Clinician's Roundtable

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD Guest: Stuart McGill, PhD Each year, 40 to 60 percent of American adults suffer from chronic back pain. More than one million spine surgery procedures are performed annually in the US, with medical costs to treat back pain approaching $24 billion per year. Dr. Stuart McGill, professor of spine biomechanics and chair of the department of kinesiology at the University of Wa...

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD Guest: Stuart McGill, PhD At some point nearly 85% of your patients below age 50 will present with back pain and nearly all of them will have at least one recurrence. Host Dr. Leslie Lundt welcomes Dr. Stuart McGill, professor of spine biomechanics and chair of the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Waterloo to review the primary causes of back pain.

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD Guest: Matthew W. Johnson, PhD It used to be common for researchers to study the potential medicinal uses for hallucinogenic drugs, including psilocybin, ecstasy, and LSD; however, the 60's left a blemish on legitimate research and it grinded to a halt. Host Dr. Leslie Lundt welcomes Dr. Matthew Johnson, a psychopharmacologist in the Department of Psychiatry at the Johns...

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD Guest: Peter R. Breggin, MD Our guest Dr. Peter Breggin, a psychiatrist now in private practice in Ithica New York has been convinced by the weight of scientific evidence and his years of clinical experience that psychiatric medications frequently cause patients to lose their judgment and their ability to control their emotions and actions. Needless to say, he is a contro...

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Peter Farrell Point-of-care testing has evolved in the last decade, allowing for immediate diagnostic testing at a patient's bedside. But a new study points to perhaps some usages and healthcare benefits not previously realized, particularly in the emergency room. Peter Farrell, divisional vice president of marketing and clinical affairs for Abbott Laboratories Point of C...

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Peter Farrell Some doctors may view it as a laboratory in their hand - the new point-of-care method of diagnostic testing, right at the patients bedside. Peter Farrell, divisional vice president of marketing and clinical affairs for Abbott Laboratories Point-of-Care business, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about the movement of hospitals, doctors and other healt...

Host: Maurice Pickard, MD Guest: James L. Gulley, MD, PhD, FACP Can a vaccination help prevent prostate cancer? Dr. James Gulley, director of the Clinical Trials Group of the Laboratory of Tumor Immunology and Biology at the National Institutes of Health discusses studies involving the use of cancer vaccines to modulate the immune response in cancer patients. These trials contrast classic "tumor r...

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Guest: Sharon Mitchell, PhD A patient tells you that they have a sexual issue. Do you get queasy? Do you know how to guide this patient to a specialist who can help them? Dr. Sharon Mitchell, founder of the Adult Industry Medical Healthcare Foundation and a former actress in adult films, aims to help us maintain our commitment to addressing our patients' needs, includin...

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Guest: Anthony Jahn, MD "A night at the opera" means more than mere entertainment for some. For guest Dr. Anthony Jahn, otolaryngologist and volunteer medical director for the New York Metropolitan Opera, it's part of a second career. Host Dr. Michael Greenberg speaks with Dr. Jahn about his practiced art of caring for professional singers, addressing several unique occ...

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Guest: Anthony Jahn, MD Dr. Anthony Jahn, an otolaryngologist and volunteer medical director for the New York Metropolitan Opera, introduces you to the art of caring for professional singers. What are the idiosyncrasies of providing care to this select population, who must be doggedly devoted to preserving strong health and maintaining good overall occupational status,...

Host: Matthew J. Sorrentino, MD, FACC, FASH Guest: Kevin Fu, PhD Guest: William Maisel, MD It may seem like a notion better suited to a spy novel than medicine, but medical cardiac devices using wireless technology are vulnerable to security breaches. Dr. William Maisel, director of the Medical Device Safety Institute at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, and Dr. Kevin Fu, co-dire...

Host: Larry Kaskel, MD Guest: Akira Sekikawa, MD, MPH, PhD Japan's unusually low mortality rate from coronary heart disease may be tied to the large amount of fish in the Japanese diet. Dr. Akira Sekikawa, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, discusses with host Dr. Larry Kaskel the results of his recent study showing how fish consum...

Host: Larry Kaskel, MD Guest: Tom Charland Guest Tom Charland, chief executive officer of Merchandise Medicine, a research and consulting firm specializing in retail healthcare clinics, reports on the status of the retail clinics nationwide. Mr. Charland explains to host Dr. Larry Kaskel the different structures of retail health clinics and the emerging hospital system-owned retail clinic. Tune in...

Host: Larry Kaskel, MD Guest: Tom Charland Recent reports tell us that the number of retail health clinics is declining, but according to Tom Charland, chief executive officer of Merchant Medicine, this data incorrectly implies that the retail clinic model is an unsuccessful fad. Mr. Charland clarifies with host Dr. Larry Kaskel what he characterizes as misconceptions, held by members of the medic...

Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD Guest: Raymond P. Onders, MD Dr. Raymond Onders, director of Minimally Invasive Surgery at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland, Ohio, describes the development of the Diaphragm Pacing System that electrically stimulates breathing. Hear how this life-saving technology has helped spinal cord patients, and is being tested for use with ALS patients and in t...

Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD Guest: Raymond P. Onders, MD What is the process required to implant a Diaphragm Pacing System which eliminates the need for ventilator care in ALS patients? Dr. Raymond Onders, director of the Minimally Invasive Surgery at University Hospitals Case Medical Center describes the diagnostic and laparoscopic surgical techniques used to implant a Diaphragm Pacing System that...

Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD Guest: Raymond P. Onders, MD A diaphragm pacing system electronically stimulates breathing in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Not only can this device prolong the lives of ALS patients, it can greatly enhance the quality of their lives. Dr. Raymond Onders, associate professor of surgery and medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine...

Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP Guest: Lori Feldman-Winter, MD, MPH Although breast milk is widely considered to be the best nutrition for infants, research tells us that breastfed babies may be at elevated risk for vitamin D deficiency, anemia, and tooth decay. What other health considerations may be associated with breastfeeding? Can we definitively say that breast milk is still the best option for...

Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP Guest: Lori Feldman-Winter, MD, MPH Mothers in the United States have the lowest rates of breastfeeding in the developed world. What are the immediate and lasting benefits of breastfeeding for infants and their nursing mothers? How does breast milk compare to formula, in terms of the baby's nutrition and long-term growth development? Host Dr. Jennifer Shu welcomes Dr....

Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP Guest: Lori Feldman-Winter, MD, MPH Despite ambitious recommendations that new mothers breastfeed their infants for at least one year after birth, very few mothers meet this objective. Knowing there are barriers to breastfeeding--social, economic, and beyond--how can we help mothers get past these difficulties, where possible? Further, how can we allay the guilt many m...

Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD Guest: Timothy Coetzee, PhD Through a venture philanthropy called Fast Forward, LLC the National Multiple Sclerosis Society plans to deploy 1.5 to 2 million dollars in the next 18 months as seed funding to biotech companies on the path towards cures for Multiple Sclerosis. Our guest, Timothy Coetzee executive director of Fast Forward, LLC joins host Dr. Bruce Bloom to ta...

Host: Bruce Bloom, DDS, JD Guest: Timothy Coetzee, PhD Speeding up the translation process for MS patients is the mission of Fast Forward, LLC, a venture philanthropy of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Our guest today, Dr. Timothy Coetzee executive director of Fast Forward, LLC tells us how they are taking a business venture approach to find cures. Funded by private donations, the Fast Fo...

Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP Guest: Robert Lamberts, MD Are your patients always honest with you about their symptoms and related conditions? Do they treat your staff with the proper level of respect and courtesy? We all know that both patients and physicians are equal contributors to the doctor-patient relationship, yet this partnership isn't always as constructive and amiable as either side woul...

Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP Guest: Robert Lamberts, MD We all know that both patients and physicians play an integral role in the doctor-patient relationship. Yet this partnership isn't always as balanced as we might hope. Why might our patients become frustrated with us or feel uncomfortable in our office? Are there simple rules that we, as physicians, can follow to make a positive impact on thi...

Host: Larry Kaskel, MD Guest: Robert Portman, JD, MPP Converting a private practice to the concierge medical practice model raises many legal issues. Attorney Rob Portman, a partner with the law firm of Powers, Pyles, Sutter & Verville, explains the legal issues of a concierge medicine practice, including contract terms for participating patients, care obligation to non-participating patients,...