SECOND OPINIONTAKES ON A NEW SERIES OF
CONTROVERSIAL MEDICAL CASES AS IT
LAUNCHES SEASON SEVEN ON PUBLIC TELEVISION
ROCHESTER, N.Y., September XX, 2010 –Mammography, racial disparities in cardiac care, and cervical cancer vaccine are just three of the controversial topics Second Opinion: Taking Charge of Your Healthcare tackles this season. The national health care series produced by WXXI, University of Rochester Medical Center, and West 175 Productions returns for a seventh season on xxxxxxxx insert your station and airtimes/dates here xxxxxxxx. For years, Second Opinion has improved viewers' health literacy by providing insight into how doctors make decisions. With a better understanding of complex health issues, patients can navigate the medical system for better health outcomes.
Emmy Award-winning veteran host Dr. Peter Salgo returns to incite some of the most open and honest medical conversations found on television today. In each episode of Second Opinion Dr. Salgo presents an actual medical case to a panel of experts that includes three specialists, a primary care physician, a patient diagnosed with the condition, and an expert in doctor-patient communication. The panelists are not allowed to review the case file before the cameras roll. This keeps the conversation authentic — mirroring the doctor-patient exchanges that occur across America every day.
"The patient is a critical member of his or her healthcare team and needs to be empowered to act as such," says Dr. Salgo. "By putting doctors on the spot as to why they make the decisions they do, we make medical care more transparent and less intimidating. Viewers should be able to come away from each episode a little more informed and prepared to take control of their own healthcare."
In this seventh season of Second Opinion, Dr. Salgo leads the discussion on a range of topics, including: celiac disease, bipolar disorder, multiple sclerosis, racial disparities in cardiac care, mammography, fecal incontinence, the HPV vaccine and cervical cancer, spinal cord injury, breast reconstruction, late effects of cancer treatment, heart replacement, vitamin D deficiency, and dizziness.
Among the experts appearing this season are: Dr. Brad Berk, MD, PhD, Senior Vice President for Health Sciences and CEO of University of Rochester Medical Center; Dr. Mona Fouad, MD, MPH, Director of the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research Center at the University of Alabama; Charley C. Della Santina, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Division of Otology, Neurotology & Skull base Surgery in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins; Dr. Alice Flaherty, author of “The Midnight Disease” of Harvard University; Dr. Daniel Leffler, MD, MS, Director of Clinical Research at the Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Joyce Nelson, President and CEO of the National Muscular Sclerosis Society; Dr. James Abraham, Chief of Hematology-Oncology and Medical Director of Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center; and Dr. Eric Madrid, MD, author of “Vitamin D Prescription: The Healing Power of the Sun and How It Can Save Your Life.”
In addition to the weekly broadcast, Second Opinion engages and educates viewers online through a comprehensive Web site at Viewers can find in-depth background on numerous diseases and conditions. Second Opinion also sends out highlights via Facebook and Twitter.
A series of companion webisodes and video podcasts called Second Opinion “Stat!” let viewers continue the healthcare conversation in an interactive group online, where experts appearing on the program will publish articles and patients with similar diagnoses or conditions can connect with one another.
Second Opinion is endorsed by both the American Hospital Association and the Association of Academic Health Centers. Dr. Roger Oskvig, an acknowledged leader in Gerontology and associate professor of medicine at University of Rochester Medical Center, is the series’ principal medical advisor.
Seen on more than 250 public television stations across the country, Second Opinion has garnered three Communicator Awards, seven Bronze Telly Awards, a Gold Award from the World Wide Web Health Awards for Patient Education Information, and a Gold Aurora Award. The series is distributed by American Public Television.
Second Opinion is made possible in part by support from the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association (BCBSA), which has been the major funder since the series’ inception in 2004.
# # #
Underwriters: The BlueCross and BlueShield Association. Producer: WXXI Rochester, University of Rochester Medical School and West 175 Productions, Inc. Executive producers: Elissa Orlando and Elizabeth Brock. Producer: Fiona Willis. Principal medical advisor: Dr. Roger Oskvig. Format: CC Stereo. Online: secondopiniontv.org
About APT
American Public Television (APT) has been a leading distributor of high-quality, top-rated programming to America’s public television stations since 1961. In 2009, APT distributed 56 of the top 100 highest-rated public television titles. Among its 300 new program titles per year are prominent documentaries, news and current affairs programs, dramatic series, how-to programs, children’s series and classic movies, including For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots, A Ripple of HopeRick Steves' Europe, Newsline, Globe Trekker, Simply Ming, America's Test Kitchen From Cook’s Illustrated, Lidia's Italy, P.Allen Smith's Garden Home, Murdoch Mysteries, Doc Martin, Rosemary and Thyme, Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison, The Great American Songbook and John Denver: The Wildlife Concert. APT also licenses programs internationally through its APT Worldwide service. In 2006, APT launched Create® – the TV channel featuring the best of public television's lifestyle programming. APT is also a partner in the WORLD™ channel expansion project including its web presence at WORLDcompass.org. For more information about APT’s programs and services, visit APTonline.org. For more information on Create, visit CreateTV.com.