In this episode, Dr. Neha Vapiwala discusses pain management in relation to the treatment of cancer. Dr. Vapiwala covers: - How to develop a personalized therapeutic regimen for each patient - The two different types of pain, and how each can be managed - How the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the patient’s experience in pain management - How concern about over use of opioids has changed the perspectives of payors, patients and providers Dr. Neha Vapiwala is Professor and Vice Chair of...

In this episode, Drs. Paul Offit and Margaret Trexler Hessen discuss what's been learned since the COVID-19 vaccine trials and the wider rollout of the vaccines. Dr. Offit is the Maurice R. Hilleman Chair of Vaccinology and Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Offit co-invented the RotaTeq vaccine and is co-editor of Elsevier’s...

In this second half of a two-part conversation, Dr. MJ Erickson-Hogue speaks with Lizzie Pickering about what clinicians and healthcare workers can do to care for themselves and colleagues during times of grief. Lizzie is a grief investigator. She's spent the last 20 years since her son Harry died, investigating her grief and learning how to navigate it.   Lizzie shares some practical tools and other methods to help process loss, and what warning signs indicate that an individual should...

This episode is part one of a two-part discussion about grief. Divorce, career change, loss of a child or parent, or loss of a colleague are all experiences that can lead to grief. People experience grief differently, and it can be particularly challenging for people working in healthcare.   Lizzie Pickering is a grief investigator. Lizzie's work is based on being alongside grieving parents at the children's hospice ward, setting up peer-to-peer support and navigating her own grief...

In this second half of the two-part episode, Dr. MJ Erickson-Hogue interviews Dr. Lori Weichenthal, MD and Dr. Jay Kaplan about the importance of wellness for medical caregivers and the effect that it has on patients. Their discussion notes the clinical areas most at risk for burnout as well as how to prevent and treat it. They also identify actions that caregivers can take to embed self-care within their daily routines.   Both Dr. Weichenthal and Dr. Kaplan are involved in national programs...

In this first half of a two-part conversation, Dr. MJ Erickson-Hogue interviews Dr. Lori Weichenthal, MD and Dr. Jay Kaplan about the importance of wellness for medical caregivers and the effect that it has on patients. Their discussion notes the clinical areas most at risk for burnout as well as how to prevent and treat it. They also identify actions that caregivers can take to embed self-care within their daily routines.   Both Dr. Weichenthal and Dr. Kaplan are involved in national...

In this episode, Dr. Paul Offit and Dr. Margaret Trexler Hessen discuss the scientific underpinnings of vaccine development and get up to speed on the advanced COVID-19 vaccine candidates. They also speak about the realistic expectations for the COVID-19 vaccine and how hygienic measures will remain an important component of controlling the virus. Dr. Offit is the Maurice R. Hilleman Chair of Vaccinology and Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of...

In this episode, Dr. Bernadette Melnyk and Dr. Julibeth Lauren share insights and strategies on how to develop resiliency during Covid-19.  This discussion includes the impact on front-line clinicians as well as tools and tips for our own mental health.  Dr. Melnyk is an internationally recognized nurse practitioner, author, speaker, researcher, and expert in evidence-based practice, and currently is the Vice President for Health Promotion, University Chief Wellness Officer, Dean of the...

In this episode, Dr. Borjan and Dr. Whitby discuss a wide range of treatment options for COVID-19, and what we currently know based on available studies. Discussion includes therapies with proposed antiviral activity, use of convalescent plasma, and agents being used to address cytokine storm. They also touch on use of anticoagulants, nutritional support, and other supportive care measures. Jovan Borjan, PharmD, BCIDP is the Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Infectious Diseases at University of...

Dr. Esther Barreiro and Dr. Margaret Hessen discuss the pulmonary aspects of COVID-19 disease, such as clinical course and pathophysiology of lung involvement, noninvasive vs. mechanical ventilation based on observed phenotypes, as well as myocardial dysfunction, coagulopathy, and other issues relating to the pathophysiology and critical care of these patients. Esther Barreiro Portela, MD, PhD is the Associate Professor, Pompeu Fabra University, Hospital del Mar Respiratory Medicine...

In this second of two conversations, Dr. Don Postema and Dr. Julibeth Lauren discuss ethical issues in time of crisis and scarcity, such as triaging care and allocation of medical equipment, objective scoring criteria, recent professional society guidelines and protocols, and balancing competing priorities of individual patient rights and autonomy vs. protecting the community and health care providers.  Don Postema, PhD is the Program Director for Medical Bioethics at HealthPartners at the...

In this first of two conversations, Dr. Don Postema and Dr. Julibeth Lauren discuss issues arising with patients and families, including restrictions on inpatient visiting, end-of-life issues, and how patients and families can obtain support from hospital biomedical ethics teams. Don Postema, PhD is the Program Director for Medical Bioethics at HealthPartners at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. His complete biography can be found here. Hosted by: Dr. Julibeth Lauren,...

In this episode, Dr. Mishuris highlights the current state of EHR use to identify and track patients on the population level, advising and alerting patients, role of telemedicine, and communication between providers and hospitals. Dr. Rebecca G. Mishuris, MD is the Associate Chief Medical Information Officer, Boston Medical Center and Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts. Her complete biography can be found here. Hosted by: Dr. Sandy...

Dr. Nadworny, an expert on emergency crisis preparedness, discusses best practices and standards of care regarding isolations, triage, testing, the changing dynamic of PPE, and supporting patients, families and staff in the current crisis.  Dr. Daniel Nadworny, DNP, RN, is the Director of Emergency and Patient Care Services, Beth Israel Deaconess Milton Hospital, Milton, Massachusetts. His complete biography can be found here. Hosted by: Dr. Julibeth Lauren, PhD, APRN, ACNS-BC Learn more on...

Dr. Perlman, who has studied coronaviruses for 4 decades, discusses mode of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 during asymptomatic and presymptomatic state, pathophysiology and disease progression, and touches on treatment options and vaccine development. Dr. Stanley Perlman, MD, PhD, is Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Professor of Pediatrics, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa. His complete biography can be found here. Hosted by: Dr. Margaret Hessen Learn more on...