Rothenberg
It may be difficult to imagine today, but when Dr. Ron Rothenberg first began practicing medicine in the 1970s there were no emergency room specialists. That’s not to say there were no doctors specializing in emergency room procedures, but the American Medical Association had not recognized them as a breed, unique unto themselves.
It can take a while for the medical establishment to adopt new specialties, even after years of practice. “Very little has changed in the practice of medicine since I was in med school,” said Dr. Rothenberg. “ We have higher levels of technology and newer antibiotics, but we’re still managing our patients with conventional medicine.”
Dr. Rothenberg made his voice heard in those early years of medical practice by asking the state of California to provide continuing education to emergency room practitioners. Several decades later emergency care is considered a specialty, complete with its own training.
Today, Dr. Rothenberg is known as an anti-aging expert, driven by an internal need to learn what’s over the next scientific hill. “I’m always looking for original research. You can’t continue on inertia,” he explained.
He’s inspired by learning more about the science of medicine, by having stronger information to share with his patients. Part of his current practice involves working with men and women as they move through the aging process.
Dr. Rothenberg said that, “Andropause in men has just as many severe consequences and symptoms as menopause in women. Both are hormone deficiencies and need to be treated with bioidentical hormone optimization.”
With a thriving practice in Encinitas, a full travel and speaking schedule, and time built in for his surfing habit, Dr. Rothenberg packs a lot of living into his life. Still, he remains dedicated to learning more about the latest medical techniques and to delve into scientific data as it becomes available. He believes he knows which way the scientific evidence is pointing.
It was through a colleague that Rothenberg first learned of the clinical trials being performed at Regenerative Medicine Institute, Mexico. He calls the stem cells found in fat – like those harvested at RMI – the “richest” stem cells in the body.
Calling stems cells “our built-in repair kit,” Dr. Rothenberg feels confident in suggesting the treatment. In fact, he has referred patients to the trials conducted at RMI.
“I expect in the future there will be a merging of conventional and new medical techniques. There are no separate conventional and alternative medicines. We need to have open minds to everything that is safe and effective. You can’t stop a tidal wave of information.”
Rodrigo Robledo
Dr. Rodrigo Robledo has a full plate. In addition to operating a thriving dental practice, Robledo is commissioner of The State Commission for Medical Arbitration, State of Baja California. The Commission is responsible for hearing patient complaints against medical practitioners.
According to Dr. Robledo, 350,000 Californians seek medical treatment in Mexico each year. Some travel out of country in order to obtain more affordable medical care, while others prefer the level of attention they receive from Mexican doctors.
“The U.S. has the best diagnostic equipment in the world,” Robledo said, “but patients frequently spend their time with medical assistants, nurses and other support personnel. They don’t get real time with their doctors. In Mexico, we spend time with our patients, we know them, we know about their families. It’s a more personal relationship. Many doctors in the U.S. spend more time dealing with insurance.”
One of the things foreigners worry about as they consider travelling to Mexico for medical treatment is physician oversight. Dr. Robledo says that patients often don’t realize that there is a body actively overseeing their protection.
The mission of The State Commission for Medical Arbitration is two-fold, according to Robledo. “We protect the ethics of doctors and protect services for society.”
In the event a patient has a problem with his treatment or a misunderstanding with his doctor, he can make a report to the Commission. In turn, the Commission investigates every complaint. In some cases the solution is as simple as the physician returning the fee paid for services. In more serious cases, the doctor can be reprimanded, lose his license, or be charged with a crime. The most serious cases are turned over to the Attorney General’s office.
“The media would have people believe that it is not safe to travel for medical care. What they don’t say is that we work hard to protect patients, to give them a place to voice their concerns,” Robledo said.
The process is as easy as filling out a form. Every complaint turned into the Commission is investigated, regardless of how trivial the matter may seem. According to Dr. Robledo, complaints filed by foreigners are pursued as vigilantly as those filed by Mexican citizens.
The influx of medical tourism is likely to grow. According to the Commissioner, by 2015, 40 percent of baby boomers will need some type of health services. A large percent of those visitors will come to border states like Baja, California.
“People don’t know about many of the things the government is doing to protect them,” said Dr. Robledo.
David Audley
When you imagine a guy with a master’s degree in French Revolutionary history you might not picture Wyatt Earp, but David Audley and Wyatt Earp do have something in common. Both men were charged with taming the “Wild West.” Earp, of course, worked to maintain order in rowdy places like Dodge City. Audley works to maintain order in the new frontier of stem cell treatment.
As Executive Director of the International Cellular Medicine Society (ICMS), Audley must oversee 2,800 aligned members from 36 countries, many hoping to be accredited by his agency. Audley describes ICMS as, “a patient safety organization.” As such, ICMS investigates the transparency and efficacy of programs that offer stem cell therapies.
Accreditation by ICMS is a fairly new development. “We had clinics who were claiming that because they had someone affiliated with us, they were part of ICMS. In order to address the problem we initiated two things. First of all, any professional who wants membership must apply. And secondly, we began the accreditation process.”
In order to be accredited by ICMS – the only true accreditation body of its kind – physicians and medical groups are carefully vetted. They must prove that they are safe and that they have treated enough patients to provide a fair picture of how effective their treatments have been. While Audley says that some of the groups going through the accreditation program are “close” to approval, there are still investigative steps to be taken.
The goal is to provide patients with the assurance that when they’re treated by an ICMS-accredited physician, they’re in well-trained, ethical hands.
Asked what patients should look for in a stem cell therapy program, Audley gave a three-part answer. “Transparency. It should be obvious what they’re getting. They should hear about possible outcomes and how the treatment they’re receiving has worked for other patients. Oversight. They should find out if their doctor has anyone looking over his shoulder to make sure things are being done right. And they need follow up. That doctor should not just treat them and send them on their way. A patient should know that someone will be following up on their case.”
A high quality stem cell program will let patients know up front what they’re in for and what kind of results they can realistically expect. “People are messy,” Audley said. “We smoke, drink and do all kinds of nasty things to our bodies. Yet we expect the same outcome as someone who doesn’t do these things.”
Audley’s wish is that in 10 years stem cell treatment will be simply one more weapon in the medical arsenal. “I hope it’s a tool that can be paired with other treatment options. It’s not magic pixie dust, but part of an overall approach to healthcare.”
While we wait for that day to arrive, Audley will be busy playing sheriff in the Wild West of cutting-edge medical treatment.
Barbara Krutchkoff, Founder and CEO of A3Cell, summed it up by saying, “If physicians want to do stem cells, David is here to help them do it right.”
