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Clostridium Difficile

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Clostridium Difficile

Dr. David Dickensheets, CW Hall talk Clostridium Difficile

Clostridium Difficile

On this week’s episode we talked about one of the leading causes of hospital-acquired infections: Clostridium Difficile, or “C. Diff.”  I sat down with Dr. David Dickensheets, infectious disease specialist with Infectious Disease Services of Georgia in his Cumming, GA office.

According to the CDC nearly half a million persons experienced a Clostridium difficile infection last year.  Their website explains:

“Approximately 29,000 patients died within 30 days of the initial diagnosis of C. difficile.  Of those, about 15,000 deaths were estimated to be directly attributable to C. difficileinfections, making C. difficile a very important cause of infectious disease death in the United States.  More than 80 percent of the deaths associated with C. difficile occurred among Americans aged 65 years or older. C. difficile causes an inflammation of the colon and deadly diarrhea.

Previous studies indicate that C. difficile has become the most common microbial cause of healthcare-associated infections in U.S. hospitals and costs up to $4.8 billion each year in excess health care costs for acute care facilities alone.  The new study found that 1 out of every 5 patients with a healthcare-associated C. difficile infection experienced a recurrence of the infection and 1 out of every 9 patients aged 65 or older with a healthcare-associated C. difficile infection died within 30 days of diagnosis.”

Clearly it’s a big problem.  Dr. Dickensheets shared some great information on how the infection is diagnosed and why it’s so hard to eradicate from a hospital environment.  He also talked about an interesting treatment approach–the fecal transplant.

That’s right, in some instances, patients have been able to resolve the infection by having fecal material from a healthy human instilled into their bowel, allowing a repopulation of normal flora bacteria that compete with the C. Diff., helping to eliminate the infection.

Special Guest:

Dr. David Dickensheets, MD, of Infectious Disease Services of Georgia

Clostridium Difficile

  • Doctor of Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University
  • Residency, Roger Williams Medical Center
  • Fellowshp, Brown University
  • Board Certified in Infectious Disease

ICD-10

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ICD-10

CW Hall and Dr. James Dunnick

ICD-10

This week I continued my monthly series featuring experts from Medical Association of Georgia.  Our conversation focused on the upcoming implementation of ICD-10 codes, which will significantly change how we document and are reimbursed for care provided to our patients.

I sat down with Dr. James Dunnick, a former practicing cardiologist of over 25 years who began to enhance his level of understanding of coding, compliance, and quality review later in his career.  He now provides consulting services to healthcare practices and hospitals on these important components of their businesses.

Within the healthcare industry, providers, coders, IT professionals, insurance carriers, government agencies, and others use ICD codes to properly note diseases on health records, track epidemiological trends and assist in medical reimbursement decisions.

The World Health Organization (WHO) owns, develops, and publishes ICD codes, and national governments and other regulating bodies adopt the system.

The differences between ICD-9 and ICD-10 are significant and physicians and practice management staff need to start educating themselves now about this major change so that they will be able to meet the ICD-10 compliance deadline of October 1 – in less than one month.

ICD-10-CM codes are the ones designated for use in documenting diagnoses. They are 3-7 characters in length and total 68,000, while ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes are 3-5 digits in length and number over 14,000. The ICD-10-PCS are the procedure codes and they are alphanumeric, 7 characters in length, and total approximately 87,000, while ICD-9-CM procedure codes are only 3-4 numbers in length and total approximately 4,000 codes. ICD-10-PCS is only used for coding hospital inpatient procedures. CPT remains the code set for reporting procedures and services in offices and outpatient settings.

Moving to ICD-10 is expected to impact all physicians. Due to the increased number of codes, the change in the number of characters per code, and increased code specificity, this transition will require significant planning, training, software/system upgrades/replacements, as well as other necessary investments.

WHO is expected to release ICD-11 in 2017.

Special Guest:

Dr. James Kennedy, MD, of

Within the healthcare industry, providers, coders, IT professionals, insurance carriers, government agencies, and others use ICD codes to properly note diseases on health records, track epidemiological trends and assist in medical reimbursement decisions.

The World Health Organization (WHO) owns, develops, and publishes ICD codes, and national governments and other regulating bodies adopt the system.

The differences between ICD-9 and ICD-10 are significant and physicians and practice management staff need to start educating themselves now about this major change so that they will be able to meet the ICD-10 compliance deadline of October 1 – in less than one month.

ICD-10-CM codes are the ones designated for use in documenting diagnoses. They are 3-7 characters in length and total 68,000, while ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes are 3-5 digits in length and number over 14,000. The ICD-10-PCS are the procedure codes and they are alphanumeric, 7 characters in length, and total approximately 87,000, while ICD-9-CM procedure codes are only 3-4 numbers in length and total approximately 4,000 codes. ICD-10-PCS is only used for coding hospital inpatient procedures. CPT remains the code set for reporting procedures and services in offices and outpatient settings.

Moving to ICD-10 is expected to impact all physicians. Due to the increased number of codes, the change in the number of characters per code, and increased code specificity, this transition will require significant planning, training, software/system upgrades/replacements, as well as other necessary investments.

WHO is expected to release ICD-11 in 2017.

Special Guest:

Dr. James Dunnick, MD, of SESEDN, LLC and The Dunnick Group, LLC

Dr. James Dunnick

  • Board Certified Cardiologist with 25 years of clinical practice
  • Certified Professional Coder (CPC) through the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC)
  • Certified in Quality and Utilization (CHCQM) by the American Board of Quality Assurance, Utilization Review Physicians (ABQAURP)
  • Certified in Compliance (CMDP) by the American Institute of Healthcare

Dr. Priyah Rudolph

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Dr. Priyah Rudolph

On this episode of Top Docs Radio I hosted Dr. Priyah Rudolph, medical oncologist with Georgia Cancer Specialists.  Dr. Rudolph practices in the Athens, GA office for the group and has expertise with several forms of cancer.  She shared her poignant story about how she came to choose oncology as her specialty of practice.

Dr. Rudolph described how several members of her family experienced cancer in their lives, including her mother.  In speaking with her it’s clear she has a very personal connection with patients she sees in her practice and clearly understands the stress and concern they feel.

For this conversation, we focused on breast cancer.  According to breastcancer.org, in the US, roughly 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.  Nearly 300,000 new cases will be diagnosed this year.

Priya shared the importance self-breast exams, conducted at least monthly, paired with annual mammograms annually after the age of 40 or sooner if direct descendants of breast cancer patients.  Early detection helps give the patient more options for treatment, as well as the likelihood of successful treatment.

She talked about various treatments available and what to expect should the troubling news come that a finding is indeed cancer.  On a positive note, we talked about the fact that breast cancer is very survivable with today’s technology and medical advancements.

Special Guest:

Dr. Priyah Rudolph, MD, of Georgia Cancer Specialists  Pinterest-logo  facebook_logo_small3  instagram-logo-transparent-png-i11 (16x16)  linkedin_small1  youtube logo

Georgia Cancer Specialists

  • Doctor of Medicine, Coimbatore Medical College
  • Residency, Yale University School of Medicine
  • Fellowship, Yale University School of Medicine
  • American Society of Clinical Oncology
  • American Society of Hematology
  • PhD in Physiology at The Ohio State University

 

Radiation Oncology

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Radiation Oncology

On this week’s show I sat down with Radiation Oncologist, Dr. Chad Levitt. We talked about how he decided he wanted to go into radiation oncology as his chosen field of practice. He shared how he enjoyed the fact that the specialty allowed him to call on his liberal arts schooling, helping him to be able to be perceptive to his patients’ needs and concerns, and allowing him to communicate effectively with them in a period of significant stress.

Chad explained how important it is for oncology physicians to make time to insure their patients’ questions are answered and that their concerns have been addressed. He believes the patient needs to be well-informed so they can hopefully experience less anxiety and allow them to make educated choices about their care. He stated the patient should be the “Captain of the Ship” and the health team the crew that helps them get to where they want to go.

We talked about the importance of getting 2nd and even 3rd opinions when facing life-changing illnesses such as cancer. Chad shared that it is vital to do so before engaging in treatments that cannot be undone. Given the political and personal alliances that can be present in a given hospital ecosystem, it is wise to seek 2nd opinions in hospitals or systems that are outside that of the primary physician to allow for likelihood of a more objective opinion.

Special Guest:

Dr. Chad Levitt, MD, of Radiotherapy Associates of Forsyth

Radiotherapy Associates of Forsyth

Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

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Huff Powell & Bailey

Dan Huff talks medical malpractice

Medical Malpractice Lawsuits

The phrase medical malpractice causes most people’s pulse to quicken. For a physician being named in a medical malpractice case is one of the worst events in their life. This week we discussed medical malpractice in Georgia and how physicians can avoid it.

For the past 23 years, Dan has specialized in representing physicians and hospitals in medical malpractice lawsuits.  As one of the founding partners in the Atlanta law firm of Huff, Powell & Bailey, LLC, he has represented defendants in more than 90 jury trials.

Dan has defended and successfully tried cases for every specialty of medicine and numerous hospitals throughout Georgia. His trial record would be a proud career for any defense lawyer and is remarkable because Dan has tried and won this many cases before turning 50.  Many of those cases have been against the best plaintiffs’ attorneys in the state. Dan is also a regular contributor to MAG’s quarterly Journal.

Huff shared what malpractice is, and why he chose this area of focus for his legal career.  He offered some advice on how healthcare practitioners can avoid a malpractice lawsuit.  We discussed his professional advice for how to handle conversations with patient and/or family after a sentinel event has occurred.  And we talked about how health professionals need to handle patient records and what to do if served with a lawsuit.

Dan explained how defendants in a suit should behave during the proceedings of the case to reduce the likelihood a jury will rule against them.

Special Guest:

Dan Huff, JD, and co-founder, Huff, Powell, and Bailey

Huff, Powell, & Bailey

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Ketan Patel DPM

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Ankle & Foot Centers of Georgia

Ketan Patel DPM

For 33 years Ankle & Foot Centers of Georgia has served the Atlanta community. Their nationally-renowned group of doctors specialize in the full spectrum of care for the lower extremity at 22 area locations across Metro Atlanta. As members of The Piedmont Clinic the group is noted for excellence in patient care while constantly providing the cutting edge treatment for all conditions of the Foot, Ankle, and Lower Leg.

I’ve had the opportunity to sit down with several of the specialists from Ankle & Foot Centers of Georgia. And we have collaborated with the practice on numerous occasions as members of the multi-specialty team working to preserve lower extremities in diabetic ulcer patients.

I know first-hand they provide a high measure of expertise and put their patients’ outcomes first.  This week I hosted Ketan Patel, DPM, who practices in the Buckhead office of Ankle & Foot Centers of Georgia.

He shared why he chose podiatry as his career, having known most of his young life he wanted to be a healthcare provider.  He shared some great information about new technologies he is able to provide access to for his patients, in many cases allowing the patients to resolve their problems without surgery.

We spoke of ways individuals can prevent many of the overuse injuries he frequently sees in his office when we decide to start training, running, or engaging in athletic activities with too much intensity/volume too soon.

It is clear in speaking with Ketan he has a passion for his work and enjoys the positive, collegial culture found across the Ankle & Foot Centers of Georgia practice.  I look forward to meeting additional members of the group on the show.

Special Guest:

Ketan Patel, DPM, of Ankle & Foot Centers of Georgia  linkedin_small1  twitter_logo_small-e1403698475314  facebook_logo_small3  youtube logo

Ankle & Foot Centers of Georgia

  • BS, Microbiology, University of Georgia
  • Doctor of Podiatric Medicine, Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine
  • Previous Chief Resident, Podiatric Medicine, Bon Secours Health System
  • Speaks Hindi, Gujarati, English

 

Loving Arms Cancer Outreach

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Loving Arms Cancer Outreach

Loving Arms Cancer Outreach

Over the past year we’ve talked about cancer on several occasions.  We have hosted physician panels, sharing how to prevent cancers and how they’re diagnosed, and treatment options patients have to choose from.

We’ve also spoken with cancer survivors who have come on the share their stories about being diagnosed, and their experiences during treatment and beyond, as survivors.

This week I hosted cancer survivor, Angel DeJesus, office manager for Loving Arms Cancer Outreach.  This non-profit cancer support organization was started by two practicing oncology nurses.  They had seen how many patients deplete their financial resources paying for their cancer care.

This leaves them with with limited ability to pay for obligations of daily life such as rent/mortgage, utilities, gas to get them to treatment, and more.  They started Loving Arms Cancer Outreach to provide some measure of assistance with these needs along with support group services, education, opportunities to volunteer, and others.

Angel shared his poignant story about experiencing a cancer that ultimately cost him is right eye and how he, too, lost his home, job, and savings paying for his cancer care.  He explained how Loving Arms Cancer Outreach provided him with their support services and even were able to provide rides to his treatment when he was a patient.

The financial expense and logistics of providing rides to cancer patients was too great for the organization to continue that service.  But they continue to offer financial assistance and support group services and others.  We are hopeful listeners will help with donations, time, or share this message with folks who may be able to do so.

Special Guest

Angel DeJesus, Office Manager, Loving Arms Cancer Outreach

Loving Arms Cancer Outreach

 

Health IT and Accelerating Innovation

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Healthcare technology

Harvey Shuster, Osama Hashmi

mPoweredIT

John Mamon talks mPowered IT

Health IT and Accelerating Innovation

This week I sat down with experts from the healthcare IT sector.  John Mamon is the CEO of mPoweredIT, an outsourced IT company that devotes expertise to the small to mid-sized medical practice, helping them manage their computer hardware, infrastructure, and software needs for far less than it typically costs to employ someone dedicated to these functions within the practice.

John talked about how often, in an effort to save money, small practices place responsibility for managing these facets on a practice manager, a clinician within the office, or even the doctors themselves.  Clearly this can take away from the core function of the office—taking care of more patients.

He shared a number of important concerns that can expose these offices to risk such as HIPAA requirements, downtime of equipment, ACA compliance, and others.  Each of these can create significant cost or loss of productivity when small offices attempt to handle things on their own.

mPoweredIT is able to scale their services to the needs of the practice, providing the full suite of IT management or taking over particular elements on behalf of the practice.  The company also partners with several other health experts who can provide additional support in areas such as billing/revenue cycle management, EMR selection, and others, to allow their clients to maximize productivity and profitability at the same time.

John introduced us to Harvey Shuster, of Emergence, a Georgia Medical Accelerator.  Harvey, a multiple-time entrepreneur, was one of the founders of Peachtree Software among others.  He and his team work with emerging healthcare technology companies, helping them to commercialize and bring to market their devices/technologies more quickly.

Harvey brought along Osama Hashmi, CEO/Founder of VitaminC.  This company adds an additional layer of automation and engagement to EMR systems.  Their software allows providers to contact patients and encourage follow-up visits where appropriate to facilitate care/outcomes while at the same time helping the practice to maximize its potential for seeing patients in need.

VitaminC integrates well with numerous EMR systems and has proven valuable to primary care doctors and specialists such as dermatologists, plastic surgeons, and others.

Special Guests:

John Mamon, CEO/Founder, mPoweredIT  linkedin_small1  google-plus-logo-red-265px

mPoweredIT

  • Associates Degree, Information Technology, Bryant and Stratton College
  • Previous VP, Professional Services, BMC Solutions
  • Former Executive VP, CDI Managed Services

Harvey Shuster, COO, of Emergence Georgia Medical Accelerator  twitter_logo_small-e1403698475314  facebook_logo_small3

Emergence

  • MBA, Finance, Drexell University LeBow College of Business
  • Bronze Star Recipient, US Army
  • Published Author
  • Co-founder, Southeast Medical Device Association

Osama Hashmi, CEO/Chief Product Officer, of VitaminC  github  linkedin_small1  twitter_logo_small-e1403698475314  facebook_logo_small3

VitaminC

  • Doctor of Medicine, College of Georgia, Georgia Regents University
  • Master of Public Health, University of Georgia
  • Previous Policy Director, Roosevelt Institute, University of Georgia
  • Former Research Assistant, Stanford University