a new job. They often worry that employers will retract their offers if candidates try and negotiate for a more favorable contract. Dr. Renee Allen sits down with Arden Miller, JD, attorney with Cohen, Pollack, Merlin and Small P.C. in Atlanta, Georgia to talk about best practices for contract negotiation. They discuss guidelines physicians should employ while going through this process and ways to ensure an agreement is reached that is mutually beneficial to all involved.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Dr. Matt Birnholz sits down with Dr. Carl Schultz, Research Director at the Center for Disaster Medical Sciences at University of California, Irvine. Dr. Schultz is a Professor of Emergency Medicine at the UC Irvine and recipient of the Disaster Medical Science Award at ACEP. He talks about the challenges of securing funding for disaster relief in the field and the integration of citizen volunteers in a disaster incident.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Meningitis is one of the most feared manifestations of infectious disease for the medical community. Yet in spite of this fact, there are very few educational or advocacy-based resources dedicated to increasing public and professional awareness for meningococcal disease and updated prevention methods. Dr. Matt Birnholz talks with Lynn Bozof, cofounder and President of the National Meningitis Association, an organization fully dedicated to meningitis education and prevention. They discuss her family’s tragic experience with the deadly disease, the preventive mission that originated from this loss, and ongoing efforts to educate clinicians and patients on the need for vaccinations and boosters.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Cannabis is gaining increased acceptance within the medical community for pain relief and other supportive care applications. But for oncology specialties, the use of cannabis may additionally extend into therapeutic purposes for patients. From the floors of the A4M Conference in Las Vegas, Dr. Matt Birnholz speaks with Constance Finley, Founder and CEO of Constance Therapeutics, a California-based cannabis collective. The two discuss cannabis and cannabis oil applications for cancer patients, and their potential therapeutic effects.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD In the ongoing global campaign to prevent, treat, and cure HIV and AIDS, there have been countless therapeutic approaches targeting the HIV virus and everything it interacts with on the path to infection. But after decades of relentless infectivity claiming over 25 million lives, what if we could one day simply edit and delete the HIV virus right out of existence? Joining Dr. Matt Birnholz to discuss a novel research effort to leverage gene editing technology in the fight against HIV is Dr. Kamel Khalili, Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience, Director of the Center for Neuro-virology, and Director of the Comprehensive Neuro-AIDS Center at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD There is a curious American sentiment toward exercise that celebrates the mantra of "no pain, no gain." When exercise isn't followed by soreness, or when a sufficient amount of sweat hasn't been produced, participants are often led to believe that their efforts have been wasted. But is this notion actually valid, and do clinicians benefit their patients in advocating for standard exercise programs by extension? Furthermore, are there any lessons to be learned from physical therapy as a baseline for exercise programming? From the floors of Omnia Education's Women's Health Annual Visit in New York, Dr. Matt Birnholz speaks with Anne Koller, certified fitness professional and staff member of Aqua Studio, NY. Aqua is the first boutique studio specializing in the unique fitness pursuit of "aquacycling," a high intensity underwater cycling program. The two discuss trends in American exercise preferences at various ages, and how alternative experiences with fitness activities can h

Host: Patrice L Basanta-Henry, MD, MHSc, FACOG Guest: LaToya Stephens, MD Vaginal atrophy is a painful and emotionally distressing condition affecting many women, yet many suffer in silence. For those who find traditional treatment options to be ineffective, a vaginoplasty procedure already in use for cosmetic applications has been demonstrated to help counter the most severe symptoms. Join host Dr. Patrice Basanta Henry and Dr. Benita Stephens, Board Certified Ob-Gyn and founder of Ciao Bella Medical Center & Spa in Atlanta, GA, as they discuss the benefits and risks of "vaginal rejuvenation" procedures for symptomatic vaginal atrophy.

Host: Renée Simone Yolanda Allen, MD, MHSc., FACOG From the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. A woman's risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is about 1 in 75. Her lifetime chance of dying from ovarian cancer is about 1 in 100. Host Dr. Renee Allen is joined by Dr. Evelyn Reynolds to discuss critical updates in ovarian cancer, specifically dispelling the myth about ovarian cancer being a "silent killer." Dr. Reynolds an Associate Professor and Division Director of Gynecologic Oncology at the Morehouse School of Medicine. She is board-certified in General Obstetrics and Gynecology and also Gynecologic Oncology.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Inflammation plays a pivotal role in the development and persistence of many chronic diseases, but only recently has the human microbiome been linked as something more central to inflammatory processes than a passive reservoir. What roles do the gut, microbiome, and gut-brain axis play in chronic disease development, as well as prevention? From the floors of the A4M Conference in Las Vegas, Dr. Matt Birnholz speaks with James LaValle, founder and CEO of Metabolic Code Enterprises, Inc and a nationally recognized clinical pharmacist, author, and board certified clinical nutritionist. The two discuss expanded understandings of the microbiome's influence on human health and disease, both in the U.S. and worldwide.

Host: Thomas C. Wright, Jr., MD How should clinicians educate patients on recommended timing intervals for receiving pap smears based on updated guidelines? And for those patients who receive a positive HPV test, what counseling strategies and treatment pathways would be most helpful? Joining Dr. Thomas Wright from Omnia Education's Women's Health Annual Visit in Boston, MA is Dr. Dana Gossett, Division Chief of General Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation and Associate Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Host: Patrice L Basanta-Henry, MD, MHSc, FACOG Guest: Kenan R. Omurtag, MD It is estimated that 3 to 5% of all couples desiring pregnancy will suffer recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). What are our current understandings of this unfortunate condition, and how can patients be treated to support successful future pregnancies? Host Dr. Patrice Basanta-Henry discusses the many facets of this clinical issue with Dr Kenan Omurtag, Assistant Professor of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, Missouri.

Host: Renée Simone Yolanda Allen, MD, MHSc., FACOG Recent guidelines have been released on the recommended frequency of conducting pap smears, which has caused considerable debate between health care providers. How should non-gynecologists interpret these guidelines, as well as opposing views from specialists, for best performance of pap smears? And why in the age of DNA testing is this still an important exam? ReachMD host Dr. Renee Allen welcomes Dr. Jocelyn Slaughter-Moore, practicing obstetrician & gynecologist in private practice at Heras Healthcare for Women, to address these and other questions. Dr. Slaughter-Moore is an attending physician at Clearview Regional Medical Center and Eastside Medical Center in Georgia.

Host: Renée Simone Yolanda Allen, MD, MHSc., FACOG What is the role and importance of the Ob-Gyn Oncologist, especially for women diagnosed with pelvic cancers? What are some barriers patients face in seeing an Ob-Gyn Oncoloogist? And how can clinicians better partner with this group of specialists? In this episode, host Dr. Renee Allen explores answers to these questions with guest expert Dr. Evelyn Reynolds, board certified physician in both General Obstetrics & Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology. She is also an Associate Professor and Division Director of Gynecologic Oncology at the Morehouse School of Medicine.