Podcasts about Health equity

In 2020, Emily Mendenhall drove from Washington, DC to Okoboji, Iowa, a town of 800 that swells to 200,000 every summer, and walked into a pandemic that looked nothing like the one dominating national headlines. Inside gas stations and bars, masks marked you as an outsider. In one stop, a man told her family they would not be served if they kept theirs on. Her 6 year old daughter cried, confused. Mendenhall, a medical anthropologist at Georgetown University, did what she always does. She started asking questions. Over months, she interviewed neighbors, former classmates, and local officials, including her own brother in law who helped lead the local COVID response. The result became Unmasked, a case study in how community identity, economics, and politics shaped public health decisions in real time. That work led directly into her latest book, Invisible Illness: A History, from Hysteria to Long COVID, where she tracks a much older problem. Patients with chronic illness, especially women, often fail to meet medicine's demand for proof. Without a clear diagnosis, they lose access to care, insurance coverage, and legitimacy. Mendenhall argues that long COVID did not create this failure. It exposed it.This conversation centers on how healthcare systems reward certainty and punish complexity. Long COVID clinics send patients to 17 specialists without resolution. Insurance structures require diagnoses that many conditions cannot provide. Medical training still struggles to integrate trauma, mental health, and chronic disease into a coherent model of care.Mendenhall brings lived experience into the conversation. After COVID, she dealt with months of fatigue and escalating anxiety that altered her baseline health. She does not claim the label of long COVID, but she understands how quickly the system becomes harder to navigate once symptoms stop fitting clean categories. The stakes are not theoretical. In the United States, access to healthcare, disability benefits, and treatment still depends on whether a condition can be measured, coded, and reimbursed. For millions living with invisible illness, the burden of proof becomes the illness itself.RELATED LINKSEmily MendenhallInvisible Illness: A History, from Hysteria to Long COVIDScience PoliticsGeorgetown UniversityFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Adam Markovitz of the University of Michigan about his recent paper exploring the growing role of third-party firms in Medicare ACOs, highlighting how they have contributed to wider participation and more geographically dispersed networks while raising questions about how these structures relate to shared savings outcomes.Order the June 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

In the Season 6 finale of Health Calls, host Brian Reardon and executive producer Josh Matejka reflect on the theme “United for Change” through a clip show featuring top voices in Catholic healthcare.  Drawing from insights shared at the Catholic Health Association Assembly, Brian and Josh highlight how unity, collaboration and Catholic social teaching are transforming care delivery across the United States. Clips from six different episodes underscore the importance of listening deeply, valuing lived experience and addressing social determinants of health such as housing, food insecurity and mental health. From parish nurse programs to community partnerships and immigrant advocacy, these conversations illustrate how Catholic healthcare can elevate human flourishing by working collaboratively, building trust and centering the dignity of every person. Health Calls is available on the following podcast streaming platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeLearn more about The Catholic Health Association of the United States at www.chausa.org.

In this episode of The Public Health Joy Podcast, Dr. Joyee sits down with Dr. Lovell Jones. Dr. Jones is a pioneering cancer researcher, health equity scholar, and one of the most important architects of the infrastructure that made space for Black researchers in the biomedical sciences. As the first African American to be hired in the basic/behavioral sciences, at University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, rose through the ranks to a tenured full professor and the first to hold an administrative title. He has been mentored by giants. And he has mentored giants. Researchers now doing transformational work across the country and across the globe credit him as a foundational part of their journey.In this conversation, he opens up about mentoring the next generation, addressing health disparities, and what it truly means to lead with a servant's heart. From historical insights to real community impact, this conversation is packed with wisdom on collaboration, legacy, and showing up for the people who need us most. This is probably the most important podcast episode we have ever released, which tells you everything you need to know about how much work we have to do to recover and preserve our own history.Key Points From This Episode:Mentoring with purpose and heart [9:37 – 14:39]The role of community and collaboration in health disparities [14:39 – 28:25]The history and impact of the Intercultural Cancer Council [35:21 – 43:58]Building sustainable legacies in public health [43:58 – 51:22]Addressing systemic issues and fostering change [22:18 – 35:13]If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate and, leave a review! For more transcripts, show notes, and more visit: Click Here

At 25, Jace Yawnick was building a career in health and wellness sales, chasing growth, status, and the usual young adult fantasy of getting somewhere fast. Then his body stopped cooperating. Fatigue turned into chemotherapy. The diagnosis was primary mediastinal B cell non Hodgkin lymphoma, and the rest of his life split into before and after. Now in remission, he talks about cancer the way people actually live it, not the way nonprofits package it. He gets into survivorship, mental health, young adult isolation, and the deadening absurdity of prior authorization. One of the sharpest parts of the conversation lands on a simple American insult disguised as policy: treatment innovation means very little when insurance can still deny the scan, the drug, or the next step. Jace has seen that firsthand, including during routine monitoring after active treatment. This episode tracks what happens when a young cancer patient becomes a public voice and refuses to play mascot. It covers oncology, insurance, remission, advocacy, and the long mental hangover that follows survival. It also names the part too many institutions dodge: the system works great right up until it doesn't, and when it fails, patients get handed the bill, the panic, and a camera if they want anyone to care. RELATED LINKSJace Beats CancerJace Yawnick on LinkedImConquer Cancer ArticleCURE Today ArticlePyure BrandsFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Geoffrey Hoffman of the University of Michigan about his recent paper exploring the structure of Medicare's hospital wage index and discusses the growth of exceptions over time, exploring their implications for how the system functions and whether it meets its intended policy objectives. Order the June 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

Public outrage and policy shifts offer hope. Learn how awareness, advocacy, and plant-based diets can drive real environmental change. #AtrazineBan #PublicAction #CleanWater #HealthTalks

At 20 years old, newly arrived from Puerto Rico and trying to build a future in science, Benjamin Suarez Jimenez found himself sitting in front of two senior faculty members accused of plagiarism. He knew the material. He had done the work. His mistake came from failing to cite class notes during an exam because nobody had told him that was expected. In a matter of minutes, he watched what felt like his entire career flash before him.On this episode of Standard Deviation, host Oliver Bogler examines the hidden architecture of academic science through the experiences of Dr. Benjamin Suarez Jimenez, Assistant Professor at the University of Rochester and a neuroscientist studying PTSD, anxiety, trauma, and spatial cognition through virtual reality and video game environments.Benjamin traces his path from Puerto Rico to the mainland United States, through the NIH, Columbia University, and eventually to leading his own laboratory. Along the way, he encountered a series of barriers that had little to do with scientific ability and everything to do with access to unwritten rules. From academic gatekeeping to grant writing expectations, he learned that success in biomedical research often depends on knowledge that never appears in a textbook.Oliver explores how those invisible obstacles shape careers, influence research funding, and determine who gains access to opportunity. The conversation also examines the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Program at the Life Science Editors Foundation, which pairs scientists from underrepresented backgrounds with experienced scientific editors. Through that mentorship, Benjamin transformed a critical grant proposal into a successful pilot award that helped launch an NIH R01 application.The discussion extends beyond one scientist's experience. Benjamin describes helping a former mentee navigate dissertation roadblocks that threatened her graduation, illustrating how institutional bureaucracy can delay careers and discourage talented researchers. Together, they explore the hidden administrative burden, cultural barriers, and bias that many scientists carry alongside their research, and what happens when someone who receives support turns around and opens the door for others.RELATED LINKSLife Science Editors FoundationBenjamin Suarez Jimenez LabDr. Benjamin Suarez JimenezBenjamin Suarez JimenezFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The World Health Organization defines health equity as a public health concept describing equity of access to health resources for genetic, socio-environmental, and economic determinants of health, varying according to individuals, families, and social or societal groups. Concerns about data equity have surfaced, which may result in many populations, including those in rural areas with disabilities, experiencing homelessness or living in low and middle-income regions of the world, being underrepresented in health data sets. This can lead to biased findings and suboptimal health outcomes for certain subgroups, which is the focus of this episode of Stats+Stories with guest Bhramar Mukherjee. Dr. Bhramar Mukherjee is the inaugural Senior Associate Dean of Public Health Data Science and Data Equity and the Anna M. R. Lauder Professor of Biostatistics, as well as Professor of Epidemiology and of Statistics and Data Science at Yale University. Among her many honors, she was elected to the US National Academy of Medicine in 2022.

This episode of Quality Matters examines the growing role of digital wellness and chronic condition management programs and the challenge of measuring what truly matters. Host Rachel Harrington is joined by Peter Robertson of the Purchasing Business Group on Health and California Quality Collaborative and Kevin Masci of Omada Health to discuss how digital health solutions can help address rising healthcare costs, workforce shortages and fragmented care experiences. Peter and Kevin explain why meaningful engagement goes far beyond app downloads and login counts. Instead, successful programs focus on sustained participation, patient-centered goal setting, integration with primary care and measurable improvements in health outcomes. The conversation explores how employers, health plans and providers are evaluating digital solutions through clinical outcomes, patient-reported outcomes, utilization measures and value-based contracting arrangements. The guests also discuss one of the most important challenges facing digital health: trust. Privacy, transparency, data security and clear communication about how patient data is collected and used all play critical roles in long-term adoption. The episode concludes with a Patient Voice segment featuring Brandee Hicks, who shares her firsthand experiences using digital health tools, highlighting both the convenience they offer and the ongoing challenges around interoperability, digital literacy and maintaining support after programs end.     Highlights Beyond Logins and Clicks Meaningful engagement isn't about how often patients open an app. It's about helping people achieve their health goals through sustained participation and measurable outcomes. Measuring What Matters Guests discuss the growing use of clinical outcomes, patient-reported outcomes, utilization data and value-based contracting to assess digital health program performance. Trust Is Essential Digital health solutions must address concerns around privacy, transparency, data security and how patient information is stored and shared. The Patient Perspective Brandee Hicks shares how digital tools can improve organization, access and self-management while also revealing gaps in continuity, support and interoperability. Looking Ahead The future of digital health depends on better integration with primary care, more personalized engagement strategies and stronger measurement frameworks that prioritize patient outcomes.     Key Quote: "If we're really serious about improving health outcomes, we have to move beyond measuring clicks and logins. The real question is whether people are achieving meaningful progress toward their health goals—and whether these programs are creating lasting value for patients, providers and purchasers alike." — Kevin Masci     Time Stamps: (02:20) Meet Peter Robertson (03:45) Meet Kevin Masci (05:53) Why Digital Solutions Matter (10:01) Care Coordination, Not Care Fragmentation (11:52) Defining Meaningful Patient Engagement (15:07) Why Consistent Measurement Matters (18:32) Measuring Outcomes in Value-Based Contracts (21:12) Data Stratification, Risk Adjustment and Performance Guarantees (27:22) Privacy, Trust and Transparency in Digital Health (30:44) The Future of Digital Wellness and Chronic Care Management (35:08) Patient Voice: Brandee Hicks (40:25) Patient Challenges, Access and Continuity of Care (45:23) Key Takeaways and Closing Thoughts     Dive Deeper: Connect with Peter Robertson Connect with Kevin Masci Connect with Brandee Hicks Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Sir George Alleyne, now 94 years on this planet, is a global health leader and former Director of the Pan American Health Organization, joins On The Call for a powerful W.I.N.E conversation on Caribbean leadership, health equity, and systemic change. In this episode, we explore: • The intersection of health, inequality, and economic systems • Caribbean leadership on the global stage • Why awareness is not enough—systems must change • The responsibility of building equitable futures This conversation reflects the mission of On The Call: Caribbean Heritage, Healing & Humanity—where storytelling meets structure, and dialogue leads to action.

Dr. Sarah Matt trained as a burn surgeon, working in a field where patients arrive with catastrophic injuries and survival depends on speed, skill, and resources. She left the bedside after confronting a limit that medicine does not like to admit. One physician can only see so many people in a day. The system surrounding those patients decides the rest. She moved into health technology, held leadership roles in startups, and built global infrastructure at Oracle to scale care across populations. Then she watched billions of dollars in digital health and AI initiatives stall out when they hit real clinical environments.This episode follows that pivot from surgeon to strategist and back into direct patient care in rural New York, where she now treats uninsured patients, migrant workers, and communities pushed to the margins. The conversation centers on a persistent failure across healthcare systems. Products get built for regulators, executives, and investors instead of the people who use them. The result shows up in failed adoption, broken workflows, prior authorization delays, and rising physician burnout.The discussion cuts through health policy language and lands on lived consequence. The system rewards speed over usability, scale over trust, and compliance over care. Patients absorb the fallout. Physicians carry the liability. The incentives remain intact.RELATED LINKSDr. Sarah MattThe Borderless Healthcare RevolutionThe Clinical RealistJessica FedererSovatoFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Yashaswini Singh of Brown University about her recent paper that explores how private equity acquisitions in primary care are associated with changes in utilization, spending, and workforce composition.Order the June 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

What does it mean to build a life rooted in service rather than status?In this deeply moving conversation, I sat down with Dr. Farah Shroff—public health leader, educator, researcher, yoga teacher, and advocate for women's health—to explore the experiences that shaped her work and worldview. From her childhood in Canada after immigrating from Kenya, to watching her mother defy a devastating lupus diagnosis, to leading global health initiatives around the world, Farah shares how compassion, justice, and holistic well-being became the foundation of her life's work.We talked about the intersection of public health and personal healing, why women's health continues to be overlooked by institutions, and what women must unlearn in order to step fully into their power as leaders.In this episode, we discuss:How witnessing her mother's health journey sparked a lifelong commitment to women's health, public health, and holistic healing.Why improving health outcomes requires more than medicine; and how social justice, equity, and community are fundamental to well-being.What decades of global public health work have taught her about listening to communities instead of imposing solutions.The ways women are still underserved by healthcare systems and why research focused specifically on women's bodies remains critically important.How yoga, meditation, and self-awareness have shaped her approach to leadership, advocacy, and personal resilience.Why women leaders must stop shrinking themselves, trust their own authority, and learn to lead from a place of confidence rather than self-doubt.One of my favorite moments from this conversation was Farah's reminder that leadership begins with believing you belong in the room. As she shared, so many women still carry the belief that they're "not enough." Releasing that narrative and stepping into our own power may be one of the most important forms of leadership there is.This episode is both a conversation about health and a conversation about humanity; about caring for ourselves, caring for each other, and building systems that honor the dignity and worth of every person.Connect with Dr. Farah Shroff on LinkedInListen now and join us for a conversation about leadership, service, healing, and the power of women supporting women.

Health Calls Season 6, Episode 17 explores how health systems across the United States can improve outcomes by connecting health care, nature, and community partnerships. Host Brian Reardon and Executive Producer Josh Matejka welcome Dr. Sheetal Rao, Assistant Professor at the University of Illinois Chicago, to examine the growing evidence linking green space access to better physical, mental, and community health.  Dr. Rao shares how the COVID‑19 pandemic revealed stark inequities in access to nature, introducing concepts like tree equity and “nature deficit” in underserved communities. The conversation highlights how hospitals, acting as anchor institutions, can partner with local organizations to expand tree canopy, support biodiversity, and reduce environmental risks like heat, flooding, and air pollution. With U.S. health care contributing significantly to climate impacts, Dr. Rao underscores how nature‑based solutions, from native plantings to urban forestry, can strengthen resilience, improve health outcomes, and advance more equitable, sustainable care nationwide. Health Calls is available on the following podcast streaming platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeLearn more about The Catholic Health Association of the United States at www.chausa.org.

This episode discusses the importance of health equity and its impact on our day to day lives. We will hear valuable insights and perspectives about the importance of awareness, resources, and steps individuals can take to drive health equity forward.(716)831-1800 | horizon-health.orgfacebook.com/horizonhealthservicesinstagram.com/horizon_healthx.com/horizonhealth1linkedin.com/company/horizon-health-services/

Despite cervical cancer being nearly 100% preventable through routine screening, almost one in three U.S. women are behind, and the numbers have been moving in the wrong direction for a decade. Kara Egan, CEO and Co-Founder of Teal Health, left a career as a health tech investor to fix one of the most overlooked gaps in women's preventive care. In May 2025, Teal received the only FDA authorization for at-home cervical cancer screening, and just seven months later had scaled to all 50 states. In this conversation, Kara breaks down what it actually takes to redesign a screening process that hasn't meaningfully changed in 80 years, how regulatory alignment and updated clinical guidelines are reshaping the landscape, and what at-home diagnostics signal for the future of preventive care and women's health access broadly. Kara Egan, CEO and Co-Founder, Teal Health Megan Antonelli, CEO, HealthIMPACT Live

Content warning: childhood abuse, childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, rape, abduction, missing persons, gun violence, murder, and mental illness.Amber Rodgers is a survivor, business professional, and creative from Texas. As early as she can remember, her life was filled with chaos. By the time she was fourteen, she was a multi-crime survivor, and by 19 she would serve as a witness in her best friend's murder trial. Amber moved forward by cultivating a successful career and loving family, until her past trauma instigated a cascading effect in her mental health and relationships. Although Amber has shared portions of her story at-large, it took her decades and a life-altering mental health journey to realize the deep impact her teen years had had on her. The Broken Cycle Media team is deeply appreciative of Amber's transparency, rawness, and advocacy. These episodes are dedicated in loving memory of Kytrina Marie Locascio.Sources: -Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “About Adverse Childhood Experiences.” CDC, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2025, https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/. -Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).” CDC Vital Signs, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.cdc.gov/vitalsigns/aces/index.html. -Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Psychosocial Factors and Health Equity.” CDC, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://www.cdc.gov/dhdsp/health_equity/psychosocial.htm. -Felitti, Vincent J., et al. “Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults: The Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE) Study.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine, vol. 14, no. 4, 1998, pp. 245–258.-Hughes, Karen, et al. “The Effect of Multiple Adverse Childhood Experiences on Health: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” The Lancet Public Health, vol. 2, no. 8, 2017, pp. e356–e366. doi:10.1016/S2468-2667(17)30118-4.-McKay, Matthew T., Laura Kilmartin, Aisling Meagher, Mary Cannon, Colm Healy, and Mary C. Clarke. “A Revised and Extended Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Relationship between Childhood Adversity and Adult Psychiatric Disorder.” Journal of Psychiatric Research, vol. 156, 2022, pp. 159–174. PubMed, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36274532/. -Swedo, Elizabeth A., et al. “Prevalence of Adverse Childhood Experiences Among U.S. Adults—Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2011–2020.” Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, vol. 72, no. 26, 2023, pp. 707–715, https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7226a2.htm. -Zhang, Y., et al. “Cumulative Adverse Childhood Experiences and Risk of Mental Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica, 2026, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001691826007559. Accessed 2 June 2026.For additional resources and a list of non-profit organizations that can help, please visit http://www.somethingwaswrong.com/resources*Thank you again to Rula and Quince for sponsoring this episode. *Remember, Rula patients typically pay $15 per session when using insurance. Connect with quality therapists and mental health experts who specialize in you at https://www.rula.com/wcn #rulapod *And don't forget to elevate your summer wardrobe, go to quince.com/wcn for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns, now available in Canada too.

In the late 1980s, a child exposed to fallout from the Chernobyl disaster lay in a hospital bed while doctors told his family there were no clear answers and no reliable path forward. Decades later, that same child, Yan Leyfman, walks into exam rooms as a hematology oncology fellow, expected to deliver clarity inside a system that still runs on delay, uncertainty, and institutional self preservation.This episode traces the throughline from early life shaped by radiation exposure and hospice level uncertainty to a career inside academic medicine, translational research, and oncology media. Yan built his identity around survival and usefulness, moving from patient to physician while carrying the memory of what it feels like to sit on the other side of the table. He helped launch MedNews Week during the COVID crisis to push back on misinformation and expand access to medical knowledge, stepping into a public role while still in training.The conversation stays grounded in the friction between personal narrative and system reality. Clinical training demands efficiency, hierarchy, and emotional distance. Cancer care demands time, clarity, and human connection. Those forces collide in real patient encounters where prior authorization delays, insurance barriers, and fragmented care pathways shape outcomes as much as any treatment protocol.Yan speaks openly about mentorship, belonging, and the drive to make meaning out of survival. The discussion pushes further into what the healthcare system actually rewards, what it quietly strips away, and how quickly empathy can erode under institutional pressure. The episode also examines the role of medical media, where education, industry influence, and narrative control often blur together.This is a conversation about identity under construction, about what happens when someone who remembers powerlessness steps into a role that carries authority, and about whether that memory can survive long enough to change anything.RELATED LINKSYan Leyfman on LinkedInYan Leyfman on InstagramSurviving ChernobylFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Abe Sutton, Director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, about the ACCESS model and broader efforts to test payment and delivery reforms aimed at improving affordability, expanding digital health, and generating real-world evidence in Medicare. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

What happens when you know something is wrong with your body, but no one seems to be listening? In this episode, Stephanie Mitton sits down with award-winning journalist and host of TVO's Mistreated, Nam Kiwanuka, for a powerful conversation about women's health, medical dismissal, and the gaps in research that continue to impact women across Canada and beyond. Nam shares her personal experience navigating fibroids, chronic anemia, lengthy surgical wait times, and the frustration of advocating for care while trying to show up for her family and career. Together, they explore why women's health has been historically under-researched, how lived experience and evidence can work together, and what women can do to advocate for themselves in a complex health care system. This Episode Covers: Nam's personal health journey and the diagnosis that changed everything Why women are often dismissed or misdiagnosed in health care settings The impact of research gaps on conditions like fibroids, endometriosis, ADHD, migraines, and autoimmune diseases How social media can both help and hinder women searching for health information The importance of self-advocacy and knowing your medical history What femtech is and how innovation is helping address women's health challenges Practical ways women can support change in research, policy, and health care Women's health affects every aspect of our lives, from our careers and families to our confidence and wellbeing. This conversation is a reminder that your symptoms matter, your experiences matter, and your voice matters. Whether you're navigating your own health journey or supporting someone you love, you'll leave this episode with greater understanding and practical ways to advocate for better care. https://www.patreon.com/womendontdothat Instagram - http://www.instagram.com/womendontdothat/ TikTok- http://www.tiktok.com/@womendontdothat Blog- https://www.womendontdothat.com/blog Podcast- https://www.womendontdothat.com/podcast Newsletter- https://www.beaconnorthstrategies.com/contactwww.womendontdothat.com YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/@WOMENdontDOthat How to find Stephanie Mitton: Twitter/X- https://twitter.com/StephanieMitton LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemitton/ beaconnorthstrategies.com TikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@stephmitton Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/stephaniemitton/ Interested in sponsorship? Contact us at hello@womendontdothat.com Produced by Duke & Castle Our Latest Blog: https://www.womendontdothat.com/post/i-don-t-do-resolutions-i-do-this-perfect-for-busy-women Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We've been told that if we just show people the data on racial health disparities, change will follow. It hasn't. In this episode, Corey sits down with Dr. Sarah Gollust (University of Minnesota) and Dr. Neil Lewis Jr. (Cornell University), researchers with the Collaborative on Media and Messaging for Health and Social Policy (CommHSP), to unpack why the numbers alone never move people — and what does. They dig into the fear of "backlash," why context changes everything, and the surprising finding that the communities most affected by inequity are often the most ready to act, yet are routinely left out of the research about them.Show NotesWhy does telling people the facts about health disparities so often fail to create change? Dr. Sarah Gollust and Dr. Neil Lewis Jr. have spent two decades studying exactly that question — how media and messaging shape what the public believes about health, race, and who deserves care. In this conversation, they make the case that data without context can backfire, while stories grounded in lived experience can mobilize people across racial and political lines.In this episode:Why "just show them the data" is an incomplete strategy — and what people actually need to understand the why behind health outcomesThe moment a governor called COVID "the great equalizer," and why it crystallized the urgency of getting health communication rightThe study that found 94% of racial-equity messaging research relied on majority-white or all-white samples — and what that bias erased"Beyond fear of backlash": why explaining the causes of disparities removes defensiveness instead of triggering itHow America's individualistic culture pushes people toward blaming individuals ("just eat healthier," "just exercise") instead of seeing systemsWhy people of color, often excluded from the research, turn out to be the most willing to mobilize for changeThe power of narrative transportation — and why Neil opens academic papers with a quote from Dr. King's The Other AmericaHow the collapse of local health journalism makes community-grounded stories harder to tell, and why independent platforms matter more than everKey takeaway: Don't go quiet because the conversation is hard. You're likely in the majority — and the right words, with real context, can bring people in rather than push them away.Connect with our guests:CommHSP: https://commhsp.org/Follow the collaborative on LinkedIn for new research and accessible summariesConnect with The Healthy Project:Subscribe to the Live, Work, Play, Pray Substack for more on population health, advocacy, and community wellnessThis episode touches on heavy topics, including structural racism and health inequity. Take care of yourself as you listen.A Word From Our SponsorThis episode is brought to you by Goodfeed.Good conversations like this one deserve a place to live and grow — and that's exactly what Goodfeed is built for. If you're a creator, advocate, or community builder who's tired of fighting the algorithm just to reach the people who actually want to hear from you, Goodfeed gives you a better way to share your voice and connect with your community on your own terms. No gatekeepers. No noise. Just your work, reaching the people who care about it.Check it out at https://www.goodfeed.co/ and start building your feed today. ★ Support this podcast ★

In this segment of "Cancer Registry World", Leticia Nogueira, PhD, MPH discusses the important role of registry  information in the work of the American Cancer Society.  As the Scientific Director of Health Services Research in the Surveillance and Health Equity Sciences Department at the American Cancer Society (ACS) and Adjunct Professor at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University, Dr. Nogueira has a unique perspective on the use of registry data for research and as important repositories for cancer reporting. Please enjoy listening and learning.

Matthew Zachary is a brain cancer survivor, healthcare advocate, founder of Stupid Cancer and We the Patients, and host of Out of Patients. In April 2026, he returned to the stage at Merkin Hall near Lincoln Center for his first solo public piano concert in almost 22 years while launching his debut book, We the Patients: Understanding, Navigating, and Surviving America's Healthcare Nightmare.What unfolded became far larger than a concert.Over 2 hours, survivors, clinicians, advocates, nonprofit founders, journalists, pharmaceutical sponsors, and healthcare insiders gathered in one room to reflect on 30 years of survivorship, institutional failure, accidental advocacy, and the emotional afterlife of cancer. The evening moved through original piano performances, live chapter readings, and deeply personal conversations about infertility, disability, financial toxicity, insurance denials, grief, burnout, and what happens when patients spend decades navigating systems designed around transactions instead of continuity.Guests including Wendell Potter, Maimah Karmo, Craig Lustig, Shelly Fuld Nasso, Tamika Felder, and others reflected on how the modern cancer advocacy movement emerged largely because patients built parallel systems where healthcare infrastructure failed to meet human needs. The conversation explored how prior authorization, reimbursement incentives, administrative fragmentation, and institutional distrust continue shaping the patient experience across oncology and survivorship.The performance also marked a deeply personal milestone. After brain cancer compromised his left hand at age 21, Zachary spent 6 months rehabilitating both hands to return to public performance for the first time in over 2 decades. The result became part concert, part civic gathering, and part historical record of a generation of survivors who refused to disappear quietly.RELATED LINKSMZLIVE Official WebsiteMZLIVE YouTube VideoFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to a new, limited podcast series exploring major policy changes affecting older adults. This episode is part of our Age-Friendly Health series, which explores topics at the intersection of aging, health, health care, and health policy.In our third and final episode for the series in 2026, host Katherine Ornstein welcomes Alison Barkoff of George Washington University to the program to discuss the rising economic and social importance of family caregiving, recent federal policy shifts affecting Medicaid and caregiver programs, and new interventions at the state and private‑sector levels.Support for the Age-Friendly Health series is provided by The John A. Hartford Foundation.Related Links:Reflections On Caregiving Policy: Progress, Challenges, And Opportunities (Health Affairs Forefront)History Repeats? Faced With Medicaid Cuts, States Reduced Support For Older Adults And Disabled People (Health Affairs Forefront)Long Term Services and Supports InitiativeNational Strategy to Support Family CaregiversNation Alliance for Caregiving's Caregiver Nation Coalition

In December 1996, a 37 year old pharmaceutical executive sat in a Borders bookstore reading medical textbooks on the floor, trying to understand a disease she had never heard of. Multiple myeloma carried a three year prognosis. Her daughter was 18 months old. Her father had just died of cancer. Within weeks, she pushed her doctors to say the quiet part clearly. This would likely end her life before her child entered kindergarten.Kathy Giusti refused to accept passive survival. She built a plan while the system offered fragments. She interviewed oncologists and fertility specialists at the same time. She pursued IVF to have a second child while preparing for treatment. She stayed employed to keep insurance coverage. Every decision carried financial, medical, and emotional risk.That same urgency exposed a deeper failure. Cancer research moved slowly. Academic centers guarded data. Clinical trials lacked coordination. Patients entered a system that demanded compliance without providing clarity. Giusti responded by building the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation, not as a support group, but as an operating engine to accelerate drug development, fund research, and force collaboration across institutions.This episode tracks the tension between individual agency and systemic failure. Giusti describes how patients navigate diagnosis, insurance barriers, and fragmented care in real time. She explains how data, genomics, and clinical trials reshape cancer treatment while still leaving patients responsible for decisions they are not trained to make. She addresses disparities in access, the limits of early detection, and the reality that progress in oncology often depends on speed, funding, and alignment of incentives.The conversation moves between lived experience and structural critique. It names the cost of delay, the burden placed on patients to act as their own advocate, and the tradeoffs required to push a system forward that still protects itself first.⸻RELATED LINKSKathy GiustiMultiple Myeloma Research FoundationFatal to FearlessAmerican Society of Hematology⸻FEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Jeff Romine of Carelon Research about his recent paper exploring new research on how extreme heat affects health care use and costs, finding consistent increases in emergency department visits and some hospitalizations, but little change in outpatient care. Order the May 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

OA1264 - Sherise Doyley was in the early stages of labor, in a hospital bed, preparing to deliver her baby, when nurses wheeled in a computer. On the screen was a judge, notifying her of an emergency order by the State of Florida to attempt to force her to undergo a C-section, instead of first attempting vaginal delivery. For 3 hours she advocated for herself, without an attorney, barely covered in a hospital gown. How was any of this legal? What is happening? Jenessa breaks down the history of our rights to make our own medical decisions and how that is legally modified in pregnancy, Lydia shares her own birth experience and how these situations could be handled with actual compassion, and Thomas holds very still in hopes our eyes are based on movement (just kidding, Thomas is very supportive and also outraged). Come rage against the machine with us and hopefully breathe life into a revived pro-choice movement, before it's too late. Amy Yurkanin (Mar. 14, 2026), They Didn't Want to Have C-Sections. A Judge Would Decide How They Gave Birth, ProPublica. Video clips of Doyley hearing, provided by ProPublica's Facebook page Anuli Njoku, Marian Evans, Lillian Nimo-Sefah, & Jonell Bailey (2023). Listen to the Whispers before They Become Screams: Addressing Black Maternal Morbidity and Mortality in the United States, 11 Healthcare 438. Brad N. Greenwood, Rachel R. Hardeman, Laura Huang, & Aaron Sojourner (2020), Physician–patient racial concordance and disparities in birthing mortality for newborns, 117 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 21194. Maternal Mortality Prevention (Dec. 18, 2025). Data from the Pregnancy Mortality Surveillance System, CDC. Bracey Harris & Elizabeth Chuck (Jan. 9, 2026), 'Her worst fear has come to pass': Midwife who advocated for Black women dies after giving birth, NBC News. Camila Domonoske (Apr. 17, 2018), 'Father Of Gynecology,' Who Experimented On Slaves, No Longer On Pedestal In NYC, NPR. Megan L. Swanson, Sara Whetstone, Tushani Illangasekare, & Amy (Meg) Autry (2021), Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reparations: The Debt We Owe (and Continue to Accumulate), 5 Health Equity 353. Nicole Loy (May 16, 2025), Pain and Gynecology: Raising Standards of Care, The Healthcare Review at Cornell University. Jess Mador (July 29, 2025), A Brain-Dead Pregnant Woman Was Kept Alive in Georgia. It's Unclear if State Law Required It, KFF Health News. (June 2025), Pregnancy Exceptionalism: A Review of Restrictions on Advance Directives, Pregnancy Justice. U.S. Const. amend. IX Jacobson v. Massachusetts, 197 U.S. 11 (1905) Rochin v. California, 342 U.S. 165 (1952) Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Dep't of Health, 497 U.S. 261 (1990) Washington v. Harper, 494 U.S. 210 (1990) Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973) Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pa. v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833 (1992) Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, 597 U.S. 215 (2022) Heller v. Doe, 509 U.S. 312 (1993) State Dept. of Human Services v. Northern, 563 S.W.2d 197 (1978) Lane v. Candura, 6 Mass. App. Ct. 377 (1978) Koskenoja v. Whitmer, Mich. Ct. Cl. (2026) (Apr. 20, 2026), Michigan Pregnancy Exclusion Law is Unconstitutional, Compassion & Choices. Check out the OA Linktree for all the places to go and things to do!  

Welcome to a new, limited podcast series exploring major policy changes affecting older adults. This episode is part of our Age-Friendly Health series, which explores topics at the intersection of aging, health, health care, and health policy.In our second episode, host Katherine Ornstein welcomes Bianca Frogner, director of the Center for Health Workforce Studies at the University of Washington to discuss the role of direct care workers in long‑term care, workforce shortages, policy shifts affecting Medicaid, immigration, labor standards, and more.Support for the Age-Friendly Health series is provided by The John A. Hartford Foundation.Related LinksHealth Care Workforce Pay Gaps: COVID-19 Modestly Compressed Wage Disparities, 2015–24The AWARD NetworkPHI

Transforming healthcare delivery in resource-limited contexts around the world calls for compassionate, innovative solutions. Learn how The Luke Commission is bringing healthcare to the most isolated and underserved in Eswatini through a scalable model for advancing health equity.

At 19, Shlomit woke up unable to speak. The right side of her body went numb. An emergency room sent her home and called it stress. That moment did not end in a diagnosis that changed policy or triggered reform. It sent her into a decade long pursuit of understanding how the brain fails language and how the healthcare system fails patients who cannot advocate for themselves.Shlomit trained as a speech language pathologist and spent years inside acute care hospitals and ICUs, performing endoscopies and treating patients with brain injury, stroke, and dysphagia. She watched medical teams rotate in and out, deliver dense updates, and leave families nodding without comprehension. She stayed behind and translated. Every day, patients told her she was the only one who explained what was happening. That gap is not an accident. Hospital systems optimize for throughput, not understanding. Patients move through beds based on cost, not readiness. Discharge planning becomes a financial decision wrapped in clinical language. A stay under 48 hours can shift the insurance burden dramatically, leaving patients exposed to higher out of pocket costs. Shlomit left the system and built Patient Path NYC, a private patient advocacy service. She now spends 15 to 20 hours a week per client reading charts, coordinating care teams, and translating medical decisions into plain language. Her work sits in the uncomfortable space between healthcare policy and lived experience. Families pay out of pocket to understand their own care. Hospitals benefit from the clarity she provides while maintaining the same structural incentives that created the confusion.This conversation tracks the human cost of fragmented care, the economics behind discharge decisions, and the quiet reality that patients who cannot communicate clearly often lose control of their own outcomes.RELATED LINKSShlomit LibertyShlomit Liberty on LinkedInPatient Path NYCBoard Certified Patient AdvocateFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks to Dhara Patel of the Cambridge Health Alliance and Harvard Medical School about her recent paper exploring national trends in cold‑related illness hospitalizations and how climate change and social vulnerability shape health risks across the United States.Order the May 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

Health Calls Season 6, Episode 16 highlights how health systems across the United States are expanding medication access through the nonprofit Dispensary of Hope.  Host Brian Reardon speaks with Mike Wascovich, Vice President of Medication Management and Chief Pharmacy Officer at Ascension, about addressing one of the nation's most urgent challenges—prescription affordability. With as many as half of U.S. prescriptions going unfilled due to cost, the Dispensary of Hope connects donated medications from pharmaceutical partners to clinics and pharmacies serving vulnerable populations. Wascovich explains how the program has grown into a national network of more than 300 sites, helping patients manage chronic conditions like diabetes, asthma, and hypertension. By improving adherence, reducing hospitalizations, and cutting unnecessary waste, this collaborative model demonstrates how U.S. health care organizations can work together to lower costs, improve outcomes, and ensure patients receive the medications they need to heal. Health Calls is available on the following podcast streaming platforms:Apple PodcastsSpotifyYouTubeLearn more about The Catholic Health Association of the United States at www.chausa.org.

In 2020, developmental biologist Dr. Crystal Rogers drove the country roads outside Davis, California crying between grant rejections, wondering whether she was about to lose her lab, her career, and the scientific future she had spent years building. She had already done what academia tells young scientists to do. She earned the credentials. She landed a faculty position at UC Davis. She built a lab. Then the real test began.On this episode of Standard Deviation, Dr. Oliver Bogler examines the unspoken rules that determine which scientists survive academic research and which quietly disappear from it. The conversation follows Crystal Rogers and cancer biologist Dr. Michelle Mendoza as they collide with the “Hidden Curriculum” of biomedical science: the unwritten rhetoric, institutional signaling, and grant writing strategies that often decide who receives funding, tenure, and long term stability.Michelle Mendoza entered a tenure track position at the Huntsman Cancer Institute while raising 3 children, navigating a divorce, and trying to secure major NIH funding during COVID. What looked like objective scientific review turned out to depend heavily on persuasion, presentation, and insider fluency. Established researchers could promise massive research agendas based on reputation alone. Junior investigators faced a completely different standard.Oliver traces how the Life Science Editors Foundation and its JEDI program intervened by pairing scientists with former editors from journals including Cell and Nature. The work had little to do with commas or grammar. Editors challenged logic, structure, and scientific framing before grant reviewers could destroy an application in public.Both researchers eventually secured career defining grants. One realized she would keep her job and not have to move her family. The other celebrated by ordering a personalized “DEV BIO” license plate and driving through Davis blasting nineties hip hop and Beyoncé.The episode exposes how biomedical research funding rewards institutional fluency as much as scientific talent, and how hidden systems inside academic medicine continue shaping who gets to stay in science long enough to make discoveries.RELATED LINKSDr. Crystal Rogers LinkedInDr. Crystal Rogers Faculty PageDr. Crystal Rogers LabDr. Michelle Mendoza LinkedInDr. Michelle Mendoza Faculty PageHuntsman Cancer Institute Mendoza LabLife Science Editors FoundationFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to the first episode in a new, limited podcast series exploring major policy changes affecting older adults. The episode is part of our Age-Friendly Health series, which explores topics at the intersection of aging, health, health care, and health policy. In our first episode, host Katherine Ornstein welcomes Hemi Tewarson of the National Academy for State Health Policy to discuss how The Big Beautiful Bill will impact Medicaid and state health policies affecting older adults. Their conversation explores work requirements, Medicaid financing changes, rural health investments, the sustainability of age‑friendly services, and more.Support for the Age-Friendly Health series is provided by The John A. Hartford Foundation.

In 2008, Katy Talento walked away from Capitol Hill and into a Catholic convent. Within a year, she walked out. Within another decade, she sat inside the White House shaping health policy. Somewhere in between, she got labeled “infertile” after a single cycle of testing and spent years believing it.That label stuck. The pain that came before it never got investigated. Doctors offered birth control and moved on. No one asked why her body was struggling. No one followed the thread.Talento built her career inside the very systems she now critiques. She worked on federal health policy, global disease programs, and later advised the Trump administration on healthcare reform. She helped advance price transparency rules in a system where hospitals can still list 457 different prices for the same service.Then she left.Now she builds employer health plans that bypass insurers, PBMs, and traditional networks. Her approach replaces insurance contracts with direct payment, nurse navigators, and cost sharing models that promise simplicity but raise hard questions about risk and protection.This conversation sits in that tension.Talento describes a healthcare system shaped by layered incentives, where insurers, hospitals, and intermediaries profit from complexity. She argues that employers hold the leverage to disrupt it. The host pushes on what happens when patients fall outside those structures, when contracts disappear, and when community based models fail.The episode moves through infertility, misdiagnosis, insurance design, and the mechanics of employer sponsored care. It tracks how policy decisions made in Washington ripple into exam rooms, billing departments, and family lives.It also confronts a harder truth.Even insiders who understand the system can still get caught in it.RELATED LINKSAllBetter HealthKaty TalentoThem Before UsAn Arm and a LegRelentless Health ValueFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks with Cynthia Strathmann of SAJE about her recent paper that examines how climate impacts such as extreme heat affect low‑income renters and what policymakers can do to balance climate adaptation with housing stability.Order the May 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

In this episode of the Medical Alley Podcast, host Bobbie Dressen sits down with National Geographic photographer and filmmaker David McLain for a powerful conversation ahead of his keynote at the 2026 Medical Alley Annual Celebration on May 21st. Drawing from his decades of work — from documenting the world's longest-living populations in the Blue Zones, to capturing the realities of underserved communities across the U.S. — David shares what he's learned about prevention, environment, and the role of access in shaping health outcomes. As David puts it, "We all deserve a fair shot at living a life in full health." This episode is a reminder of what's at stake, and what's possible when we see the world through someone else's eyes. Send us a message!Follow Medical Alley on social media on LinkedIn, Facebook, X and Instagram. 

In a wooded campground cabin in the early 2000s, 19 year old Ben Unger stood in the doorway and watched 20 naked men form a circle around a crying teenager. A counselor held up two tangerines and shouted, “These are your balls.” The exercise claimed to cure same sex attraction by forcing young men to “reclaim” their masculinity from overbearing mothers. Phones had been confiscated. Parents had paid thousands of dollars. Religion supplied the script. Pseudoscience supplied the props.Ben had grown up in an Orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn and later studied in Israel to become a rabbi. When he admitted he felt attracted to men, rabbis told him to eat 7 figs a day, immerse in a ritual bath 5 times daily, or marry a woman and trust that “if there's friction, it works.” At 19, he entered conversion therapy through an organization called Jews Offering New Alternatives to Homosexuality, known as JONAH. He left with depression, religious trauma, and 6 months of silence toward the mother he had been taught to blame.Years later, represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center, Ben helped sue JONAH for consumer fraud in a landmark New Jersey case. The argument centered on evidence, not theology. Sexual orientation cannot be changed. The jury deliberated for 3 hours and ruled against the organization. The verdict helped reshape how states regulate conversion therapy and protect minors from psychological harm disguised as treatment.Today, Ben runs Buff Personal Training in New York City, a gym built on autonomy, mental health, and self respect. His story traces the arc from institutional control to self authorship. The conversation examines religion, LGBTQ rights, conversion therapy, consumer protection law, and the lasting cost of being told your identity is a disorder.RELATED LINKSBen Unger on LinkedInBen Unger on InstagramBUF Personal TrainingSouthern Poverty Law CenterJONAHFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott speaks with Maud Powell of Oregon State University about her recent paper examining stress and anxiety among farmers and ranchers and the interventions that may help address these challenges.Order the May 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

Health equity is being reorganized, renamed, or quietly deprioritized. Ramona Burress, co-founder of Onyx Health Collective, and Cassandra O'Neal, founder of Illuminated Arc Consulting, join the Scope of Things podcast for a direct, practical conversation about health equity in clinical trials. They break down what “decision-grade intelligence” looks like for site selection and community integration, why marketing-style segmentation and better storytelling can improve outreach, and why health equity needs a neutral home inside the company with real influence. Plus, host Deborah Borfitz shares the latest news on a UK initiative for accelerating dementia trials, the enterprise-wide rollout of an AI patient-finding platform at the Cleveland Clinic, and what Reddit users have to say about unreported side effects of weight loss drugs.   Subscribe, share, leave a rating and review, and tell us: what's the biggest barrier you see to making health equity measurable in your organization? The Scope of Things podcast explores clinical research and its possibilities, promise, and pitfalls. Clinical Research News senior writer, Deborah Borfitz, welcomes guests who are visionaries closest to the topics, but who can still see past their piece of the puzzle. Focusing on game-changing trends and out-of-the-box operational approaches in the clinical research field, the Scope of Things podcast is your no-nonsense, insider's look at clinical research today.  

In this episode of Behind the Pages, Health Affairs Publishing's Margaret Winchester interviews theme issue advisor Sacoby Wilson of The University of Maryland about key themes from the May Health Affairs issue on climate, health, and equity, with a focus on community‑led approaches, health system interventions, and scalable policy solutions to address climate‑related health risks. Order the May 2026 issue of Health Affairs.Join Health Affairs Publishing on May 6th for a free virtual event discussing research, insights, data, and takeaways from the May 2026 theme issue on climate, health, and equity.Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

Remote technology can bring health interventions to patients who may struggle to get themselves to care because of where they live or how much money they have. Tae Joon Moon, Ph.D., has found that transdermal alcohol monitors are a remote tech that might help treat people with alcohol use disorder.

In 2025, U.S. digital health startups raised $14.2 billion. AI-enabled companies captured 54% of it. Every prediction in every roundup carries one quiet assumption underneath it. The patient on the receiving end can use what's being built. The Pew data from January says something different. Two trajectories. One looks like progress in aggregate. The other looks like the patients with the worst health outcomes being structurally locked out of the system that's being built. Chris Boyer and Reed Smith examine what happens when digital strategy and health equity stop being parallel tracks and become the same problem. Why the 2026 AI investment narrative quietly assumes a digitally capable patient, and what the population data actually shows The smartphone-dependent patient most health systems haven't internalized, and why portal UX fails them by design Why disparities in patient portal access are widening for low-income, less-educated and 65-plus populations, even as overall use rises What the 2025 cancellation of federal digital equity funding means for health systems whose patient panels actually need the work done Modality mix as the reframe: digital, phone, in-person and printed channels as a portfolio allocated by segment, not a hierarchy everyone migrates toward The University of Michigan study published in JAMA Network Open in October is the one to anchor on. Researchers looked at 511 hospitals in 51 counties in 17 states where census data showed at least 300,000 LEP residents. 29% of those hospitals offered the patient portal login in English only. 60% offered English plus Spanish. 11% offered three or more languages. In counties specifically chosen because they have hundreds of thousands of patients who don't speak English at home. If your most-invested-in digital experience reaches the patients who already had the most options, and barely touches the patients with the worst outcomes, what is your digital strategy actually optimizing for? Mentions from the Show: Pew Research Center, NPORS 2025, January 2026: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2026/01/08/internet-use-smartphone-ownership-digital-divides-in-u-s/ Pew Research Center, Internet/Broadband Fact Sheet, December 2025: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/internet-broadband/ Pew Research Center, Mobile Fact Sheet, December 2025: https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/fact-sheet/mobile/ OATS / Benton Institute, 19 Million Older Adults Lack Broadband, 2025: https://www.benton.org/blog/19-million-older-adults-lack-broadband Shah & Fiala, Disparities in Patient Portal Access and Utilization, Journal of General Internal Medicine, January 2025: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-025-09359-z Chen et al. (U-Michigan), Language Barriers and Access to Hospital Patient Portals in the US, JAMA Network Open, October 2025: https://ihpi.umich.edu/news-events/news/language-barriers-health-care-have-fallen-not-online-study-shows Healthcare Dive, Top healthcare AI trends in 2026 (Rock Health funding data), January 2026: https://www.healthcaredive.com/news/top-healthcare-ai-artificial-intelligence-trends-2026/809493/ HIT Consultant / CB Insights, Q1 2026 Digital Health Funding, April 2026: https://hitconsultant.net/2026/04/20/digital-health-funding-q1-2026-ai-ma-rebound/ Chief Healthcare Executive, AI in health care: 26 leaders offer predictions for 2026, January 2026: https://www.chiefhealthcareexecutive.com/view/ai-in-health-care-26-leaders-offer-predictions-for-2026 JMIR, Bridging Rural America's Digital Divide in Health Care, December 2025: https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e88833 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School, Bridging the Digital Divide in Health Care: A New Framework for Equity, January 2025: https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/bridging-the-digital-divide-in-health-care-a-new-framework-for-equity NPR, How ending the Digital Equity Act has disrupted programs to help people get online, November 2025: https://www.npr.org/2025/11/12/nx-s1-5594805/how-ending-the-digital-equity-act-has-disrupted-programs-to-help-people-get-online ScienceDirect narrative review, Addressing language barriers in U.S. healthcare, November 2025: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772632025000418 Reed Smith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reedtsmith/ Chris Boyer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisboyer/ Chris Boyer website: http://www.christopherboyer.com/ Chris Boyer on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/chrisboyer.bsky.social Reed Smith on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/reedsmith.bsky.social Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Drew Flugstad-Clarke never planned to work in brain cancer. She planned to play Division I soccer at Georgetown. She planned to paint. She even tried investment banking, answering emails at 4am in a cubicle that never slept. Then in June 2022 her father, Jim, was diagnosed with glioblastoma at 57. He died 1 day shy of 7 months later, just before his 58th birthday. His symptoms began with emotion, not seizures. A steady HR executive suddenly cried. His golf game slipped. By the time he entered the hospital for a scan, he did not leave without surgery. A subway poster for a 5K became a lifeline. Drew showed up. She found a community. She later joined the American Brain Tumor Association as Community Manager for the Eastern Region. This conversation walks through anticipatory grief, caregiving in real time, strategic numbness, and what it costs to curate hope when the median survival clock is already ticking.RELATED LINKSDrew Clark Flukestad on LinkedInTopor StudiosAmerican Brain Tumor AssociationGeorgetown University Women's SoccerFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott interviews Jason Buxbaum of Brown University about his recent paper that explores new research on administrative spending in U.S. health insurance and why it varies so widely across states and markets. Order the March 2026 issue of Health Affairs.'Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.

Janine Durso spent 30 years inside pharmaceutical advertising shaping healthcare narratives before becoming a belief strategist and founder of The Believist. In November 2024, during a routine Zoom coaching session, she felt what she called a sharp, terrible pain in the right side of her head. Within hours she was in surgery for a ruptured brain aneurysm. She does not remember the ambulance, the ICU, or the first weeks that followed. She spent 5 weeks in intensive care, then 10 days relearning how to walk, calculate simple change, and manage basic cognition. Doctors later placed a stent and continue monitoring a second unruptured aneurysm.This episode traces the moment she told her husband something broke in my brain, the 14 days doctors called touch and go, and the slow mental rebuild that followed. It also examines insurance barriers that require 2 direct relatives with aneurysms before screening coverage, and why she now lobbies in Washington for change.RELATED LINKSJanine DursoThe BelievistBrain Aneurysm FoundationWhite Plains HospitalDr. Jared CooperFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott interviews Andrew Anderson of Johns Hopkins University about his recent paper that explores new research on the Medicare Advantage Star Ratings program and how effectively it has driven quality improvement over time. Sign up for our free Health Affairs newsletters to stay up to date on health policy news and analysis.Order the April 2026 issue of Health Affairs.

Rebecca Benghiat holds a JD, passed the bar, and skipped corporate law to build mental health systems instead. She now serves as Chief of Staff and Head of Impact at Inner Foundation, where she helps direct capital toward emerging adults ages 18 to 30 and asks a hard question every day: Is this actually working?In this conversation, she dismantles the myth of easy fixes. She explains why mental health measurement resists clean metrics, why a PHQ 9 score starts a conversation but never finishes one, and why “scale” often flatters institutions more than it helps people. She breaks down how impact investing shapes care delivery, why schools need networked systems not slogans, and why friction might be developmentally necessary.The stakes are real. Vulnerable families navigate snake oil, glossy apps, and pay to play algorithms while carrying the burden of choice in crisis. Benghiat lives inside that complexity and refuses to simplify it.RELATED LINKSRebecca BenghiatInner FoundationAspen Ideas HealthThe Jed FoundationFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

At age 12, Dr. Chrystal Starbird stood by a pond after turning her mother in to the police. She watched tadpoles and fish move beneath the surface and found a strange kind of order. Science became her refuge long before it became her career. Years later, she built that refuge into a profession. She now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of North Carolina, studies structural biology tied to cancer and Alzheimer's disease, and won Cell's first Rising Black Scientist Award in 2020. On paper, she fits the model of success. In practice, she had to fight for basic access at every stage.Conference travel required upfront cash she did not have. Networking favored pedigree over merit. Mentorship often depended on who knew your name in the room. Chrystal learned those rules, then chose to break them open for others.Oliver Bogler examines what Chrystal calls the advocacy tax. She has delivered over 70 invited talks. Nearly 40 percent focus on equity, mentorship, and policy. Academic reward systems do not count that labor toward tenure. She still does it.Through her leadership at the Life Science Editors Foundation, Chrystal helped build the JEDI program, which pairs underrepresented scientists with editors from journals like Cell and Nature. The program has supported over 100 awardees with more than 1,000 hours of mentorship. This episode exposes how biomedical science rewards output while ignoring the work required to make the system accessible. It also shows what happens when the people most affected refuse to step back.RELATED LINKSDr. Chrystal StarbirdStarbird LabLife Science Editors FoundationJEDI ProgramFEEDBACKLike this episode? Rate and review Out of Patients on your favorite podcast platform. For guest suggestions or sponsorship email podcasts@matthewzachary.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.