Episode 142 - Todd Wetzel, part 1: More Precise Diagnostics

F. Todd Wetzel MD

In episode #142, I'm joined by Dr. Todd Wetzel. An orthopedic surgeon, current president of the North American Spine Society (NASS) and board of trustees member of the McKenzie Institute International.  He shares some about his professional journey and we discuss precision medicine, what creates best care and more.

 

Dr Wetzel obtained his MD from the University of Pennsylvania and completed a residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at Yale. He established the adult spine program at Pennsylvania State University School of Medicine, was the Chair of Surgery at UCH-Wiess, Vice Chair of the Department of Department of Surgery at the University, and head of the Quality Resource Program.

Dr Wetzel has been at Temple University since 2004 where he is currently Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine, and Professor of Neurosurgery.

Aside from a practice in spinal surgery, Dr Wetzel is the author of over 200 peer reviewed papers, abstracts, and textbook chapters. He is also active in the North American Spine Society where he serves as president this current term.

Dr Wetzel was appointed to the Board of Trustees of the McKenzie Institute in 2010.

 

Show Notes

About Dr. Todd Wetzel

Dr. Wetzel shares his background, including his academic and surgical career, and personal beliefs on spine care. He shares how he got interested in MDT, and how his passion for comprehensive spine care grew. 

 

Involvement with the McKenzie Institute International

Todd’s personal connections with Ron Donelson and Vert Mooney helped get him involved with MII, and he currently holds a place on the Board of Trustees. He speaks of the Institute’s current and future endeavors. He shares some current success stories, and some issues that have arisen in the current healthcare climate.

 

Precision Medicine

Dr. Wetzel talks about how MDT fits into “precision medicine.” He cites an article by Dzau and Ginsberg which speaks of the impediments to implementing precision-based medicine, and we discuss the ADTO model (Assessment, Diagnosis, Treatment, Outcome) as it pertains to precision-based medicine.

 

Todd discusses his thoughts on how to address these barriers, including the utilization of more specific diagnostic tools. 

We hope to deliver this content to the committed professional who wants to improve his/her care and we hope to do it in a way that is easily accessible, the world over, in today's technological age.

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