Jefferson Urology and AUA

Pictured top to bottom: Dr. Sonny Figueroa, Dr. Ahmad Bani Hani, and Anne Calvaresi, DNP, CRNP, RNFA.

Department members have prominent roles in the Urology Care Foundation.

In 1987, the American Urologic Association (AUA) established the American Foundation for Urological Disease (AFUD), with the goal to support research professionals through grant programs, clinical trials and publishing. AFUD was renamed The Urology Care Foundation (UFC) in 2012. The Foundation has two functions, to support urological research (Research Council) and be the premier provider and resource for the most current, comprehensive and reliable urologic health information for patients and the public (Public Education Council). The Public Education Council advises the UCF Board on matters requiring medical and scientific judgement, and develops urology specific patient /public educational information, material and videos. There are six committees in this council covering the entire urological landscape (Prostate Health, Pediatric Health, Bladder Health, Kidney and Adrenal Health, Reproductive and Sexual Health, and Technology and Publications Committee).

Several members of our Department are actively engaged in these important AUA activities. Dr. Sonny Figueroa, Professor of Urology and Pediatrics and Chief of Pediatric Urology at AI DuPont served as the Chair of the Public Education Council from 2018 to 2020. This position was first held by the current immediate Past President of the AUA, Dr. John Lynch. Dr. Ahmad Bani Hani, also a Jefferson pediatric urology faculty member based at AI Dupont and a member of the Pediatric Health Committee since 2016, is now the new Chair of the Pediatric Health Committee. Anne Calvaresi, DNP, CRNP, RNFA, a member of the Council since 2016, is the new Chair of the Prostate Health Committee, the first advanced practice provider to hold a leadership role in the Urology Care Foundation.

The Patient & Research Advocacy team at the American Urological Association (AUA) leads a coalition, the Bladder Health Alliance (BHA) founded in 2013 with the aim to raise awareness and reduce stigma about conditions impacting bladder health. Since 2013, the BHA has broadened its scope to include research advocacy efforts, managing stigma, access to medical supplies, and more. Additionally, the group has expanded participants to include more than 30 patient, physician, and research advocacy organizations.

These organizations convene annually for a full-day program that comprises networking and discussion topics of interest to the community. As part of this year’s virtual meeting, there was a panel entitled, “A Comprehensive Approach to Informed Decision Making.” As a member of the Urology Care Foundation’s Prostate Health committee, Anne Calvaresi was asked to take part in the panel and provide insight specific to how prostate cancer models for informed decision making can be transferred into the bladder space. This virtual meeting was held on Thursday, October 8, 2020. Anne Calvaresi also recently hosted an AUA Urology health podcast addressing what to know about prostate cancer during the COIVD-19 pandemic.

LIVING HEALTHY COOKBOOK WITH INFORMATION ABOUT UROLOGIC CANCERS

Last year the Urology Care Foundation published the Living Healthy Cookbook with information about Urologic Cancers as a service to patients, health care professionals and the public. This was cookbook designed to help patients think about what they eat and to help with meal selection when dealing with cancer. It is designed for the common urologic cancers: bladder, kidney, prostate and testis. Dr. Sonny Figueroa served as

Group photo from a 2020 Urology Care Foundation meeting. The Urology Care Foundation is the world’s leading nonprofit urological health foundation and the official foundation of the American Urological Association. Jefferson participants include, Anne Calvaresi, DNP, CRNP, RNFA; Sonny Figueroa, MD; Ahmad Bani Hani, MD; and former Jefferson Endourology Fellow Kelly Healy, MD. Also seen in the photo are past AUA President John Lynch, MD (center between Sonny and Ahmad), Urology Care Foundation Executive Director Mr. Michael Sheppard and Foundation President Harris M. Nagler, MD (extreme right).

the editor with other Jeffersonians participating in the project including Ahmad Bani Hani, MD, Anne Calvaresi, DNP, CRNP, RNFA and former Jefferson faculty member Kelly Healy, MD. Celebrity chefs who contributed to the book include Wolfgang Puck, Paul Wahlberg, Spencer Gomez, Frank Pellegrino Jr., Michael Lomonaco, Adam Perry Lang, and Mary Nolan (wife of Jefferson Urology former resident, Dr. Jim Johannes). For additional information, visit www.UrologyHealth.org.

AUA VIRTUAL LEARNING SESSIONS

Going virtual didn’t hinder attendance for the AUA’s annual Urologic Care for the Advanced Practice Provider (APP) program on May 1617, 2020, which offered interactive, clinically relevant programming for physician assistants, advanced practice nurses, registered nurses and allied health care professionals in a webinar format. The program addressed various topics in urology, including oncology, technology and pharmacology, urolithiasis, infections/ inflammations, men’s health, and voiding dysfunction, and wrapped with a panel on best practices for APP integration in practices. APP podium presentations were also sprinkled throughout the program, giving providers an opportunity to present their research or clinical pearls. The list of attendees exceeded 500 on both program days. The course was co-directed by Anne Calvaresi, DNP, CRNP, RNFA, and James Kovarik, PA-C of University of Kansas. The Jefferson Urology department was well represented, including presentations from Drs. Leonard Gomella, Alana Murphy, and Edouard Trabulsi.

“Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy for Genitourinary Malignancies: A Primer for Urologists and Advanced Practice Providers” was featured on July 21 as part of the AUA Summer School Webinar Series. Dr. Costas Lallas served as Course Director and was joined by course faculty Anne Calvaresi, and Dr. Edouard Trabulsi. The course will be available on-demand at AUA University web site for a year.

Dr. Leonard Gomella chaired an “AUA Live” virtual Panel Discussion: Genetic Testing Perspectives in Prostate Cancer and GU Malignancies as part of the AUA’s 2020 Annual Meeting in June. Panelists included Kevin Loughlin, MD from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Dr. Veda Giri, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center and Todd Morgan, MD from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Akhil Das participated as a faculty member discussant on the topic of “Expert Discussion: Surgical Management of LUTS in Men with Prostate Size < 40grams - Prostatic Urethral Lift”, during the Indian Urologic Association Sectional Virtual Meeting at the AUA.

On Wednesday, October 21, 2020, the AUA and the Society of Urologic Oncology held a day long virtual program titled “The Changing Landscape of Advanced Prostate Cancer Treatment”. Dr. Gomella presented a lecture on “Genetic Testing in Advanced Prostate Cancer” and participated in a series of Case-based roundtable discussions by Zoom with small groups from around the United States.

The Department of Urology looks forward to continuing to collaborate and supporting the educational initiatives of the AUA.