BERKELEY, CA (UroToday.com) - Listen to Dr. Deepak A. Kapoor, president of the Large Urology Group Practice Association (LUGPA) and chairman and CEO of Integrated Medical Professionals, PLLC, in an exclusive commentary for UroToday. In this podcast, Dr. Kapoor comments on the GAO report on utilization of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for treatment of prostate cancer. He also discusses LUGPA’s reaction to the GAO report, and the potential impact on cost of prostate cancer treatment and on urology practices and urologists in the U.S.
The American Association of Clinical Urologists (AACU), the American Urological Association (AUA), and LUGPA jointly refuted the recent U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) flawed and misleading study on the use of IMRT for the treatment of prostate cancer. The GAO failed to properly account for the fact that the increase in the overall number of IMRT treatments performed by urology groups is directly related to the number of urologists in group practices that now incorporate radiation therapy as part of their comprehensive, integrated strategy to treat prostate cancer. In addition, the GAO completely disregarded peer-reviewed literature that demonstrates that IMRT has become the clinical standard of care for prostate cancer patients and that patient understanding of their treatment options is substantially enhanced when there is shared decision making in a comprehensive, integrated cancer care setting.
______________________________________________
Dr. Deepak A. Kapoor, chairman and chief executive officer of Integrated Medical Professionals (IMP) headquartered in Melville, NY, is one of the youngest physicians to have been certified by the American Board of Urology and comes to IMP with over 20 years of clinical and business expertise. His medical background is diverse with both laboratory and clinical experience, both in the academic and private sectors. Dr. Kapoor´s expertise includes basic science research in molecular biology as well as extensive experience in oncologic and reconstructive surgery.
Under his leadership, Dr. Kapoor’s organization, Integrated Medical Professionals (IMP) has become the largest comprehensive urology group practice in the United States, and is regarded as a national leader in the areas of quality management, utilization review, compliance and the development of coordinated clinical pathways.
In addition to his duties with IMP, Dr. Kapoor is president of the Large Urology Group Practice Association (representing nearly 25% of all practicing urologists in the United States), is chairman of SCRUBS RRG (the only national urology specific medical malpractice carrier), is a member of the board of directors of UroPAC (the national political action committee representing the interests of the specialty of urology), founder of the New York Urology Trade Association (representing the business interests of urology group practices in the State of New York), past chairman of Access to Integrated Cancer Care (an informal advocacy group representing the rights of patients to access integrated services of the highest quality), is a member of the board of directors of Allied Urological Services, (the largest lithotripsy partnership in the United States , where he also functions as chairman of the Finance Committee) and is founder and past president of the Integrated Medical Foundation. Dr. Kapoor is a fellow of the American College of Physician Executives.
Dr. Kapoor has published and lectured extensively on both clinical and business medical issues, and serves on a number of medical advisory boards, including the New York State Governor´s Prostate Cancer Advisory Panel. He is the recipient of the American Urological Association’s 2011 Ambrose-Reed Socioeconomic Essay Award, and continues to enjoy an active clinical practice along with his administrative duties.
