Dr. Dariusz Nasiek's Networking Dinner & Seminar on Medical and Legal Issues

Susan Ruiz started off the evening with a presentation on Hudson Regional Hospital, one of Northern New Jersey’s Premier hospitals located in Secaucus, New Jersey. With a mission to build a healthier community through exceptional care, sophisticated technology, and knowledgeable physicians, they are committed to investing in facility improvements, working with top level physicians, and integrating advanced technologies. They provide their patients with the most sophisticated robotic technologies and treatment modalities and offer an array of services working with many insurance plans.

Afterwards, Sean Barresi from WIRX Pharmacy presented on his company, a premier auto accident pharmacy. He explained that his company is a mail order pharmacy servicing injured worker’s prescription need. WIRX Pharmacy is not affiliated with any insurance or managed care companies. Rather, they are an independent company committed to working with their clients and physicians to ensure each client receives uninterrupted prescriptions during their care. They communicate well with their clients and doctors and offer expedited service and exceptional customer service, with pharmacy managers always available to answer questions.

Finally, Dr. Nasiek spoke on the Best Clinical Documentation. This was the second part of his 3-part presentation series. Dr. Nasiek began with a of the last presentation he gave last month, outlining how to document permanent damages based on diagnostic studies such as MRI and EMG. Dr. Nasiek stated that the physician should always review all MRIs or EMGs personally, and write a thorough statement following the review which includes information that, to the best of their knowledge, the opinions rendered by the reading radiologist are in direct agreement with the attending physicians. He also stated that me makes sure to add that all his opinions are within a reasonable degree of medical probability.

Dr. Nasiek then moved on to speak about how to document permanent damages with respect to axial non-radiating pain - pain confined to one spot or region of the spine with no pain traveling down the extremities. Diagnostic testing which evaluates and documents this kind of pain includes facet joint block and/or provocative discography. Both have become the gold standard in evaluating patients with this type of axial pain.

Because cervical and lumbar facets pain patterns – situations were pain is perceived at a location other than the site of the painful stimulus or origin – it is often hard to pinpoint the origin of the pain. Yet diagnosis is required to properly manage acute or chronic spinal pain, so physician must use a combination of physical examination, radiological imaging, laboratory studies, and precision diagnostic tests, such as facet block (medial branch block) to establish proper diagnosis and to apply the best possible therapy.

Similarly, since there is no test to determine whether a disc is a spinal pain generator where discogenic pain is presence, discography is currently understood to be the best tool available to evaluate a pathologically damaged disc. Discography is also the best alternative to actual surgical intervention in documenting disc pathology with certainty since it can establish the precise diagnosis of the “hot disc” and direct the surgeon at what level to perform the surgical intervention.

It was a very enjoyable evening that included educational presentations, delicious food, plenty of networking, and the space to discuss medical legal issues with peers.

The next event will be held on Thursday May 26th at 7PM at the same location, The Royal Warsaw. A big thank you to Hudson Regional Hospital, WIRX Pharmacy, & REDI Diagnostics for sponsoring this very successful event. We would also like to thank all our friends, contributors, and professional family for making these events such a huge success.