Scottsdale, Arizona

Longtime practitioner and clinical instructor, Louis Kuritzky, MD, surveys commonly encountered dermatologic disorders as well as effective diagnostic and treatment approaches. Conditions covered include facial flushing, venous ulcers, Schamberg’s disease, head lice, Pityriasis Rosea, recurrent mouth sores, razor bumps and more.

A practice’s corporate structure can have significant tax and asset protection as well as exit strategy implications. Healthcare focused tax specialist, Carole C. Foos, CPA, reviews legal entity options and their meaning for practitioners’ financial performance and liability exposure. Areas covered include protecting against inside and outside creditors, charging orders, operating agreements, partnerships, C and S corporations, retirement and compensation plans, and multiple entity structures.

Myriad federal laws and regulations govern today’s healthcare practice each presenting their own liability risks, some of them criminal. Principal of healthcare boutique law firm, ByrdAdatto, Brad E. Adatto, Esq., explores the who, what and why of this broad regulatory regime and offers advice on navigating the accompanying pitfalls. Areas reviewed include anti-kickback Stark laws, board jurisdiction, ancillary compensation restrictions, the regulators, safe harbors, enforcement and penalties.

The prevalence of heart failure is on the rise with a recent study revealing over eight million cases in the U.S. Celebrated pharmacist and academician, C. Wayne Weart, PharmD, reviews the causes and costs of heart failure followed by an in-depth look at its management. Areas explored include guideline directed management and therapy (GMDT), beta blockers, ACE inhibitors, ARBs and ARNIs, landmark studies and more.

Cardiovascular disease is the number one killer in the U.S. Preventive cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation expert, Barry A. Franklin, PhD, offers a comprehensive update on accurate risk assessment and cardioprotective medical and lifestyle approaches to reduce the changes of an adverse event.

Veteran clinical psychologist and noted speaker, Joseph W. Shannon, PhD, defines toxic stress, identifies its causes and symptoms - both physical and emotional - and then explores 12 specific strategies for reducing it and preventing professional burnout. Approaches discussed include self-assessment, cognitive adjustment, exercise and nutrition, knowing and enforcing personal limits, schedule management, mind-centered work and more.

The majority of hand problems and injuries are treatable in the non-specialist’s office provided of course they’re properly diagnosed and addressed. Board certified plastic surgeon and hand specialist, Herman P. Houin, MD, offers a helpful review of both discussing the three most common infections, anesthesia, subungual hematoma, burns, mallet finger, wrist block, fractures, splinting, casting, ring removals and much more.

An estimated 10-15% of Americans have a potential for drug addiction, a figure with obvious implications for drug diversion challenges faced by medical practices. Past president of the National Association of Drug Diversion Investigators, Commander John J. Burke, explains the behaviors and characteristics of drug seekers as well as protective screening and prescribing practices. Areas covered include new patient procedures, physical signs of addiction, prescription monitoring programs, prescribing techniques, pain agreements, patient education and more.

Louis Kuritzky, MD, returns to offer a comprehensive definition of heart failure, its proper diagnosis and current treatment options. Areas discussed include diagnostic implications of collagen, BNP and the HF scoring system, the disease’s pathophysiology and epidemiologic burden, therapeutic approaches such as BP control, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, aldosterone antagonists, beta-blockers and thiamine, as well as landmark clinical trials.

Asset protection specialist, Ike Z. Devji, Esq., draws on his experience with over a thousand physician clients to review myriad professional and personal risks, and then set forth a layered approach to asset protection including compliance culture, management of predictable risk, insurance and defensive legal structures. Areas of risk explored include malpractice, director’s and officer’s liability, employment law, data breach, RAC audits, drug treatment liability, premises and automobile accident exposure, ADA compliance and more.

Recent AHA and ACC guidelines significantly changed existing treatment protocols with an increased focus on LDL goals. C. Wayne Weart, PharmD, award winning instructor and clinician, reviews these widely endorsed recommendations and their proper implementation. Areas covered include the updated ASCVD plus 10-year risk calculator, the significance of LDL reduction and ways to achieve it including appropriate statin dosage, ezetimibe and CSK9 inhibitors, the potential of EPA, and landmark trials.

A healthcare practice’s brand is a function in the first instance of patient experience. What factors define that experience? How are they optimized and then translated into positive reviews? 25-year healthcare marketing veteran, Kathy Gaughran, answers all these questions focusing on the specific elements of the office visit and the physician relationship which inform patient satisfaction.

Award winning instructor and veteran practitioner, Louis Kuritzky, MD, reviews the scope and impact of depression and then offers important recommendations on screening, diagnosis, treatment goals, and therapies. Areas discussed include proper treatment objectives, therapy augmentation and poly-pharmaceutical approaches.

Healthcare practices are a minefield of malpractice and business risk. Healthcare boutique law firm ByrdAdatto principle, Michael J. Byrd, Esq., explores liability associated with patients, practice personnel and professional colleagues, and how they’re avoided. Areas covered include angry patients, malpractice insurance, asset protection, partner disputes, and hiring, managing and firing employees.

Abusive behavior, frequently missed appointments and refusal to follow professional recommendations are all common characteristics of the very resistant patient. Veteran clinical therapist, Joseph W. Shannon, PhD, explores the definition and manifestations of extreme non-compliance as well as its various underlying causes, and then offers effective strategies towards its minimization and appropriate ways to terminate treatment if necessary.

Healthcare insurance deductibles have tripled over the last eight years profoundly impacting patient utilization and the importance of collecting fee amounts for which they are responsible. Veteran practice management consultant, Susan Childs, FACMPE, explores ways to optimize both patient access and practice collections. Areas discussed include patient portals, e-statements, revenue cycle management strategies, preventive screening safe harbors, HSAs, patient education and more.

Beyond S-T segment depression there’s a wealth of information from exercise stress tests available to identify at risk patients and assess cardiopulmonary fitness, the safety of physical exertion, safe exercise prescriptions and work-related capabilities. Nationally renowned preventive cardiology guru, Barry A. Franklin, PhD, explores lesser known techniques for mining the plethora of prognostic data available from these tests.

50 to 70 million Americans are sleep deprived impacting their health status and our country’s healthcare system. Education Director of the University of Minnesota’s Neurology department, Michael J. Howell, MD, FAASM, explores common sleep disorders and their proper treatment. Problems covered include failure to fall asleep, circadian rhythm delay, restlessness and restless leg syndrome and CNS hypervigilant insomnia.

Hypertension is the number one risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the number one cause of death in the U.S, yet only 50% to 60% of hypertensive patients are achieving blood pressure goals. Renown author, speaker and clinician, C. Wayne Weart, PharmD, explores the debate on identifying and measuring BP goals, how and why hypertension is treated, as well as important outcome trials.

Reputation is all and while patient experience is the indispensable starting point building and maintaining a positive brand requires intelligently managing it. Healthcare Success Strategies’ Senior Marketing Strategist, Kathy Gaughran, shows how with a wide ranging discussion including encouraging reviews, digital marketing, social media profiles and directories, online platform rankings, SEO performance, testimonial videos, reputation management software, and minimizing bad reviews while dealing with the ones you can’t prevent.