Podcasts about Education Committee

Obstructive sleep apnea affects approximately one in four adults and is especially common among patients with neurologic disorders, including stroke, Parkinson disease, dementia, epilepsy, and neuromuscular conditions. In this episode, Dr. Stephanie Stahl discusses why neurologists should routinely screen for OSA, highlights key symptoms and risk factors, reviews important considerations when interpreting sleep studies, and outlines current treatment options beyond CPAP. Learn how recognizing and treating sleep apnea can improve quality of life, optimize management of neurologic disease, and reduce long-term health risks. In this episode, Aaron L. Berkowitz, MD, PhD, FAAN, speaks with Stephanie M. Stahl, MD, FAASM, author of the article "Obstructive Sleep Apnea" in the Continuum® August 2026 Sleep Neurology issue. Dr. Berkowitz is a Continuum® Audio interviewer and a professor of neurology in the Department of Neurology at the University of California, San Francisco, in San Francisco, California. Dr. Stahl is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Sleep Medicine Fellowship Program Director at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she also serves as Sleep Laboratory Medical Director in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep, and Occupational Medicine. Additional Resources Read the article: Obstructive Sleep Apnea Subscribe to Continuum®: shop.lww.com/Continuum Earn CME (available only to AAN members): continpub.com/AudioCME Continuum® Aloud (verbatim audio-book style recordings of articles available only to Continuum® subscribers): continpub.com/Aloud More about the American Academy of Neurology: aan.com Social Media facebook.com/continuumcme @ContinuumAAN Host: @AaronLBerkowitz  Full episode transcript available here Dr Berkowitz: Obstructive sleep apnea is very common. It can cause or contribute to common neurologic symptoms, such as headache and impaired cognition, and it's a risk factor for stroke. And yet, if you're like me, you may not know too much more about sleep apnea than that. Today, I have the pleasure of talking to sleep expert Dr. Stephanie Stahl to learn what every neurologist should know about OSA.  Dr Jones:  This is Dr. Lyell Jones, Editor-in-Chief of Continuum. Thank you for listening to Continuum Audio. Be sure to visit the links in the episode notes for information about earning CME, subscribing to the journal, and exclusive access to interviews not featured on the podcast.  Dr Berkowitz: This is Dr. Aaron Berkowitz. Today I'm interviewing Dr. Stephanie Stahl about her article on obstructive sleep apnea. This article appears in the 2026 Continuum issue on Neurology of Sleep. Welcome to the podcast, Dr. Stahl, and could you please introduce yourself to our audience?  Dr Stahl: Yeah. Thank you for having me. I'm a sleep medicine physician and neurologist and medical director of the Indianapolis Sleep Lab at Indiana University Health. I serve as the director of the Sleep Medicine Fellowship program. I'm faculty advisor for our very first student interest group in sleep medicine at Indiana University School of Medicine. I'm also actively involved in some national leadership roles, including the incoming chair of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine's Education Committee and co-chair of the Academy's Inter-Scorer Reliability Gold Standard Panel. So, I really appreciate this opportunity. I look forward to our discussion.  Dr Berkowitz: Me too, and we appreciate the opportunity too to get to talk to you. You have so much expertise in this area, and I certainly encourage our listeners to look at your article, which is very comprehensive and up to date, and I learned a ton from it. I didn't get much exposure to sleep neurology as a trainee, and I've always worked in academic centers where we have a sleep group and we can refer patients there. So, I have to admit, sleep may probably be the area of neurology I know the least about, and felt like I was learning something new from pretty much every line of your article, and I know our readers will too. So, your article has a lot of excellent detail for our readers on the diagnosis and treatment of this very common condition. But I'd like to keep our interview relatively high level today and focus on the essentials for the practicing general neurologist. So, to start, can you just give us a sense of what obstructive sleep apnea is, and what every neurologist should know about it?  Dr Stahl: Yeah. So obstructive sleep apnea is characterized by either partial or full obstructions in the upper airway. That may sound pretty simple, but this leads to a whole bunch of issues. It leads to oxygen desaturations, arousals from sleep, leading to sleep fragmentation. This can then lead to sympathetic nervous system activation, cerebral hypoperfusion, leading to a whole bunch of symptoms or neurologic conditions.  Dr Berkowitz: Great. And you mentioned this in your article, but just to emphasize, how common is obstructive sleep apnea in the general population?  Dr Stahl: Yeah. So, about a quarter of the general population have obstructive sleep apnea. Much more common in many neurologic conditions.  Dr Berkowitz: Yeah, so very common disorder. We are seeing patients with it quite frequently, whether that's the reason they are seeing us in neurology or not. And this leads to my next question, which is what neurologic symptoms or presenting concerns of a patient should make us think about OSA and the differential diagnosis, and what factors based on the history or the exam or the context would make you suspicious for OSA as the cause of a neurologic symptom? In other words, the patient's presenting with classic symptoms of OSA, and that's why they're seeing a neurologist or seeing a primary care doctor, but is coming for evaluation of, say, headache or other symptoms. And what symptoms would make you think of wanting to consider OSA, and then what aspects of the history or otherwise would make you want to evaluate the patient for OSA?  Dr Stahl: I think a really important takeaway is for neurologists to know that obstructive sleep apnea is very common in neurologic conditions and has that potential to worsen a lot of these conditions or their associated symptoms. And so, it should be on our radar. There are certainly some basic questions and signs and symptoms that we can ask patients about or, or take a look at on exam. And so particular symptoms include snoring. Anybody that snores loudly or frequently, that's a strong risk factor for obstructive sleep apnea. If someone's seeing them stop breathing in their sleep, if they are waking up a lot throughout the night. There are some other symptoms that we may not necessarily attribute upfront to obstructive sleep apnea, such as nocturia, nocturnal reflux, night sweats. There are some daytime symptoms, of course, too, like unrefreshing sleep, daytime sleepiness, morning headaches, an important one in neurology. And then we take a look at the patient's exam. And so, some things that neurologists might want to be thinking about are people with obesity are certainly at a risk for obstructive sleep apnea. But it's also very important to know that someone does not need to have obesity in order to have obstructive sleep apnea. We look at neck size, other morphologic characteristics, such as how much that we can see in the back of their mouth. Can we see their uvula? Does their tongue size appear large in their mouth? And then some other risk factors too, such as male gender, older age, family history, post-menopausal state in women. All that being said, though, sometimes in neurologic conditions, we don't have all of those symptoms or risk factors to be thinking about. And so, in certain neurologic conditions such as stroke where obstructive sleep apnea is very common and has the potential to increase the risk of another stroke, we may need to be thinking about testing these patients even with minimal symptoms or other risk factors.  Dr Berkowitz: That's very helpful. So, you mentioned their headache might be the presenting symptom, right, to a neurologist, and we should certainly be thinking about obstructive sleep apnea as a potential diagnosis, even the cause of the patient's headache, particularly you said patients with morning headache. I often try to think about in patients presenting with, for memory loss, or other cognitive concerns, and that may be due more to inattention from poor sleep, so asking about sleep and symptoms of sleep apnea in those contexts. Are there any other presenting neurologic symptoms not particularly related to sleep? I'm thinking of headache, memory loss, other symptoms that would make you think, "Oh, I should actually screen this patient for sleep apnea also."  Dr Stahl: Yeah, other symptoms to think about in pediatrics, hyperactivity, people that have impaired vigilance, as you alluded to, that poor attention. Sometimes people get misdiagnosed with ADHD, and it's actually just a manifestation of obstructive sleep apnea.  Dr Berkowitz: You alluded to this, Dr. Stahl, that stroke, for example, patients are at higher risk of developing sleep apnea as a result of stroke, and it's also a risk factor for stroke. What other neurologic conditions, primary neurologic diseases, put patients at a higher risk of OSA? And again, similar to the last question I asked you, what are some clues that we should evaluate for? We might be following a patient for their post-stroke care over time and not necessarily thinking about diagnosing a separate condition in them since we're following them for their stroke or their degenerative disease. What are the conditions that put patients at a higher risk of OSA as a result of the condition, and then when would you think about screening them for it?  Dr Stahl: Some particular neurologic conditions where obstructive sleep apnea are very common, in addition to stroke and, and TIA, include Parkinson disease. It can worsen a lot of the motor, cognitive symptoms, sleep disruption that we can see in Parkinson disease. Very common in all causes of dementia, but in particular Alzheimer disease and Lewy body dementia. Very common in neuromuscular conditions. We should definitely have obstructive sleep apnea and all forms of sleep-disordered breathing high on our radar. In conditions like myotonic dystrophy. Charcot-Marie-Tooth is another one where obstructive sleep apnea is very common. Myasthenia gravis, it can worsen the symptoms of that. In particular, a pearl is if somebody has morning weakness in myasthenia gravis, obstructive sleep apnea should be high on your radar. And also, as you mentioned, any forms of headaches. There are some other things too. If somebody has poor seizure control, especially nocturnal seizures, you might have obstructive sleep apnea on your radar as well.  Dr Berkowitz: So, I think you've covered essentially every category of neurologic disease, right? We have cerebrovascular, movement, neurodegenerative, neuromuscular, epilepsy, all conditions where either the disorder itself, such as stroke or the, correct me if I'm wrong, the neurodegenerative disease puts the patient at risk. Or the patient may be at risk for exacerbations of their disease, as you mentioned in myasthenia. I love that pearl. Not fatiguable at the end of the day, but if the patient with myasthenia is telling you they're feeling weaker at the beginning of the day, then think about obstructive sleep apnea and that obstructive sleep apnea worsening control of epilepsy due to poor sleep. So really a lot of bidirectional interactions with this common condition. Okay, so if we're concerned about obstructive sleep apnea, again, myself, a general neurologist speaking perhaps on behalf of other general neurologists, we see a patient with headache or reporting memory loss that we find to be impaired attention, or we see exacerbation of their underlying primary neurologic disease. As you mentioned, we think, "Oh, I've listened to this podcast. I've read Dr. Stahl's article. I should probably be thinking about OSA in this patient, and I should order a sleep study." Now, I admit when I get the sleep study back, I scroll to the bottom, I see they do have obstructive sleep apnea, I'm going to send them over to a sleep specialist. But for the general neurologist, what are some high-yield pearls and some pitfalls to be aware of when we get sleep studies for obstructive sleep apnea, and we are looking at the results? Dr Stahl: The first thing is to understand that there are two main types of sleep studies: in-lab polysomnography and home sleep apnea test. In-lab studies are typically what we consider the more accurate type of study. Main reason for that is that we have EEG, so we can see if someone is awake versus asleep. Most home sleep apnea tests do not utilize EEG, and so when we're looking at respiratory events, apneas or hypopneas, we're looking at over the total recording time rather than the total sleep time. So, we know we're going to capture some time where a person is awake, where we don't have sleep apnea events, and that can be a big amount of time in people with insomnia, poor sleep efficiency. And as a result of that, it can lead to an underestimation of the apnea-hypopnea index. That's really important for people to understand that that means we can end up with a false negative home sleep apnea test, or it can put them in a category of lower severity than what they actually have. And so, if you get a home sleep study report back that's negative for sleep apnea and you remain concerned, you need to go on to do an in-lab study, where about twenty to fifty percent of people will go on to have a positive in-lab study. You can also get false positives with home sleep apnea tests too, and so ideally, we should only be doing home sleep apnea tests in people that are at high risk of having obstructive sleep apnea to decrease our chance of false positive study. When we get that sleep study report, what's important to take a look at? So the main number that we look at currently is the apnea-hypopnea index. The number of apneas, which are full obstructions in that upper airway, or hypopneas, partial obstructions in the upper airway where either there's an oxygen desaturation or an arousal associated with that. Less than five is considered to be normal. Anything five or more gives them a diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea, and then we stratify them based on the AHI. But it's important to take a look at more than just the apnea-hypopnea index. And while my eyes too on various reports like echocardiograms want to jump to the impression, it is important to take a look at that full report, see what their oxygen levels averaged and what they dipped down to. The arousal index, which is how many times a patient may have woken up briefly throughout the night. Take a look at the histogram, usually an image at the bottom of their report that shows what sleep fragmentation may have been like so that you can take that all in and make that decision. How important are these study findings, and is this a person that would benefit from treatment?  Dr Berkowitz: That's a fantastic overview of sleep studies and some of the highlights to look out for, even if we won't be understanding every detail as you would to know most importantly the caveats about home sleep testing having a fairly high percentage of false negative and false positive results. So being wary if our suspicion is high, and that test is normal or inconclusive to get an in-lab sleep study. And if our suspicion is low or maybe we haven't ordered the test and the patient has had it done elsewhere, and the history doesn't really match up to know that there are false positives on the home studies as well, and again, an in-lab study to settle the diagnosis. Is that right?  Dr Stahl: Yes.  Dr Berkowitz: Okay. Now, for most neurologists, probably if we diagnose OSA, we will be referring the patient to a sleep specialist like yourself for treatment. I think we're all familiar with CPAP and patients being on CPAP. Your article mentions a number of treatment modalities I admit I have not heard of before or maybe heard of in passing, acknowledging most general neurologists are not going to be prescribing or knowing with the nuance that you do as an expert how to decide which treatment a patient would most benefit from or most qualify for. So, can you just give us a broad overview, again, for the general neurologist acknowledging we might see a patient whose past medical history says OSA being treated with fill in the blank. What are the different treatment modalities, and how do you think, just so we can learn from you in broad brush strokes, about particular treatments for particular patients?  Dr Stahl: As you mentioned, most people are familiar with positive airway pressure or PAP therapy, and that does remain our most efficacious treatment. The way I explain it to patients is why PAP therapy is the most effective treatment is it's the only treatment that can take all of the tissues of that upper airway and open them up. Whereas all of our other treatments, we're going to target smaller spaces of that upper airway. So, our first option is if we can get somebody on PAP therapy, we know that that's going to be the best option for the majority. PAP therapy works by basically acting as an air splint to open up the air tissues. Know that masks are not interchangeable. There are masks that cover the nose and go over the nose and mouth and under the nose. Full face masks that cover the nose and mouth, they do typically require higher pressures, also tend to be less comfortable for a lot of patients as well. In addition to different PAP masks, there's different modalities of positive airway pressure therapy too. There are machines that auto-adjust, some that provide fixed pressure, bi-level PAP that provides a higher inspiratory pressure, lower expiratory pressure. Then outside of PAP therapy, there are, as you alluded to, a lot of options and more, continuing to come down the pipeline as well. Mandibular advancement devices or a form of oral appliances has been around for a while. This is device that somebody wears in their mouth. It's preferably customized for their teeth and titratable, meaning that they can make adjustments that pulls their mandible forward in relation to the maxilla in order to pull those tongue tissues further away from the back of the upper airway. That's ideally managed by a qualified sleep dentist or someone that specializes in oral appliance management. Other treatments include surgical options, including hypoglossal nerve stimulation, which is an implanted device that causes the tongue to protrude repetitively throughout their sleep period to hopefully open up the airspace. There's some other surgical options too that open up various places of the upper airway. There's a daytime treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, transoral neuromuscular electrical stimulation that changes the muscle fiber type of the tongue. And then there's some adjunctive treatments that can be helpful too, such as positional therapy, oral facial myofunctional therapy that helps a person breathe better through their nose and may help train the upper airway muscles.  Dr Berkowitz: Great. Well, that's a very helpful overview, and again, I refer our listeners to your article, which talks about all of those modalities in very comprehensive detail. So, Dr. Stahl, as we wrap up our conversation, you have a captive audience of neurologists and neurology trainees here. What would you like to leave us with that every neurologist should know about obstructive sleep apnea?  Dr Stahl: The most important, again, is for neurologists to know that obstructive sleep apnea is so common in your patient population, and it can have a significant negative impact on quality of life and health, including many neurologic conditions. And at the same time, obstructive sleep apnea is very treatable. We have so many options nowadays that we can usually get someone onto adequate treatment. And treatment has that potential to improve several neurologic symptoms and disorders, even at times when you don't think that there's an opportunity to improve symptoms such as say in, headache. So, neurologists really should be screening for signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea, as well as considering testing in high-risk, potentially asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic patients.  Dr Berkowitz: That's a fantastic overview of some of the many pearls that you shared with us today, as well as in your article. So, thank you so much again. Today, I've been interviewing Dr. Stephanie Stahl about her article on obstructive sleep apnea. This article appears in the August 2026 Continuum issue on neurology of sleep. Be sure to check out Continuum Audio episodes from this and other issues. And thank you so much to our listeners for joining today, and thank you again, Dr. Stahl.  Dr Stahl: Thank you again for having me.  Dr Monteith: This is Dr. Teshamae Monteith, Associate Editor of Continuum Audio. If you've enjoyed this episode, you'll love the journal, which is full of in-depth and clinically relevant information important for neurology practitioners. Use the link in the episode notes to learn more and subscribe. AAN members, you can get CME for listening to this interview by completing the evaluation at continpub.com/audioCME. Thank you for listening to Continuum Audio.  

The Rebbe writes to the Chabad Village Education Committee, blessing their boys' and girls' gatherings with success in instilling Torah, mitzvos, and chassidic warmth. He praises those involved and wishes them further blessings in their personal matters. https://www.torahrecordings.com/rebbe/igroskodesh/017/011/6433

The impact of screens on learning is great, and not always in a good way. The state plans to highlight the risks for screens in school, how technology impacts learning, what this means for kids and families, and what steps the legislators are taking to get screens out of the classroom. We spoke more about this with State Representative Jen Leeper of Fairfield who is also the Co-chair of the state's Education Committee.To attend the August 12th webinar: Webinar Registration - Zoom

Join us for a conversation with Jon Dossett, DMD, FACD, FICD, MAGD, ABGD, is an assistant professor in the Department of Comprehensive Dentistry at the University of Texas Health San Antonio School of Dentistry and a nationally recognized educator, speaker, and leader in general dentistry. The discussion focuses on Dossett's career in dentistry, his involvement in organized dentistry, and his leadership roles within the AGD and Texas AGD. Dossett shared insights into how his military background and early involvement in dental organizations prepared him for leadership positions. He discussed the importance of mentorship and getting young dentists involved in leadership early on, highlighting the success of Texas AGD in engaging students and new dentists. The conversation covered the Lone Star Dental Conference, its hybrid learning model, and the integration of the Master Track program. A graduate of the University of Kentucky College of Dentistry, Dossett served 30 years as a dentist in the U.S. Air Force before transitioning to dental education. He was recently honored with the Lifelong Learning and Service Recognition, having previously earned his Mastership and Fellowship. He has dedicated his career to advancing excellence in patient care, continuing education, and mentorship. Dossett is actively involved in organized dentistry at the local, state, and national levels. He serves on the board of the Texas Academy of General Dentistry and as vice chair of its Education Committee. He has also held leadership roles with the San Antonio Academy of General Dentistry, the American Board of General Dentistry, the American Dental Education Association, and several other professional organizations. An accomplished lecturer, Dossett has delivered more than 1,800 hours of continuing education to dental professionals throughout his career. His contributions to dentistry have been recognized with numerous honors, including the 2023 Texas Dentist of the Year Award and the Academy of General Dentistry's 2023 Faculty of the Year Award.

The Israeli election must be held by October 27, latest, and Dr. Einat Wilf, former MK and prominent public presence (not sure what to call her - politician? Advocate? Public intellectual? All of the above?) is emerging as a strong voice in the mix of candidates vying for Israeli votes. Her newly constituted party - Oz - advocates a return to the fundamental principles of political Zionism, or, as she puts it - “from exilic mindset to sovereign conduct.” Einat was raised in a very progressive, left-leaning environment. I would not suggest for a moment that she has veered rightward. I happen to find the “right-left” paradigm obsolete these days but especially so when it comes to Israel. Those often tagged as being “right” are anything but. They have morphed into extremists of different types. What we have in Israel today is a large left/centrist/center right majority that is looking for a way to ensure that the extremist coalition that we have lived with for four years is not re-elected. Einat Wilf and the Oz party are solidly in that majority mix. We talk about her party's fierce dedication to the founding principles of the state of Israel; a pluralistic, liberal democracy. And she makes no apologies for standing firm.As I mention in the podcast introduction, I first met Einat Wilf when I began my tenure as Canadian Ambassador to Israel in winter, 2014. She has continued to embody the best of Israel. Proud. Strong. Knowledgeable and courageous. We need people with Einat's integrity and intelligence in the mix in the Knesset…….and, frankly, we need women in positions of leadership in Israel. In the last decade we have slipped terribly in that regard. Not only is the political sphere male-dominated, but they tend to be repressively so - towards women. That's my view. Do not attribute it to Einat - although I expect she would agree.We begin this podcast with the horrifying attacks recently on US Congressional candidate Scott Wiener. Why? Because the harassment of him is exactly what Oz is all about. Reclaiming our dignity and nationhood.Show your support for STLV at buymeacoffee.com/stateoftelavivPodcast Notes* Link to five minute animation video recently released by Einat Wilf explaining the history and political concept of Zionism.* Website for Einat Wilf's Oz Party - in English (also Hebrew, if you prefer - just toggle in the menu at the top of the page. https://www.ozparty.co.il/enDr. Einat Wilf is Chair of Oz Party and a leading thinker on Israel, Zionism, foreign policy and education. She was a member of the Israeli Parliament from 2010 to 2013, where she served as Chair of the Education Committee and Member of the influential Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Born and raised in Israel, Dr. Wilf served as an Intelligence Officer in the Israel Defense Forces, Foreign Policy Advisor to Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres and a strategic consultant with McKinsey & Company. Dr. Wilf has a BA from Harvard, an MBA from INSEAD in France, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Cambridge. She was the Goldman Visiting Professor at Georgetown University. Dr. Wilf is the author of seven books that explore key issues in Israeli society. “We Should All Be Zionists”, published in 2022, brings together her essays from the past four years on Israel, Zionism and the path to peace; the co-authored “The War of Return: How Western Indulgence of the Palestinian Dream Has Obstructed the Path to Peace”, was published in 2020.State of Tel Aviv is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.stateoftelaviv.com/subscribe

'Our school estate is too big, it's not sustainable - Education Committee chair Nick Mathison spoke to John as the EA raised concerns over a £600m shortfall in maintenance funds Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tune in to the Williamson County Education Committee Meeting from May 26, 2026.

Mandy Wiener speaks to EFF MP and Higher Education Committee member, Sihle Lonzi about why the EFF is unhappy with the cancellation of the committee meeting with NSFAS and Higher Education Minister on Monday. The Midday Report with Mandy Wiener is 702 and CapeTalk’s flagship news show, your hour of essential news radio. The show is podcasted every weekday, allowing you to catch up with a 60-minute weekday wrap of the day's main news. It's packed with fast-paced interviews with the day’s newsmakers, as well as those who can make sense of the news and explain what's happening in your world. All the interviews are podcasted for you to catch up and listen to. Thank you for listening to this podcast of The Midday Report Listen live on weekdays between 12:00 and 13:00 (SA Time) to The Midday Report broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj and on CapeTalk https://buff.ly/NnFM3Nk For more from The Midday Report, go to https://buff.ly/BTGmL9H and find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/LcbDdFI Subscribe to the 702 and CapeTalk daily and weekly newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 CapeTalk on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@capetalk CapeTalk on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ CapeTalk on X: https://x.com/CapeTalk CapeTalk on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CapeTalk567See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, I'm back with Dr. Sameena Rahman for Part 2 — and we go places most medical appointments never do. We open with PCOS, GLP-1s, peptides, and ketamine, then shift into what may be the most important hormone conversation I've had on this show: is hormone therapy actually safe for women over 60?Dr. Rahman breaks down why the original Women's Health Initiative study was mismarketed, not flawed — and how that bad marketing set back women's health by two decades. She explains how to think about the risk-benefit calculation for starting hormones later in life, and what screenings actually matter before making that call.We then get into the reality of concierge medicine — why so many doctors are leaving insurance-based practices, and what women who can't afford private care can actually do. And we close on a myth that genuinely alarmed me: the idea that women over 65 no longer need pelvic exams. Dr. Rahman sets the record straight — and explains why genitourinary syndrome menopauIn This Episode: 00:00 - Welcome Back & Recap of Part 101:20 - PCOS Explained: What It Is and Who It Affects02:50 - GLP-1s, Peptides & Ketamine: What the Evidence Actually Says05:10 - Hormone Therapy After 60: Is It Safe?07:30 - The WHI Study: Bad Marketing, Not Bad Science09:20 - Heart Health, Bone Health & Who Should Consider Starting Late11:45 - Why Doctors Are Moving to Concierge Medicine14:00 - The Insurance System Is Rigged Against Women16:05 - What to Do If You Can't Afford a Specialist17:45 - The Pelvic Exam Myth Putting Women at Risk19:15 - Genitourinary Syndrome, Vaginal Estrogen & UTI Prevention20:50 - Final Thoughts & Where to Find Dr. RahmanWant a deeper look? Watch the full episode on YouTube for a more visual experience of today's discussion. This episode is best enjoyed on video—don't miss out!Karen Bigman, a Sexual Health Alliance Certified Sex Educator, Life, and Menopause Coach, tackles the often-taboo subject of sexuality with a straightforward and candid approach. We explore the intricacies of sex during perimenopause, post-menopause, and andropause, offering insights and support for all those experiencing these transformative phases.This podcast is not intended to give medical advice. Karen Bigman is not a medical professional. For any medical questions or issues, please visit your licensed medical provider.Looking for some fresh perspective on sex in midlife? You can find me here:Email: karen@taboototruth.comWebsite: https://www.taboototruth.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taboototruthYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@taboototruthpodcastAbout the Guest:Dr. Sameena Rahman is a board-certified OB/GYN and certified Menopause Practitioner with over a decade of expertise in midlife care, sexual medicine, and concierge gynecology. After training and practicing at leading institutions including USC, the University of Chicago, and Northwestern, she founded The GSM Collective in downtown Chicago to deliver a more personalized, patient-first model of women's healthcare.Nationally recognized for her leadership in sexual and menopausal health, Dr. Rahman serves on the Board of Directors and as Scientific Committee Chair for the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH), where she is also a Fellow (IF). She is a Menopause Certified Practitioner and active member of The Menopause Society's Education Committee, frequently speaking at national and international conferences on culturally informed care and sexual health.Connect with Dr. Sameena Rahman:Website: https://www.thegsmcollective.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gynogirl/Karen Bigman, a Sexual Health Alliance Certified Sex Educator, Life, and Menopause Coach, tackles the often-taboo subject of sexuality with a straightforward and candid approach. We explore the intricacies of sex during perimenopause, post-menopause, and andropause, offering insights and support for all those experiencing these transformative phases.This podcast is not intended to give medical advice. Karen Bigman is not a medical professional. For any medical questions or issues, please visit your licensed medical provider.Looking for some fresh perspective on sex in midlife? You can find me here:Email: karen@taboototruth.comWebsite: https://www.taboototruth.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taboototruthYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@taboototruthpodcastSubstack: https://karenbigman.substack.comLINKS, EXCLUSIVE VIP DISCOUNTS, COURSES & FREEBIES

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Sameena Rahman — board-certified OBGYN, sex medicine Gynecologist, and menopause specialist — to have the conversation most women never get to have with their doctor. We cover whether hormone level testing actually matters, how to tell the difference between hormone imbalance and hormone optimization, and why a woman's libido is almost never just about one thing.Dr. Rahman breaks down the biopsychosocial framework she uses in her practice, explains why so many women in long-term relationships experience responsive — not spontaneous — desire, and gets specific about the treatments available right now for women with low libido who are bothered by it. That includes testosterone, flibanserin (Addyi), bremelanotide (Vyleesi), and a promising new topical sildenafil being prescribed at leading practices. I share my own experience with testosterone and Wellbutrin, we talk about the gender double standard in sexual medicine, and Dr. Rahman makes the case that women deserve the same range of options men have had for decades.Timestamps:00:00 - Welcome & Introduction01:35 - Who Is Dr. Sameena Rahman?02:50 - Should You Measure Your Hormone Levels?05:20 - Hormone Imbalance vs. Hormone Optimization07:10 - Why Women's Libido Is Never Just One Thing09:30 - Responsive Desire & the Incentive-Based Model11:20 - What Is Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder?13:10 - Testosterone for Women: Does It Work?15:25 - Flibanserin (Addyi) — The Pink Pill Explained17:55 - Bremelanotide (Vyleesi) — The On-Demand Option19:45 - Topical Sildenafil: The Newest Treatment for Women21:20 - Key Takeaways & Closing Thoughts Want a deeper look? Watch the full episode on YouTube for a more visual experience of today's discussion. This episode is best enjoyed on video—don't miss out!Karen Bigman, a Sexual Health Alliance Certified Sex Educator, Life, and Menopause Coach, tackles the often-taboo subject of sexuality with a straightforward and candid approach. We explore the intricacies of sex during perimenopause, post-menopause, and andropause, offering insights and support for all those experiencing these transformative phases.This podcast is not intended to give medical advice. Karen Bigman is not a medical professional. For any medical questions or issues, please visit your licensed medical provider.Looking for some fresh perspective on sex in midlife? You can find me here:Email: karen@taboototruth.comWebsite: https://www.taboototruth.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taboototruthYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@taboototruthpodcastAbout the Guest:Dr. Sameena Rahman is a board-certified OB/GYN and certified Menopause Practitioner with over a decade of expertise in midlife care, sexual medicine, and concierge gynecology. After training and practicing at leading institutions including USC, the University of Chicago, and Northwestern, she founded The GSM Collective in downtown Chicago to deliver a more personalized, patient-first model of women's healthcare.Nationally recognized for her leadership in sexual and menopausal health, Dr. Rahman serves on the Board of Directors and as Scientific Committee Chair for the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH), where she is also a Fellow (IF). She is a Menopause Certified Practitioner and active member of The Menopause Society's Education Committee, frequently speaking at national and international conferences on culturally informed care and sexual health.Connect with Dr. Sameena Rahman:Website: https://www.thegsmcollective.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gynogirl/Take control of your pleasure with my Pleasure Playbook, filled with tips to help you connect with your body and enhance intimacy. Download it now at www.taboototruth.com/pleasureplaybook.Karen Bigman, a Sexual Health Alliance Certified Sex Educator, Life, and Menopause Coach, tackles the often-taboo subject of sexuality with a straightforward and candid approach. We explore the intricacies of sex during perimenopause, post-menopause, and andropause, offering insights and support for all those experiencing these transformative phases.This podcast is not intended to give medical advice. Karen Bigman is not a medical professional. For any medical questions or issues, please visit your licensed medical provider.Looking for some fresh perspective on sex in midlife? You can find me here:Email: karen@taboototruth.comWebsite: https://www.taboototruth.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/taboototruthYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@taboototruthpodcastSubstack: https://karenbigman.substack.comLINKS, EXCLUSIVE VIP DISCOUNTS, COURSES & FREEBIES

Tune in to the Williamson County Education Committee Meeting from May 7, 2026.

A heated Philadelphia School Board meeting ended in a 6-3 vote, which approved a $3 billion facilities plan that would close 17 schools and renovate 169 more. Not before city council members disrupted the meeting with chants and shouting, to protest the plan. Although this didn't stop its initial passing, city leaders are pushing back. Councilmember Isaiah Thomas was present at the board meeting and has been outspoken about some of the schools on the closure list. Host Trenae Nuri speaks with the councilmember, who's also the chair of the Education Committee, about his opposition and what would need to change in the facilities master plan to get his support.  Listen back to Monday's episode with School Board President Reginald Streater to hear why he voted 'yes' on this plan. Our newsletter has Philly news & events in your inbox every weekday morning. Call or text us: 215-259-8170 Instagram: @citycastphilly Support our show and get great perks as a City Cast Philly Neighbor: membership.citycast.fm Advertise on the podcast or in the newsletter: citycast.fm/advertise Learn more about the sponsors of this episode: Taskrabbit Art Star

Tune in to the Williamson County Education Committee Meeting from April 27, 2026.

Dr. Wilner would love your feedback! Click here to send a text! Thanks!Many thanks to Heather Gatcombe, MD, a physician and mother of a child affected by a rare mitochondrial disease. Her son experienced normal development until age eight, when he suffered a sudden stroke at school. After five years, he was diagnosed with a nuclear DNA mutation. Now 16, he has endured multiple strokes, hearing loss, and heart failure, but has successfully undergone a heart transplant and is currently preparing for college.In addition to her clinical work, Heather serves on the Board of Trustees and the Scientific Medical Advisory Board Clinical Training and Education Committee of the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF). The UMDF is dedicated to raising awareness of mitochondrial disease, which can present in both children and adults—the average age of diagnosis is 30.During our interview, Dr. Gatcombe highlighted the challenges of obtaining an accurate diagnosis for mitochondrial disease, noting that precise identification is essential for effective treatment. The UMDF offers free genetic testing, and two FDA-approved medications are now available for patients.For more information or to support the UMDF's mission, visit https://umdf.org. Physicians interested in continuing medical education can learn more at https://umdf.org/mito-university.#mitochondria #raredisease #DNAPlease click "Fanmail" and share your feedback!If you enjoy an episode, please share with friends and colleagues. "The Art of Medicine with Dr. Andrew Wilner" is now available on Alexa! Just say, "Play podcast The Art of Medicine with Dr. Andrew Wilner!" To never miss a program, subscribe at www.andrewwilner.com. Follow me on Instagram: @andrewwilnermdX: @drwilnerlinkedin.com/in/drwilner Please rate and review each episode. To contact Dr. Wilner or to join the mailing list: www.andrewwilner.comThis production has been made possible in part by support from “The Art of Medicine's” wonderful sponsor, Locumstory.com, a resource where providers can get real, unbiased answers about locum tenens. If you are interested in locum tenens, or considering a new full-time position, please go to Locumstory.com.Or paste this link into your browser:https://locumstory.com/?source=DSP_directbuy_drwilnerpodcast...

Being on the caregiver side of complex, rare disease care reveals critical gaps in our healthcare system, even for two physician parents with strong connections. In this powerful follow-up episode of Succeed In Medicine, host Dr. Bradley Block welcomes back Dr. Heather Gatcombe, as she recounts her family's journey: her son's initial metabolic stroke-like episodes at age 7, the five-year path to a definitive mitochondrial disease diagnosis (including a muscle biopsy and eventual identification of a pathogenic variant), sudden heart failure at age 11 during the COVID-19 pandemic, ECMO, LVAD placement, and successful heart transplant. She openly discusses the immense challenges of hospital discharge with an LVAD when no pediatric rehab would accept him, managing tube feeds and alarms at home without adequate home health support, and the frustration of subtle symptoms like throat clearing being overlooked as a sign of heart failure. Dr. Gatcombe also reflects on moments where she felt her family wasn't fully heard, and the lasting impact of those experiences. Throughout the conversation, she shares how this journey has made her a more empathetic and effective clinician, particularly in communicating uncertainty, avoiding premature reassurance, listening to parental intuition, ensuring robust discharge planning with support services, and staying curious even when a diagnosis remains elusive. This episode offers practical lessons for all physicians on improving communication, supporting families through diagnostic uncertainty, preparing patients for safe transitions home, and the power of transparency and advocacy in rare disease care. Three Actionable Takeaways: Communicate uncertainty honestly and compassionately: When the diagnosis isn't clear yet, be transparent about what you know and don't know. Offer guidance on next steps, second opinions, and support resources rather than premature reassurance that may later need to be walked back. Prioritize discharge planning and support services: The transition from hospital to home is one of the most vulnerable periods. Ensure patients and families have home health, equipment (wheelchair, shower chair, etc.), dietician and nurse navigator follow-up, and clear instructions before discharge, especially for medically complex cases. Listen to patients and families as the experts on their own bodies: Parental intuition and lived experience matter. When a child or family member expresses concern, even if it seems outside the norm,  take it seriously, investigate, and avoid dismissing it. Follow up after adverse events when possible to maintain trust. About the Show: Succeed In Medicine covers patient interactions, burnout, career growth, personal finance, and more. If you're tired of dull medical lectures, tune in for real-world lessons we should have learned in med school! About the Guest: Dr. Heather Gatcombe is a board-certified radiation oncologist at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and an Assistant Professor at Emory University School of Medicine. She specializes in breast radiation oncology and serves as Vice Chair for Community and Belonging. As the mother of a child with mitochondrial disease who experienced metabolic strokes starting at age 7, progressing to heart failure and transplant, she is deeply committed to raising clinician awareness, reducing diagnostic delays, and advocating for patients and families. She serves on the Board of Trustees and the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board Clinical Training and Education Committee of the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF). Website: https://winshipcancer.emory.edu/profiles/gatcombe-heather.php LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-gatcombe-md-3891875 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathergatcombe UMDF: https://umdf.org/about/board-trustees About the Host: Dr. Bradley Block – Dr. Bradley Block is a board-certified otolaryngologist at ENT and Allergy Associates in Garden City, NY. He specializes in adult and pediatric ENT, with interests in sinusitis and obstructive sleep apnea. Dr. Block also hosts Succeed In Medicine podcast, focusing on personal and professional development for physicians Want to be a guest? Email Brad at brad@physiciansguidetodoctoring.com  or visit www.physiciansguidetodoctoring.com to learn more! Socials: @physiciansguidetodoctoring on Facebook @physicianguidetodoctoring on YouTube @physiciansguide on Instagram and Twitter This medical podcast is your physician mentor to fill the gaps in your medical education. We cover physician soft skills, charting, interpersonal skills, doctor finance, doctor mental health, medical decisions, physician parenting, physician executive skills, navigating your doctor career, and medical professional development. This is critical CME for physicians, but without the credits (yet). A proud founding member of the Doctor Podcast Network!Visit www.physiciansguidetodoctoring.com to connect, dive deeper, and keep the conversation going. Let's grow! Disclaimer:This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, financial, or legal advice. Always consult a qualified professional for personalized guidance. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Budget Committee & Education Committee Joint Meeting - March 30th, 2026

Today's episode explores two deeply human dimensions of genetic counseling- how we support families as they process complex genomic information over time and how people make meaning in the face of uncertainty. Both segments discuss how we can support people as they make sense of genetic information in their lives.   Segment 1: Putting control into parents' hands: Parent experiences with a genomic results e-booklet   Guest Bio: Shelin Adam is a Master's trained Genetic Counsellor and Clinical Assistant Professor working at the University of British Columbia Department of Medical Genetics, as well as the Division of Pediatric Neurology at BC Children's Hospital. Her research focus has been the application of new genetic and genomic technology. More specifically, she is interested in understanding the best ways to provide education, decision support and genetic counselling to families being offered genomic sequencing. Shelin has also been involved in looking at issues of equity and access for diverse families who face linguistic, cultural, geographic and economic issues when trying to obtain genetic services.   Key Takeaways: - A genomic results booklet to support parents after pediatric genomic testing. - Findings show improved understanding, communication, and advocacy through a take-home resource. - The study highlights challenges with accessibility, language, and timing of information delivery. - The discussion considers the booklet's role as a partial substitute for genetic counseling and future AI integration.   Segment 2: Exploring the principles of logotherapy in genetic counseling: Enhancing decision-making, adaptation, and justice   Guest Bios: Nour Chanouha, MS, CGC (she/her), emigrated from her home country of Lebanon in 2020 to pursue a career in genetic counseling. Nour graduated from the Northwestern Graduate Program in Genetic Counseling in 2022 and has since been practicing as a genetic counselor in the maternal-fetal medicine and reproductive endocrinology and infertility (IVF) clinics at the University of Iowa Health Care. Nour holds several leadership roles, including serving as a board member of the Arab Society of Genetic Counselors and co-Chair of its Education Committee, as well as co-Chair of the National Society of Genetic Counselors' (NSGC) International SIG Mentorship Program. She is also an active volunteer on multiple committees within the National Society of Genetic Counselors, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, and the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technology. Nour is actively involved in research, education, and mentorship both within and beyond her institution and has been awarded the NSGC 2025 New Leader Award.   Nour's interest in logotherapy began early in her career. She decided to pursue training in logotherapy as a way to strengthen her counseling skills, enhance cultural competency, and better support patients navigating grief and loss, while also fostering personal and professional growth. When she is not reading Viktor Frankl's writings on the weekend, she enjoys cooking, traveling and volunteering with the Immigrant Welcome Network of Johnson County.   Kendra is a board-certified genetic counselor with 15 years of experience in reproductive genetics. She currently serves as the supervisor of prenatal genetic counseling at University of Iowa Health Care and is the founder of Allay Life, a private practice dedicated to supporting individuals and families navigating unexpected news in pregnancy. Kendra is deeply committed to advancing the practice of genetic counseling through education and mentorship, with a particular focus on the power of therapeutic relationships and counseling skills to enhance patient outcomes. She also provides peer and professional supervision for practicing genetic counselors and graduate students.   Key Takeaways: - This episode explores the use of logotherapy to support meaning-centered genetic counseling. - The discussion highlights how focusing on patient values can guide decision-making and coping. - Logotherapy presented as a practical clinical framework for navigating uncertainty, grief, and complex choices. - The conversation emphasizes its role in promoting patient autonomy, equity, and holistic care. Would you like to nominate a JoGC article to be featured in the show? If so, please fill out this nomination submission form here. Multiple entries are encouraged including articles where you, your colleagues, or your friends are authors.   Stay tuned for the next new episode of DNA Dialogues! In the meantime, listen to all our episodes Apple Podcasts, Spotify, streaming on the website, or any other podcast player by searching, “DNA Dialogues”.    For more information about this episode visit dnadialogues.podbean.com, where you can also stream all episodes of the show. Check out the Journal of Genetic Counseling here for articles featured in this episode and others.    Any questions, episode ideas, guest pitches, or comments can be sent into DNADialoguesPodcast@gmail.com.    DNA Dialogues' team includes Jehannine Austin, Naomi Wagner, Khalida Liaquat, Kate Wilson and DNA Today's Kira Dineen. Our logo was designed by Ashlyn Enokian. Our current intern is Stephanie Schofield.

What if a patient's multisystem symptoms, unexplained strokes, or exercise intolerance point to mitochondrial disease, but it takes 5–10 years and multiple specialists to confirm? In this eye-opening episode, Dr. Bradley Block speaks with Dr. Heather Gatcombe. As both a physician and the mother of a son with mitochondrial disease, leading to metabolic strokes, heart failure, and transplant,  Dr. Gatcombe shares her family's journey, from a terrifying stroke-like episode at age 7, through years of uncertainty, negative initial genetic testing, muscle biopsy confirmation, and eventual identification of a novel nuclear DNA mutation. They explore the heterogeneity of primary mitochondrial diseases, why presentation ranges from infancy lethality to adult-onset fatigue, and key red flags: multisystem involvement, symptom worsening with metabolic stressors, and misdiagnoses like chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, or psychiatric conditions. The discussion covers workup, multidisciplinary care, perioperative risks, and treatment.  They stress the power of early diagnosis: better empathy, treatment changes, support groups, and hope with new therapies in the pipeline. Clinicians in every specialty need awareness, especially anesthesiologists, surgeons, and hospitalists, to prevent crises. Three Actionable Takeaways: Spot the Warning Signs Early: Look for patients with symptoms in 3 or more organ systems, unexplained strokes or seizures, diabetes and hearing loss, brain lesions in basal ganglia, or symptoms that worsen with stress like fever, fasting, or surgery. Send them quickly to a geneticist or mitochondrial specialist for testing. Free options exist at umdf.org Protect Patients During Surgery or Procedures: For anyone known to have mitochondrial disease, talk to their mitochondrial specialist first. Avoid long fasting, dehydration, or extreme temperatures. Some need IV glucose before procedures and special care with anesthesia or certain drugs to prevent a dangerous metabolic crisis. Learn More and Speed Up Diagnosis: Visit umdf.org for free doctor education (CME courses), patient support groups, and the latest on new treatments. Raising awareness helps cut the long wait for diagnosis, gives patients validation, better care, and access to emerging FDA-approved therapies.  About the Show: Succeed In Medicine covers patient interactions, burnout, career growth, personal finance, and more. If you're tired of dull medical lectures, tune in for real-world lessons we should have learned in med school! About the Guest: Dr. Heather Gatcombe is a board-certified radiation oncologist at Winship Cancer Institute of Emory University and an Assistant Professor at Emory University School of Medicine. She specializes in breast radiation oncology and serves as Vice Chair for Community and Belonging. As the mother of a child with mitochondrial disease who experienced metabolic strokes starting at age 7, progressing to heart failure and transplant, she is deeply committed to raising clinician awareness, reducing diagnostic delays, and advocating for patients and families. She serves on the Board of Trustees and the Scientific and Medical Advisory Board Clinical Training and Education Committee of the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF). Website: https://winshipcancer.emory.edu/profiles/gatcombe-heather.php LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-gatcombe-md-3891875 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathergatcombe UMDF: https://umdf.org/about/board-trustees About the Host: Dr. Bradley Block – Dr. Bradley Block is a board-certified otolaryngologist at ENT and Allergy Associates in Garden City, NY. He specializes in adult and pediatric ENT, with interests in sinusitis and obstructive sleep apnea. Dr. Block also hosts Succeed In Medicine podcast, focusing on personal and professional development for physicians Want to be a guest? Email Brad at brad@physiciansguidetodoctoring.com  or visit www.physiciansguidetodoctoring.com to learn more! Socials: @physiciansguidetodoctoring on Facebook @physicianguidetodoctoring on YouTube @physiciansguide on Instagram and Twitter   This medical podcast is your physician mentor to fill the gaps in your medical education. We cover physician soft skills, charting, interpersonal skills, doctor finance, doctor mental health, medical decisions, physician parenting, physician executive skills, navigating your doctor career, and medical professional development. This is critical CME for physicians, but without the credits (yet). A proud founding member of the Doctor Podcast Network!Visit www.physiciansguidetodoctoring.com to connect, dive deeper, and keep the conversation going. Let's grow! Disclaimer:This podcast is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical, financial, or legal advice. Always consult a qualified professional for personalized guidance. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

One of the largest public hearing turnouts happened this week for House Bill 5468: An Act Concerning the Provision of Equivalent Instruction. We did a deeper dive into it with State Representative Jen Leeper, Chair of the Education Committee.For the full bill: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2026/TOB/H/PDF/2026HB-05468-R00-HB.PDF

There are several public hearings in Hartford on very controversial pieces of legislation. We did a deeper dive into House Bill 5468 to understand people's concerns around equivalent instruction. We spoke with House Ranking Member of the Education Committee, Representative Lezlye Zupkus, about the bill and the cut off for public comment.To read the full bill: https://www.cga.ct.gov/2026/TOB/H/PDF/2026HB-05468-R00-HB.PDF

Dr. Monty Pal and Dr. Andrea Apolo discuss practice-changing studies and other novel approaches in bladder, kidney, and prostate cancers that were presented at the 2026 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium. TRANSCRIPT Dr. Monty Pal: Hello and welcome to the ASCO Daily News Podcast. I'm your host, Dr. Monty Pal. I'm a medical oncologist, professor and vice chair of academic affairs at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center in Los Angeles.  And today is super exciting, we're highlighting key abstracts that were presented at the 2026 ASCO GU Cancers Symposium, and I'm just delighted to be joined by the chair of this year's meeting, who is also a dear friend, Dr. Andrea Apolo. Dr. Apolo serves within the Center for Cancer Research at the NCI as head of the Bladder Cancer Section, and she is also acting deputy chief of the Genitourinary Malignancies Branch.  Welcome, Andrea, it is so great to have you on the podcast. Dr. Andrea Apolo: Oh, thank you so much for having me. What a great ASCO that we had, it is really exciting, lots of really great data. So I look forward to chatting about it. Dr. Monty Pal: Excellent. And you know, our full disclosures are available in the transcript of this episode in case our listeners want to have a peek.  The theme of this year's GU meeting was "Patient-Centered Care: From Discovery to Delivery." I love that theme. And really, this is one of the most competitive meetings out there, more than 850 abstracts being presented on high-impact science. Andrea, I just wanted to get right into it and dive into what I think we both felt were some of the most exciting abstracts of the meeting.  And the first of those is one that I know is near and dear to your heart, being a bladder cancer expert yourself, and that is the KEYNOTE-B15 study presented by Matt Galsky. Can you give us a flavor for what that study entailed and some of the key results? Dr. Andrea Apolo: Yeah, I think this was kind of the missing study that we have been waiting for since we saw the EV-302 data in metastatic disease in the frontline setting. We wanted to know how well this combination would work in muscle-invasive bladder cancer patients. And we saw half of that puzzle, you can say half of the piece of the puzzle, when we saw the data at ESMO, the EV-303 data in patients that were cisplatin-ineligible. And then now we are getting the full story with patients that are platinum-eligible, cisplatin-eligible, with the EV-304 data. So that study randomized patients to receive chemotherapy, so different than the EV-303 where the patients were randomized just to receive the radical cystectomy. These patients were randomized to receive neoadjuvant EV plus pembro and then adjuvant EV plus pembro versus neoadjuvant gemcitabine and cisplatin with no adjuvant component to the control arm. So I think this is a really, really important study. Dr. Monty Pal: And share with us some of the results because this in my mind is definitely practice-changing. This is one of those studies that I think you walked into the office on Monday and you are like, "Okay, this is what I am doing now," right? Dr. Andrea Apolo: Yeah. So the study was positive. The primary endpoint was event-free survival, and it met the primary endpoint. The secondary endpoint of overall survival was also met. So really, really great results. Consistent with what we saw with EV-303, the median event-free survival was not reached for the EV plus pembro arm, and it was 48 months for the patients receiving gem-cis. And then looking at the 24-month estimated event-free survival, it was 79% for the EV plus pembro and 66% for the chemo, the gem-cis arm. And that was a hazard ratio of 0.5. So that is really exciting. That is the event-free survival. And then the overall survival, the medians were not reached for either arm, but when you look at the 24-month estimated overall survival, it was 87% for the EV plus pembro versus 81% for the gem-cis, and that was a hazard ratio of 0.65. So very positive study.  And then another question that we had was the pathologic CR rate. Very consistent with what we saw with the EV-303, the pathologic response rate was about 56% for the patients that received EV plus pembro and about 32%, 33% for the patients that received gem-cis. So very consistent with the findings that we have been kind of seeing in phase 2 studies, and this is a pT0N0, so that is important. Dr. Monty Pal: So Andrea, you know, I think that the big question in folks' minds is at this point, we see the data from NIAGARA, cis-gem-durva, we have now seen this data. Put it into context for us. Is there a patient in this day and age who maybe shouldn't get IO altogether, who should maybe get the NIAGARA regimen as opposed to EV-pembro in this context? What are your thoughts there? Dr. Andrea Apolo: Now, that is a great question. I would say with this data, it is very enticing to give EV pembro to our patients in the perioperative setting, and for that to be the new standard of care for all patients, regardless of cisplatin eligibility. So similar to what we saw with EV-302 really changing the standard of care in the frontline setting, I think these two studies, the EV-303 and the EV-304, change the standard of care for patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer in the perioperative setting, and this should be the new standard of care if the patients don't have a restriction to receiving an immunotherapy. Dr. Monty Pal: I totally agree with that assessment. It is great to hear it from the expert's mouth as well. Thanks a lot for that, Andrea.  The next abstract I wanted to tackle is one that is, I would say, near and dear to my heart because I know these folks really well. It is led by the SWOG group, and this is SWOG S1602. The number there for the audience gives you a sense of how long the study has been running for. The 16 prefix means it is something that we kicked off back in 2016. So this study is really 10 years in the making, right? So Rob Svatek presented this data. It is interesting, right, because it addresses this issue of the BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guérin) shortage, right, where we have needed to sort of rely potentially on other alternative sources or regimens and so forth. Tell us about this trial, Andrea. Dr. Andrea Apolo: This is one of my favorite studies. We talked about putting it in the main oral abstracts, but we put it in one of the educational sessions that talked about non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer because we thought that would be the best audience for it. But it doesn't take away from how important this abstract is, and the tremendous effort that went into the study. Almost a thousand patients enrolled. I think 984 were eligible to enroll in this study. So it is a very high enrolling, randomized, cooperative group study in high-grade non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. And really the study was designed to address two questions. One is the BCG shortage and can we use a different strain, Tokyo versus TICE? And whether there is a priming effect if you gave intradermal BCG to patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer, can that enhance the effect if you gave it a little bit earlier? I think the study is really important, and it met its primary endpoint, which was it is not inferior to TICE. The findings were really terrific in terms of the outcomes. Numerically. When you look at the endpoint, it looked like the Tokyo strain was as good, if not maybe a little bit better, but not statistically significant than the TICE. And then they broke it down by carcinoma in situ, they broke it down by papillary tumors, and the Tokyo strain was non-inferior in both of those instances. But interestingly, the intradermal BCG did not change outcomes. There was really no priming effect, which was really backed up by pre-clinical data that there would be, but there wasn't a priming effect when the intradermal BCG was given in the Tokyo strain. So that was a really, really interesting finding. But a great study, really important outcomes in the field for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. Dr. Monty Pal: Totally. And it just seems like we can't get away from BCG, right? You know, as hard as we try, I mean, I appreciate the studies that sort of build on it that are emerging right now, but it seems like BCG at least for the foreseeable future is kind of here to stay, right? Dr. Andrea Apolo: It works. It is one of the most effective treatments we have for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer. So, you know, I think it is here to stay and, you know, we need to find alternatives in terms of strains so we don't deal with this shortage that we have been dealing with for so many years now. Dr. Monty Pal: Yeah, indeed. Moving on to some of the other highlighted studies from the meeting, you had mentioned the EV-303 data, so we probably don't need to rehash that study design in much detail. But there was also a rapid oral abstract presented by Dr. Ullén that I think is of interest here, right, that really hones in on pathologic outcomes and DFS from that trial. Do you mind just outlining that for our listenership? Dr. Andrea Apolo: This is the KEYNOTE-905, also known as the EV-303 study. This is a follow-up to the EV-303 data looking at the pathologic response rates, looking at the downstaging effect, looking at the surgical margins after treatment with the neoadjuvant EV plus pembro in the 303. Now, remember in the 303, patients got three cycles of neoadjuvant EV plus pembro and then six cycles in the adjuvant setting. A little bit different than the 304, where they got four cycles, which is really kind of the standard in the neoadjuvant setting, and then five cycles in the adjuvant setting. So still a total of nine cycles. But in the 303, the treatment arm had no systemic therapy, so it was just radical cystectomy. And they looked at the negative margins that you get with the EV plus pembro treatment, which was 92.6% versus 79% with patients receiving just the surgery alone. And then the pathologic CR rate, there was more follow-up on that, it was 57% for the patients receiving EV plus pembro, and as we would expect, about 9% for the patients that just went on to surgery alone because you can achieve a pathologic response rate with TURBT alone. Then they looked at the pathologic downstaging, so anything less than a pT2, and that was 66% in the patients that received the EV plus pembro. So very interesting findings, and it is also really just nice to have now the EV-304 data, like I was saying, there were two pieces of it, the cisplatin-eligible and the cisplatin-ineligible, and just to have those contemporary controls are really important. How did the cisplatin-ineligible do versus the cisplatin-eligible patient in terms of the event-free survival and in terms of the overall survival? So I feel like now we have all of this data that we can kind of put together in the perioperative setting and we can really inform our patients a little bit more about their outcomes depending on whether they are cisplatin-eligible or not, which you know cisplatin-ineligible patients often just, they are sicker, they may have obstruction, their tumors may be larger, they just tend to be a more delicate population than the cisplatin-eligible patients. So not surprisingly, you know, we see that in the EV-303 the disease-free survival for the patients is pretty poor. So the disease-free survival that was reported for this follow-up of the specific abstract was 23.6 months for the patients that just got surgery, and it was not reached for the patients that had the EV plus pembro, and that was a hazard ratio of 0.37. Dr. Monty Pal: Excellent, excellent distillation. So Andrea, in the interest of time, I mean, we could probably talk about bladder cancer forever, but I am going to move us on to the subject of kidney cancer. We have two late-breaking abstracts, LITESPARK-011, which looked at lenvatinib and belzutifan versus cabozantinib in the advanced setting, and then we have an adjuvant study, LITESPARK-022, that looked at pembrolizumab with or without belzutifan in the adjuvant setting. Both studies positive. One for progression-free survival, the other for disease-free survival. Both I think making a big dent in how we treat kidney cancer. Can you tell us a little bit about that? Dr. Andrea Apolo: Yeah, we have been waiting for these trials for a long time. So one of the things that we have been talking about at GU ASCO is to have plenary sessions. And if we would have had a plenary session, these two abstracts would have been part of it because they are important data, really big studies where we are trying to improve the outcomes of our patients with kidney cancer. So the first one, the LITESPARK-011, like you said, this is for advanced renal cell carcinoma, clear cell renal cell carcinoma, where we really don't have a standard of care after IO therapy, right? So we give IO-IO, we give VEGF-IO, but we don't really have a good standard of care. We usually give monotherapy TKIs. So the combination of belzutifan and lenvatinib versus what a standard of care is, cabozantinib, is really an important question to ask. And you know, this is a pretty large study, about 750 patients were randomized. And belzutifan plus lenvatinib demonstrated an improvement in progression-free survival and overall survival versus cabozantinib, but not overall survival, at least not yet, is what the authors are saying. So for the progression-free survival, the hazard ratio was 0.7 and it was 14.8 months for the combination, belzutifan plus lenvatinib arm versus cabozantinib, which was 10.7 months. So I think that is significant. And for the overall survival, it did favor the combination again with a hazard ratio of 0.85. The median was 35 months versus 28 months for the monotherapy cabozantinib, but it did not reach statistical significance. And the authors said that this will be further tested at a final analysis, these were the interim results.  And for the overall survival, the overall survival was 53% for the combination versus 40%. This is significant. And the CR rates were lowish for both of them, it was like 5% for the combo and 1% for cabo monotherapy. So I think that the findings are important because we don't have a standard of care. And although there is no survival benefit, there was a trend. So I think this could be considered in patients that are fit, a treatment option for these patients in the later line settings. Dr. Monty Pal: Great points. I mean lots of great discussion around toxicity as well as efficacy. I mean certainly this is a regimen that may not be suitable for every patient in my portfolio, but certainly one to consider.  Now Andrea, let's shift focus to LITESPARK-022, the adjuvant trial that I mentioned previously. So this is again looking at pembrolizumab with or without belzutifan, met the primary endpoint of disease-free survival. What are your impressions there of the data? Dr. Andrea Apolo: Yeah, the data looks great. And this was a really large study, 1,800 patients were randomized, and the study met the primary endpoint of disease-free survival, benefiting the combination of pembro plus belzutifan. And that is really terrific. The medians were not reached for either arm. And in terms of the overall survival results, also the medians were not reached, but the hazard ratio was 0.78 and did not reach a statistical significance. So there was again a statistically significant improvement in disease-free survival for the combination of pembrolizumab plus belzutifan, but not an overall survival benefit.  So I guess, Monty, you know, we can kind of talk about what that means. There was a lot of discussion about belzutifan and some of the side effects, specifically anemia and managing anemia in this setting and requirements for transfusions. Generally, the authors said it was well tolerated, but we know that combination studies do have more toxicity. So it may be a select group of patients again, similar to the advanced setting, where we opt for a combination, possibly until we see more follow-up data in terms of the overall survival. Dr. Monty Pal: I have to agree with you. You know, in my group, we have been talking about a lot of pembrolizumab-based studies that are running right now, some through the NCI, some, you know, our own sort of homegrown investigator-sponsored trials, and you know, I think for the foreseeable future we are comfortable just maintaining pembrolizumab. Things might change if, for instance, we ultimately see a survival advantage emerge, but I just have my own personal doubts around that, that will be interesting.  Okay, so now we are going to move to the last disease category that we are going to cover, which is prostate cancer. So there, we have the long-awaited results from the PEACE-3 study. These are the final OS results from this trial looking at enzalutamide with or without radium-223 in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. So Andrea, would love to get your perspectives on this. Dr. Andrea Apolo: Yeah, so this study had been presented before and we had seen positive results for the combination of enzalutamide and radium with some interim overall survival results also showing a benefit. But like you said, these are the final results with a median follow-up of 58 months. So it was really nice to see the final results. And with the combination of enzalutamide and six cycles of radium, it did show an improvement in overall survival with a hazard ratio of 0.76. The median overall survival increased from 32.6 months to 38.2 months with the combination. So that is really great. There was some crossing over of the overall survival curves around 18 months was still seen. And again, there was also an improvement in the rPFS with a hazard ratio of 0.71, and the median rPFS improved from 16.4 to 19 months with the combination. So, you know, we have been awaiting the final results, but we kind of knew a lot about the benefits of the combination. And it is something that is kind of slowly trickling into the community in terms of adapting it and using it. There is more buzz now about it and I think these overall survival results will hopefully shift the community into incorporating the combination in these patients. Dr. Monty Pal: Brilliant. So well said. I mean, Andrea, congratulations on a terrific meeting. You have really done it again. Incredible, incredible output from this year's ASCO GU. I just want to thank you for joining us on the program today. Dr. Andrea Apolo: Oh, thank you so much for having me, Monty. It was really a joy to work with the ASCO team and with all the investigators and the Education Committee and the Scientific Committee. Everyone was really outstanding. So to me it was an honor to be part of this meeting, and I am so happy that it was so successful and really presented some amazing data that I think will be practice-changing to our patients. Dr. Monty Pal: Oh, thanks a ton. And also a huge thanks to our listeners. If you enjoyed the content of today's podcast, please don't forget to like and subscribe to our channel wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks so much. Disclaimer: The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Follow today's speakers:     Dr. Monty Pal   @montypal  Dr. Andrea Apolo @apolo_andrea  Follow ASCO on social media:          ASCO on X    ASCO on Bluesky         ASCO on Facebook          ASCO on LinkedIn          Disclosures:       Dr. Monty Pal:      Speakers' Bureau: MJH Life Sciences, IntrisiQ, Peerview     Research Funding (Inst.): Exelixis, Merck, Osel, Genentech, Crispr Therapeutics, Adicet Bio, ArsenalBio, Xencor, Miyarsian Pharmaceutical     Travel, Accommodations, Expenses: Crispr Therapeutics, Ipsen, Exelixis     Dr. Andrea Apolo: No disclosures to report.

Lawmakers are considering an increase to education funding for the first time since 2013.  More than 300 people signed up to speak in front of the Education Committee on Wednesday.  Some of those advocating for the increase included mayors, superintendents, educators and students. We got local perspective about the backlash local leaders face because there's a lack of action in Hartford. Here's our chat with Monroe First Selectman Terry Rooney.Image Credit: Melissa Sheketoff

Urgent care isn't just a convenient alternative to the ER anymore. It's becoming a critical piece of the healthcare access puzzle — and the Urgent Care Association is working to make sure operators have a real voice in where the industry goes next.In this episode, we sit down with Steve Sellars, CEO of the Urgent Care Association (UCA), for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of urgent care, the policy and reimbursement pressures impacting operators, and what UCA is doing right now to strengthen the urgent care ecosystem nationwide.With 30+ years in healthcare leadership — including time on the payer side, inside a large health system, and 20 years in urgent care operations and joint ventures — Steve brings a rare “whole-system” perspective. We unpack what he's seeing in 2026, what urgent care leaders should be preparing for, and why advocacy, quality, and integration into the broader healthcare continuum are no longer optional.You'll also hear a preview of what to expect at the upcoming UCA Convention in Chicago, why the theme “Amplify” matters, and how operators can get more value from the exhibit hall, the networking, and the policy work happening behind the scenes.

Resources: National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (NPIAP) NPIAP eCQM Resources NPIAP International Guidelines eCQI Resource Center Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) eCQM Library WOCN® Society eCQM Navigation Center WOCNext® 2026 Session on Electronic Clinical Quality Measure HH-PI   About the Speaker Michelle Deppisch, PT, CWS, FACCWS, is a self-employed wound care consultant. She is a physical therapist and holds certifications as a Clinical Wound Specialist from the American Board of Wound Management and as a Fellow in the American College of Clinical Wound Specialists. Her expertise and dedication extend to various leadership roles within the National Pressure Injury Advisory Panel (or NPIAP), where she currently serves as President-Elect on the Board of Directors. Michele's commitment to advancing the pressure injury prevention is further exemplified by her role as the NPIAP Task Force Resource for the Electronic Clinical Quality Measure: Hospital Harm-Pressure injury or HH-PI, secretary for the Prophylactic Dressing Standards Initiative, Co-Chair to Education Committee, and she serves on the Standards Committee She has authored numerous resources for NPIAP, most notably the Root Cause Analysis/OR Toolkit 3.0 and published and presented works for S3I on the clinical relevance of support surface tests.   Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

The Education Committee will hold a public hearing tomorrow covering 14 pieces of legislation. Specifically, the first piece of legislation is Senate Bill 7, is getting a lot of attention specifically from Bridgeport students, educators and city leaders (AN ACT CONCERNING EDUCATIONAL EQUITY) We spoke with Joe Sokolovic, Vice Chair of the Bridgeport Board of Education.To see the list of bills and learn more: https://cga.ct.gov/2026/EDdata/pha/pdf/2026pha00304-R001100ED-pha.pdf

Last time we talked about kidney xenotransplantation, we were joined by Towana Loony and Tim Andrews, who shared their personal experiences with receiving a xenotransplant. Today, two doctors who helped propel xenotransplantation forward, Dr. Vineeta Kumar and Dr. Leonardo Riella, are here to explain the science and what comes next. This episode is supported by eGenesis and United Therapeutics In this episode we heard from:  Vineeta Kumar is the lead nephrologist for UAB's Living Kidney Donor and Incompatible Kidney Transplant programs. She is an expert in kidney transplantation, living kidney donation, incompatible kidney transplant, kidney paired donation and cardiovascular outcomes after kidney transplantation. Kumar also engages in research in the prevention, treatment and prognosis of antibody mediated rejection. She has been named a "Top Doctor" by U.S. News & World Report each year since 2012. She has been lead facilitator of the UAB Schwartz Rounds since 2009, a program that brings together nurses, physicians, social workers, and other providers to discuss delivery of compassionate care. She was awarded the Brewer-Heslin Endowed Award for Professionalism in Medicine for the highly skilled and compassionate medical care she provides to her patients. Kumar was recently named "Best Educator" by the 2018, 2019 and 2020 UAB Medical School classes. She has previously served on the Education Committee for the American Society of Transplantation. Leonardo V. Riella, M.D., Ph.D. is the Harold and Ellen Danser Endowed Chair in Transplant Surgery at Harvard Medical School and the Medical Director of Kidney Transplantation at Massachusetts General Hospital. His research focuses on mechanisms of immune regulation and the development of novel therapies to promote transplant tolerance. In addressing kidney disease recurrence post-transplantation, he founded and leads the TANGO Consortium, the largest global effort dedicated to studying glomerular disease recurrence. In March 2024, Dr. Riella led the world's first successful kidney xenotransplant from a gene-edited pig into a living human. He now leads the first FDA-approved pilot study in kidney xenotransplantation and is conducting high-dimensional immune profiling studies to characterize the human xeno-immune response and guide immunosuppressive strategies. Find out more about Dr. Riella's research here.     Additional Resources Xenotransplantation Information   Do you have comments, questions, or suggestions? Email us at NKFpodcast@kidney.org. Also, make sure to rate and review us wherever you listen to podcasts.

Show-Me Institute Audio Briefs features audio versions of select articles, commentary, and publications from the Show-Me Institute. Learn more at showmeinstitute.org. Produced by Show-Me Opportunity. This episode was produced using AI-generated narration.

HB2, a school choice bill, died in the Education Committee of the MS Senate. It was killed in 90 seconds without a discussion. We explain why even if you opposed the bill, you should be upset with the manner it was killed.

Tune in to the Williamson County Education Committee Meeting from February 2, 2026.

The FireTech Podcast Season 2 (2025) examines emerging dynamics of public-private-people partnerships (4Ps) in building wildfire resilience. Through conversations with community partners and technical leads, host Shefali Lakhina examines how diverse partners cultivate trust, accountability, and responsiveness to shared wildfire resilience goals on the frontlines. In this episode host Shefali Lakhina speaks with Jessica Rahn, Executive Director of Grand County Wildfire Council, Colorado, and Marc Apduhan, Innovation and Business Development Manager with Flash Forest, a regenerative startup based in Canada. Matched as part of Conservation X Labs' Fire Grand Challenge (2025), Jessica and Marc have been working to replant landscapes impacted by the East Troublesome Fire in 2020. Flash Forest is helping Grand County explore how drones guided by AI can distribute seed pods for replanting. Jessica has a background in Human Resources Management with a Masters in Organizational Leadership from Regis University. She became interested in wildfire mitigation, education, and prevention after losing her home in the East Troublesome Fire in 2020, joining the Wildfire Council's Education Committee as a volunteer in April of 2023. Jessica is honored to be a part of moving this important work forward for the community. Grand County Wildfire Council (GCWC) is a non-profit, community-based wildfire education and mitigation program for the residents and visitors of Grand County, Colorado. https://bewildfireready.org/ Marc has over thirteen years in the environmental space, where he has worked in water and wastewater treatment, contaminated site remediation, and post-fire drone reforestation. He is currently the Innovation and Business Development Manager for Flash Forest, where his focus is on inter-organizational projects to enhance technologies in site suitability software, seedpod biotechnology, and drone/land hardware deployment systems to improve post-fire restoration efforts. His background is in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Flash Forest's advanced reforestation automation technology merges UAV, AI, GIS, engineering, silviculture and plant science to scale reforestation to meet the growing demands of private and public partners across North America. https://www.flashforest.com/our-tech

Marta Powers is the owner of MartaPOW LLC, a custom workroom in Richmond, Virginia, offering upholstery and soft goods services nationally To The Trade.  Her past career as a project manager for architecture and design firms has informed her business processes and broadened her network of professionals across the hospitality and interior design sectors.  Marta's early training in tailoring, pattern drafting, clothing design, and fabrication skills led to her creation of a business serving designers, helping them to achieve their and their clients' vision.     A co-owner of Upholstery Education LLC, Marta and her partners bring educators from the UK and France to the U.S., offering courses in traditional upholstery methods, materials, and related interior furnishing trades.     Marta has served on the boards of the National Upholstery Association and the Virginia chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (as an Industry Partner).  She is also a member of IFDA Richmond, the SeatWeavers Guild, and the NUA's Education Committee.   Instagram @Martapowva   LInks and Resources;   You Are A Badass by Jen Sincero Profit First by Mike Michalowicz  

Dr. Anne O'Connell joins Newly Erupted for a conversation focused on dental trauma education within the global community. She shares her unique perspective as a European clinician who received American training, underscoring the importance of being adaptable as the global ideology and resources evolve. As a leading voice in this area and an editor of the recently released 6th Edition Handbook of Pediatric Dentistry, Dr. O'Connell emphasizes the need for continued available professional resources for pediatric dentists worldwide, particularly relating to pediatric dental trauma. Guest Bio: Anne O'Connell is currently the Professor/ Consultant in Paediatric Dentistry, Dublin Dental University Hospital, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland. She is a Board-certified Pediatric Dentist and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Paediatric Dentistry (AAPD) and a Fellow of the International Association of Dental Traumatology (IADT) and a Fellow of the Pierre Fauchard Academy. Anne trained as a Paediatric dentist at the Eastman Dental Center, New York with a further degree in Cariology from the University of Rochester, New York, USA. She continued as a faculty member in USA at Eastman Dental Center, the University of Maryland and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, USA. Anne returned to Ireland in 2000 as Head of Paediatric Dentistry, Trinity College Dublin and established a 3-year full time specialty training program as well as a Trauma clinic. She also ran a private practice until 2022 and maintains clinical duties at the Children's Hospital and the University. Anne has completed 2 terms as President of the International Association of Dental Traumatology and remains active on the Board. She has continued to be involved with AAPD as International Consultant on the Scientific Committee as well as on the Editorial Board. Anne also is active within the International Association of Paediatric Dentistry, where she was a Board member and Honorary Editor and currently serves on the Education Committee. Her areas of interest include cariology, traumatic oral injuries, infant oral health and developmental defects of the dentition, and she is a renowned speaker and actively publishes on these topics.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this week's episode, host and NewDEAL CEO Debbie Cox Bultan speaks with Arizona State Representative Stephanie Simacek. They talk about how her journey from teacher to legislator, including how a concern with her daughter's education drove her to run for office and  how she flipped a seat in one of the state's most competitive districts. Simacek explains what she's learned about using her voice in a divided state government, and how Democrats in Arizona have found creative ways to deliver wins for families despite being in the minority in both chambers of the legislature. The conversation also delves into the growing strain on working parents as federal programs face cuts, and why she believes listening to and amplifying everyday voices is essential to rebuilding trust in government. Tune in for a timely conversation about courage, collaboration, and what it takes to make lasting change. IN THIS EPISODE:  • [01:01] Introduction to Representative Stephanie Simacek and her first year in the Arizona House. • [02:13] Winning in a tough year for Democrats through a single-shot strategy in a purple district. • [04:13] From teacher and mom to school-board member, and how that led to public office. • [07:11] Balancing her dual roles as school-board member and state legislator, and how that perspective deepens her understanding of how state policy impacts local schools. • [08:15] Serving on the Education Committee and confronting Arizona's funding challenges. [10:53] Learning to use her voice in committee hearings and on the House floor. • [12:25] The "Democrats Deliver" tour and seeing the real-world impact of those investments. • [15:52] Working with Senate Republicans to pass a fairer budget that serves all Arizonans. • [18:46] Reintroducing her health-insurance reform bill and finding new ways to be heard. • [22:32] Addressing SNAP benefit cuts and pressing for bipartisan support to aid Arizona families. • [28:04] Speaking out on Arizona's unsworn congresswoman and the need for accountability in democracy. • [29:44] Closing reflections on persistence, collaboration, and using your voice for change.

Mandy Szigethy discovered upholstery while completing her Theater Technology degree at Indiana University and decided to forsake the stage in favor of the workshop.  She has had the unique opportunity to work in both furniture manufacturing at Beachley Furniture and now custom upholstery as the owner of Rose City Upholstery in Portland.  She has received training in both modern materials and traditional methods through Upholstery Education and is now able to apply time tested techniques to all of her projects.  Her love of learning lead to her to co-ownership of Upholstery Education in 2025 where she hopes to foster the same enthusiasm in others.   Her passion for revitalizing and repurposing home furnishings has led to an in depth--if unintentional--study of older and newer furniture, and the potential of any antique store or curbside find.   Marta Powers is the owner of MartaPOW LLC, a custom workroom in Richmond, Virginia, offering upholstery and soft goods services nationally To The Trade.  Her past career as a project manager for architecture and design firms has informed her business processes and broadened her network of professionals across the hospitality and interior design sectors.  Marta's early training in tailoring, pattern drafting, clothing design, and fabrication skills led to her creation of a business serving designers, helping them to achieve their and their clients' vision.     A co-owner of Upholstery Education LLC, Marta and her partners bring educators from the UK and France to the U.S., offering courses in traditional upholstery methods, materials, and related interior furnishing trades.     Marta has served on the boards of the National Upholstery Association and the Virginia chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (as an Industry Partner).  She is also a member of IFDA Richmond, the SeatWeavers Guild, and the NUA's Education Committee. Justin Dazey is the owner of Foxglove Artisan and Castillo's Custom Upholstery on Queen Anne Hill in Seattle, Washington. Justin has a BA in Interior Design and over 30 years of experience in the antiques, interiors, and furniture world. In 2014, Justin took up sweeping floors in the shop of a third-generation Upholstery family. He brought his design skills and furniture history knowledge to the role of Studio Manager, eventually becoming their lead upholsterer. In 2024, Justin took up the mantle as his mentor retired, becoming the owner, designer, and upholsterer of the Seattle Studio. Most recently, Justin partnered with Marta Powers and Mandy Szigethy to acquire Upholstery Education, offering the very best in traditional upholstery training available in the United States. Justin is a collector at heart. He collects history, chairs, and curiosities. He firmly believes every piece has a story to tell and loves bringing old items back to life through patient and accurate restoration. Sharing his insights and seeking education to honor the traditions of craft and furniture is one of his true passions.      Links and Resources; Upholstery Edcuation  

Solving the SEND Crisis with Helen Hayes MP SEND in the Experts with Georgina DurrantIn this powerful episode, Georgina Durrant is joined by Helen Hayes MP, Chair of the Education Committee, to unpack the Committee's landmark report: Solving the SEND Crisis. With over 890 evidence submissions, including one from Twinkl, this report calls for a radical culture shift and increased funding to make mainstream education genuinely inclusive for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).Together, Georgina and Helen explore:Why trust in the SEND system is broken, and how to rebuild itThe future of EHCPs and legal protections for learners with SENDWhat true inclusion in schools should look likeThe committee's recommendations for a national framework for SEND supportMandatory SEND training for teachers, leaders, and inspectorsHow Ontario's inclusive model could inspire UK reformWhether you're a teacher, parent, SENDCo, policymaker or advocate, this episode offers vital insights into the future of SEND education, and what needs to change to make it work for every child.Find out more about Twinkl's inclusion resources here: https://www.twinkl.co.uk/resources/inclusion-teaching-resourcesPhotograph of Helen Hayes displayed ©House of Commons/Roger Harris

Recently, we learned State Republicans are outraged with the state Board of Ed and its adoption of a resolution to address violations of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System. It comes after the system was found to have disproportionately denied admission to students with disabilities to CTECS schools. Senator Eric Berthel, Ranking Senator on the Education Committee, spoke more about this. Image Credit: Getty Images

Congressman Tim Walberg (MI-5), who serves on the House Energy & Commerce and Education & Workforce Committees, joins the conversation on Trump's successful cleanup of Washington, D.C., and why the same approach is needed in America's crime-ridden big cities. Walberg highlights the growing crisis in blue-run urban centers, even inside red states, where criminals run rampant and law-abiding citizens are left behind. He also discusses the House Education Committee's new investigation into anti-Semitism at the nation's largest teachers' union, stressing the urgent need for accountability in our schools.

Why does the news have a common license? WIA Secretary VK8ZZ Peter Clee explains. - Giles Kirby Director at the Wireless Institute of Australia and the long-term health of amateur radio in Australia. - Phil Wait VK2ASD and more teaching aids and publicity materials coming your way from our Education Committee. WEATHER and TRAFFIC every week:- In radio traffic news, VI 8 POL on September, Paul VK5PAS joins us, Cats and Dogs on the air this month and with your Trans Tasman results, VK4SN Alan Shannon. Radio Weather news, a look up above, for Amateur Astronomers look out for SX 17 ASTRO, and just last month, July 22, earth had the second-shortest day on record, why, stay tuned. BUT WAIT - THERE'S MUCH MUCH MORE IN THIS EDITION OF NEWS FROM THE WIRELESS INSTITUTE OF AUSTRALIA AND IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERIN OR YOU ARE ONE OF OUR NEW VIEWERS/LISTERS I'M EDITOR GRAHAM VK4BB

Council Member Tammy Hawkins was elected to the Louisville Metro Council in 2022 and took office in 2023. She has been a business owner and resident in District 1 for more than fifteen years. In 2025, Councilwoman Hawkins was elected to serve as the Majority Caucus Chair and President Pro-Tem. She also serves as the Vice Chair of the Public Safety Committee and is a member of the Government Oversight/Audit & Appointments Committee as well as the Equity, Community Affairs, Housing, and Health & Education Committee. Tammy Hawkins started her journey in the district after working ten years in the healthcare industry as a Licensed Practical Nurse. She took a step forward and began her journey to entrepreneurship by opening several businesses. She has always had a passion for serving her community and has done so by organizing community coat drives, Thanksgiving food baskets, turkey give-a-ways, and Christmas Over Parkland. She hopes to pave the way for ultimate change for the greater good of the community.

State senators considered a package of education bills Wednesday afternoon. By the end of the day's debate, only the underlying bill, LB306, remained. The legislation initially contained six different bills after an amendment, AM1335, from the Legislature's Education Committee combined them. The section of the bill from Sen. Loren Lippincott, originally LB550, which would excuse students from public schools to attend religion classes, was among the most controversial. It would require school districts to adopt policies allowing students to miss up to one class period per week for an off-site course in religious instruction.

On episode 514 of The Nurse Keith Show nursing and healthcare career podcast, Keith interviews Dr. Dina Hewett, Ph.D., RN, MSN, JM, a nurse, educator, leader, and the author of the 3rd edition of "Fast Facts for the Critical Care Nurse" which is scheduled to be published in May of 2025 by Springer Publishing.  In the course of their conversation, Keith and Dr. Hewett delve into the specialty of critical care nursing, the many challenges faced by new graduate nurses embarking on a career in critical care, how to bridge the gap between nursing school and novice practitioner, technological advances in critical care, and much more. Dr. Dina Hewett received her BSN from Brenau University, MSN from Georgia Southern University and Ph.D. in Higher Education from the University of Georgia. In 2021 she completed a master's degree in law from Liberty University. Her certifications include CCRN – Alumnus, Nurse Executive Advanced and is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt. With over thirty years of experience as a critical care nurse, Dr. Hewett's career has encompassed both hospital administration and academics. During her tenure in hospital administration, she served as the unit manager of the Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit and director of nursing of multiple units including critical care, inpatient rehabilitation, and respiratory therapy. Dr. Hewett is the immediate past President of the Georgia Nurses Association. She is an AACN-Wharton Executive Fellow. Previously, she served as a board member of the Georgia Association of Nursing Deans and Directors, and a member of the Education Committee of the Georgia Board of Nursing. Dr. Hewett has also served on the Government Affairs Committee of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing. Dr. Hewett is a Regional Vice President of Campus Operations, Chamberlain University. Her recent publications include "Fast Facts for the Critical Care Nurse (3rd edition)", and chapter contributions for the 13th edition of Ackley & Ladwig's Nursing Diagnosis Handbook. Dr. Hewett lives in Gainesville, Ga with her husband and three dogs. This episode of the Nurse Keith Show is brought to you in collaboration with Springer Publishing, who have been delivering award-winning healthcare education and exam prep materials focused on nursing, behavioral health, and the health sciences for more than 70 years. We thank Springer Publishing for their support. Connect with Dr. Hewett and Springer Publishing: ⁠Dr. Dina Hewett on LinkedIn Fast Facts for the Critical Care Nurse, 3rd edition Springer Publishing Contact Nurse Keith about holistic career coaching to elevate your nursing and healthcare career at ⁠NurseKeith.com⁠. Keith also offers services as a motivational and keynote speaker and freelance nurse writer. You can always find Keith on⁠ LinkedIn⁠. Are you looking for a novel way to empower your career and move forward in life? Keith's wife, Shada McKenzie, is a gifted astrologer and reader of the tarot who combines ancient and modern techniques to provide valuable insights into your motivations, aspirations, and life trajectory, and she offers listeners of The Nurse Keith Show a 10% discount on their first consultation. Contact Shada at ⁠TheCircelandtheDot.com ⁠or shada@thecircleandthedot.com.

Tony chats with Cortney Helfrich, Chair of the RISE Education Committee, they have been doing AWESOME work that you should not miss. They are starting to create an Introductory Certificate Program for Insurance which will cover Auto, Property, and Subrogation with much more to come.Cortney Helfrich: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cortney-helfrich-scla-gold-5b5b675b/RISE: https://riseprofessionals.com/RISE Leadership Summit: https://riseprofessionals.com/events/2025-leadership-summit-awards-gala/Prior episode with Amy Cooper about RISE and the 2025 Leadership Summit: https://youtu.be/tZna3bCi88U?si=vN3k_Xjlhh3UUHn_Tier List of Insurance Roles Video: https://youtu.be/lhV29iM_n5A?si=-_PDaWmOS5HBuvmjVideo Version: https://youtu.be/c3jgPCyhN8g

Dr. Einat Wilf is a leading thinker on Israel, Zionism, foreign policy and education. She was a member of the Israeli Parliament from 2010 to 2013, where she served as Chair of the Education Committee and Member of the influential Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. Born and raised in Israel, Dr. Wilf served as an Intelligence Officer in the Israel Defense Forces, Foreign Policy Advisor to Vice Prime Minister Shimon Peres and a strategic consultant with McKinsey & Company. Dr. Wilf has a BA from Harvard, an MBA from INSEAD in France, and a PhD in Political Science from the University of Cambridge and is the author of seven books that explore key issues in Israeli society.

This morning guest host Michelle Rook has conversations with Jay Truitt of Policy Solutions, executive head John Newton of Terrain, and chairwoman Amy France of National Sorghum Producers. Topics include trade and tariffs, DOGE and Congress, ag economy, disaster relief, biofuels and more. Plus we have a new episode of the Soy Checkoff Check-in featuring a conversation with Carla Schultz, who serves as Chair of the Communication & Education Committee at USB.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dixon Handshaw is the Chairman of the Board at Mooresville Arts, an important nonprofit located in the heart of downtown Mooresville, NC.Mooresville Arts is a nonprofit organization dedicated to enriching the Lake Norman region's cultural landscape by promoting the visual arts. Celebrating its 70th anniversary in 2025, the organization serves as a vibrant community for artists and art enthusiasts of all ages and skill levels. It offers high-quality art education and provides venues for artists to sell their workMooresville Arts103 W Center AveMooresville, NC 28115(704) 663-6661Upcoming EventsAbout Dixon:Dixon Handshaw is a photographic educator based in Mooresville, NC. He spent 35 years of his career as a learning and performance consultant as president of his own company, Handshaw, Inc. Before that he earned his living as a professional photographer. Now he is combining those two experiences to teach fine art photography in both digital and film formats. His favorite aspect of teaching is inspiring students to find personal expression through the lens of a camera.Dixon currently serves as an adjunct instructor in photography at Catawba Valley Community College. He serves as the chair of the Education Committee at Mooresville Arts where he also teaches photography. He has a BFA in photography from Alfred University and a MS in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University. He served on the Board of Directors for The Light Factory in Charlotte, NC and chaired their Education Committee where he also served as an instructor and designer of courses. He served on the Board of Directors at the Carolina Raptor Center in Charlotte, NC, where he designed and taught a course in Bird and Wildlife Photography. He is currently Chair of the Board of Directors at Mooresville Arts. He has been passionate about photography since he was 14.You can see samples of his work at: www.handshawphotography.com---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The Best of LKNhttps://thebestoflkn.com/Hosted by:Jeff HammAllen Tate Realtors®Charlotte & Lake Norman (NC)www.LKNreal.comSupport the show

The government has said it supports bereavement leave for couples who experience a miscarriage before 24 weeks gestation. Business Minister Justin Madders told MPs he "fully accepts" the principle of bereavement leave for pregnancy loss and promised to look at adding the right to the Employment Rights Bill. Nuala discusses the issues with national baby loss campaigner and founder of George's Law Keeley Lengthorn and the BBC's Employment Correspondent Zoe Conway.A couple of days ago the owner of a Welsh Rugby club put up a social media post to promote an upcoming match against a local rival. He hoped a few thousand people would maybe ‘like' it and ‘share' it and some would come along to watch the match. What he didn't expect was that the post would get more than a quarter of a million views, generate outrage and condemnation and become national news. Accompanying the text was an image of rugby players, with the words, ‘Not For Girls' stamped across the top. Nuala discusses the idea behind the tweet and the reaction with Matthew Young from Neath Rugby Football Club and the sports broadcaster, Stella Mills, one of the first people to see the post and comment. Yesterday the Education Committee heard evidence from professional membership organisations, charities and young people with lived experience of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, as part of its inquiry into solving the SEND crisis. One teenager invited to address the committee was 17-year-old Katie. Katie is autistic and was a member of the panel for Woman's Hour's SEND: Mums Bridging the Gap programme that was broadcast in September 2024. Katie, her mother Ruth Nellist and Helen Hayes MP, Chair of the SEND Education Committee all join Nuala to discuss the committee's work so far and the importance of the cross-party MPs who make up the committee hearing the experiences of children and young people with SEND.Have you heard of the ‘Attagirls'? They were pioneering women pilots who flew RAF planes throughout the country during World War Two, and achieved equal pay in 1943, but their work as part of the Air Transport Auxiliary has often been overlooked. A new play ‘Spitfire Girls' is inspired by the true stories of these women. Nuala speaks to cast members Katherine Senior and Laura Matthews to find out more about what it was like for women pilots and why it's important to celebrate their stories.Presented by Nuala McGovern Producer: Louise Corley

On "The Lead" of today's DeRush-Hour Headlines, what is Houston doing to curb copper theft that St. Paul is trying to learn from? Jason talks with Sgt. Bob Carson from HPD. Then on "Page 2" - a new bill at the capitol would require Education Committee members to spend time in a classroom.

Recorded at Evidence Based Perioperative Medicine (EBPOM) in London last year this presentation is part of a series of talks given under the session heading: “Implementation – what works and what doesn't?”. This piece is part one of four, with two more presentations to come and then a fascinating panel discussion to conclude. This first session focuses on the implementation of clinical trials, covering research methodologies, clinical implementations, and their challenges, and looking at the lengthy process of translating medical discoveries into clinical practice, emphasizing the ethical obligation to disseminate trial results effectively. The under-representation of certain demographics in trials, the gap between research findings and clinical practice, and the need for better communication strategies is stressed alongside solutions, including training for researchers, involving key stakeholders from the start, and the role of funders in supporting effective dissemination and implementation of research findings. Our presenter is, Joyce Yeung, Professor of Anaesthesia and Critical Care Medicine at the University of Warwick. She is Theme Lead of the Emergency, Prehospital, Perioperative and Critical Care Trials group within Warwick Clinical Trials Unit. Clinically she holds appointments as a Consultant in Critical Care Medicine at University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. Joyce is Director of UK Perioperative Medicine Clinical Trials Network. She is joint Clinical Speciality Lead for Anaesthesia, Perioperative Medicine and Pain for West Midlands Comprehensive Research Network. She is also the Chair of Resuscitation Council UK Immediate Life Support Subcommittee and is a member of Scientific and Education Committee at European Resuscitation Council. She serves as expert systematic reviewer and International Liaison Committee on Resuscitation taskforce member. Joyce is Chief Investigator for a major grant examining the impact of volatile versus intravenous anaesthesia in non-cardiac surgery (VITAL trial). Her research interests are applied health research and clinical trials including improving perioperative patient outcomes, chronic pain, post-operative cognitive dysfunction, and resuscitation. For more information about EBPOM and the conferences they are organising this year please go to www.ebpom.org

1st Vice President Tony Slavings talks about the role of 1st VP, the progress made and the benefits of building relationships with the new L.E.B. Members, and why it was so vital for the Education Committee to start the year focusing on Article 23 - Attendance.Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.twu555.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TWU Local 555⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TwuLocal555⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TWULocal555⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠X/Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@TwuLocal555

Drs. Jensen and Richey welcome members of The Podiatry Foundation to Dean's Chat!  The Podiatry Foundation was founded in 2012 as the result of the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine's integration into Kent State University.  Today's discussion is a highlight of The Podiatry Foundation's work in giving back to the podiatric community in the areas of education, research, and now....yes....Student Recruitment.  Enjoy!  Below are biographies of our guests from the Podiatry Foundation: Eugene M. Pascarella, DPM, FACFAS, MBA Executive Director Gene M. Pascarella has served on The Podiatry Foundation Board of Trustees (formerly The OCPM Foundation) since 2012. In September 2024, he was appointed Executive Director.  He holds a 1982 degree from the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine and received his MBA from the University of Phoenix in 2002. Currently, Dr. Pascarella serves as a Regional Medical Director for Upperline Health. He is also a faculty member at Advent Health Hospital System, teaching podiatric residents.   Dr. Pascarella has also served on the Board of Trustees of the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine from 2008 until 2012. He currently serves on the Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine Advisory Board, where he served as Chair of that board from 2013-2018. In recognition for his contributions, he received the Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine Ambassador Award in 2015, the Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine Alumni Service Award in 2017 and was inducted into the Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine Hall of Fame in 2022. Victoria J. Newman, CPA, MBA Chair Philanthropic Impact and Strategy Committee Executive Committee Victoria Newman has served on The Podiatry Foundation Board (formerly the OCPM Foundation Board) since 2022. She is a graduate of John Carroll University and Cleveland State University, with Accountancy and MBA degrees. Ms. Newman's professional experience spans twenty years in the non-profit sector, in the areas of Audit Services at Howard Wershbale & Company, and Finance and Philanthropy at Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland Clinic London and Case Western Reserve University. Currently, Ms. Newman is the Assistant Dean of Finance and Business Administration at Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University.  Prior to her current role, she served as Executive Director at Case Western Reserve University, with oversight of the University's endowment management. Nilin M. Rao has served on The Podiatry Foundation Board of Trustees since 2022 and serves on the Research and Education Committee.  He then pursued his master's degree, followed by simultaneous doctoral degrees from Kent State University, completing his DPM as well as a PhD, in exercise physiology.  He then completed a three-year Podiatric Surgical Residency at Highlands-Presbyterian/ St. Luke's (PSL) Medical Center in Denver, Colorado, where he served as Chief Resident during his final year. This was followed by an additional one-year fellowship in advanced foot/ankle reconstruction, sports injuries and foot/ankle trauma at the prestigious Silicon Valley Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Fellowship with Sutter Health-Palo Alto Medical Foundation in Mountain View, California. Dr. Rao currently serves on the Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine Advisory Board, Kent State Exercise Physiology Advisory Board, American Board of Foot & Ankle Surgery Communications Committee, and is one of the founding members of the Kent State University College of Podiatric Medicine Alumni Alliance. Dr. Rao is a Diplomate of both the American Board of Foot & Ankle Surgery and the American Board of Podiatric Medicine, and a Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons. Dr. Rao is in private practice in Austin, Texas.  Nicki D. Nigro, DPM Chair of the Executive Committee Chair Research and Education Committee Dr. Nicki Nigro joined The Podiatry Foundation Board of Trustees (formerly the OCPM Foundation) in 2021.  She was appointed Chair for the Executive Committee in September 2024 and serves as Chair for the Research and Educational Committee. She attended the University of Arkansas and obtained her B.S. in Exercise Science and Physiology in 1985. While working on this degree, Dr. Nigro was introduced by a colleague to the field of Podiatry. She received her Doctorate of Podiatric Medicine from Des Moines University (College of Podiatric Medicine & Surgery) in 1989. She completed her surgical training at The Podiatry Hospital of Pittsburgh in foot and ankle surgery. Dr. Nigro is board certified in Foot Surgery by the American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery. She has been practicing medicine in the Pittsburgh area since 1991. She sees patients at the Glenshaw, Vandergrift, and Natrona Heights offices. She is a member of the Residency Committee for The Western Pennsylvania Podiatric Surgical Residency Program.