Dr. Kapoor was interviewed by Don LaGreca (1050 AM ESPN Sports Radio) and speaks candidly about men’s health issues, prostate cancer guidelines, symptoms, screening and enhancing awareness.
The interviews were aired on the Jets pre-game show on ESPN Sports Radio on 9-25-11 and 1-1-12.
Seven AUCNY doctors have been named in the October 25, 2011 edition of Newsday as the Top Urologists on Long Island.
Castle Connolly’s team of researchers use a rigorous screening process to select the doctors on a regional and national level. Careful screening of doctors’ educational and professional experience is essential to the committee.
The doctors are:
 Dr. Anthony Bruno |
 Dr. Barry Shepard |
 Dr. Robert Sunshine |
 Dr. Jeffrey Layne |
 Dr. Elliott Lieberman |
 Dr. Michael Ziegelbaum |
 Dr. Brett Mellinger |
I was a little anxious throwing out the first pitch, but it was a great experience and I only hope we helped raise awareness by doing so,” said Dr. Barnswell. “Early detection is the key in treating prostate cancer. Since there are no real symptoms the only way to detect prostate cancer is with aggressive early screening and we need to spread the word.” Dr. Barnswell’s practice, Advanced Urology Centers of New York – Elmont, provides state of the art urologic care to patients from the community and around the world. He is a recognized expert in his field and lectures extensively on prostate cancer, voiding dysfunction and men’s sexual health.
Melville, NY September 19, 2011 – The New York Mets and Integrated Medical Foundation (IMF) has selected Dr. Carlton B. Barnswell, Founding Member and Partner of Advanced Urology Centers of New York (AUCNY), to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for Prostate Cancer Awareness Day, September 23rd, prior to the 7:10 PM game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citi Field.
“We are very pleased that the New York Mets are taking this opportunity to build awareness about the most common cancer in men in the United States,” said Dr. Eric Mitchnick, Board President of IMF. “Selecting AUCNY and Dr. Barnswell was a natural fit. AUCNY is the largest urology group practice in the country and Dr. Barnswell is one of the most philanthropic doctors in the region, particularly in the African American community.”
Dr. Barnswell’s practice, Advanced Urology Center of New York – Elmont, provides state of the art urologic care to patients from the community and around the world. Dr. Barnswell is a recognized expert in his field and lectures extensively on prostate cancer, voiding dysfunction and men’s sexual health. He also participates in national advisory boards and has made considerable contributions to clinical research. Dr. Barnswell’s community outreach includes providing internships to high school and college students with interests in the health professions, as well as mentoring services to individuals living in underserved communities. Dr. Barnswell provides free prostate cancer screenings, education, and increases prostate cancer awareness in the African American community, particularly in the Haitian and Caribbean areas throughout the Tri-State Area. In addition to his individual efforts, he contributes his time and expertise to assist numerous non-profit and community organizations in their missions as well.
“Prostate cancer awareness is crucial in that the early detection of this common cancer because it is almost always treatable if caught early enough,” said Dr. Barnswell. “I am honored to participate in the Mets’ Prostate Cancer Awareness Day and I hope this further serves to educate individuals, particularly African-American men who are at the most jeopardy to develop this disease, on risk factors, detection and treatment options.”
IMF’s mission is to improve healthcare through patient education and community outreach. IMF is a nonprofit organization which provides free educational and outreach programs, as well as free cancer screenings and patient support groups consistent with the health care needs of the community. IMF will strive to exceed the expectations of those it serves and maintain standards of the highest quality while promoting awareness, early detection and support services. For more information call 631-247-0100 or visit http://www.imfcares.com
ORLANDO, Fla.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– PatientPoint™, a provider of self-service and revenue cycle management applications, today announced a partnership with Integrated Medical Professionals PLLC, (IMP), the largest urology group in the United States. The 40 location, New York metropolitan area based group will leverage PatientPoint’s self-service check-in technology to supplement existing processes for improving patient data collection and associated reporting.
“By collecting self-reported patient data gathered during an automated check-in process, we expect to gather more in-depth information, while streamlining workflow for our staff,” said W. Price Dunaway, COO of IMP. “Real-time data collection and detailed patient health surveys will enable our providers to better address additional preventative care issues, further enhancing patient care.”
As patients arrive for an appointment at an IMP office, they check-in at a self-service kiosk or tablet, which prompts them to enter demographic and insurance information. Co-pays and any outstanding balances may also be collected at that time. Patients then receive material addressing their specific health risks, preventative screening details and health-related surveys, which are filled out directly on the screen.
Real-time technology allows for the patient’s information to be directly integrated into the group’s electronic health record and other systems. Following, the physician can review and assess the data before the patient encounter, enabling more meaningful patient-provider interaction. For example, an older male patient may be reminded that he is overdue for his prostate cancer screening, which can then be addressed the during the exam.
For providers and payers, this approach enables both parties to obtain the patient assessment earlier, resulting in better tracking of patient-specific details that are imperative for quality reporting requirements and pay-for-performance measures. This real-time interaction also provides an opportunity for patients to receive targeted health information and educational materials.
“As a pioneer in technology, IMP’s decision to utilize self-service applications continues to position them as a thought leader in their field. The group’s approach will not only empower its patients to take charge of managing their health, but also help its more than 100 physicians and a number of payers receive valuable patient information quickly and easily,” said Raj Toleti, CEO of PatientPoint. “Implementing a process that benefits providers, payers and patients ultimately leads to savings for all and is imperative as the healthcare industry strives to improve the quality of care.”
About Integrated Medical Professionals, PLLC
Integrated Medical Professionals, PLLC, provides diagnostic and therapeutic services to patients in the greater New York Metropolitan area. With over 100 physicians, IMP is the largest urology group in the country serving patients the highest level of care through integration of surgical specialists at the point of patient contact. For more information, visit.
http://www.imppllc.com/?inc=about&p=about
About PatientPoint™
PatientPoint™ provides self-service solutions and end-to-end billing services that enable physician practices to streamline administrative and clinical workflow, expedite revenue collection, conduct real-time claims adjudication and improve financial performance, including online pre-registration, patient check-in, scheduling, bill payment and mobile charge capture applications. The company also offers health IT consulting services to individual practices and regional extension centers. For more information, visit www.patientpointkiosk.com.
Dr. Savvas Mendrinos, pathologist at Integrated Medical Professionals, was awarded the second place prize for his abstract on the histologic features of prostate cancer and detectability at the annual meeting of the Society of Uroradiology. The study was conducted in collaboration with the department of Radiology and Urology of NYU’s School of Medicine, while Dr. Mendrinos was faculty in their Pathology Department.
The Society of Uroradiology is organized to promote interest and investigation in the advancement of urinary and genital tract imaging, and to stimulate the study of both normal and abnormal processes. The organization’s emphasis is the integration of current imaging and interventional practice. Membership is offered to physicians and other scientists who have an interest in the practice, teaching, or research of genitourinary imaging. The conference was held March 20 – 25, 2011 at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad, California.
Dr. Mendrinos’ abstract looked at how predictable the aggressiveness of prostate cancer is via biopsy, MRI and subsequent prostatectomy (surgical removal of all or part of the prostate gland). Patients who had a positive biopsy result were given an MRI, followed by a prostatectomy. Dr. Mendrinos mapped out the entire prostatectomy specimens and cataloged the Gleason score (rating system which tells how closely a prostate tumor resembles normal prostate tissue; the lower the number, the lower grade the cancer). Dr. Mendrinos’ findings were compared to the patient’s pre-prostatectomy MRI and biopsy. He found that visible tumors were those larger than 6mm with a persistent growth of dense fibrous tissue around the tumor, and a Gleason score of 7 and higher. Tumors with a Gleason score of 6 were not visible by MRI, unless they were larger than 6mm with aggressive activity in the fibrous tissue surrounding it.
This study’s significance is that the aggressive and clinically important tumors can be detected by doing a post or even a pre-biopsy MRI in clinically high risk patients. If the post biopsy MRI is negative, it is likely the disease in the prostate is low grade. This critical information can be instrumental in developing the standard of care protocols for watchful waiting vs. active treatment.
Integrated Medical Professionals has started DNA-based safety system, which is more secure and reliable.
I.M.P. is using “Know Error” system produced by Diagnostic ID LLC. which provides DNA confirmation between patient and their biopsy tissue sample ensuring that when patients biopsy results arrive, the results are of the tested patient.
The system’s testing sequence includes a comparison of short tandem repeat, or STR, profiles of both the patient and the biopsy sample cells.
The error-elimination system is designed for prostate cancer and breast cancer biopsy samples.
“Before a biopsy procedure, a reference sample of the patient’s DNA is taken by swabbing the inside of the patient’s cheek. The swab is sent to an independent forensic DNA lab,” the company said.
If biopsy results come back positive, DNA from the biopsy is double-checked against DNA from the patient cheek swab.
Integrated Medical Professionals is headquartered in Melville, NY. Dr. Deepak Kapoor is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, IMP has offices in Long Island NY, Westchester, Bronx and Brooklyn.
Recently many urologists from IMP were selected as among the top urologists in NY.
“Article from The Smithtown News March 17th, 2011 By David Ambro”
Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy improves prognosis for prostate treatment.
Radiation therapist Catherine Debarro with Prostate Cancer patient Lawrence Gray at Advanced Radiation Centers of New York (ARC) in Hauppauge, NY
When Lawrence Gray, 66, of Kings Park, was diagnosed with prostate cancer last year, there was at first a feeling of dread—he had battled cancer before and it wasn’t easy—but as he worked with his doctor on a state-of-the art radiation therapy strategy, anxiety turned to hope.
For three years, from 1985 to 1988, Mr. Gray fought off lymphoma, cancer of the lymphatic cells of the immune system. “It was three years of torture,” he said. He underwent extensive surgery, which included the removal of his spleen, followed by extensive chemotherapy treatment that left him debilitated and facing a lifetime of side effects.
Radiation therapists Bruno Coto
Mr. Gray won his bout with cancer in the 1980s, but one of the side effects of that medical triumph is that he has to have a kidney stint periodically replaced, a procedure performed at St. Catherine’s of Siena Medical Center in Smithtown by Dr. Thomas Harrington, of Island Urological Care, P.C. When the stint was replaced February 22, 2010.
Dr. Harrington advised Mr. Gray that his prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was elevated, an early indicator of the onset of prostate cancer.
Dr. Harrington referred Mr. Gray for additional PSA screening, which confirmed the level was elevated. He was screened again three months later, and again the PSA count was elevated. So, in August 2010 Dr. Harrington performed a biopsy and found a cancerous growth on Mr. Gray’s prostate.
Mr. Gray said that he sat with Dr. Harrington and discussed his options. Given his age and medical history, Mr. Gray was not a candidate for surgery, and Dr. Harrington recommended against the surgical implant of radioactive seeds, which can causes side effects. Instead, Dr. Harrington recommended that Mr. Gray undergo an extensive nine-week program of image-guided, intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) at Advanced Radiation Centers of New York (ARC) in Hauppauge.
ROAD TO RECOVERY: At Advanced Radiation Centers of New York (ARC) in Hauppauge, radiation therapists Bruno Coto and Catherine Debarro put patient Lawrence Gray of Kings Park into positions to administered his daily dose of intensity-modulated radiation therapy.
Mr. Gray began the treatment January 14 and he goes to ARC every weekday, Monday to Friday, where he walks in felling fine, spends 10 to 15 minutes on a high-tech machine which uses fiduciary markers implanted in his prostate by Dr. Harrington to direct lazar-guided doses of radiation to treat the cancerous growth in the body while not damaging any other nearby cells. He will continue the daily treatments until the end of this week, Friday, March 18.
“So far everything has been textbook perfect. I think I’m doing the right thing,” Mr. Gray said during recent tour of the ARC facility. “There is no reason for a man to die of this anymore. The prognosis, from what I am told is excellent. You just have to go get your PSA tested.”
During an interview in his Smithtown office Tuesday, March 8, Dr. Harrington was encouraged by Mr. Gray’s optimism. “His prognosis is very good at this point,” Dr. Harrington said of Mr. Gray. Dr. Harrington added, however, that there are still cases of prostate cancer that are diagnosed early and incurable.
The PSA testing, which came into existence in the 1980s is an early and important indicator. It is recommended that men over 50 have their PSA tested annually; and men with a family history of prostate cancer and African American men should be tested at 40 and 45 years old and then annually after 50. Dr. Harrington said before there was PSA testing the only method of prostate cancer diagnosis was a rectal exam and 50% of the time it was incurable. “PSA testing gave up a jump on early diagnosis,” he said.
Dr. Thomas Harrington
Dr. Thomas Harrington, the Chairman of Surgery at St. Catherine’s, went on to explain that beyond the PSA test there is a one-to-ten Gleason Grading System used to evaluate the aggressiveness of the cancer, one being the least aggressive and 10 the most aggressive. Next in the diagnostic process is a biopsy, in which 12 samples from various parts of the prostate are tested. If all 12 are cancerous, the prognosis is not good.
Mr. Gray had a Gleason grade of 7 and the biopsy found eight of 12 samples to be cancerous, a difficult prognosis, but one in which the cancer was still considered to be curable. Dr. Harrginton said that in a younger man of 40 to 50 years old he would still have recommended surgery and removed the cancer, but that Mr. Gray was a prime candidate for IMRT.
At ARC Mr. Gray is strapped onto a mechanical table in a radiation proof room.
KEEPING AN EYE OUT: While they monitor the progess on a televised display and a variety of CAT scan monitors, technicians administer radiation therapy to Lawrence Gray, of Kings Park, who is fighting prostate cancer.
Technicians help him into position then leave the room closing a large vault-like door behind them. The technicians operate the equipment from a control panel in an adjacent room. They perform a CAT scan,which identifies and locks on to the fiduciary markers Dr.Harrington inserted into Mr. Gray’s prostate.
Once locked on, a large mechanical arm moves slowly in a 360 degree circle around the table delivering radiation waves to only the affected areas of the prostate using the markers as their guide. The entire process takes about 15 minutes.
“It is a nice, precise therapy where the energy is delivered more specifically,” Dr. Harrington said. “Basically what you want to do is put the radiation only where it is needed and hit less body structure.”
During the tour of ARC’s Hauppauge office, Dr. Jigna Desai Jhaveri said the image-guided IMRT system at ARC is the latest advancement in cancer treatment. Dr. Harrington, who is a member of the Integrated Medical Professionals with ARC, said the IMRT equipment has been at ARC for two years and is the first of its kind in the region.
With IMRT, Dr. Harrington said there are fewer side effects and less often. He said the IMRT process is still to modern to provide an in-depth conclusion about its efficacy, but all available data seems to indicate that it is just as effective as surgery. He said too, that he has not had a patient that has been treated with IMRT who has had a reoccurrence of prostate cancer.
Dr. Jigna Jhaveri
Dr. Jigna Jhaveri explained that as the IMRT machine rotates around the patient, using a lazar guidance system to direct the radiation at specific targets, the level of radiation is modulated depending on what is in its path—lower doses to normal cells and higher doses to cancerous tissue.
Dr. Jhaveri said the development of PSA testing in the late 1980s was probably the biggest advancement in the fight against prostate cancer. Since that time, she said, image-guided IMRT is one of the most significant advancements in combating this prolific form of cancer, which affects one out of six men. She said the image guidance and the modulation features allow higher does of radiation to be administered without damaging the bladder or the rectum.
“This is a much less invasive way to treat prostate cancer,” Dr. Jhaveri said. “This is an excellent option as a non-invasive treatment
technique.” “So,” Mr. Gray asked at the end of a recent interview, “when are you getting your PSA tested?
Melville, NY 1/17/11 – Dr. Deepak A. Kapoor, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Integrated Medical Professionals headquartered in Melville, NY, has been appointed President Elect of the Large Urology Group Practice Association (LUGPA).
LUGPA was established to enhance communication between large urology group practices, allowing for benchmarking of operations, promotion of quality clinical outcomes, development of new business opportunities and enhanced advocacy in the legislative and regulatory arenas.
Dr. Kapoor’s organization, Integrated Medical Professionals (IMP), is regarded as a national leader in the areas of quality management, utilization review, compliance and the development of coordinated clinical pathways.
IMP is the largest integrated urology group practice in the United States and is driven by the vision to provide patients with the highest level of care available, as measured by both clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction.
Integrated Medical Professionals (IMP) is a multi-specialty practice comprised of community physicians committed to providing the highest level of medical service available. This cooperative approach has enabled the doctors in IMP to continue to practice in the neighborhoods they have been serving for years while affording them access to technology and services that are just not available to most medical groups.
IMP physicians are on staff at the leading hospitals in the New York Metropolitan Area, are active in clinical and academic research, participate in postgraduate medical education and lecture nationally and internationally on cutting edge breakthroughs in medicine.
Newsday mentioned Dr.Ezriel Diamond as one of the top Radiology doctors on the Long island, based on the Castle Connolly’s list.
We at Integrated Medical Professionals (IMP) congratulate Dr.Ezriel Diamond on his accomplishment.
Profile of Dr.Ezriel Diamond