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Minimally-invasive Gynecologic Surgery

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minimally-invasive

Tanya Mack and Dr. Hugo Ribot of Cartersville OB-GYN

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Minimally-invasive Gynecologic Surgery

The field of women’s health has had some remarkable advancements in recent years – well even recent
months! Although there have been many advancements in women’s health, today’s show will focus on
three areas we have additional resources for here in Georgia: Laparoscopic Surgery, Maternal Fetal
Telemedicine in the OB office and Zika virus recommendations for pregnant women.

In this US, 1:9 women are expected to have a hysterectomy in their lifetime, mostly for benign disease. Technology advancements have now made it possible for MFM specialists to bring high risk care directly into the OB office vs. the patient traveling to a tertiary care center and well – the Zika virus has come to our communities in the US. Dr. Hugo Ribot has been a premier Georgia OB/GYN for over 20 years and has continued to be a top GYN surgeon and forward thinking obstetrician outside of the metro Atlanta area.

Time to get informed on what’s new in women’s health!

Special Guest:

Dr. Hugo Ribot, MD, Cartersville OB/GYN Associates  linkedin_small1

minimally-invasive

Dr. Hugo Ribot

Infertility

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infertility

Dr. Dorothy Mitchell-Leef

Infertility

This week Tanya hosted Dr. Dorothy Mitchell-Leef, MD, a long-time expert in infertility.  Respected in her field, she has helped parents give birth to over 8,000 babies.  Tanya and Dr. Mitchell-Leef discussed some of the common causes of infertility, along with treatments available today, which have significantly improved the likelihood of mothers successfully conceiving a child when they were initially having trouble.

More information soon!

 

Maternal Fetal Medicine via Telehealth

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maternal-fetal medicine

Dr. C. Anne Patterson

maternal-fetal medicine

Tanya Mack

Maternal Fetal Medicine via Telehealth

Women’s Telehealth’s Tanya Mack, interviews the company’s CEO and Medical Director, Dr. C. Anne Patterson, discussing maternal-fetal medicine as a specialty, and how they are now able to capitalize on telemedicine technology to deliver high-risk maternity care to a wider patient population.

Maternal fetal medicine is rare sub-specialty of obstetrics which delivers high risk obstetric care. These
specialists manage complex complications of pregnancy such as: multiple gestations, chronic medical
conditions during pregnancy, gestational diabetes and fetal abnormalities. The CDC and March of Dimes both estimate that in 2015 in the US, approximately 1:10 babies in the US are born prematurely.

GA ranks 50/50 for maternal death and 42/50 for infant mortality. Getting access to maternal fetal medicine services is often difficult as there are only about 1200 MFM physicians in the US and most are not located in rural areas.

Clearly, there is a need for many physicians of different specialties in rural areas and maternal-fetal medicine is one of them.  OB practices and hospitals in these areas can engage with Womens Telehealth to be able to help these patients avoid having to spend long travel times in cars to be seen by these needed specialists.  This allows them to stay closer to home and receive care in their local community.

But this solution has value for urban practices as well.  There are very few maternal-fetal specialists nationwide—only ~20 or so in Georgia.  By deploying the Womens Telehealth solution, these city-based groups and hospitals can also provide access to this specialty care for their patients, preventing potential loss of the patient to other facilities/groups in the community that do have maternal-fetal specialists on campus.

Special Guest:

Dr. C. Anne Patterson, CEO/Medical Director, Womens Telehealth

Summertime Pregnancies

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summertime pregnancies

Dr. Winnie Soufi

 

summertime pregnancies

Dr. Rama Rao

Summertime Pregnancies

CW sat down with Dr. Winnie Soufi and Dr. Rama Rao, of Womens Health Associates.  Dr. Soufi is a board certified OB/GYN, and Dr. Rao is a board certified gynecologic surgeon, and they are part of a 7 member practice on the Northside Hospital campus here in Atlanta.

We got into summertime pregnancies and what expectant mothers should think about, from dealing with heat, hydration, nutrition, and more, as well as advances in gynecologic surgery that benefit patients with problems that warrant a surgical approach.

Check back soon for more info!

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Pre-pregnancy and Prenatal Genetic Testing

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genetic testing

Tanya Mack of Women’s Telehealth

Pre-pregnancy and Prenatal Genetic Testing

We continue our twice-monthly series with Women’s Telehealth’s Tanya Mack.  She caught up with Certified Genetic Counselor, Rachel Klein, of GenPath Diagnostics.  The topic of discussion was focused on pre-pregnancy and prenatal genetic testing, when it makes sense, the difference between screening and diagnostic tests, how to deal with results, and more.

Women are routinely offered a variety of genetic tests during the first three months of pregnancy in the US.  Every woman wants to believe their baby is normal and uncomplicated. However, the CDC reports that 1:33 babies born in the US will have a birth defect. Genetic tests, both screening and diagnostic, show the likelihood that a developing baby has a genetic condition that may cause problems with growth, development and bodily functions.

Information from genetic testing plus the mother’s age, the couple’s ethnic background and a family history of a genetic disorder can help calculate the odds that the fetus might have a defect such as Cystic Fibrosis, Tay-Sach’s Disease, Sickle Cell Anemia, Down’s Syndrome or neural tube defects. Joining us for this segment of Top Docs is Rachel Klein, a Certified Genetic Counselor from one of the nation’s leading prenatal genetic testing labs, GenPath.

Special Guest:

Rachel Klein, Genetic Counseling Program Manager, GenPath Diagnostics  linkedin_small1  twitter_logo_small-e1403698475314  facebook_logo_small3  

genetic testing

 

Atlanta Plastic & Reconstructive Specialists

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ATL PLAST

Atlanta Plastic & Reconstructive Specialists

This week I featured 3 of the physicians from Atlanta Plastic & Reconstructive Specialists.  They are known for providing expert care for patients in need of reconstructive surgery after cancer treatment or trauma as well as for those who are seeking aesthetic procedures.

Dr. Donald Nunn is a triple-boarded surgeon and unique in the fact that he completed residencies and board certification in 3 specialties, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, Ear, Nose, & Throat, and Plastic surgery.  He is able to bring this range of training and experience to bear for his patients who need facial surgery as well as the full scope of plastic surgery procedures.

Dr. Bahair Ghazi shared how he benefited from spending several months training in Belgiam, learning some subtle differences in approach that he’s able to apply in his work when it can enhance the final outcome of his surgeries.  It’s clear talking with Dr. Ghazi he is passionate about plastic surgery and how it can have such a positive impact on quality of life for the patients he sees.  He shared some great information on the tummy tuck and pandectomy procedures for patients who have lost significant amounts of weight or that are wanting to become more active but excess body fat inhibits doing so.

Dr. Susann Bedford talked about how she feels a special relationship with the women she’s treating with breast surgery, whether reconstructive after cancer treatment, or aesthetic for women wanting to change their look for improved body image.  She shared how she was able to spend time during her training with some of the world’s highly-regarded specialists in breast and plastic surgery, helping her provide some of the best techniques available to achieve the best aesthetic result possible for a given case.

Special Guests:

Dr. Donald Nunn, MD, of Atlanta Plastic & Reconstructive Specialists  facebook_logo_small3  twitter_logo_small-e1403698475314  linkedin_small1  youtube logo  Pinterest-logo  google-plus-logo-red-265px

nunn

  • Doctor of Dental Surgery, Medical College of Virginia
  • Residency, Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, University of North Carolina
  • American Board of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
  • Doctor of Medicine, Medical College of Virginia
  • Residency, Neck and Head Surgery, Medical College of Virginia
  • Residency, Plastic Surgery, University of California
  • American Board of Plastic Surgery
  • American Board of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery

Dr. Bahair Ghazi, MD, of Atlanta Plastic & Reconstructive Specialists  twitter_logo_small-e1403698475314  facebook_logo_small3  linkedin_small1

dr-ghazi

  • Surgical Training

    Emory University Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery
    Emory University General Surgery
    West Virginia University, M.D.

  • Externships

    Cosmetic Surgery Sint Martens Latem, Belgium
    Cosmetic & Breast Reconstruction Brussels, Belgium
    Microsurgical Breast Reconstruction Ghent, Belgium

  • Board Certifications

    American Board of Plastic Surgery
    American Board of Surgery

Dr. Susann Beford, MD, of Atlanta Plastic & Reconstructive Specialists  facebook_logo_small3  linkedin_small1

dr-bedford

  • Doctor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine
  • Residency, Plastic Surgery, Barnes-Jewish Hospital of Washington University Hospital
  • Fellowship, Breast & Aesthetic Surgery, Georgetown University
  • American Board of Surgery
  • American Board of Plastic Surgery

 

 

International Medical Graduates

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 TDR 12-9

International Medical Graduates

In our ongoing series with Medical Association of Georgia, we discussed International Medical Graduates on this episode.  Today, we continue to extend the age to which we humans live. This, coupled with the large post-war baby boomer population that is now entering the elderly population, compounds the effects of the period 2-3 decades ago where it was thought we possessed a surplus of physicians. During that time the creation of new medical colleges and expansion of residency programs was limited. These factors combined to bring us to the situation we find ourselves in today: an expanding shortage of physicians in the US.

The ECFMG (Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates) reports that since its inception in the 1950’s it has examined and certified over 320,000 foreign-trained physicians for acceptance to train in US medical colleges and residency programs.  Recent statistics show as many as 25% of practicing physicians in the US are foreign-trained graduates.  And they play a vital role in the delivery of healthcare in our country.  I sat down with Kate Boyenga, Director of Membership and Marketing with Medical Association of Georgia and current MAG president, Dr. Manoj Shah, himself a foreign medical graduate.

We learned about some of the reasons why Medical Association of Georgia is experiencing its largest membership with over 7500 members statewide.  And Dr. Shah shared excellent information about the steps required to study in medical school abroad with the ultimate goal of practicing medicine in the US.  He talked about the tests one can expect to take, challenges they may face while making application to schools/residencies in the US, and possible solutions for them.

Special Guests:

Kate Boyenga, Director of Membership and Marketing for Medical Association of Georgia 

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boyenga

  • BA Communication, College of Charleston
  • Under her leadership MAG Membership is at an all-time high
  • 14 years with MAG

Dr. Manoj Shah, MD, of Physicians for Women and president of MAG  linkedin_small1

  shah

  • MAG’s first President from Warner Robins
  • MAG’s first president of East Indian descent
  • Doctor of Medicine, Baroda, India
  • Residency, Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit
  • Has delivered more than 7,000 babies

Important Cancer Resources for Georgians

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GeorgiaCORE and TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation

 

Cancer Resources for Georgians

Special Guests: Alice Kerber, Angie Patterson, and Erin Long

This week we’ll hear about important cancer resources available to patients in Georgia from Alice Kerber and Angie Patterson of GeorgiaCORE. The organization is a public private partnership dedicated to facilitating cancer prevention, care, research, and education.  They are focused on helping patients get better access to available cancer resources from early diagnosis to best treatments available, and support once they are survivors.  Through initiatives such as www.georgiacancerinfo.org, Georgia Breast Cancer Genomic Consortium, and the Cancer Patient Navigator program, GeorgiaCORE facilitates greater community awareness and helps improve cancer outcomes for Georgians.  TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation provides a range of specialized rehabilitation services tailored specifically for the breast cancer survivor.  As a charitable organization they are able to provide care to under- or uninsured patients who require care as well.  Director of Development, Erin Walker Long discusses the therapies they provide along with some of their upcoming fund-raising initiatives.

Alice Kerber, MN, APRN, ACNS-BC, AOCN, APNG, GeorgiaCORE   facebook_logo_small3  twitter_logo_small  linkedin_small1  youtube logo

  • Oncology Nurse Specialist working to improve quality of cancer care in Georgia
  • 34 years of oncology experience, both inpatient & outpatient
  • Heavily involved in a CDC program, “Georgia Breast Cancer Genomic Consortium”
  • 2011 Recipient, Oncology Nurse of the Year by Georgia March of Dimes

Angie Patterson, Vice President of Research & Education, GeorgiaCORE

  • Co-founder, Cancer Patient Navigators of Georgia
  • Focused heavily on improving cancer care through implementation of patient navigation and survivorship programs
  • Breast Cancer Survivor
  • Volunteer with Northside Hospital’s Network of Hope

Erin Long, Development Director for TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation  facebook_logo_small3  twitter_logo_small  feed logo

  • 15 years of fundraising experience in healthcare and education
  • Enjoy tennis, exercise and reading
  • Mother of two children under 4

Dr. Roberts-Lopez and Dr. Carroll Talk Women’s Health at WellStar

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gynecologic oncology and urogynecology

Dr. Roberts-Lopez and Dr. Carroll of WellStar Medical Group talk women’s health issues

<Women’s Health

Dr. LaSonya Roberts-Lopez and Dr. Amy Carroll are physicians with WellStar Medical Group.  Dr. Roberts-Lopez is an OB-GYN who specialized in urology.  She is able to help women dealing with a variety of issues from interstitial cystitis, uterine or bladder prolapse, urinary (and even fecal) incontinence, and more.  Dr. Carroll is an OB-GYN who subspecialized in the treatment of gynecologic cancers including ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, vulvar cancer, cervical cancer, and more.  Their training in gynecology, coupled with being women themselves, gives them an advantage when caring for women facing these quality-of-life-altering issues.  On this week’s show they discussed a variety of problems they are able to help women with, screening options available for early detection, and measures women can take to prevent occurrence for a number of issues.

Special Guests:

Dr. LaSonya Roberts-Lopez, MD of WellStar Medical Group  twitter_logo_small facebook_logo_small3

  •  Doctorate of Medicine Emory University School of Medicine
  • Residency, OB-GYN, State University of New York
  • Fellowship, Advanced pelvic surgery/urogynecology, Northside Hospital, Southeastern Gynecologic Oncology Group

Board certified fellow in obstetrics & gynecology and female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery, Dr. Roberts-Lopez is a Diplomat of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She is also a member of American Urogynecology Society, American Medical Association and International Urogynecology Society. She is in practice with WellStar Urogynecology.

Dr. Amy Carroll, MD of WellStar Medical Group  twitter_logo_small facebook_logo_small3

  •  Doctorate of Medicine, Emory School of Medicine
  • Residency, University of Texas at Galveston
  • Fellowship, Oncology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

Dr. Carroll is a member of the American Association for Cancer Research, Society of Gynecologic Oncology, American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Dr. Carroll is in practice with WellStar Gynecologic Oncology.

Minimally-Invasive Treatments for Uterine Fibroids Avoid Hysterectomy

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Uterine Fibroids Treatment

Dr. Lipman and Dr. Alarcon discuss treating Uterine Fibroids without surgery.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Uterine Fibroids

Special guests Dr. John Lipman of Atlanta Interventional Institute and Dr. Carlos Alarcon of Marietta OB-GYN are featured on this week’s program. They share information about amazing minimally-invasive procedures and the multi-specialty team approach they use to treat uterine fibroids.

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