Georgia’s Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Posted on April 15, 2016April 15, 2016

Dr. Bill Craver

Georgia’s Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

I hosted Dr. Bill Craver to talk about the Georgia campus of Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Craver is the dean and chief academic officer of the osteopathic medical program at the Georgia Campus of the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, which is also known as GA-PCOM, in Suwanee.

Dr. Craver is a professor of surgery, is board certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery, and is a fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons. Dr. Craver earned a degree in physical therapy from the University of Delaware. He worked in the areas of physical therapy and sports medicine at the Hershey Medical Center before enrolling at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, where he earned a doctor of osteopathic medicine degree with honors.

Dr. Craver completed a residency in general surgery at the Osteopathic Medical Center of Philadelphia. He cared for patients in Jasper, Georgia and Hardinsburg, Kentucky before coming to GA-PCOM. GA-PCOM is a private, not-for-profit branch of the fully accredited Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, which has a 117-year tradition of excellence. Located in Suwanee, GA-PCOM was established in 2005.

It offers a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree, a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, a Master of Science degree in Biomedical Sciences, and a Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant Studies. The campus also includes the Georgia Osteopathic Care Center, which is an osteopathic manipulative medicine clinic that is open to the public by appointment.

What is osteopathic medicine and what does it mean to be a D.O.? Andrew T. Still, M.D., was dissatisfied with the effectiveness of 19th century medicine. He was one of the pioneers of osteopathic medicine – and he was one of the first of his time to study the attributes of good health to better understand disease. Dr. Still’s philosophy is based on the unity of all body parts and views the musculoskeletal system as a key element of health.

Dr. Still introduced the idea of returning the body to health through manipulation based on a thorough understanding of the body’s systems. Along with M.D.s, today’s D.O.s are licensed to prescribe medication and perform surgery in all 50 states. Osteopathic physicians practice a “whole person” approach to medicine, treating the entire person rather than just the symptoms.

With a focus on preventive health care, D.O.s help patients develop attitudes and lifestyles that don’t just fight illness but help prevent it as well. D.O.s are trained to be doctors first and specialists second. The majority of D.O.s are family-oriented primary care physicians. Many D.O.s practice in small towns and rural areas,
where they often care for entire families and communities.

Special Guest:

Dr. Bill Craver, Dean and Professor of Surgery, Georgia campus, Philadelphia College of Medicine

Surviving With Incurable Breast Cancer

Posted on April 9, 2016April 10, 2016

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Dr. Amelia Zelnak

Surviving With Incurable Breast Cancer

This week I sat down with breast cancer specialist, Dr. Amelia Zelnak, of Atlanta Cancer Care. We talked about patients dealing with incurable breast cancer or they have a malignant recurrence. Pfizer, maker of several medications used to treat various cancers, have launched an initiative, “Breast Cancer: A Story Half Told”.

This effort aims to expand the breast cancer conversation on multiple fronts. As the website states, “Earlier this year, Pfizer unveiled the results of two complementary studies that uncovered gaps in the breast cancer conversation within society at large and between patients and physicians in the doctor’s office, and along with leaders in the breast cancer community issued a public call-to-action to expand the breast cancer dialogue to include metastatic disease. Breast Cancer: A Story Half Told – Supporting Workplace Conversations aims to identify gaps in the current conversation about breast cancer and the workplace, and encourage healthcare professionals and employers to join together with women with breast cancer to better address their unique workplace needs.”

We talk about this and more. Check back soon for more info!

Telemedicine

Posted on April 3, 2016April 5, 2016

Podcast: Download

Telemedicine

Today’s technology, particularly internet, communications, and mobile platforms, is empowering disruption in the traditional healthcare delivery model. Telemedicine is an emerging trend that shows no sign of slowing and my guests on this episode focus on this platform for delivering high quality care.

In some ways, mobile technology is bringing us full circle. The “House Call” is back and being seen by a physician and/or other health professional in our home or other location outside of a doctor’s office, urgent care, or ER will likely be as common as it was decades ago, if not even more so.

Telemedicine is taking advantage of these technology capabilities to put patients together with healthcare professionals virtually and in some cases, through a combination of someone sitting with the patient facilitating an exam while another provider is connected to the interaction via video/telephony.

TeleHealth Solutions is a consultancy that works with healthcare organizations and practices seeking to add telemedicine to their delivery model. The company is able to evaluate the client’s goals and determine (hopefully prior to any expenditures on equipment/platforms) the best platform for achieving those objectives.

In some cases they may even advise the client to hold off on adding such a platform, depending on what they were expecting it to do, avoiding large costs for something that will ultimately not be used. Turner Smith explained how there are often unseen pitfalls around launching such a delivery model, so working with experts such as himself and his team can insure desired patient outcomes are achieved while making financial investments in the right technology/service.

Glenn Pearson spent nearly 20 years leading the Georgia Hospital Association. As such, he’s well-versed in the in’s and out’s of how hospitals do business, make decisions regarding technologies they will deploy (or NOT deploy), and factors that can make what seems to be a great idea for a solution that will ultimately fail to be adopted.

He’s leveraging that experience at Pearson Health Tech Insights, providing consulting services for tech companies who are developing (or plan to develop) technology solutions that will serve the hospital/health system space. He and his team can help the tech developer potentially pivot their solution if needed, or in some cases do some redesign before going to market. In this way, just as Turner’s firm helps tech buyers purchase wisely, Glenn’s company helps the developer have greater probability of success in getting their technology adopted.

I met Tanya Mack a couple of years ago on her show Doctors Roundtable here on Business Radio X. She is now leading a company called, Women’s Telehealth, a virtual physician practice comprised of maternal-fetal specialists and high-risk pregnancy OB’s.

These healthcare experts are able to link up with a hospital or group’s existing telehealth technology to provide the medical expertise needed by moms in high-risk pregnancies. With value to both urban and rural areas, Women’s Telehealth is allowing organizations that do not have high-risk OB specialists on staff, to be able to handle many of these patient needs, allowing the organization to simultaneously meet a patient need, while keeping them in their delivery system rather than losing them to a competing hospital.

Special Guests:

Tanya Mack, President, Women’s Telehealth

Turner Smith, VP of Business Development, TeleHealth Solutions

Glenn Pearson, Principal, Pearson Health Tech Insights

WellCare of Georgia and Diabetes

Posted on March 28, 2016March 29, 2016

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Dr. John Johnson of WellCare of Georgia talks diabetes

WellCare of Georgia and Diabetes

Dr. John Johnson is the Senior Medical Director at WellCare Health Plans, Inc. – which is one of the Medicaid CMOs in Georgia. His areas of responsibility include utilization review, care management, quality improvement and clinical outcomes. Dr. Johnson graduated from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in Rutgers. He completed his residency at Emory University Hospital. Dr. Johnson is Board Certified in internal medicine.

He also has an MBA from Emory University’s Goizueta School of Business. Dr. Johnson owned and operated a practice in Douglasville that cares for patients with acute and chronic medical conditions for more than 13 years. Before joining WellCare in 2014, Dr. Johnson was the medical director for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia. While there, he oversaw utilization review and case management for more than 600,000 State Health Benefit Plan patients. Dr. Johnson is a member of MAG, the AMA, and the American College of Physicians. He is a also colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves Medical Corps.

Diabetes is becoming more common in the United States. It afflicts more than 29 million Americans, including more than one million Georgians. One quarter of the people who are affected by it aren’t aware that they have the disease. An additional 86 million people have pre-diabetes, which means that their blood glucose (sugar) is higher than normal but not high enough to be classified as diabetic. Estimates project that as many as one in three American adults will have diabetes by 2050.

In addition to its detrimental health effects, the American Diabetes Association reports that the U.S. spends $174 billion a year to treat the disease. The primary risk factors for diabetes include being overweight; sedentary; over the age of 45; and having a family history of diabetes. African Americans, Hispanics/Latinos, Native Americans, Asian Americans, and Pacific Islanders are at an increased risk for developing the disease.

Diabetes is the nation’s seventh-leading cause of death. It is also a leading cause of kidney failure, non-traumatic lower-limb amputations, new cases of blindness, heart disease, and stroke. A significant number of Georgians who are struggling with diabetes, particularly those in low-income and medically underserved populations, do not fully understand how to manage diabetes on a day-to-day basis.

WellCare is working to address the needs the diabetic population by collaborating with patients, providers, family members, and the community using a variety of mechanisms, including value-based care, telemedicine, field-based case management, the patient-centered medical home, and advocacy.

Special Guests:

Dr. John Johnson, MD, Senior Medical Director, WellCare of Georgia

Doctor of Medicine, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey
Board Certified, Internal Medicine
MBA, Goizueta Business School, Emory University
Colonel, US Army

Donald Palmisano, CEO, Executive Director of Medical Association of Georgia

JD Law, Loyola School of Law
Board of Directors, Physician Advocacy Institute
Medical Payment Subcommitte Member, State Board of Workers’ Compensation
Treasurer, Board of Directors, Physicians’ Institute for Excellence in Medicine
Former Director, Government Relations/General Counsel/Director, GAMPAC

Dr. Mark Beaty and Dr. Manny Rodriguez

Posted on March 21, 2016June 21, 2017

Podcast: Download

Dr. Mark Beaty

Dr. Manny Rodriguez

Dr. Mark Beaty and Dr. Manny Rodriguez

I was joined in studio by facial plastic surgeon, Dr. Mark Beaty, and I spoke with infectious disease physician, Dr. Manny Rodriguez about the Zika virus.

Dr. Mark Beaty specializes in elective aesthetic facial procedures to improve or reconstruct facial blemishes and flaws. Today we know there is more than simple vanity as reasons to consider improving the look of one’s face, particularly when you are a business professional.

Dr. Beaty shared information about recent studies that looked at individuals who underwent aesthetic procedures to address issues such as symmetry with regard to their earning over time. The study showed that business professionals in sales/leadership positions earned significantly more over time than counterparts who did not correct such issues.

We talked about some of the various ways Dr. Beaty is able to improve facial beauty, including some of the basic surgical procedures he performs, such as lifts and tucks, reconstruction of the nose, etc. He draws upon years of experience and refinement of his technique to offer what he calls, ProLIFT, allowing optimal aesthetic result with less recovery time.

He also discussed a number of innovative non-surgical procedures he is able to offer that hasten return to work with short recovery, minimal bruising or external thermal wounds. His CoolSculpting program creates the best value for non-surgical fat reduction through the use of a special device that is able to kill adipose cells, while protecting other tissues in the trouble spot.

He also explained the new Profound skin tightening procedure for non-surgical improvement of loose, saggy skin. Dr. Beaty is pleased to now have an office located in Midtown Atlanta to increase convenience for his in-town patients.

We’ve heard much about the Zika virus in the news lately, as several persons in the US have been found to be carrying the disease upon returning to the US (typically from Brazil). The virus has caused alarm due to the fact that it has recently been attributed as the cause for microcephaly in infants delivered to mothers who were infected during pregnancy.

Infectious disease physician, Dr. Manny Rodriguez took time to sit down and share some information about the virus for our listeners. In many ways, the zika viral infection is relatively benign, according to Dr. Rodriguez, with only a small number of persons exhibiting symptoms that alert them to the fact that they were exposed to the virus.

We talked about the symptoms that are most commonly seen when symptoms manifest, how the infection is diagnosed, what to expect should one become infected, along with some useful information on how to avoid the infection to begin with.

As we approach the Olympic games that will be held in Brazil, I’m sure we will continue to focus on this issue. I’m pleased to share some information straight from the expert for our listeners!

Special Guests:

Dr. Mark Beaty of Beaty Facial Plastic Surgery

Doctorate in Medicine, University of Kentucky College of Medicine
Residency, University of Iowa Department of Otolaryngology
Fellowship, Facial Plastic Surgery, Emory-Affiliated Buckhead Facial Plastic Surgery
Board Certified in Facial Plastic Surgery and Otolaryngology
Recipient, Sir Harold Delf Gilles award for research evaluating effects of rhinoplasty techniques on nasal architecture

Dr. Manny Rodriguez, DO, Infectious Disease Services of Georgia

Doctor of Osteopathy, Nova Southeastern University
Master of Public Health, Nova Southeastern University
Residency, University of South Alabama
Fellowship in Infectious Diseases, The George Washington University
Board Certified in Infectious Disease and Internal Medicine

Project DAN and Georgia’s 911 Medical Amnesty Law

Posted on March 10, 2016March 16, 2016

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Dr. Shonali Saha, CW Hall, Dallas Gay

Project DAN and Georgia’s 911 Medical Amnesty Law

We continued our series with Medical Association of Georgia this week, talking about Project DAN and Georgia’s 911 Medical Amnesty Law. Dallas Gay and Dr. Shonali Saha were my guests.

MAG Foundation ‘Think About It’ campaign Community Chair Dallas Gay and Shonali Saha, M.D. – an adolescent medicine and addiction medicine physician with the Georgia Behavioral Health Professionals practice in Smyrna – discussed naloxone and the state’s ‘9-1-1 Medical Amnesty Law’ on the ‘Top Docs Radio’ program on the Business Radio-X Network at 12:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 8.

Naloxone is an effective, non-addictive prescription medication that reverses the effects of opioid drug overdoses. Under Georgia’s 9-1-1 Medical Amnesty Law, naloxone can be delivered on an intranasal or intramuscular basis. Physicians in Georgia can prescribe naloxone via a standing order to a person who is at risk of experiencing an opioid overdose. And at their discretion, physicians can prescribe naloxone to pain management clinics, first responders, harm reduction organizations, or family members or friends or other people who are in a position to assist a patient who is at risk of experiencing an opioid overdose.

The 9-1-1 Medical Amnesty Law provides limited immunity for individuals who possess certain drugs and drug paraphernalia when they experience a drug overdose and are in need of medical care, for people who seek medical care for a person who is experiencing a drug overdose, and for certain underage drinking offenses for minors who seek medical care during an alcohol overdose.

Special Guests:

Dallas Gay, Co-Chair, “Think About It” Campaign

Board Member, Northeast Georgia Medical Center
MBA, Georgia State University
Member, Drug Free Coalition of Hall County
Former President, Protein Products, Inc
Former President, American Proteins, Inc.

Dr. Shonali Saha, MD, Georgia Behavioral Health Professionals

Doctor of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine New York University
Residency, Cambridge Health Alliance
Fellowship, Adolescent and Addiction Medicine, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
Attending Physician, Ridgeview Institute

Health Care Fraud and False Claims

Posted on February 29, 2016February 29, 2016

Podcast: Download

Scott Grubman, CW Hall, and James Marcus talk healthcare fraud.

Health Care Fraud and False Claims

I hosted 2 False Claims Act legal experts on this week’s MAG edition of Top Docs Radio. You’re going to want to check out what they have to say, as it could mean the difference between practicing medicine or not, in the end.

Scott Grubman is a partner with the law firm of Chilivis Cochran Larkins & Bever in Atlanta. He represents health care providers of all types and sizes with government investigations and audits, False Claims Act, and other complex litigation and various regulatory and compliance matters. Prior to joining private practice, Scott served as a trial attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., and as an assistant U.S. attorney in Savannah – where he served on a district health care fraud taskforce. Scott also serves as an adjunct professor at Georgia State University’s College of Law, where he teaches a course in health care fraud and abuse.

Jason Marcus is among a select group of lawyers who devote their practice to qui tam and related retaliation claims under federal and state False Claims Acts. He has practiced FCA law exclusively since 2008, and he formed the firm of Bracker & Marcus in January of 2015 with partner Julie Bracker, who is dedicated to representing whistleblowers nationwide. Jason is a 2006 graduate of the University of Georgia School of Law, a former clerk to the honorable Magistrate Judge G.R. Smith of the Southern District of Georgia, and a member of Taxpayers Against Fraud Education Fund and the Georgia affiliate of the National Employment Lawyers Association.

Health care is one of the fastest growing and most heavily-regulated industries in the United States. Given that government payers (Medicare, Medicaid, etc.) finance a significant portion of the system, regulators and law enforcement have dedicated tremendous resources to rooting out and punishing fraud and abuse in health care. In fiscal year 2015 alone, the federal government recovered nearly $2 billion in settlements and judgments from health care providers under the federal False Claims Act, which does not include recoveries through audits and other administrative avenues.

Moreover, not only are the actions of healthcare providers constantly scrutinized by federal and state auditors

and law enforcement, but also by competitors, commercial insurance companies, private whistle blowers, and the public. Big hospitals and health care entities with “deep pockets” have historically carried the bulk of the liability in government enforcement actions. But beginning in 2015, the federal government announced a new policy which focuses on holding individuals – particularly individual health care providers – responsible and liable for unlawful conduct. A lot of the laws governing health care fraud and abuse do not require a specific intent to defraud or even actual knowledge of the unlawful nature of the conduct. In fact, one of the major laws governing health care fraud and abuse (the physician self-referral law or “Stark law”) requires no culpable mindset whatsoever. Accordingly, it is crucial for health care professionals of all types to be aware of the various statutory and regulatory schemes that govern health care billing and to act accordingly.

MORE INFO SOON!

Special Guests:

Scott Grubman

Jason Marcus

Cash Flow For The Medical Practice

Posted on February 22, 2016

Podcast: Download

Mr. Cash Flow

Cash Flow For The Medical Practice

I sat down with David Wiener, aka “Mr. Cash Flow” on this week’s episode. I connected with David first on LinkedIn a few weeks ago. After learning more about the various ways he is able to help a medical or dental practice recapture revenue that is currently being lost, I knew I needed to have him on the show.

David spent numerous years as a practice manager for a doctor’s office, so he knows very well the challenges these practices face trying to maximize the revenue they get to keep for the care they provide. With patient out-of-pocket obligations significantly on the rise, physicians are experiencing a corresponding increase in the number of patient balance bills they must collect upon to be paid for their services.

David provides access to a service that for only $12 per claim (instead of a typical % of the amount to be collected), that dramatically increases the success rate for bills collected to over 80% in the first 30-45 days from date of bill.

We also talked about other ways Cash Flow Strategies, Inc., is able to help their medical and dental practice clients drop more revenue to the bottom line. One such way is to enroll their staff into a wellness program as provided for by the ACA. Businesses that do so can save as much as $500 per employee per year on the Federal income tax they must pay for each of them. Additionally, as employees take advantage of these wellness benefits, they tend toward better levels of health, decreasing the company’s expenditure for health benefits.

David also talked about a company he’s partnered with that can help a business change all the lights within the building to LED lights, saving enormous amounts of money on utility bills. They offer a plan through which the business can pay for the lights over time, with the payments + new utility bills amounting to less than previous utility bills were, providing savings from the first month.

There are several other ways David is likely able to reduce amounts being spent by the business, such as procurement costs for necessary supplies through a competitive group purchasing organization and others. It is clear that any medical or dental practice can benefit from taking a few minutes to talk with David to determine just how much additional revenue they can capture—all without having to work longer or harder.

Special Guest:

David Wiener, “Mr. Cash Flow”, of Cash Flow Strategies, Inc.

MAG’s MEP 401(k)

Posted on February 12, 2016February 15, 2016

Podcast: Download

Kevin Rainwater talks MAG’s 401(k) plan

MAG’s MEP 401(k)

We continue our series with Medical Association of Georgia, hosting Kevin Rainwater of Atlanta Capital Group to learn about MAG’s MEP 401(k) plan. Kevin Rainwater is a managing partner with Atlanta Capital Group, specializing in retirement planning.

Kevin began his career in the financial services industry more than 16 years ago. He has a passion for helping employees, executives and business owners reach their retirement goals. Kevin provides investment and plan advisory services to companies and individuals throughout the nation.

He relies on his extensive knowledge of qualified plan design and investment offerings to provide business owners and participants with the most competitive retirement plan option available.

MAG member practices can save time and money and retain employees by participating in a MAG-sponsored 401(k) retirement plan that’s available through the Atlanta Capital Group and Transamerica.

The MAG 401(k) Plan is treated like one large plan from a government Form 5500 reporting standpoint. The result is a 401(k) plan with competitive investments, outstanding service, and someone else doing a majority of the plan maintenance leg work. With more than 7,800 members, MAG offers a large, unified plan.

When you utilize the MAG 401(k) Plan, you have all of the advantages and flexibility of a stand-alone plan, while avoiding the expenses and administrative headaches associated with sponsoring a stand-alone plan.

Member benefits include cost savings on the investments; No individual Form 5500 reporting; Minimal plan maintenance; Flexible plan features, including safe harbor; Roth and profit sharing; Customizable 401(k) plan design options involving eligibility, matches, and vesting schedules; No audit at member level.

By participating in the MAG 401(k) Plan, virtually all of the administrative tasks can be offloaded from the practice to Transamerica, ACG, and MAG.

Special Guest:

Kevin Rainwater, Partner, Atlanta Capital Group

BS, Marketing, University of Alabama
Previous Regional Sales Director, First Mercantile
Former Director, National Accounts, The Standard

Dr. Scott Beach

Posted on February 9, 2016

Podcast: Download

Dr. Scott Beach talks vascular disease.

Dr. Scott Beach

On this week’s show I sat down with interventional cardiologist, Dr. Scott Beach, of Heart & Vascular Care, with offices in Johns Creek, Cumming, and Canton, GA. I’ve known Dr. Beach for several years through the practice I was working for (Hyperbaric Physicians of Georgia). Our physicians have worked with him on numerous patients’ cases, both sending him folks who needed to have their blood flow to their lower extremities evaluated, as well as providing specialized wound care for patients he and his colleagues occasionally see in their practice.

Dr. Beach share how he enjoys the fact that his relationship with his patients and their loved ones tends to extend over years rather than being short and limited to a procedure or two. We talked about vascular disease and some things both patients and doctors need to think about to get problems identified and treated early.

Scott explained how often, symptoms of developing vascular disease are mild and gradually reduce the patient’s tolerance to activity. In many instances, the patient and their family merely chalk the changes up to “getting older”. That’s dangerous, because it means the blockage of blood flow that’s causing the symptoms continues to grow until a major event occurs such as a heart attack, stroke, or possibly a limb amputation.

We discussed the fact that there are simple, non-invasive studies that can reveal early vascular disease when it’s easier and more-likely-successful to treat with more options to choose from. Additionally, we talked about the fact that having pulses that can be felt on a patient’s foot is NOT an accurate means of determining whether a patient has vascular disease that needs attention in many patients.

Additionally, when patients have a wound on their foot or leg that is healing slowly or not at all, it is very important to know whether blockage of blood flow is contributing to the inability to heal. Too often, these patients go for amputation that could have been readily prevented with one of those non-invasive or minimally-invasive studies he described. For patients with a wound that’s not healing, it is important for them to have a multiple-specialty team of doctors who help with different facets of the non-healing wound. Scott and his colleagues certainly subscribe to this approach and get their patients with limb threatening wounds access to all available experts who can help save their foot/leg.

The value in this multi-specialty approach cannot be overstated when you consider that in diabetics (one of the largest groups who experience vascular disease), the 5 year mortality rate for patients undergoing a below-the-knee amputation is just under 50%. Most patients and many doctors are not fully aware of this risk.

Special Guest:

Dr. Scott Beach, MD, Heart & Vascular Care

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Georgia’s Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine

Georgia’s Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine