Podcasts about Health care reform

“We don't view a person with chronic pain as someone who has a chronic illness and the effect of that is we can't follow patients continuously over prolonged periods of time,” says Dr. Jacob Hascalovici, a neurologist and pain specialist based in New York City.  In co-founding Bliss Health, Dr. Jacob, as he is known, has set out to create a continuous care model for chronic pain treatment that matches the approach taken for patients with diabetes or high blood pressure. The Bliss Health formula includes an initial meeting with a physician that produces a care plan; remote therapeutic monitoring on an ongoing basis; and a monthly meeting with a nurse to review data and determine next steps, including additional appointments with physicians as needed.  All of this occurs via a digital platform which provides a welcome option for patients with mobility issues and can fill gaps in access to specialists, especially in rural areas. Dr. Jacob is also hoping to make chronic pain patents feel respected, which is not always the case in their encounters with the healthcare system. “Because pain is not something that can be seen or measured, oftentimes patients feel marginalized, dismissed and disempowered by providers.” Join Raise the Line host Lindsey Smith for a valuable conversation that also touches on policy changes that could strengthen telemedicine, and has details on the first non-opioid based pain medication to receive FDA approval in over 20 years.Mentioned in this episode:Bliss Health If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

This episode is brought to you by Cured Nutrition, Strong Coffee Company and Timeline Nutrition.  In this powerful and timely episode of Ever Forward Radio, Chase sits down with Louisiana State Senator Patrick McMath, Chairman of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee, to discuss a growing national movement around children's health, school nutrition, and public policy reform. Senator McMath dives deep into his groundbreaking Senate Bill 14 (Act 463)—a first-of-its-kind initiative to limit artificial dyes, additives, and sweeteners in school meals, introduce QR code ingredient transparency, and improve the overall nutritional standards in Louisiana schools. What began as a personal journey to restore his family's health evolved into a statewide wellness movement—and a national example of how policy can reshape public health from the ground up. Together, Chase and Patrick explore the intersection of wellness, politics, and personal responsibility, how chaos can lead to reform, and why the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement is transforming how we think about food and children's well-being. ----- In this episode we discuss... 02:00 – Meet Senator Patrick McMath 04:45 – From Infrastructure to Health Care Reform 08:40 – Louisiana's Health Crisis 11:15 – A Personal Wake-Up Call: His Wife's Health Journey 13:45 – The Book That Changed Everything: End of Cravings 17:20 – From Family Health to Public Policy 20:00 – Children, Schools, and the MAHA Movement 27:20 – The “Maha Moms” and Grassroots Advocacy 33:00 – What SB 14 Actually Does 37:00 – Learning from Other States & Building Momentum 41:00 – Forcing Big Food to the Table 46:00 – Transparency, QR Codes, and What's Next 50:00 – The Economics of Healthy Change 54:30 – Good Chaos: Disrupting for Progress 59:10 – Profits vs. Public Health 1:05:00 – The SNAP Program and Coca-Cola's Pushback 1:10:00 – Public Engagement & The Power of the People 1:13:00 – How Podcasts Drive Change 1:17:00 – Rapid Fire: Prevention, Education, and Chronic Disease 1:19:30 – His Decade Wish: Eradicating Cancer & Autism's Rise 1:21:00 – Politics Meets Wellness 1:24:10 – Ever Forward ----- Episode resources: 20% off Flow and Serenity gummies with at https://www.CuredNutrition.com/everforward 15% off Coffee Booster with code CHASE at https://www.StrongCoffeeCompany.com  FREE 3-day sample of MitoPure gummies with Urolithin A at https://www.Timeline.com/everforwardsample  Watch and subscribe on YouTube Learn more at PatrickMcMath.com

Jennifer J. Brown is a scientist, a writer, and a mother who never got the luxury of separating those roles. Her memoir When the Baby Is Not OK: Hopes & Genes is a punch to the gut of polite society and a medical system that expects parents to smile through trauma. She wrote it because she had to. Because the people who gave her the diagnosis didn't give her the truth. Because a Harvard-educated geneticist with two daughters born with PKU still couldn't get a straight answer from the very system she trained in.We sat down in the studio to talk about the unbearable loneliness of rare disease parenting, the disconnect between medical knowledge and human connection, and what it means to weaponize science against silence. She talks about bias in the NICU, the failure of healthcare communication, and why “resilience” is a lazy word. Her daughters are grown now. One's a playwright. One's an artist. And Jennifer is still raising hell.This is a conversation about control, trauma, survival, and rewriting the script when the world hands you someone else's lines.Bring tissues. Then bring receipts.RELATED LINKS• When the Baby Is Not OK (Book)• Jennifer's Website• Jennifer on LinkedInFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship inquiries, visit outofpatients.show.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In recent months, public health advocates in the United States have raised concerns about proposed changes to vaccine policy, cuts to food assistance programs, rollbacks of environmental protections and reductions in public health staffing. Chief among them has been Dr. Georges Benjamin who, as executive director of the American Public Health Association (APHA) since 2002, has led national efforts to create a healthier America. Raise the Line host Lindsey Smith recently sat down with Dr. Benjamin to understand more about the current state of public health and explore the path forward, and learned that a top priority for APHA is battling the misinformation that Dr. Benjamin believes is fueling support for many of these changes. “The challenge we have right now is that as a society, we've gone into our little corners and live in our own ecosystems. More people are getting their information from a single source and they're not validating that information to make sure that it's true.” Tune into this thoughtful and timely conversation to hear Dr. Benjamin's advice for curbing the spread of misinformation, how APHA is trying to help people understand the value of public health initiatives, and what the U.S. can learn from other countries about improving public health. Mentioned in this episode:American Public Health Association If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

In this inspiring episode of the My DPC Story Podcast, host Dr. Maryal Concepcion talks with Dr. Kathryn Dreger, a board-certified Internal Medicine physician and founder of Prime-PLC, a Direct Primary Care (DPC) practice in Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Dreger shares her journey from fee-for-service medicine to launching her thriving DPC clinic, highlighting how DPC restores time, trust, and personalized relationships in primary care. She discusses the challenges of traditional insurance-driven healthcare, her personal experiences with bureaucracy and performance metrics, and why DPC is revolutionizing patient-centered care. Dr. Dreger explains her approach to panel size, pricing strategies, and the value of maintaining hospital connections. She also provides insightful advice for physicians considering a transition to DPC and talks about her upcoming book on the future of patient-centered medicine. Listeners gain practical knowledge about starting and sustaining a DPC practice and the importance of advocacy for primary care reform. Tune in to learn how DPC empowers both doctors and patients, leading to better healthcare outcomes and greater professional fulfillment.Register HERE for the Physician Attendees ONLY RiseUP Summit brought to you by FlexMed Staff & My DPC Story! Join me at AAFP FMX in Anaheim at our My DPC Story LIVE event sponsored by SmartHeart! Get your copy of our DPC Magazine, the Toolkit, and your limited edition Disney-themed DPC swag! Send me a message on the contact page HERE and let me know you'll be there so I can send you more details on the event! Get your DPC Resources HERE at mydpcstory.com!Support the showBe A My DPC Story PATREON MEMBER! SPONSOR THE PODMy DPC Story VOICEMAIL! DPC SWAG!FACEBOOK * INSTAGRAM * LinkedIn * TWITTER * TIKTOK * YouTube

This episode of Standard Deviation features Oliver Bogler in conversation with Dr Na Zhao, a cancer biologist caught in the crossfire of science, politics, and survival. Na's life reads like a brutal lab experiment in persistence.She grew up in China, lost her mother and aunt to breast cancer before she turned twelve, then came to the United States to chase science as both an immigrant and a survivor's daughter. She worked two decades to reach the brink of independence as a cancer researcher, only to watch offers and grants vanish in the political chaos of 2025.Oliver brings her story into sharp focus, tracing the impossible climb toward a tenure-track position and the human cost of a system that pulls the ladder up just as people like Na reach for it. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the NIH funding crisis, the toll on early-career scientists, and what happens when personal tragedy fuels professional ambition.Listeners will walk away with a raw sense of how fragile the future of cancer research really is, and why people like Na refuse to stop climbing.RELATED LINKSDr Zhao at Baylor College of MedicineDr Zhao on LinkedInDr Zhao's Science articleIndirect Costs explained by US CongressFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship inquiries, email podcast@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you are listening to this prior to October 9, 2025, go to the 32BJ Changing the Playbook on Hospital Prices event, where Mark Cuban will be keynoting. Cora Opsahl will also be speaking, and I will be there listening. For a full transcript of this episode, click here. If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to subscribe to the free weekly newsletter to be a member of the Relentless Tribe. So, trust, simplicity, and a chicken. Yeah, this is where this whole conversation with Mark Cuban and Cora Opsahl winds up. And it is a barnstormer because you know what some really good advice is for anybody trying to do right by patients and taxpayers and plan sponsors? It will take trust. It will take making the complicated as simple as possible. And also if you could pay with a chicken, like in the good old days, that would be messy—I can say with confidence, having grown up in Pennsylvania Dutch country, where there are many, many chickens—but also being able to pay with a chicken could also indicate that healthcare prices are reasonably chicken proportionate and that the doctor-patient relationship is good enough to break bread (or have chicken). That last part is really important, and Cora Opsahl says this at one point in the episode that follows. It doesn't matter how wonderful the transparency or the financing. If the prices are insane and there's no more reasonably priced options in any given market, then yeah. Shane Cerone says in an upcoming show, he says, “We do not have a broken healthcare market. We do not have a healthcare market. There is no market.” Okay … so, you could call this conversation a continuation of the episode with Ann Kempski (EP444), entitled “Two State Healthcare Laws Often Don't Go as Planned.” But it's not just healthcare laws that often don't go as planned. It's some very foundational constructs that we have built the healthcare sector upon that may also not go as planned. The healthcare sector is like a game of pachinko. You chuck an input into the mix, and it will bounce all around into all the perverse incentives and human beings and the non-market that we have. And who the heck knows what is gonna pop out the other side? It's like game theory at its most unpredictable. So, in healthcare, there are many, many examples of when the solution to a problem arguably creates worse problems than the problems the solution was trying to solve for. But we—Mark Cuban, Cora Opsahl, and I—are gonna shake our fists at two such solutions today: high deductible health plans (or just high deductibles in general) and then self-insured employers trying to solve the complexity of the healthcare industry by hiring consultants and middlemen, middle people, and other vendors to navigate the pachinko parlor (that is, our $4.9 trillion healthcare sector) on their behalf. Now, I am not in any way saying the spirit of these two endeavors—high deductibles and hiring consultants and middlemen—weren't wholehearted. They seem just like many other well-intentioned solutions: very logical on their face. What I am saying is there are many ways in the real world for even the most, again, genuine endeavor to turn into a money grab for those so inclined. While at the same time I'm saying all this, I'm also very much saying that there are some amazing consultants and middle folks such as independent third-party administrators, otherwise known as TPAs, and PBMs (pharmacy benefit managers) who are transparent and hold themselves accountable to the fiduciary responsibilities that their clients are held to in real terms—not just in marketing speak with 40 pages of disclaimers following. There are great folks out there, many of whom listen to this podcast and are part of our tribe on the regular. And to you, I say thank you for being here, because it takes all the knowledge and more from every one of the guests featured in these past 487 Relentless Health Value episodes plus treating every day like a school day to make sure that we all are not getting shanked from behind by some innocent-looking contract term that turns out to be anything but. The conversation that follows starts out talking about high deductibles; naturally segues into how third-party intermediaries can actually exacerbate the issues here; then we get into transparency, financing, clinical organizations taking on risk, and the benefits and challenges of direct contracts; then Mark lays out a vision for the future. Okay … I wanna get to this conversation. If you are a new listener here—and you might be because … yeah, Mark Cuban—let me just inform you that this podcast is largely listened to by those who work in the healthcare industry. So, you are going to encounter acronyms. You will also encounter me referencing earlier episodes because surveys say listeners really appreciate these callbacks to go get additional information about any given topic. You can get what amounts to a personalized Master's of Healthcare Administration curriculum if you follow the episode threads long enough. And that was a direct quote from a listener. About the acronyms: They are holy terrors, and we in the healthcare industry are chock-full of them. See the list of acronyms that come up so that you can follow along at home if this is your first day at our rodeo. Also in the show notes is a transcript of this show, along with links to all of the mentioned episodes. Okay … here's my conversation with Mark Cuban, who is Mark Cuban and also CEO and founder of Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs. Also, we have Cora Opsahl, who is health fund director of the 32BJ Health Fund and an expert in many things healthcare. Also mentioned in this episode are Shane Cerone; Ann Kempski; Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs; 32BJ Health Fund; Preston Alexander; Stanley Schwartz, MD; Elizabeth Mitchell; Kimberly Carleson; Andreas Mang; Jonathan Baran; Claire Brockbank; Dave Chase; Cristin Dickerson, MD; Green Imaging; Kevin Lyons; and Vivian Ho, PhD.   You can learn more at markcubancompanies.com and costplusdrugs.com and follow Mark on LinkedIn, Bluesky, Threads, and X. You can follow Cora on LinkedIn.   Mark Cuban, a native of Pittsburgh, PA; a graduate of Indiana University; and now a Dallas, TX, resident, has always been an entrepreneur. From selling and trading baseball cards, selling garbage bags and magazines door-to-door, to starting a business buying and selling stamps at age 16, there have been few years in his life when he wasn't starting or running a business. He got a job at one of Dallas's first retail software stores, Your Business Software. He spent nine months doing everything from learning how to code, supporting and installing every type of business software, and of course, making sure the store opened on time. That went well until he made the executive decision to turn over the store opening duties to a peer so he could pick up a check for a sale. He was fired. Mark decided it was time to start on his own. The next day, MicroSolutions was founded. Over the next seven years, MicroSolutions became a national leader in Systems Integration and custom applications for local and wide area networks. Growing to 80 employees, never having a losing month of operations and nearly $36M in annualized sales, in 1990, MicroSolutions was sold to CompuServe. At that point Mark “retired” to investing in public and private companies. His knowledge of the networking industry led to success and brought returns of 80% and more each year. Mark purchased the Dallas Mavericks for $285M. The Mavs would have the second-best record in the NBA during his ownership tenure. Mark sold majority control of the Mavs in 2023 but continues to be actively involved with the team. He first appeared as a “Shark” on ABC's Emmy Award–winning hit business show Shark Tank in 2011 and quickly established himself as one of the most popular and tough Sharks, investing millions of dollars in hundreds of small businesses. He's been nominated nine times for an Emmy for Shark Tank. His last appearance on the program was during season 16 in May 2025. In 2019, Mark co-founded costplusdrugs.com. Its launch on January 19, 2022, with transparent pricing and a limited markup, has fundamentally changed the pricing of medications in the United States. Cora Opsahl is the director of the 32BJ Health Fund, a self-insured Taft-Hartley benefit fund that sets comprehensive design parameters to ensure the 200,000 members and families of SEIU 32BJ have easy and sustained access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. Cora has prioritized a data-driven approach, focusing on reducing trend, solving the affordability challenge on behalf of union members, and, most important, keeping members at the center of every decision. Under her leadership, the 32BJ Health Fund has saved more than $35 million annually—which it has reinvested in new and better benefits, including the first fertility benefit for members—by removing NewYork-Presbyterian hospitals and physicians from its network, transitioning to a new pharmacy vendor and pharmacy group purchasing coalition, and establishing an expanded Centers of Excellence program. In 2024, Cora conducted an innovative medical request for proposal, stipulating that all finalists have a signature-ready contract drafted by the 32BJ Health Fund prior to award. As a result, the Fund negotiated an agreement that brought unprecedented visibility and increased accountability to its benefit. In 2025, the Health Fund is focused on direct-contracting opportunities that allow it to carve out key benefits and ensure quality while managing spend. Cora is regarded as an expert in pharmacy benefit management and was recently appointed to the Board of Governors for the National Alliance for Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions and the Purchaser Advisory Council for the National Quality Forum and Joint Commission. She previously worked at Express Scripts, where she held a variety of roles, ranging from Medicare Part D to operations, strategy, and acquisitions. Cora earned an MBA from Saint Louis University.   06:25 What was the original rationale behind high deductibles? 07:38 How high deductibles are creating a class of functionally uninsured people. 09:29 EP482 with Preston Alexander. 10:20 “We're using health insurance as a proxy for healthcare.” —Mark 12:30 How providers are now in the debt collecting business rather than the healthcare business. 12:55 EP486 with Stan Schwartz, MD. 15:16 “We have a fundamental reasonability problem.” —Cora 16:07 EP425 with Marshall Allen. 18:25 Direct contracting versus self-funded employers. 19:27 EP436 with Elizabeth Mitchell. 19:30 EP480 with Kimberly Carleson. 19:33 EP372 with Cora Opsahl. 23:53 Why the current system doesn't allow the accountability that is needed. 24:39 EP452 with Cora Opsahl. 26:34 How direct contracting gives strength back to independent practices that high deductible plans take away. 27:46 Who pays, what's the price, and where does the power lie? 31:24 EP419 with Andreas Mang. 34:45 How it comes down to power and leverage when controlling healthcare costs. 38:13 EP483 (Part 1 and Part 2) with Jonathan Baran. 38:35 Why putting together a network and just buying healthcare—not discounts—is not as difficult as it seems. 40:10 Why we need to stop talking about disruption and start talking about change. 40:56 EP453 with Claire Brockbank. 41:02 EP484 with Dave Chase. 43:07 EP485 with Cristin Dickerson, MD. 44:32 EP487 (Part 1) with Kevin Lyons. 46:34 EP466 with Vivian Ho, PhD. 47:40 Why it's the incentives that are different between American hospitals and hospitals in a single-payer program. 50:25 The main takeaways from the conversation. 51:08 Why you can't fix the problems in healthcare without transparency.   You can learn more at markcubancompanies.com and costplusdrugs.com and follow Mark on LinkedIn, Bluesky, Threads, and X. You can follow Cora on LinkedIn.   @mcuban of @costplusdrugs and Cora Opsahl discuss trust and simplicity in #healthcare on our #healthcarepodcast. #podcast #financialhealth #patientoutcomes #primarycare #digitalhealth #healthcareleadership #healthcaretransformation #healthcareinnovation   Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Kevin Lyons (Part 2), Kevin Lyons (Part 1), Dr Stan Schwartz (EP486), Dr Cristin Dickerson, Elizabeth Mitchell (Take Two: EP436), Dave Chase, Jonathan Baran (Part 2), Jonathan Baran (Part 1), Jonathan Baran (Bonus Episode), Dr Stan Schwartz (Summer Shorts), Preston Alexander

“Probably the most exciting thing I've seen in gene therapy over the last ten years is we now have a lot of tools for selective delivery, which will hopefully make treatments more safe and a lot more successful,” says Dr. Jessica Duis, a geneticist and pediatrician focused on the management of individuals with complex, rare disorders. Dr. Duis, who has worked on several gene therapies that are now approved or progressing through the accelerated approval pathway, is currently VP of Clinical Development at GondolaBio, a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company focused on developing therapeutics for genetic diseases. As you'll learn in this Year of the Zebra episode with host Lindsey Smith, Dr. Duis is encouraged by other recent advances in genetic technology as well, and thinks momentum will grow as breakthrough treatments emerge. “I think we're hopefully going to continue to see companies that are working in rare disease be more successful and really drive how regulators think about making decisions in terms of bringing treatments to patients. I think we're at the tip of the iceberg in terms of the future of truly transformational therapies.”  This wide ranging conversation also explores Dr. Duis' team approach to patient care, her work on clinical endpoints, the importance of patient communities, and her book series, Rare Siblings Stories.Mentioned in this episode:GondolaBioRareDiseaseDocElsevier Healthcare Hub on Rare DiseasesRare Sibling Stories If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

In this powerful episode of Love Conquers Alz, Susie Singer Carter and Don Priess sit down with Neal K. Shah, visionary founder and CEO of CareYaya, a groundbreaking platform that connects families with compassionate, college-educated student caregivers. Neal shares how his personal caregiving journey inspired him to reimagine elder care, creating affordable, dignified, and deeply human support that benefits both older adults and the next generation of healthcare professionals.Together, they explore the urgent need to bridge generational divides, destigmatize dementia, and cultivate empathy in future doctors and nurses by immersing them in real-life caregiving experiences. Neal also opens up about his new book, "Insured to Death", which takes aim at the rising crisis of AI-driven healthcare claim denials and the devastating toll they take on patients and families.From stories of students forming life-changing bonds with people living with dementia, to hard truths about our broken long-term care and insurance systems, this conversation is both eye-opening and hopeful. It's a reminder that caregiving—when rooted in love, purpose, and community—has the power to transform lives.Counterforce HealthCareyaya.orgSupport the showNo Country For Old People; a Nursing Home Exposé is STREAMING NOW on Amazon Prime (https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B0F7D1RR5X/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r) Please watch. Review. Share. Be a ROAR-ior!! JOIN THE R.O.A.R. MOVEMENT for quality long term care! Visit the No Country For Old People Website for more information.YOU CAN ALSO SUPPORT THE ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL PROMOTION OF OUR DOCUMENTARY "NO COUNTRY FOR OLD PEOPLE" BY MAKING A TAX DEDUCTIBLE DONATION THROUGH THE NATIONAL CONSUMER VOICE HERE Follow us on Twitter, FB, IG, & TiK Tok

Katie Henry has seen some things. From nonprofit bootstraps to Big Pharma boardrooms, she's been inside the machine—and still believes we can fix it. We go deep on her winding road from folding sweaters at J.Crew to launching a vibrator-based advocacy campaign that accidentally changed the sexual health narrative in breast cancer.Katie doesn't pull punches. She's a born problem solver with zero tolerance for pink fluff and performative empathy. We talk survivor semantics, band camp trauma, nonprofit burnout, and why “Didi” is the grandparent alter ego you never saw coming.She's Murphy Brown with a marimba. Veronica Sawyer in pharma. Carla Tortelli with an oncology Rolodex. And she still calls herself a learner.This is one of the most honest, hilarious, and refreshingly real conversations I've had. Period.RELATED LINKS:Katie Henry on LinkedInKatie Henry on ResearchGateLiving Beyond Breast CancerNational Breast Cancer CoalitionFEEDBACK:Like this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship inquiries, email podcast@matthewzachary.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

With nearly one in ten newborns in the US requiring care in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the importance of NICUs has never been more clear. On today's episode of Raise the Line, we're shining a light on the extraordinary world of NICUs with Lindsay Howard, a veteran nurse with over 17 years of experience caring for premature and critically ill infants. She currently works in a Level IV NICU at Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, one of the most advanced neonatal units in the country. “We call ourselves ‘the ER of the neonate world' because we're never full. We have to make space no matter what comes in off the street, and at the biggest medical center in the world, we see all the things,” she explains. In this enlightening conversation with host Lindsey Smith, Howard describes how advances in medicine have made it possible to provide more types of care for younger and smaller babies, creating a need for NICU nurses to develop subspecialties. In her case, Howard is on a dedicated team that handles the placement and maintenance of all central line IVs, and has earned certifications in neonatal and pediatric chemotherapy and biotherapies. “We see babies that we may not have seen before being born with cancerous tumors who need chemotherapy to try and eliminate it, or just give them more time with their family.” This is a revealing look inside the workings of a top tier NICU where you'll learn about approaches to care that support healthy neurodevelopment, how clinical staff handle the emotional challenges of the job, and how her own experience as a mother with twins needing NICU care impacted her work.  Mentioned in this episode:Children's Memorial Hermann Hospital If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/raisethelinepodcast

In this hard-hitting episode of The Gritty Nurse Podcast with Amie Archibald-Varley, we dive deep into the controversial healthcare proposal dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill”—a sweeping plan backed by RFK Jr. that claims to overhaul the US healthcare system. But what's really behind this policy? And who stands to lose the most? Joined by Dr. Kaveh Hoda, gastroenterologist, podcaster, and advocate, we explore: The background and political motivations behind RFK Jr.'s healthcare agenda The devastating consequences of Medicaid cuts on low-income Americans, seniors, and people with disabilities How privatization and deregulation threaten the core of public healthcare Why Canadian listeners should view this as a cautionary tale—what's happening in the US could be a warning sign for Canada's own healthcare system

“When you think about where we were as a country before Medicare and Medicaid were created and where we are now, it's an incredible story,” says Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, who until earlier this year was the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). In a recent essay for The Century Foundation, where she is now a senior fellow, Brooks-LaSure used the 60th anniversary of enactment of those foundational insurance programs to help put their impact on individual Americans, the healthcare system and society at large in perspective. One prominent example is the desegregation of hospitals, which was achieved in part by withholding reimbursements for care unless facilities served Blacks as well as whites. Another is making it possible for more people with disabilities to live at home instead of in institutional settings. But as you'll hear in this probing Raise the Line conversation with host Lindsey Smith, Brooks-LaSure worries that many gains in coverage and other progress made over the years through Medicare, Medicaid and the Child Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are at risk because of a new federal law that calls for a trillion dollar decrease in spending, resulting in potentially millions of people losing their coverage, cuts to clinical staff and medical services, and the closure of hospitals and clinics, especially in rural areas. “Most rural hospitals in this country are incredibly dependent on both Medicare and Medicaid to keep their doors open and there's an estimate that over 300 hospitals will close as a result of this legislation, so that, I think, is a place of incredible nervousness.” Whether you are a patient, provider, policymaker or health system leader, this is a great opportunity to learn from an expert source about the range of potential impacts that will flow from changes to critically important insurance programs that provide coverage to 40% of adults and nearly 50% of children in the U.S. Mentioned in this episode:The Century FoundationEssay on 60th Anniversary of Medicare & Medicaid If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/raisethelinepodcast

Trigger Warning: This episode contains discussions on suidcide.  In this episode, The Gritty Nurse, Amie Archibald-Varley discusses the tragic story of Roseanne, a nurse who died by suicide, highlighting critical issues in mental health staffing, accountability in healthcare, and the need for systemic change. The conversation emphasizes the importance of recognizing warning signs of suicide and supporting colleagues in the nursing profession. Through personal anecdotes and advocacy for better mental health care, the episode calls for a shift in how the healthcare system addresses these pressing issues. If you or someone you know is struggling with their mental health, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in North America for 24/7, free, and confidential support, or dial 911 for life-threatening emergencies. You can also find local resources through the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) or the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and don't hesitate to reach out to a trusted friend, family member, or doctor for help.  https://988.ca/ (Canada) https://988lifeline.org/ (USA)  Chapters 00:00 Intro and Amie's Story 07:35 Critical Issues in Mental Health In Healthcare  17:25 Rosanne's Story: Accountability in Healthcare: Who is Responsible?  23:04 Vital Signs: Changing the Narrative on Mental Health 39:03 A Call to Action: Resources and Support for Nurses Takeaways The story of a nurse's suicide highlights systemic failures. Understaffing in mental health units is a critical issue. Nurses should never work alone in high-risk situations. Violence against nurses is often normalized and overlooked. Accountability in healthcare organizations is lacking. Mental health care must prioritize safety and support for nurses. Suicide prevention requires a cultural shift in healthcare. Vulnerability among healthcare providers can foster connection. Recognizing warning signs of suicide is essential for support. The 988 hotline is a vital resource for those in crisis. Episode Links https://globalnews.ca/news/11110293/bc-nurse-dies-by-suicide-attacks-on-the-job/ https://www.clarksfuneral.ca/obituaries/Rosanne-Wallace?obId=40163864 Donations To Honor Rosanne's Memory: GoFundMe https://gofund.me/7dbdf031. Sarah (Sarita Warren) https://sarahewarren.com Don't Clock Out https://www.dontclockout.org Keywords nurse suicide, mental health, healthcare accountability, staffing issues, violence in nursing, suicide prevention, healthcare reform, nurse support, mental health advocacy, healthcare workers  

Sophie Sargent walked into the studio already owning the mic. A pandemic-era media rebel raised in New Hampshire, trained in Homeland Security (yep), and shaped by rejection, she's built a career out of DM'ing her way into rooms and then owning them. At 25, she's juggling chronic illness, chronic overachievement, and a generation that gets dismissed before it even speaks.We talk Lyme disease, Lyme denial, and the healthcare gaslighting that comes when you “look fine” but your body says otherwise. We dive into rejection as a career accelerant, mental health as content porn, and what it means to chase purpose without sacrificing identity. Sophie's a former morning radio host, country music interviewer, and Boston-based creator with a real voice—and she uses it.No fake podcast voice. No daddy-daughter moment. Just two loudmouths from different planets figuring out what it means to be seen, believed, and taken seriously in a system designed to do the opposite.Spoiler: She's smarter than I was at 25. And she'll probably be your boss someday.RELATED LINKSSophie on InstagramSophie on YouTubeSophie on LinkedInMedium article: “Redefining Rejection”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when you hand a mic to the most extroverted, uncensored Gen Z career coach in New York? You get Olivia Battinelli—adjunct professor, student advisor, mentor, speaker, and unfiltered truth-teller on everything from invisible illness to resume crimes.We talked about growing up Jewish-Italian in Westchester, surviving the Big Four's corporate Kool-Aid, and quitting a job after 7 months because the shower goals weren't working out. She runs NYU Steinhardt's internship program by day, roasts Takis and “rate my professor” trolls by night, and somehow makes room for maple syrup takes, career coaching, and a boyfriend named Dom who sounds like a supporting character from The Sopranos.She teaches kids how to talk to humans. She's allergic to BS. And she might be the most Alexis Rose-meets-Maeve Wiley-mashup ever dropped into your feed. Welcome to her first podcast interview. It's pure gold.RELATED LINKS:Olivia Battinelli on LinkedInOlivia's Liv It Up Coaching WebsiteOlivia on InstagramNYU Steinhardt Faculty PageFEEDBACK:Like this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship inquiries, email podcast@matthewzachary.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Join us for an inspiring livestream featuring Dr. Philip Ovadia and Lisa Simmons, NP, as they explain into how Ovadia Heart Health is transforming lives through its innovative telemedicine practice. Discover how the program helps patients improve their metabolic health, prevent chronic diseases, and reclaim vitality with personalized care, including lab consults, expert guidance from health coaches, and diabetes-focused support from an RD. Don't miss this opportunity to take the first step toward a healthier future!Send Dr. Ovadia a Text Message. (If you want a response, you must include your contact information.) Dr. Ovadia cannot respond here. To contact his team, please send an email to team@ifixhearts.com Like what you hear? Head over to IFixHearts.com/book to grab a copy of my book, Stay Off My Operating Table. Ready to go deeper? Talk to someone from my team at IFixHearts.com/talk.Stay Off My Operating Table on X: Dr. Ovadia: @iFixHearts Jack Heald: @JackHeald5 Learn more: Stay Off My Operating Table on Amazon Take Dr. Ovadia's metabolic health quiz: iFixHearts Dr. Ovadia's website: Ovadia Heart Health Jack Heald's website: CultYourBrand.com Theme Song : Rage AgainstWritten & Performed by Logan Gritton & Colin Gailey(c) 2016 Mercury Retro RecordingsAny use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from Dr. Philip Ovadia.

Key Topics:How sudden insurance and policy changes disrupt patients and providersThe importance of prevention and primary care in lowering long-term costsWhat fully staffed care teams look like and why they matterBalancing productivity and patient-centered careWhy disruption is necessary for a healthier futureTakeaway: Healthcare continues to be shaped more by profit and red tape than by prevention and patient outcomes. But with innovative care models and a relentless focus on what patients truly need, leaders can shift the system toward better health and lower costs. www.YourHealth.Org

It seems there are news stories every week about the accelerating pace of innovation in gene therapy, but only about 50 therapies have been approved so far by the US Food and Drug Administration. Our guest today, Dr. Bobby Gaspar, leads a UK-based biotech company, Orchard Therapeutics, that developed one of those treatments using gene-modified stem cells in your blood that self-renew, so a single administration can give you potentially a lifelong effect. “Our approach is about correcting those hematopoietic stem cells and allowing them to give rise to cells that can then correct the disease,” explains Dr. Gaspar.  The therapy in focus is lenmeldy, the first approved treatment for metachromatic leukodystrophy, also known as MLD, a devastating inherited disorder that affects roughly 600 children worldwide. But Dr. Gaspar is optimistic that learnings from Orchard's work on MLD could be useful in treating much more common disorders including frontotemporal dementia, Crohn's disease and others. This highly informative conversation with host Lindsey Smith also explores the importance of newborn screening, community collaboration in advancing clinical trials for rare diseases, and a future in which each gene therapy will be used as a tool for specific applications.  “There will be many gene therapies available, some of which will become the standard of care for certain diseases, but it won't be for every disease.”Mentioned in this episode:Orchard Therapeutics If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/raisethelinepodcast

This episode is sponsored by Invivyd, Inc.Marc Elia is a biotech investor, the Chairman of the Board at Invivyd, and a Long COVID patient who decided to challenge the system while still stuck inside it. He's not here for corporate platitudes, regulatory shoulder shrugs, or vaccine-era gaslighting. This is not a conversation about politics, but it's about power and choice and the right to receive care and treatment no matter your condition.In this episode, we cover everything from broken clinical pathways to meme coins and the eternal shame of being old enough to remember Eastern Airlines. Marc talks about what it means to build tools instead of just complaining, what Long COVID has done to his body and his patience, and why the illusion of “choice” in healthcare is a luxury most patients don't have.This conversation doesn't ask for empathy. It demands it.RELATED LINKSMarc Elia on LinkedInInvivyd Company SiteMarc's Bio at InvivydFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship inquiries, email podcast@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You are in for a dose of inspiration in this episode of Raise the Line as we introduce you to a rare disease patient who was a leading force in establishing the diagnosis for her own condition, who played a key role in launching the first phase three clinical trials for it, and who is now coordinating research into the disease and related disorders at one of the nation's top hospitals. Rebecca Salky, RN, was first afflicted at the age of four with MOGAD, an autoimmune disorder of the central nervous system that can cause paralysis, vision loss and seizures. In this fascinating conversation with host Lindsey Smith, Rebecca describes her long and challenging journey with MOGAD, her work at the Neuroimmunology Clinic and Research Lab at Massachusetts General Hospital, and the importance of finding a MOGAD community in her early twenties. “There's a sense of power and security when you have others on your side. You're not alone in this journey of the rare disease,” she explains. Be sure to stay tuned to learn about Rebecca's work in patient advocacy, her experience as a nurse, and the three things she thinks are missing in the care of rare disease patients as our Year of the Zebra series continues.Mentioned in this episode:The MOG ProjectNeuroimmunology Clinic & Research Lab at Mass General If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/raisethelinepodcast

After years of carrying the weight of lead, Shannon and Cooper find a path out from under the darkness and into the sunlight.LEAD: how this story ends is up to us is an audio docudrama series that tells the true story of one child, his mysterious lead poisoning, and his mother's unwavering fight to keep him safe. A true story written by Shannon Burkett. Directed by Alan Taylor. Starring Merritt Wever, Alessandro Nivola, Cynthia Nixon, and Cooper Burkett.Lead was produced by Shannon Burkett. Co-produced by Jenny Maguire. Featuring Amy Acker, Tom Butler, Dennis T. Carnegie, James Carpinello, Geneva Carr, Dann Fink, Alice Kris, Adriane Lenox, Katie O'Sullivan, Greg Pirenti, Armando Riesco, Shirley Rumierk, Thom Sesma, and Lana Young. Music by Peter Salett. “Joy In Resistance” written by Abena Koomson-Davis and performed by Resistance Revival Chorus. Casting by Alaine Alldaffer and Lisa Donadio. Sound Design by Andy Kris. Recording Engineer Krissopher Chevannes.For corresponding visuals and more information on how to protect children from lead exposure please go to https://endleadpoisoning.org.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

An intensive care physician who has spent 20 years watching preventable diseases destroy lives shares the brutal reality of what metabolic dysfunction looks like in the ICU - and the simple steps that could keep you out of his unit entirely.Dr. Kwadwo Carmen-Tang pulls no punches as he describes the devastating cycle he witnesses daily: patients arriving with obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, then leaving weaker, traumatized, and fundamentally changed by their ICU experience. But here's what medical school never taught him - these conditions are often completely reversible.In this raw conversation, Dr. K breaks down the single most powerful intervention that could transform your metabolic health, explains why hospital food is finally changing, and shares his frustration with a healthcare system that treats symptoms instead of root causes. From his work implementing real food initiatives in Canadian hospitals to his grassroots approach to changing medicine from within, this ICU veteran is fighting to make prevention the priority it should have always been.Whether you're a healthcare provider looking for practical tools or someone who wants to take control of their health trajectory, this episode delivers actionable strategies that could literally save your life. The movement toward metabolic health is real, and Dr. K is proving that change is possible - one protein-focused meal at a time.BIG IDEA"If we could avoid even half a percent, 2% of ICU admissions through metabolic health, man that's putting a dent in so many people's lives."Dr. Kwadwo Kyeremanteng Contact InfoWebsite: https://drkwadwo.ca/Book: Prevention over Prescription: https://drkwadwo.ca/books/Podcast: https://drkwadwo.ca/prevention-over-prescription-podcast/Gyata Nutrition: https://gyatanutrition.com/Send Dr. Ovadia a Text Message. (If you want a response, you must include your contact information.) Dr. Ovadia cannot respond here. To contact his team, please send an email to team@ifixhearts.com Like what you hear? Head over to IFixHearts.com/book to grab a copy of my book, Stay Off My Operating Table. Ready to go deeper? Talk to someone from my team at IFixHearts.com/talk.Stay Off My Operating Table on X: Dr. Ovadia: @iFixHearts Jack Heald: @JackHeald5 Learn more: Stay Off My Operating Table on Amazon Take Dr. Ovadia's metabolic health quiz: iFixHearts Dr. Ovadia's website: Ovadia Heart Health Jack Heald's website: CultYourBrand.com Theme Song : Rage AgainstWritten & Performed by Logan Gritton & Colin Gailey(c) 2016 Mercury Retro RecordingsAny use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from Dr. Philip Ovadia.

Live from the White House, Chris Stigall interviews Dr. Mehmet Oz on healthcare reform, Lee Zeldin on energy dominance, and Sebastian Gorka on counterterrorism, discussing third-quarter progress. Oz, leading Medicare/Medicaid, aims to cut waste and promote prevention. Breaking news: a Minneapolis Catholic school was targeted by a transgender individual in a school shooting. The Faith and Freedom segment highlights pastors' roles in America's founding.00:00:00 - Introduction00:04:49 - Energy Policy00:09:32 - Environmental Goals00:14:06 - Counterterrorism00:19:18 - Healthcare Reform00:24:47 - Administration Plans00:29:26 - Minneapolis Shooting00:35:07 - Faith and FreedomFollow The Lion on Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. You can also sign-up for our newsletter and follow our coverage at ReadLion.com. To learn more about the Herzog Foundation, visit HerzogFoundation.com. Like and follow us on Facebook, X, and Instagram, or sign up to receive monthly email updates. #ChristianEducation #Education #EducationPolicy #EducationReform #FaithAndLearning #Family #FaithInEducation #Faith #Homeschool #ChristianSchool #PrivateSchool #EducationNews #News #Religion #ReligiousNews #PublicSchool #SchoolNews #NewsShow #SchoolChoice

“You have to love what you do, especially in healthcare, and the earlier you find that, the better. So that's why I love to see HOSA helping young people find what it is that they want to do,” says Dr. David Kelly, a fellow in oculofacial surgery at University of California San Francisco and HOSA's board chair. You can still hear the excitement in Dr. Kelly's voice describing his earliest experiences with HOSA -- a student led organization with 300,000 plus members that prepares future health professionals to become leaders in international health – even though they happened sixteen years ago when he was a sophomore in highschool. Through hundreds of competitive events and hands-on projects, HOSA creates a framework for developing skills in communication, professionalism and leadership starting in middle school. Programs are offered throughout highschool and college as well, which Dr. Kelly took advantage of before becoming an active alumnus and joining the HOSA board as a way of giving back to an organization that has given so much to him. Since taking the reins as board chair last year, one key focus has been preparing to mark HOSA's 50th anniversary in 2026. Dr. Kelly sees the occasion as not only an opportunity to celebrate what HOSA has accomplished, but to ensure it is positioned to continue helping the healthcare industry tackle important challenges in the future. Examples include chronic workforce shortages and improving how clinicians communicate with patients and team members.  Join host Lindsey Smith on this uplifting Raise the Line episode for an optimistic look at the next generation of healthcare leaders.Mentioned in this episode:HOSAHOSA Alumni Registration If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/raisethelinepodcast

The deficits from the lead poisoning continue to intensify, Shannon channels her anger and grief into holding the people who hurt her son responsible.LEAD how this story ends is up to us is a true story written and produced by Shannon Burkett. Co-produced by Jenny Maguire. Directed by Alan Taylor. Starring Merritt Wever, Alessandro Nivola, Cynthia Nixon, and Cooper Burkett.EP4 features Eboni Booth, Sasha Eden, Kevin Kane, April Matthis, Alysia Reiner, and Mandy Siegfried. Casting by Alaine Alldaffer and Lisa Donadio. Music by Peter Salett. Sound Design by Andy Kris. Recording Engineer Krissopher Chevannes.For corresponding visuals and more information on how to protect children from lead exposure please go to https://endleadpoisoning.org.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

“We've been able to show that even by 30 days of age, we can predict with some accuracy if a child is going to have a diagnosis of autism,” says Dr. Geraldine Dawson, sharing one of the recent advancements in early diagnosis being aided by artificial intelligence.  Dr. Dawson -- a leading scholar in the field and founding director of the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development – explains that an AI examination of a child's pattern of visits to medical specialists in its very early life is an objective diagnostic tool that can supplement the current subjective reports from parents which vary in reliability. Another objective diagnostic tool in development uses a smartphone app developed at Duke that takes video of babies watching images and applies AI-aided Computer Vision Analysis to measure for signs of autism. This enlightening Raise the Line conversation with host Lindsey Smith is loaded with the latest understandings about Autism Spectrum Disorder including advancements in early therapeutic interventions, the interplay of genetic and environmental factors, and the role of the mother's health and exposures during pregnancy. You'll learn as well about what Dawson sees as necessary societal shifts in how autism is perceived, the numerous factors contributing to a near tripling of diagnoses over the past two decades, and how early intervention and informed advocacy can make a meaningful difference in the lives of countless families.Mentioned in this episode:Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/raisethelinepodcast

The effects of the neurotoxin are taking their toll on Cooper as Shannon desperately tries to navigate the severity of their new reality.LEAD how this story ends is up to us is a true story written and produced by Shannon Burkett. Co-produced by Jenny Maguire. Directed by Alan Taylor. Starring Merritt Wever, Alessandro Nivola, Cynthia Nixon, and Cooper Burkett.E43 features Jenny Maguire, JD Mollison, Laith Nakli, Deirdre O'Connell, Carolyn Baeumler, Zach Shaffer, and Monique Woodley. Casting by Alaine Alldaffer and Lisa Donadio. Music by Peter Salett. Sound Design by Andy Kris. Recording Engineer Krissopher Chevannes.For corresponding visuals and more information on how to protect children from lead exposure please go to https://endleadpoisoning.org.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This time on Code WACK!  What if California, Oregon, and Washington joined forces to win federal approval for universal, single-payer healthcare? Could a united West Coast shift the balance of power in America's healthcare debate?  To find out, we recently spoke with Michael Lighty, president of the single payer advocacy coalition Healthy California Now. Michael 's a founding fellow of the Sanders Institute, and he was healthcare constituency director for the Bernie 2020 campaign. Most recently, he co-wrote and was a leader in the successful campaign to enact California's Senate Bill 770, a critical step toward negotiating the federal waivers the Golden State needs to build a universal, publicly financed healthcare system. Join us as we explore how these three states are moving to collaborate toward a common goal — and why this could be a game-changer for patients, politics, and policy nationwide. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.

Okay, to review from Part 1 of this conversation, and if you didn't listen to it because you think you know how this whole skyrocketing healthcare costs thing works, let me tell you, I myself had a few revelations. So, go back and listen. For a full transcript of this episode, click here. If you enjoy this podcast, be sure to subscribe to the free weekly newsletter to be a member of the Relentless Tribe. But to be fair, if you didn't already, sure, fine. Listen to Part 2 here first and then do it backwards. It probably won't make that much difference, except you'll need to contend with me totally ruining the Part 1 suspense because here's the negative flywheel, starting with the axle. Employers and other plan sponsors have been convinced to buy discounts, including discounts or discounts by their other aliases: rebates and probably shared savings, too, I would throw in this category. This is the grease that keeps the flywheel spinning. What's the “why” there? It's a genius idea if you think about it. And if you're not fully understanding what I'm about to say, go back, for sure, and listen to Part 1 of this episode because this is a very fundamental concept that has come up over and over and over again on this podcast. Cora Opsahl (EP452) talked about it. Claire Brockbank (EP453); Eric Bricker, MD (EP472); Chris Crawford (EP465) for just four shows off the top of my head in the past, you know, eight months or so. Here's the concept: If you buy discounts, your costs will go up. Am I saying this theoretically? No, I'm not. Look at the last 20 years. Have costs gone up way higher than inflation? Yes, they have. What are we doing? We're buying discounts. So, it's hard to argue. Renewals every single year will just keep going up the longer that we buy discounts. We talk about this, Jonathan Baran and I, in Part 1, how carriers have created a really very self-serving buying framework where employers are trained to buy discounts. Discounts are the axle, and the buying of discounts becomes the top of our flywheel. And then some so inclined hospital system executives, there are certainly executives standing 10,000 feet from any bedside, so they really have zero idea how care or patients or even clinicians are impacted. But if plan sponsors buy discounts, those at health systems who are so inclined now have no real incentive to rein in prices or focus on appropriate care even. And if you are so inclined, if you're very margin focused as a healthcare executive, you know, first things first, go gut primary care. That is step one in every playbook, and we definitely talk about that in Part 1 of this episode. And also, again, in about 10 episodes from earlier this year. Another thing that you're gonna wanna do if your prime imperative is margin at a healthcare system is maximize the revenue off of every transaction. So, hey … hello, EHR systems. So now you have health system prices creeping up and up, unfettered, you know, just exacerbated by consolidation and a bunch of other different things. But you've got healthcare prices creeping up, you have volume the same or higher because we're not preventing chronic disease like you would with advanced primary care, for example. And now we're back at the “Oh wow, let me sell you another discount. And renewal is only 9% or whatever.” Thus, the flywheel spins. Alright, so let's turn this wheel around, shall we? Flip it 180. What's the fix? This is what Jonathan Baran talks about in the episode that follows, but he says, Hey, how about this? Instead of putting “get bigger discounts” in the middle of the flywheel, why don't we put “buy better member health”? That's a good start. Buy a health plan that delivers better member health at an affordable price. Buy the care, not buy a discount off of a price we can't see for net price we can't see. Is it insurance? I don't know. Right? Like, just buy the healthcare. Cutting to the chase, Jonathan Baran advocates for a paradigm shift where employers invest in primary care, adopt better benefit designs, more aligned to cost and quality so that members are incented toward better cost and quality, employee navigation services to guide employees to make more informed healthcare decisions. So again, by changing the focus from buying discounts to buying actual healthcare, Jonathan says, we can reverse the negative cycle and improve overall health outcomes. As I've said multiple times already, my guest today is Jonathan Baran. He has been, for a long time, a healthcare entrepreneur. Today he is co-founder and CEO of Self Fund Health in Wisconsin, committed to challenging the expensive healthcare system in Wisconsin. Self Fund Health, I am always so pleased to tell you, did make a really, really kind offer to help out RHV (Relentless Health Value) financially. You and the tribe here are really great folks who I truly, truly appreciate. So, please do support Self Fund Health if you are in Wisconsin. This podcast is sponsored by Self Fund Health today. Also mentioned in this episode are Self Fund Health; Cora Opsahl; Claire Brockbank; Eric Bricker, MD; Chris Crawford; Cynthia Fisher; Scott Haas; Peter Hayes; Matt McQuide; RxSaveCard; Mark Cuban; Ramy Khalil, MD; Candace Shaffer; and Tom Nash.   You can learn more at Self Fund Health and follow Jonathan on LinkedIn.   Jonathan Baran is a serial healthcare IT entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Self Fund Health, a fast-growing health plan redefining how employers buy and manage healthcare. With a mission to eliminate waste and realign incentives in the healthcare system, Self Fund Health empowers employers to take control of rising costs by giving employees access to high-value providers at no cost, while replacing traditional insurance with real-time technology, dedicated nurses, and an aligned ecosystem of care. Prior to founding Self Fund Health, Jonathan was the co-founder and CEO of Healthfinch, one of the pioneering companies to build apps on top of electronic medical records. Healthfinch automated routine workflows for physicians using clinical data, significantly improving efficiency and patient care. Under Jonathan's leadership, Healthfinch raised over $15 million in venture capital and scaled to more than 50 employees. The company received national recognition, including being named a “Cool Vendor” by Gartner, a “Top Emerging Vendor” by KLAS, and one of Modern Healthcare's “Best Places to Work.” In 2020, Healthfinch was acquired by HealthCatalyst. Jonathan holds both a bachelor's and master's degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He lives in Madison, Wisconsin, and continues to push the boundaries of innovation in employer-sponsored healthcare.   05:23 Where to start in reversing the flywheel. 06:57 Why investing in primary care is pivotal to containing healthcare costs. 10:02 EP453 with Claire Brockbank. 10:04 EP452 with Cora Opsahl. 10:07 EP457 with Cynthia Fisher. 10:12 EP365 with Scott Haas. 10:13 EP465 with Chris Crawford. 10:14 EP475 with Peter Hayes. 11:11 EP468 with Matt McQuide. 11:13 EP472 with Eric Bricker, MD. 12:14 “The most expensive thing in healthcare is the pen of the primary care doctor.” 13:04 How the role of the broker has to fundamentally change. 16:16 What will the single most challenging aspect of this restructuring become? 20:20 How self-funded employers can be amazing customers in containing the rising cost flywheel in healthcare. 22:56 How do EHRs and other medical record systems play into reversing the flywheel of rising healthcare costs? 23:57 Ramy Khalil, MD's post on interoperability. 24:59 Why is it important for employers to drive volume differently? 25:38 How Self Fund Health is helping in this regard.   You can learn more at Self Fund Health and follow Jonathan on LinkedIn.   @JonathanBaran discusses how to contain increasing #healthcarecosts on our #healthcarepodcast. #healthcare #podcast #financialhealth #patientoutcomes #primarycare #digitalhealth #healthcareleadership #healthcaretransformation #healthcareinnovation Recent past interviews: Click a guest's name for their latest RHV episode! Jonathan Baran (Part 1), Jonathan Baran (Bonus Episode), Dr Stan Schwartz (Summer Shorts), Preston Alexander, Dr Tom X Lee (Take Two: EP445), Dr Tom X Lee (Bonus Episode), Dr Benjamin Schwartz, Dr John Lee (Take Two: EP438), Kimberly Carleson, Ann Lewandowski (Summer Shorts), Andreas Mang and Jon Camire (EP479), Justin Leader (Take Two: EP433)  

"Burnout and trauma are not mental illnesses. They live in your physiology. They live in your biology. They live very specifically in your nervous system,” Dr. Rola Hallam says with a conviction rooted in her own successful journey to overcome the effects of chronic stress she accumulated during many years on the frontlines of humanitarian crises in Syria and other conflict zones. Out of concern for the multitudes of health professionals who, like herself, spend years carrying the weight of their traumatic experiences without seeking help, or who pursue ineffective remedies for relieving it, Dr. Rola -- as she's known – has shifted her focus to being a trauma and burnout coach. Among her offerings is Beyond Burnout, a twelve-week program that includes multimedia content as well as live coaching and teaching about developing nervous system awareness and regulation. “Most wellness initiatives fail because they're not rewiring the nervous system to come out of survival mode and back into what is called the ventral-vagal state, which is our state of social connection and of healing and repair.” She also stresses that healing is not an individual pursuit, especially for providers who work in a relational field, and teaches about the benefits of borrowing from a colleagues' state of calm and offering them the same. Don't miss this insightful and giving conversation with host Lindsey Smith that covers Dr. Rola's wrenching experiences providing care in desperate conditions, the critically important distinction between empathy and compassion, and how empowering frontline workers to heal their trauma can uplift individuals and empower entire communities. Mentioned in this episode:Dr. Rola CoachingBeyond Burnout AssessmentCanDo - Humanitarian Aid If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/raisethelinepodcast

As the lead wreaks havoc on Cooper's development, Shannon searches for answers. Desperate to get a handle on what was happening to her son, she grabs onto a lifeboat - nursing school. Andy tries to piece together the past to make sense of the present.LEAD how this story ends is up to us is a true story written and produced by Shannon Burkett. Co-produced by Jenny Maguire. Directed by Alan Taylor. Starring Merritt Wever, Alessandro Nivola, Cynthia Nixon, and Cooper BurkettEP2 features Keith Nobbs and Frank Wood. Music by Peter Salett. Sound Design by Andy Kris. Recording Engineer Krissopher Chevannes. Casting by Alaine Alldaffer and Lisa Donadio.For corresponding visuals and more information on how to protect children from lead exposure please go to https://endleadpoisoning.org.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This time on Code WACK!  Why are some Americans choosing to go off the health insurance grid? For Lani Gonzales, entrepreneur and hypnotherapist, it was the mounting frustration with denials, delays … and ultimately being dropped by her health insurer through no fault of her own. So instead of reapplying she walked away—and pieced together a system for herself. Combining medical tourism, concierge medicine, a health share and even reclaiming her Philippine citizenship, Lani took an unconventional route to take control of her health care. What drove her to make these radical changes—and what can we learn from her journey? This is the second episode in a two-part series. Check out the Transcript and Show Notes for more! And please keep Code WACK! on the air with a tax-deductible donation.   

In this bonus clip from Episode 483 of Relentless Health Value, host Stacey Richter discusses the efforts of individuals working within large healthcare organizations to improve patient outcomes despite systemic challenges.  Guest Jonathan Baran, co-founder and CEO of Self Fund Health, highlights how incentives within the healthcare system drive behaviors that often conflict with patient and member interests.  The discussion emphasizes the importance of not generalizing the intentions of all employees based on organizational actions and encourages a deeper understanding of underlying incentive structures to foster meaningful changes.  Self Fund Health, I am so pleased to tell you, as I am always so pleased to tell you, did make such a kind offer to help out Relentless Health Value financially. You and the tribe here are really, really great folks who I truly appreciate. Please support Self Fund Health if you are in Wisconsin. This episode is sponsored by Self Fund Health. === LINKS ===

“Seeing that you can get through the most difficult times in life, succeed, and then also return to your community and work in service to your community was a lesson that has stuck with me,” says Dr. Uche Blackstock, the Founder and CEO of Advancing Health Equity and our guest on this inspiring episode of Raise the Line with Osmosis from Elsevier. It was a lesson the Harvard-trained physician learned from her own mother – also a Harvard trained physician – who overcame poverty, sexism and racial bias to forge an inspiring path.  In her bestselling book, Legacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine, Dr. Blackstock weaves her mother's remarkable story with her own and argues for systemic change in a healthcare system riddled with racially-biased practices and policies that impact patient outcomes. As she explains to host Lindsey Smith, Advancing Health Equity's work to drive measurable and sustainable change is focused on embedding equity as a core value in the leadership, strategy, and organizational practice of health systems. “We exist to challenge inequities, empower underrepresented communities, and help build a healthcare system where everyone can thrive.” Don't miss a thought-provoking conversation with a nationally respected voice that also addresses race correction factors that impact the care of Black patients, and the work required of health institutions to build trust in effected communities.Mentioned in this episode:Advancing Health EquityLegacy: A Black Physician Reckons with Racism in Medicine If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/raisethelinepodcast

In this episode of The Healers Café, Manon Bolliger, FCAH, RBHT (facilitator and retired naturopath with 30+ years of practice) speaks to Kathy Allan, a registered nurse and holistic practitioner, discussed her journey from nursing since 1964 to developing the "Gutsy Nurses" program. She highlighted the shift from compassionate care to a profit-driven healthcare system, exacerbated by private equity firms. Allan emphasized the need for nurses to recognize and manage trauma, regain authenticity, and advocate for their patients. She criticized the current system's focus on financial gain over patient care, citing examples of unethical practices and the impact of for-profit motives. Allan also discussed the importance of prevention and healthy living to reduce hospital visits For the transcript and full story go to: https://www.drmanonbolliger.com/kathy-allan           Highlights from today's episode include: Kathy Allan shares her love for nursing, starting in 1964, and her diverse experience in various nursing departments, including the operating room, emergency room, intensive care, labor and delivery, pediatrics, and psychiatric nursing. Kathy discusses the importance of nurses being able to support their patients effectively, having gone through their own healing journey. Manon Bolliger and Kathy discuss the need for an alternative healthcare model focused on health and prevention, rather than the current profit-driven system.   ABOUT KATHY ALLAN: I am a Registered Nurse, a Board Certified Holistic Nurse, a retired Healing Touch & energy medicine Instructor and a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner. I continue to serve as an assistant in the Somatic Experiencing trauma education program for psychotherapists. I have completed the three year Energy Medicine Training from Rosalyn Bruyere. I taught Integrative Imagery to nurses and I have studied shamanism. I am a member of the Screen Actors Guild/American Federation of Television and Radio Actors and I also do Stand-Up Comedy. Core purpose/passion:  Nurses work in chaos, don't have much time with their patients and both nurses and patients can be traumatized in the present healthcare system. So, I founded Gutsy Nurses, an education program designed to help nurses and other healthcare providers who are being exploited and burned out by the for-profit healthcare system. My new book Gutsy Nurses Save Lives; will be coming out at the end of this year. Website | YouTube |     ABOUT MANON BOLLIGER, FCAH, RBHT  As a de-registered (2021) board-certified naturopathic physician & in practice since 1992, I've seen an average of 150 patients per week and have helped people ranging from rural farmers in Nova Scotia to stressed out CEOs in Toronto to tri-athletes here in Vancouver.  My resolve to educate, empower and engage people to take charge of their own health is evident in my best-selling books:  'What Patients Don't Say if Doctors Don't Ask: The Mindful Patient-Doctor Relationship' and 'A Healer in Every Household: Simple Solutions for Stress'.  I also teach BowenFirst™ Therapy through and hold transformational workshops to achieve these goals. So, when I share with you that LISTENING to Your body is a game changer in the healing process, I am speaking from expertise and direct experience". Manon's Mission: A Healer in Every Household!  For more great information to go to her weekly blog:  http://bowencollege.com/blog.    For tips on health & healing go to: https://www.drmanonbolliger.com/tips    Follow Manon on Social – Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | Twitter | Linktr.ee | Rumble     ABOUT THE HEALERS CAFÉ:  Manon's show is the #1 show for medical practitioners and holistic healers to have heart to heart conversations about their day to day lives.  Subscribe and review on your favourite platform: iTunes | Google Play | Spotify | Libsyn | iHeartRadio | Gaana | The Healers Cafe | Radio.com | Medioq |   Follow The Healers Café on FB: https://www.facebook.com/thehealerscafe   Remember to subscribe if you like our videos. Click the bell if you want to be one of the first people notified of a new release.   * De-Registered, revoked & retired naturopathic physician after 30 years of practice in healthcare. Now resourceful & resolved to share with you all the tools to take care of your health & vitality!

A mysterious dust fills a young family's apartment. The truth begins to unravel when the mother gets a call from the pediatrician - the monster deep within the walls has been unleashed. LEAD how this story ends is up to us is a true story written and produced by Shannon Burkett. Co-produced by Jenny Maguire. Directed by Alan Taylor. Starring Merritt Wever, Alessandro Nivola, Cynthia Nixon, and Cooper Burkett. EP1 features Zak Orth, Jenny Maguire, Daphne Gaines, and Micheal Gaston. Music by Peter Salett. Sound Design by Andy Kris. Recording Engineer Krissopher Chevannes. Casting by Alaine Alldaffer and Lisa Donadio.For corresponding visuals and more information on how to protect children from lead exposure please go to https://endleadpoisoning.org.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

 Ever wonder why healthcare policy feels like a maze? Or how one doctor can spark systemic change? In this episode of Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare, Dr. Andrea Austin talks with Dr. Scott Pasichow, an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School and a passionate advocate for equity and reform.Scott's advocacy journey began with a personal realization: the inequities in family leave policies for residents. His push for fairer policies led to incremental changes at the ACGME and ABEM, ensuring better support for new parents. From testifying on EMS bills to representing ACEP in the AMA House of Delegates, Scott's work spans mental health, burnout, and student loan burdens.You'll hear how he:Turned a personal experience into a fight for equitable family leave policiesBuilds mission-driven teams by listening for dissent and fostering collaborationUses storytelling to make policy issues resonate with lawmakers and the publicFinds hope in the growing energy of physicians pushing for progressIf you're frustrated by healthcare's challenges or curious about advocacy, this episode offers practical insights and inspiration.About the Guest“The arc of history bends toward justice—but it takes people to pull on it.” – Dr. Scott PasichowDr. Scott Pasichow is an emergency physician, assistant professor at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and a relentless advocate for healthcare reform. A former board member of the Emergency Medicine Residents' Association (EMRA) and current representative for ACEP in the AMA House of Delegates, Scott has testified on EMS and emergency medicine bills in multiple states. His work focuses on family leave equity, physician wellness, and protecting access to care. He lives in Maplewood, NJ, with his wife, two kids, two pit-mix dogs, and a growing New York Rangers collection.