Health Professional Radio - Podcast

For Sleep Awareness Week®, Dr. Michael Breus, a board-certified clinical psychologist and also known as "The Sleep Doctor" discusses insomnia, the causes, and what some experts are calling "coronasomnia" due to the psychological effect of the pandemic on sleep. Through Merck’s "Why So Awake" program, Dr. Breus is helping adults implement lifestyle changes and encouraging them to talk to a health care professional about steps they can take to get more sleep. Dr. Michael Breus, also known as “The Sleep Doctor,” is a board-certified clinical psychologist who has been seeing and treating people struggling with sleep disorders like insomnia for more than 23 years. In working with his patients, he knows firsthand how frustrating it can be to struggle to fall asleep, or stay asleep, night after night. He’s written several books (Good Night, The Sleep Doctor’s Diet Plan and The Power of When), lectures all over the world and is often seen in the media leveraging his expertise in sleep medicine to help people understa

Suzanne Graney, Executive Director at Four Diamonds, a pediatric cancer charity, discusses the work the organization is doing to conquer childhood cancer by assisting children and their families through superior care, comprehensive support, and innovative research.  They cover 100 percent of all medical expenses related to cancer care not covered by insurance for eligible Four Diamonds children.  Since its creation in 1972, Four Diamonds has helped more than 4,000 children and families and supported a diverse platform of childhood cancer research at Penn State Children's Hospital, seeking improved treatments and cures to benefit kids around the world. Suzanne Graney has been the Executive Director of Four Diamonds since 2010. As the Executive Director, Suzanne has the opportunity to work closely as a mentor to the incredible THON students who serve on the Executive Committee each year. To her, THON is the largest display of kindness each year, and hope that their continuous partnership leads to a cu

Scott Storrer, CEO of Affinity Empowering, Inc., and Dr. Michael Tkach, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Behavioral Health Officer of Affinity Empowering, Inc., discuss the launch of the COVID Clinic™ service around the country. Affinity is partnering with retail stores nationwide, placing 20’ x 8’ full-service COVID support stations in parking lots within local communities. The sites offer rapid testing (15-minute turnaround) and gold-standard PCR testing (16-hour turnaround on average).  All of the above is coordinated through Affinity’s integrated tech platform, called Assure™, which not only lets people schedule appointments and receive test results but also allows free access to behavioral health resources designed to help individuals cope through the pandemic. Scott Storrer Chief Executive Officer.  Scott is responsible for the strategic development and expansion of the eHealth product line. A 25-year healthcare industry veteran, Scott brings a deep, diverse and innovative experience in leadi

Dr. Stephen Brannan, Chief Medical Officer at Karuna Therapeutics discusses positive data recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine from their Phase 2 EMERGENT-1 clinical trial evaluating KarXT in adults with schizophrenia. The publication builds on previously reported Phase 2 trial results in which KarXT demonstrated clinically meaningful and statistically significant improvements in treating the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia. Dr. Brannan talks about how Karuna is taking a new approach to treating schizophrenia, the disease burden of schizophrenia and the unmet need among patients for a differentiated treatment option that is safe and minimizes side effects. Dr. Brannan is a neuroscience drug development expert who has held senior positions overseeing both clinical development and medical affairs with more than 15 years of industry experience. Previously, Dr. Brannan was the Therapeutic Head of Neuroscience at Takeda and Vice President for Clinical Research and Medical Affai

Returning guest, Michael Morgan, President of Updox, a complete healthcare communication platform for in-person and virtual care, discusses the biggest challenges practices are facing when implementing a virtual care strategy, how virtual care technology can further increase workflow efficiencies, what a comprehensive virtual care strategy looks like and how to seamlessly implement one. Michael Morgan, President of Updox. With a successful track record in helping organizations use technology to transform the way healthcare is delivered, Mike has more than 25 years of healthcare leadership within software, behavioral health, and HIT organizations. Updox was named to the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies in America for the past five consecutive years. #Updox #VirtualCare

Joel Nowak, a man living with prostate cancer and the co-founder and CEO of Cancer ABCs discusses the importance of making clinical data (like the recent patient-focused publication in "Future Oncology" Online Feb 2021) available to patients and caregivers to promote informed decision-making and empower men to take charge of their health. As the co-founder and CEO of Cancer ABCs, he has a unique perspective on patient advocacy and the value of bringing resources to men living with prostate cancer. He was also uniquely involved in the publication of the patient-focused research that was published in Future Oncology. Joel T. Nowak, MA, MSW, is a cancer thriver and advocate who has been diagnosed and treated for five primary cancers, including advanced prostate cancer. He is a co-founder and CEO of Cancer ABCs, which has as its mission to facilitate tangible improvements in the lives of people who have been affected by cancer(s), by providing them and their loved ones the necessary survival tools, education, sup

Andria Aird, Pharmacist-owner at Blooms The Chemist Port Coogee and Blooms The Chemist Joondalup, talks to Health Professional Radio about the impact of sleep deprivation and sleep apnoea on Australians ahead of World Sleep Day (March 19th). Alarming statistics about the physical and mental impact of poor sleep are on the agenda this World Sleep Day as Australia’s leading community pharmacy group, Blooms The Chemist, aims for a national Wakeup Call record, shining the spotlight on the dangers of leaving sleep issues such as sleep apnoea unchecked. According to The Sleep Health Foundation (2021), sleep issues are on the rise following high levels of disruption to our lives brought on by the change in lifestyle patterns due to COVID-19.Poor sleep hygiene affects our immunity which is vitally important during this time. Take the online sleep quiz here Andria Aird has spent her entire career working in pharmacy and is passionate about delivering high-quality personal service and care. Joining Blooms The Chemist i

Dr. Janelle Sabo, Global Therapeutics Platform Leader at Eli Lilly & Company discusses COVID-19 monoclonal antibody treatments and how if given within 10 days of symptoms appearing can decrease the risk of hospitalization and/or disease progression in appropriate patients and having a plan of action should a high-risk individual test positive. Dr. Janelle A. Sabo, PharmD, RPh, MBA is a recognized leader in drug development, clinical research and product delivery. Her unique background has driven a strong patient focus and desire to find innovative ways to deliver faster new therapies to patients and the global medical community. Janelle is a senior leader at Eli Lilly and Company enabling drug development and commercialization. Additionally, Dr. Sabo currently leads the global Covid-19 Therapeutics Platform. Janelle has extensive drug development experience including leading, portfolio management, and project management organizations. She also has held senior leadership roles in clinical research, global

Jamie Milas, Vice President of Marketing at Medical Microinstruments S.p.A. (MMI), an Italian startup robotics company, discusses their robotic system for microsurgery. Combining proprietary innovations including the world’s smallest wristed microinstruments as well as tremor-reducing and motion-scaling technologies, MMI’s Symani® Surgical System enables surgeons to scale down movement to enhance microsurgical procedures while expanding the field of supermicrosurgery. Ms. Milas is a marketing professional who has lived and worked in the United States, Belgium, France, and Italy. Her career has evolved around several strategic marketing roles, primarily in diagnostic imaging, 3D surgical planning software, and patient-specific implants/instruments. She served as the Global Marketing Manager at Materialise for 8 years before becoming Vice President of Global Marketing at EOS imaging where she continued to lead a team of marketing professionals and product managers. Jamie holds a Bachelor of Science and an MBA i

Marie E. Lamont, President and Chief Operating Officer at Inteliquet™, a leader in clinical trial matching, discusses the impact COVID has had on clinical trials and how companies have leveraged advanced technology tools to further research, improve patient recruitment, and use AI and Machine Learning to recognize behaviors and patterns to constantly improve on the data collection process overall. Marie E. Lamont is responsible for the overall vision and operations of Inteliquet. With the goal of providing patients and physicians access to the latest and best treatment options and care available, she helps commercialize Inteliquet’s offerings of intelligent technology, insights, and services to improve the clinical trial process, research, and translational medicine. With more than 25 years as a global biotech leader, Marie has significant commercial and operational expertise. She has held senior leadership positions in many areas focusing on corporate strategic planning and analytics, commercial operations,

Returning guest, Dr. Neal Shore, MD, FACS, Medical Director for the Carolina Urologic Research Center discusses the importance of patient-centric treatment decision-making and the publication of an easy-to-understand summary of important clinical trial data in "Future Oncology", a leading medical journal (Online Feb 2021). Neal D. Shore, MD, FACS, is the Medical Director for the Carolina Urologic Research Center. He practices with Atlantic Urology Clinics in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Dr. Shore has conducted more than 350 clinical trials, focusing mainly on genitourinary oncology, and serves on the executive boards of the Society of Urologic Oncology and the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. He is Past President of the Large Urology Group Practice Association. He is a founder for both CUSP Clinical Trials Consortium and DASHKO, a national urology practice data registry. He serves as the National Urology Research Director for 21st Century Oncology. He has served on the AUA Male Health Committee and the AUA D

Josh Swider, CEO of Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs discusses the anticipated expansion of the hemp and cannabis industries and the new guidelines to regulate the same.  He talks about a trend called "lab shopping" where cultivators are taking samples of their product to multiple labs with questionable practices to obtain the highest potency results and how this is creating an uneven playing field for labs that are operating in compliance Josh Swider, CEO of Infinite Chemical Analysis Labs. Josh began his career in chemistry at Eastern Washington University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science and Chemistry degrees in physics and biology in 2012. His quest for a deeper understanding of the science led him to be accepted into the joint doctoral program at the University of California, San Diego and San Diego State University, where he earned his master’s degree in analytical chemistry in 2015 and his PhD in 2017.  Throughout his college career, Josh became interested in the medicinal benefits of

Gyula Kangiszar, President, RotChrom Technologies North America, developers of the first industrial-scale Centrifugal Partition Chromatography (CPC) technology platform, discusses the partnership with Cyclolab Cyclodextrin Research and Development Laboratory Ltd. ("Cyclolab") aimed at developing a more efficient and cost-effective process to purify Remdesivir, a direct-acting antiviral agent approved in countries around the world to treat patients with severe cases of COVID-19. Gyula Kangiszar, President RotaChrom Technologies North America. Gyula is a seasoned strategy and innovation consultant with over 25 years of international experience working for Deloitte, Accenture, Microsoft and EY. He advised leading corporations on a wide range of topics from market strategy through purposeful transformation to operations improvement. Gyula started his career by co-founding and successfully growing a software development company. As the leader of RotaChrom’s North American subsidiary, Gyula is responsible for scali

Mary Lou Ballweg, President and Executive Director of the Endometriosis Association and founder of Endometriosis Awareness Month in March discusses the endometriosis diagnosis journey, the mission behind the Alliance for Endometriosis. and the importance of encouraging open and productive conversations about endometriosis Mary Lou Ballweg is President and Executive Director of the Endometriosis Association, an organization she co-founded in 1980 after being bedridden with endometriosis and related illnesses. The non-profit organization provides support and information for families affected by endometriosis, educates the public and medical community about the disease, and promotes and conducts research. The Endometriosis Association was the first organization in the world to address the support and education needs of women with endometriosis (endo) and to carry out ongoing research. It maintains its international headquarters in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.A. The Association has affiliates, memb

Jakob Dahlberg, CEO and co-founder at Joint Academy discusses a research study published in "JAMA Network Open" (Feb 23, 2021) that found clinically important improvements of treating knee osteoarthritis digitally rather than the traditional treatment, making it a superior treatment option with the potential to save insurance companies and their patients the costs and risks of joint surgeries. Jakob Dahlberg is an award-winning entrepreneur and the CEO and co-founder of Joint Academy, the virtual clinic that offers evidence-based online treatment for chronic joint pain. Jakob studied computer science when he dropped out to instead launch Joint Academy at the age of 23. Since then, Joint Academy has revolutionized chronic joint pain treatment and treated 40 000 patients as the company has skyrocketed to become the market leader in Sweden. Joint Academy has raised $30 million in venture capital by the likes of Kinnevik under Jakob’s leadership, as the company is growing into the European and US markets. Jakob

Dr. Samuel Lederman, obstetrician, gynecologist, and a founding member of Palm Beach Obstetrics & Gynecology discusses the positive results from the Phase 3 pivotal SKYLIGHT 1™ and SKYLIGHT 2™ clinical trials for fezolinetant, an investigational oral, nonhormonal compound that was studied for the treatment of moderate to severe vasomotor symptoms (VMS), also known as hot flashes, associated with menopause. Dr. Samuel Lederman, obstetrician and gynecologist, is the founding member of Palm Beach Obstetrics & Gynecology, the most innovative practice in Palm Beach County, with three locations to serve women throughout their entire life cycle.A south Florida native, Dr. Lederman began practicing obstetrics and gynecology in 1991. In 2001, he established Palm Beach Obstetrics & Gynecology. Dr. Lederman began his education in a field unrelated to medicine, obtaining a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science from Duke University in 1983. He then attended medical school at the University of Miami Miller Sch

James Sapirstein, President and CEO of AzurRX BioPharma, Inc., a developer of targeted therapies for gastrointestinal (GI) diseases, discusses the continuing need for therapeutics to treat COVID-19, how SARS-CoV-2 can remain trapped in the GI system, the "long-haul" phenomenon,and FW-1022, the drug they are developing for COVID GI infections. They anticipate a Phase 2 trial in the first half of 2021. Mr. Sapirstein, who most recently served as chief executive officer and board member for ContraVir Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (now known as Hepion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASADQ: HEPA)), has nearly 36 years of pharmaceutical industry experience spanning areas such as drug development and commercialization. In particular, Mr. Sapirstein has participated in 23 product launches, six of which were global launches that he led. He is also credited with leading numerous business development transactions over the course of his career. Prior to ContraVir, Mr. Sapirstein was chief executive officer of Alliqua Therapeutics, ser

Dr. Jennifer Johnston, Director, Behavioral Provider Network, Easterseals Southern California Autism Services discusses the partnership with Rafi Nova, a socially conscious lifestyle brand, to develop the Sensory-Friendly Mask, available now, that benefits children and adults with autism and other disabilities or anyone who finds wearing a conventional mask uncomfortable. A portion of each purchase will be donated to Easterseals Southern California when you use code: ESSC Jennifer Johnston is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who holds a Doctorate of Education in Organizational Leadership. For over 20 years, Dr. Johnston has partnered with community leaders to create quality Early Intervention and ABA programs for schools, provide consultation on behavioral services, and shape person centered public policy surrounding services for individuals with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities. Last year she was selected to serve on the California Department of Developmental Services Task

Dr. Jennifer McVige, director of the Concussion Center at the DENT Neurologic Institute in New York, and board-certified in pediatric neurology, adult and pediatric headache, and neuroimaging discusses the difference between a migraine and a bad headache, ways a teen might subvert a migraine by avoiding potential triggers, and new treatments like Theranica's Nerivio®, a prescribed therapeutic wearable worn on the upper arm for the treatment of acute migraine in patients age 12 and older. Dr. McVige is board certified in Pediatric Neurology, Adult and Pediatric Headache and Neuroimaging. She is the director of the Concussion Center at the DENT Neurologic Institute and provides care for many active and retired professional and semi-professional athletes with traumatic brain injuries. She also works with many local schools to care for injured students. Dr. McVige attended the State University of New York at Buffalo (UB) for medical school, and for a Masters degree in Behavioral Neuroscience and Psychology.

Dr. Arnold Bullock, MD, Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Distinguished Professor of Urology at Washington University School of Medicine, Siteman Cancer Center, and Barnes-Jewish Hospital discusses important information on what all men, particularly black men should know about prostate cancer, what they can do to better understand why this population of men is disproportionately affected, and about the prostate cancer screening process. He is joined by Dr. Lannis Hall, Director of Radiation Oncology, Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish St. Peters Hospital who discusses prostate cancer risk factors, signs and symptoms, and advice on how men and their loved ones can advocate for their health to ensure earlier diagnosis and treatment of the disease.