Originally broadcast on November 27, 2024 Dr. Amit Sood is called the “Happiness Doctor” for a good reason; his resilience approach has been included in over 35 clinical trials. The holiday season, occurring right after an intense election, is an ideal time to learn from Dr. Sood about how to recognize stress and reprogram the brain to deal with it. One of his top pieces of advice: Ask yourself if what is upsetting you will matter in five years? If... Read More Read More The post “Dr. Happiness”...
Nov 27, 2024•31 min•Ep. 754
Originally broadcast November 21, 2024 TV ads focused on health care issues — including transgender care, abortion and costs — ricocheted across the airwaves in the months leading up to election day. Erika Franklin Fowler, Ph.D., is a co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project, which tracks political ads. She joins “Conversations on Health Care” to discuss a controversial anti-transgender surgery ad from the Republicans that also benefited from free media attention, as well as House and Senate ca...
Nov 21, 2024•29 min•Ep. 753
Originally broadcast November 14, 2024 There are 27 million Americans who have medical debt on their credit reports right now—a drag on their pocketbooks and our health care system. Urban Institute researchers say they’ve found an interesting fact about those with medical debt: They live in communities with less healthcare competition because of common ownership. The data show that communities of color and people living in the South are disproportionately affected. Fredric Blavin, Ph.D. and Bren...
Nov 14, 2024•30 min•Ep. 752
Originally broadcast November 6, 2024 The current life expectancy at birth is 74.8 years for males and for females it’s 80.2 years in the U.S. Does it catch your eye when you hear about predictions we’ll be able to live to 100 and beyond? Some researchers are throwing cold water on those notions. “We’ll be lucky if 5% of the age cohort makes it to 100,” says S. Jay Olshansky, Ph.D., Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago. He and his... Read More Read More The post The Limits of Aging &...
Nov 06, 2024•33 min•Ep. 751
Originally broadcast April 9, 2024 The upcoming presidential election is stressing out 69% of American adults, according to a survey from the American Psychological Association. If you’re with the majority in feeling that way, there’s important advice to consider from worldwide acclaimed soprano Renée Fleming. She’s the editor of “Music and Mind,” a curated collection of essays from leading scientists, artists, creative arts therapists, educators and health care providers about the powerful impa...
Oct 24, 2024•30 min•Ep. 749
Originally broadcast October 17, 2024 For nearly the first decade of the National Institutes of Health’s “All of Us” Research Program — aimed at increasing diversity in genetic research — a major component was missing: kids. “Children are approximately 24% of our population in the U.S. and 100% of our future,” Dr. Sara Van Driest, director of pediatrics for NIH’s All of Us Program, told hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter. “In order to provide them with the very best... Read More Read More ...
Oct 21, 2024•29 min•Ep. 748
Originally broadcast October 10, 2024 The countdown is on to election day with health care issues hanging in the balance as never before. The biggest one: Abortion and reproductive rights. Andrea Ducas, the Vice President of Health Policy at the Center for American Progress, says “What you see with Vice President Harris is a candidate who’s committed to protecting women’s freedoms, to protecting women’s right to choose.” On the other side of the political spectrum is Wayne Winegarden, Ph.D., the...
Oct 10, 2024•33 min•Ep. 747
Originally broadcast October 2, 2024 U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Mandy Cohen described to “Conversations on Health Care” that their role right now is ensuring impacted residents understand the health risks that are present and could continue to grow in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. Dr. Cohen says while local, state and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials are in the acute response phase, CDC is doing its part by ensuring people realize there ...
Oct 10, 2024•29 min•Ep. 746
Originally broadcast September 26, 2024 At the beginning of this year, few could have predicted that in vitro fertilization would become a big political topic. But that’s what occurred after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled frozen embryos are “unborn children.” The Alabama legislature then responded by passing a law to shield IVF providers. Since then, former President Trump said he wants the government or insurance companies to pay for IVF treatment. However, Vice President Kamala Harris has sai...
Oct 10, 2024•29 min•Ep. 745
Originally broadcast November 22, 2022 When we have a guest like “Shark Tank” star Mark Cuban, it’s can be hard to keep up with all his thoughts. He was a bundle of energy in November 2022 explaining his then-new venture trying to reform how Americans can purchase lower-priced drugs; he called it “dunking on the pharma industry.” Since our conversation, experts say Cuban has become a major disrupter in generic drug pricing. Cost Plus now offers 2,500 drugs and has... Read More Read More The post...
Sep 19, 2024•29 min•Ep. 744
Originally broadcast August 3, 2023 Experts report we’re dealing with the hottest summer on record for the second year in a row. Phoenix has recorded 100 straight days of over 100-degree weather; Hollywood Burbank Airport in the Los Angeles area matched its all-time high temperature with a reading of 114. In Los Angeles, the city is taking action to help its people deal with the temperatures through the leadership of Marta Segura, one of the few appointed chief heat officers... Read More Read Mo...
Sep 12, 2024•29 min•Ep. 743
Originall broadcast September 5, 2024 Did you know private equity now owns one-third of private hospitals in the country and the percentage is growing? Private equity is a controversial type of financing typically seen in the technology and media sectors that’s now attracted to health care. It’s a trend that greatly troubles Erin Fuse Brown. She’s a professor of health services, policy and practice at Brown University’s School of Public Health and its Center for Advancing Health Policy through R...
Sep 05, 2024•37 min•Ep. 742
Originally broadcast August 29, 2024 Gallup reports that a record-high 32% of U.S. voters say they will only vote for a candidate for major office who shares their views on abortion. Indeed, the upcoming November presidential election will be the first one since the Supreme Court ended the constitutional right to abortion. The Washington reporters who cover health care policy and political maneuverings join us on “Conversations on Health Care” to discuss how Vice President Kamala Harris highligh...
Sep 03, 2024•31 min•Ep. 738
Originally broadcast August 22, 2024 Some patients are concerned about how far artificial intelligence (AI) is creeping into the exam room. But AI has been part of health care longer than most realize, according to Dr. Isaac Kohane, a groundbreaking Harvard University professor. Kohane is the editor-in-chief of the New England Journal of Medicine’s first publication devoted to AI. He tells hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter that “In the 1980s, automated interpretation of an [echocardiogram...
Sep 03, 2024•31 min•Ep. 740
Originally broadcast August 15, 2024 Dr. Aaron Carroll raises eyebrows with statements that highlight contradictory health advice: “‘Eggs are going to kill you because of cholesterol’ — ‘oh, it actually doesn’t matter. Eat as many eggs as you like.’ ‘Red meat will kill you.’ ‘Oh no, read meat can be part of a diet.’ ‘Drink no alcohol’ … ‘Oh, no no. Drinking red wine is perfectly healthy.’” Dr. Carroll has devoted his career to advocating for scientific and research communities... Read More Read ...
Sep 03, 2024•29 min•Ep. 739
Originally broadcast August 8, 2024 The director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) knows the eyes of the nation are on her. Renee Wegrzyn, Ph.D., leads the billion-dollar effort charged with leveraging research advances for real-world impact. Wegrzyn talked with hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter at Aspen Ideas: Health about the agency’s initiatives, including a $100 million sprint for women’s health and creating tissue-specific delivery of therapies. “How can we...
Sep 03, 2024•32 min•Ep. 738
Originally broadcast August 1, 2024 The defining health care issues in this year’s election are crystalizing with reproductive rights remaining at the top of the list. Julie Rovner, chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News, has covered health policy fights for nearly four decades. She said, “I think this may be the first time that abortion rights drive people out to vote. The anti-abortion movement has always been the one that has been able to gin up their base, and... Read More Read M...
Sep 03, 2024•36 min•Ep. 737
Originally broadcast July 25, 2024 The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), which was first published 141 years ago, is grappling with modern challenges as the most widely circulated general medical journal in the world. At the forefront is Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, its relatively new editor-in-chief. Dr. Bibbins-Domingo took the helm at a tumultuous time and has a clear vision for how JAMA should deal with equity in medicine and the public’s lack of trust in health care. She.....
Sep 03, 2024•31 min•Ep. 736
Originally broadcast July 18, 2024 With most of the country suffering through a sweltering heat wave, the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services has found the right time to unveil its nationwide Heat and Health Index (HHI). “Conversations on Health Care” learned all about it from Admiral Rachel Levine, M.D., the department’s assistant secretary for health. “We are seeing heat-related injury and health impacts globally,” says Levine, particularly in vulnerable populations, such as children, seni...
Sep 03, 2024•33 min•Ep. 735
Originally broadcast July 10, 2024 “Conversations on Health Care” went on the road to Aspen Ideas: Health. We start this series with Gregory Jackson, A White House official with one of the toughest assignments: tackling gun violence, Gregory is deputy director of the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. The post Biden Gun Prevention Leader at Aspen Ideas: Health to Make Their Case appeared first on Healthy Communities Online ....
Sep 03, 2024•32 min•Ep. 734
Originally broadcast July 1, 2024 Experts praise community health workers as the keys to building a more equitable and fair health care system in America. Is there a way to unlock more success for hiring and retaining them? Dr. Shreya Kangovi thinks so; she developed the IMPaCT Care program, which is saving money and quickly growing. We’re proud to share this encore “Conversations on Health Care” interview. Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter talked to Dr. Kangovi about how it’s a... Read M...
Sep 03, 2024•31 min•Ep. 732
Originally broadcast June 28, 2024 Five times during the COVID pandemic Dr. Anthony Fauci took time out of his incredibly busy schedule to share with “Conservations on Health Care” his latest insights. Now, he returns to reflect not only on COVID but also on the entire scope of his career, including his efforts to bring attention and resources to the AIDS fight in the 1980s. Dr. Fauci explains he had to speak truth to power during the pandemic in order “to... Read More Read More The post Dr. Fau...
Sep 03, 2024•34 min•Ep. 732
Originally broadcast June 20, 2024 Is the way we’re going about suicide prevention all wrong? And how are those misperceptions affecting efforts to stop veteran suicides? Clinical psychologist Craig Bryan is an Iraq War veteran and studies the issue. He’s the author of “Rethinking Suicide: Why Prevention Fails, and How We Can Do Better” and says we need a better focus on firearm safety. In 2021, 72% of veteran suicides involved firearms. The veteran suicide rate is currently 1.5 times... Read Mo...
Sep 03, 2024•31 min•Ep. 730
Originally broadcast June 13, 2024 More than 50,000 Americans died by suicide in 2023, the highest number on record. Data from 2021 found that over 12 million American adults thought about suicide and 1.7 million attempted it. American Psychiatric Association President Dr. Petros Levounis, who’s finishing his term, is at the center of efforts to prevent suicides. His focus continues to be on substance use addictions. He and the 38,000 APA members have launched a campaign called “Confronting Addi...
Sep 03, 2024•29 min•Ep. 730
Originally broadcast June 5, 2024 What if we say there’s a way to have healthier pregnancies, improve children’s health and create better economic outcomes? And it all begins with a knock on the door? That’s the way Nurse-Family Partnership works. It’s an evidence-based, community health program with 45 years of research showing significant improvements in the health and lives of first-time moms and their children affected by social and economic inequality. The initiative succeeds by having spec...
Sep 03, 2024•30 min•Ep. 729
Originally broadcast May 29, 2024 You know about the Army and Navy, but have you heard about the USPHS Commissioned Corps? It is one of the nation’s uniformed services — a branch committed to the service of health. Its over 6,000 officers advance the nation’s public health, serving in agencies across the government, as physicians, nurses, dentists, veterinarians, scientists, engineers and other professionals. President of the Public Health Service Commissioned Officers Foundation Gene Migliaccio...
Sep 03, 2024•34 min•Ep. 728
Originally broadcast May 22, 2024 This week we’ve brought together some of the brightest minds who run many of the best and most innovative community health centers across the country. From Long Island to San Francisco, community health centers served over 31 million patients last year. How are they keeping pace with their success while always working to improve the quality of the care? The guests are part of the Community Health Best Practices network and serve as CEOs of... Read More Read More...
May 22, 2024•31 min•Ep. 727
Originally published May 16, 2024 Join us for a unique conversation with an innovative nonprofit leader and the grantmaker who’s helping support her efforts. Morgan Dixon is the co-founder and CEO of GirlTREK, which she calls a “life-saving sisterhood.” Their campaign seeks to heal intergenerational trauma, fight systemic racism, and transform Black lives by organizing women walking teams. While participants walk, they also mobilize community members to support advocacy efforts and lead a Civil ...
May 16, 2024•31 min•Ep. 726
Black children ages 5 to 12 are twice as likely to die by suicide as their white counterparts, and the rate of suicides among Black teens is rising faster than any other racial/ethnic group. Those statistics are alarming to most people, but they’re not surprising to Yale Child Study Center (YCSC) Chief Resident and Child Psychiatry Fellow Dr. Amanda J. Calhoun. “Experiences of anti-Black racism affect kids before they are even born,” says Dr. Calhoun. The stress of anti-Black racism... Read More...
May 08, 2024•32 min•Ep. 725
Originally broadcast on May 2, 2024 In the wake of recent bipartisan policy wins in Washington, can health care policy follow suit? Dr. Anand Parekh, chief medical advisor at the Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC), spoke with hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter about how the best solutions emerge from a solid understanding of the issues and the eventual give-and-take of political opponents. For example, The Milbank Memorial Fund’s 2024 Scorecard Report of The Health of U.S. Primary Care declare...
May 01, 2024•30 min•Ep. 724
