Clinician's Roundtable

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Lawrence Cohen, PhD Why aren't there medications to treat atherosclerosis or, more specifically, the underlying chronic inflammation of the blood vessel walls associated with this condition? Dr. Lawrence Cohen, president and CEO of VIA Pharmaceuticals, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen about the coming medications in U.S.-approved clinical trials to treat this inflammatory process.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Lawrence Cohen, PhD For more than 150 years, medical researchers have known that atherosclerosis had an inflammatory component. But Dr. Lawrence Cohen, president and CEO of VIA Pharmaceuticals tells host Bruce Japsen of the Chicago Tribune why there has not been anything done about it.

Host: Jennifer Shu, MD, FAAP Guest: E. Steve Roach, MD Stroke has been increasingly recognized among children in recent years. Stroke in neonates, in particular, occurs at a much higher rate than in older children. What are the leading risk factors for neonatal stroke? How does it present and how is it diagnosed? Host Dr. Jennifer Shu learns more about the evidence for managing stroke in newborns, as well as the likely short-term and long-term outcomes, from Dr. E. Steve Roach, professor of pediatrics and neurology at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, and chief of the division of child neurology at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD Guest: James Crowe, MD Preparing for the future by studying the past: With researchers now able to resurrect antibodies to the 1918 influenza pandemic from elderly survivors, how does the technology used to do this potentially lead us to antibodies for other viruses? Can we be sure this immunity is not generated by recent exposure to similar strains? Dr. James Crowe, Jr., professor of microbiology and immunology, and director of the Vanderbilt Program for Vaccine Sciences at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and one of the researchers leading this expansive project, explains how we are beginning to learn more about where viruses, including HIV, are most susceptible to being controlled and destroyed. Dr. Mark Nolan Hill hosts.

Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD Guest: James Crowe, MD Ninety-plus years after the 1918 influenza pandemic, we are just beginning to understand the naturally occurring adaptive immunity of those who were in contact with this devastating virus. As researchers probe survivors of the flu pandemic, all of whom are approaching or have attained centenarian status, what are we learning about their long-lasting immunity to this virus? Can we explain why these people survived this expansive outbreak, just as relatives and friends around them perished? Dr. James Crowe, Jr., professor of microbiology and immunology, and director of the Vanderbilt Program for Vaccine Sciences at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and one of the researchers leading this expansive project, shares some of the tricks that his team has used to make these antibodies in this fascinating discussion with Dr. Mark Nolan Hill.

Host: Mark Nolan Hill, MD Guest: James Crowe, MD First published in 2005, the story of how we've come to understand the complete sequence of the 1918 pandemic influenza virus begins years ago, in a remote Alaskan village, and continues today in research across the country. What are we learning about a virus that has taken many decades to comprehend? Dr. James Crowe, Jr., professor of microbiology and immunology, and director of the Vanderbilt Program for Vaccine Sciences at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and one of the researchers leading this expansive project, tells host Dr. Mark Nolan Hill that antibody recognition may actually bear a strong resemblance to cognitive memory. What does Dr. Crowe mean by this? Do we know how the immune system would respond if survivors were infected with this influenza virus?

Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA Guest: Ron Nelson, PA Ron Nelson, a physician assistant and president of Health Services Associates, Inc., discusses with host Lisa D'Andrea different models for calculating the value of a physician assistant to a medical practice. Mr. Nelson explains several compensation models that may be used for a physician assistant and the benefits of different models that incentive both production and quality of care. Mr. Nelson outlines a simple model which establishes a floor for compensating a physician assistant based upon the physician assistant's costs to overhead, net charges, and quality of care.

Host: Lisa Dandrea Lenell, PA-C, MPAS, MBA Guest: Ron Nelson, PA Ron L. Nelson explains to host Lisa D'Andrea the structure of rural health clinics and the reimbursement incentives offered by the government for rural health clinics in order to assure access to healthcare in rural communities. Mr. Nelson describes the certification requirements for rural health clinics, which include that mid-level providers must provide fifty percent of the services. Mr. Nelson also outlines the relationship rural health clinics have with hospitals and the ownership opportunities for physician assistants. Mr. Nelson also highlights some of the difficulties Rural Health Clinics face in recruiting physician assistants to work at Rural Health Clinics.

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Guest: Anna Dhody, MFS Host Dr. Michael Greenberg continues part three of his informative tour of Philadelphia's Mutter Museum, part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the oldest professional society in continuous operation in the United States since 1787. Curator Anna Dhody guides this tour of many of the museum's specimens, including the Hyrtal collection of 139 skulls and a medicinal herb garden representative of medicines of the 18th and 19th centuries. This is Part 3 of an on-site discussion in three parts. Part 1 >> Part 2 >>

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Guest: Anna Dhody, MFS Host Dr. Michael Greenberg continues part two of his disturbingly informative tour of Philadelphia's Mutter Museum, part of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, the oldest professional society in continuous operation in the United States since 1787. Curator Anna Dhody illuminates many of the museum's specimens, including preserved organs and a cast of the world's most famous Siamese twins. This is Part 2 of an on-site discussion in three parts. Part 1 >> Part 3 >>