Key points from today’s guests:

Dr. Steve Stites, chief medical officer, The University of Kansas Health System

• Too often, health care is one size fits all. Treatment meant for the average patient may not work well for each individual.
• That's why the All Of Us Research Program is working to enroll one million or more people with a goal of 3,200 participants from the Midwest over the next year.
• It is important that people in the Midwest are represented in this program, which could greatly help in the development of precision medicine treatments tailored for an individual patient.
• For me, the meaning of precision medicine was crystallized when I saw a cystic fibrosis patient receive a specialized drug that didn’t just change her life, it changed her lifetime.
• To find out more about how to participate in this research project, visit www.JoinAllOfUs.org/Heartland.

Dr. Josh Denny, CEO, All of Us Research Program

• We are seeking to create one of the world's largest biomedical research programs to tackle all sorts of diseases and drug responses to really make health better for everyone, and it's critical that we have people participating from diverse areas.
• More than 820,000 participants have signed up and we are actually doing genetic testing results faster than any other program in history that I know of.
• We allow an individual to find out some information about what kinds of medicine would work best for them if they carry risk of a hereditary disease.
• We can do something about hereditary cancers like breast and ovarian cancer or heart conditions like arrhythmias that could potentially be fatal. If we find it early because of genetics, there's something we can do to help prevent that risk
• There is no cost to participants who want to be involved in the research.
• knowledge is a powerful thing, and it allows us to do things together. I think it takes all of us to help each of us, and we need to be in a community to do that.

Stuart Downing-Vest, producer, Open Mics with Dr. Stites; All of Us participant

• As a participant in the study, it has been really easy using the All Of Us app, which prompts you to create an account and watch a video to learn more about the project.
• It includes a series of health questionnaires, including your health history.
• The next step is awaiting directions on how to donate samples.
• It is important to be a part of this study to help improve health care for others.

Dr. Akinlolu Ojo, executive dean, School of Medicine, The University of Kansas Medical Center

• The All of us Research Program is a precision medicine initiative in which everyone in the United States and its territories can participate.
• It includes three initial steps:
  • One, donating a blood and urine specimen.
  • Two, filling out survey questions.
  • And three, donating electronic medical records on an ongoing basis.
  • In turn, participants will get back the results of their tests, including clinical genetic results and other information that they have contributed to the All of Us Research Program.
  • Precision medicine is what All of Us is about, and precision medicine requires precise information on all individuals so everyone can participate.
  • Anyone can participate in the research program, especially individuals who have been traditionally underrepresented in research. This is important.

Dr. Matthias Salathe, vice chancellor of research, The University of Kansas Medical Center

• A lot of research has really been done in patient populations that are similar – other large studies have mainly enrolled white people.
• New gene therapies to battle cystic fibrosis is a form of precision medicine because not everyone responds to the same therapies.
• About 30 years ago, that condition had dire outcomes, and today with precision medicine, people are living with cystic fibrosis.
• I think the future is now. This research is getting us to a completely different way of providing medicine and prevention to people that desperately need it.
• We need everybody who wants to participate to really participate for the long term because it makes a difference.

Dr. Dana Hawkinson, medical director, Infection Prevention & Control, The University of Kansas Health System

• The nation is continuing to see a wave of COVID infections, and thankfully, immunity is helping keep hospitalizations down.
• Wastewater testing data is trending higher for COVID this summer than last summer, but hospitalizations are a lot lower.
• We just need to be a little more careful, especially when you're out in crowded public spaces and if you have a history of more severe chronic disease, or you are living with someone who may be older or in a high risk category.
• It’s always OK to wear a mask.

Thursday, Aug. 15 at 8 a.m. is the next All Things Heart. One man's skin cancer traveled to his heart. Find out how that happened, how it was treated, and how he's doing today.

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