The movement disorders neurology group at RUSH University Medical Center is one of the largest and most experienced groups in the world, with clinicians who specialize in managing the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders. One of the treatment modalities they use to treat these patients is deep brain stimulation (DBS). DBS helps patients with movement disorders control their symptoms of tremor, rigidity, stiffness, slowed or abnormal movements and walking problems. RUSH treats the largest number of DBS patients in the Midwest.

Dr. Neepa Patel is a neurologist in the RUSH University System for Health and the director for the Movement Disorder Interventional Program in the Department of Neurological Sciences. Her interests include improving the quality and delivery of care for patients receiving deep brain stimulation (DBS) and education to improve the utilization of new therapies in movement disorders. She is also part of the RUSH team caring for essential and Parkinsonian tremor patients with MR-guided focused ultrasound, an incisionless treatment designed to reduce hand tremor.

“We work in a very comprehensive, multidisciplinary, team-based approach at RUSH to treat patients with movement disorders using DBS. We share our ideas and experiences because everyone comes from different training backgrounds, different expertise and years of experience in managing patients. This helps us take care of patients who are nontraditional, but who still could benefit from this therapy.”

CME credit link: https://cmetracker.net/RUSH/Publisher?page=pubOpenSub#/event/484707/

The vascular and interventional radiology department at RUSH University Medical Center provides the most current and clinically comprehensive care to patients. Several of Rush’s internationally renowned interventional radiologists have helped to pioneer and advance many interventional techniques used today. By performing the latest procedures and engaging in advanced research, our providers are working to uncover new uses for interventional radiology approaches as well as refine current techniques, in specialties such as oncology, peripheral arterial disease and women’s health.

Jordan Tasse, MD, an interventional radiologist at RUSH University Medical Center, profiles the cutting edge procedures performed through interventional radiology care at RUSH. As one of the few places nationwide to provide the full spectrum of vascular and interventional procedures, interventional radiology care at RUSH has transformed the lives of many of its patients, particularly those affected by cancer. Dr. Tasse is also the Director of Interventional Oncology at RUSH and is an Associate Professor of Radiology and Vascular and Interventional Radiology at RUSH Medical College. 

“We have a really great atmosphere of collaboration between different specialties. Our approach is grounded in a multidisciplinary fashion where we have medical oncologists, hepatologists, liver surgeons, colorectal surgeons, radiation oncologists, and interventional oncologists all talking at multidisciplinary tumor boards and developing the best approach to each patient’s cancer care.”

CME credit link: https://cmetracker.net/RUSH/Publisher?page=pubOpenSub#/event/484420

The RUSH Center for Skull Base and Pituitary Surgery, a leading program in the treatment of  skull base disorders, brings together experts from more than 10 specialties to provide personalized, comprehensive care for patients with complicated skull base pathology such as pituitary adenoma, acoustic neuroma, meningioma and cerebrospinal fluid leak/encephalocele.

Pete Batra, MD, the Chair of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at RUSH University Medical Center, highlights Rush’s unparalleled expertise, its use of leading-edge treatments and how it’s developing novel therapies for rare types of cancers. Batra, an internationally recognized rhinologist and anterior skull base surgeon, serves as the co-director of the RUSH Center for Skull Base and Pituitary Surgery and medical director of the RUSH Sinus, Allergy and Asthma Center.

“We can provide patients with the highest quality outcomes in the nation through our investment in the next generation of surgical navigation platforms. Having the latest and greatest tools, devices and instrumentation is important, but the most critical aspect is expertise, which I really think is the key ingredient to [our] success.”

CME credit link: https://cmetracker.net/RUSH/Publisher?page=pubOpenSub#/event/484209/

RUSH University Medical Center and the RUSH Center for Congenital Structural Heart Disease have been at the forefront in developing state-of-the-art therapies for congenital and acquired structural disorders. Minimally invasive innovations, such as transaortic valve replacement (TAVR), MitraClip and the CoreValve, have helped patients enjoy faster recovery times, less pain and, typically, less cardiac rehabilitation.

Clifford Kavinsky, MD, PhD, joins the podcast to profile the next generation of minimally invasive cardiac care, including several clinical trials that RUSH is participating in. Dr. Kavinsky is the Director of the RUSH Center for Adult Structural Heart Disease, the Chief of the Section of Structural and Interventional Cardiology and the Associate Director for the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program. He is an expert on catheter-based therapies for heart and vascular disease and is an internationally recognized leader in the use of novel treatments for adults with congenital and structural heart disease.

“It’s a really exciting time to practice cardiovascular medicine when there’s such an explosion of technology and thrust towards less invasive techniques that historically we’ve always done with large surgical procedures. It’s particularly satisfying to be able to put a new valve in a patient and send them home the next day.  When you think about surgery and how they used to be in the hospital for a week and recover for six to 12 weeks, it’s quite remarkable.”

CME link: https://cmetracker.net/RUSH/Publisher?page=pubOpen#/EventID/483920/

Five years ago, RUSH University Medical Center was treating very few patients with fibrolamellar carcinoma. Today, RUSH treats the largest number of patients in the country with this rare type of liver cancer, which typically affects adolescents and young adults. During that span, RUSH has developed innovative, cutting edge treatments and is considered a national leader in the treatment of this disease.

Paul Kent, MD, a pediatric hematologist-oncologist and the medical director of the fibrolamellar carcinoma program at RUSH, profiles the forward thinking treatments RUSH developed. Patients who were previously unable to have their liver tumors surgically removed became surgical candidates at RUSH. And some patients who were once on hospice care were given second chances through the groundbreaking work of Dr. Kent and his colleagues.

“When you have a very rare, terrible disease that we know most people can’t survive without some dramatic [intervention], then that’s your opportunity to try something new. As long as what you’re trying has scientific rationale, is logical and, equally important, that you follow very closely for any side effects, then you publish those results, good or bad, so the world can learn from it.”

CME credit link: https://cmetracker.net/RUSH/Publisher?page=pubOpen#/EventID/483689

Cardiac positron emission tomography (PET) perfusion with flow quantification is the latest advancement in nuclear stress testing and is used to examine how well blood flows to the heart muscle. RUSH is the first and only hospital in Illinois to offer this technology.

Dr. Rupa Sanghani, a cardiologist in the RUSH University System for Health, discusses the ways RUSH incorporates cardiac PET perfusion in its complement of cardiac diagnostics and care, the benefits of using it and when cardiac PET should be implemented. Dr. Sanghani is the director of RUSH University Medical Center’s nuclear cardiology and stress laboratory and the associate director for the RUSH Heart Center for Women. Her clinical expertise is in cardiac imaging, cardiovascular risk assessment and counseling, coronary artery disease and with women who either have heart disease or are at risk for it.

“It's a huge boon to offer our patients and referring physicians cardiac PET perfusion. We can use information from it to provide patients with a comprehensive risk assessment for their cardiac health. Flow and flow reserve is what people are most excited about with PET. The advantage to cardiac PET is that we’re not just looking at relative perfusion, but we can actually quantitate the myocardial blood flow.”

CME credit link: https://cmetracker.net/RUSH/Publisher?page=pubOpen#/EventID/483393

The RUSH System for Health excels in stroke prevention and care. RUSH University Medical Center is certified as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Joint Commission and RUSH has two certified Primary Stroke Centers in Oak Park and Aurora/Fox Valley. Given the time-sensitive nature of stroke care, RUSH seeks to expand current treatment windows and improve technologies used to treat emergency strokes as quickly and effectively as possible to minimize damage to our patients.

Michael Chen, MD, a professor of neurology, neurosurgery and radiology at RUSH University Medical Center, discusses the ways RUSH is efficiently diagnosing stroke, how it is differentiating actual cases of large vessel occlusion stroke with false positives and how RUSH handles the benefits and challenges of using thrombectomy. Dr. Chen has authored over 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications and also serves as a senior editor for the Journal of Neurointerventional Surgery. Dr. Chen currently serves as President-Elect for the Society of Neurointerventional Surgery.

“There’s strong evidence that highly effective therapies exist for stroke and they’re also very time sensitive. If you have a large vessel occlusion stroke, 75% of the time patients are not going to do well. Thrombectomy can reduce that chance of a horrible outcome by half. The question is not necessarily whether you can make the diagnosis and what you do, but what work you have done ahead of time to prepare for the event when that patient does come into your emergency room.”

CME credit link:

The head and neck cosmetic and reconstructive surgery specialists at RUSH University Medical Center treat patients whose appearance, ability to speak, swallow or smile has been affected by cancer surgery or radiation therapy. They also provide a wide range of in-office facial cosmetic procedures and surgical rejuvenation techniques.

Peter Revenaugh, MD, the head of the section of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at RUSH University Medical Center, joins the podcast to talk about how RUSH’s comprehensive approach translates to excellent patient care, the research RUSH is conducting around reconstructive procedures and how the COVID-19 pandemic affected the demand for cosmetic procedures.

“What makes RUSH stand apart is the expertise of our physicians. We can help patients with facial paralysis. We can offer microvascular procedures to help with facial movement. We’re pioneering procedures for synkinesis or abnormal facial movements after paralysis that aren’t being done anywhere else in the country.”

CME credit link: https://cmetracker.net/RUSH/Publisher?page=pubOpen#/EventID/482889

Launched in 2020, RUSH’s breast cancer risk assessment program systematically assesses the risk of breast cancer, offering patients who qualify opportunities for supplemental screening in order to improve their breast cancer detection rate.

Mia Levy, MD, PhD, the director of the Cancer Center at RUSH University Medical Center and the system vice president for cancer services at the RUSH University System for Health, joins the podcast to talk about RUSH’s program, what she sees as the evolution for this type of learning system at RUSH, and what are some of the early findings--and questions--that have come up thus far.

“We want to learn from the experiences of every patient who’s coming through our breast cancer screening program--not just the patients who are participating in clinical trials. In this way, we are optimizing our workflows and data collection to evaluate the outcomes of the program and continuously improve on our screening guidelines and our workflows in order to optimize the best outcomes for our patients.”

CME credit link: https://cmetracker.net/RUSH/Publisher?page=pubOpen#/EventID/482640

As pioneers in the treatment of multiple sclerosis and other neurologic conditions, RUSH delivers life-changing treatment for patients in its state-of-the-art infusion program. Thomas Shoemaker, MD, a neurologist in the RUSH University System for Health, joins Rounding at Rush to discuss RUSH’s infusion program, what he and his colleagues have learned about infusions during the COVID-19 pandemic and where the future of neurologic treatments is heading at RUSH.

Dr. Shoemaker specializes in treating neuro-immunologic conditions such as multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder, neurosarcoidosis and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. The RUSH Multiple Sclerosis Center has been recognized as a Center for Comprehensive Care through the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Rush’s Neurology and Neurosurgery programs, which include the MS Center and infusion program, are ranked number four in the nation and best in Illinois by U.S. News and World Report.

“For our MS patients, it seemed like our only treatment was IV corticosteroids for the longest time, which would often require inpatient admission for three to five days,” explains Dr. Shoemaker. “In the infusion center, we can quickly administer corticosteroids and IV immunoglobulins to many patients on an outpatient basis so that they can go home for the day and return again on an outpatient basis to finish their treatment. Infusing patients this way naturally makes it less cumbersome on them.”

CME credit link: https://cmetracker.net/RUSH/Publisher?page=pubOpen#/EventID/482333