A Woman's Journey Conference - November 12, 2011

Baltimore 2011 - Seminar Descriptions

Session I:(10:15 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.)
Session II: (11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.)
Session III: (2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.)
Session IV: (3:15 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.)

Session I:

An Ounce of Prevention
Under a provision of the new health care law, Medicare and private insurers now cover preventive health screenings for millions of Americans. Internist Dr. Redonda Miller highlights some of the many screening tests that are available and assesses which are worth pursuing. LW1

Probiotics: A Little Organism Goes a Long Way
New claims about the purported benefits of probiotics are prolific. Gastroenterologist Dr. Linda Lee defines probiotics and clarifies their effectiveness in treating specific conditions, shares criteria for selecting the right probiotics for you, and explains why we all need a little flora. HL1

Aged to Perfection                            
Gerontologist and nurse Dr. Elizabeth Tanner depicts the physiologic changes that occur in women as they age and gives effective strategies to help women remain vital, improve health and combat decline throughout their lifetime. AA1

Healthy Hinges: Beating the Pain of Arthritis
Many women are all too familiar with the discomfort and joint pain that are the hallmark of arthritis.  Rheumatologist Dr. Clifton Bingham differentiates between the more than 100 types of arthritis and rheumatic diseases, their causes, symptoms and available treatment options. BW1

A Heart-Y Discussion about Women and Heart Disease
The symptoms of heart disease in women may differ from those in men, but are the risk factors the same? Cardiologist Dr. Pamela Ouyang explores many factors—from waist size to high-tech evaluations such as coronary calcium—that may increase the likelihood of women developing heart and vascular disease. PM1

Staying Abreast: A New Image of Personalized Medicine
Radiologist Dr. Nagi Khouri interprets the latest guidelines and controversies surrounding various modalities for breast cancer screening and discloses how to determine the appropriate screening method for each woman based on family history, breast density, prior breast biopsies and risk factors. CA1

Sexual Encounters
Peer between the sheets and uncover some of the broad issues of sexual intimacy with psychologist Dr. Chris Kraft as he reveals why sexual desire may fade with time. The presentation includes common problems affecting men as well as women and provides some advice on how to rekindle sexual intimacy. WO1

Stress Busters
Anxiety and stress are common in today's society.  The challenge is how to effectively manage internal and external pressures without compromising our wellbeing. Psychiatrist Dr. Karen Swartz discusses strategies to manage stress, minimize anxiety and identify when symptoms may signal a more serious underlying issue.  C1

Session II:

Inflammation
Geriatrician Dr. Jeremy Walston clarifies the role of inflammation in accelerating chronic diseases and age-related conditions.  He will discuss how this chain of events is activated and provide insight into some preliminary research about restoring the delicate balance among endocrine, central nervous, immune and cardiovascular systems. LW2

What You Eat Can Save Your Life
Food is a powerful arsenal against disease. Eating the right foods may offer healing properties and actually decrease our risk of developing diseases. Nutritionist Lynda McIntyre serves up a winning menu of power foods and new strategies to maximize the benefits we can glean from eating. HL2

All Things Remembered            
Psychiatrist Dr. Susan Lehmann outlines the differences between normal changes in memory and those that are signs of dementias, including Alzheimer's disease. Discover medically-based strategies to help preserve good memory as you age and new insights provided by ongoing research. AA2

Repairing the Brain
Recent news accounts have reported on public figures suffering from traumatic injuries, benign or malignant brain tumors, and injury from falls. Reflecting on these tragedies, neurosurgeon Dr. Henry Brem describes the many functions of the brain, the brain's ability to recover and new treatment interventions on the horizon.  BW2

Changing the Script of Medical Visits—for the better
Communications expert, Dr. Debra Roter talks about medical dialogue and its powerful effect on shaping the doctor-patient relationship and enhancing valued patient outcomes. Key communication strategies to optimize the communication during medical visits also will be discussed.  PM2

Sunshine on a Cloudy Day
Fifty percent of women are deficient in vitamin D.  Endocrinologist Dr. Suzanne Jan de Beur addresses the surprising roles of vitamin D, including maintaining bone health and preventing cancer, and suggests guidelines to insure you have adequate levels of this vital hormone and vitamin. CA2

Unique Immune Responses in Women
There's far more to gender differences than communication styles.  Listen as immunologist Dr. Sabra Klein reveals how a woman’s immune system differs from that of a man’s. Learn how women's immune responses protect us, but also may contribute to the development of autoimmune diseases and affect medical treatments.  WO2

In Pursuit of Perfect Skin
Dermatologist Dr. Rebecca Kazin talks about age spots, moles, changes in the texture of our skin, how to protect ourselves from skin cancer and emerging news regarding the use of creams, injectables and laser treatment designed to achieve a natural and enhanced image.  C2

Session III:

Medicine Cabinet
Alone or in combination, prescription medications, over-the-counter drugs, supplements and herbal remedies can cause serious side effects. Internist and geriatrician Dr. Alicia Arbaje exposes potential risks of medication interactions, common symptoms and strategies to effectively manage your medications. LW3

Feel the Burn
Join gastroenterologist Dr. Ellen Stein as she explains what upper GI symptoms warrant worry, how to identify true heartburn and acid reflux and the risks of taking long-term medication to treat these symptoms. Dr. Stein provides suggestions to relieve that burning sensation. HL3

Eye to the Future
Ophthalmologist Dr. Sharon Solomon discusses causes of declining vision, including cataracts, macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy and portrays medical treatment options—including new discoveries—that may prevent further loss of vision and lead to renewed sight.   AA3

Essence of Beauty 
Dermatologist Dr. Ginette Hinds examines the unique features of ethnic skin and hair, shares tips on general skin care and skin cancer prevention, and reviews specific skin diseases that disproportionately affect African-American and other women of color. BW3

Dream Weaver: The Quest for Sleep
Do you dream of a good night's sleep?  You are not alone; more than 40 percent of all adults report trouble sleeping. Neurologist Dr. Rachel E. Salas unveils common sleep disorders affecting women, the consequences of poor sleep and also steps to improve the quality of our sleep.  PM3

Top Ten Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Cancer
By 2012, cancer will overtake heart disease as the number one cause of death in the United States. Oncologist and epidemiologist Dr. Kala Visvanathan probes strategies to reduce one's risk of developing multiple cancers, including breast and ovarian during your lifetime.  CA3

Crowning Glory
Hair loss can result from multiple causes, including age, heredity, hormonal abnormalities and medications. Facial plastic surgeon Dr. Lisa Ishii details the multiple causes of hair loss in women and reviews medical and surgical therapies that can be used to combat this cosmetic and troubling problem.  WO3

Medical Mysteries
Internist Dr. John Aucott focuses on medical mysteries and how to diagnose and manage cases with symptoms that offer no definitive diagnosis.  He explores the manifestations of rare diseases, medically unexplained symptoms in women, and Lyme disease and fibromyalgia as specific examples of often elusive illnesses. C3




Session IV:

The Shape of Health: Let's Get Physical
Exercise remains important to maintain and improve health.  Listen as obstetrician/gynecologist Dr. Linda Szymanski explains the important role exercise plays during a woman’s lifetime, the amount of exercise needed to gain various health benefits, and how to make exercise a priority. LW4

Metabolism and Can We Change It                        
Poor metabolism can compromise weight loss and increase our risks for diabetes, heart disease, stroke and cancer. Discover how our metabolism functions, normal changes that accompany time and practical suggestions to improve our metabolism from endocrinologist Dr. Fredric Wondisford.  HL4

Hearts a Flutter                    
Heart palpitations in women usually are not serious, but they can signal an abnormal heartbeat known as a dysrhythmia. Cardiologist Dr. Joseph Marine delves into the many causes and types of irregular heartbeats as well as treatment options to restore a normal heart rhythm.  AA4

Treating Bone Loss: Convention and Controversy
Beginning as young as 20 years old, women begin to lose bone strength.  Endocrinologist Dr. Kendall Moseley identifies risk factors that make women susceptible to losing bone, strategies for optimizing bone density, including common drugs—some now considered controversial—and emerging therapies to treat osteoporosis. BW4 

Staying Healthy in a Toxic Environment
Toxicologist Dr. Alan Goldberg discloses the effects of chemicals that we meet every day in the environment and in our food, and offers guidelines to assess the risks and safety of chemicals as well as the consequences of commercial food production. PM4  

Changing the Outcomes for Pancreatic Cancer 
People fear the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, which often grows silently before it is discovered. Surgical oncologist Dr. Richard Schulick explains why pancreatic cancer is so difficult to diagnose, new research leading to earlier diagnosis and potential treatments to change the outcome of this disease.  CA4

The Power of Hormones in Women
Endocrinologist Dr. Adrian Dobs unravels the complexities of hormones in pre- and postmenopausal years and ponders the possible benefits and side effects of hormone replacement therapy and bio-identical hormones, and the role of testosterone in women.  WO4

The Use of Clinical Hypnosis in Women's Health
The use of hypnosis in medicine has been evolving for more than 100 years and gained popularity with integrative medicine. Internist Dr. Anastasia Rowland-Seymour illustrates the role of clinical hypnosis in successfully treating medical issues such as pain, stress and GI concerns in women.  C4