After a brief hiatus, the Baptist HealthTalk podcast is back with a special edition to mark a milestone: our 100th episode.

Join us as we turn the tables on host Jonathan Fialkow, M.D., to get his unique perspective on the podcast's evolution during two of the most tumultuous years in modern medicine. 
Originally intended to cover common healthcare concerns like backaches and vaping, Baptist HealthTalk made a major pivot to deliver reliable information about COVID-19 from Baptist Health leaders and experts.

Dr. Fialkow reflects on some of the most impactful episodes to date and talks about where the podcast is headed in the future - with the help of input from listeners.  To leave feedback about the podcast or suggest a topic, please send an email to BaptistHealthTalk@BaptistHealth.net. 

We thank our listeners for your support.

New year, new COVID surge. The Omicron variant has swept across the country bringing with it new questions about testing, symptoms, quarantine guidelines, boosters, treatments, and its impact on children.

 Join host, Jonathan Fialkow, M.D. and a panel of experts as they clear up the confusion with medical facts and useful information in this must-listen episode.

Guests:

• Samer Fahmy, M.D., chief medical officer at Boca Raton Regional Hospital
• Leo Huynh, D.O., chief of emergency medicine at Baptist Hospital
• Melanie Rodriguez, Pa-C, outpatient services manager at Baptist Health's Urgent Care Express

As the pandemic nears the two-year mark, we’ve come a long way in our fight against COVID-19 with vaccines for adults and kids, booster shots and anti-viral medications. With the omicron variant spreading rapidly, and new at-home drug treatments on the horizon, we take a look at what’s in store for 2022 and beyond.

Host: 

·      Jonathan Fialkow, M.D., Chief of Cardiology at Baptist Hospital and Chief Population Health Officer at Baptist Health.

 Guests:

·      Madeline Camejo, Pharm. D., chief pharmacy officer at Baptist Health

·      Dr. Samer Fahmy, M.D., chief medical officer at Baptist Health’s Boca Raton Regional Hospital. 

Holiday travel and family gatherings are expected to rebound this year to near pre-pandemic levels, even though COVID-19 is still with us and the flu is beginning its annual spread across the country.

Find out what preparations you should be making now to keep your family healthy this holiday season, with host, Jonathan Fialkow, M.D. and a panel of experts.

Guests:
·      Sara M. Panella, Pharm D., a clinical pharmacist with Baptist Health
·      Jose Llach, D.O., medical director of the emergency department at Baptist Health Hospital
·      David Mishkin, M.D., medical director of Telehealth and Care on Demand.

Thanks to the Internet, answers to almost any question are available with a few clicks of the mouse – including questions about health concerns.  Millions of people turn to search engines, primarily Google, to look up information about symptoms, diseases, and medications. There are a lot of hazards when it comes to  using 'Dr. Google' as your main source of medical advice – but that’s a topic for another episode.
Ssearch engine statistics can tell us what’s at the top of people’s minds. So we took a list of top-searched health questions and brought together experts from the Baptist Health family to serve up the facts.

Host, Jonathan Fialkow, M.D.'s guests were:  

·       Michael Decoske, Assistant Vice President of Pharmacy Administration at Baptist Health.

·       Katie Acquino, M.D., Medical Director of Baptist Urgent Care Express in Palm Beach

·       Liana Barkan, M.D., an internal medicine physician

COVID-19 is again dominating the headlines and challenging the health care system, with a sharp increase in new infections. Nearly 20% of these new cases are in the state of Florida. What are the factors behind the numbers and what can be done to reverse this trend? 

Host, Jonathan Fialkow, M.D. posed those questions to a panel of experts from Baptist Health hospitals to get to the facts behind the latest COVID-19 wave.

 The panelists were: 

·      Samer Fahmy, M.D., chief medical officer at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, 

·      Zulma Berrios, M.D., chief medical officer at West Kendall Baptist Hospital

·      Yvonne Johnson, M.D., chief medical officer at South Miami Hospital. 

If any of your New Year’s resolutions involve getting healthier in 2021, a great place to start is with a visit to your primary care doctor.  They not only treat illnesses, they provide preventative care services and manage the kinds of chronic health conditions associated with greater vulnerability to COVID-19.

Host Jonathan Fialkow, M.D. welcomes Baptist Health Primary Care physicians Kamaljit Kaur, M.D. and Maria L. Ordonez, M.D. to the podcast, to talk about the essential role they play in the health and wellness of their patients.

This podcast contains excerpts from Baptist Health's Resource Live program.

2020 is coming to a close with the death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic surpassing 1.5 million lives worldwide.  There is some good news, however, in the form of new vaccines and treatments available to fight the disease and help us take the first steps back toward normal.

Join host, Jonathan Fialkow, M.D.,  chief population health officer at Baptist Health, and his guests Madeline Camejo, Pharm.D., chief pharmacy officer and vice president of pharmacy services; Samer Fahmy, M.D., chief medical officer at Boca Raton Regional Hospital; and Rachel Evers, R.N., director of surgical services at Baptist Hospital for a discussion of the latest developments in the battle against COVID-19, with hope for a brighter 2021.

This podcast contains excerpts from Baptist Health's Resource Live program.

Information about COVID-19 vaccines is available at BaptistHealth.net/Vaccine

As if the COVID-19 pandemic, social unrest and natural disasters weren't making 2020 stressful enough,  the majority of U.S. adults are also suffering with election stress disorder. The stakes are high. People are divided. And there is much uncertainty surrounding the outcome of the Presidential election.

Host, Jonathan Fialkow, M.D. and his guest, psychiatrist Rachel Rohaidy, M.D., explain how long periods of elevated stress affect our health, and provide real-life strategies for coping during this stressful time.


For more information about COVID-19 please visit BaptistHealth-coronavirus.com

What have we learned about COVID-19's effects on kids and teens since the start of the pandemic?  What do parents need to know about multi-system inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C)?  Do kids need to get the flu shot this year? And how do we keep them safe as they go back to in-person education?

Five months after our initial podcast on kids, adolescents and COVID-19, host Dr. Jonathan Fialkow welcomes back Fernando Mendoza, M.D., medical director of the pediatric emergency department at Baptist Hospital for an update on how the pandemic is affecting kids physically and emotionally, and what parents can do to help them.

For more information about COVID-19 please visit BaptistHealth-coronavirus.com

From the pros to weekend warriors, we tend to admire athletes as examples of superior health and physical fitness. But, just like the rest of us, athletes can suffer from heart disease and cardiac complications. And when athletes do have heart issues, diagnosis and treatments are not necessarily straightforward.

Now, the connection between the novel Coronavirus and myocarditis (heart inflammation) is making headlines and causing increasing concern about long-term heart damage. What do those recovering from COVID-19, or any virus, need to know about the dangers of returning to training too quickly?

In this episode, host, Dr. Jonathan Fialkow welcomes Eli Friedman, M.D., medical director of sports cardiology at Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, to talk about the special needs of professional and amateur competitors when it comes to caring for their hearts.

For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/CardiologyGroup

For more information about COVID-19 please visit BaptistHealth-coronavirus.com

Six weeks after we first heard from Baptist Health South Florida physicians and leaders on the front lines of the Coronavirus pandemic, we checked in with them again for an update. In the wake of this summer’s surge in cases, find out where we stand now, what has been learned and what’s next for our patients, our healthcare system and the communities we serve. 

The panel discussion, moderated by Dr. Jonathan Fialkow, included Michael Zinner, M.D., Chief Executive Officer and Executive Medical Director at Miami Cancer Institute; Yvonne Johnson, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at South Miami Hospital; Samer Fahmy, M.D., Chief Medical Officer at Boca Raton Regional Hospital and Rachel Evers, MSN, Director of Surgical Services at Baptist Hospital. 

(Note: This discussion is excerpted from a Resource Live streaming event which can be viewed on Baptist Health South Florida’s Facebook page.)

For more information about COVID-19 please visit BaptistHealth-coronavirus.com

In this special edition of the podcast, we share emotional stories from healthcare workers on the front line of the pandemic. These dedicated men and women, under enormous pressure as COVID-19 cases surge, are asking for the public to take this health crisis seriously and do what is necessary to slow the spread of the disease. Listen to their heartfelt pleas on this episode of Baptist HealthTalk.  We urge you to share this podcast with your family, friends and co-workers.

(Note: These stories are excerpted from a Resource Live streaming event which can be viewed on Baptist Health South Florida’s Facebook page.)  https://www.facebook.com/BaptistHealthSF/videos/621196205185042/

For more information about COVID-19 please visit BaptistHealth-coronavirus.com

What is heart failure?  There is no simple answer when it comes to this complex condition. With approximately 550,000 new cases diagnosed in the U.S. each year, it touches the lives of millions of people of all ages.  Advanced heart failure specialist Sandra Chaparro, M.D. joins host, Dr. Jonathan Fialkow to explore causes, symptoms and treatments on this episode of Baptist HealthTalk.

For more information about COVID-19 please visit BaptistHealth-coronavirus.com

As COVID-19 cases surge in Florida, so does the amount of misinformation about wearing masks and social distancing. It’s never been more important to clear up the confusion and debunk the harmful myths circulating via social media.
Emergency medicine physician and chief medical officer at South Miami Hospital, Yvonne Johnson, M.D. joins host, Dr. Jonathan Fialkow, with information you need to know to protect yourself and your loved ones.
We encourage you to share this podcast with your family, friends and co-workers.

For more information about COVID-19 please visit BaptistHealth-coronavirus.com

Open heart surgery is not as “open” as it used to be. Less invasive procedures are becoming more common -- like the McGinn Technique, which reduces trauma to the chest cavity and speeds up recovery time. On this episode of Baptist HealthTalk, the technique’s inventor, Joseph McGinn, Jr., M.D., chief of cardiac surgery at Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, joins host, Dr. Johnathan Fialkow, to talk about heart surgery advances.

 More from Dr. McGinn can be found on the Baptist Health Resource Blog:

“Don’t Delay Your Heart Surgery in COVID-19 Era”

For more information about Coronavirus please visit https://baptisthealth-coronavirus.com/

Getting back into exercise after months on the sidelines? Don’t jump the gun! Hear why it’s important to take it easy and avoid injuries from a doctor who treats elite pro athletes as well as weekend warriors. Host, Dr. Jonathan Fialkow welcomes Dr. John Uribe, chief medical executive with Miami Orthopedics & Sports Medicine Institute, and head team physician for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins and NHL’s Florida Panthers.

It turns out that working from home during this pandemic can be a big pain in the neck …and the back …and the wrists. Your aching body may be telling you that your work-from-home situation isn’t working.  What can be done to ease those aches and pains -- or better yet, prevent them? Host Jonathan Fialkow M.D. explores practical solutions with his guest, Justin Thottam, D.O., a physiatrist with the Baptist Health Center for Spine Care, part of Miami Neuroscience Institute.

Suggested Resources:

Exercises for Relieving Text Neck

https://baptisthealth.net/baptist-health-news/exercises-relieving-text-neck-video/

#BaptistHealthy In Motion: Prevent Back Pain

https://studio.youtube.com/video/oajEk3YzcBU/edit

Back Pain: Prevention, Causes and Treatment

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wx-H-jtZehE

For more information about COVID-19 please visit BaptistHealth-coronavirus.com

Life in 2020 is not turning out as we had expected. Just imagine what it’s like for women who are expecting! The novel coronavirus is causing increased anxiety and uncertainty for pregnant women and their loved ones.  What is known about how the virus affects mothers-to-be, their unborn children and newborn infants? Host, Dr. Jonathan Fialkow gets the latest information from Dr. Katia Magalie Apollon, a specialist in Obstetrics and Gynecology with Baptist Health South Florida on this episode of Baptist HealthTalk.

EDITOR'S NOTE: On June 24, 2020 the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists released this statement regarding COVID-19 and pregnancy:
ACOG Statement on COVID-19 and Pregnancy | ACOG

For more information about COVID-19 please visit BaptistHealth-coronavirus.com

Convalescent Plasma therapy, which uses anti-body rich plasma from a donor to help an infected patient recover from an illness, has been around for 100 years. Now, Baptist Health South Florida and other leading healthcare systems are having success using it to fight COVID-19.

Host Jonathan Fialkow, M.D. is joined by Samer Fahmy, M.D., chief medical officer at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, to talk about this promising treatment and answer questions about coronavirus tests on this episode of Baptist HealthTalk.

To learn more about coronavirus, including convalescent plasma donation information, please visit BaptistHealth-coronavirus.com

Baptist Health South Florida has always put patient safety first. But what does that mean in practical terms, as we reopen for routine medical care like in-person doctor appointments, imaging scans and elective surgeries?  What differences can patients expect to see, and what is taking place behind the scenes to ensure their safety and provide them with peace of mind? Host Jonathan Fialkow, M.D. welcomes the CEO of Baptist Outpatient Services, Nancy Batista-Rodriguez, to detail the steps being taken at all Baptist Health facilities to protect everyone who walks through our doors, on this episode of Baptist HealthTalk.

Learn more about enhanced safety measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic at BaptistHealth-coronavirus.com

795-thousand people in the United States will experience a stroke this year. Not all the victims are part of the Social Security set. Researchers have noticed a startling increase in the rate of strokes among younger people in their mid-thirties through mid-forties.  Strokes can affect people of all ages, even teenagers and kids.

Host Jonathan Fialkow. M.D. and his guest, neurologist Felipe De Los Rios, M.D., medical director of the stroke program at Miami Neuroscience Center, explore this troubling trend, talk about symptoms and risk factors, and look into whether there is any connection to the novel Coronavirus, on this episode of Baptist HealthTalk.

Most of the media focus during the COVID-19 pandemic has been on adults. But what about coronavirus and kids? What are doctors and researchers learning about how the virus affects children differently? What should parents be on the lookout for? And why is it more important than ever to keep up to date with vaccines for childhood diseases? 

Host, Jonathon Fialkow, M.D. welcomes Fernando Mendoza, M.D., chief of pediatrics and medical director of the pediatric emergency room at Baptist Children’s Hospital to answer the most commonly asked questions about kids and coronavirus on this episode of Baptist HealthTalk. 

For more information about COVID-19 please visit BaptistHealth-coronavirus.com

We're checking in with Baptist Health psychiatrist Rachel Rohaidy, M.D. to check up on the state of our mental health at this point in the pandemic. If you're experiencing feelings of stress, fear, anxiety and loneliness - you are not alone. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we'll explore what you can do to keep from wearing down as the weeks wear on, on this episode of Baptist HealthTalk.

As the number of COVID-19 cases in the U.S. climbed in recent weeks, the number of visits to emergency rooms actually declined significantly – especially for heart attack and stroke patients. What’s going on here? And are we looking at a new kind of health crisis?

Host Dr. Jonathan Fialkow and his guest, Dr. Marcus St. John, Director of the Cardiac Cath Lab at Miami Cardiac & Vascular Institute, discuss this concerning trend and assure patients that seeking emergency care is still a safe thing to do, on this episode of Baptist HealthTalk.

If you are concerned you may have COVID-19, visit BaptistHealth-coronavirus.com to complete our online self-assessment that will help determine your risk level and provide next steps.