Adam Hochron

With the announcement of a new medical school thanks to a partnership between Seton Hall University and Hackensack University Health Network the two New Jersey institutions are working to address a growing shortage of physicians in a number of specialties across the country.

Hackensack University Medical Center can trace its roots back to a blizzard back in the late 1800's when residents in northern New Jersey could not get across the Hudson River to get the care they needed. Since that time it has grown into the flagship of one of the largest health networks in the metropolitan area.

The Affordable Care Act has had a significant impact on the health care landscape beyond patients having more access to health insurance. For hospitals and health care systems they have also had to adjust to provide a high quality of care for patients.

Despite a considerable gap between the number of patients who require a transplant and the number of organs available those patients fortunate enough to receive the lifesaving organs are seeing greater success from the procedure.

With hundreds of thousands of people in the United States undergoing dialysis the field of nephrology is working hard to keep these patients as healthy as possible in hopes of getting them to the point of kidney transplant.

There is no shortage of people in need of a kidney transplant but a considerable shortage in the number of organs available to these patients. Despite that health care professionals in nephrology are determined to provide their patients the highest quality of life possible in spite of these challenges.

As with many areas of health care the easiest way to treat a patient is to find a problem before it becomes to big to tackle. This is the same in gastroenterology where a problem caught early can make a world of difference in a patient's likelihood of survival.

As the only National Pancreas Foundation Center for Excellence in New Jersey and one of only 30 in the country Hackensack University Medical Center has made a point of providing the best care possible to patients when it comes to pancreatic health.

The treatment of pancreatitis has taken great strides in recent years including the ability to help patients through non-surgical options.

As viruses like Ebola, chikungunya, and now zika continue to make headlines treating these conditions may take more than just the medical condition to ensure they do not become larger problems on the global scene.

Zika virus has been around for decades but has only recently made global headlines. While medical research learns more about the condition there are also steps that can be taken to minimize its impact in the future.

As with all areas of health care money is an important consideration for hospitals and other medical research institutions. Finding the most effective way to spend money to get the best results can be a difficult balancing act across the board.

For patients located near major medical centers their ability to receive the latest medical treatments is higher than those in more rural areas. Despite that the field of cardiology and others are working to make these treatments available to all patients in need.

As medical research makes progress in treating conditions like stroke prevention and atrial fibrillation new and smaller devices are being developed to help better treat these patients

For doctors who have been involved in the treatment of cardiovascular health for several decades a significant amount of progress has been made in the past few years helping to keep patients healthy through much less invasive measures.

While technology has come a long way in recent years for operations on the thyroid some patients either may not qualify for robotic surgery or may prefer the more traditional options for their own personal reasons.

In the past when patients underwent an operation for thyroid surgery or another thyroid related condition one of the concerns they had was scarring in the area of the operation. Thanks to advances in robotic technology that issue can be minimized or even eliminated completely.

In the years leading up to Hurricane Katrina striking New Orleans one of the leading health care providers in the city was working on finding its footing and direction heading into the 21st century. In the wake of the storm there was more flexibility to chart a new course into the future.

As robotics becomes a greater part of the surgical field there is a concern that some doctors may become too comfortable with technology and not rely as much on their traditional training in procedures. Despite this challenge there are ways doctors are finding to strike a balance between the two sides for the best end result.

Technology has advanced by leaps and bounds in hepatology in recent years particularly in the diagnosis of conditions like pancreatic cancer. Even still these advances can still make the diagnosis process a challenge, especially when explaining these conditions to patients and finding the best treatment methods.

Surgery on different parts of the body is as unique as the body parts themselves requiring specialization to provide the best patient care possible

At major institutions like Tulane University there is a considerable amount of focus and work on finding better ways to diagnose and treat sarcoidosis.

As more is learned about the treatment of sarcoidosis there is little doubt that steroids are not the final step in the development process. Doctors and researchers are working to find what that next step is.

Sarcoidosis is a condition which can affect many systems across the body which can make the diagnosis process a difficult one for patients and doctors alike.

As part of a long family tradition of Tulane Graduates William Lunn has a special place in his heart for New Orleans. Having seen the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina Lund said it has been that much more impressive to see the city rebuild in the decade since the storm.

When managing a health care system of any size there can be any number of challenges encountered on a daily basis. What resources they have to address those challenges and how they address those issues can determine the quality of patient care they are able to provide.

Tulane Health System is one of the largest health care organizations in the State of Louisiana and part of an even larger health care network. Because of this they have the resources to provide top quality care to not only local patients but also people around the region and the globe who can use their help.

In a time when obesity and cardiovascular disease are growing problems doctors are also working to combat diabetes at the same time. This presents opportunities for care as well as challenges in addressing the various concerns of their patients.

When diabetes first became a concern in the medical community the numbers were lower, but the consequences were much more severe. Today, many more people are diagnosed with types one and two diabetes but the treatment options are much safer and more effective.

For patients with achalasia simple tasks like eating and drinking can be nearly impossible causing health problems including severe weight loss. A new minimally invasive procedure aims to to help get these patients back to a normal quality of life within a day after surgery.