Guest: Amy Ernst, MD

This segment with Dr. Amy Ernst, tenured professor of emergency medicine at the University of New Mexico, explores mechanisms to recognize victims of violence between intimate partners, and the most effective ways to screen patients in your practice who find themselves in this dangerous and unhealthy situation. Dr. Shira Johnson hosts.

Host: Bill Rutenberg, MD

Guest: Robert Wachter, MD

In this segment, Dr. Robert Wachter talks about patient safety in a hospital setting. He explores the continuum of patient safety models and explains the concept of “Just Culture” which is what he believes to be the ideal model.

Host: Bill Rutenberg, MD

Guest: Robert Wachter, MD

There are now 20,000 hospitalists nationally, more than many other medical specialties. In this segment Dr. Robert Wachter explores the roles of hospitalists and how hospital care changes when patients are managed by hospitalists.

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD

Guest: Sujit Varma, MD

One of the most difficult first steps in treating alcoholism is getting the patient to admit that they have a problem. Additionally, their insight and rational thinking is often altered due to the prolonged alcohol abuse. In this segment we will review helpful ways for us to encourage alcoholics to seek treatment.

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD

Guest: Sujit Varma, MD

Alcoholism can often stymie the treatment of co-existing conditions: Sometimes alcohol is used to self-medicate problems such as anxiety, depression, or insomnia. Other times treating alcoholism can reveal the presence of an underlying condition. Alcoholism and its comorbidities will be discussed in this segment.

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD

Guest: Sujit Varma, MD

The understanding of alcoholism has changed dramatically over the last decade. So too have treatments for this disease. Today we will discuss the brief evolution of treatments for alcoholism and what is currently being researched for future use.

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD

Guest: Sujit Varma, MD

Some patients seek help from physicians in treating their alcoholism only to have their doctor sidestep the issue and bridge to a more comfortable topic. What is the current scientific basis for the disease concept of alcoholism? How can physicians use this information to best treat their patients?

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD

Guest: Ray Stricker, MD

Lyme disease is an elusive disorder to diagnose and complicated and controversial to treat. Dr. Stricker discusses the dermatologic, neuropsychiatric and rheumatological complications of Lyme disease.

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD

Guest: Ray Stricker, MD

Healthcare providers who treat Lyme disease can be divided into two groups: specialists usually at large academic institutions and community based primary care physicians. Treatment differs between these two groups both in attitude and in practice. Dr. Stricker discusses how to cut through the controversies to provide the best treatment to our patients.

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD

Guest: Ray Stricker, MD

Borrelia burgdorferi, a tickborne spirochete, is the causative agent in Lyme disease. Dr. Stricker discusses the clinical microbiology of this fascinating and often overlooked bacterium.