Margaret Traub is Head of Global Initiatives for International Medical Corps, the Los Angeles-based humanitarian organization that since 1984 has delivered more than $3.9 billion in healthcare relief and training in conflict and disaster zones in 80 countries. As a member of International Medical Corps’ Emergency Response Team, Traub travels extensively to field programs around the world - including to Syria, Lebanon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the Philippines, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Haiti – to assist and to advocate for those affected by crisis. Prior to joining International Medical Corps in 2005, Traub spent 17 years in print and broadcast journalism. From 2000 to 2004, she was an Executive Producer at CNN, overseeing show coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the September 11th terrorist attacks, and the 2000 presidential election. Host Mike Sacopulos and Margaret Traub discuss the mission of International Medical Corps and the current needs in Ukraine and other disaster zones, how a physician can evaluate whether he or she is a good candidate for this type of work, the physical capabilities needed, and how physicians can support the humanitarian relief via financial donations or in consideration of a physician’s estate planning.https://internationalmedicalcorps.org/Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.orghttps://doi.org/10.55834/sp.3180310242

Jennifer O’Brien, MSOD, has been a management consultant to physicians, served as CEO for large medical practices, and held administrative positions in academic medical centers. She describes the duties of CEO in the same category of duties for “Caregiver.” The art journal she kept as a form selfcare during her late husband's 22-month illness, was published as, The Hospice Doctor's Widow: A Journal. Jennifer educates physicians, nurses and allied health professionals about the role of family caregivers and the importance of end-of-life preparations for their own wellbeing and agency.Host Mike Sacopulos and Jennifer O’Brien discuss the staggering statistics on family caregivers, the time involved with caregiving, the importance of wills and preparation and the transition of caregiver to griever.Jennifer O’Brien also discusses a range of resources available for caregivers.https://www.hospicedrswidow.com/resources   Free and downloadable tool kit – At-Peace Tool Kit:  A Guide to Being @Peace with the End-of-Life.@DrsWidowhttps://instagram.com/hospicedoctorswidowLearn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.orghttps://doi.org/10.55834/sp.4999616704

Incoming FDA Commissioner, Dr. Robert Califf recently announced his concern about how social media magnifies and disseminates false information about science.Covering this topic, our SoundPractice guest today is author, technology columnist and podcast host, Kara Swisher.  Swisher has been on the tech scene since the early 1990s.  She has written for the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post, and she started the “All Things Digital Conference” with Walt Mossberg, also from the Wall Street Journal, back in 2003.  These days, Kara Swisher is an editor-at-large for New York Media, a contributor to the New York Times, and a host of the podcasts “Sway,” and “Pivot.”This engaging episode is a tutorial for physicians on the tech landscape, the lack of accountability for tech companies, and an overview of Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act.  Host Mike Sacopulos and Kara Swisher also discuss how social media has turbo charged the anti-vax messaging putting physicians on the front lines with patients, how platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Amazon and Reddit proliferate the disinformation, and what physicians and healthcare professionals can do to help stem the false information.https://twitter.com/karaswisherLearn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.orghttps://doi.org/10.55834/sp.7159235859

Starting and owning a well-run, successful practice are two of the most rewarding activities in which a healthcare professional can engage. However, staying ahead of the curve in our ever-changing industry environment can feel burdensome and can be disheartening. The fact is that at the end of the day, clinicians are trained in their science, not in business. This can ultimately result in a costly, inefficient, trial-and-error approach to practice management. In this episode of SoundPractice, Mike Sacopulos interviews Dr. Michael Spellman.  He’s the author of the recently published, “Lucrative Practices: The Comprehensive Handbook for Healthcare Executives.” Physician leaders and practice managers would be well served to learn from Michael Spellman’s decades of experience!Written as a business reference guide for healthcare executives, office managers and professionals in independent practice, Lucrative Practices includes detailed “how to” discussions and instructions, tips, forms, templates and guides that steer professionals away from problems and toward forward moving, financially successful management practices.https://shop.physicianleaders.org/products/lucrative-practices-the-comprehensive-handbook-for-healthcare-executives)Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.orghttps://doi.org/10.55834/sp.7937035457

Jo Ivey Boufford, M.D., is Clinical Professor of Global Health at the New York University School of Global Public Health and Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at New York University School of Medicine.  She joins host Mike Sacopulos to discuss The IAP Young Physician Leaders (YPL) Program and the reasoning behind the promotion of young physician leaders around the globe. YPL was launched in 2011 and is a program in partnership with the World Health Summit, the M8 Alliance and the European School of Management and Technology (ESMT). It is supported by Tides, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin and the Bayer Foundation. https://www.interacademies.org/project/young-physician-leaders-yplhttps://www.worldhealthsummit.org/initiatives/young-physician-leaders.htmlLearn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.orghttps://doi.org/10.55834/sp.6056120449

Medicine is a mix of science and art. The art may be obscured by elegant science and spectacular use of technology, but it is there. We are seeing increased interest in the use of arts to promote health and healing.  Far from being distinct realms, art and science intertwine in unexpected ways to promote health and healing. It is this amalgam that we will explore in today’s episode of SoundPractice. We will be talking with Christopher Bailey, Art and Health Lead for the World Health Organization. The World Health Organization (WHO)  helped host a symposium at the Metropolitan Museum of Art focused upon this topic.Join us for a discussion of evidence-based use of the arts to promote health and healing and social prescribing. This is an important topic with one of the world's foremost experts.https://www.metmuseum.org/events/programs/met-speaks/healing-artsLearn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.orghttps://doi.org/10.55834/sp.9552293705

“All physicians are leaders,” said American Association of Physician Leaders CEO, Dr. Peter Angood. But leadership requires effort and training. The guest on this episode of Sound Practice is Dr. Karen Nichols, author of the recently released, “11 Skills Every Doctor Needs To Be and Effective Leader,” Dr. Nichols proves useful categories of skills and strategies to build these skills. Insightful and comprehensive, Dr. Nichols helps physicians expand their executive abilities.https://www.amazon.com/Physician-Leadership-Skills-Doctor-Effective/dp/1119817544Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.orghttps://doi.org/10.55834/sp.2205386818

At the Intersection of Technology and Healing: Trends in Medical Informatics Medical informatics is helping push the frontiers of knowledge and treatment of patients. Unimaginable data sets can be manipulated and analyzed to yield amazing results. While patient privacy and data security concerns still abound, no one can deny the benefits flowing from medical informatics. On this episode, we will speak with Dr. William (Bill) Hersh about the rise in medical informatics and the career opportunities that progress in informatics. Dr. Hersh is the Chair of the Department of Medical Informatics & Clinical Epidemiology in the School of Medicine at Oregon Health & Science University. hersh@ohsu.eduwww.billhersh.info@williamhersh Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.orghttps://doi.org/10.55834/sp.2541799935

The topic of physician-assisted death is both sensitive and complex. It involves medical ethics, state law, and religion. In this SoundPractice episode we will explore the status and facets related to physician-assisted death. Through the lens of states that permit physician-assisted suicide, veteran journalist and healthcare author Katie Engelhart guide the discussion.  Her new book, The Inevitable: Dispatches on the Right to Die was released earlier this year. This episode aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the topic with insights from Ms. Engelhart, an award-winning documentary film correspondent, a past producer at NBC News, and a foreign correspondent for VICE News. Her book, The Inevitable moves beyond margins of the law to the people who are meticulously planning their final hours—far from medical offices, legislative chambers, hospital ethics committees, and polite conversation. https://www.katieengelhart.com/ https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250201461 Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.orghttps://doi.org/10.55834/sp.2473240869

The pandemic has cast new light upon healthcare disparities. Vaccine hesitancy in minority communities has led to further discussions of infant mortality and other care disparities. On this episode of SoundPractice, we speak with Shannon Prince, PhD, JD, author of the new book, Tactics for Racial Justice:  Building an Antiracist Organization and Community.  Dr. Prince provides both disturbing statistics and practical suggestions to combat healthcare disparities. Her book is offered to SoundPractice listeners at a discount.https://www.routledge.com/Tactics-for-Racial-Justice-Building-an-Antiracist-Organization-and-Community/Prince/p/book/9780367700287, discount code FLY21.This is an important topic that directly impacts millions of Americans. You will find Dr. Prince’s idea thought provoking on this episode of SoundPractice.Shannon Prince, PhD, JDLearn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.orghttps://doi.org/10.55834/sp.8789874712

In this episode of SoundPractice, we welcome Paul A. Offit, MD.  Dr. Offit is the Director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  Dr. Offit offers a historical view on vaccinations mixed with cutting edge COVID-19 research.  He also discusses the misuse of the terms, “vaccine hesitancy,” and “breakthrough cases.”  He’s the author of the recently published new book, You Bet Your Life: From Blood Transfusions to Mass Vaccination, the Long and Risky History of Medical Innovation.  In his book he covers nine (9) medical advances that have caused us to live 30 years longer than we did 100 years ago…and the human price to pay for knowledge. Dr. Offit’s perspective is intelligent, informed, and one that needs to be heard.  His thoughts on COVID-19 will better equip you to interact with patients and the public, while functioning as a physician leader. https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/paul-a-offit-md/you-bet-your-life/9781541620391/ Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.orghttps://doi.org/10.55834/sp.3282663341

President Harry S. Truman had a sign on his desk that read,“The buck stops here.” It was his reminder that the ultimate decision-making authority rested in his office. President Truman’s sign should sit on the board of directors’ conference table in most healthcare entities.As a national expert on healthcare governance, Sara Larch is well suited to guide us through the world of selection and service of members of boards of directors. Sara Larch brings 30+ years of industry experience in large physician groups in Integrated Delivery Systems and Academic Medical Centers, and eight years at Deloitte Consulting as Managing Director and National Leader of the Physician Enterprise (PE) practice.Whether you aspire to sit on a board or already a member, this episode of SoundPractice will be valuable to you. Ms. Larch helps us understand what characteristics are looked for in potential board members. She lists questions candidates should ask before agreeing to serve. Ms. Larch walks us through new member orientation and techniques to become an effective member of the board. This episode of SoundPractice is a “how to manual for members of board of directors.Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.orghttps://doi.org/10.55834/sp.7205982415

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and this BONUS episode of SoundPractice highlights an interview with Julie Chua, PMP, CAP, CISSP, Director of Governance, Risk Management and Compliance Division of Health and Human Service’s Office of Information Security. It follows a prolonged period of ransomware attacks on healthcare systems and providers. In fact, ransomware attempts, and attacks have been so severe and pervasive as to harden the cyber insurance markets. Medical devices, emails, laptops, personal phones, fax machines interconnected with billing systems or the hospital EHR – are all risks for healthcare organizations.  Director Chua provides sources of governmental assistance and useful recommendations. She makes a strong case for cyber being included in enterprise risk management planning and why cyber safety is also patient care and patient safety. This episode offers an important briefing on a critical issue by a high-ranking federal official.Resources mentioned by Director Chua may be found at https://healthcyber.mitre.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/405d-One-Pager.pdf. Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.orghttps://doi.org/10.55834/sp.2306612057

Ken Terry is a journalist and author who has covered healthcare for over 25 years. Ken has served as technology editor of Medical Economics Magazine. His latest book is Physician-Led Healthcare Reform: A New Approach to Medicare for All, published by the American Association for Physician Leadership. Ken Terry and host, Mike Sacopulos, discuss current trends in healthcare reform, a look at the political landscape in mid-2021, and a suggested public plan that Ken published on the Health Affairs blog, “How A Public Option Could Hold Down Costs.” Whether or not the US embraces Medicare for All, cost controls will be paramount.  And only physicians know how to cut costs without sacrificing patient care.https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hblog20210622.426793Ken Terryhttps://physicianledreform.com/https://shop.physicianleaders.org/products/physician-led-healthcare-reform-a-new-approach-to-medicare-for-all Learn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.orghttps://doi.org/10.55834/sp.1352499749

Matthew K. Wynia, MD, MPH, FACP, is Director of the Center for Bioethics and Humanities at the University of Colorado.  He previously directed the AMA’s Institute on Ethics for 15 years. Given Dr. Wynia’s training in infectious diseases, public health and health services research, host Mike Sacopulos discusses a range of ethical issues in medical practice including the following: • Factors that caused our response to the COVID-19 pandemic, what happened to the playbook for pandemic response?• The ethics surrounding vaccine mandates. • The need to improve systems that impact physician practice, not the need to improve physicians. • Some research surrounding patients that are not truthful with their physicians.• Patient safety and racial disparities in outcomes, care delivery as medical errors, implications for physician leaders. As a bonus, Dr. Wynia discusses the application of the study of art to the practice of medicine.  https://www.cuanschutz.edu/centers/bioethicshumanities/facultystaff/matthew-wyniaLearn more about the American Association for Physician Leadership at www.physicianleaders.orghttps://doi.org/10.55834/sp.2521474667