Tuesday February 10th to 11th 2009
by The Cleveland Clinic Florida Faculty, Weston Florida.

In the landmark paper, Healthy People 2010, the IOM and federal government stated the bold intent to equalize racial disparities in the provision of health care in the United States before the year 2010. In most clinical arenas, however, this is unlikely to be achieved as evidenced by the growing reports of ongoing and even worsening disparities in health care. In an article in JAMA last month, however, a glimmer of light shone through as Moylan et al [1] reported that the use of the MELD score had equalized disparities between white and black liver transplant candidates. Encouraging though these results may have been, they revealed, however, that women were less likely to be liver transplant recipients than men - highlighting a clear gender disparity. With 2008 now drawing to a close and with 2010 fast approaching, with bated breath we await the new position that the federal government will take to address the health of the disenfranchised. Thus far, efforts have been largely unsuccessful but it has never been for want of convicted effort.  As such,  we wish them the very best of  luck.

REFERENCE

1 Cynthia A. Moylan; Carla W. Brady; Jeffrey L. Johnson; Alastair D. Smith; Janet E. Tuttle-Newhall; Andrew J. Muir
Disparities in Liver Transplantation Before and After Introduction of the MELD Score. JAMA, November 26, 2008; 300: 2371 - 2378.

The new IOM report may spell the beginning of even stricter scrutiny of the work hour restrictions that may now be coupled with heightened consumer attention to and demand for the observation of these restrictions by resident staff. The use of physician extenders is bound to increase over the next few years as the hours are further contracted but the new model of medical training may also call for early specialization and restriction of time spent doing general medicine or general surgery in a bid to allow more effective time usage. Whereas the impact of this is hard to predict, the likelihood of enforcement is not.

What are the causes of enterocutaneous fistula (ECF) ?

What are the phases of management for ECF ?

What are the treatment options for popliteal artery aneurysm management?

Describe the various types of endoleaks.

What are the tenets of  the management of closed head injury and intracranial hemorrhage?

What is the incidence of hematoma formation in breast surgery?

What are the contraindications to breast conservation therapy in breast cancer?

What are the recommendations for anticoagulation in chronic atrial fibrillation?

What is the annual risk of embolic events in patients with atrial fibrillation?

Describe the technique for brachial artery embolectomy?