Chronic disease is now responsible for 70 to 80% of all health care expenditure, yet most health professionals treat chronic disease the same way they treat communicable disease: with pills and injections. While this might temporarily relieve acute symptoms, it does not address the underlying cause of the chronic disease. Most physicians and health professionals receive little to no education on nutrition, exercise, rest or social connectivity, which are the four pillars of Lifestyle Medicine.

At the October 6, 2017 "Lifestyle Medicine Symposium: Redefining Health Care," Dr. Brian Asbill (Asheville Cardiology Associates/Mission Heart) presented to a packed audience three major components of Lifestyle Medicine: nutrition, exercise, and stress management. Dr. Asbill shared data with healthcare providers "to educate and inspire them to better help patients add years to their lives and life to their years." If you missed it, don't worry!  Read more and view slides here. 

From a MedTalk at NCMS, featuring Dr. Richard Bunio (Cherokee Indian Hospital) and medical student Anne Cotter. 

"In 2005 this patient went in for surgery to correct a deviated septum. The surgery was successful and he was discharged home with a prescription for 30 Percocet tablets. His recovery was uneventful and when he went back for a re-check and reported that he had not needed to take any of the pain pills he was given the surgeon informed him that this was pretty much a "painless surgery." When he asked why he been given the 30 pills he was told it was "expected." In case you had not noticed this patient was me (Dr. Bunio) and when my wife and I were left with 30 narcotics that we did not need we did what we thought was the responsible thing and put them up on a high shelf away from children for a rainy day....but if you asked me to account for each of those pills I honestly could not do it.

According to the CDC"s provisional count of deaths for 2016 approximately 50,000 Americans died from opiate related drug overdoses with the biggest rise in fentanyl and heroin related deaths. That means by the time this 10 minute Medtalk is over one person will have lost their life to this terrible epidemic."  View full presentation here. 

 CDC issued the attached Health Advisory on 10/24/17 to remind clinicians assessing patients currently in or recently returned from hurricane-affected areas to be vigilant in looking for certain infectious diseases, including leptospirosis, dengue, hepatitis A, typhoid fever, vibriosis, and influenza. Post-hurricane environmental conditions that pose an increased risk for the spread of infectious diseases may last through March 2018, based on current predictions of full restoration of power and safe water systems in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands.  Read recommendations here.  

Personalized Medicine offers a scientific, individually guided approach to improve the health of patients.  Although an emerging field, it has the potential to replace the trial-and-error approach to drug treatment commonly used to manage cancer and other chronic diseases. Building on the advances in genomic medicine, personalized medicine provides patients and their healthcare providers with information that could help minimize toxic side effects from drug treatments and maximize drug effectiveness.  Read Interview Here. 

If the recipient accepts the donation, her next call is to the flow supervisor in the hospital to facilitate admission and make a bed available. Morrison is then in touch with the transplant floor's charge nurse to coordinate the timing of the admission. From there, she is ready to perform the recipient's history and physical, identify any potential issues and inform the surgeons and anesthesiologists of any special circumstances they need to plan for.  Read more here.