Regional Urology LLC Archives

LUGPA Government Policy Panel: Overview

Posted by R. Jonathan Henderson, MD | Nov 2021

R. Jonathan Henderson, MD, a urologist with Regional Urology, LLC, in Shreveport, Louisiana, discusses the Large Urology Group Practice Association, or LUGPA, the only nonprofit urology trade association in the United States. Dr. Henderson, who is the current President of LUGPA, explains LUGPA’s mission to preserve and advance the independent practice of urology; its core values of quality, collaboration, innovation, and integrity; and its strategic priorities, including advocacy and health policy, value-based care, practice management and benchmarking, and leadership development. Dr. Henderson expounds upon LUGPA’s dyad leadership model, wherein a practice is run by both a physician leader and an administrator, and he asserts this results in stronger practices, both medically and businesswise. Dr. Henderson then promotes Practice Management for Urology Groups, LUGPA’s Guidebook as a “recipe book for what we do in urology” before summarizing LUGPA’s benchmarking and executive leadership programs. Turning to the future, Dr. Henderson says LUGPA is following innovation and breakthroughs in urologic care, cost containment pressures, evolving payment methods, and practice and hospital integration and consolidation. He highlights health care personnel (HCP) shortages, citing data to support his assertion that it is a “perfect storm,” with 277 urologists completing residency annually, 2,000-3,000 current US job openings, and an average urologist age of 58. Dr. Henderson concludes by discussing the LUGPA 2021 Annual Meeting as well as new virtual offerings spurred by the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing LUGPA’s value in facilitating powerful networks and its relevance to all urology practitioners, whether they be academic, hospital-based, independent, or employed.

Genetics and Genomic Biomarkers: How Molecular Markers and mpMRI Play a Role

Posted by R. Jonathan Henderson, MD | Jun 2020

R. Jonathan Henderson, MD, a urologist with Regional Urology, LLC, and President-Elect of the LUGPA Board of Directors, discusses the challenges posed by having a plethora of screening tools at a physician’s disposal, as well as how the statistical validity of these tools makes it unclear as to which are best for a given situation. He also uses his personal experience with taking a patient through the prostate cancer screening process in order to highlight the need for free and open communication with the patient, the importance of choosing a process that the physician is comfortable with, and the challenge of helping the patient find peace of mind.

Challenging Cases in Advanced Prostate Cancer: nmCRPC

Posted by R. Jonathan Henderson, MD | Jun 2020

R. Jonathan Henderson, MD, a urologist with Regional Urology, LLC, discusses an unusual case of non-metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC) with a panel featuring Laurence Klotz, MD, FRCSC, Daisaku Hirano, MD, and Michael S. Cookson, MD. The case in question involves an asymptomatic patient in his 70s who was successfully treated for localized prostate cancer and then, ten years later, was treated with cryotherapy for recurrent cancer, after which point cancer stopped appearing in imaging, but the patient’s PSA rapidly rose even as he was treated with abiraterone. Drs. Klotz, Hirano, and Cookson discuss whether it is appropriate to give such treatments to a persistently asymptomatic patient and note that his high PSA could be a response to abiraterone. They also consider the possibility that advanced imaging techniques like PSMA-PET would reveal that the man does have metastases and ponder which of the approved treatments for nmCRPC might suit this patient best.

Androgen Annihilation as a New Therapeutic Paradigm in Advanced Prostate Cancer

Posted by R. Jonathan Henderson, MD | May 2019

R. Jonathan Henderson, MD, argues that the goal of ADT should be to achieve and maintain the lowest levels of T possible in prostate cancer patients. The FDA-recommended target low of 50 ng/dL originates from constraints of outdated technology, and multiple studies indicate that there is a benefit to patients when T-levels fall below 20 ng/dL.

A Review of the Third Global Summit on Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Prostate Cancer

Posted by Faina Shtern, MD | May 2019

Faina Shtern, MD, reviews the history of AdMeTech Foundation, highlighting efforts such as their Manogram® project and “Brain Trust” program. She then summarizes the findings and recommendations from the foundation’s Third Global Summit on Precision Diagnosis and Treatment of Prostate Cancer.