Advertise on podcast: Perspectives with the AMA

Host: Alexandria May, PharmD, BCPS Guest: Jennifer Cluett, MD Accurate home blood pressure monitoring is vital for effective hypertension care, and the AMA’s Validated Device Listing (VDL) helps clinicians and patients confidently select devices that meet rigorous international accuracy standards. Learn more about how the VDL ensures device reliability and the importance of proper measurement techniques with Drs. Alexandria May and Jennifer Cluett. Not only is Dr. Cluett an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School, but she also served on the Independent Review Committee for the U.S. Blood Pressure Validated Device Listing and is a current member of the AMA’s VDL Advisory Group.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Sandy Marks Guest: Kim Horvath, JD Guest: Kyle Thomson, JD With telehealth services expanding during the COVID-19 pandemic, has our access to them changed? To better understand this, Dr. Charles Turck meets with Sandy Marks, Kim Horvath, and Kyle Thomson from the AMA to explore what’s been done to provide Medicare coverage during a public health emergency and what’s on the horizon for telehealth access.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Emily Carroll, JD, MSW The No Surprises Act aims to protect consumers from surprise medical bills. But how exactly does it go about doing that, and what’s the current status of its implementation? Joining Dr. Charles Turck to share progress and challenges associated with the No Surprises Act is Ms. Emily Carroll, a senior legislative attorney for the American Medical Association's Advocacy Resource Center.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Guest: Jennifer Brown, JD The risks associated with pregnancy are disproportionately higher for some patient populations, but several organizations are taking action to change that. Dr. Jennifer Caudle joins Jennifer Brown, senior legislative and regulatory attorney at the American Medical Association, to discuss the AMA’s efforts to improve maternal health.

Host: John Russell, MD Guest: Bobby Mukkamala, MD Chair of the AMA Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force, Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, joins Dr. John Russell to discuss the nation’s worsening drug overdose epidemic and the AMA’s recommendations to help patients.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Emily Carroll, JD, MSW Guest: Heather McComas, PharmD Guest: Chris Sherin The prior authorization cost control process can be a burden on clinicians and lead to delayed treatment for patients. But the AMA’s recent advocacy efforts may help reform the process. Dr. Charles Turck meets with Emily Carroll, Heather McComas, and Chris Sherin to dive into these reforms and their impact at the state and federal levels.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Mira Irons, MD Guest: Shannon Curtis Following the approval of the first COVID-19 vaccine, mass-vaccination has made approving a vaccine difficult. How are the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control deciding on which vaccinations to authorize? Dr. Mira Irons and Shannon Curtis of the American Medical Association join Dr. Charles Turck to discuss authorization processes and recommendations for COVID-19 vaccines.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Patrice Harris, MD The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that more than 80,000 Americans died from May 2019 to May 2020 due to a drug-related overdose. CDC data indicates that the drug overdose epidemic is being fueled by a staggering rise in deaths involving illicitly manufactured Fentanyl methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin. In response to the far-reaching drug overdose epidemic, organizations like the American Medical Association and Manatt Health have come together to help end this epidemic. Here to recap the process that’s been made and what the 2020 national policy roadmap recommends moving towards is Dr. Patrice Harris a psychiatrist and chair of the AMA Opioid Task Force.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Guest: Kathleen Blake, MD, MPH With E&M coding changes taking effect January 1, 2021, the AMA offers tools and resources for physician implementation. Dr. Kathleen Blake, Vice President of Healthcare Quality at the American Medical Association, joins Dr. Jennifer Caudle to share what we can expect.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Guest: Susan R. Bailey, MD The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the healthcare field through reductions in patient volume and higher practice costs. How will these economic challenges change health policy and alter the future of healthcare? President of the American Medical Association Dr. Susan R. Bailey joins Dr. Matt Birnholz to discuss their recent survey.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Guest: Koryn Rubin With the widespread impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is now offering flexibility for clinicians participating in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System, MIPS. But what exactly does that flexibility entail? Dr. Jennifer Caudle is joined by Koryn Rubin to discuss how this impacts healthcare professionals. Since the original date of this recording, CMS has extended the deadline for its applications related to MIPS hardships from December 31, 2020 to February 1, 2021.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Guest: Carol Vargo, MHS Physicians across the country have been working hard to keep their practices operational and their patients, as well as themselves, safe amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Carol Vargo returns to share some tips and resources to help keep healthcare practices open with Dr. Jennifer Caudle.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Guest: Kathleen Blake, MD, MPH Guest: Peggy Chen, MD Behavioral health integration has proven to be an effective solution to improving access to treatment for many mental health conditions… So why is it not more prevalent in the medical community? Joining Dr. Jennifer Caudle to dive into the findings and implications of the joint AMA-RAND Corporation study recently published in the Annals of Internal Medicine are Dr. Kathleen Blake with the AMA and Dr. Peggy Chen from the RAND Corporation. And, click here to listen to a conversation regarding Behavioral Health Integration and its effect on clinical practice.

Host: Matt Birnholz, MD Guest: Carol Vargo, MHS Guest: Sheryl Hirsch, MD, FAAP Guest: Thomas Eppes, MD The American Medical Association is one of the leading medical organizations across the country that have been working to provide physicians with the tools and resources they need to continue caring for patients and to keep their practices financially afloat amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Joining Dr. Matt Birnholz to review the AMA’s guidance for reopening practices during the pandemic and how some practices have begun to reopen are Carol Vargo from the AMA, pediatrician Dr. Sheryl Hirsch, and family physician Dr. Thomas Eppes.

Host: Jennifer Caudle, DO Guest: Todd Askew What’s being done to address the range of issues like the PPE shortage, lack of testing, and financial shortfalls encountered during the COVID-19 pandemic? Here to share his team’s advocacy efforts to help tackle these and other challenges is Todd Askew, the American Medical Association's Senior Vice President of Advocacy.