Gi Insights

Guest: Naga Chalasani, MD Host: Jay Goldstein, MD Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and steatohepatitis are well-recognized clinical concerns. What are we learning from the latest research? What is the diagnostic value of liver biopsy? Dr. Naga Chalasani, professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology and hepatology at Indiana University School of Medicine, also examines the manifestation and risk profile of each disease with host Dr. Jay Goldstein. How do statins factor into current treatment patterns?

Guest: Don Rockey, MD Host: Jay Goldstein, MD CT colonography has been touted as a less invasive and lower-risk alternative to traditional screening colonoscopy. When considering accuracy and test functionality, do the realities match the acclaim? Host Dr. Jay Goldstein speaks with Dr. Don Rockey, professor of internal medicine and chief of digestive and liver diseases at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, about the practicalities of CT colonography and its potential role in colorectal cancer screening.

Guest: Joel Brill, MD Host: Jay Goldstein, MD The emphasis on transparency in healthcare is beginning to impact the practice of gastroenterology. Host Dr. Jay Goldstein analyzes upcoming quality measures and accountability standards for GI medicine with Dr. Joel Brill, a prominent GI practice management expert and chair of the AGA Institute’s Clinical Practice and Economics Committee. Dr. Brill also elucidates trends in a new gastroenterology battleground: sedation administration.

Guest: Joel Brill, MD Host: Jay Goldstein, MD Some have judged recent times to be the ‘Golden Age of Gastroenterology.’ But will this so dubbed remarkable era in GI practice soon lose some of its luster? Host Dr. Jay Goldstein explores the evolving GI discipline—new screening and imaging techniques, the future of ambulatory endoscopy centers, and more—with Dr. Joel Brill, a prominent GI practice management expert and chair of the AGA Institute’s Clinical Practice and Economics Committee.

Guest: Imtiaz Alam, MD Host: David T. Rubin, MD We are developing increasingly effective therapies for patients with chronic hepatitis C, yet many physicians who treat a high volume of these patients are struggling to maintain economically viable strategies for providing care. Is treatment of hepatitis C becoming a money-losing proposition? Can a few simple adjustments revitalize your clinic's financial outlook? Dr. Imtiaz Alam, founding medical director of the Austin Hepatitis Center in Austin, Tex., joins host Dr. David Rubin.

Guest: Imtiaz Alam, MD Host: David T. Rubin, MD The number of new cases of hepatitis C has declined significantly since its peak in the late 1980s. But now, two decades later, we’re seeing the manifestation of long-term complications from this chronic disease. Dr. Imtiaz Alam, founding medical director of the Austin Hepatitis Center in Austin, Tex., examines the clinical obstacles that often occur when treating a large volume of patients with complex cases of hepatitis C. Looking to the future, how can screening and other prevention mechanisms aid in fighting the pervasive impact of this disease? Find out more with host Dr. David Rubin.

Guest: Carla Ginsburg, MD, MPH Host: David T. Rubin, MD Annually, Medicare payments to physicians are modified using the sustainable growth rate formula, or “SGR”. Recently, the formula mandated cuts to physicians in recent years; and only through quick congressional fixes were these cuts avoided. With payments expected to drop more than 40 percent in the next eight years, can the SGR truly be part of an effective solution to our healthcare crisis? What is the formula, and what impact will it continually have on patient care? Gastroenterologist, and Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School speaks with your host, Dr. David Rubin.