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Recovering from surgery can be difficult —  and opioids actually make it tougher. In addition to side effects such as nausea, lethargy and potential breathing problems, this potent painkiller also carries the risk of addiction for about 3 to 4 percent of surgical patients. That number climbs to about 8 percent for bariatric surgery patients because they may also be battling joint pain stemming from their weight issues. On this episode of the podcast, two bariatric surgeons share how they are limiting, and in some cases even eliminating all together, the use of opioids during a patient's stay in the hospital and after discharge through their "enhanced recovery" initiative. They are: Dominick Gadaleta, MD, chair of surgery, South Shore University Hospital David Pechman, MD, bariatric surgeon, South Shore University Hospital And they’re joined by an expert in substance use disorder: Sandeep Kapoor, MD, assistant vice president of Emergency Medicine Addiction Services.

It sounds like science fiction, but researchers today are unlocking the body's natural healing ability as part of an emerging field of science called regenerative medicine. Although the field is relatively young, some regenerative treatments are already approved to help repair joints and relieve pain, allowing some patients to avoid surgery altogether. Two leaders in the field detail their research into current and future clinical applications within orthopedics.  Kenneth Zaslav, MD, is director of The Center for Regenerative Orthopedic Medicine at Northwell/ and part of the Lenox Hill Orthopedic Institute  Seth Sherman, MD, is a sports medicine and orthopaedic surgeon at Stanford Health Care.  Learn more about Northwell Health's Center for Regenerative Medicine.   

Medical research often depends upon the generosity of donors: In this episode we talk to philanthropy experts about the role of donations in driving medical breakthroughs and achieving health equity across all zip codes. The panel includes: Brian Lally, senior vice president and chief development officer for Northwell Health and head of Northwell's Foundation. Mark Butler, PhD, assistant professor in the Institute of Health System Science, part of the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. He is leading a study using smart prescription pill bottles to help address medication adherence and reduce cardiovascular disease in the Black community. Emmet Conlon, senior vice president and group head of U.S. Healthcare and Higher Education at TD Bank, which funded Dr. Butler’s clinical trial. Support our nonprofit mission and save lives. Your generous gift will allow our clinical teams to remain at the forefront of care for people in our communities.

An estimated 38,000 Americans are diagnosed with HIV annually. An important tool in the effort to end the ongoing epidemic is an injectable form of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), the first option to prevent HIV that does not involve taking a daily pill. The injectable form of the drug received FDA approval in late 2021 and has begun to hit the market. This is Part 2 of our conversation (Recorded May 16, 2022) with a panel of experts specializing in the HIV treatment and prevention. They discuss the benefits and what people at risk for HIV should know, challenges of implementation among providers and more.  The panel includes:  David Rosenthal, DO, PhD, medical director for the Center for Young Adult, Adolescent and Pediatric HIV. Demetre Daskalakis, MD, director of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Charles Gonzalez, MD, medical director for the New York State Department of Health's AIDS Institute More from the experts Dr. Rosenthal talks strengthening HIV prevention with PrEP and expanding the four key strategies to end AIDS by 2030.

In recent months, more states have debated and even passed legislation that limits how health care is delivered to transgender individuals. In the last year alone, more than 20 such bills have been enacted nationwide. In Part 1 of this two-part episode (recorded May 16, 2022), we take a closer look at the impact these laws are having on transgender care with a panel of experts at the local, state and federal level. In part 2 (posting June 28) our experts discuss PrEP injectables, the newest treatment and prevention modality for HIV. Joining us for this panel discussion are:  David Rosenthal, DO, PhD, medical director for Northwell’s Center for Transgender Care; as well as medical director for the Center for Young Adult, Adolescent and Pediatric HIV.  Demetre Daskalakis, MD, director of the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention (DHAP) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Charles Gonzalez, MD, medical director for the New York State Department of Health's AIDS Institute More from the experts Dr. Rosenthal shares his perspective as a physician treating transgender individuals on care being politicized and how health care can help.   

The overuse of opioids in health care over the last two decades has had devastating effects. The development of the ultrasound-guided nerve block has revolutionized the field of anesthesia and is part of an important and necessary shift in the conversation about how we manage pain. Not only championing its use in the surgical setting, Joseph Marino, MD, Northwell’s senior vice president for anesthesia, is now expanding its use to emergency departments in Staten Island, Westchester and Long Island. The team responsible for implementing this approach at Staten Island University Hospital share their experiences using the femoral nerve block for certain painful ailments, like hip fractures. They include:  Joshua Greenstein, MD, Assistant Medical Director, Department of Emergency Medicine Maria Tama, MD, co-director, division of emergency ultrasound in the hospital’s Department of Emergency Medicine Simone Rudnin, DO, co-director, division of emergency ultrasound, Department of Emergency Medicine and director, emergency medicine clerkship

On this episode of the podcast, we speak with two Northwell leaders who have led the effort to create and deploy a 24/7 consultation and support service to Ukraine. This real-time, doctor-to-doctor platform is now offering health care workers a vital resource, particularly for those displaced by the ongoing hostilities in the country. Eric Cioe-Pena, MD, director of Northwell's Center for Global Health, and Jonathan Berkowitz, MD, medical director for the Center for Emergency Medicine, discuss: Northwell's Ukraine Relief Fund The benefits of telemedicine in a conflict Adapting existing infrastructure for Ukraine Reactions from doctors in Ukraine and Northwell How technology is driving Global Health forward Support the Center for Global Health's Ukraine Relief Fund More from the experts Read more about standing up a telemedicine system in Ukraine from Dr. Cioe-Pena and Dr. Berkowitz. Listen to Dr. Berkowitz talk more about the overnight telemedicine platform, ER on Demand, which he helped to launch in summer 2021.  Watch episodes of this health podcast on YouTube.  

For the millions of US patients who go to an ER or medical office with chest pain every year, doctors have several options for screening. New national guidelines recommend a quick and non-invasive heart scan known as CCTA for stable chest pain. Our guests today are leading experts in the field of advanced cardiac imaging and discuss the history and many applications of this technology, which produces a 3D image of the heart and can be used to rule out several potentially deadly conditions. The updated guidelines come from the American College of Cardiology (ACC), American Heart Association (AHA), and other groups. Meet the experts Amar Shah, MD, is Northwell's chief of cardiac imaging Michael Poon, MD is director of advanced cardiac imaging, for Northwell's Western Region.

Jaw-in-a-Day accomplishes in one surgery and one day what used to take three surgeries or more. Prior to this revolutionary procedure, the process to get dental implants could take months, or even years, forcing patients to live without teeth. Using virtual surgical planning, a team of doctors can not only pre-fabricate teeth to implant on the day of surgery, they can improve the accuracy and efficiency of this difficult process. On this episode of 20-Minute Health Talk, we speak with the pioneers of Jaw-in-a-Day: David Hirsch, MD, DDS, FACS, senior vice president of the dental medicine service line for Northwell Health, and chair of the newly established Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital. Lawrence Brecht, DDS, a specialist in maxillofacial prosthetics They discuss how this new approach to jaw surgery came to be, evolving the technology behind it over that last 10 years, and expanding access.

Diagnosing a disease usually requires a test or blood sample. But for women with endometriosis, diagnosis requires an invasive surgery. For April Summerford, a 36-year-old from Fresno California, that surgery actually worsened her disease. Wanting to do her part, she joined the ROSE study, which stands for Research OutSmarts Endometriosis. Led by Christine Metz, PhD, and Peter Gregersen, MD, the ROSE research team has spent the last seven years trying to find better treatments and less invasive ways to detect endometriosis.   Dr. Metz and Dr. Gregersen join April to discuss her decade-long battle, the ROSE study's innovative approaches to studying endometriosis, the medical gaslighting patients often face, and the problem of gender bias in research funding.   Podcast transcript   Watch episodes of this health podcast on YouTube.    Meet our guests Dr. Christine Metz is co-director of the study and a professor in the Institute of Molecular Medicine at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. Dr. Peter Gregersen is also co-director of the ROSE study, and director of the Feinstein’s Robert S. Boas Center for Genomics and Human Genetics. April Summerford, is an endometriosis patient and ROSE study participant, who also runs the popular support group, Beyond Endo; AND hosts the FemFuture podcast, which covers women’s health.

There are only 73 lung transplant centers in the United States and, until recently, none on Long Island. As a result, many have fought an uphill battle waiting for transplant, including Lindsay Salguero-Lopez, 40. In late January, end-stage heart and lung failure left her near death, with transplant as the only treatment that could save her life. Fortunately, Northwell had just launched its program days prior. Even more fortunate, donor organs became available just three days later and in the early morning hours of February 5, Lindsay became the first person to receive a lung transplant on Long Island. Register to be an organ donor. On this special episode of 20-Minute Health Talk, listen to the delicate and life-giving sounds of Lindsay's landmark surgery, and hear from the medical team who saved her life. They include: Aldo Iacono, MD, medical director of advanced lung failure and lung transplantation Zachary Kon, MD, Northwell’s surgical director of advanced heart failure and cardiac transplantation, as well as advanced lung failure and lung transplantation and Paul Trevlos, AVP of cardiothoracic surgery and the administrative lead for Northwell's lung transplant program. Chapters: 00:44 - Lindsay in crisis  01:06 - Waiting for transplant 02:07 - Preparing for surgery 03:26 - Moving to the OR 03:39 - Donor organs arrive 05:24 - Implantation time 06:05 - A shock to the heart 06:43 - Long Island's first lung transplant 07:34 - An urgent need for lung transplant 08:38 - Panel discussion intro 09:21 - Returning to life after transplant 10:08 - Post-operative care 11:31 - Building a world-class program 12:55 - History of lung transplant (and heart-lung) 14:26 - Recovery from lung transplant 16:39 - Ways lung transplant programs start 17:25 - Rounding out transplant services 19:35 - Innovation in lung transplant 21:12 - Novel immunosuppression

Millions of Americans live 30 miles or more from the nearest hospital. Not just an inconvenience, this access issue known as “care deserts” affects a shocking 80 percent of counties in the United States and can exist in both rural and urban areas. A scarcity of medical resources, however, does not have to doom the health of entire communities, says Onisis Stefas, PharmD, Northwell’s chief pharmacy officer and CEO at Vivo Health Pharmacy. He joins Alex Hellinger, DPT, MBA, FACHE, Northwell's senior vice president and regional executive director for the Brooklyn region, who shares his experiences working to fill the care desert in lower Manhattan's west side following the closing of St. Vincent's in 2010. Then the executive director of Lenox Health Greenwich Village, he and Dr. Stefas talk types of care deserts, re-imagining what care looks like, the role pharmacists can play, and what to do if you live in a care desert. Chapters: 00:54 - Care deserts: types and causes 01:54 - Physician shortages 02:37 - Hospital closures and finances 03:35 - Pharmacy deserts 04:48 - Rural vs. urban 08:15 - Rethinking health care 09:15 - An equitable approach 12:46 - A snowball effect 14:38 - Helping Brooklyn 15:32 - Covid-19's impact 18:29 - Transforming medical deserts    

Researchers have identified more than 200 symptoms associated with the long-term effects of Covid-19, but much remains unknown. Peter Silver, MD and Sonali Narain, MD shed light on some of the mysteries that surround long Covid, also known as post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC). They offer context to the current state of the disease and actions being taken by the medical and research communities to combat and better understand it. Meet the experts Peter Silver, MD is the Chief Quality Officer at Northwell Health. He is responsible for system-wide initiatives in care quality and patient safety. Sonali Narain, MD is a Director of the Scleroderma and Raynaud Treatment Center and the Epidemiology division of Rheumatology. She is also an assistant professor at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research and Director of the Northwell Health CARES Learning Collaborative. The CARES program is model designed to increase patient access across treatment areas and amplify a patient-centered experience. 

A group of medical professionals arrived in Guyana this week to deliver care, exchange knowledge and develop a plan to support the more remote areas of the South American country. This work is part of a five-year medical partnership between the Ministry of Health of Guyana and Northwell Health, through its Center for Global Health (CGH). Daniel Leon is among those who traveled 2,500-plus miles for the three-week trip. He shares his experiences and connection to Guyana, as well as his passion for global health and the critical role the CGH plays. Also joining the show is Launette Woolforde, EdP, DNP, chief nursing officer for the Northwell's Western Region, who was part of the CGH's prior trip to Guyana in November 2021. Born and raised in Guyana, the chief nursing officer for Northwell Health's Western Region explains the benefits of clinicians broadening cross-cultural understanding, particularly for the communities of Little Guyana in Queens, as well as surrounding neighborhoods that makeup the fifth largest immigrant population in New York City. Donations to the Center for Global Health will benefit Northwell's Ukraine relief fund. Chapters: 01:08 - Daniel Leon on returning to Guyana 02:09 - EMS in a rough terrain 03:07 - Medical education in a tropical climate 03:57 - A deep connection 05:20 - Building a partnership 06:49 - A focus on mental health 07:39 - How to support global health efforts 08:56 - Launette Woolforde on nursing collaboration 10:45 - Mutual benefit 12:25 - Tropical medicine 13:46 - Local is global in Little Guyana 15:43 - Value for medical students 18:05 - A selfless cause Watch episodes of 20-Minute Health Talk on YouTube.   

With the goal of cutting cancer deaths in half by 2047, the White House's Cancer Moonshot initiative is pumping $1.8 billion into cancer research over the next seven years. Achieving this goal, however, will require clearing research hurdles — including the lack of diversity in clinical trials, say Richard Barakat, MD, and David Tuveson, MD, PhD. They discuss the exciting research being funded by the Moonshot initiative, describe efforts to improve and diversify clinical trial recruitment, and explain the fruitful collaboration between Northwell Health and Cold Spring Harbor. Chapters: 01:33 - What is the Cancer Moonshot? 02:16 - Replicating success, speed of Covid-19 vaccine development 03:46 - Allocating funds 06:41 - The pre-neoplasia project 09:48 - Pushing for greater access 11:23 - Cancer disparities, outcomes 12:55 - Community outreach is critical 14:25 - Commitment to cancer research 16:26 - Practice changing, paradigm shifting, policy making 19:30 - Can we cut mortality by 50 percent?  Meet the experts Richard Barakat, MD, Physician-in-Chief and Director of Cancer, Northwell Cancer Institute David Tuveson, MD, PhD, Professor, Director, Cancer Center, Cold Spring Harbor Watch episodes of 20-Minute Health Talk on YouTube.

This Valentine’s Day we're celebrating a love for science and a special bond between two scientists. Kim Simpfendorfer, PhD, and Michael Ryan built a relationship while pursuing a career at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research. They also discuss their experience of going through in-vitro fertilization, pregnancy, and the crucial role the Covid vaccine played in building their family. Sarah Pachtman, MD, a maternal/fetal medicine doctor explains what other couples should know about IVF and how partners can provide support.

Demand for mental health services for children has once again accelerated as the latest Covid-19 surge impacts daily life. Lack of resources in the community have resulted in delays in care for children experiencing anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation. Vera Feuer, MD, talks about the challenge of expanding mental health care access, and how health systems can partner with school districts to bridge that gap. She shares the success of the Northwell School Mental Health Partnership, which contracts with 30 school districts in Nassau and Suffolk counties, to bring mental health care services directly to the places where kids and families revolve. This has resulted in a significant reduction, she says, in schools referring students to the emergency department, as well as increasing rates of follow up care. Meet the expert: Vera Feuer, MD, is AVP for School Mental Health for Northwell Health's Behavioral Health service line. She is also the Director for Pediatric Emergency Psychiatry and Behavioral Health Urgent Care, part of Cohen Children's Medical Center; and Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Chapters: 00:42 - Omicron and kids mental health 01:38 - Treating kids, supporting parents 03:25 - Partnering with schools 06:23 - Stress and anxiety in kids 07:31 - Mental health access 08:13 - Different ages, different needs 08:42 - Behavioral disorders in children 09:42 - Behavioral problems in teenagers 10:03 - Eating disorders in children 10:46 - Telemedicine and timely care 12:54 - Emergency mental health 13:52 - Removing stigma 15:41 - Modeling behaviors 17:34 - Responsive parenting 18:32 - Long-term impacts

Kicking off Heart Health Month in February, we sat down with Stacey Rosen, MD, and Jennifer Mieres, MD, two leading experts and patient advocates in the field of cardiovascular disease in women. They highlight the importance of partnering with your doctor — as well as family, friends and colleagues — to identify and maintain heart healthy habits. They discuss the impact of access issues in health care and the history of bias in sex and gender research, and the work they are doing to change that through the Katz Institute for Women's Health and Center for Equity of Care. During Heart Health Month, Katz is hosting several events, starting with its Go Red for Women Celebration on National Wear Red Day Feb. 4 at 12 p.m.  Both Dr. Rosen and Dr. Mieres are spokeswomen for the American Heart Association, and co-authors of the new book, "Heart Smarter for Women," due to be released in March 2022. In it, they outline the barriers to heart health and simple steps every woman can take to start their journey. Meet our guests: Stacey Rosen, MD, Senior Vice President, Women's Health, Katz Institute for Women’s Health. Jennifer Mieres, MD, Senior Vice President, Center for Equity of Care at Northwell. Chapters: 01:23 - Sex and gender research bias 02:33 - Not a man's disease 03:22 - Risk factors for women 04:46 - Symptoms for women 06:!0 - Stress and heart disease 08:57 - Ten percent happier challenge 09:32 - The science of stress 10:12 - Power in partnerships 11:53 - Go Red - What we've learned 12:42 - Pregnancy and heart disease 13:32 - Equity in healthcare 15:30 - Improving access 16:24 - Customizing care 17:10 - Covid-19 and social determinants of health 18:14 - "Heart Smarter for Women" 19:24 - The human connection

In addition to Covid case counts, the need for testing has skyrocketed since the arrival of the omicron variant. With demand outpacing supply throughout most of December and January, labs nation wide have struggled to keep up. Dwayne Breining, MD, executive director of Northwell Health Labs, shares how his team was able to double their testing capacity using a new technology called LabGold. He explores how this highly reliable, low-cost testing platform — capable of processing up to 100,000 specimens per day — could help labs across the country quickly scale when facing a public health crisis like Covid-19. Chapters 01:37 - Doubling Covid testing capacity 02:47 - Distinguishing omicron from delta 03:57 - Expanding access to Covid testing 06:24 - Developing "LabGold" 07:42 - A self-swab PCR test 09:55 - A new, scalable Covid test  11:42 - A national strategy 15:11 - Omicron's long tail 16:30 - Testing in pro sports

Charles Schleien, MD, describes the effect the omicron variant has had on children amid the recent surge of Covid-19 cases and hospitalizations. In addition, Dwayne Breining, MD, joins the podcast to answer common questions about Covid-19 testing. Meet the experts: Dr. Schleien is senior vice president and chair of pediatric services at Northwell Health and chair of pediatrics at the Barbara & Donald Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Dr. Breining is executive director of Northwell Health Labs and Pathology Chapters: 00:38 - Covid-19 antigen test vs PCR test 02:47 - What to do if exposed to Covid-19 03:58 - Testing for variants 04:32 - Using a Covid-19 at home test 05:00 - False negative rapid covid test 05:50 - Covid-19 at home test recommendations 06:21 - Omicron's impact on testing 07:41 - How omicron impacts kids 10:01 - Hospitalizations 11:10 - Omicron on Long Island 13:24 - Pediatric vaccination rates 15:28 - Kids and long covid 16:51 - Protective measures for kids, families