June 2014 • Vol. 44, No. 6
Mecklenburg Medicine A Publication of the Mecklenburg County Medical Society | www.meckmed.org
June 9 – 15 is
National
Men’s
Health
Week
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
Transforming healthcare for generations to come Your patients deserve more than a fighting chance against our generation’s greatest healthcare threats. That’s why we are taking on the nation’s top two killers – cancer and heart disease. Our $60 million GroundBreaking capital campaign will build a comprehensive outpatient facility unlike any in our region. For the first time, heart and cancer patients will receive unrivaled care all under one, convenient roof. Uniting our cancer and heart specialists will streamline communication, facilitate collaboration and fast-track patient access to needed resources. It’s another big way we’re transforming healthcare today and far into the future.
To get involved, call 704-384-4048.
NovantHealth.org/groundbreaking
2 | June 2014 • Mecklenburg Medicine
Mecklenburg Medicine • June 2014 | 3
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4 | June 2014 • Mecklenburg Medicine
June 2014 Vol. 44 No. 6
Table of Contents
OFFICERS
6 President’s Letter:
Obesity ... An Issue That Can Weight No Longer
By James B. Hall, MD
Men: Come Out of Your Man Cave
By Lee McCracken, Contributing Writer
President-Elect Simon V. Ward III, MD Secretary Stephen J. Ezzo, MD
8 Feature:
President James B. Hall, MD
Treasurer JP McBryde, MD
Immediate Past President Janice E. Huff, MD
10 Feature:
BOARD MEMBERS
Local Groups Help Mecklenburg Residents #getcovered
By Madison Hardee and Mark VanArnam
12 Member News 12 Upcoming Meetings & Events 12 National Health & Wellness Observances for June 13 MCMS Committee and Project Response Form 14 At the Hospitals 16 Independent Physicians of the Carolinas 16 Advertising Acknowledgement
Lloyd L. Bridges, MD Raymond E. Brown, PA Jonathan A. Buice, MD 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 Thomas N. Zweng, MD
EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS Gretchen Allen, President Mecklenburg Medical Alliance & Endowment Sandi D. Buchanan, Executive Director Mecklenburg County Medical Society Keia V. R. Hewitt, MD, 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
1112 Harding Place, #200, Charlotte, NC 28204 704-376-3688 • FAX 704-376-3173 meckmed@meckmed.org
Executive Assistant Stephanie D. Smith
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.
MECKLENBURG MEDICINE STAFF Editor Mark E. Romanoff, MD Managing Editor Sandi D. Buchanan Copy Editor Lee McCracken
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 • June 2014 | 5
President’s Letter
Obesity ...
An Issue That Can Weight No Longer By James B. Hall, MD, President
A
recent initiative by the MCMS Child Health Committee brought into focus a societal problem that warrants our ongoing attention: childhood obesity. First Lady Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move” exercise program and her emphasis on nutrition have given priority to this problem and the prominence it needs. Certainly, inroads have been made as recent studies published in JAMA have shown a 43-percent decrease in obesity among 2- to 5-year-olds over the past decade. This progress is significant, but our adult population is even a greater problem. If one takes the time to view the CDC website, which, longitudinally over time, demonstrates the “fattening” of America. It graphically demonstrates the significance of, and the ubiquitous nature of, this problem, as it looks like a CDC study of the spread of an epidemic, which it is. Certainly, the medical impact of this one entity is significant, as it involves a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, pulmonary issues, etc. From a cancer perspective, the most common disease I deal with is endometrial cancer, which in most cases is a hormonally-driven disease. Post-menopausal women who are 50 pounds overweight have a tenfold greater risk of developing endometrial cancer than those of ideal body weight. I also see precursors, and even early endometrial cancers, in younger women (my youngest was 18 years old) who have polycystic ovarian disease, which also is accompanied by pre-diabetes. These are not uncommon issues. Several years ago, I came up with my own health insurance model that involved only two metrics: weight and smoking. My proposal involved an annual exam with documentation of whether or not the individual smoked, and an annual weigh-in with a patient’s annual “health insurance fees” being tied to these two metrics. A prominent local businessman was intrigued enough to take this skeleton idea to the HR folks at a local bank. They were interested, but felt they would run into discrimination issues. And yet, these metrics are now the backbone of a number of insurance programs, such as those provided by the North Carolina teachers’ insurance carrier. A recent AP article in USA Today pointed out that the annual healthcare costs for smokers are about $96 billion, and care of the obese is almost $150 billion. The efforts involved in the care of these patients can be extraordinary, and we are now having spin-off issues, such as the need to place what are essentially “electric hoists” in all of the ICU rooms to even be able to move some of these patients rather than risk injury to nursing personnel. Data shows
6 | June 2014 • Mecklenburg Medicine
that in spite of our best efforts, smokers tend to die on average 10 years earlier than non-smokers, and that the obese die five to 12 years earlier than the non-obese. Today, in spite of over 50 years of cigarette packs notifying the consumer of the risk of the product and untold billions in educational programs, and more recently legislation limiting where one can smoke, one in five U.S. adults still smoke. Likewise, we have a society, media, and advertising that prize “thinness” and healthy activities. It would be interesting to know how much is spent annually on weight loss/diet programs (e.g., Weight Watchers programs, Nutri-System, etc.). And yet, in spite of all of these 24/7 TV and print ads, one in three adults fit the definition of being obese. The cynics among us would suggest that by simply letting them do what they want, we will gain significant savings of healthcare dollars because they will die sooner, and that overall, they probably cost society less than seemingly healthy folks who live longer, have more long-term chronic conditions and, therefore, cost society more. From a demographic perspective, it has been suggested that tobacco and caloric-control have most of their impact and burden on poor people, given higher rates of smoking and obesity among the poor. The poor, since they have less money, are impacted more by taxes. Certainly, one of the ways states have tried to control/reduce smoking is by raising taxes. For example, the poor nicotine-dependent smokers in New York can spend as much as a quarter of their income on cigarettes. By the same token, these citizens are not eating “farm-to-table” fresh, healthy vegetables, but high-calorie, carb-loaded foods. From a more global perspective, this same USA Today article suggests that an individual who smokes only damages his/her self (secondhand smoke, not
The medical impact of this is significant, as it involves a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, pulmonary issues, etc.
withstanding), while the obese have a greater impact on society’s healthcare costs. These costs are carried by more of the population via the costs engendered by diabetes, heart disease and heart surgeries, etc., which are greater than the shared costs of lung cancer, which usually has a comparatively short course. Interestingly, one of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act is that, starting next year, health insurers are allowed to charge smokers who buy individual policies — premiums that are up to 50 percent higher — but they are not allowed to charge more for overweight people. Seems to me that both of these are “preexisting conditions” and if you will allow me to generalize, one also could say that these are, in most cases, willful decisions (dare I say “choice”) that these citizens make; there’s always that issue of personal responsibility. The big thing now, as part of providing comprehensive medicine, and even of how we are paid, is bound up in our “patient satisfaction scores.” This begs the question of just how “satisfied” our patients will be (and therefore, how they will score us) if we tell them that they are obese? Daniel Callahan, a senior research scholar and bioethicist at the Hastings Center, caused a stir by suggesting a more aggressive public health campaign to shame and stigmatize the obese in the same way campaigns have approached smokers. So much for our satisfaction scores! For 30 years,
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I have tried to educate and instruct my patients on why and how they should stop smoking and lose weight. I have been woefully unsuccessful. In fact, I am convinced that education is a waste of time and money. It seems the only thing that works is money (now there’s a surprise); if it costs you something, or conversely, saves you something, you just might do it. I salute our local hospital systems’ wellness programs that have successfully gotten their employees to quit smoking and to lose weight with financial incentives. Now, if we could just get the schools to re-institute one of those “expensive” programs for weight loss, like exercise/ physical education. What I just don’t understand is why it is not obvious that there are many aspects of our lives in the greater society that we live in, that if something doesn’t personally cost our citizens something, they are not invested in it. In the words of the great philosophers of the rock band impresarios known as RUSH ... “you don’t get something for nothing…”
Randolph Audiology & Hearing Aid Clinic TOMORROW’S TECHNOLOGY FOR TODAY’S EARS
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Auditory processing evaluations
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Mecklenburg Medicine • June 2014 | 7
Feature
Men: Come Out of Your Man Cave Leading Health Issues NOT to Be Ignored By Lee McCracken, Contributing Writer
W
hether they’re 23 or 73, men are notorious for neglecting their health … and women are forever nagging them to see the doctor. Aches and pains are brushed off because making an appointment and going to the physician’s office takes time, and, well, guys are supposed to be tough. “The old saying, ‘men are from Mars and women are from Venus,’ is especially true as it relates to health care,” says Lloyd Bridges, MD, a family medicine specialist with Pine Lake Family Physicians in Mint Hill. “Most men are very reticent about their health and private parts. ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it’ is so true.” “Annual physicals and health screenings generally don’t come to mind until the mid to late 40s, when parts and systems start to show some wear and tear,” says Dan Watson, MD, a urologist with Urology Specialists of the Carolinas. “Testosterone makes men feel invincible. Younger men often don’t go to the doctor at Dan Watson, MD all,” adds Watson. Yet, awareness of health risks at each stage of life is important. Testicular cancer, for example, is the most common cancer in men ages 20-35, and more than 8,800 men in the United States are diagnosed each year. Fortunately, it is one of the most treatable cancers, especially if caught early. Regular self-examination is essential. In addition, weight gain (from sitting at a desk all day) and financial stress (from job insecurity and/or debt) often impact men’s lives as they carve out their career and grow their family. Depression affects men’s work, social and family life, because they tend to keep their feelings bottled up inside. In general, men go to the doctor half as often as women, and they die five years earlier. “Men appear to be content with the fact that their spouses will outlive them,” says Bridges.
Arteries and Blood Sugar Unless they never use the TV remote to switch from sports to news and never wander outside their man cave, men these days seem to be very aware of the health issues for which they are at risk. Their interest, however, tends to stay close to home. “I am asked about low testosterone levels daily and the ability to continue to engage in intimacy well into the senior years,” says Bridges. “Or, they want a quick diet pill to help shed a few unwanted pounds.” Beyond the bedroom and the beer belly, six top healthrelated concerns for men include cardiovascular disease, diabetes, prostate cancer, colon cancer, lung cancer and
8 | June 2014 • Mecklenburg Medicine
erectile dysfunction. It’s important for men to take the time to talk with their physician about each of these in relation to their own health history and their family history. Cardiovascular Disease — Heart disease and stroke are the first and second leading causes of death worldwide in both men and women, says Darwin Labarthe, MD, MPH, PhD, director of the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in five adults will die from cardiovascular disease, and men’s arteries develop atherosclerosis earlier than women’s. Labarthe says men’s average age for death from cardiovascular disease is under 65; women catch up about six years later. Men have to work harder to reduce their risk for heart disease and stroke; but, if lifestyle changes can be made and maintained, their risk for these common killers can be reduced significantly. Diabetes — Diabetes most often begins silently. Without any outward signs or symptoms, men are unaware that, over the years, their blood sugar levels are creeping higher. Finally, when frequent urination and thirst appear, they go to the doctor.
Carolinas HealthCare Tackles Prediabetes Type 2 diabetes is a national public health epidemic, affecting more than 26 million individuals across the country and more than 1 million people across the Carolinas. In partnership with YMCA of Greater Charlotte, CHS is leading “Pre-D Challenge: Reverse the Risk.” This initiative starts with an online risk assessment, and then at-risk individuals may take advantage of free diabetes testing opportunities at several YMCA locations and other community locations across Mecklenburg County. Through a shared medical referral program, CHS embeds registered nurses, registered dietitians and athletic trainers within designated Ys. The challenge is to engage 50,000 adults to complete a risk assessment by November 1 this year, with a goal of identifying 10,000 individuals who are at risk for developing prediabetes or diabetes. For those at risk, CHS is offering preventive services and treatment options.
The result for many men can be heart attacks, strokes, blindness, kidney failures and amputations. Type 2 diabetes can be brought under control with diet and exercise. Moderate weight loss and 30 minutes a day of physical activity has been shown to reduce the chance of diabetes. The CDC’s Labarthe says, “Boys born in 2000 have an alarming one-in-three chance of developing diabetes in their lifetime. The combination of diabetes and obesity may be erasing some of the reductions in heart disease risk we’ve had over the last few decades.” Erectile Dysfunction — While it may not be life threatening, ED still is an important health problem, as it interferes with life enjoyment and can cause depression. Two-thirds of men older than 70 and up to 39 percent of 40-year-old men have problems with ED. “The blood vessels in the penis are the same size as the blood vessels that carry blood to the heart,” says Watson. Most often caused by atherosclerosis, ED frequently means that blood vessels throughout the body are in less-than-perfect health. “A guy at 40 with ED should be watched for cardiovascular disease,” he adds, noting that early-onset ED is not that common, but it’s something a man and his physician do not want to miss.
The Dreaded ‘C’ Cancer is the ultimate crappy diagnosis, and it’s a no-brainer that men must be alert to certain cancer symptoms and not drag their feet to the doctor’s office. “Men often need to be pushed by women to get screened for cancer,” says Leonard Lichtenfeld, MD, the deputy chief medical officer for the American Cancer Society. Lloyd Bridges, MD As Bridges urges, “Men, we must come out of our man caves.” Lung Cancer — This is the leading cancer killer in both men and women in the United States. By the time it’s diagnosed, less than half of men are alive a year later. More men are diagnosed with lung cancer annually, but more women are living with the disease, according to the American Lung Association. Some 399,431 Americans are living with lung cancer, and in 2014, an
Advances in Smoking Cessation The three go-to resources currently available to patients who smoke are nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), bupropion (Zyban or Wellbutrin) and varenicline (Chantix). Lee Westmaas, PhD, director of tobacco control research at the American Cancer Society, says when these are coupled with support through toll-free quit lines and Web-based support (QuitNet.com), success rates increase. Smart phone apps, such as the National Cancer Institute’s NCI QuitPal, also are gaining in popularity.
estimated 224,210 new cases will be diagnosed. Tobacco smoke causes 90 percent of all lung cancers. “Some men are still challenged with the adverse effects of cigarette smoking, and it is a habit that once started, is relentless in its pursuit of a lifelong relationship,” affirms Bridges. “A bad habit truly is hard to break.” Prostate Cancer — Other than skin cancer, this is the most common cancer among men. More than 200,000 men are newly diagnosed with prostate cancer annually in the United States, but only 27,000 die. Many prostate cancers are slow-growing and don’t spread. Prostate cancer is rare before age 50, and very few men die of it before age 60. The annual routine PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test for men 50 and older, in conjunction with the digital rectal exam, had been used widely to screen for prostate cancer, but elevated PSA levels also can indicate a urinary tract infection (with no cancer present). In 2012, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force advised against routine PSA screening. However, men who are at a higher risk of prostate cancer, including African-American men and those whose father or brother had prostate cancer, initial screening is recommended at age 40. “We probably overtreat about 20 percent of the population of men diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer,” says Watson, noting over/aggressive treatment of a relatively harmless cancer can cause problems like impotence and incontinence. “We need better molecular markers for aggressiveness, but we don’t have the funding for research for prostate cancer like breast cancer. I predict though, that we will have better markers within the next two to three years.” Watson recommends men talk with their physician to understand the risks and benefits of the PSA test in relation to their overall health and family history. Colon Cancer — Even though the American Cancer Society reports a 30-percent drop in colorectal cancer cases in the past decade, people (squeamish men perhaps?) still are not getting screened. The American Cancer Society estimates some 137,000 new cases of colorectal cancer (97,000 colon and 40,000 rectal) will be diagnosed this year and more than 50,000 people will die. “There is a national push to achieve an 80-percent colonoscopy rate by 2018,” says Richard C. Wender, MD, chief cancer control officer for the ACS. Understanding it requires taking time off from work, including the dreaded prep, physicians must do everything they can to encourage patients 50 and over to get screened. Men must “man up” for this relatively simple and painless procedure and realize it’s a minor inconvenience in the face of a life-threatening cancer.
“Men often need to be pushed by women to get screened for cancer.”
Mecklenburg Medicine • June 2014 | 9
Feature
Local Groups Help Mecklenburg Residents #getcovered By Madison Hardee, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, and Mark VanArnam, Get Covered America
A
cross the country, more than 8 million people have signed up for private health insurance in the Health Insurance Marketplace. Despite a rocky start to the healthcare.gov rollout, local agencies have been very active in providing outreach and enrollment assistance in Mecklenburg County. Preliminary data shows the efforts are paying off. By the end of February, enrollment figures showed North Carolina was ranked fifth in the nation with more than 200,000 enrollees. (At the time of writing, updated numbers through April 15 had not been released yet.) Three particularly successful outreach events were sponsored by MedLink of Mecklenburg. These “Get Covered Mecklenburg!” events, held monthly January through March at the Children and Family Services Center uptown, were a true collaboration of several agencies, including Get Covered America, Legal Services of Southern Piedmont, Care Ring, NC MedAssist, the Mecklenburg County Health Department, Cognosante, C.W. Williams Community Health Center and others. Care Ring Executive Director Don Jonas noted, “It can be very intimidating for someone who has never experienced having health insurance before to go through that whole process.” The “Get Covered Mecklenburg!” events were an opportunity for consumers to ask questions and meet one on one with a representative who guided them through the enrollment process. More than 20 trained navigators, application counselors and in-person assisters were available to help at each event. When reviewing health plans, they focused on each consumer’s individual
10 | June 2014 • Mecklenburg Medicine
needs to find a plan that not only fit his or her budget, but also included his or her prescription medications and doctors in-network. Over the course of the three events, local groups met with hundreds of individuals and families. Despite rain and snow, each event generated a larger turnout than the one before. By the last event on March 15, the lobby was full more than an hour before the event started. Many individuals reported they had gone without coverage for years and were eager for the opportunity to enroll. Due to North Carolina’s decision not to expand Medicaid, some attendees were not eligible to purchase low-cost plans in the Marketplace. To ensure every attendee connected with a care provider, representatives from several local low-cost health clinics also were available to sign up individuals for their services. Even with the high number of enrollments, many local residents remain uninsured after the March 31 open enrollment deadline. For those individuals, help is still available. If you encounter uninsured patients, you can refer them to the N.C. Navigator Appointment Hotline at 1-855-7333711. Navigators can assist with exemption applications and Medicaid/ CHIP applications year-round. They also can assist with marketplace applications for individuals who qualify for a special enrollment period. Special enrollment periods are triggered by life events such as marriage, birth of a child, a permanent move or loss of other health coverage. Marketplace open enrollment for 2015 will begin on November 15. Until then, local agencies look forward to continuing to connect consumers to health insurance coverage in the spring and summer months.
Affordable pricing for your patients at all income levels Charlotte Speech and Hearing Center is the only hearing center in this area that provides discounts based on income levels. It is our mission to provide affordable high quality hearing healthcare for those in need. We have been serving the Charlotte area since 1967 and offer: • Full diagnostic evaluations for adults and children (age 1 and above) • Advanced Hearing Aid Technology • Free Hearing Screenings • Medicaid and most insurances accepted
Your patients deserve the best. They deserve us. Call us! We can help.
Nancy J. McKeown, Au.D., Board Certified in Audiology 741 Kenilworth Avenue, Suite 100, Charlotte NC 28204
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Mecklenburg Medicine • June 2014 | 11
Member News
New Members Kimberly H. Hopkins, MD Obstetrics and Gynecology Randolph OB/GYN 2711 Randolph Road #512 Charlotte, NC 28207 704-333-4104 Wake Forest University School of Medicine, 2008
John E. Ziewacz, MD Neurological Surgery Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates 110 Lake Concord Road NE Concord, NC 28025 704-792-2672 Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2005
NATIONAL HEALTH & WELLNESS OBSERVANCES JUNE 2014 National Great Outdoors Month National Safety Month National Scleroderma Awareness Month Migraine and Headache Awareness Month
June 1 Stand for Children Day
June 2 National Cancer Survivors Day
June 5 World Environment Day
June 7 National Trails Day
June 8 National Children’s Day
June 9-15 National Men’s Health Week June 14 World Blood Donor Day J une 23-26 39th Annual National Wellness Conference June 27 National HIV Testing Day
Upcoming Meetings & Events Meetings are at the MCMS office unless otherwise noted.
June
Tuesday, June 10 MedLink meeting. Mecklenburg County Health Department. 8:30 a.m. n Monday, June 16 MCMS Executive Committee meeting. 5:45 p.m. n Tuesday, June 17 WPS Fighting for Women with Fashion planning meeting. Safe Alliance office. 6 p.m. n Tuesday-Wednesday, June 17-18 NCMGM White Coat Wednesday Marriott City Center, Raleigh n Thursday, June 19 CAMGM. Myers Park Baptist Church Cornwell Center. n
No MCMS Board meeting. No MMAE Board meeting. No magazine deadline. n Tuesday, June 3 Charlotte Dental Society Board meeting. 6 p.m. n Tuesday, June 3 AAFP Quarterly meeting. Speaker: Lynn Ivey, CEO, The Ivey. Topic: “Organizing Care Around Dementia – Identifying Collaborative Care Partners” The Ivey. 6:30 p.m. n Saturday-Wednesday, June 7-11 AMA House of Delegates meeting. Hyatt Regency, Chicago.
Save the Date!
Managers Healthcare Symposium
Thursday, August 21, 2014 • 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Harris Conference Center, 3216 CPCC Harris Campus Drive, Charlotte Open to CAMGM members, medical practice administrators, managers and staff.
Save the Date!
Pain Management: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
September 13-14, 2014 • Saturday 8am-6pm & Sunday 8am-1:30pm Omni Hotel, Nashville, TN Topics will include the following:
Adult & pediatric pain management n Safe prescribing strategies n Interventional & non-interventional approaches to care n Regulatory updates n Pain management guidelines n
Carolinas HealthCare System/Charlotte AHEC designates this live activity for a maximum of 12.25 AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. An application has been submittted for a 12.25 aPA and ANCC credits from the American Psychological Assocation and the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The Charlotte Area Health Education Center designates this continuing education program as fulfilling the requirement for 1.2 Continuing Education Credits (CEU’s), representing 12 contact hours.
Course Director: Mordecai Potash, MD Faculty: Leanne Cianfrini, PhD Thomas L. Davis, MD David Drake, MD Kimberly George Jay S. Grider, DO, PhD Maged Hamza, MD Mitchell Mutter, MD Mordecai Potash, MD Ann Quinlan-Colwell, DNP, RN Laura Schanberg, MD Steve Sanders, PhD James Talmage, MD Richard Tucker
For more information or to register, please visit www.charlotteahec.org! Contact: Jessica Tormena at 704-512-6519 or Jessica.Tormena@carolinashealthcare.org
12 | June 2014 • Mecklenburg Medicine
Mecklenburg County Medical Society 2014 Committee and Project Response Form OPEN TO MCMS MEMBERS ONLY
We invite you to volunteer to participate on a Medical Society committee or project. Call the MCMS office at 704-376-3688 if you have questions. Fax to 704-376-3173 (no cover sheet needed) or mail to MCMS, 1112 Harding Place, #200, Charlotte, NC 28204.
Name: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ Phone number: _________________________________ Email:______________________________________________ Designate your first, second and third choices. _______ MCMS Board of Directors
I would like to be considered for a director position on the MCMS Board of Directors.
_______ Child Health Committee
This committee meets bi-monthly and directs Medical Society activities regarding the health of children in Mecklenburg County.
_______ Community Intern Program Committee
This committee advises and assists in conducting the annual Community Intern Program.
_______ Community Medical Preparedness Ad Hoc Committee
This committee meets on an as-needed basis and works with various disaster planning agencies to ensure medical rescue and ambulance services meet community needs and also addresses issues of bioterrorism preparedness.
_______ Editorial Board
This board edits and approves all articles published in the Mecklenburg Medicine magazine, published 10 times per year.
_______ Meck PAC Board
This board determines support or opposition for targeted local, state and federal legislation and promotes greater involvement of the local medical community in the political process through a county-directed Political Action Committee.
_______ Media & Public Relations Committee
This committee functions as a liaison between the media and the public, providing credible and accurate health information.
_______ Medical/Legal Committee
This committee works with the legal community to foster better relations between the two professions and revises the Joint Statement of AttorneyPhysician Responsibilities as needed.
_______ Membership Committee
This committee promotes MCMS membership and finds way to encourage non-members to join.
_______ Member Services Ad Hoc Committee
This committee meets on an as-needed basis, and works to develop and implement benefits and services for members.
_______ Public Health Committee
This committee directs Medical Society policies and programs regarding public health issues.
_______ Smith Arthritis Fund Committee
This committee meets on an as-needed basis and reviews grant applications and disburses awards from the Smith Arthritis Fund.
_______ Women Physicians Section Steering Committee This committee plans the events of the Women Physicians Section.
_______ Women Physicians Section Fighting for Women with Fashion Planning Committee
This committee, along with members of the Charlotte Women Attorneys, plans the annual fundraiser for the Domestic Violence Shelter.
Mecklenburg Medicine • June 2014 | 13
At the Hospitals
Derrick Barnes, MD, Named to Charlotte Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 Derrick Barnes, MD, of Novant Health Bradford Clinic OB/GYN, has been named one of Charlotte Business Journal’s 40 Under 40, an honor that recognizes 40 individuals making major strides in their careers and having a positive impact on their communities. Barnes and the other 40 Under 40 honorees were featured in a special report in the March 28 print edition of the Charlotte Business Journal. In the report, Barnes lists his greatest business accomplishment in the past year as assisting his clinic’s transition to an electronic medical record. Barnes’ current civic and volunteer activities include mission trips to Peru, being a foster/adoptive parent for Union County, providing free sports physicals to Union County high school athletes, coaching soccer and serving in various capacities at Southbrook Church. n
Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center Again Named to Becker’s 100 Great Hospitals List Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center has again been named one of the “100 Great Hospitals in America” by Becker’s Hospital Review “Defining a hospital today, let alone a great hospital, has become an unusual sort of challenge. A hospital is no longer just a facility where people go to have a baby or undergo surgery. It’s become an organization that coordinates care for the masses and ensures patients stay healthy in the future. It’s become less reactive, and more proactive. It’s more than just four walls — a hospital today has become a symbol of what needs to change to make U.S. health care n
more sustainable for future generations to come,” says Becker’s Hospital Review about the hospitals named. Hospitals included on the list are home to many medical and scientific breakthroughs, provide best-in-class patient care and are stalwarts of their communities, serving as academic hubs or local mainstays. To develop the list, Becker’s Hospital Review’s editorial team conducted research, considered nominations and evaluated reputable hospital ranking sources, such as U.S. News & World Report, Truven Health Analytics’ 100 Top Hospitals, Healthgrades, Magnet designation by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, The Leapfrog Group and several other resources. Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute Welcomes Gabriel Delgado, MD, FACC Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute is pleased to welcome Gabe Delgado, MD, FACC. An interventional cardiologist, Delgado brings his expertise in transradial cardiac catheterization and peripheral vascular interventions for venous and arterial disease to Novant Health. A graduate of Universidad del Norte Faculty of Medicine in Colombia, Delgado completed his residency in internal medicine at Harvard Medical School and fellowships in cardiovascular disease, interventional cardiology, as well as vascular and endovascular medicine at Brown University. Delgado primarily will see patients at Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute’s Matthews and Monroe locations. To refer a patient, call 704-264-3500. n
Stephen Wallenhaupt, MD, Retires After 20 Years at Novant Health After more than 20 years of dedication to Novant Health, Dr. Stephen Wallenhaupt has made the personal decision to step down from his role as chief medical officer of Novant Health. He will move into a part-time n
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role and focus his efforts exclusively on the EPIC electronic medical record rollout across the system. Since 2006, Wallenhaupt has served as chief medical officer of Novant Health. From 2001 to 2006, he was executive vice president of medical affairs of Presbyterian Healthcare in the greater Charlotte market. A board-certified cardiothoracic surgeon, Wallenhaupt was a partner of Novant Health Heart & Vascular Institute in Charlotte from 1993 to 2001. Novant Health Matthews Medical Center (NHMMC) Receives Approval for Women’s Center, Med-Surg/ICU Beds Novant Health has received approval from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services for the certificate of need (CON) application it filed last November to transfer 20 inpatient beds from Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center to NHMMC. This approval allows Novant Health Matthews Medical Center to construct a 26,500-square-foot dedicated women’s center on the second floor to accommodate recent growth and future needs for OB/GYN services. The CON also allows Novant Health Matthews Medical Center to convert eight observation beds into medicalsurgical beds and one observation bed into an ICU bed.
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Novant Health Endocrinology Welcomes Mercy Moore, MD Novant Health Endocrinology is pleased to welcome Dr. Mercy Moore. She is board-certified in endocrinology and brings more than 17 years of medical experience to Novant Health. Most recently practicing in McAllen, Texas, Moore received her medical degree from the University of the Philippines, completed her residency in internal medicine at Michael Reese Hospital in Chicago, Ill. and her fellowship in endocrinology at UCLA in Los Angeles. To refer a patient, call 704-316-1125. n
At the Hospitals
Pilot Integrates Behavioral Health and Primary Care Carolinas HealthCare System has launched a pilot program that integrates behavioral health services with a primary care practice. The goal is to expand this service to other primary care practices, allowing people to access behavioral health care closer to home, removing the stigma associated with mental health care and catching issues early to prevent the need for more costly care later. Beginning in March, Mint Hill Primary Care is now able to access a 24/7 behavioral health call center staffed by counselors who can bring in psychiatrists, pharmacists and health coaches to consult as needed. A telemedicine feature allows real-time video consults with patients and practice physicians during normal business hours. John Santopietro, MD, chief clinical officer for behavioral health at Carolinas HealthCare System, says the focus needs to be on the prevention and early treatment of mental illness. “The use of primary care within our system is crucial,” says Santopietro. “We are trying to reduce the overall demand; we are not just focused on increasing the number of hospital beds for those at the end of the spectrum.” In the long run, this concept of care could have a significant impact on the cost of healthcare in the United States. On average, the Medicaid cost per healthy adult is $4,000 per year. With just one mental health diagnosis, the cost can increase 60-70 percent. n
Free-Standing Emergency Department Opens in SouthPark Carolinas HealthCare System has opened its fifth free-standing emergency department at 6965 Fairview Road in Charlotte. The facility is part of Carolinas HealthCare System-SouthPark, formerly known as CMC-Morrocroft Medical Plaza. Open 24/7, it has more than 28,000 square feet and 14 treatment rooms that can handle a full array of emergency services. Carolinas HealthCare System-SouthPark provides convenient, comprehensive
healthcare services to one of Charlotte’s most popular retail, dining and residential areas. The emergency department joins an urgent care center and medical office building that provides internal medicine and pediatric medical practices, women’s services, cancer care, advanced diagnostic imaging, laboratory services and a retail pharmacy. Other free-standing emergency departments are located in Steele Creek, Waxhaw, Kannapolis and Huntersville. A sixth facility is slated to open this summer in Harrisburg. Carolinas College Launches Histotechnology Program The Carolinas College of Health Sciences, in partnership with the Carolinas Laboratory Network, recently began offering one of only seven histotechnologist programs in the United States and the only one in North Carolina. It is a full-time, 12-month, post-baccalaureate certificate program that includes clinical rotations in the laboratory at Carolinas Medical Center. Histology is a science dealing with the structure and morphology of cells and the formation of tissues and organs. Histotechnology centers on the detection of tissue abnormalities and the diseases causing these abnormalities. These scientists are allied health professionals that play a fundamental role in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The program is undergoing the process of achieving national accreditation by the National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS), which signifies the program meets national education standards and graduates are eligible to take the American Society for Clinical Pathology Board of Certification HTL exam. Carolinas College has already earned the “Serious Applicant Status” from NAACLS. n
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Pediatric Heart Specialist Joins Levine Children’s Hospital Levine Children’s Hospital’s team of pediatric cardiologists has been expanded and strengthened with the recent addition of Gonzalo Alberto Wallis, MD, a pediatric heart transplant physician. Wallis manages and treats cases of pediatric heart failure, either congenital or acquired. If medical treatment is unsuccessful, then the patient can become a candidate for transplantation. Wallis has specific n
expertise with the Berlin Heart — an external artificial heart for pediatric patients that can be used as a bridge to transplant, since many small children do not have a chest cavity large enough to accommodate an artificial heart inside the body. Gonzalo Alberto Wallis, MD Wallis comes to Levine Children’s Hospital from the University of Florida, where he served as a pediatric cardiologist, clinical associate professor and heart failure and heart transplant staff physician. He attended the Central University of Venezuela, receiving his medical degree from the institution’s Luis Razetti School of Medicine. He served his residency in pediatric cardiology at the Austin Medical Education Program (part of the University of Texas Medical Branch) and completed a fellowship in pediatric cardiology at the University of Florida. Heniford Honored with Lifetime Achievement Award The MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Abdominal Wall Reconstruction Conference presented B. Todd Heniford, MD, with the 2014 MedStar Georgetown Lifetime Achievement Award in Abdominal Wall Reconstruction. Heniford is known internationally for his expertise in abdominal wall reconstruction and hernia repair, esophageal surgery, and minimally invasive surgery. He currently serves as professor of surgery, the chief of the B. Todd Heniford, MD Division of Gastrointestinal and Minimally Invasive Surgery (which he established in 1998), and director of Carolinas Hernia Center at Carolinas Medical Center. Heniford’s group has been the recipient of 43 regional, national and international awards, including the American Hernia Society Research Award 10 of the last 12 years, the European Hernia Society Research Award three times, and the Asia-Pacific Hernia Society Research Project of the Year Award. He also is a four-time recipient of the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons Research Project of the Year Award, and, alongside his trainees, has been a threetime recipient of the SAGES Researcher of the Year Award. n
Mecklenburg Medicine • June 2014 | 15
Independent Physicians of the Carolinas
Independent Physicians of the Carolinas is a nonprofit 501(c)(6) membership organization whose mission is to create public awareness of medical doctors not employed by a network or hospital conglomerate and to provide educational programs and resources to physician members and their administration. Find them online at IndependentPhysicians.org.
trials for Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Medical Director, M. Reza Bolouri, MD, is dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, lewy body dementia, depression, mild cognitive impairment, Parkinson’s disease, stroke related M. Reza Bolouri, MD memory impairment and more. Contact the office at 704-364-4000, ext. 225, for more information on clinical trials.
Carolina Asthma & Allergy Center is pleased n Physicians Meetings for June, July to announce the addition and August of Nicole Chadha, MD, There will be no monthly physicians’ meetings FABAI, to the practice. for Ballantyne or Huntersville over the summer. Chadha received her medical Look for email on dates and topics for meetings Nicole Chadha, MD, FABAI degree from Medical resuming in September. College of Georgia at Georgia Health Sciences University. She is board-certified n Independent Practice Administrators in both pediatrics and asthma, allergy & and Managers Luncheon immunology, and completed her fellowship at The luncheon will be on June 4, 12:30-2 Vanderbilt University. p.m. in Ballantyne at the Forum Business Center, 11220 Elm Lane, Suite 200. Topic will Dino Kanelos, MD, with be “HIPAA Guidelines and Compliance When Carolina Family Healthcare Electronically Communicating with Patients and announces a new innovative Practices You Correspond With,” presented by procedure in skin care called IT HIPAA specialist, David Sims, with Carolina Artefill — long-lasting derma Computer Concepts. Cost is $25 for members fillers for advanced skin and $40 for non-members and includes lunch. Mitch Hibbard, PA-C, MPAS rejuvenation. Kanelos, medical RSVP required at sherie@ip-carolinas.org. director of the program, is one of only three 2014 Board of Directors of the Independent Physicians of the Carolinas Directors are Dino Kanelos, MD, chairman; Larry Berman, MD, vicechairman; Colleen Dey, treasurer; Sherie Bradshaw, secretary; Steven Bauer, DO; Marc Darst, MD; Susan Echterling, MD; James Liu, MD; and Ratko Vujicic, MD. Welcome New Members Anthony Wheeler, MD, with Pain & Neurology. Wheeler has been practicing in Charlotte since 1986. He specializes in neurological, spinal, headache and injury-related clinical pain disorders. Member News Alzheimer’s Memory Center is currently enrolling patients in cutting-edge clinical n
After Artefill
physicians in Charlotte to offer Artefill, along with Mitch Hibbard, PA-C, MPAS, at the same location. For more details, contact Mitch Hibbard at 704-945-4505. V Pain Clinic has implemented a headache treatment under the direction of medical director Ratko Vujicic, MD, known by many as “Dr. V.” It is a new inpatient procedure called sphenopalatine ganglion block performed with Ratko Vujicic, MD intranasal catheter. Video of the procedure can be seen on YouTube at www.youtube.com/ watch?v=v5BV9WywVnM, or key word spheno cath. Vujicic is board-certified in both anesthesiology and pain management, and has been practicing pain medicine for over 20 years in Europe and the United States.
Advertising Acknowledgement
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Before Artefill
The following patrons made Mecklenburg Medicine possible.
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When your patients start to forget, remember The Ivey. At The Ivey, our purpose is to preserve memories, independence, and quality of life for people living with memory loss.
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WORLD-CLASS CARE, RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER At Carolinas HealthCare System, we believe the quality of your care should never depend on where you live. Our thousands of physicians work as One to deliver the best care possible wherever you need it.
CarolinasHealthCare.org Mecklenburg Medicine • June 2014 | 19
Mecklenburg County Medical Society
PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID CHARLOTTE, N.C. PERMIT NO. 1494
1112 Harding Place, #200 Charlotte, NC 28204 CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED MCMS Mission: To unite, serve and represent our members as advocates for our patients, for the health of the community and for the profession of medicine.
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