June 2017 • Vol. 47, No. 6
Mecklenburg Medicine A Publication of the Mecklenburg County Medical Society | www.meckmed.org
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June 2017 Vol. 47 No. 6
Table of Contents
OFFICERS
4 President’s Letter: I Wanted to Write an Article
President Stephen J. Ezzo, MD
By Stephen J. Ezzo, MD, President, MCMS
5 Feature: Lifestyle, Cancer and Luck By Gordon Hull, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Public Policy Director, Center for Professional and Applied Ethics, UNC-Charlotte
6 Mecklenburg Medical Alliance & Endowment (MMAE) 8 Feature: Mecklenburg County Parks by Region 9 Member News 9 New Members 9 Upcoming Meetings & Events 9 Charlotte AHEC Course Offerings for June 10 Women Physicians Meet and Greet By Nancy L. Teaff, MD
11 At the Hospitals 13 Independent Physicians of the Carolinas 13 Advertising Acknowledgements 13 National Health & Wellness Observances for June On the Cover: June is National Great Outdoors Month. We have many local parks to enjoy in Mecklenburg County. See list on page 8.
President-Elect Scott L. Furney, MD Treasurer Elizabeth B. Moran, MD Secretary Robert L. Mittl, Jr., MD Immediate Past-President Simon V. Ward III, MD
BOARD MEMBERS John R. Allbert, MD Maureen L. Beurskens, MD Raymond E. Brown, PA May N. Doan, MD Donald D. Fraser, MD W. Frank Ingram III, MD Stephen R. Keener, MD, MPH Shivani P. Mehta, MD, MPH Babak Mokari, DO B. Lauren Paton, MD Rachel L. Storey, MD Andrew I. Sumich, MD
EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS Tracei Ball, MD, President-Elect Charlotte Medical Dental & Pharmaceutical Society Sandi D. Buchanan, Executive Director Mecklenburg County Medical Society Karen Chandler, President Mecklenburg Medical Alliance & Endowment Docia E. Hickey, MD NCMS Past President 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 Finance & Membership Coordinator Stephanie D. Smith Meetings & Special Events Coordinator Jenny H. Otto
1112 Harding Place, #200, Charlotte, NC 28204 704-376-3688 • FAX 704-376-3173 meckmed@meckmed.org Copyright 2017 Mecklenburg County Medical Society
MECKLENBURG MEDICINE STAFF
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.
Editor Stephen J. Ezzo, MD Managing Editor Sandi D. Buchanan Copy Editors Lee McCracken Stephanie Smith Advertising Mark Ethridge mecklenburgmedicine@gmail.com Editorial Board N. Neil Howell, MD Jessica Schorr Saxe, MD Graphic Design — Wade Baker
Mecklenburg Medicine • June 2017 | 3
President’s Letter
I Wanted to Write an Article By Stephen J. Ezzo, MD
I wanted to write an article, but then I began to think. I wanted to write about my disgust for the political climate, both locally and nationally, but then I thought someone might associate me with one political party or another, leading to false assumptions about me. I wanted to write about how the healthcare insurance companies are contributing to the current healthcare crisis, but I was concerned about keeping my coverage. I wanted to write about how the government needs to butt out of my exam room and stop with all the “requirements” that have not been shown to improve care, but the possibility of the IRS knocking on my door gave me pause. I wanted to write about the people who helped me most during my medical career, but I wasn’t sure how someone would feel if I neglected to mention him or her. I wanted to write about how violent a species we are, how we indiscriminately slaughter each other, but I wondered if I’d get blown away for pointing this out. I wanted to write about my spiritual crisis and how religion is hijacked for myriad wrong reasons, but I feared excommunication. I wanted to write about how our celebrity culture is leading to the dumbing-down and crassness of our society, but I did not want to be labeled as dull and boring. I wanted to write that we overpay and overemphasize our sports “heroes,” but thought I’d never be invited to a Panthers/ Hornets game again.
I wanted to tell the generations ahead of me that, while I admire them and appreciate their hard work, just because they did things in a certain way I did not have to do the same, but I didn’t want to come off as disrespectful. I wanted to tell everyone to read, read and read again, as there are few other activities that can enrich life more, but I was wary of sounding pedantic. I wanted to write that, despite all its problems, medicine remains the noblest of professions, one that at its core is simply helping others, but was afraid I would be seen as self-serving and haughty. I wanted to write about my new kitten, the joy she has brought me and the hole in my heart she filled that was created when my 20-year-old cat died last year, but what would the dog-lovers think? So I sat and thought, and thought some more. But I saw no way out and nothing I could say that would not be interpreted by someone somewhere as insensitive. So I turned on the Golf Channel. And took a nap. I hope no one was offended I did not write an article. “I wanted to write a poem that you would understand. For what good is it to me if you can’t understand it? But you got to try hard – ” — “January Morning” William Carlos Williams
I wanted to write about how, when the sun sets over the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Huron, there are colors and hues I never thought possible, but figured I would be considered pretentious. I wanted to write about our increasing penchant for being offended, often going out of our way to appear so, but what if I was seen as uncaring? I wanted to tell the generations behind me that life is much harder than we ever imagined, that we struggle daily, yet it is in that struggle that we find our worth, but I anticipated I would be labeled out of touch.
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Trivia question: In her role with the FDA, what crucial decision did Dr. Frances Kelsey make? Answer on page 10.
Feature
Lifestyle, Cancer and Luck By Gordon Hull, Associate Professor of Philosophy and Public Policy Director, Center for Professional and Applied Ethics, UNC-Charlotte
W
e are taught in popular culture to believe cancer in its various forms very often is lifestyle-caused. Have melanoma? Why didn’t you stay out of the sun? Have lung cancer? Why did you smoke? To be sure, some cancers do not fit this pattern as strongly, but there were still often lifestyle links. Smoking is believed to be a strong risk factor for pancreatic cancer, for example. Other cancers appear to be hereditary, though the calculation there is more difficult. The BRCA1/2 mutation produces a 40-60 percent lifetime risk of breast cancer (and a much higher risk of ovarian cancer), but it turns out to account for only about 5 percent of breast cancers. The BRCA mutation made national headlines when Angelina Jolie tested positive for it and elected to have a prophylactic double mastectomy. The connection between the lifestyle-hereditary explanations for cancer is that both can give people specific things to do to minimize their risk. We have organized a lot of our health policy around these injunctions: stop smoking, drink less, consider prophylactic surgery if you are a BRCA carrier. They thus contribute to a very popular narrative according to which our current and future health are investments — make the right lifestyle choices now and see good returns in the future. The right kinds of self-discipline can ensure we maximize our health outcomes. One immediate problem with this narrative is that it transfers the burden of disease risk onto individuals who may not be in any position to avoid it. For example, the residents of St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana suffer staggering rates of cancer and other health problems, almost certainly due to the proximity of a neoprene chemical plant. These residents, however, are nearly all there because of the accident of their birth into poverty. Asking them to leave is asking them to do something they cannot plausibly do. Similarly, blaming smokers for smoking requires ignoring not just the addictive effects of nicotine, but the advertising budget of the tobacco industry, its ability to target younger smokers and its longtime historical concealment of the connection between smoking and disease risk. Blaming the obese for their condition ignores the many structural factors over which they have comparatively little control, including the ready availability of expensively marketed, calorically-dense but nutritionally sparse foods. These challenges to the narrative are social justice issues. But what if, in addition, there were more epistemic ones? What if the lifestyle paradigm radically over-estimates the incidence of cancers caused by lifestyle factors? We have known for a while that cancer incidence is higher in the elderly, which suggests precisely what a pair of recent studies published in “Science” claim. A substantial percentage — perhaps as high as 65 percent — of the variation in cancer risk between different tissues can be explained by the number of stem cell replications in that tissue. More replications means more chances for
mutation, which is to say that more replications means greater odds of “bad luck” striking. The studies are controversial and certainly do not say, as was widely reported, that up to two-thirds of cancers are caused by bad luck. But they do say something uncomfortable to the lifestyle theory of cancer risk: We simply do not know enough to know how much of cancer risk is attributable to either hereditary or environmental factors, as opposed to “bad luck.” As a companion piece published with the second study implies, we need to approach the etiology of cancers with a certain epistemic humility. Picking up on a point made in the original studies, the piece considers a case in which several mutations are individually necessary and jointly sufficient to initiate cancer in a given tissue. If only one of them were environmentally induced, then avoiding that environmental trigger would be sufficient to avoid the cancer. But the logic of the example works in several directions. Suppose there were three necessary mutations — one “bad luck” and two environmental (say, smoking). In that case, we likely would advise individuals not to smoke, pointing out that although many smokers never get cancer (the “bad luck” mutation never occurs), their risk is enormously elevated. But what if there were six necessary mutations, only one of which was lifestyle? Would we recommend avoiding the lifestyle trigger then? After all, a patient would have to have a lot of “bad luck” in the statistical sense for the lifestyle trigger to result in cancer. Presumably, the difficulty in avoiding the lifestyle trigger would be part of any answer to that question. But here, social justice issues raise their heads again. Who bears the cost of avoidance, and how much cost should individuals versus larger entities be asked to bear? In the case of the Louisiana town, if the cost to its citizens of avoiding pollution is too high, then what cost might the neoprene factory be reasonably asked to bear? To put the point in deliberately uncomfortable terms, since we are dealing with a population, how many predictable deaths are sufficient to justify a given amount of investment in avoiding an environmental/lifestyle trigger? And, given that we don’t know the exact proportions of environment, heredity and bad luck, how do we make such a decision? I don’t have answers to these questions, but I do think they suggest a couple of things. First, any discussion of cancers and their prevention needs to be approached with both a sense of epistemic humility and moral salience. Lifestyle-based approaches to cancer assume we know a lot about the role of environmental factors, and they tend to assign too much responsibility to individuals for avoiding those factors. Second, we need to be very careful in deciding when to call it an individual responsibility to avoid certain environments or behaviors. This is not just because of social justice issues. It is also because we don’t really understand the etiology of most cancers well enough to know when or how much to nudge peoples’ behaviors.
Mecklenburg Medicine • June 2017 | 5
MMAE
MMAE Grants 2017 MMAE is proud to announce $74,000 in grants has been awarded to the following 13 organizations that support MMAE’s mission of building a healthier Mecklenburg County. Autism Society of North Carolina $2,500
The Autism Society of North Carolina works to inform and educate the community about issues affecting individuals on the autism spectrum. This grant will provide scholarships to Mecklenburg Country residents to attend ASNC’s summer camp program at Camp Royall.
Camp Blue Skies Foundation $3,000
Camp Blue Skies is one of a few programs that provides an overnight recreational, outdoor experience for adults with developmental disabilities. Funds will underwrite Nurses Care for Camp, which provides extra nursing care at camp sessions.
Charlotte Community Health Clinic, Inc. $10,000
This grant will support the Dental Care Program for the Uninsured at the Goodwill Opportunity Campus. With a high correlation between poor dental health and poor general health, this program’s goal is to impact those with chronic health issues.
Charlotte Neuroscience Foundation — Memory Center Charlotte $5,000 Memory Center Charlotte provides compassionate patient care for those with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. Support for family members is an integral part of the center’s approach to treatment. Funding will provide scholarships for caregiver training and support.
Dilworth Center $5,000
Through its intensive outpatient treatment programs, Dilworth Center serves young people facing chemical dependency issues and provides support for their families. This grant will be applied toward funding a treatment counselor for adolescents.
Friendship Trays $8,000
Providing meals to more than 1,500 clients, Friendship Trays are delivered daily to individuals who are unable to obtain or prepare their own meals because of age or infirmity. This grant will go toward subsidizing Friendship Trays for clients unable to pay for their meals.
Hospitality House of Charlotte $4,000
Established more than 31 years ago, Hospitality House provides lodging
for families in medical crisis. This grant will purchase a new industrialsize refrigerator that can safely store enough food to accommodate up to 80 overnight guests.
Lions Services, Inc. $5,000
Serving more than 4,000 patients each year, the Lions Eye Clinic is the only cost-free option for eye health care for the underprivileged in Mecklenburg County. This grant will help provide upgraded equipment to replace outdated, donated equipment.
NC MedAssist $5,000
Of the 60,000 uninsured Mecklenburg Country residents, 50 percent take daily medication for chronic illness. MedAssist provides free needed prescription medication. Funds will help purchase lifesaving medications for MedAssist clients.
Novant Health Foundation — Bee Mighty Fund $3,000
The Bee Mighty Fund supports the critical needs of premature babies by providing therapy and medical equipment. Established by parents who understood the newborn care challenges facing families with limited resources, the fund helps with expenses not covered by insurance.
Shelter Health Services $10,000
Shelter Health Services provides free medical/mental health services for homeless women and children. This grant will increase access to services and the expanding needs of those living in the Salvation Army Center for Hope and the Safe Alliance Shelter.
Supportive Housing Communities $10,000
Recovery support and education are provided for formerly homeless people with a history of substance abuse. This grant will help prevent relapse and sustain recovery efforts for residents of McCreesh Place and other scattered site support communities.
Teen Health Connection $3,500
Celebrating 25 years of improving the health of adolescents in our community, these funds will support “The Big Picture,” a theatrical production written and performed by adolescents for adolescents. Performances address the most critical and relevant challenges faced by our community’s youth. Tim Adamson, MD
6 | June 2017 • Mecklenburg Medicine
MMAE n
MMAE Board Members 2017-2018 President
Karen Chandler Treasurer
Leslie Aronovitz Corresponding Secretary
Lois Benjamin
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Countless Patients Have Counted On Us For Brain & Spine Care
Marketing & Communications
Carrie Howell Grants and Disbursements
Gina Clegg Financial Development
Sherry Ward Anne Shoaf Programs
Judy Verross Planning & Development
Pam Bullard Kay Saville
It’s our mission to change patients’ lives. That’s why we provide brain and spine expertise that cannot be found anywhere else in this region. We make it possible for patients to return to work, walk down the aisle, lift a grandchild or run a marathon. We’re here to provide the fastest, safest way for adults and children with brain and spine disorders to reclaim the lives they love. And for that, you can always count on us.
Parliamentarian
Mitzi Yount Past Presidents
Mimi Compton Sherry Ward Recording Secretary
Jennie Carruth Membership
Beeland Voellinger
Pioneering Brain & Spine Care Since 1940
1-800-344-6716
www.cnsa.com
Mecklenburg Medicine • June 2017 | 7
Feature
MECKLENBURG COUNTY PARKS The Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Department is home to 210 parks and facilities located on more than 21,000+ acres of parkland throughout Mecklenburg County. Central Region Abbott Park, 1300 Spruce St. Alexander Street Park, 739 E. 12th St. Anita Stroud Park, 2215 Double Oaks Road Baxter Street Park, 942 Baxter St. Biddleville Park, 500 Andrill Terrace Bryant Park, 1701 W. Morehead St. Camp Green Park, 1221 Alleghany St. Chantilly Park, 222 Wyanoke Ave. Charles Avenue Park, 800 Charles Ave. Cherry Park, 1509 Baxter St. Clanton Park, 1520 Clanton Road Clemson Avenue Park, 3028 Clemson Ave. Collins Park, 4500 Applegate Road Colonial Park, Providence Road Cordelia Park, 2100 N. Davidson St. Druid Hills Park, 2801 Lucena St. E.B. Moore Park, 901 Marsh Road Eastover Park, 2730 Randolph Road Edgehill Park, 975 S. Edgehill Road Enderly Park, 1501 Enderly Road First Ward Park, 301 E. 7th St. Five Points Park, 200 French St. Fourth Ward Park, 201 N. Poplar St. Frazier Park, 1201 W. 4th St. Freedom Park, 1900 East Boulevard Greenville Park, 1330 Spring St. Grier Heights Park, 3100 Leroy St. Independence Park, 300 Hawthorne Lane Lakewood Park, 3131 Kalynne St. Latta Park, 601 E. Park Ave. LC Coleman Park, 1501 McDonald St. Lincoln Heights Park, Catherine Simmons Ave. Little Peoples Park, 120 Harrill St. Marshall Park, 800 E. 3rd St. Martin Luther King Park, 2600 Ravencroft Drive Merry Oaks Park, 3508 Draper Ave. Midwood Park, 2100 Wilhelmina Ave. Ninth Street Park, 417 W. 9th St. North Charlotte Park, 901 Herrin Ave. Our Children’s Memorial Walkway,1201W. 4th St. Ext. Pearl Street Park, 1200 Baxter St. Pressley Road Park, 1500 Pressley Road Progress Park, 1301 Parkwood Ave. Randolph Road Park, 201 Billingsley Road Reid Neighborhood Park, 3207 Amay James Ave. Revolution Park, 2425 Barringer Drive Romare Bearden Park, 300 S. Church St. Sedgefield Park, 621 Elmhurst Road Seversville Park, 530 Bruns Ave. Shamrock Park, 2545 Jeff St.
Sixteenth Street Park, 620 E. 16th St. Solomons Park, 3299 Venice St. Southside Park, 2645 Toomey Ave. Third Ward Park, 1001 W. 4th St. Thompson Park, 1129 E. 3rd St. Tryon Hills Park, 220 W. 30th St. Veterans Park, 2136 Central Ave. Waddell Street Park, 1505 Waddell St. Westerly Hills Park, 3900 Amerigo St. West Charlotte Park, 2401 Kendall St. Wilmore Park, 900 Spruce St. Wingate Park, 2731 Mayfair Ave. North Region Allen Hills Park, 4701 Cheviot Road Blythe Landing, 15901 NC 73 Briarwood Park, 5399 Waterwood St. Clarks Creek Park, 9801 Mallard Creek Road Coulwood Park, 100 Coulwood Park Drive David B. Waymer Park, 14200 Holbrooks Road David B. Waymer Flyer Field, 15401 Holbrooks Road Derita Creek Park, 3509 Frew Road Eastway Park, 423 Eastway Drive Firestone Park, 3501 Firestone Drive Fred Alexander Park, 1832 Grier Grove Road Friendship Sportsplex, 2310 Cindy Lane Hornet’s Nest Park, 6301 Beatties Ford Road Howie Acres Park, 4200 Redwood Ave. Jetton Park, 19000 Jetton Road Kirk Farm Fields, 210 E. Mallard Creek Church Road Mallard Creek Community Park, 3001 Johnston-Oehler Road Nevin Community Park, 6000 Statesville Road Newell Park, 9130 Newell Baptist Church Road North Mecklenburg Park, 16131 Old Statesville Road Ramsey Creek Park, 18441 Nantz Road Reedy Creek Park, 2900 Rocky River Road Richard Barry Memorial Park, 13707 Beatties Ford Road Robert Caldwell Bradford Park, 17005 Davidson-Concord Road Robert L .Smith Park, 1604 Little Rock Road Rural Hill Park, 4431 Neck Road Shuffletown Park, 9500 Bellhaven Boulevard Sugaw Creek Park, 943 W. Sugar Creek Road Theresa Clark Elder Neighborhood Park, 6315 Rockwell Church Road Tom Hunter Park, 919 Tom Hunter Road Tuckaseegee Park, 4820 Tuckaseegee Road Unity Park, 6401 Kelsey Drive Viewmont Park, 5400 Viewmont Drive South Region Albemarle Road Park, 9120 East W.T. Harris Blvd. Archdale Park, 5400 Cherrycrest Lane
8 | June 2017 • Mecklenburg Medicine
Ballantyne District Park, 9405 Bryant Farms Road Carmel Road Park, 2365 Carmel Road Berewick Regional Park, 5910 Dixie River Road Cedarwood Park, 6624 Reddman Road Colonel Francis Beatty Park, McKee/Tilley Morris Rd./ 4330 Weddington Road Copperhead Island Park, 15200 Soldier Road Elon Park, 11401 Ardrey Kell Road Flat Branch Park, 11830 Tom Short Road Grayson Park, 750 Beal St. Harrisburg Road Park, 7701 Harrisburg Road Hickory Grove Park, 6709 Pence Road Huntingtowne Farms Park, 2400 Ramblewood Lane Idlewild Road Park, 10512 Idlewild Road James Boyce Park, 300 Boyce Road Julian Underwood Park, 5400 Galway Drive Marion Diehl Park, 2219 Tyvola Road Mason Wallace Park, 7301 Monroe Road McAlpine Creek Park, 8711 Monroe Road McKee Road Park, 4201 McKee Road Methodist Home Park, 3200 Shamrock Drive Oakhurst Park, 3500 Craig Ave. Olde Providence Park, (at OP School), 3800 Rea Road Park Road Park, 6220 Park Road Rama Road Park, 1035 Rama Road Ramblewood Park, 10200 Nations Ford Road Renaissance Park, 1200 W. Tyvola Road Sheffield Park, 1311 Tarrington Ave. Steele Creek Park, 4100 Gallant Lane Squirrel Lake Park, 1631 Pleasant Plains Road William R. Davie Park, 4635 Pineville-Matthews Road Winterfield Park, 3010 Winterfield Place Yorkmont Park, 6417 Vickers Road Inclusive Parks Inclusive playgrounds are for children of all abilities. The surface is appropriate for wheelchairs and walkers and the equipment is accessible via ramps. Adapted swings are appropriate for children who may still need the safety of a shoulder strap and high seat back. Inclusive playgrounds also contain sensory equipment that provides unique visual, tactile and auditory stimulation. Chantilly Park Clemson Park Colonel Francis Beatty Park Cordelia Park Freedom Park Grier Heights Park Idlewild Park Jetton Park Mallard Creek Park
Marion Diehl Park Merry Oaks Park Methodist Home Park Nevin Park Park Road Park Reedy Creek Park Revolution Park William R. Davie Park
Member News
NEW MEMBERS Photo not available.
Jennifer L. Orning, MD Neurological Surgery Novant Health Neurosurgery Specialists 330 Billingsley Road #202 Charlotte, NC 28211 704-316-3070 University of Southern California, 2007
Save the Date! 2017 Healthcare Management Symposium Thursday, August 17 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Harris Conference Center 3216 CPCC Harris Campus Drive Charlotte, NC 28208
Upcoming Meetings & Events JUNE
Meetings are at the MCMS office unless otherwise noted.
Tuesday, June 13 MedLink meeting. Mecklenburg County Health Department. 8:30 a.m. n Thursday, June 15 CAMGMA meeting. Myers Park Baptist Church Cornwell Center. Noon. n Monday, June 19 Executive Committee meeting. 5:45 p.m. n
Presented by the Charlotte Area Medical Group Managers Association and the Mecklenburg County Medical Society Sponsor Opportunities Breakfast Sponsor Break Sponsors Lunch Sponsor Tabletop Exhibits Call MCMS at 704-376-3688 for more information.
The Smith Arthritis Fund Committee Is Now Accepting Grant Applications The Smith Arthritis Fund was established in 1979 when Carolyn Kirkpatrick Smith donated $41,500 for arthritis research. This fund is administered through the Mecklenburg County Medical Society and is designed to support research projects as they relate to the needs of patients suffering from rheumatologic diseases. Each year, the committee awards about $1,000 per grant. There are no rigid restrictions. The Smith Arthritis Fund Committee of the Mecklenburg County Medical Society is accepting grant applications from interested physicians through the end of June. Contact the Medical Society office at 704-376-3688 for more information. Trivia answer from page 4: Dr. Frances Kelsey rejected requests for the use of thalidomide in the U.S., based on her belief it was not adequately tested in pregnant women, nor that it was proven to be effective. Who knows how many birth defects she prevented?
CHARLOTTE AHEC COURSE OFFERINGS Charlotte AHEC is part of the N.C. Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) Program and Carolinas Health Care System.
JUNE 2017
Continuing Medical Education (CME) 6/25-27 Ongoing Varies Varies Online Online Online Online Online Online Online Online Online
Compassion in Action Health Care Conference Communication in Health Care: 4-hr. basic communication course Communication in Health Care: Train the Trainer course University of Colorado: Excellence in Communication Protecting Your Patients From Air Pollution DOT Medical Examiners Course Risk Management: Patient Identification Social Media: Risks & Benefits for Physicians Prevention and Management of Concussion/Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Motor Vehicle Crash Victims MTAC Trauma Modules Get the 4-1-1: Everything Primary Care Providers Should Know About Parent Training in Behavior Therapy While Working With Families With Young Children With ADHD Electronic Medical Record on Trial (Risk Management) For more information or to register for these courses, call 704-512-6523 or visit www.charlotteahec.org.
Mecklenburg Medicine • June 2017 | 9
Member News
Women Physicians Section
Meet and Greet By Nancy L. Teaff, MD
The women members of MCMS got together for wine and good conversation at Foxcroft Wine Co. on April 25. Physicians from Ballantyne to Uptown came together to relax after work, meet new colleagues and greet old friends. It’s amazing we can share patients and referrals for many years and never meet each other — until we have an event like this one! Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte (REACH) was the sponsor for the evening, in honor of National Infertility Awareness Week. The general consensus of the group was“Yes, let’s keep doing this!” We will plan another get-together for late August or early September. Watch for the“Save the Date.” Suggestions for sponsors and other venues always are welcome. Email Stephanie Smith at ssmith@meckmed.org with suggestions.
10 | June 2017 • Mecklenburg Medicine
At the Hospitals
Novant Health Urgent Care Adds Pediatric Specialists in South Charlotte Novant Health Urgent Care & Occupational Medicine–Quail Hollow has added a boardcertified pediatrician, pediatric advanced practice providers and pediatric friendly nursing and support personnel to its staff of board-certified family and emergency medicine doctors. The facility at 8450 Park Road, near the Quail Hollow community, offers walk-in care Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m., and SaturdaySunday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. With the addition of board-certified pediatricians and pediatric specialists to provide specialized care for newborns to teens through age 18, Novant Health continues to ensure all of a family’s medical needs are covered.
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Carmel OB/GYN Welcomes Its First Midwife, Tina Hayes Tina Hayes, certified nurse-midwife, has joined the qualified team of obstetricians and gynecologists at Novant Health Carmel OB/GYN in southeast Charlotte. Hayes has been working on behalf of women’s health for more than 25 years and is eager to bring
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the practice of midwifery to Carmel OB/GYN and to Novant Health Matthews Medical Center, where she will deliver babies. Hayes will be caring for patients at the Blakeney office, 593 Blakeney Park Drive, Suite 100, in Charlotte. Office hours vary, but Hayes is accommodating appointments as early as 7 a.m. and as late as 6:45 Tina Hayes p.m. To refer a patient, call 704-316-2021. Matthews Medical Center Recognized as Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence Novant Health Matthews Medical Center has been named a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence (BSCOE) for the second time since first receiving the designation in 2011. This renewed accreditation granted by the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program acknowledges Novant Health’s commitment to providing high-quality and safe care for bariatric surgery patients that exceeds clinical benchmarks and guidelines.
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Catherine Ohmstede, MD, Named Physician Leader of Pediatric Service Line for the Greater Charlotte Market Catherine Ohmstede, MD, recently has been named the new physician leader of the
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pediatrics service line for the greater Charlotte market. In this role, Dr. Ohmstede will help develop and implement the strategic plan for the pediatric department and Novant Health Hemby Children’s Hospital. Ohmstede joined Novant Health Dilworth Pediatrics in Catherine Ohmstede, MD 2006 and has been the lead physician there for the past two years. In recent years, she has been an active member of the Charlotte Pediatric Society. Ohmstede brings a wealth of new ideas, and her experience in pediatrics within our community will be a great asset to her new role. Providence OB/GYN Opens Satellite Clinic in SouthPark A new satellite location of Novant Health Providence OB/GYN has opened in the Charlotte. This clinic is at 6324 Fairview Road, Suite 390, across from SouthPark mall. Chris Morris, MD, will see patients at this location on Mondays, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., and Kathryn Hull, MD, will see patients on Thursdays, 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Both physicians are accepting new patients. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 704-372-4000 or visit nhprovidenceobgyn.org.
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Mint Hill Medical Center Celebrates Construction Milestone with Traditional ‘Topping Out’ Ceremony Novant Health celebrated the construction progress of Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center in late April. The community hospital, at the corner of Albemarle Road and Interstate 485, is scheduled to open in late 2018 and expected to bring about 400 jobs to the area. Upon completion, Mint Hill Medical Center will be a 150,000-square-foot, 36bed community hospital offering a wide range of medical services, including: • 24 medical-surgical beds • 4 intensive care unit beds • 8 labor/delivery/recovery/postpartum (LDRP) beds • 16-bay emergency department • Surgery services • Hospitalist physician group for inpatient admissions • Laboratory • Pharmacy • Observation unit • CT scanner and other imaging services
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At the Hospitals Identifying the exact bacteria causing an infection and the presence of specific genetic markers is especially important when that bacteria has antibiotic resistance. Hadley Wilson, MD, Named to ACC Posts B. Hadley Wilson, MD, FACC, longtime interventional cardiologist at Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute and clinical professor of medicine at UNC’s School of Medicine, is now in an international leadership role in the cardiology field. Dr. Wilson B. Hadley Wilson, MD, FACC has been elected chair of the American College of Cardiology Board of Governors and secretary of the Board of Trustees, the main governing body of the ACC, for 2017-2018. Wilson will lead the 66 chapter governors representing all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, Mexico and the U.S. Uniformed Services. Wilson travels internationally talking about heart attack protocols and implementing changes. Cardiovascular disease has become the number one killer in developing countries, making Wilson’s mission to spread the word about prevention and cardiac protocols. Whether it’s discussing strategies to decrease door to balloon time or the ways in which Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute’s rapid transport program for acute heart attack patients can be applied, exchanging information to improve survival rates internationally is essential. Wilson served as co-director of the annual Advanced Cardiovascular Interventions course at Hilton Head from 1992 to 2007, as the chief interventional cardiologist for the ACC North Carolina STEMI/RACE program for a statewide system of care from 2005 to 2015 and now the ACC/American Heart Association National STEMI Accelerator I and II programs covering more than 30 million lives. n
Petri Dishes Replaced By Ketchup Packets Earlier this year, Carolinas HealthCare System (CHS) began using a new molecular technology inspired by ketchup packets that precisely identifies the cause of a bacterial infection in the blood in just two to three hours — something that used to take 48 hours. Identifying the bacteria faster, combined with a team of pharmacists and infectious disease physicians selecting the right treatment, will result in better care for patients. The new blood culture identification (BCID) system works by taking blood that tested positive for a bacteria, placing it into a smartphone-sized pouch that then goes into a machine where the pouch is squeezed in various ways, much like you squeeze a ketchup packet. This process allows for the purification and extraction of DNA that indicates the exact species of bacteria causing the infection. Traditionally, bacteria is grown in a petri dish until it can be seen with the naked eye, and then sugars and amino acids are added to see how it reacts. Doing it that way took time to allow the bacteria to grow and be tested. Now, instead of 48 hours to get identification, it takes two to three hours. In 2016, a multidisciplinary group of pharmacists, infection prevention experts, microbiologists, infectious disease physicians and environmental services leaders was formed to address infection outcomes across CHS. One primary focus of the multidisciplinary group, called 3P for “Patients, Pathogens and Prescribers,” was to develop a process for BCID implementation and to ensure the information from BCID would get quickly into the right hands. Once there’s a positive result, the lab calls a pharmacist with CHS’s Antimicrobial Support Network who assesses and makes sure the patient is on appropriate antibiotic therapy. In some situations, the patient may not even be on antibiotics yet, and in others, having details on the kind of bacteria allows a selection of the best antibiotic for the infection. n
Fatty Liver Disease Clinical Trials Accepting Patients Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is estimated to affect 75-100 million people in the United States. This disease typically occurs in patients who also have features of metabolic syndrome — obesity, diabetes, and/or hypercholesterolemia. A subset of n
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these patients progress to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which refers to inflammation in the liver, is associated with scarring of the liver, and in some patients, the development of cirrhosis. The CHS Center for Liver Disease has clinical trials for the treatment of NASH. It has modalities available as part of these studies and through normal clinical care to detect fatty liver without doing a liver biopsy, through Fibroscan and Magnetic Resonance Elastography. Andrew deLemos, MD, is the principal investigator for the NAFLD clinical trials. Sub-Investigators are Mark Russo, MD, Philippe Zamor, MD, and Paul Schmeltzer, MD. To determine if your patient could qualify for a trial or if you are interested in a fatty liver disease consultation, contact Regina McFadden at 704-355-7608 or Gale Groseclose, RN, at 704-355-4875. The Art of Medicine This year, the Center for Physician Leadership & Development kicked off The Art of Medicine — a unique collaboration between Carolinas HealthCare System and the Bechtler Museum of Modern Art. The six-session series is hosted at the museum, providing physicians the opportunity to be inspired by incredible works of art and further develop the skills necessary to sustain and enhance resiliency in the practice of medicine. Incorporating the humanities in medical education has been shown to increase empathy, awareness and sensitivity in patient care, in addition to expanding one’s creativity, flexible thinking and personal resiliency. Each Art of Medicine session is cofacilitated by CHS education leaders and Bechtler Museum educators. This model combines Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) with a modified Balint Group, which is a forum for exploring the physician-patient relationship. Visual Thinking Strategies (VTS) is a method of analyzing art through group discussion, shared perspectives and problem-solving. The Art of Medicine was piloted in 2014 by the Center for Physician Leadership & Development, and is now supported by the CHS Physician & ACP Wellness Subcommittee, chaired by Dael Waxman, MD, and Quimby McCaskill, MD. n
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 system and to provide educational programs and resources to physician members and their administration. Visit us at IndependentPhysicians.org. Join Pink Tie Guy of Susan G. Komen Charlotte, Justin Favaro, MD, PhD, at the annual Komen Charlotte Research Luncheon on June 23 at Hilton Charlotte Center City, 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Breast cancer researchers Lisa Carey, MD, and Pinku Mukherjee, PhD, will speak on advancements in finding a cure. For more information, visit http://komencharlotte.org/ charlotte-events/komen-charlotte-research-luncheon/. Dr. Favaro, a member of the Independent Physicians of the Carolinas, also is a leader in patient advocacy with Community Oncology Alliance Patient Advocacy Network (CPAN), which focuses on treatment coverage for breast cancer patients. Charlotte Gastroenterology & Hepatology is pleased to announce the addition of Srinivas Cheruvu, MD, MSPH. A graduate of the University of North Carolina, Dr. Cheruvu earned his medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine. He completed his residency at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey and his fellowship Srinivas Cheruvu, MD, MSPH at The Brooklyn Hospital Center Affiliate of Weill Medical College of Cornell. He is board-certified in gastroenterology and brings six years of gastroenterology and hepatology experience. He is accepting new patients in the Charlotte Gastroenterology & Hepatology-Matthews office.
Advertising Acknowledgements The following patrons made Mecklenburg Medicine possible.
Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates........................7 Carolinas HealthCare System.............................................15 Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates...................14 Flagship Healthcare Properties............................................14 LabCorp................................................................ Back Cover Novant Health........................................................................ 2 Randolph Audiology & Hearing Aid Center....................14
Patient Connie Trotter, left, hugs her chemo nurse Brooke Davis, RN
Oncology Specialists of Charlotte congratulates oncologycertified chemo nurse, Brooke Davis, RN, for her inclusion in Extraordinary Healers Vol. 11 Essay Collection, an annual book of essays written by patients expressing their outstanding experience with the care their chemo nurse delivered during treatment. Her patient, Connie Trotter, wrote an essay titled “I Thought She Was An Angel!” She describes Davis, saying, “I could also see Brooke taking time to comfort others, including family members, with just a touch or a few moments of checking in with the patient to see how they were feeling. Her soft-spoken manner relaxes patients, and they know she will do whatever she can to ease the illness.”
NATIONAL HEALTH & WELLNESS OBSERVANCES JUNE 2017 Cataract Awareness Month n Great Outdoors Month Men’s Health Month n Migraine and Headache Awareness Month Safety Month n Scleroderma Awareness Month June 3: National Trails Day June 4: National Cancer Survivors Day June 5 : World Environment Day June 11: National Children’s Day June 12-18: Men’s Health Week June 14: World Blood Donor Day June 19-21: 42nd Annual National Wellness Conference June 27: National HIV Testing Day
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Randolph Audiology & Hearing Aid Clinic TOMORROW’S TECHNOLOGY FOR TODAY’S EARS
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2701 Coltsgate Road, Suite 300 | Charlotte, North Carolina 28211 | 704-442-0222 | www.flagshiphp.com
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Mecklenburg County Medical Society
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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. Founders of: Bioethics Resource Group, Ltd., Hospitality House of Charlotte, Teen Health Connection, N.C. MedAssist, Physicians Reach Out
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