Healthcare professionals writing in scholarly journals around the world are increasingly emphasizing the vital importance of interdisciplinary-based care. Organizations from professional associations to universities to government agencies are recognizing that the complex healthcare needs of modern patients require sophisticated, nuanced, and collaborative solutions that take the entire person—not just a sign or symptom relevant to only one field—into account. As a study published in 2023 in the National Library of Medicine notes: “Research indicates that medical care based on interdisciplinary cooperation is associated with increased patient safety, lower hospitalization rates, and reduced rates of complications and medical errors.” The philosophy of freeing healthcare providers from a limited focus in order to better care for their patients drives Masterclasses in Dermatology’s work, including our upcoming meeting in Puerto Rico in 2024.
The faculty for our President’s Day Weekend conference—like all our conferences—is made up of national-and global-level physicians devoted to the promotion of intersectionality in dermatology (and all medicine) with a goal of optimizing patient care. Our speakers include:
Katherine Economy, M.D.—an OB/GYN Perspective
Pregnancy represents perhaps the clearest picture of the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to medicine, since any treatment given to the patient also impacts the baby developing within a body undergoing rapid shifts and changes. With this in mind, Dr. Katherine Economy (Obstetrics/Gynecology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, associate professor at Harvard Medical School) will be presenting on two topics: “Hormone Replacement Therapy in the 21st Century” and “Drug Safety in Pregnancy: Immunosuppressive and Biologic Agent.”
Dennis Orgill, M.D.—a Plastic Surgeon Perspective
Whether medical or aesthetic in nature, millions of patients across the United States undergo surgery each year—and though the focus for surgery can greatly vary, the reality is that any surgery performed on the body naturally impacts a range of organs, systems, and processes, which in turn impacts the patient’s overall health. Dr. Dennis Orgill (medical director at BWH Wound Care Center, professor at Harvard Medical School) will be presenting on “Surgical Management of HS” and “What’s New in Plastic Surgery.”
Hugh Sampson, M.D.—an Allergist and Immunologist Perspective
Rashes develop on the skin, but that does not mean they are strictly a skin problem. Hives and other eruptions can be triggered by everything from diet to mental stress to chronic immunodeficiency, all of which require an interdisciplinary approach that quite literally gets beneath the surface. As an allergist and immunologist, Dr. Hugh Sampson (Kurt Hirschhorn professor of pediatrics at Icahn School of Medicine) will be presenting on “Urticaria,” “Allergy Testing 101,” and “Food Allergies for the Dermatologist.”
Ryan Stidham, M.D.—a Gastroenterologist Perspective
What we put into our bodies—and how our bodies handle the food, drink, medications, and more that we consume—greatly impacts our overall health. In many cases, problems with the digestive system result in signs visible elsewhere, such as the skin. Dr. Ryan Stidham (assistant professor of medicine at University of Michigan, translational scientist) will be presenting on “AI in IBD: What is the Gastroenterology Perspective” and “IBD Update for the Dermatologist.”
In addition to these teachings, Masterclasses in Dermatology co-chairs Alice Gottlieb, M.D., Ph.D., and Joseph Merola, M.D., M.M.Sc.—both multidisciplined in the fields of dermatology and rheumatology—will be presenting along with more than a dozen other physicians from a range of disciplines at the conference. View the entire Puerto Rico 2024 conference agenda here.
Register for the Masterclasses in Dermatology’s 2024 conference—Feb. 16 through 19 at Hyatt Regency Grand Reserve in Puerto Rico—by clicking here. For more information, contact us online.
