Episodes

Wrongful prolongation of life: a growing concern in the health care system

In this episode, we sit down with patient advocate Althea Halchuck to discuss the importance of advance directives in end-of-life care. We delve into the story of Dr. Gerald Greenberg, a New York dentist who was diagnosed with early-onset dementia and...

Become your own health advocate: Navigating the doctor shortage

In this episode, Ann M. Hester, a board-certified internal medicine physician, dives into the perfect storm brewing in the U.S. health care system and what we can do to prepare for it. The country is facing a projected shortage of doctors and the...

Navigating the complexities of academic medicine contracts

Join us on this episode, where we welcome Dennis Hursh, a physician contract lawyer, to discuss the ins and outs of academic physician employment agreements. Dennis will share his expertise on the common pitfalls and what to look out for when...

TikTok takeover: How social media consumed my life

Join us on this episode, where we welcome Brian Boxer Wachler, an ophthalmologist and author of Influenced: The Impact of Social Media on Our Perception. During the COVID shutdowns, Brian had a lot of extra time on his hands, and his twin daughters...

Reducing burnout and improving patient care with ambient clinical intelligence

In this special sponsored episode, we're discussing how ambient clinical intelligence can improve patient care and reduce clinician burnout. Our sponsor is the Dragon Ambient Experience, or DAX, an ambient clinical intelligence solution from Nuance...

Navigating the ethical minefield of assisted suicide

Join us as we delve into the controversial topic of assisted suicide with our guest, Nicholas S. Tito, a medical student. This thought-provoking episode will explore the Western world's growing support for legally assisted euthanasia and the...

Telehealth takes the stage: How virtual visits are revolutionizing health care

Join us for an insightful conversation with Lyle Berkowitz, a physician executive, as he discusses the growing trend of telehealth and its impact on patient care. With the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating the use of virtual visits, consumers are...

Unlocking the power of gratitude

Join us on this episode as we explore the power of gratitude with Cindy Tsai, an internal medicine physician. We all hear about the benefits of gratitude and the importance of being thankful for what we have. But gratitude is not just about thinking...

Moving beyond weight-centered approaches in childhood obesity

In this episode, we sit down with guest Wendy Schofer, a pediatrician, to discuss the current state of childhood obesity and the need for a change in approach. Over the past two decades, the prevalence of children being diagnosed as overweight and...

From CV to career: How to enhance your medical portfolio

In this episode, we're talking about how to stand out from the crowd in a competitive job market for physicians. Our guests, Aaron Morgenstein, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, and Claire Unis, a pediatrician, will discuss how to enhance your...

Certified, but denied: the impact of board certification on patient care

In this episode, we're joined by Emmanuel K. Konstantakos, an orthopedic surgeon, and Jeff Morris, an attorney and CEO the of American Board of Physician Specialties. They discuss the ongoing debate about physician board certifications and the role of...

Why biosimilars matter: insights from a health care leader

In this special sponsored episode, we focus on biosimilar medications and how they can benefit patients. I'm joined by Tim de Gavre, the VP and chief commercial officer at Sandoz, a member of the Sandoz U.S. Executive Committee, and a graduate of The...

Breaking the stigma: Making HIV and COVID screening routine in primary care

In this episode, we welcome clinical research assistant professor, Maranda C. Ward, to discuss the importance of routine screening for both HIV and COVID-19 in primary care. During the COVID pandemic, we became familiar with answering questions about...

Chris Hemsworth and personalized medicine: How genetic testing can impact your health

Today, we're discussing the news about actor Chris Hemsworth and his genetic test results. Hemsworth announced that he is taking a break from acting after learning that he has a heightened risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. Our guest today is Ani...

Navigating complex medical issues: one family's story of advocacy and hope

In this episode, we have a special guest, Laura Fernando, a patient advocate, who shares her heart-wrenching story of her daughter Lily's medical journey with COVID-19 and other health conditions. Joining her and Lily is Linda Bluestein, an...

Breaking the communication barrier: a survival guide for doctors, nurses, and patients

In this episode, we sit down with attorney and author Michael J. Grace to discuss his book, T. As a defense lawyer representing health care providers, Michael discovered that many of his clients didn't fully understand their legal obligations when it...

Don't fall for the Medicare Advantage hype: the realities of coverage for low-income enrollees

We're joined by Aniyizhai Annamalai, an internal medicine-psychiatry physician. Dr. Annamalai's patients are mostly indigent, not employed due to disability, and have serious mental illnesses. Most of them qualify for Medicaid. In this episode, Dr....

Empowering Type 2 diabetes patients with innovative insulin management tools

Our guest today is James Malone, an endocrinologist and health care executive with over 30 years of experience in the field of diabetes. James has seen firsthand the challenges that many people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) face when it comes to daily...

Navigating institutional betrayal in health care

In this episode, we're joined by Susan MacLellan-Tobert, a pediatric cardiologist, to discuss the issue of institutional betrayal in health care. The pandemic has put a strain on health care systems and workers, leading to a term called "institutional...

How can a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease help patients and their families?

In this special sponsored episode, we explore the importance of identifying Alzheimer's disease early. Our guests will be neurologist Andrew E. Budson and Alzheimer's caregivers Jess Rappé and Ellie Freedman. They will share their expertise and...

Beyond the physical: How hand injuries affect identity and expression

In this episode, we're joined by Peter T. Hetzler, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon, to discuss the importance of the hand in human identity and expression. In the U.S. private sector, hand injuries were the second most common workplace injury in...

Opioid addiction: Understanding the risk factors with a predictive model

In this episode, we're discussing the opioid epidemic and its impact on our society. Our guest is Gary Call, a family physician, who shares the emotional and financial cost on individuals and families caused by opioid addiction and overdoses is...

Health care's future with ChatGPT: Exploring the potential of AI in medicine

In this episode, we are joined by Harvey Castro, a physician, health care consultant, and serial entrepreneur, to discuss the exciting potential of the generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) in the field of medicine and health care. ChatGPT is a...

Why being a perfectionist can be good for patient care

In this episode, we welcome Scott Abramson, a neurologist with over 40 years of experience in the field. We discuss the topic of perfectionism in the medical profession, and how it can have both positive and negative effects on physician well-being....