Nov/Dec 2014 • Vol. 44, No. 10
Mecklenburg Medicine A Publication of the Mecklenburg County Medical Society | www.meckmed.org
2014 MMAE Holiday House NOVEMBER 14-16
Mecklenburg County Medical Society • Mecklenburg Medical Alliance and Endowment Founders of: Bioethics Resource Group, Ltd., Hospitality House of Charlotte, Teen Health Connection, N.C. MedAssist, Physicians Reach Out
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2 | November/December 2014 • Mecklenburg Medicine
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4 | November/December 2014 • Mecklenburg Medicine
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Nov/Dec 2014 Vol. 44 No. 10
Table of Contents 6 President’s Letter: Musing and Mutterings From a Curmudgeon By James B. Hall, MD
8 Feature: A Community Unites to Address Childhood Obesity By Shivani Mehta, MD, MPH
8 Charlotte AHEC Course Offerings for November 2014-January 2015 9 Feature: Ebola Key Points and Algorithm for Evaluation of the Returned Traveler N.C. Division of Public Health and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
10 Feature: MCMS Membership Event at Olde Mecklenburg Brewery Sponsored by SunTrust Bank 12 MMAE 13 Member News 13 Advertising Acknowledgement 14 At the Hospitals 14 National Health & Wellness Observances for November and December 16 Independent Physicians of the Carolinas 1112 Harding Place, #200, Charlotte, NC 28204 704-376-3688 • FAX 704-376-3173 meckmed@meckmed.org Copyright 2014 Mecklenburg County Medical Society Mecklenburg Medicine is published 10 times per year by the Mecklenburg County Medical Society, 1112 Harding Place, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28204. Opinions expressed by authors are their own, and not necessarily those of Mecklenburg Medicine or the Mecklenburg County Medical Society. Mecklenburg Medicine reserves the right to edit all contributions for clarity and length, as well as to reject any material submitted. Mecklenburg Medicine is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts. Non-members may subscribe to Mecklenburg Medicine at a cost of $30 per year, or $3.50 per issue, if extra copies are available. Classified Ads: Open to members, nonprofits and non-member individuals only; advance approval of the Managing Editor and advance payment required. Member rate is 0, non-members $20 for the first 30 words; $.75 each additional word. Display Ads: Open to professional entities or commercial businesses. For specifications and rate information, contact Mark Ethridge at mecklenburgmedicine@gmail.com. Acceptance of advertising for this publication in no way constitutes professional approval or endorsement of products or services advertised herein. We welcome your comments and suggestions: Call 704-376-3688 or write Mecklenburg Medicine, c/o Mecklenburg County Medical Society, 1112 Harding Place, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28204.
OFFICERS President James B. Hall, MD President-Elect Simon V. Ward III, MD Secretary Stephen J. Ezzo, MD Treasurer JP McBryde, MD Immediate Past President Janice E. Huff, MD
BOARD MEMBERS Lloyd L. Bridges, MD Raymond E. Brown, PA Scott L. Furney, MD W. Frank Ingram III, MD Scott L. Lindblom, MD Shivani P. Mehta, MD Elizabeth B. Moran, MD Cheryl L. Walker-McGill, MD Pulak Patel, MD Thomas N. Zweng, MD
EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS Sherry Ward, President Mecklenburg Medical Alliance & Endowment Sandi D. Buchanan, Executive Director Mecklenburg County Medical Society Michelle Conner, DDS, President Charlotte Medical Society Docia E. Hickey, MD NCMS Speaker of the House Darlyne Menscer, MD NCMS Delegate to the AMA Marcus G. Plescia, MD, Health Director Mecklenburg County Health Department Douglas R. Swanson, MD, FACEP, Medical Director Mecklenburg EMS Agency
EXECUTIVE STAFF Executive Director Sandi D. Buchanan Director, Meetings & Special Events Trisha G. Herndon Executive Assistant Stephanie D. Smith
MECKLENBURG MEDICINE STAFF Editor Mark E. Romanoff, MD Managing Editor Sandi D. Buchanan Copy Editor Lee McCracken Stephanie Smith Advertising Mark Ethridge mecklenburgmedicine@gmail.com Editorial Board N. Neil Howell, MD James B. Hall, MD Jessica Schorr Saxe, MD Graphic Design — Wade Baker
Mecklenburg Medicine • November/December 2014 | 5
President’s Letter
Musings and Mutterings From a Curmudgeon By James B. Hall, MD, President
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his will be the final epistle from James. Your next communication certainly will be more erudite and educational, as it will be written from the Halls of Ivy, but with lots of Cajun seasoning. (To really understand this, I would recommend trying a little of Tony Chachere’s Creole Seasoning on anything you cook.) I was trying to come up with something clever that you would find interesting and of value. Unfortunately, I had grand rounds to prepare and a lecture for a survivors’ conference on the topic of “Advances in Treatment and Clinical Trials in Gyn Cancers.” In the course of putting together the lecture, I got more and more irritated, as I realized just how little progress there has been and how few new drugs there are to talk about. Since I’ve spent more than 30 years working with women who have developed gyn cancer, and participated in research on both the clinical and bench side, it was disheartening to admit as I reflected on how little we actually have to offer our patients. I realize our last issue of this magazine focused on cancer, but since it is the president’s prerogative to write about any subject, and since this is my last letter, I’m sharing my opinion and irritation with you (yes, once again). According to the 2014 Cancer Journal, 1.6 million Americans will be diagnosed with cancer this year. As the population ages, that number is projected to increase about 40 percent by 2030. In 1971, President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act authorizing, for the first time, the National Cancer Institute to submit a budget directly to the President. Even though this is now part of the budgetary process, we are into yet another year of dissension on budgetary issues by Congress. The consequences on medicine and cancer care are profound. According to the American Society of Clinical
Oncology, NIH funding is down 23 percent since 2003, while research funding in Russia is up 65 percent. In China it is up 26 percent, and even in Europe with their fiscal doldrums, it is up 40 percent. In reality, this translates into NIH/NCI clinical trial patient accruals that are down about one-third (2009: 29,000 patients enrolled; 2013: 20,000 patients enrolled). A recent survey of 345 academic members by ASCO resulted in the following findings: 75 percent of their research budgets had been cut; 38 percent had reduced time for research; 35 percent had to lay off staff; 27 percent had to postpone the launch of new trials; and 23 percent had to limit patient enrollment on clinical trials. Historically, national group cooperative trials have been strongly supported by academic and research institutions, with the understanding that the remuneration per patient would not cover the cost of the study. It was understood, rather, to be the “cost of doing business” to avail our patients access to new and interesting drugs. Unfortunately, there now is no pretense as to shared cost. The sad byproduct is that we now are losing the bright young investigators who have challenged the status quo by thinking outside of the box developing ideas for attacking these problems, as there is no longer money to support them. The 2014 Omnibus Bill from the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014 “budgeted” $29.9 billion for the NIH and $4.9 billion for the NCI. A lot of money, until one realizes it is a significant reduction compared to 2007 when in today’s dollars, the NIH was funded at a level of $32.8 billion. The argument could be made that, if the government is not funding studies, the profit mongers, “Big Pharma,” should be carrying the load since they are the real beneficiaries of the sales of these drugs. If it were only so simple! Insidiously, the FDA has made subtle (actually, not so subtle) changes by moving the “fences.” Medicine makes progress incrementally and then builds on those foundational concepts. The FDA decided to no longer allow study end-points to be PFS (progression free survival), but required studies to look at OS (overall survival). That is the goal of every study, but one does not hit a home run every time at bat. Since 2006, the Institute of Medicine has been pushing for more regulatory powers for the FDA, which has increased the time and costs to do clinical trials. It is estimated that FDA regulations have added about 30 percent to the cost and seven years to the duration of these trials. Drug companies have lost the profit incentive as the Affordable Care Act pushes generics and shorter patent
6 | November/December 2014 • Mecklenburg Medicine
protection. Where do folks think new and innovative drugs come from? Certainly, while new drugs help many, there still has to be a profit built into the development of those drugs for the companies to continue research. Current estimates reveal a cost of $1 billion to get a drug through FDA approval and to the market. My partners and I have participated for years in clinical research. We work in a primary research site for the Gynecologic Oncology Group doing NCI studies. The GOG has been one of the most successful and efficient national group cooperatives designing and carrying out clinical trials in cancer of women. As a cost-cutting measure, the GOG no longer exists as an individual entity, but now has been rolled in with the NSABP (breast) and the RTOG (radiation) to form the “cleverly” named entity of NRG. Historically, at any given time, we had 25-30 trials available in which our patients could enroll. Now we have six. At a recent audit by the NCI, we were told this was all by intention; fewer studies, fewer patients ... you get the idea. So, let’s think globally. The ACA has not covered the 30-40 million “uninsured.” Those new sign-ups on Medicaid have increased ER usage by 42 percent in an Oregon study. According to the latest budget estimate from the CBO, the cost of the “subsidy” that the U.S. Treasury will pay on behalf of those who earn under 400 percent of
the federal poverty level (for a family of four this would be a household income of up to $94,200) who “purchase” an approved policy on a health insurance exchange will increase eight-fold in the first 10 years. Medicaid spending will double in that same time period. In many instances (my patient just today), you can’t keep your doctor, and we have no money for research for cancer ... what’s not to like about this piece of legislation? Bottom line: We have to get more involved as the decisions about our profession are being usurped by any number of people we allow to do so. For our patients and the diseases they have, we still need to strive to meet Caesar’s comment from his Gallic commentaries, “Veni, vidi, vici!” My thanks for allowing me to be your president this year, for your many kind comments and for putting up with my “opinions.” It has been fun, and I hope these musings have at least engendered some discussion on the topics I chose.
Coming in 2015 …
Hawthorne Medical Plaza New 30,000 SF Class “A” Medical Office Building on Hawthorne Lane • Across from main entrance to Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center • Excellent location just a short walk to the hospital • Up to 12,000 SF still available for lease For more information, please contact:
Reed Griffith 2701 Coltsgate Road | Suite 300 | Charlotte, NC 28211
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Mecklenburg Medicine • November/December 2014 | 7
Feature
A Community Unites to Address Childhood Obesity By Shivani Mehta, MD, MPH, Attending Pediatrian at Myers Park Pediatrics Clinic
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hildhood obesity takes a village to address. Mecklenburg County’s village is organized in the Healthy Weight Healthy Child coalition, a community-backed group which launched in 2010 through the partnership of Carolinas HealthCare System, Mecklenburg County Health Department and CharlotteMecklenburg Schools. The coalition sought to help develop and implement The Blueprint for a Healthier Generation, 2020 — a framework outlining evidence-based strategies and best practices to promote active living and support healthy eating among Mecklenburg County youth. This was developed after work with various stakeholder groups throughout the county to ensure we addressed a wide array of needs. Following multiple transitions in the funding allocation from The Duke Endowment for this work, Carolinas HealthCare System now is leading efforts to revitalize the Healthy Weight Healthy Child coalition. To kick off the renewal of the coalition and to identify areas of focus, a Childhood Obesity Summit was held on May 22 at the UNC-Charlotte campus; more than 150 stakeholders, community members and partners attended. This event was, in part, sponsored by our very own Mecklenburg County Medical Society, and the Child Health Committee was able to display some of its efforts towards improving childhood obesity in our community, including an exercise prescription program and a letter to sports teams to encourage healthy drinks and snacks, both available on the Society’s website. Focus areas at the Summit were determined to be health promotion messaging; healthy community design; obesity in the local clinical setting; and policies, programs and resources for school-aged children and early childhood. The clinical subgroup is charged with developing standardized protocols for prevention and management of childhood obesity, and organizing local resources available for clinicians to access. We followed up the daytime Summit with a provider CME dinner addressing the clinician’s role in preventing, identifying and managing childhood obesity. We heard from various local experts discussing such things as the importance of addressing early childhood weight gain, thinking about prenatal risk factors including maternal obesity, gestational diabetes and increased weight gain in pregnancy, as well as the importance of breastfeeding and healthy early infant feeding practices. We discussed primary care approaches to addressing childhood obesity, heard from a dietitian regarding nutrition tips for the PCP, schoolbased referral programs, and various other available resources. In September, more than 60 individuals convened to define priorities and next steps to achieve goals. Work is now underway
in each of the focus areas and regular meetings will continue through 2015. The Healthy Weight Healthy Child coalition is open to community members and organizations, and Carolinas HealthCare System invites interested groups or individuals to take part. We would love for you to be a part of our village to care for this population of children at risk for future chronic disease. As a clinician, if you are interested in joining the workgroup to help develop protocols and organize local resources, we would love to have you! We are looking for a multidisciplinary team including pediatricians, family practitioners, obstetricians, nurses, dietitians and nutritionists, mental health providers, exercise physiologists and other physical activity experts. For more information about the coalition or to participate, email Brittany.Mcneill@carolinashealthcare.org.
Charlotte AHEC Course Offerings Charlotte AHEC is part of the N.C. Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program and Carolinas HealthCare System.
NOV. 2014-JAN. 2015
Continuing Medical Education (CME) 11/1 11/8 11/15 12/5-6 1/15-16 1/24
Obesity Conference 2014 7th Annual Venous Thromboembolism (VTE) and Anti-Coagulation Therapy Conference 2014 2nd Annual Neurology Clinical Updates 8th Annual GI/HPB Conference: Management Strategies for Liver Disease & Cancer and Symposium on Gastrointestinal Malignancies 5th Annual Carolinas’ Clinical Sleep Symposium 2015 Cardiovascular Updates for the Primary Care Physician 2015
For more information or to register for these courses, call 704-512-6523 or visit www.charlotteahec.org.
8 | November/December 2014 • Mecklenburg Medicine
Feature
Ebola Key Points
N.C. Division of Public Health: October 2, 2014 • The North Carolina Division of Public Health has been working closely with public health partners and healthcare providers statewide since July to prepare for the possibility of Ebola virus infections in North Carolina. • We are actively monitoring for cases using a variety of methods, including real time surveillance of hospital emergency department visits and a network of hospital-based Public Health Epidemiologists in the state’s largest hospital systems. • We have provided extensive guidance to healthcare providers, hospitals and laboratories on evaluation of patients with recent international travel and on management of suspected cases. The Division of Public Health also provides 24/7 consultation for providers with concerns about Ebola or other communicable diseases. • The Division of Public Health has worked with the Office of Emergency Medical Services to assist local EMS agencies with triage and treatment protocols for potential Ebola patients. • The State Laboratory of Public Health has successfully established the capability to rapidly detect Ebola infection using procedures and materials provided by the CDC and United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID). The SLPH continues to provide technical consultation to clinical laboratories on specimen collection, transport, and safety procedures while evaluating patients with recent international travel. • We have provided guidance and frequent consultation to local health departments on evaluation and management of travelers from affected areas in West Africa. This includes reviewing management of contacts to potentially ill people. • If a case occurred in North Carolina, state and local public health professionals would rapidly identify everyone who was potentially exposed and take immediate measures to prevent further spread. Our public health professionals have extensive training and experience with this type of investigation and response.
Mecklenburg Medicine • November/December 2014 | 9
THANK YOU SUNTRUST SPONSOR OF THE MCM FALL SOCIAL AT OLDE MECKLENBURG BREWERY!
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MMAE
2014-2015 Board of Directors
James Gray Cannon Award Nominations Sought In 1984, The Mecklenburg Medical Alliance & Endowment (MMAE) established the James Gray Cannon Award. This award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional leadership, on a voluntary basis, toward the advancement of medical care and good health in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community. Past recipients include hospital volunteers, organization founders and board members. They are people who, through their unselfish dedication to an organization or cause, have made a difference in our community. MMAE is seeking nominations for such persons from appropriate organizations. Nominations can be made by completing a nomination form. Volunteers in health care-related organizations, as well as healthcare professionals volunteering outside their paid position, are eligible for the Cannon Award. A nominee will remain on active file for consideration for three years. Physicians, their spouses and members of the Alliance are not eligible. The award is an engraved plaque and a $1,000 donation for the charity of the recipient’s choice. The winner will be honored at a special reception given in his or her honor. We look forward to receiving your organization’s nomination for this humanitarian award. For more information or to request nomination forms, contact Gail VanDerVeer at 704-543-4567 or email veer4135@aol.com. The deadline for receiving nominations is March 1, 2015.
Applications for MMAE’s 2015 Grants and Disbursements will be available after the first of the new year online at www.mmaeonline.com.
Save the Date! Community Health Luncheon
Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015 Myers Park Methodist Church, Jubilee Hall
President: Sherry Ward President-Elect: Mimi Compton Immediate Past-President: Gretchen Allen Treasurer: Dana Colee Recording Secretary: Maureen Haggstrom Corresponding Secretary: Gail Van Der Veer Marketing: Lucy Allen Chapman Communications: Julie Fields Financial Development: Mitzi Yount Grants/Disbursements: Pam Bullard Health Promotions: Alice Nichols Membership: Louise Hanford, Jo Carter, Linda Guilford Parliamentarian: Genie Hayes Planning and Development: Linda Kramer Programs: Becky Williford
Get Your Tickets! 2014 Holiday House Home of Drs. Amy and Sid Fletcher 2148 Selwyn Ave.
Preview Party – November 13, 6-9:30 p.m. Starts with a tour of the Holiday House, 6-7:30 p.m., and then moves to the home of Dr. Elizabeth and Mr. Robert Rostan at 1870 Queens Road West for food, drink, music and door prizes, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 each.
Tour open to the public:
Friday-Saturday, Nov. 14-15, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 16, noon-5 p.m. Tickets are $20 each with discounts for group sales (call 704-333-5434). Tickets can be purchased at all three Blacklion locations or online at www.mmaeonline.com. Tickets make great gifts for neighbors, friends, teachers and office staff.
John T. Klimas, MD, J. Gray Norris, MD, and Emily W. Langley, MD Carolina Asthma and Allergy Center
“Food Allergy: Hype or Hypersensitivity” 12 | November/December 2014 • Mecklenburg Medicine
Member News Upcoming Meetings & Events
Meetings are at the MCMS office unless otherwise noted.
NOVEMBER Tuesday, Nov. 4 Charlotte Dental Society Board meeting. 6 p.m. n Tuesday-Thursday, Nov. 4-6 MCMS Community Intern Program. n Thursday, Nov. 6 MCMS Community Intern Dinner. Location TBD. n Tuesday, Nov. 11 MedLink meeting. Mecklenburg County Health Department. 8:30 a.m. n Tuesday, Nov. 11 MCMS President’s Dinner/Board meeting. Myers Park Country Club. 6 p.m. n Wednesday, Nov. 19 MMAE Board meeting. 10 a.m. n Thursday, Nov. 20 CAMGM. Myers Park Baptist Church Cornwell Center. Noon. n Friday, Nov. 21 January magazine deadline. n
Attention N.C. Medicaid and Health Choice Medical Providers As of November 1, providers writing prescriptions for patients covered by N.C. Medicaid or Health Choice must be enrolled with N.C. Medicaid in order for prescriptions to be successfully processed.
How to Enroll as a N.C. Medicaid Provider 1. In order to enroll as a Medicaid provider, you must first obtain an NCID. To request an NCID, visit https://ncidp.nc.gov/pmf/Registration.html. 2. To begin the Provider Enrollment Online Application, visit www.nctracks.nc.gov/content/public/providers/provider-enrollment/getting-started.html.
Don’t delay, enroll today!
New Members Hunter J. Hansen, DO, MBA
*Family Practice Carolina Men’s Clinic 10042 Park Cedar Drive #B Charlotte, NC 28210 704-981-0033 Des Moines University of Osteopathic Medicine & Surgery, 1984
Sara E. H. Horstmann, MD
*Pediatrics Levine Children’s Hospital 1000 Blythe Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28203 585-472-5520 University of Vermont College of Medicine, 2003
Brittany A. Sugimoto, PA-C
Friday, Nov. 21 Child Health Committee meeting. 7:30 a.m. n Thursday-Friday, Nov. 27-28 MCMS office closed. n
DECEMBER No MCMS board meeting.
Tuesday, Dec. 2 Charlotte Dental Society Board meeting. 6 p.m. n Tuesday, Dec. 2 AAFP Quarterly Meeting Location TBD. 6:30 p.m. n Tuesday, Dec. 9 MedLink meeting. Mecklenburg County Health Department. 8:30 a.m. n Wednesday, Dec. 17 MMAE Board meeting. 10 a.m. n Thursday, Dec. 18 CAMGM Holiday Party. Location TBD. 4-8 p.m. n Monday, Dec. 22 February magazine deadline. n Wednesday-Friday, Dec. 24-26 MCMS office closed. n
Advertising Acknowledgements The following patrons made Mecklenburg Medicine possible.
Charlotte Radiology 1705 East Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28203 704-362-7075 Marietta College, 2012
Brackett Flagship Properties...........................................7 Carolinas HealthCare System......................................19 Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates.............18
Mark L. Lessne, MD
*Vascular and Interventional Radiology Charlotte Radiology 1705 East Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28203 704-362-7075 Boston University School of Medicine, 2005
Charlotte Radiology........................................................4
Alicia Romeo, MD
Monarch NC..................................................................18
Hospice & Palliative Care Charlotte Region..............18 Independent Physicians of the Carolinas.....................17 LabCorp.........................................................Back Cover
*Psychiatry; *Geriatric Psychiatry Behavioral Health Center CMC-Randolph 501 Billingsley Road Charlotte, NC 28211 704-358-2800 Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, 2004
Novant Health..................................................................2 Parsec Financial ..............................................................3 The Ivey........................................................................... 4
Mecklenburg Medicine • November/December 2014 | 13
At the Hospitals
Novant Health Receives $15,000 Grant from GreaterGood.org Novant Health Cancer Care is the recent recipient of a $15,000 grant from GreaterGood.org, an organization dedicated to improving the well-being of people, pets and the planet. This grant helps provide screening mammograms and diagnostic procedures to women 35 and older who are economically disadvantaged or uninsured. Additionally, the grant supports breast self-awareness education efforts aimed at increasing the likelihood participants will seek clinical breast examinations and annual screening mammograms. For more information about upcoming community mammography screenings, call 704-384-5376. n
Date Set for Novant Health Oncology Symposium: February 7, 2015 Physicians and other healthcare professionals are invited for indepth presentations, case studies and discussions on emerging topics related to genitourinary cancer and molecular testing. Nationally known speakers include Douglas Middleton Dahl, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital; Adam Kibel, MD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; and Gary Palmer, MD, Foundation Medicine. Up to seven CME credits will be given for attending this symposium on February 7, 2015, at The Mills House Hotel in Charleston, S.C. For more information or to register, contact Daniel Ko at dbko@ novanthealth.org or 704-384-8205. n
Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital Receives $47,000 Grant to Purchase Neonatal Equipment Representatives from the Will Rogers Motion Picture Pioneer Foundation and Variety–The Children’s Charity of the United States presented $47,000 to Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital to purchase 36 Neopuffs and other neonatal respiratory equipment. Neopuffs are infant resuscitators that automatically deliver a precise amount of pressure. The purchase of 36 Neopuffs will provide a dedicated automatic resuscitator for every NICU bed at Hemby Children’s n
Hospital. Hemby Children’s Hospital is one of 15 recipients nationwide and the only North Carolina facility to receive a grant this year. The Will Rogers Institute Neonatal Ventilator and Pulmonary Grant Program has been committed to funding research in pulmonary medicine, helping saving the lives of children across the country. Since its inception in 2006, the institute has awarded more that $2.9 million in grants.
• Better Health Through Global Access to Food Sources for Women • Global Warriors: War, Conflict and Women’s Health • Cross-Cultural Differences in Women’s Health • Violence Against Women in the United States • Pioneers Who Empower and Improve the Overall Health of Women & Girls • Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Questioning, Intersex and Ally Health • Why Women, Why Now? Research, Clinical Practice and Global Outreach • Evening Program around Global Women’s Health (7-9 p.m.) Information on registration fees and hotel accommodations is online at novanthealth.org/ womensconference. This event is designated for a maximum of 14 AMA PRA Category 1 credits. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.
Save the Date: Maya Angelou International Women’s Health Summit November 20-21, 2014 A two-day international health summit focused on contemporary issues affecting women’s health is being planned for November 20-21 by the Novant Health Maya Angelou Center for Women’s Health and Wellness. Chairing the event is Chere Gregory, MD, senior vice president of women’s services. The summit will be at the Novant Health Forsyth Medical Center Conference Center in Winston-Salem and will feature more than 40 individuals speaking on a variety of topics. The tentative program agenda includes: n
Thursday, Nov. 20 (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) • The Affordable Care Act: Will Women Benefit or Suffer in the Future of Healthcare • Maternal & Infant Mortality: Global, National and Grassroots Perspectives • Pioneers Who Empower & Improve the Overall Health of Women & Girls • A Cross-Cultural Look at Women’s Health in Advanced Age • A Cross-Cultural Journey Through the Minds of Women • Evening Program around Women’s Violence (7-9 p.m.) Friday, Nov. 21 (8 a.m.-5 p.m.) • News You Can Use When Caring for Women
14 | November/December 2014 • Mecklenburg Medicine
NATIONAL HEALTH & WELLNESS OBSERVANCES NOVEMBER 2014 American Diabetes Month n Diabetic Eye Disease Month Great American Smokeout Month n National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month n National Child Mental Health Month n National Epilepsy Awareness Month n National Family Caregivers Month n National Healthy Skin Month n National Home Care Month n National Hospice Month n Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month n Prematurity Awareness Month November 14: World Diabetes Day November 20: Great American Smokeout (American Cancer Society)
DECEMBER 2014 International AIDS Awareness Month n National Drunk and Drugged Driving Prevention (3D) Month n Safe Toys and Gifts Month December 1: World AIDS Day December 7-13: Aplastic Anemia and MDS Week December 7-13: National Hand Washing Awareness Week December 7-13: National Influenza Vaccination Week
At the Hospitals
CHS Opens BioSpecimen Repository, Enhances Research Capabilities Carolinas HealthCare System has created a BioSpecimen Repository to collect and process blood, tissue, DNA and other samples from patients across two states to support research on how to more effectively treat a broad range of diseases. The BioSpecimen Repository is on the campus of Carolinas Medical Center-Mint Hill to ensure a centralized space able to collect from all of System locations throughout North and South Carolina. It provides a protected environment for the storage of tissues. The space is well-equipped to ensure the highest level of protection for all tissue samples. Biospecimens removed from patients during a biopsy, surgery or other procedure are stored for ongoing research at the repository, or further analyzed at the laboratory facilities in the Cannon Research Center. Physicians and researchers analyze these samples to learn more about particular diseases, and prognosis, or likelihood of therapeutic response. The repository has established a state-of-the-art information system to track biospecimen collection at every step in the process and store important demographic and clinical data. n
Neurosciences Institute First in the World to Test ALS Drug The Carolinas Neuromuscular ALS/MDA Center will be the first site in the world to initiate a clinical trial of the drug ibudilast for ALS patients, starting in the fall of 2014. Benjamin Rix Brooks, MD, director of Carolinas Neuromuscular ALS/ MDA Center at Carolinas HealthCare System Neurosciences Institute, is the principal investigator. The primary n
objective of the trial is to evaluate the safety and tolerability of the drug and to determine if ibudilast can slow the progression of ALS. “We are looking forward to this clinical trial as a way to help our patients early in the course of the disease,” says Brooks. “Ibudilast has demonstrated weakening effects on the cells, which are considered to play a key role in disease progression in ALS patients.” Ibudilast is not a new drug — it has been marketed in Japan and Korea since 1989 to treat cerebrovascular disorders, including post-stroke complications and bronchial asthma. Brooks is hopeful this drug will have a significant impact on ALS, a disease which currently has limited treatment options. Levine Children’s Hospital Offers New Clinical Trial to Combat Childhood Cancer Levine Children’s Hospital Pediatric Oncology Developmental Therapeutics Program is actively recruiting patients for an innovative clinical trial that involves using patients’ own tumors to identify the best course of treatment to help them fight their cancer. The study hopes to help researchers discover new ways to understand several pediatric cancers and, as a result, identify better, more effective medications and treatments for cancer in the future. Javier Oesterheld, MD, pediatric oncologist and director of the Developmental Therapeutics Program, said Levine Children’s Hospital is one of a limited number of sites in the country to offer this personalized medicine study. Oesterheld led the effort for Levine Children’s Hospital to become a member of the Therapeutic Advances in Childhood Leukemia and Lymphoma and the Neuroblastoma and Medulloblastoma Translational Research consortiums. Membership in these groups provides patients with treatments that are not available elsewhere, such as investigational n
drugs or new combinations of approved drugs for children and adolescents with recurrent cancers who currently have no curative treatments available. Levine Cancer Institute Adds Nationally Recognized Specialists to Staff Antoinette R. Tan, MD, MHSc, joined Carolinas HealthCare System’s Levine Cancer Institute as chief of Breast Medical Oncology and co-director of the Phase I Program. Tan also will serve as chief of medical oncology at Carolinas HealthCare System’s Carolinas Medical CenterPineville location. Tan comes to Levine Cancer Institute after serving as the director of Phase I and Investigational Therapeutics and associate professor of medicine at Rutgers Antoinette R.Tan, MD, MHSc Cancer Institute of New Jersey. Her research is focused on the development of novel therapeutics for breast cancer. She was a 2012 recipient of the NCI Cancer Clinical Investigator Team Leadership Award. Tan also has served on multiple ASCO committees, including Chair of the ASCO Cancer Education Committee from 2012 to 2013. Erin K. Crane, MD, MPH, joined the Institute from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston to serve as assistant director of gynecologic oncology at Carolinas Medical Center’s Department of Erin K. Crane, MD, MPH Obstetrics and Gynecologic Oncology. Crane’s clinical interests include targeted therapy, ovarian cancer, minimally invasive surgery and the development of innovative, investigator initiated clinical trials. Crane is a member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology, the American Association for Cancer Research and the American Society of Clinical Oncology. n
Mecklenburg Medicine • November/December 2014 | 15
Independent Physicians of the Carolinas establish and maintain a “virtual hospital.” The virtual hospital will establish real time, shared actionable information for non-hospital based physicians and services to quickly and accurately prescribe and implement treatments/ medications. Kanelos says, “At no time in the history of medicine have we had the time, technology and resources to accomplish ground-breaking advances in how we take care of our patients. Now we do.” Todd Cohen, MD, with Carolina Urology Partners, added, “As Independent Physicians of the Carolinas is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) physicians, we have seen a significant increase in the administrative membership organization whose mission is to create public awareness burden of practicing medicine. This, in part, has led to inefficiencies in of medical doctors not employed by a network or hospital system and to the system.” He went on to describe how the HIE works. In essence, provide educational programs and resources to physician members and the kure Network is a coalition of physicians and ancillary service their administration. Find them online at IndependentPhysicians.org. providers connected by a comprehensive health information exchange. The underlying technology at kure is a real time safe-transition and co-management platform. It was created to solve a pervasive healthcare Physician member, Omar Idlibi, MD, director of Carolina Medical Lab, announced this month it is celebrating 16 years of service to the independent problem – after an ancillary provider has engaged with a patient referred by a physician, there is no easy way for the referring physician to monitor physician community. The lab is now offering bi-directional interfaces. that patient’s care in real time. Traditional ACO models are data driven, while kure is focused on real time care coordination. Under the normal Allergy Asthma & Immunology Relief (AAIR) of healthcare delivery model, communication and collaboration between Charlotte welcomed Naomi Griffin, DNP, FNP-C, to the ancillary providers and the referring physician to assure that optimal practice. Griffin will work under the supervision of Maeve patient care outcomes are achieved is rarely on “demand.” For more O’Connor, MD, and Jennifer Caicedo, MD. AAIR is proud to be a Platinum Sponsor for FARE Walk for Food Allergies, information on the kure Network, email tom.daily@kurenetwork.com. Naomi Griffin, DNP, FNP-C on November 1 at Freedom Park. A symposium focusing on bullying and food allergies will follow the walk. Physician member, Justin Favaro, MD, was selected in the Charlotte Magazine for its annual Top Doctors award in hematology. V Pain Clinic is offering cooled radio frequency ablation procedures in its Rock Hill and Charlotte offices under the medical direction of Ratko Vujicic, MD. The procedure has been valuable for patients with chronic knee pain. Visit www.mycoolief.com for more information and real stories videos. Justin Favaro, MD
The Independent Practice Administrators Luncheon will be on Thursday, Nov. 13, 12:30-2 p.m. The topic is “Tax Law Changes for Small Business/Healthcare Practices” presented by Ann Clausen, CPA, with Daniel, Ratliff and Company, a CPA firm in Charlotte. The meeting location is planned for the south Charlotte area. Reservations are required. For more Welcome New Members: information, email sherie@ip-carolinas.org. All six physician providers at Oncology Specialists of Charlotte have joined: James Boyd, MD; Geoffrey Chapman, MD; Justin Favaro, MD; Independent Physicians of the Carolinas hosted 101 physicians and Dipika Misra, MD; Catherine Moore, MD; and Jason Shultz, MD. practice administrators at a meeting on September 16 to discuss the kure Network; an Health Information Exchange (HIE) that will help significantly Their office is at 2711 Randolph Road, Suite 100, in Eastover Medical Park. decrease patient care costs by preventing hospitalizations, improving clinical Steven Plunkett, MD, with Southeast Radiation Oncology Group, is a outcomes and patient experience, and engaging physicians and ancillary new member. service providers to build a sustainable future. John Sensenbrenner, MD, with Sensenbrenner Primary Care, has Dino Kanelos, MD, with Carolina Family Healthcare, opened the joined. Sensenbrenner practices family medicine and is at 8821 Blakeney meeting describing how much of the nation’s healthcare resources are Professional Drive in South Charlotte. focused on hospitals. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Steven Weston, MD, FACS, with Weston MedSurg Center and Weston Services, hospital spending increased 4.9 percent to $882.3 billion in 2012, compared to 3.5 percent growth in 2011. This accounts for the largest spend Veins Clinic, is a new member. Weston has offices in the Town of Ayrsley in by type of service. This new and innovative model will enable those directly Charlotte and on Union Road in Gastonia, as well as a wound care center on Abbey Place in Charlotte. providing care to patients (physicians and ancillary service providers) to
16 | November/December 2014 • Mecklenburg Medicine
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She walked into my office wearing a huge Dr. Seuss hat and said she was going to beat cancer. every patient is unique. i learned this early in my career from a patient wearing a silly hat and a determined smile. Her odds were not good; all the data pointed to bad news. But her spirit and attitude showed me so much more than her statistical odds. What she taught me has stayed with me through every patient interaction since. she is strong today. and i am a better doctor for knowing her. at Levine Cancer institute, we always remember that every patient has her own story.
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