Prescription diabetes medications, like semaglutides (such as Ozempic) and tirzepatide (such as Mounjaro) are among the latest – and perhaps the most well-known – types of drugs to treat obesity.

In this episode of the Florida Health Care Insider podcast, presented by Cleveland Clinic in Florida in partnership with the South Florida Business Journal, Raul Rosenthal, MD, director of bariatric and metabolic surgery at the Ellen Leifer Shulman and Steven Shulman Digestive Disease Center at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, discusses these revolutionary drugs, surgery and more.

But first, Rosenthal emphasizes, obesity “is a chronic disease. What we can do with medication or with an operation is to bring the obesity disease into remission, but we can’t cure it.” Factors such as genetics, metabolism and phenotype (“the interaction of a human being with the environment”) come into play.
However, today’s most-popular weight loss drugs – which Rosenthal predicts will become more affordable and easier to use in a few years – as well as bariatric surgery and lifestyle changes are effective tools for treating obese patients.
“It’s important that people understand they need to do something about obesity because the long-term consequences are irreversible,” says Rosenthal.

Listen to this episode to hear about:

• One reason patients don’t seek medical or surgical treatment for obesity (6:25)
• Why insurers and employers are favoring bariatric surgery (9:12)
• Which bariatric operation is performed most often at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital (17:45)
• The international bariatric journal Rosenthal edits (25:09)

Discover more about the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute and Section of Minimally Invasive Surgery at Cleveland Clinic in Florida.

Disclaimer
This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or any professional health care services. The information provided is not intended to create, and the receipt of it does not constitute, a health care provider-patient relationship. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any professional advice or medical advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a licensed medical professional before undertaking any form of medical treatment, exercise program, or dietary guidelines. If you think you may be experiencing a medical emergency, you should call a physician or 911 immediately. It is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of Cleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journal policy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Cleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journal. This podcast is provided as a courtesy, and we cannot guarantee that it is completely accurate or error-free. You assume all risk arising from the content of this podcast and Cleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journal disclaim any liabilities to any parties.

Never miss an episode of Florida Health Care Insider presented by Cleveland Clinic in Florida. Subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

The Transplant Center at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital is one of two centers in Florida performing living donor kidney and liver transplantations for adult recipients. Since 2013, the Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital transplant team has performed over 220 living donor transplantations.

In this episode of the Florida Health Care Insider podcast, presented by Cleveland Clinic in Florida in partnership with the South Florida Business Journal, David Reich, MD, surgical director of the Liver Transplant Program and chief of the Innovative Technology and Therapeutics Program of the Transplant Center at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, delves into the transplant program.

“Many programs in the U.S. aren’t situated to do this or to do it frequently,” Reich said. “And many candidates for liver transplants don’t have a live donor and for some recipients it’s not the right choice. But for those 5%, a little higher percent of the people in (our) clinic, it's a phenomenal solution for these patient problems.”
Most liver transplants performed at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital’s Transplant Center involve the use of machine perfusion, an advanced organ preservation technique that circulates oxygenated blood or other fluids through the donor organ before transplantation.

“We have several devices, a machine perfusion room and a machine perfusion laboratory for the research we’re doing,” Reich said. “We have a machine perfusion research team, and the program is just taking off. It is very exciting and we’re unique in that we have so many different facets for doing it here.”

Listen to this episode to hear about:

•Cleveland Clinic leaders in the field of transplantation (5:29)
•The approach to treating patients with liver tumors (7:29)
•Where most Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital transplant patients are from (16:08)

Learn more at ClevelandClinicFlorida.org/Transplant.

Disclaimer
This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or any professional health care services. The information provided is not intended to create, and the receipt of it does not constitute, a health care provider-patient relationship. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any professional advice or medical advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a licensed medical professional before undertaking any form of medical treatment, exercise program, or dietary guidelines. If you think you may be experiencing a medical emergency, you should call a physician or 911 immediately. It is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of Cleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journal policy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Cleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journal. This podcast is provided as a courtesy, and we cannot guarantee that it is completely accurate or error-free. You assume all risk arising from the content of this podcast and Cleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journal disclaim any liabilities to any parties.

Through its accredited cancer centers and specialized care teams, Cleveland Clinic in Florida provides innovative treatment options to patients.

In this episode of the Florida Health Care Insider podcast, presented by Cleveland Clinic in Florida in partnership with the South Florida Business Journal, Zeina Nahleh, MD, regional chair of hematology-oncology and vice chief of the Cancer Institute and the medical director of the Maroone Cancer Center at Cleveland Clinic Weston Hospital, explains what distinguishes Cleveland Clinic’s cancer care program from others.

“The cancer program in Cleveland Clinic here in Florida provides advanced cancer care using the latest diagnostic and treatment technologies and innovative treatment,” said Nahleh. “We don’t just focus on treatment with chemotherapy and radiation and surgery. It’s not just (about) providing these services but also studying the best way to do this and deliver these programs.

“Cancer care does not stop at the end of treatment,” said Nahleh. “In fact, it continues throughout life. We are committed to taking care of our patients throughout the spectrum of their disease.”

Listen to this episode to hear about:

• How Cleveland Clinic in Florida reaches out to the community (2:48)
• The importance of clinical research (5:50)
• Support services that are part of the integrated oncology and holistic approach to cancer care (10:56)
• Cleveland Clinic in Florida’s vision of providing cancer care (19:58)

Learn more at ClevelandClinicFlorida.org/Cancer.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or any professional health care services. The information provided is not intended to create, and the receipt of it does not constitute, a health care provider-patient relationship. This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any professional advice or medical advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a licensed medical professional before undertaking any form of medical treatment, exercise program, or dietary guidelines. If you think you may be experiencing a medical emergency, you should call a physician or 911 immediately. It is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement of Cleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journal policy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Cleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journal. This podcast is provided as a courtesy, and we cannot guarantee that it is completely accurate or error-free. You assume all risk arising from the content of this podcast and Cleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journal disclaim any liabilities to any parties.

Cleveland Clinic Florida’s patient-first philosophy incorporates an array of models of care. Two of the institution’s emerging care offerings are the Executive Health and Concierge Medicine programs.

In this episode of the Health Insider podcast, presented by Cleveland Clinic Florida in partnership with the South Florida Business Journal, Dr. Robert Piloto, medical director at the Huizenga Executive Health Department, and Dr. Stephen Avallone, center director, concierge medicine, explain how their respective programs work and the connection between them.

“The concierge medicine program is for individuals who value time and require 24/7 physician availability and want to build a lasting relationship with their primary health care team,” said Avallone. “It’s an example of Cleveland Clinic’s patient-first philosophy in action.”

Executive health, said Piloto, consists of a yearly, comprehensive one-day physical that “usually starts at around 7 in the morning and most patients usually leave around 4:30 or 5 p.m.”

If abnormalities are detected, “we want to make sure they get that care and follow up with concierge or primary care. That’s where a lot of the synergy comes between executive health and concierge,” Piloto said.

Listen to this episode to learn about:

• The geographic range of the Executive Health program (6:54)
• Who benefits from the Executive Health program (17:38)
• Patients’ feedback about their experiences (25:38)

One notable patient, who is not featured in the episode but had feedback to share, commented about her own positive experience: “I cannot recommend Cleveland Clinic’s Executive Health Program highly enough,” said Melanie Dickinson, president and publisher of the South Florida Business Journal. “All my necessary – and even some not so necessary – appointments are consolidated into one efficient day, which saves me valuable time and a lot of hassle.”

Learn more about Cleveland Clinic Florida’s Executive Health and Concierge Medicine programs.

Disclaimer

This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or any professional health care services.The information provided is not intended to create, and the receipt of it does not constitute, a health care provider-patient relationship.This podcast is not intended to be a substitute for any professional advice or medical advice, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a licensed medical professional before undertaking any form of medical treatment, exercise program, or dietary guidelines.If you think you may be experiencing a medical emergency, you should call a physician or 911 immediately.It is neither a legal interpretation nor a statement ofCleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health Systemor theSouth Florida Business Journalpolicy. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation byCleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health Systemor the South Florida Business Journal.This podcast is provided as a courtesy, and we cannot guarantee that it is completely accurate or error-free. You assume all risk arising from the content of this podcast andCleveland Clinic Florida Regional Health System or the South Florida Business Journaldisclaim any liabilities to any parties.

Florida Health Care Insider is a podcast, brought to you by Cleveland Clinic in Florida and the South Florida Business Journal, featuring physicians and leaders discussing life-changing innovations in health care informed by extensive research. Cleveland Clinic’s Florida region is an integral part of Cleveland Clinic in Ohio, where providing outstanding patient care is based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. A pioneer of many medical breakthroughs, Cleveland Clinic is consistently recognized in the U.S. and throughout the world for its expertise and care.

Listen to a new episode each month and subscribe to Florida Health Care Insider at Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.