‍Introduction

Welcome and happy May! We hope you enjoy the new format of MEDS eNews! New look, same valued content from leaders in the field. 

This month we present Part 2 of the special segment “5 Minutes With” that questions some of our foremost thought leaders. In Part 2 here, we discuss the most challenging thing(s) to treat, since the care of our patients is often multifaceted, how they and their team approach multifaceted care to consolidate efforts and provide the most efficient treatment, and how, with care that is multidisciplinary, it can be a challenge to keep current on new advances, research and literature—and what they do to stay up to date across multiple clinical spectrums. Read on for candid insights from these faculty.
In last month’s issue, thought leaders weighed in on the most helpful recent advance or new treatment option, and what’s on the horizon that promises to be impactful in advancing patient care, and valuable pearls from their upcoming MEDS Summer presentations.

These panelists also serve as faculty for the upcoming MEDS Summer 2023, which is being held virtually from July 13 through 15. Register here.

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Save the Date! You can register for these online separately or save by purchasing as a bundle:

MEDS Summer 2023 Virtual—Join us online July 13-15, 2023

The latest advances in metabolic and endocrine diseases, from diabetes and thyroid and adrenal disorders to obesity…MEDS will get you current via panel discussions, Q&A, and case studies—We look forward to joining you online! Click here for more info!

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MEDS Fall 2023—Join us on in person October 12-14, 2023 in Orlando, Florida

• The best resource for the most up-to-date, clinically relevant information on treatment of diabetes, obesity, Cushing’s Syndrome, PCOS, osteoporosis, hypercalcemia, and thyroid disease, it’s a one-stop shop to get you up to speed with CME!
• Take home the cutting-edge knowledge and clinical breakthroughs that can make a lasting difference in your patients’ lives. 
• Click here to register and get info!

Thank you to these thought leaders featured in this issue for their continuing efforts to educate. Please contact me at colleen@cmhadvisors.com with comments or suggestions. Thanks for reading and look for Part 2 in an upcoming issue of MEDS eNews!—Colleen Hutchinson

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5 Minutes With… MEDS 2023 Faculty 

Faculty and participant affiliations can be found by clicking here.

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Because the care of our patients is multifaceted, what is your facility’s approach as a care team, in an effort to consolidate efforts and provide the most efficient, successful treatment?

Ashlyn Smith: I love this topic! Care is best delivered as a team. Medicine has become so complex and subspecialized that no single provider can do it alone. My facility utilizes a team-based approach with endocrinology providers, health psychology, RNs, LPNs, RDs, CDCES's, and specialty pharmacists to provide extensive education over multiple touchpoints, surrounding patients in a supportive healthcare team of which they are the most important part. 

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David Doriguzzi: My facility is a multi-practitioner group that provides primary as well as endocrine care in an area that is relatively underserved from an endocrine standpoint. My colleagues and I communicate regularly regarding our mutual patients, and we commonly discuss the strategies we are employing to get our patients the best pharmacological and lifestyle plans available.

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Lucia Novak: Private practice requires a strong referral base and network - consisting of HCPs in our practicing area that can address the co-morbid diseases and complications associated with diabetes. It indeed takes a village!  

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Amy Butts: We work closely with all facets of the diabetes care team including CDCES, Registered Dieticians, and specialists for complications including, ophthalmology, podiatrists, nephrologists, cardiologists, etc.

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Davida Kruger: We have 7 NPs and 10 endos. We have diabetes educators, access to pharmacy, ophthalmology, and all other specialties.

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Because the care is multifaceted, how do you keep current on new advances, research and literature?

Ashlyn Smith: This is a challenge all those in healthcare face. Thankfully, most of us went into the ever-evolving field of medicine to constantly learn and never become complacent. My best advice to stay current is to get involved: Become part of professional organizations. Talk to your colleagues and KOLs about new and emerging data. And of course, come to MEDS for hot off the presses endocrine CME by PAs and NPs for PAs and NPs!

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Davida Kruger: I read, stay engaged with the pharma reps/MSLs who do supply great info, work on presentations so I need to read to present, attend national meetings such as MEDS, and talk with colleagues in my practice and across the country.

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Lucia Novak: It is not easy! Requires setting aside time every week to review the alerts that come through from the various societies that I am a member of and subscribe to. Webinars and other on-demand learning opportunities have been critical as well.

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Amy Butts: I try to utilize our national organizations such as ADA, AACE, and Endocrine Society to stay on top of advances in research.

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Justine Herndon: I have Browzine on my iPad and have relevant journals saved – any time a new article comes through I'll peruse and then save and read up on clinically relevant research. My colleagues also have PubMed searches saved and we will share them as a group!

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What is one of the most challenging things to treat currently and why?

Amy Butts: We have excellent medications out there for type 2 diabetes and comorbidities such as CAD, CHF, and CKD. However, the cost for our Medicare patients often inhibits healthcare providers from initiating these medications.

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David Doriguzzi: I think the adrenal disorders are some of the more challenging disorders to treat because we don’t see them quite as frequently as other conditions such as diabetes and hypothyroidism. Management can vary from patient to patient and providers don’t get as much practice prescribing the drugs we have available to treat these conditions. I’m really looking forward to hearing what the faculty will be presenting on this topic.

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Justine Herndon: Acromegaly is tricky; due to the delay to diagnosis in relation to symptom onset we often find the pituitary masses as macroadenomas that may have invaded into the cavernous sinus(es). While we would always aim for cure with surgery, residual may be left and then we need additional therapy.

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Ashlyn Smith: Balancing adrenal insufficiency treatment is challenging in that there is no blood test that can be run to assess the efficacy of treatment. Assessment of efficacy is based primarily on clinical features and exam--it goes back to basics with the clinical exam!

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Lucia Novak: Any of the diabetes-related neuropathies - we can only manage symptoms - and not even that well. There are only a few medications/treatments approved for symptom management and many patients cannot tolerate the adverse effects associated with them.

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Davida Kruger: Diabetes is a very time-consuming disease that effects every aspect of the person with diabetes life every minute of the day.

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