The UAB Medicine Department of Advanced Practice Providers is responsible for the oversight of all Advanced Practice Providers within the Health System. This includes oversight of meaningful use, scope of practice and compliance with state and federal regulations, credentialing of all APPs seeking privileges to practice as a UAB Medicine provider, coordination of APP students seeking training within our institution, assessment of the quality of training for APP students within the organization, and advocacy at the state and national level on behalf of APPs. Today's podcast is focused on the purpose and process of credentialing and privileging of APPs at UAB and the pitfalls of role misalignment.

Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) is a temporary mechanical support system that replaces the function of the heart and/or lungs in patients with cardiac and respiratory failure. The program at UAB Medicine is the only available ECMO program in the state of Alabama, and during the 2013 influenza season provided support for more than 80 adult patients with cardiopulmonary failure, including patients from Florida, Georgia, Mississippi and Tennessee. In addition to supporting patients with influenza and ARDS, our program is involved in ambulatory ECMO as a bridge to lung transplantation, and provides support to patients with a diverse variety of cardiac procedures and disorders, including those with coronary artery disease and cardiogenic shock. In this segment, Dr Keith M. Wille, pulmonary, allergy and critical care specialist at UAB Medicine discusses the Adult ECMO Program at UAB Medicine.

A chronic total occlusion is a total blockage in a coronary artery that has been present for at least three months. In this segment, Dr. Mark Sasse discusses chronic total occlusion and how UAB Interventional Cardiology is an internationally recognized leader in cardiac services, combining compassionate, innovative patient care with the most advanced technology and basic and clinical research. The program makes use of catheterization, stenting, angioplasty, and other minimally invasive interventional treatments to unblock clogged arteries.

In this segment, Holly Richter, MD, PhD, J. Marion Sims Endowed Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology at UAB Medicine discusses Vaginal Prolapse and how UAB Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery provides the highest level of evidence-based care for the full spectrum of women's pelvic floor disorders.

As life expectancy in developed countries gradually increases, obstetrician-gynecologists are encouraged to be familiar with disorders of the elderly population. Half of all women are likely to experience some incontinence in their lifetime, and about 10 percent will have surgery for incontinence and/or prolapse—a bulging of the bladder or vagina often caused by weakened muscles from pregnancy or childbirth. Fortunately, most incontinence problems can be successfully treated. In this segment, In this segment, Holly Richter, MD, PhD, J. Marion Sims Endowed Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology at UAB Medicine discusses Vaginal Prolapse and how UAB Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery provides the highest level of evidence-based care for the full spectrum of women's pelvic floor disorders., discusses Urinary and Bowel Incontinence and how the specialists of the UAB Division of Urogynecology and Pelvic Reconstructive Surgery provide professional and sensitive care for women with incontinence and other pelvic floor disorders.

Heart disease is the nation's leading cause of death and a major cause of disability. Heart disease can be inherited (congenital) or acquired during a lifetime of factors such as a damaging diet, lack of exercise, and the presence of stress. In women, heart disease symptoms can be dramatically different than they are in men. In this segment, Sara Pereira, MD, discusses the different aspects of heart disease in women and when it is important to refer to a specialist.

The mission of the UAB Medicine Comprehensive Ovarian Cancer Program is to improve the lives of women affected by or at risk for ovarian cancer. This navigator-driven, patient-centric program is the first of its kind in the Southeast and centralizes important ancillary aspects of ovarian cancer care for patients and their families, including genetic counseling, supportive care, and nutritional counseling. In this segment, Dr. Warner Huh discusses the Comprehensive Ovarian Cancer Program at UAB Medicine and when a referral to this program might be indicated.

According to the American Cancer Society, hepatocellular carcinoma or (HCC) is the fifth most common type of cancer and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the world. The UAB liver transplant team is comprised of highly skilled, experienced, and dedicated surgeons and physicians who are national leaders in their field. Our patients benefit from collaboration among physicians and surgeons who are recognized leaders in the treatment of liver disorders. In this segment, Dr. Jared A. White discusses liver tumor, hepatobiliary tumor and the management of liver cancer.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Comprehensive Transplant Institute has been awarded a five-year, $19.5 million grant from biotechnology magnate United Therapeutics Corporation to launch a pioneering UAB Xenotransplantation Program that both groups hope will lead to genetically modified kidney transplants from pig models to humans by 2021. Xenotransplantation is any procedure that involves the transplantation, implantation or infusion into a human recipient of either live cells, tissues or organs from a nonhuman animal source or human body fluids, cells, tissues or organs that have had ex vivo contact with live nonhuman animal cells, tissues or organs, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. These advancements are a part of research excellence and clinical innovation for lifesaving treatments that reach beyond standard clinical techniques. Here to discuss the importance of this ground breaking technology, is Alfred Joseph Tector, III, MD., transplant surgeon at UAB Medicine, and David Cooper, MD, PhD. a pioneering xenotransplantation researcher at UAB Medicine.

The UAB Division of Gynecologic Oncology is a multidisciplinary team of specialty physicians, nurses, and consultants providing comprehensive, compassionate care in treating women's cancers. In this segment, Dr.J.Michael Straughn Jr, discusses the field of Gynecologic Oncology and the strides and advancements they are making at UAB Medicine.