Clinician's Roundtable

Host: Bruce Japsen

Guest: Ronald M. Davis, MD

Covering the nation's uninsured took on unprecedented meaning in the 2008 presidential election, but it wasn't just the likes of Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain who talked about plans to expand health benefits. The American Medical Asociation, too, has a plan and is spending an unprecedented amount of money, time and attention toward a campaign to cover the uninsured. Dr. Ronald Davis, President of the AMA, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about the AMA's uninsured campaign and its plan to solve one of the nation's top issues.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD

Guest: Mark Watson

Dr. Watson, co-author of the Lap-band Companion Handbook, discusses the reasons for writing this informative text. He also outlines various key sections of the book and illustrates why this is such a useful resource for both practitioners and patients.

Host: Lee Freedman, MD

Guest: Mark Watson

Dr. Watson, co-author of the Lap-Band Companion Handbook and a general surgeon with years of experience performing the Lap-Band procedure goes through the practical aspects of Lap-Band surgery: Who is a candidate, what to look for in a surgeon and a bariatric program, what are the financial realities of this type of procedure, and what type of outcomes can one expect.

Host: Susan Dolan, RN, JD

Guest: Mimi Jenko, RN

Guest: Leah Gonzales, MSN, RN

Hear Mimi Jenko and Leah Gonzales, Clinical Nurses Specialists, as they explain how to integrate life review into clinical practice. Mimi and Leah are coauthors of the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing article, "Life Review With the Terminally Ill."

Host: Susan Dolan, RN, JD

Guest: Mimi Jenko, RN

Guest: Leah Gonzales, MSN, RN

Hear Mimi Jenko and Leah Gonzales, Clinical Nurse Specialists, as they explain how life review helps patients and families. Mimi and Leah are coauthors of the Journal of Hospice and Palliative Nursing article, "Life Review With the Terminally Ill."

Host: Michael Benson, MD

The CDC has decided to open a file on “Morgellons” a newly described dermopathy. What made them decide to look into this demopathy? How do the disease hunters plan to get to the bottom of this new malady? Our guest today is Dr. Michelle Pearson, an epidemiologist with the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta. She is heading the effort to look into Morgellons.

Host: Michael Benson, MD

Morgellons is a disease straight out of "The X-Files." In fact, the government opened a file on it. A newly recognized dermopathy, Morgellons is now receiving scrutiny from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Dr. Michelle Pearson, a CDC epidemiologist leading the effort to examine Morgellons, joins host Dr. Michael Benson.

Host: Michael Benson, MD

Guest: Judith Lichtman, PhD, MPH

The differences in research effort directed at diseases that affect men and those that affect women is one of the hot button political issues in medicine today. Yet what about differences in medical care delivered to men and women? Specifically, are we truly gender blind in caring for men and women with heart attacks? Our guest today is Dr. Judith Lichtman. She received her doctorate in epidemiology at Yale University’s school of public health where she is an associate professor. She is also the co-principle investigator of the VIRGO study. This study is examining how men and women with myocardial infarctions are treated differently by the medical profession.

Host: Michael Benson, MD

Guest: Judith Lichtman, PhD, MPH

Most women destined to suffer myocardial infarction do so well into the menopause. Yet a few have heart attacks at an early age. Why? Our guest today is Dr. Judith Lichtman who is studying this issue. She received her doctorate in epidemiology at Yale University’s school of public health where she is an associate professor. She is also the co-principle investigator of the VIRGO study and is looking into premature heart disease in women.

Host: Michael Benson, MD

Guest: Judith Lichtman, PhD, MPH

Why is there a gender difference as a function of age in heart disease? Dr. Judith Lichtman explores the higher mortality rate of young women following a myocardial infarction as compared with similarly aged men, including the variance in symptom manifestation between the sexes.