Award-winning journalist, public speaker, and bestselling author Katy Butler has written two groundbreaking books about the end of life and is a thought leader in the national movement for medical reform.

Her first book, Knocking on Heaven’s Door: The Path to a Better Way of Death, a national bestseller, was named one of the 100 Most Notable Books of 2013 by the New York Times.  The book was based on her groundbreaking 2010 New York Times Magazine article about her family’s difficult end-of-life experiences. (“What Broke My Father’s Heart”) 

SoundPractice host Mike Sacopulos interviewed Katy Butler about her new book, The Art of Dying Well: A Practical Guide to a Good End of Life.

A popular speaker on doctor-patient communication and the choices families face near the end of life, Katy has given keynotes and Grand Rounds at Harvard Medical School, Kaiser Permanente, UCSF, and elsewhere.

Her interests include Slow Medicine, aging parents, bioethics, parental caregiving, spirituality, dementia, family caregiving, Alzheimer’s Disease, end of life decisions, compassionate care, comfort care, palliative care, hospice, meditation, Zen practice, Buddhism, and how people transform themselves and their lives, especially at the boundary of the psychological and the spiritual.

To order Katy Butler’s books:  Books (katybutler.com)

Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.org

Marriages and domestic partnerships between physicians are not unusual. Unfortunately, the practice of medicine can be stressful.  Managing a successful relationship between physicians takes some effort and planning. The shared experience of healthcare and having a partner who shares a perspective and passion for medicine is a positive. But some conventional strategies for domestic bliss simply doesn’t work when it comes to busy physicians.

Today, this practical episode focuses on a pair of physicians, Yolanda T. Becker, MD, FACS and Bryan N. Becker, MD, MMM, CPE, FACP, who have given great thought on how to make a relationship between physicians thrive.  Innumerable factors affect the lives and careers of two physicians who are married or are partners — especially when the physicians hold leadership positions.

Dr. Bryan Becker and Dr. Yolanda Becker wrote on this topic for the AAPL Physician Leadership Journal.

https://www.physicianleaders.org/articles/making-two-career-two-physician-marriage-partnership-work

Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.org

As value-based care gains traction across the healthcare landscape, clinical documentation will continue to be subject to intense scrutiny from internal and external stakeholders. Yet, healthcare organizations must take care not to exacerbate the cognitive overload and administrative burdens that plague clinicians today. Join Robert Budman, MD, MBA as he discusses the role of AI-based computer-assisted physician documentation (CAPD) technology in enhancing the accuracy of documentation and easing the burden on clinicians.

On today’s SoundPractice episode, Mike Sacopulos interviews Dr. Robert Budman, Chief Medical Information Officer at Nuance Communications. Board Certified in Family Medicine & Informatics, Dr. Budman focuses on efficiency, safety, and quality initiatives, with global experience in multi-EHR and service line care delivery. In his role at Nuance, he primarily supports the CAPD product line, and speaks extensively on healthcare IT.

Delivered in a streamlined workflow, Nuance’s proven, evidence-based guidance enables clinicians to capture complete and accurate documentation at the point of care. Discover how to drive better outcomes across the continuum of care with Nuance’s portfolio of CAPD solutions, backed by sophisticated artificial intelligence.

To learn more, www.nuance.com/capdLearn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.org

Host Mike Sacopulos interviews Ron Paprocki, JD, CFP®,  the  President and CEO of Mediqus Asset Advisors, Inc about the basics of wealth management. Ron is also the co-author of the 2nd Edition of The Prescription for Financial Health: An Authoritative Guide for Physicians.

In this practical conversation, Ron covers topics such as these:

The age (or how many years post training) should physicians start thinking about asset protection and saving for retirement?

The most important asset a physician can have.

The “must have” insurance products a physician need to research.

Why physicians are particularly vulnerable to investments that may be unwise.

Lastly, many physicians are in the midst of caring for parents or family members and so the discussion covers options for long term care.

https://mediqus.com/

https://shop.physicianleaders.org/collections/all/products/the-prescription-for-financial-health-an-authoritative-guide-for-physicians-2nd-edition

Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.org

SoundPractice host Mike Sacopulos interviewed AAPL author, Stanley Harris, MD, MA, on his new book, The People Value Proposition: See one, Do one, Teach one … LEAD

From topics like The Journey to Leadership and Defining the Leader You Want to Become, to Inspiration and Innovation, The People Value Proposition acknowledges that leadership begins with the individual but emphasizes that by recognizing and nurturing the value of others, everyone succeeds. Harris discusses the importance of empathy, engagement, and motivation to sustain connectivity, inspire innovation, and enable new leaders to emerge.

Written as a semi-autobiographical account of leadership development that covers key principles of leadership, The People Value Proposition is conveyed from the unique perspective of the author’s life and experience. It challenges both leaders and potential leaders to acknowledge and promote the value of every individual, enabling optimal utilization of resources and continued team success.

www.physicianleaders.org/people-value-proposition

Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.org

Studies have shown that Federal Law applying to healthcare is approximately 8X the volume of the entire Federal Tax Code. Laws are heaped upon statutes which are lacquered with countless regulations.

All of this creates a complex if not Byzantine system for healthcare professionals to navigate. The penalties for a misstep can be severe.  Fear not. This episode of SoundPractice will provide practical advice from a physician who is also an attorney, Timothy Paterick, MD, JD, MBA, MS.

Be prepared to receive legal guidance to keep you out of trouble, while practicing quality medicine.

Dr. Tim Paterick’s book, Physicians and the Law: The Intersection of Medicine, Business, and Medical Malpractice is available here:

https://shop.physicianleaders.org/collections/all/products/physicians-and-the-law-the-intersection-of-medicine-business-and-medical-malpractice

Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.org

Mike Sacopulos interviews Gary Josephson, MD, CPE, MBA, chief medical officer at Nemours Children’s Health, in Jacksonville, Florida, about his new book, Ordinary to Extraordinary: Seven Principles for Life Success.  This book is a useful tool to improve one’s life. Dr. Josephson provides wise counsel on the “7” principles that guide his life, and suggestions for all individuals on how to view life from ordinary to extraordinary. Dr. Josephson describes adversity, his physician leadership journey, and his work as a Certified Physician Executive (CPE).

https://www.o2e4life.com/

Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.org

Dr. Rob Lamberts is an innovator in the world of DPC – Direct Primary Care. Opening his DPC practice in 2013, he continues to believe that the model of care he uses has the real potential to change healthcare. Direct Primary Care (where patients pay a flat fee for their care) combined with the smart use of technology empowers patients, creates the true “medical home,” and redefines the way doctors think about patient care.  

In this conversation with host, Mike Sacopulos, Dr. Lambers describes the basics of the model:

It is simple.  Patients pay the doctor for their care and the doctor does not have to code to submit to insurance companies. The doctor only has one person to please: the patient.

It aligns motivations of both doctors and patients. In DPC, the physician is paid the same if the patients are healthy or sick. This means the physician and patient are aligned; they both want the patient to be healthy and avoid going to the doctor.

The payment system is simple and the reliance on technology breaks down complex tasks to greatly reduce cost.

Although this model has many features that stand in stark contrast to “business of usual” in healthcare, the model is not for every physician. Tune in for this engaging talk on the pros, the cons, and the pitfalls to avoid in a disruptive model in healthcare.

https://doctorlamberts.org/

Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.org

Dr. Thomas discusses her motivation for writing her memoir, The Heart of the Story: My Improbable Journey as a Cardiologist, her leadership journey in Cardiology, and the advantages of attaining the status of CPE – Certified Physician Executive. She also discusses the work of the WIC “Women in Cardiology” section of the ACC-American College of Cardiology and her concrete advice for physicians who are interested in leadership positions. Lastly, she discusses her various academic appointments, dealing with the inequities in medicine, and her opinion on the progress that is being made for women in healthcare. 

https://www.physicianleaders.org/news/finally-a-cardiologist

Dr. Thomas’ book is here: https://shop.physicianleaders.org/collections/all/products/heart-story-improbable-journey-cardiologist-thomas

Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.org

Michael Walls, DO, MPH, is the current National President of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) and has been with the organization since he first joined as a member in 2014.

In this episode of SoundPractice, Mike Sacopulos and Dr. Walls discuss the rich history and mission of AMSA – and how the organization works to prepare, train, and embolden medical students to become leaders.  With over 30,000 members worldwide, the association’s ongoing initiatives include advocacy for providing equitable lowering drug prices, equitable access to healthcare for all, understanding how environmental and social determinants of health impact health and the timely and paramount issue of reproductive rights.

Dr. Walls also discusses the medical education scorecard initiative, which fills gaps that often exist in medical school training. And what should medical school training look like in future?  Dr. Walls and Mike Sacopulos cover that topic as well.

https://www.amsa.org/

Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.org