A Second Opinion with Senator Bill Frist, M.D.

How do we go from creating buildings that are sick – to buildings that are healthy?  We as humans spend 90% of our time indoors, yet we think very little about the health of our indoor environment.  Dr. Joseph Allen, director of Harvard's Healthy Buildings Program, wants to change that.  He joins us on the podcast today to share the latest science – which shows that prioritizing building health can not only reduce disease transmission, but improve worker performance, lead to better mental clarity and sleep, and more. As an Associate Professor at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health and a renowned forensic investigator of “sick buildings,” Dr. Allen is the leading expert in transforming our indoor environments with health and well-being in mind. His thought-provoking message – including how to keep your home healthy – is one you won't want to miss. He's also the author of the new book: Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Can Make You Sick―or Keep You Well – named a NYT and Fortune Magazine Best Book of the Year: https://healthybuildingsbook.com/   A quick note for our listeners – our fourth season is coming to a close – after over 200 hundred episodes, we are going to pause for the holidays and will be back in the spring with a new podcast format, exploring the intersection of nature, biodiversity, climate, and health. I'll be back in your feed soon with more details on this exciting new series.

Allison Sesso is the President & CEO of RIP Medical Debt, a non-profit established for the sole purpose of reducing the medical debt burdens of low-income individuals across the country. To date, their innovative model has abolished over $7 billion in debt for nearly 4 million people. Healthcare costs are the #1 cause of bankruptcy for America's families. In the past five years, more than half of U.S. adults report they've gone into debt because of medical or dental bills.  About 1 in 7 people with debt said they've been denied access to a hospital, doctor, or other provider because of unpaid bills. RIP Medical Debt is working to change that. On today's show, Allison shares how they are able to relieve about $100 in debt for every dollar donated, gives insights into their work with heath systems to prevent debt in the first place, and how philanthropist MacKenzie Scott's transformative gift to RIP is making a difference.   Learn more about RIP Medical Debt and how to donate at: https://ripmedicaldebt.org/

Dr. Marc Harrison is the former President and CEO of Intermountain Healthcare, a Utah-based integrated health system that is the largest healthcare provider in the Intermountain West.  Marc left this role in August to start a revolutionary healthcare platform company with General Catalyst, which is still in its early stages.   Ranked No. 26 on Fortune Magazine's annual list of 50 of the “World's Greatest Leaders,” Marc is known for his transformational, founding leadership of the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi – which today delivers the best healthcare in the Middle East.     On today's show, he shares with us how his own health crisis has informed his leadership and life choices, what made his time at Intermountain “the best job in healthcare,” and what he's next excited about. 

Dr. Ranga Krishnan is the former CEO of the RUSH University System for Health, and currently serves as Senior Advisor to the CEO.  He is a national leader in medical education – known for his efforts to reconceptualize traditional medical classroom learning.  For four years, he served as dean of the RUSH Medical College, and for eight years led the Duke-N.U.S. Graduate Medical School Singapore, a joint venture between Duke University and the National University of Singapore.    You'll want to hear his approach for creating an engaging, first-class medical education that significantly lowers costs and reduces barriers to recruiting educators. A psychiatrist by training, Dr. Krishnan also gives his take on the mental health crisis our nation is facing. 

Annie Lamont is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Oak HC/FT, where she focuses on growth equity and early-stage venture opportunities in Healthcare and FinTech. One of the most successful women in venture history, Annie has been featured on the Forbes Midas List, and was named one of the top 10 most influential people in healthcare in 2021 by Modern Healthcare.     Annie and I have known each other for a long time, and have had the opportunity to partner on several exciting companies. I have so much admiration for her vision and insightful approach to building impactful healthcare organizations. You'll want to hear her thoughts on today's market and how entrepreneurs and investors should be approaching it, as well as her advice for those looking to build a career in venture.   

For today's show, you're going to hear an engaging, and wide-ranging, conversation between myself and my friend Dr. James Hildreth. We cover health equity, big data, climate change and the healthcare sector, and takeaways from the recent White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.    My co-panelist, Dr. James Hildreth, is the 12th President and CEO of Meharry Medical College, the nation's largest private, historically black academic health sciences center.  and in February 2021, Dr. Hildreth was named to President Biden's Health Equity Task Force. My conversation with Dr. Hildreth was part of an in-person event hosted on September 30th, 2022 by the Nashville Health Care Council.  Established in 1995, the Council is a premier membership association and has provided a foundation for collaboration in healthcare for nearly 30 years.   At this particular gathering, we convened nearly a decade of healthcare leaders who had graduated from the Council's Fellows program. Each year, a new class of experienced senior leaders from all of health care's sectors is brought together in Nashville to engage in a nationally unique discussion guided by renowned thought leaders. You can learn more about the Fellows program and how to apply at healthcarecouncilfellows.com.  I want to thank the Nashville Health Care Council for letting us share this event with our listeners.  

On September 28, 2022, the White House hosted a landmark conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, the first of its kind in over 50 years. Previously in 1969, a similar White House conference dramatically shifted and shaped the direction of our nutrition guidelines and federal food support programs. There is hope that this convening in 2022 will lead to the development of a national strategy around our nation's most pressing food challenges.   We are sharing with you today a sampling of the conference. Our show features the panel I moderated, “Evidence to Action: Using research to guide policy and scale pilots.” On the panel, I'm joined by:   Swati Chandra, Director of the Los Angeles County Food Equity Roundtable,   Dr. Angela Odoms-Young, the Nancy Schlegel Meinig Associate Professor of Maternal and Child Nutrition and the Director of the Food and Nutrition Education in Communities Program at Cornell University   And Ross Wilson, the Executive Director of the Shah Family Foundation, a foundation in Boston focused on education, health care and community.   I want to thank the Biden-Harris White House for letting us share this event with our listeners.   You can watch the full White House Conference here: https://health.gov/our-work/nutrition-physical-activity/white-house-conference-hunger-nutrition-and-health/conference-streaming/   Biden-Harris Administration National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, Released September 2022: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/White-House-National-Strategy-on-Hunger-Nutrition-and-Health-FINAL.pdf    A Fact Sheet on new White House commitments related to hunger, nutrition, and health can be found here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/09/28/fact-sheet-the-biden-harris-administration-announces-more-than-8-billion-in-new-commitments-as-part-of-call-to-action-for-white-house-conference-on-hunger-nutrition-and-health/ 

Dr. Randy Wykoff is the Dean of the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health, and the founding director of the new Center for Rural Health Research. He is a physician trained in both pediatrics and preventive medicine. His research focuses on the inter-relationship of poverty and health, with a specific interest in how to improve the health status of people living in poor and/or rural areas.    Prior to his time at ETSU, Dr. Wykoff served as senior vice president for international operations at Project HOPE. He also spent time in the federal government as the deputy assistant secretary for health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and worked for 11 years in the Food and Drug Administration, holding the positions of associate commissioner for AIDS and special health issues, and, later, associate commissioner for operations.     Dr. Wykoff and I spend the next hour diving into the health challenges facing the people of Appalachia, and the proven solutions that can move the needle on health outcomes in rural America. 

Dean Rosen is a partner at Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas. He's one of Washington's foremost experts on America's complex health care system--and a master of both the politics and policies that shape it. He has more than two decades of experience developing and advancing health policy initiatives on Capitol Hill and in the private sector.     Dean previously served as my chief healthcare advisor when I was Senate Majority Leader. There, he helped draft and navigate to final passage landmark legislation creating the Medicare prescription drug benefit, as well as major bioterrorism legislation following the 9/11 and anthrax attacks.    On the show today, he shares his predictions for the midterm Congressional elections, what it will mean for health policy, and the trends business leaders should be prepared to navigate coming out of Washington. 

Chad Pendleton is President of Amerigroup Tennessee, a leading managed care provider of health benefits for Tennessee residents who participate in the state's Medicaid programs. Chad has more than 25 years of healthcare and executive leadership experience working with payers and providers across Medicaid, Medicare, Tricare, commercial and workers compensation insurance product lines. Prior to joining Amerigroup, he served as Vice President of Business Development at CareSource, and currently is a volunteer member of the Tennessee Medical Reserve Corps.   In today's conversation, we dive into the intricacies of Medicaid, discuss how Amerigroup is innovating to address health issues like diabetic retinopathy, and consider how to tackle challenges like our high maternal mortality rates. 

Michael Anderson is CEO of Iowa-based PurFoods, also known as Mom's Meals.  PurFoods delivers refrigerated, ready-to-eat, medically-tailored meals to any U.S. address. Partnering with over 500 health plans, Medicare and Medicaid plans, and others, PurFoods has advanced health by making nutritious meals available to those in need.     Mike has been an integral part of the company since its inception in 1999.  You'll hear the story of this family grown business – where the “mom” in Mom's Meals is Mike's own mother.  And we explore why food increasingly needs to be viewed as medicine for our aging and chronic disease diagnosed populations. It can mean the difference between a healthy recovery or a hospital readmission. 

Mark Yancy is the CEO of NashvilleHealth, a community collaborative focused on improving the health and well-being of all Nashvillians. A lifelong Tennessean, Mark has led the organization for less than a year, but has already made tremendous progress in bringing together diverse stakeholders to creatively move the needle on population health outcomes.    Prior to joining the non-profit, Mark spent 15 years in healthcare focusing on the underserved, with leadership roles at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare in Memphis and at DaVita Kidney Care.    NashvilleHealth is an organization we started in 2016 with a group of committed community leaders who wanted to see the health of our residents reflect our status as the health services capital of the nation. Surprisingly, Nashville's health consistently ranks below that of our peer cities.    In my conversation with Mark today, we talk about changing our city's health trajectory, how our approach can be a model for other cities, and why establishing baseline data is central to understanding the problems and forming solutions.    Learn more about NashvilleHealth at: https://www.nashvillehealth.org/    Nashville Community Health & Well-being Survey: https://www.nashvillehealth.org/survey/ 

We are joined today by Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator, who gives us a timely update on all things Covid. We discuss the next generation of vaccines and the latest in treatments – including when you should get your booster and what is really behind the “Paxlovid rebound.” Dr. Jha previously joined us on the podcast on December 13, 2021 in his capacity as Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.  He's on temporary leave from that role to serve in the Biden Administration.   An accomplished physician, health policy researcher and global health advocate, Dr. Jha has led groundbreaking research around Ebola and has been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response since the outset of the pandemic, continuously serving as a trusted voice who translates complex science into language we all can understand. 

Today we're bringing you a special, time sensitive episode sharing what you need to know about monkeypox. We'll discuss the symptoms, the treatments and vaccinations, who's at risk, and why it's been declared a public health emergency.  We're joined by Dr. William Schaffner, who has been a familiar and nationally recognized face and trusted voice on all matters COVID during the pandemic. As one of our nation's preeminent infectious disease experts, Dr. Schaffner is a master communicator and was a colleague of mine when I was doing heart and lung transplants at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.  Today he is medical director and past president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.  He's also Professor of Preventive Medicine in the Department of Health Policy and Professor of Medicine in the Infectious Diseases at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.   Latest figures show over 30,000 cases of monkeypox across 88 countries, as well as over 9,000 in the U.S. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global health emergency. This is a rapidly evolving public health emergency, changing day by day.  So, please continue to follow the latest recommendations by the CDC.  

Scott Tapp is President and CEO of Trella Health. An Atlanta-based company, Trella provides market intelligence and a CRM platform built for post-acute providers and suppliers organizations, to drive more effective performance and business growth. With market visibility, healthcare organizations can identify the highest-potential referral targets, evaluate opportunities for new markets or services, and monitor performance metrics. With Trella's solutions, business development teams can better manage referral relationships to advance their organizations with certainty.   Scott shares what it means to be one of only a few companies deemed both a Qualified Entity by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and an Innovator under CMS's Virtual Research Data Center Program.    I've had the opportunity to work closely with Scott through our firm Cressey & Company, and have admired how he's stewarded Trella through dynamic growth that is making a difference in health outcomes.    Trella Health's Post-Acute Care Industry Trend Report: https://www.trellahealth.com/2021-industry-trend-report-medicare-data-analytics/ 

Dr. Lee Fleisher is the Chief Medical Officer & Director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He is responsible for executing all national clinical, quality, and safety standards for healthcare facilities and providers, as well as establishing Medicare coverage determinations for services that improve health outcomes. An anesthesiologist by training, he is Professor Emeritus and Former Chair of Anesthesiology and Critical Care at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.   Dr. Fleisher and I discuss how the pandemic impacted hospital and patient safety and what it says about our health care system's safety culture & infrastructure, and we dive into the details of CMS's ambitious new National Quality Strategy.     Learn more about CMS's National Quality Strategy here: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/Value-Based-Programs/CMS-Quality-Strategy 

Cindy Baier is President and CEO of Brookdale Senior Living, the largest senior living operator in the nation. The $2.8 billion company operates nearly 700 senior living communities and has the ability to serve approximately 60,000 residents through its independent living, assisted living, memory care, and continuing care retirement communities.   As CEO, Cindy led the company through the largest public health crisis in 100 years by prioritizing the health and well-being of residents, patients, and associates.  Her new book, Heroes Work Here: An Extraordinary Story of Courage, Resilience, and Hope from the Front Lines of COVID-19, recounts how she and her team successfully navigated this period of uncertainty and upheaval.  She shares her lessons learned, her compassionate leadership philosophy, and how her experiences growing up on a farm in a small town in Illinois shaped her as an executive today.     You can find more information on Cindy's book, Heroes Work Here: https://www.brookdalenews.com/brookdales-ceo-shares-book-on-how-to-navigate-crisis-and-beyond-heroes-work-here-is-available-now-in-hardcover.htm    And purchase it here: https://www.amazon.com/Heroes-Work-Here-Extraordinary-Resilience/dp/1955884056 

Fay Rotenberg is the President and CEO of Firefly Health, a virtual-first primary care, behavioral health, and specialty care company that has launched a ‘care + coverage' health plan offering to provide half-priced healthcare that is twice as good, clinically and emotionally. Fay brings extensive, dynamic experience as a Healthcare Founder, CEO, Venture Investor, and Developer.   You'll want to listen to hear how Fay and Firefly are building what they're calling a ‘virtual-first Kaiser Permanente' – restructuring how care is delivered to solve for value, and then passing that value onto employers and patients. 

Today I am joined by Bill Mixon, CEO of National Seating & Mobility, considered North America's most experienced provider of complex rehabilitation seating, mobility and positioning systems.   Prior to joining NSM, Bill served as President for Universal Hospital Services, and in key leadership roles at Philips Medical Systems.   Bill is passionate about the clients he serves at NSM, and how their products can change lives for the disabled, and those living with chronic, neurological, and degenerative diseases.  I've had the opportunity to advise National Seating & Mobility, and know this is a terrific company with visionary leadership that you'll want to learn more about. 

Dr. Kim Williams is a nationally renowned cardiologist who has long advocated for disease prevention through nutrition. He is the incoming chair of the University of Louisville Department of Medicine, and most recently served as the chief of the Division of Cardiology at Rush University and associate dean for faculty diversity, equity and inclusion. He is also a past president of the American College of Cardiology and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, and former chairman of the board of directors of the Association of Black Cardiologists. Dr. Williams is an expert in health equity, and the founder of the Urban Cardiology Initiative in Detroit, a program that works to reduce ethnic heart care disparities. In our conversation today, you'll want to hear his fascinating personal story of growing up on the South Side of Chicago, and how the poor care he received as an 11-year old helped inspire his medical career. And the data he shares on nutrition's impact on disease prevention and longevity may have you rethinking your own diet!  

Today I am joined by Tim Manning, an emergency response expert who served as the National Covid-19 Supply Coordinator for the White House Covid Response Team through May of 2022.  Tim's unique role was created by President Biden to respond to the pandemic, a position he took on after previously serving as FEMA's deputy administrator for all eight years of the Obama White House.       You'll want to hear Tim's fascinating experiences solving for the challenges in our nation's supply chain, how he made the tough decisions impacting the health and lives of Americans, and what still keeps him up at night on the supply chain horizon. 

Today I am joined by Stu Clark, CEO of Premise Health.  Stu has led Premise since its inception in 2014, and has held executive roles in the direct healthcare industry for more than 20 years, including serving as the CEO of CHS Health Services, Inc.   Stu is a longtime friend, and in our conversation today we discuss how direct healthcare has evolved and is making a difference for both employers and their employees. Stu also shares his dealmaking and acquisition experience, and why you can't ignore culture – in fact, it's the most important thing when growing a business. 

Today I am joined by Dr. Anand Shah, a practicing physician and policy maker who has worn multiple hats at the highest levels of our federal health agencies.  Most recently, Dr. Shah served as Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs for the Food and Drug Administration, where he developed and led high-priority FDA policy initiatives. He also served at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, both as senior medical advisor as well as the Chief Medical Officer for CMMI —the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation. He practices as a radiation oncologist specializing in the early detection & treatment of prostate cancer, and he is currently an Operating Advisor to the global private investment firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, and serves as a director for a number of healthcare companies.   In our conversation, we dive into the innerworkings of federal health agencies in the midst of a pandemic, we touch on issues like the threat of antimicrobial resistance, and increasing access to breakthrough medical devices. You'll want to hear Dr. Shah's experience in bringing new technologies to market, redesigning health care delivery with economic incentives, and expanding competition and consumer choice. All that and much more …   To learn more from Dr. Shah, follow him at:   Twitter: @AnandShahMD LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anandshahmd/  

Today I am joined by Dr. Keith Smith, the co-founder of the Surgery Center of Oklahoma, which provides transparent, affordable healthcare services to patients from all over the country.   Keith is a pioneer of price transparency and affordable healthcare. At his surgery center, patients pay up-front for services at a fraction of their cost at major hospitals. In 2009, Keith launched a website displaying all-inclusive, bundled pricing and co-founded the Free Market Medical Association.   Join us for our conversation today as Keith and I breakdown the impact of transparent pricing in healthcare, why healthcare has historically struggled to fit into traditional markets, and how the narrative of price transparency is changing.

Brian Blase joins us today. He is the founder and president of Paragon Health Institute, a non-partisan, not-for-profit health policy research institute that focuses on free-market policy solutions so that patients can make more informed health care decisions.   Brian previously served as a special assistant for economic policy at the White House's National Economic Council from 2017-2019.   In our conversation today, Brian and I discuss price transparency—what it means and the rules, regulation, and enforcement being implemented—and the importance of health policy institutes like Paragon and their work seeking to make sure that patients are informed when it comes to healthcare pricing and decisions.

Today our subject is “compassionate leadership” in healthcare – what it is, how it is manifested and how it will improve your own life – and your bottom line.   I am joined by four distinguished healthcare leaders: Founder of Vertice Pharma -- Don DeGolyer; Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer of PeopleOne Health—Dr. Zane Gates; former CEO of BlueCross BlueShield of Minnesota—Dr. Craig Samitt; and, by my good friend and global health activist—Donato Tramuto.   Donato just this month published his book, The Double Bottom Line: How Compassionate Leaders Captivate Hearts and Deliver Results. It is already Number 1 in a number of Amazon book categories. The book specifically defines compassionate leadership, interweaving inspiring stories about healthcare leaders and other leaders putting empathy into action.   Don DeGolyer, Dr. Zane Gates, and Dr. Craig Samitt—each leaders from across the healthcare sector—share how compassion has cultivated their own style of leadership and why compassion is essential to establishing trust and ultimately driving transformational change.   In our conversation today, we breakdown what it means to be a compassionate leader and the myths that surround it; we talk about the importance of tenderness, trust, and toughness; we advocate for the importance of institutionalizing compassion, empathy, and, most importantly, action in our personal and organizational mission and values; and, we discuss how compassion can be used as a basis to better connect and promote unity at the workplace and at home.   You will learn the 9 words that these leaders believe best characterize “compassionate leadership.” You're going to love it!

Today I am joined by Dr. Shiv Rao. He is the CEO and co-founder of Abridge, a company using Artificial Intelligence to summarize and structure medical conversations, allowing patients to receive better quality care by improving how they communicate with clinicians.   Shiv is revolutionizing and improving care delivery by reinventing how patients and providers communicate during the examination room and beyond.  He is devoted to reshaping and restructuring the healthcare landscape with a technology that directly benefits patients, payors, and providers alike.   In our conversation today, Shiv and I discuss why the art of conversation is fundamental to quality healthcare, how ambient artificial intelligence is improving patient-provider communication, and the importance of developing innovations and technologies with large scale, reach, and impact.

Today I am joined by Dr. Daniel Stein, the CEO and Founder of Embold Health, a physician led data analytics company.   Daniel is bringing quality measures and improvement to the forefront of medical practice- allowing patients and payors to see how clinicians compare at clinical diagnostics, treatment, and outcomes.   In our conversation today, Daniel and I discuss the impactful innovation taking place at Embold Health, the importance of quality measures and physician evaluation, and how to transparently analyze and assess the quality of care clinicians provide.

Today, Dr. Peter Pronovost joins us. He is the Chief Clinical Transformation Officer at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Ohio, where he is a champion for innovation as well as patient safety and value improvement. His devotion to value improvement in this role reduced Medicare Annual expenditures by 21% over a two-year period.   Nicknamed “Dr. Checklist,” Peter garnered worldwide recognition for a patient safety checklist that he developed. And, in 2008, he received a MacArthur Foundation “Genius Grant” and was named by Time magazine as one of the “100 Most Influential People.”   In our conversation today, Peter and I talk about what it means to provide high quality care, about the necessary cultural shifts that are taking place in healthcare, about how even seemingly simple innovations can have long-lasting impacts on providing patients with better care, and about the power of our beliefs, human connection, and love in positively impacting others.   Additional Resources:   University Hospitals' Journey to Zero Harm: https://vimeo.com/687888354   Pronovost on Love Wins: https://vimeo.com/555014083/162fedf615

Todd Park is the Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Devoted Health. A leader in the Medicare Advantage space, Devoted was started five years ago and today has a valuation of over $12 billion, and boasts an extraordinary member Net Promoter Score of 79 (higher than Apple, Netflix, and Amazon). Prior to co-founding Devoted, Todd served as U.S. Chief Technology Officer and, in that position, as an Assistant to President Obama. He has had a hand in building some of the most innovative healthcare technology companies today, previously co-founding Athenahealth, a developer of cloud-based healthcare products and electronic health record systems, and Castlight Health, a web-based healthcare shopping service for consumers. In the candid discussion that we're sharing with you today, Todd reveals the most important quality he looks for when building a team, how he maintains a strong company culture through expansive growth, and why he's committed to Devoted Health for decades to come.  My conversation with Todd was part of an in-person event on “Transformation and Innovation within Health Care” hosted on March 24th by the Nashville Health Care Council.  Established in 1995, the Council is a premier membership association and has provided a foundation for collaboration in healthcare for nearly 30 years. I want to thank the Nashville Health Care Council for letting us share this event with our listeners.  And special thanks to our event sponsors Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee, Bass Berry & Sims, Cressey & Company, and LifePoint Health, for making this discussion possible.

Today I am joined by Nancy Agee. She is the President and CEO of the Carilion Clinic serving over a million people in Virginia and West Virginia. Nancy is also the former chair of the American Hospital Association.   She is renowned for her leadership and has been named repeatedly to the Top 25 Women in Healthcare. She has devoted her life to serving communities and improving healthcare accessibility, affordability, and outcomes in rural, underserved communities.   In our far-reaching conversation today, Nancy and I discuss the value of more female leadership in healthcare, the future of value-based care, how the pandemic expedited the need for behavioral health and telehealth, and our obligation to lift up our communities so that everyone has a chance at a long, healthy life.

My friend, Dr. Julio Frenk, joins us today. He is the president of the University of Miami as well as the former Dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and former Minister of Health of Mexico.   Julio has devoted his life to “Health, Hope, and Healing” and is a globally recognized leader in public health and education.   In our conversation today, Julio and I discuss the importance of clear communication both in medicine and in policy, how we can reimagine the education of health professionals, what the future of healthcare holds as we navigate lessons learned from the pandemic, and the catalytic power that foundations have in truly promoting the common good.

Elad Walach joins us today. Elad is the co-founder and CEO of Aidoc, a New York & Tel Aviv-based company providing Artificial Intelligence solutions for medical imaging and health systems. Aidoc's artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the accuracy of medical diagnoses and improving the outcomes and quality of care patients receive.   Elad began his career in an elite Israeli Defense Force technology program and went on to lead AI research in the Israeli Air Force.   In our conversation today, Elad and I look into cutting edge healthcare technology innovation, discussing the uptake and cultural acceptance of technology in modern medicine and how Artificial Intelligence provides information management solutions by increasing efficiency and decreasing waste and cost.

Dr. Mandy Cohen joins us today. You will be inspired. On March 1st, she took over as CEO of Aledade Care Solutions (ACS), and an Executive Vice President for Aledade. A “primary care enablement company,” Aledade is on the forefront of revolutionizing value-based care by working to establish a more efficient and a more effective delivery system for primary care.   Dr. Cohen previously served as the Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. And, before that, she served for over 5 years in Washington, D.C. at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Starting with CMMI Innovation Center and ending being Chief Operating Officer.   In our conversation today, Dr. Cohen and I talk about a range of issues, about how whole-person care and value-based care can result and will result in better quality care, how necessary good, actionable data leads to effective wrap-around solutions to benefit the health and wellbeing of patients, and about how policy can allow communities to lead with equity.   Additional Resources: Nashville Covid-19 After Action Report highlighted by Senator Frist: “Strategies For Future Preparedness: Examining The Impact Of Covid-19 In Nashville,” https://www.nashvillehealth.org/covid-response/

Jonathan Bush joins us today. He is the founder and CEO of Zus Health (pronounced Zeus), a young and rapidly growing company working to “reverse the curse of health data isolation” by creating the healthcare industry's first shared development platform backed by a shared data record.   Prior to founding Zus, Jonathan was a co-founder and CEO of athenahealth. Currently, he also serves as the Executive Chairman of Firefly Health.   In our conversation today, Jonathan and I will take you on a fast-moving tour on empowering digital-first healthcare for better patient experiences and outcomes, on how policy set the stage for the founding of Zus, on pivotal points in his career and life and how setbacks lead to growth, on his fantastic ride and leadership with athenahealth, and, finally, on a crystal ball look into the future.

Robin Shah is the co-founder and CEO of Thyme Care, a fast-growing, two-year old company that guides cancer patients through a complex healthcare system by providing highly personalized support, quality resources, & quick access to high-value, holistic care.   Prior to founding Thyme Care, Robin held leadership roles at OneOncology and Flatiron Health, two innovative and cutting-edge healthcare organizations that are at the forefront of rethinking cancer care.  And I've personally had the opportunity to work closely with him through Thyme Care's partnership with Frist Cressey Ventures.   In our conversation, Robin and I consider why treatment for cancer has become so complicated for today's patients, and what an ideal care journey can look like with the right support.

Dr. Ashish Shah is the Alfred Blalock Endowed Director and Chair, Department of Cardiac Surgery, and director of Heart Transplant and Mechanical Circulatory Support at Vanderbilt.  He is the driving force behind the nation's busiest heart transplant center.  Vanderbilt does more heart transplants than any hospital in the world.   February is American Heart Month, and in today's conversation, Dr. Shah and I do a deep dive on heart health and the latest in transplantation – the miraculous, life-giving procedure that is rapidly evolving with today's cutting-edge science.  We cover pig hearts, novel “heart in a box” technology, and medical progress that once sounded like science-fiction.   Additional Resources: Below are the videos cited in today's show re: Vivien Thomas:   American Experience “Partners of the Heart” (TV Episode 2002) - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0328241/   “Something the Lord Made,” HBO Movie, 2007 - https://amzn.to/3uJngIE   Vivien Thomas, “Partners of the Heart: Vivien Thomas and His Work with Alfred Blalock: An Autobiography,” 1998 - https://amzn.to/3rMSQn5   Gwendolyn Hooks & Colin Bootman, “Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas,” Children's book, 2016 - https://amzn.to/3LvUDof

Wright Lassiter is the President and CEO of the Henry Ford Health System, overseeing the $6.6 billion integrated health system comprised of five acute care hospitals, three behavioral health facilities, a regional health plan and a wide range of ambulatory, retail and other health services across Michigan.   Wright is also the 2022 Chairman of the American Hospital Association Board of Trustees, becoming the top-elected official of the national organization representing America's hospitals and health systems.    In our discussion today, Wright and I consider the future of America's hospitals, and the innovation and disruption that's shaping healthcare today.

Dr. Linda Burnes Bolton is the Senior Vice President and Chief Health Equity Officer at Cedars-Sinai. She joined Cedars-Sinai in 1971, was named vice president of nursing in 1991, and serves as the inaugural holder of the James R. Klinenberg, MD, and Lynn Klinenberg-Linkin Chair in Nursing.   Over a career spanning more than five decades, Dr. Burnes Bolton has impacted healthcare policy, clinical practice and patient care nationally while elevating the role and enhancing the professional training of nurses.  One of the nation's leading experts in the field, she's served as president of the American Organization of Nurse Executives, the National Black Nurses Association and the American Academy of Nursing.   In our discussion today, Linda and I do a deep dive on the challenges in the nursing profession – including shortages, equity, and nursing education.    National Academy of Medicine Future of Nursing Reports:   2011: The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health - presents a set of bold recommendations to strengthen the capacity, education, and critical role of the nursing workforce: https://www.nap.edu/catalog/12956/the-future-of-nursing-leading-change-advancing-health   2016: The Future of Nursing: Assessing Progress on the Institute of Medicine Report - highlights promising progress made since the 2011 report while noting that much more needs to be done: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27010049/   2021 - The Future of Nursing 2020 – 2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity – focusing on the achievement of health equity in the United States built on strengthened nursing capacity and expertise: https://nam.edu/publications/the-future-of-nursing-2020-2030/

On January 14th, A Second Opinion joined with the Princeton University Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies and Princeton's Center for Health and Wellbeing for Part 5 in a series, on the fiscal, monetary and health policy response implications of Covid-19.  You can hear Parts 1, 2, 3 & 4 of this series in our podcast episode numbers 48, 69, 96 and 122.   For our discussion, I'm joined by Princeton's leading economic and health policy experts: Jessica Metcalf, Associate Professor of Ecology, Evolutionary Biology & Public Affairs, Alan Blinder, the Gordon S. Rentschler Memorial Professor of Economics and Public Affairs, and a former Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, And Dr. Bill Dudley, former president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and now Senior Research Scholar at the Griswold Center for Economic Policy Studies.   In this wide-ranging discussion, we cover the latest on how our current public health crisis has dramatically changed and continues to impact our economy, and our fiscal and monetary policy.  You can see the video version of this talk, which includes presenters' slides, on our YouTube channel. 

We're sharing with you a special discussion we had at the end of last year with Dr. Michael Petersen, who in 2021 served as the Chief Clinical Innovation Officer of NTT DATA Services.  Dr. Mike is a pediatric emergency medicine physician, served in the U.S. Army, and brings over 20 years of deep health industry knowledge of emerging technologies and strategy.  Today, he is at PwC as Managing Director - Clinical Health Transformation Lead. With his early childhood spent in a Vietnamese orphanage, his personal life experiences have informed his executive leadership in addressing complex issues of health equity. Dr. Mike and I came together as a part of an immersive Telehealth Academy series organized by the Nashville Entrepreneur Center's Project Healthcare, The Disruption Lab, and Sage Growth Partners.  Thank you to the event organizers for letting us share this discussion with our A Second Opinion audience.

Eric Hargan served as the Deputy Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from 2017 to 2021.  As Deputy Secretary, he oversaw the development and approval of all HHS, CMS, and FDA regulations, as well as the day-to-day operations and management of the department – the largest in the federal government with a budget in excess of $1.3 trillion and over 80,000 employees. Eric was instrumental in Operation Warp Speed, the Trump Administration's price transparency initiatives, as well as reforms that allowed for major telehealth expansion.  Also a veteran of the Bush HHS department, today Eric leads the Hargan Group and serves as an adjunct professor at Vanderbilt University.   He shares with us his fascinating experience working at the highest levels of both the public and private healthcare sectors. 

This episode is brought to you by MEDHOST, a Trusted EHR for Healthcare Facilities. To learn more, go to Medhost.com. Shawn Morris is CEO of Privia Health, an exciting, national physician enablement company that's shaking up primary care and other specialty areas. Shawn has led Privia since 2018, expanding into new provider areas including California and West Texas, and successfully taking it public this year.  Privia was recently recognized among Inc. Magazine's Best-Led Companies for 2021. Shawn previously served as the President and COO of Cigna-Healthspring, overseeing Cigna's multi-billion dollar Medicare Advantage business. In today's discussion, he brings his extensive knowledge of the insurance market, and how to equip physicians with the tools they need to deliver the high-value care they want to provide – and consumers want to receive. For more on Privia Health: Privia Health's Chief Clinical Officer, Keith Fernandez, MD, and Chief Medical Officer of Privia Medical Group — Mid-Atlantic, Fred Taweel, MD, were recently featured by the American Medical Association regarding Privia's ACO success within the Medicare Shared Savings Program (MSSP) for the 2020 performance year. Read it here: https://www.ama-assn.org/practice-management/payment-delivery-models/physician-leaders-patient-access-drive-privia-health-s

This episode is brought to you by MEDHOST, a Trusted EHR for Healthcare Facilities. To learn more, go to Medhost.com. Dr. Wes Ely is a pulmonologist, critical care physician and tenured professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He is also the founder and codirector of the Critical Illness, Brain Dysfunction, and Survivorship Center, an organization devoted to research and ongoing care for patients and families affected by critical illness. Dr. Ely's groundbreaking investigations introduced crucial changes that reshaped intensive care: minimizing sedation, maximizing mobility, attending to the family, and providing supportive aftercare. His new book, Every Deep-Drawn Breath (https://www.icudelirium.org/every-deep-drawn-breath), rethinks critical care – a shift that was sparked in Dr. Ely when suddenly he found himself not as the physician, but as the loved one at the bedside of a sick family member.  Dr. Ely is donating all his net proceeds from this book to a fund established to help ICU survivors and their families.

This episode is brought to you by MEDHOST, a Trusted EHR for Healthcare Facilities. To learn more, go to Medhost.com. Dr. Ashish Jha is a physician, health policy researcher, and the third Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.  Dr. Jha is recognized globally as an expert on pandemic preparedness and response, has led groundbreaking research around Ebola and is now on the frontlines of the COVID-19 response, leading national and international analysis of key issues and advising state and federal policymakers.  He previously led the Harvard Global Health Institute and teaching at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School. You'll want to hear our discussion on the future of public health and how to address its increasing politicization.

Today we're sharing with you a special episode that we recorded in front of a live audience out at my farm, Old Town. I'm joined by Bruce Broussard, President and CEO of Humana, and Glen Tullman, CEO of Transcarent, to discuss the evolution of care models and where healthcare is headed in the future. A special thanks to Emids Technologies, a leading provider of digital transformation solutions to the healthcare industry, for organizing this timely panel.  Learn more about their work at www.emids.com.   

As the nation and world continue to grapple with COVID-19, there is much to learn about how to improve our health preparedness in the midst of crisis. Nashville is one of the first communities in the nation to do a comprehensive review of lessons learned from Nashville's health, business and community response to the pandemic.   Today, we're going to share with you highlights of this review, with takeaways that all cities and communities nationwide should be considering as they assess, plan, and prepare for future.   I'm joined by Meharry Medical College President Dr. James Hildreth, a member of President Biden's COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, and Dr. Leana Wen, an emergency physician, former Health Commissioner of Baltimore, and a senior adviser to Avalere Health.  Both have played important roles in Nashville's Covid-19 response review, and as physicians with significant public health leadership experience, they give their candid thoughts on what went right, and what went wrong.   Special thanks to NashvilleHealth, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, the Nashville Health Care Council, Meharry Medical College, and Avalere Health, for making this review possible.   Read the summary and the full Nashville Covid-19 Response Review here: https://www.nashvillehealth.org/covid-response/

This episode is brought to you by the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies are in every ZIP code in every state, working to improve health and expand access to care. Community by community. For the health of America. I'm joined today by the top leadership of Seniorlink, an innovative company that provides coaching, emotional and financial support for families caring for loved ones.  Tom Riley serves as CEO, and Matt Marek is the President and Chief Operating Officer.  Together, they are working with Medicaid-eligible and Medicare Advantage members who want an alternative to nursing home care.  Seniorlink supports and provides the needed tools to the millions of family caregivers who are key to keeping their loved ones healthy and cared for in the home setting.    With November being National Family Caregivers Month, our discussion today is both timely and needed. 

Today we're sharing with you a special bonus episode.  As we head into our second holiday season in the midst of a global pandemic, I sit down with NIAID Direction & President Biden's Chief Medical Advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci for the Bipartisan Policy Center's discussion on COVID-19, the Forecast for the Holidays, 2022 & Beyond. We touch on when we'll move to the endemic phase of Covid, childhood vaccinations, bipartisanship & science, and his advice for staying safe & healthy during the holidays. You can listen to the full BPC event here: https://bipartisanpolicy.org/event/covid-19-whats-the-forecast-for-the-holidays-2022-beyond/

Tom Spann is CEO of Brightside, a comprehensive financial health engagement platform that partners with employers to give employees and their families the financial care they need. Previously, he was the founding CEO of Accolade, which today helps over 2 million people navigate the health system.   Our discussion today is centered on how one's personal financial health has a direct impact on health and well-being.  With three out of four Americans ranking their finances as the No. 1 stress in life, Brightside is on a mission to change that, improving not just personal finances but employee happiness.

We are joined again today by one of our very first guests on the show.  Sam Quinones is an award-winning journalist and the New York Times bestselling author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic. Two years ago, Sam and I discussed how opioid addiction had transformed the health and healthcare landscape of our nation. Today, Sam is back to share with us his latest book, out now, The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth. His fascinating, in-depth reporting reveals the rapidly evolving drug epidemic that, while overshadowed by a global pandemic, has in many ways intensified.  He also shares stories of hope that demonstrate we still have a path forward on this uniquely challenging public health crisis.  And if you enjoy today's episode, I encourage you to go back and listen to our original discussion in Episode #12.