Pediatrician and certified coach Jessie Mahoney discusses her article " How to get physician wellness programs funded: a proven path forward ." Drawing on nearly two decades of experience navigating institutional hurdles and five years designing wellness programs, she provides a practical roadmap for securing funding. Jessie asserts that funding is possible, countering common skepticism by highlighting diverse funding sources like philanthropy grants, departmental funds, leadership development b...
Apr 15, 2025•18 min
Health care executive Jeffry A. Peters discusses his article " Ending physicians' addiction to unhappiness ," focusing on the systemic factors fueling widespread dissatisfaction among doctors. Jeffry outlines how declining reimbursement, increased patient volume, and reduced support staff have turned physicians into disempowered production workers. He offers a blueprint for reversing this trend by creating a culture where physicians feel valued, supported, and heard. Key solutions include compet...
Apr 14, 2025•22 min
Child psychiatrist Ellen K. Feldman discusses her article " How social media is shaping teen mental health and what we can do about it ," highlighting the growing concerns about social media's impact on adolescents. She emphasizes the importance of monitoring social media usage, setting screen time limits, and teaching digital literacy to help young people protect themselves from harmful content. Ellen also stresses the value of in-person socialization to counteract social media's isolating effe...
Apr 13, 2025•23 min
Medical student Christopher Nmai discusses his article, " Leaving medicine is not a failure: It might be the change you always needed ." Christopher shares his deeply personal decision to forgo residency and explore non-clinical paths, highlighting the toll that chronic illness and burnout took during his training. He contextualizes his story within a broader trend—rising rates of physician dissatisfaction and exits from clinical practice—citing stress, administrative burdens, and mental health ...
Apr 12, 2025•17 min
Anesthesiologist Colleen Naglee discusses her article, " We should tip health care workers too ." Colleen reflects on the rise of tipping culture in everyday services and questions why health care workers—who risk violence, burnout, and underpayment—are left out of these gestures of appreciation. She highlights the realities of declining Medicare reimbursements, the dangers of temporary staffing, and the toll of corporate ownership on patient outcomes. With sharp wit, Colleen suggests tipping as...
Apr 11, 2025•17 min
Family nurse practitioner Bettina Reed discusses her article, " The hidden crisis in health care: How corporate greed is destroying patient care ." Drawing from four decades of experience across hospitals, private practices, FQHCs, hospice, and corporate medicine, Bettina shares a powerful account of how the health care system has been dismantled by corporate interests. She details how profit-driven practices—ranging from insurance denials and billing pressures to rising drug costs and privatiza...
Apr 10, 2025•20 min
Psychiatrist Muhamad Aly Rifai discusses his article, " The future of psychiatry: How AI and genetics are reshaping mental health care ." Muhamad explores how the integration of genetic research, biomarkers, electrophysiology, and artificial intelligence is transforming psychiatry into a more precise and preventative field. He explains how advances in pharmacogenomics and digital diagnostics are helping tailor treatment strategies and improve patient outcomes. From AI-assisted diagnostic tools t...
Apr 09, 2025•18 min
Physician executive Tim Wetherill discusses his article, " Why AI is the perfect neutral arbiter for health care claims ." Tim explores how deeply embedded incentives, inefficiencies, and subjectivity in the current claims adjudication process create opportunities for manipulation and inefficiency. He explains how AI, when trained on clear, bias-free rules, can standardize decision-making and eliminate ambiguity, reducing the need for multiple vendors and decreasing billing errors. Tim argues th...
Apr 08, 2025•20 min
We have a special sponsored episode from Set for Life Insurance. Joining us today is Jamie Fleischner. She is the founder and president of Set for Life Insurance. With over 32 years of experience in the industry, Jamie has helped countless clients protect themselves from life's biggest risks. In this episode, we dive into why disability insurance is an essential safeguard for physicians—not just an optional add-on. Jamie guest breaks down the biggest mistakes doctors make when choosing coverage ...
Apr 07, 2025•24 min
Gastroenterologist Mark Pimentel discusses his article, " SIBO and IBS: the hidden link keeping millions in pain ." Mark explains how small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is frequently misdiagnosed or overlooked due to its symptom overlap with other GI conditions, particularly irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). He outlines the evolution of diagnostic tools like hydrogen, methane, and hydrogen sulfide breath tests, the clinical relevance of new ICD-10 codes, and the FDA-approved treatment ri...
Apr 06, 2025•22 min
Physician coach Seema Pattni discusses her article, " Why racism in health care is still an emergency ." Seema reflects on a painful encounter with an eight-year-old Black patient who wished to be white, illustrating the devastating impact of systemic racism. She outlines the profound racial disparities in health outcomes from birth to death, and highlights the lack of urgency within medical education and leadership to address these issues. Seema also calls out the exclusion of ethnic minorities...
Apr 05, 2025•19 min
Health care executives Susan L. Montminy and Marlene Icenhower discuss their article, " Solving a hidden challenge: 10 tips to reduce diagnostic error in the emergency department ." Susan and Marlene explore the complex, high-pressure nature of ED environments and the often-overlooked dangers of diagnostic error, which can result in severe injury or death. They offer 10 actionable strategies to improve diagnostic accuracy, such as using "working diagnoses," implementing diagnostic time-outs, min...
Apr 04, 2025•22 min
Pediatric critical care physician Kyle Willsey discusses his article, " When every second counts: the evolving challenges of pediatric transport ." He shares the high-stakes realities of transporting critically ill children, from his experience stabilizing a severely injured toddler during fellowship to his current role in building a pediatric transport team from the ground up. Kyle highlights the lack of standardization in pediatric transport medicine, the financial barriers to maintaining spec...
Apr 03, 2025•16 min
Fertility specialist Oluyemisi Famuyiwa discusses her article, " Endometriosis and fertility: What every woman should know ." She explores how endometriosis, an inflammatory condition affecting 10 percent of reproductive-age women, disrupts fertility through pelvic adhesions, ovarian damage, and chronic inflammation. Yemi breaks down treatment strategies, from laparoscopic surgery and hormonal therapy to assisted reproductive technologies like IVF. She also highlights the role of dietary and lif...
Apr 02, 2025•19 min
Internist and psychiatrist Muhamad Aly Rifai discusses his article, " How data accuracy failures are costing lives and money in health care ." He explores the consequences of inaccurate data in health care, from billing errors and wrongful prosecutions to the broader impact on medical decision-making and patient care. Muhamad highlights real-world cases, including his own legal battle over Medicare claims and the flawed prosecution of an interventional cardiologist, to illustrate how poor data f...
Apr 01, 2025•15 min
Psychotherapist and author Margo Lowy discusses her article, "Maternal ambivalence: the side of motherhood no one talks about." She explores the often unspoken emotional complexities of motherhood, where love and frustration coexist. Margo delves into the concept of maternal ambivalence, a term that acknowledges the full spectrum of emotions mothers experience, including joy, guilt, resentment, and even fleeting moments of hatred. She explains how naming and accepting these emotions can foster r...
Mar 31, 2025•19 min
Emergency physician W. Frank Peacock discusses his article, " What if a doctor didn't wash their hands between patients? " He explores the critical role of hand hygiene in preventing hospital-acquired infections while exposing a major gap in infection control: unwashed stethoscopes. Frank highlights how stethoscopes, often overlooked in sanitation protocols, can transfer pathogens between patients, rendering rigorous hand hygiene efforts ineffective. He critiques disposable stethoscopes for thei...
Mar 30, 2025•22 min
Family physician Pamela Buchanan discusses her article, " Why diversity in medicine saves lives ." Pamela shares powerful stories from her career, like adjusting a biracial child's treatment for a scalp infection and saving a Black woman with sickle cell disease from misdiagnosis, to illustrate how diversity enhances patient care. She addresses systemic biases—such as the undertreatment of Black women's pain and misdiagnosis of women's heart attack symptoms—and backs her insights with research s...
Mar 29, 2025•16 min
Pediatrician Derek W. Moss discusses his article, " How natural disasters reveal resilience and the power of community ." Derek reflects on the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which flooded his Hendersonville Pediatrics practice and devastated his North Carolina community, drawing parallels to the Los Angeles fires. He shares the emotional toll of loss—homes, businesses, and routines—and the challenges of rebuilding without immediate insurance support. Derek highlights the inspiring resilience of...
Mar 28, 2025•22 min
Pediatric neurologist Paige Kalika discusses her article, " Learning the language of medicine: from student to fluent physician ." Paige compares mastering medicine to learning a language, from grasping basic vocabulary like anatomy to becoming conversational during clinical rotations and fluent in residency. She highlights the challenge of translating complex medical jargon into plain English for patients, emphasizing that true fluency lies in effective communication. Paige offers actionable ta...
Mar 27, 2025•19 min
Urologist David Canes discusses his article, " Why AI scribes are changing medicine and the hidden risks you must know ." He shares insights from using AI scribes in over 3,000 clinical encounters, noting how they save time, reduce burnout, and enhance patient interactions. David also highlights challenges like technical glitches, over-reliance on AI, and potential documentation errors. He suggests clinicians always review AI notes and keep manual skills sharp to balance benefits and risks effec...
Mar 26, 2025•22 min
Developmental pediatrician Fiorella Castillo discusses her article, " Advocating for immigrant children: a doctor's perspective ." Fiorella shares her firsthand experiences supporting immigrant families as they navigate developmental disabilities like autism and ADHD in a climate filled with fear of deportation and family separation. She explores the emotional and behavioral toll on children—ranging from anxiety and PTSD to struggles with social skills—and stresses the critical need for systemic...
Mar 25, 2025•17 min
Gastroenterologist Steven Pearce, health care consultant Bruce A. Berger, and physician advocate Kim Downey discuss their article, " How motivational interviewing transforms patient care and outcomes ." They explore the transformative power of motivational interviewing (MI), an evidence-based, patient-centered approach that enhances patient engagement and adherence by exploring motivations rather than persuading or correcting. Bruce shares practical strategies for clinicians to connect authentic...
Mar 24, 2025•26 min
Health care executive Susannah Eastwick discusses her article, " Advancing health care through physician leadership: 5 skills for changing health care ." Susannah explores the evolving health care landscape in 2025, where physicians face growing corporate control and reduced autonomy. She identifies five critical skills for physicians to regain influence: mastering business language, understanding financial operations, improving operational efficiency, partnering and negotiating effectively, and...
Mar 23, 2025•23 min
Physician Stacey Funt discusses her article, " The healing power of travel: How adventure transforms mind, body, and spirit ." Stacey explores how travel serves as a potent remedy for physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. She highlights how wellness adventure travel integrates lifestyle medicine principles—movement, whole foods, relaxation, and community—while often promoting restorative sleep. Stacey shares inspiring stories, like a woman who lost fifty pounds preparing for a life-chan...
Mar 22, 2025•17 min
Janet A. Jokela, an infectious disease physician, discusses her article, " Match Day 2025: Protecting our students' futures ." She explores the unprecedented challenges facing medical students, including a U.S. measles outbreak, censorship at the CDC, disrupted research grants, and threats to biomedical research and public health infrastructure. Janet emphasizes physicians' responsibility to support graduating students and their future patients, highlighting actions by medical journal editors, p...
Mar 21, 2025•15 min
Osteopathic physician Amelia L. Bueche discusses her article, " From skin to soul: What pain reveals about our health ." In this episode, Amelia delves into the skin's role as the body's largest organ and its rich network of nociceptors, which alert us to pain as a signal of both external threats and internal imbalances. Drawing from her experiences as both a patient and physician, she illustrates how surface-level pain can reflect deeper physical and emotional issues, from stress-induced eczema...
Mar 20, 2025•14 min
Psychiatrist Devina Maya Wadhwa discusses her article, " How abuse in health care is driving doctors out of medicine ." In this episode, Devina shares her experiences as a physician working in acute care settings, where she encounters racial, verbal, and physical abuse while treating vulnerable patients. She delves into how prolonged wait times, outdated hospital policies, and systemic pressures create environments ripe for abuse, driving physician burnout and prompting many to exit the professi...
Mar 19, 2025•18 min
Former OB/GYN resident and physician coach Chelsea Turgeon discusses her article, " Why does leaving medicine feel like escaping a cult? " In this episode, Chelsea shares her personal journey of resigning from residency and explores the cult-like aspects of the medical profession that make leaving feel so taboo. She highlights the financial burdens, debilitating work routines, and the culture of shame that keep many physicians trapped, even when their well-being is at stake. Listeners will gain ...
Mar 18, 2025•23 min
Pediatric gastroenterologist Michele Cho-Dorado discusses her article, " Empowering our children with financial literacy: Raising bold thought leaders and compassionate changemakers ." In this episode, Michele draws from her experience as a physician to highlight the financial struggles many doctors face—student debt, lifestyle inflation, and a lack of money management skills—despite years of sacrifice. She argues that teaching children financial literacy can break this cycle, equipping them wit...
Mar 17, 2025•18 min
