Conversations on Health Care

Originally broadcast December 12, 2024 Nurse practitioners, at 385,000 strong in the U.S., are increasingly seen as a key part of the solution to the primary care provider shortage. What are the challenges and opportunities to ensure everyone can get the care they need when they need it? Our guest is the president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, Stephen Ferrara, DNP. He also serves as the inaugural associate dean of artificial intelligence and a professor of nursing at... Read More Read More The post Nurse Practitioners: A Growing Opportunity appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

Originally broadcast December 5, 2024 HIV/AIDS experts are cautiously watching as President Trump and his administration near inauguration day. On one hand, they remember how President Trump announced in 2019 his initiative called Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America. It included Ready, Set, PrEP, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services initiative that provides free access to the HIV prevention medication PrEP for thousands of qualifying individuals. But there are worries “about the next four years because... Read More Read More The post Pres. Trump’s HIV/AIDS Record: A Look Back & Ahead appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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” on Surviving Family Discussions at Thanksgiving appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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 candidates picking up... Read More Read More The post Did the millions spent matter? Election ’24 Health Care Ads appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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 Breno Braga, Ph.D. say medical... Read More Read More The post When Area Hospitals Have the Same Owner, Does Medical Debt Go Up? appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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 & Implications appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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 impacts of music and the arts on health... Read More Read More The post Election Year Stress? How Music Can Help the Mind Relax appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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 The post How Groundbreaking NIH Research is Expanding to Birth-to-Four-Year-Olds appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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... Read More Read More The post Trump vs. Harris on Health Care: Experts Explain Each Side appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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 are growing... Read More Read More The post CDC Director Warns of More Dangers From Hurricane Helene appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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 said that “under... Read More Read More The post Trump & Harris Debate IVF: Why It’s an Election Issue appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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 Mark Cuban: Drug Price Disrupter Explains How It Works appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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 More The post How to Reduce Health Risks When September Temps Reach 100+ appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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 Research.... Read More Read More The post Money takes over medicine: Risks, rewards & warnings appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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 highlighted the contrasts... Read More Read More The post Trump, Harris on Abortion: Reporters’ Roundtable Examines Their Records appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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] would have been considered... Read More Read More The post NEJM’s First AI Editor: Yes, AI is Here to Stay appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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 More The post Nuance can help health field regain public trust: AcademyHealth CEO appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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 pursue some of these breakthroughs —... Read More Read More The post Self-healing joints? Perfect surgeries? Your tax $$ could make it happen appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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 More The post 95 Days to Election ’24: Analyzing the Health Care Issues appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.

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... Read More Read More The post JAMA’s Editor: Rebuilding Trust & Reaching More Readers appeared first on Healthy Communities Online.