Medical Collaborations and Consultations 

The population is aging, and medical complexity is increasingly common, even among younger individuals. In this course, you will learn how to support primary care providers (PCPs) in managing medically complex patients and understand when and how to obtain consultations for treatment. We will review a variety of care examples to illustrate these concepts.

Course Objectives

As a result of attending this course, participants should be able to:

• Identify the role of PCPs in managing medically complex patients and understand how to support them effectively.
• Recognize when to obtain a consultation for treating patients with complex medical histories.
• Analyze diverse care examples to enhance understanding of managing complex medical cases collaboratively.

David Carsten is a dentist anesthesiologist. He has a BS in Biochemistry from Washington State University with background in Medical Bacteriology and virology. At WSU he researched E coli and their bacteriophages. His DDS is from the University of Washington. He has 6 publications in the scientific literature. He received the Award of Distinction in Continuing Education from the Academy of Dentistry International.

He is an Assistant Professor in Hospital Dentistry at Oregon Health Sciences University. He was on the ADA Steering Committee for the DLOSCE. He is a member of the Technical Advisory Group through the Council of State Governments to set up an interstate dental and hygiene licensure compact. He mentors the interdisciplinary lecture group at OHSU, the Tilikum Crossing Seminars. He is a Chair of the Washington State Dental Commission, also chairing the Infection Control Committee. Dave has given more than forty lectures regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, starting 10 January 2020. Dave lives in Vancouver with his wife, Sharon, his son, Davin, and their dog, Kiki. He has been a member of the Spiritual Care Team at Salmon Creek Legacy Hospital since 2012.