Primary Care Today

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Allergies occur when your immune system mistakes a normally harmless allergen for a dangerous invader and moves to destroy it, producing an allergic reaction. What exactly causes this response, and what are the best treatments to combat it? Host Brian McDonough chats with Dr. Avery August, Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine, about his research regarding how allergens affect the immune system.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Every year, 1 in 6 Americans get sick from eating contaminated food. USDA Food Safety expert Sarah Lichtman joins host Dr. Brian McDonough to discuss ways to safely handle food, prevent food poisoning, and minimize risk of foodborne illnesses.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Millennials report higher incidence and prevalence rates of depression than any previous generation. Why is this, and what can be done to help these patients? Host Brian McDonough speaks with Dr. John Huber, Chairman for Mainstream Mental Health, about the reasons why millennials are struggling with depression and anxiety, and tips for helping these patients handle the unique stressors in life they are facing.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Guest: Signe Whitson What is passive-aggressive behavior, and what can (or should) people do when confronted with it? Host Brian McDonough sits down with Signe Whitson, author of the book The Angry Smile: The New Psychological Study of Passive-Aggressive Behavior at Home, at School, in Marriage & Close Relationships, in the Workplace and Online. Ms. Whitson is an educator on bullying, crisis intervention, and child and adolescent emotional and behavioral health. She offers real-world examples and empowering, practical strategies for individuals confronted with passive aggressiveness.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Cigarette smoking is one of the leading cause of preventable death in North America, an unfortunate statistic that is rapidly replicating across the rest of the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) predicts based on current trends that cigarette smoking will kill a billion people this century. But what can be done to reverse this trend? Host Brian McDonough talks with David Sweanor, Adjunct Professor of Law, and Chair of the advisory committee for the Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics, at the University of Ottawa. Mr. Sweanor has been spearheading efforts to reduce cigarette smoking nationally and globally.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Guest: Allison Willis, MD More men than women are diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease by almost a 2 to 1 margin. However, women receive supportive surgery less often than men, and their symptoms are more severe on average by the time surgical options are taken. Host Brian McDonough chats with Dr. Allison Willis, Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, about gender differences in diagnosing and managing Parkinson's Disease.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP The Mediterranean Diet, rich in plant-based foods, is associated with a variety of health benefits, including a lower incidence of dementia. Extra-virgin olive oil, a specific ingredient used abundantly in this diet, is now speculated to help protect people against cognitive decline. Host Brian McDonough talks with Domenico Pratico, Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Microbiology at the Center for Translational Medicine at the Louis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, about how consumption of olive oil can preserve memory and cognitive ability and potentially reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer's Disease.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Vegetative state is commonly defined as "wakefulness with awareness." Patients with a vegetative state diagnosis will show only reflex behavior, are not able to follow commands and are unable to communicate. This barrier in the inability for patients to communicate can make it difficult for doctors to measure their level of consciousness. In fact, some patients who are believed to be in a completely vegetative state may be more aware of what's going on than people realize. Host Brian McDonough joins Dr. Adrian Owen, Canada Excellence Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging at the Brain and Mind Institute at Western University. They talk about how the use of MRI technology is aiding doctors in measuring the level of consciousness in patients under vegetative states.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Recently, Millennials (those born after 1980) have become the largest generation in the U.S. workforce and are also the fastest-growing population of customers in the marketplace. By extension this makes them a dominant player in the health care field, both as patients and providers. But Millennials exhibit different attitudes toward employment, consumerism, health, and wellness compared to previous generations, with greater emphasis on social responsibility. This challenges conventional thinking on workforce management and customer/patient engagement. Dr. Brian McDonough sits down with Brian Peavey, CEO of real estate company Profitshare, about the shifting paradigm toward social responsibility in Millennials.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Interoperability refers to the capacity for computer systems and software to exchange information and interpret that shared data. The ability for machines to communicate efficiently within healthcare systems offers a myriad of vital benefits to patients and providers. For instance, as data becomes more mobile, personal health information entered by clinicians can begin to reach patients wherever they are and whenever they need it. Dr. Brian McDonough sits down with Brendan McCorkle, CEO and Founder of CloudMine, to discuss his perspectives on the importance of health care systems interoperability and how to implement it successfully.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Could constant cell phone use be damaging children's brains? Host Dr. Brian McDonough chats with Daniel Debaun, author of Radiation Nation: The Fallout of Modern Technology," about how electromagnetic frequency (EMF) radiation produced by modern technology such as cell phones, tablets, laptops, Wi-Fi, and smart meters may be emerging as a health threat with many unknown consequences.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Guest: Katherine Schneider, MD What does MACRA mean to the clinical practice environment, and how will it impact your own practice? Dr. Katherine Schneider, President and CEO of the Delaware Valley Accountable Care Organization, discusses how MACRA is affecting physician practices. Host Dr. Brian McDonough joins her to outline what physicians can do to prepare for the changing landscape of payment through Medicare.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP It's widely known that genetics, family history, race, and other factors all play important roles in cancer risk. But what kinds of roles do they play, specifically, and how can we leverage these understandings into better primary care? Dr. Brian McDonough is joined by Dr. Maureen Murphy, research scientist at the Wistar Institute at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Murphy has spent the past twenty years studying how genes affect breast cancer risk in women, particularly for African American populations. She discusses her findings on the discovery of p53 protein variants and how this advances the role for precision medicine in treating breast cancer.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Guest: Annalisa Scimemi Hemorrhagic strokes account for about 200,000 strokes per year. Of those who survive, about 66 percent suffer some permanent brain damage. Our guest, biophysicist Dr. Annalisa Scimemi, has been studying the receptors in the brain that may contribute to brain damage immediately after hemorrhagic stroke. Alongside host Dr. Brian McDonough, she will discuss how to lessen the effects of brain damage following a stroke.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Guest: Michel Pascal Most of us struggle to be productive during the workday due to daily stress. The task of decluttering our minds proves challenging. On this segment, Michel Pascal, author of the book Meditation for Daily Stress: 10 Practices for Immediate Well-being, speaks with host Dr. Brian McDonough about ways to achieve calmness and improve productivity in our daily lives. He provides meditation techniques that reduce stress, de-clutter minds, and help one to discover inner peace.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Guest: Howard Spiva Wearing a helmet is an overlooked but critical safety precaution, particularly among children. Attorney Howard Spiva knows the lifelong struggle of individuals recovering from traumatic brain injuries, having devoting much of his career to providing helmet safety education for children. Joined by host Brian McDonough, Mr. Spiva discusses important details about helmet safety, the current status of helmet laws, and continuing efforts to reduce traumatic brain injuries nationwide.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Host Dr. Brian McDonough chats with Jennifer Singleterry, Senior Analyst of Policy and Legislative Support for the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network, about the organization's new report revealing monetary burdens for cancer patients.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Several new screening tests have been developed to help doctors find colorectal cancer early when it's most treatable and can reduce the burden of this disease and the death toll nationwide. Host Dr. Matt Birnholz chats with Dr. John Kisiel, gastroenterologist and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, about new screening guidelines for detecting colorectal cancer.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Host Dr. Brian McDonough chats with Dr. John Barrasso, US Senator from Wyoming and former orthopedic surgeon, about the current state of health care policy as seen from the senate floor.

Host: Brian P. McDonough, MD, FAAFP Host Brian McDonough talks with Dr. Joel Nitzkin, preventive medicine physician and senior fellow in tobacco policy for the R Street Institute. The two discuss their respective priorities for reducing tobacco-attributable illnesses and death.