Ep13 (part 2) - Creating Hope Through Patient-Physician Communication, Dr. Welton M. Gersony

08/13/21 • 32 min

On Part 2 of Episode 13 of the Pursuit of Health podcast, Dr. Fethke picks up the conversation with a very special guest, his own most influential mentor, Dr. Welton M. Gersony, a pioneer and world-class Pediatric Cardiologist to further expand on his words of wisdom regarding the importance of Patient-Physician Communication.
Together the doctors address the many obstacles that prevent today’s physicians from doing a thorough job. Dr. Gersony expresses his views on Over-Testing and suggests that this is not only an effective way to defend against malpractice suits, but can interfere with a productive patient-physician relationship.
The conversation then turns to the art of giving a patient and family Bad News while not abandoning Hope. He asks physicians to support the family in difficult times, including the loss of a child, in order to lessen the family’s Fear and Guilt. Dr. Gersony eloquently reminds us that we must consider the impacts of illness and death on all members of the family, in order to facilitate their ability to move forward with their own lives, while honoring the memory of the deceased.
Dr. Gersony’s most important message to clinicians is that we should never allow Technology to replace our Humanity as we care for patients. After all, like Dr. Gersony so honestly confesses, many of us became doctors and clinicians with a powerfully pure and simple purpose - “to help people”.
We invite you to join us next time on the Pursuit of Health podcast for our 3rd Take-A-Step-Back session as we pause and reflect on prior episodes #8 thru 11 with a guest physician and medical student.
You can follow Dr. Eric Fethke on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tok @drfethkemd
(This episode will also available in video format on Youtube @drfethkemd).

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Previous Episode

Ep13 (part 1) - The Art of Patient-Physician Communication, Dr. Welton M. Gersony

On Episode 13 of the Pursuit of Health podcast, Dr. Fethke invites his own most influential mentor, Dr. Welton M. Gersony - a pioneer and world-class Pediatric Cardiologist - to remind us all of the importance of maintaining the fundamentals of Patient-Physician Communication.
Over the past 5 decades Dr. Gersony has been one of the most influential physician leaders in American Pediatrics and, specifically, Dr. Fethke’s own field of Pediatric Cardiology. Dr. Gersony received his medical degree at the State University of NY-Upstate Medical Center, completed his General pediatric training at Western Reserve Medical School in Cleveland, Ohio and his fellowship training at The Boston Children’s Hospital of Harvard Medical School.
In 1968 he founded Columbia University’s Division of Pediatric Cardiology where he served as the division chief and the Alexander Nadas Professor of Pediatrics at Columbia University’s College of P&S until 2007. Several landmark medical achievements occurred under his watch at Columbia including the first successful pediatric heart transplant in 1984, and the foundation of the Pulmonary Hypertension and Adult Congenital Heart Centers.
His myriad distinguished services include being the past Chair of AHA Council of CVDY, the ABP Subboard of Cardiology and the Steering Committee of the World Congress of Pediatric Cardiology and Cardiac Surgery. He is the 2003 recipient of the AHA’s Distinguished Service Award and the 2007 Founder’s Award of AAP. He has served on multiple editorial boards and was a Consulting Editor for Circulation medical journal.
He is recognized as a pioneer in our understanding of the course of congenital heart defects through his work as a Principle Investigator for the 1st and 2nd studies of the Natural History of Congenital Heart Defects. He has authored more than 300 papers and chapters as well as one of the first major textbooks dealing with Congenital Heart Disease in the Adult.
Amongst all of his successes he remains most proud of his recognition as a world-class teacher of future generations of pediatric cardiologists, having trained 120 Pediatric Cardiology fellows during his over 35 year tenure at Columbia University - consistently demonstrating an uncanny ability to know peoples’ strengths and potential even before they see it in themselves.
During part 1 of this episode, Dr. Gersony takes us through the mechanics of the all important first patient visit as he has personally demonstrated for so many of his students. He stresses that this visit lays the groundwork for the trust between a physician and patient family that is critical to the patient’s future success. He urges us to “let them tell their story” without injecting our own assumptions and biases. He explains how important it is to be aware of harmful nonverbal cues that we send patients.
He humbly advises that we never consider ourselves to be 100% infallible, but rather maintain open communication between our patients and their referring physicians. He finishes this first episode with an emphasis on maintaining Hope, even in the face of serious illness and bad news. Ultimately his message is that “Taking the time up front, saves time later”.
Next time in Part 2 of Episode 13, Dr. Fethke picks up the conversation with Dr. Gersony as he discusses how to Humanely give Bad News to a patient and family while avoiding the family’s natural feelings of Fear and Guilt.

You can follow Dr. Eric Fethke on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tok @drfethkemd
(This episode will also available in video format on Youtube @drfethkemd).

Next Episode

Ep14 (part 1) - International Medicine and Earthquake Relief in Haiti, Dr. Ron Israelski at Orthopedic Relief Services International

On this episode we had the opportunity to join Dr. Ronald Israelski at the headquarters of Orthopedic Relief Services International (ORSI) to discuss his work in international healthcare. Just 2 days before our session, on August 14, 2021, a large earthquake hit Haiti with a force even greater than that which devastated this already vulnerable country on January 12, 2010. During the discussion the texts and phone calls were pouring in nonstop from Haiti and Dr. Israelski’s American colleagues in their efforts to respond to the catastrophe that ORSI was specifically created to address.
Dr. Israelski begins the discussion by sharing his journey to becoming a physician leader in orthopedic surgery. He readily draws the connection between his fascination with building things as a child and his innate desire to help people in crises as the impetus for his medical career.
Dr. Israelski is an experienced practicing orthopedist who has created a legacy of expanding both the clinical and education infrastructure of his community. An Assistant Clinical Professor at NYU for well over 20 years, he brings both the academic and frontline community-based mindset to his over 30 years of orthopedic work with a focus on hand surgery. During his 10 years serving as Chairman of the Dept of Orthopedic surgery at ORMC (now Garnet Health) in the Greater Hudson Valley of NY, he proved to be a medical pioneer. Starting with the creation of a highly specialized joint and bone replacement center in 2005, he then became the driving force behind both the region’s new medical school in collaboration with Touro University and an accredited residency training program at the region’s newest and largest hospital -ORMC. This academic program established improved Health standards, Economic Vitality, and Educational Opportunities formerly unavailable in the Hudson Valley region.
Dr. Israeski shares the poignant moment on January 12, 2010 that dramatically turned his professional focus beyond the U.S. borders to the neighboring country of Haiti. This single event, which lasted only about thirty seconds, killed between 250,000 and 300,000 people, left well over 1,000,000 homeless, and critically injured hundreds of thousands more. On that day he decided to roll up his sleeves and join other orthopedic colleagues in what can only be described as a horrific war zone ravished by one of the most life-changing environmental catastrophes of this century. He clearly explains the history and dynamics of this former land of riches troubled by an abusive colonial past, raping of he environment, a legacy of racism, corruption and detrimental outside poltical manipulation, now facing two monumental environmental catastrophies.
Dr. Ron, as his colleagues call him, explains how this initial venture in 2010 grew into the medical relief program ORSI that was being called back to action for this second earthquake right in the midst of our conversation. He explains how ORSI was built on the fundamentals he refers to as ICE - Build/Support Infrastructure, Clinical Work, Educational Support. The ORSI team has deployed over 30 teams to Haiti and raised millions of dollars of relief. It serves as the model for international medical care that is specifically guided by and addresses the needs of those affected.
Join us next time as we continue this intense dialogue with Dr Israelski in Part 2 of this timely episode where we venture into the need for Humane and Compassionate healthcare at home and abroad.
You can follow Dr. Eric Fethke on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Tik Tok @drfethkemd
(This episode will also available in video format on Youtube @drfethkemd).