DR. PHILLIP LIEBERMAN ALLERGY AND ASTHMA CARE
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n the 20 years since he was named a “Top Doctor” by this magazine in 2016, Dr. Phillip Lieberman, MD, has witnessed dramatic changes in his field of allergy and asthma care, as well as in the general world of medicine. “We can do things today that I couldn’t envision for our patients years ago,” he says. “We’ve seen advances for our patients which have reduced their hospital stays and improved their mortality rate.” Just 20 years ago, patients with particularly severe forms of asthma had a survival rate of just five years, “so a diagnosis of certain types of asthma was as egregious as certain forms of cancer.” He specifically cites inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting bronchodilators as literal life-savers. “They not only improve the lifespan, but the quality of life,” he says. “These patients used to miss days, even weeks, of work and went to the hospital three or four times a year. Now most of these patients are hospital-free and can enjoy more normal lives.” He’s also seen major improvements in diagnostics and laboratory work, using what are called “markers for inflammation” to assess the internal activity of a disease like asthma. By having more specific knowledge of the extent of a patient’s condition, “it helps us to reduce drug loads,” he says. “If certain markers are absent, for example, we can minimize the amount of drugs we give that patient, and then reduce the side effects.” With “Dr. Google” at everyone’s fingertips, and so many overthe-counter drugs available, Lieberman — and just about every other physician — knows patients all too often have diagnosed
DEVELOPMENTAL-BEHAVIORAL PEDIATRICS
FREDERICK B. PALMER, MD
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities 711 Jefferson Ave., Memphis, TN 38105 901-448-6512 Autism Spectrum Disorders, Cerebral Palsy
TONI M. WHITAKER, MD
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital UT Le Bonheur Pediatric Specialists Boling Center for Developmental Disabilities 711 Jefferson Ave., Memphis, TN 38105 901-448-6512 Developmental & Behavioral Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders
DIAGNOSTIC RADIOLOGY
HARRIS L. COHEN, MD
Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital Department of Radiology, Suite G216 848 Adams Ave., Memphis, TN 38103 901-287-6938 Pediatric Radiology, Fetal Ultrasound/Obstetrical Imaging, Ultrasound
SUE C. KASTE, DO
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital 262 Danny Thomas Place, MS 220 Memphis, TN 38105 901-595-3347 Bone Density in Pediatric Cancer, Pediatric Radiology
their condition before they see a doctor. In fact, he recently attended a medical conference in Chicago that addressed the problem with OTC medications. “The drugs that have been the most debated about whether they should be available over the counter are the intranasal corticosteroids,” he says, referring to the nose sprays used to treat hay fever and other seasonal allergies. “For the most part, these drugs are safe, but nearly all the medical associations have spoken out against their release over the counter,” he says. Lieberman feels that patients need what he calls “a learned intermediary — someone who truly understand the patient’s condition. In many cases, patients are simply not using these medications properly, and they are not getting the gain they hoped for.” So what’s ahead for the next 20 years? Lieberman has already witnessed the shift toward individual physicians affiliating with larger groups and hospitals. “This gives them centralized quality control, billing, and other advantages,” he says. “But I hope these larger groups will use their power to improve the physician’s own decision-making process, which is often curtailed by paperwork, bureaucracy and financial restrictions.” As just one example, he cites a drug that has proven effective against a disorder called hereditary angioedema, a swelling of the throat that can be fatal. “It’s been clearly shown to prevent these episodes, but it’s expensive, so you have to get authorization to prescribe it,” he says. “And right now that process takes three months.” The necessary paperwork “has just exploded in recent years,” he says, “and we go through bureaucratic maneuvers needed to get better care for our patients.” Still, over the years, the good far outweighs the bad, “and we’re far better off than we were when I first began practicing 41 years ago,” he says. “It’s been a great ride, and I’ve loved every minute of it.” — Michael Finger
JAMES E. MACHIN, MD
Baptist Memorial Hospital - Memphis Mid-South Imaging & Therapeutics 6019 Walnut Grove Rd., Memphis, TN 38120 901-747-1000 Ultrasound, MRI, CT Body Scan
ENDOCRINOLOGY, DIABETES & METABOLISM
A. JAY COHEN, MD
Baptist Memorial Hospital - Memphis The Endocrine Clinic 5659 S. Rex Rd., Memphis, TN 38119 901-763-3636 Diabetes
SAMUEL E. DAGOGO-JACK, MD Methodist University Hospital 880 Madison Ave., Memphis, TN 38103 901-448-5318 Diabetes
THOMAS A. HUGHES, MD
Saint Francis Hospital - Memphis G2Endo Endocrinology & Metabolism 6005 Park Ave., Suite 510, Memphis, TN 38119 901-537-7000 Cholesterol/Lipid Disorders, Diabetes
BEVERLY J. WILLIAMS-CLEAVES, MD Baptist Memorial Hospital - Memphis Methodist University Hospital - Memphis Comprehensive Diabetes & Metabolic Center 2829 Lamar Ave., Memphis, TN 38114 901-744-3362 Thyroid/Lipid Disorders, Diabetes
FAMILY MEDICINE
O. LEE BERKENSTOCK, MD Baptist Memorial Hospital - Memphis Primary Care Specialists 3109 Walnut Grove Rd. Memphis, TN 38111 901-458-0162
TINA K. BURNS, MD Methodist Healthcare MidSouth Family Medicine 9047 Poplar Ave., Suite 105, Germantown, TN 38132 901-752-2300
MARLAH H. MARDIS, MD
OccuMed 1785 Nonconnah Blvd., Suite 120 Memphis, TN 38132 901-345-6700 Occupational Medicine, Preventive Medicine
LEE W. MCCALLUM, MD
Methodist Healthcare MidSouth Family Medicine 8115 Country Village, Cordova, TN 38016 901-752-2300
LLOYD E. ROBINSON, MD OccuMed 1785 Nonconnah Blvd., Suite 120 Memphis, TN 38132 901-345-6700 Preventive Medicine
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