Pulmonary Medicine

Host: Angela Birdwell, DO, MA, FCCP Guest: Antonio Anzueto, MD Guest: Susan Corbridge, PhD, APRN, ACNP-BC, FAANP, FCCP, FAAN Although the prevalence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has decreased in adults aged 18 to 44, it remains elevated in certain patient groups, like women, adults over 65, smokers, and those living in rural areas. This prevalence emphasizes the importance of a patient-centered approach, which is why Dr. Angela Birdwell speaks with Drs. Antonio Anzueto and Susan Corbridge about how open conversations and the First 5 Minutes concept can help personalize the care of COPD patients and lead to better outcomes. Dr. Anzueto is a Professor of Medicine at the South Texas Veterans Health Care System and UT Health San Antonio, and Dr. Corbridge is the Chief Essentials Program Officer at the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and a Professor Emerita at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Nursing. This non-CME education is brought to you by CHEST, and this program is supported by Regeneron Phamraceuticals, Inc. and Sanofi.

Host: Mary Katherine Cheeley, PharmD, BCPS, CLS, FNLA Guest: Alissa Kanowitz, Founding Member Families Fighting Flu Mrs. Alissa Kanowitz became a patient advocate after experiencing the absolute worst-case scenario: losing her four-year-old daughter Amanda to the flu. And now, she’s here with Dr. Mary Katherine Cheeley to share her and Amanda’s story as well as her experience working with the Families Fighting Flu organization. This is so we can all better understand the seriousness of influenza and work to stem the tide on this tragic disease.

Host: Martha Kingman, DNP, FNP-C Guest: Susanne McDevitt, DNP, ACNP-BC This program focuses on early symptom identification and timely diagnosis in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH). Learn how appropriate risk stratification can facilitate the effective management of PH. Our experts also stress the importance of asking the right questions and offer strategies for achieving well-rounded communication with patients and their caregivers.

Host: Jean M. Elwing, MD Host: Nicholas Kolaitis, MD, MAS Guest: Katharine Clapham, MD Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH) requires a personalized, multidisciplinary approach, which is often lacking in remote regions due to limited access to specialized care and resources. The scarcity of specialized PH centers forces reliance on general practitioners, further hampered by geographic isolation and constrained resources. These limitations make it difficult for healthcare providers to stay updated on new treatments, guidelines, and clinical trial data. To address these gaps, a strategic initiative is needed to enhance early detection, deliver insights on novel therapies, and promote multidisciplinary care through telementoring, aiming to improve PAH management in underserved rural areas.

Host: Denis Hadjiliadis, MD, MHS, PhD Guest: Gregory S. Sawicki, MD, MPH Guest: Alexandra Wilson, MS, RDN, CDE Guest: Susanna A. McColley, MD Cystic Fibrosis (CF) care faces challenges from health disparities, limited access, and unintended bias, affecting patient outcomes. This CME program aims to equip healthcare professionals with the skills needed to overcome these barriers and provide equitable care for all CF patients. It covers telehealth strategies, best practices for transitioning patients from pediatric to adult care, and managing co-morbidities. The program also explores how evolving treatments impact patient outcomes.

Host: Farrukh Abbas, MD Guest: Megan Conroy, MD, MA(Ed) Listen in as Farrukh Abbas, MD, FCCP, and Megan Conroy, MD, MAEd, FCCP, discuss the role of the care team in COPD diagnosis, recent changes in classifications and updates to the GOLD guidelines, how triple-inhaler therapies and biologics can be used to treat patients with COPD, and more. Since the time of this recording, the FDA has recently approved dupilumab as an add-on maintenance treatment for adult patients with inadequately controlled chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) with type 2 inflammation.

Guest: Gilberto de Lima Lopes, Jr, MD, MBA, FASCO Guest: Jyoti Patel, MD The MET pathway can be activated by MET exon 14 skipping mutations, gene amplification, or overexpression. Mutations within this pathway carry a poor prognosis for patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Early studies of MET tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) demonstrated limited clinical benefit; however, newer selective MET TKIs, such as capmatinib and tepotinib, have improved efficacy and acceptable safety profiles. In this activity, our experts assess the role of the role of MET gene aberrations in NSCLC and optimal testing modalities, as well as the clinical evidence supporting the use of MET TKIs and the potential role of these therapies in other subsets of disease.

Guest: Paul Hunter, MD The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recently updated their recommendations for the 2024-2025 flu season. Here to give us a breakdown of the key updates so we can protect our patients from the flu is family medicine physician Dr. Paul Hunter.

Host: Mary Katherine Cheeley, PharmD, BCPS, CLS, FNLA Guest: Jill Foster, MD Guest: John Russell, MD According to recent studies, co-administering the flu, RSV, and COVID-19 vaccines is generally safe, which is why both the CDC and Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices support this approach. However, there are some important considerations to keep in mind when co-administering these three respiratory vaccines, which is why Dr. Mary Katherine Cheeley speaks with Drs. Jill Foster and John Russell about best practices for co-administration and improving vaccination rates. Dr. Foster is the Director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Minnesota Medical School, and Dr. Russell is a family medicine physician at Jefferson Health System in Abington, Pennsylvania.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: John Russell, MD According to the CDC, flu vaccine coverage for all adults is about 47 percent, and there’s been a continued decline among pregnant patients and children since 2020. These reduced vaccination rates can have serious consequences for our patients and the healthcare system as a whole, which is why it’s so important for primary care providers to embrace their role in reversing this trend. To help in this mission, Dr. Charles Turck speaks with family medicine physician Dr. John Russell about strategies for boosting flu vaccination rates in the primary care setting.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Laila Woc-Colburn, MD, DTM&H, FACP, FIDSA Since annual flu shots help alleviate the severe disease burden on patients and the healthcare system as a whole, it’s important to make flu vaccination a part of every patient visit. Fortunately, tools like appointment reminders, in-office discussions, and infographics can help us integrate this preventative measure into routine patient care and protect them from the flu. To learn more about these strategies, Dr. Charles Turck speaks with Dr. Laila Woc-Colburn, Associate Professor at the Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Darvin Scott Smith, MD Vaccines play a crucial role in preventing the flu itself, but there are a lot of lesser-known benefits of flu vaccination as well, including its impact on reducing illness severity, hospitalization rates, and co-infections as well as its importance in managing chronic diseases and enhancing public health outcomes. Joining Dr. Charles Turck to examine the comprehensive advantages of flu vaccination is Dr. Darvin Scott Smith, who’s an infectious disease consultant at San Mateo Medical Center in California.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Joshua E. Reuss, MD The phase 2 ICARUS-Lung01 study evaluated not only the efficacy and safety of datopotomab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) in patients with previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), but also potential biomarkers associated with response and/or resistance. Here to discuss the findings with Dr. Charles Turck is Dr. Joshua Reuss, Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Aaron Lisberg, MD Brain metastases are a frequent complication of lung cancer, which is why the TROPION-Lung05 trial evaluated the intracranial efficacy of datopotamab deruxtecan (Dato-DXd) in patients with previously treated advanced metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). According to the data, Dato-DXd demonstrated intracranial efficacy and equivalent safety between patients who had brain metastases and those who did not. Joining Dr. Jacob Sands to discuss these findings is lead investigator and thoracic medical oncologist Dr. Aaron Lisberg.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Jill Foster, MD For optimal protection, the best time for patients to receive a flu shot is between September and October, but some patients may be hesitant. In fact, flu vaccination rates have been declining since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic according to the CDC. That’s why Dr. Charles Turck speaks with Dr. Jill Foster about how we can help ensure patients receive timely and annual flu vaccinations. Dr. Foster is the Director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at the University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Christina Madison, BS, PharmD, BCACP, AAHIVP The World Health Organization and the Vaccines and Related Biologics Products Advisory Committee recently recommended transitioning from quadrivalent to trivalent flu vaccines that exclude the B/Yamagata lineage. Explore the epidemiological data that led to this decision and counseling strategies that can help patients understand this new recommendation with Dr. Charles Turck and Dr. Christina Madison, founder and CEO of the Public Health Pharmacist.

Guest: Darvin Scott Smith, MD For optimal protection, the most prevalent flu strains are assessed every year and included in the vaccine. Here to talk about this process and the recent decision to exclude the B/Yamagata lineage from flu vaccines is Dr. Darvin Scott Smith, Infectious Disease and Geographic Medicine Consultant at San Mateo Medical Center in California.

Host: Jacob Sands, MD Guest: Aakesh Desai, MD, MPH According to research featured at the 2023 ASCO Annual Meeting, novel immune checkpoint targets have the potential to inform drug development and combination strategies to optimize the care of patients with non-small cell lung cancer. Tune in to hear Dr. Jacob Sands explore the key findings with Dr. Aakash Desai, an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the O’Neal Cancer Center at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Host: Kevin Trice, MD Host: Lee Surkin, MD, FACC, FCCP, FASNC, FAASM This program aims to provide healthcare professionals (HCPs) with a comprehensive, evidence-based curriculum in caring for individuals with Narcolepsy. This curriculum addresses unmet clinical needs, including improving the accuracy and timing of diagnosing Narcolepsy, understanding how Narcolepsy increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and addressing how treating Narcolepsy can improve sleep, which is an important aspect of overall health. The main goal is to educate clinicians about the latest developments in this field in order to positively impact clinical practice and significantly improve the quality of life for individuals affected by Narcolepsy. This program covers best practices in:

Host: Kevin Trice, MD Host: Ana C. Krieger, MD This program aims to provide healthcare professionals (HCPs) with a comprehensive, evidence-based curriculum in caring for individuals with Narcolepsy. This curriculum addresses unmet clinical needs, including improving the accuracy and timing of diagnosing Narcolepsy, understanding how Narcolepsy increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, and addressing how treating Narcolepsy can improve sleep, which is an important aspect of overall health. The main goal is to educate clinicians about the latest developments in this field in order to positively impact clinical practice and significantly improve the quality of life for individuals affected by Narcolepsy. This program covers best practices in: