On Call, Off Script

Episode 29: In this episode of On Call, Off Script, we take listeners behind the scenes of Jackson Health System’s podcast to meet the group who help bring each episode to life. The creative and branding and multimedia teams share how On Call, Off Script came to be, from the early beginnings in 2019 as “A Dose of Jackson,” to the launch of the podcast we all know today. They talk about how topics...

Episode 28: Being in the hospital can be overwhelming, whether you're a child facing a scary procedure or an adult receiving a life-changing diagnosis. In this episode of On Call, Off Script, a Jackson Health System podcast, we explore the emotional and psychological side of hospital care with clinical health psychologist, Lisa Alpizar, PsyD, with the Consultation Liaison Psychology Service for Ja...

Episode 27: Puberty is an awkward chapter of life, full of questions for kids and their parents. So, when should the conversation start? And what should parents actually expect? On this episode of On Call, Off Script, a Jackson Health System podcast, we’re breaking down puberty from both the medical and mental health perspectives. Our experts explain when puberty typically starts, the physical cha...

Episode 26: What does a $5 donation have in common with a $15 million gift? Both can make a difference in the lives of patients, families and health care teams. In this episode of On Call, Off Script, a Jackson Health System podcast, we sit down with Flavia Llizo, CEO of Jackson Health Foundation, to take listeners behind the scenes of philanthropy at Jackson Health System. Llizo explains how dona...

Episode 25: Hospital food is notorious, but what if it could be something more? That’s the vision behind the food and nutrition team at Jackson Memorial Hospital. On this episode of On Call, Off Script, a Jackson Health System podcast, we go behind the scenes with Jackson Memorial Hospital’s executive chef, Dalbert Benneth, and Director of Food and Nutrition, Gabriel Lima, to explore how they’re s...

Episode 24: The odds of being bit by a shark are not high but definitely not zero, especially in South Florida. In this episode of On Call, Off Script, a Jackson Health System podcast, Miami native and shark-bite survivor Kevin Blanco shares the story of the day he was attacked while spearfishing in the Florida Keys. Kevin and his father, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Captain Omar Blanco, are joined by A...

Episode 23: Is Pilates an underrated life hack or an overrated trend for social media? In this episode of On Call, Off Script, a Jackson Health System podcast, we're putting Pilates to the test at Mimi Yoga & Pilates in Wynwood. Our experts are Pilates trainer and social media influencer Starr Hawkins (@babymommafit), and Zainab Al Lawati, MD, physical medicine and rehabilitation physician at...

Disasters and emergencies are not a matter of if, but when. In this episode of On Call, Off Script, a Jackson Health System podcast, we sit with Bridget Pelaez, senior director of disaster and emergency preparedness at Jackson, to learn what it takes to expect the unexpected and prepare for it all. Pelaez shares how year-round planning, hands-on training, and strong community partnerships from her...

Episode 21: What does an emergency medicine physician do when she's not caring for patients at Jackson Memorial Hospital? In the case of Dr. Regina Martinez, she's training to compete on the world stage as Mexico’s first female cross-country skier to compete in the Olympics. In this episode of On Call, Off Script, host Ruelle Champion sits down with Dr. Martinez, an emergency medicine physician an...

Episode 20:  For some men, the hardest question to answer is ‘how are you doing?’. If your answer is like everyone else’s – ‘I’m fine,’ – it’s not always the truth. For Men’s Health Month, we take a special focus on mental health with Dr. Keith Lit, clinical psychologist at Jackson Behavioral Health Hospital (JBHH). Dr. Lit dives into why men struggle to open up about depression, anxiety, and stre...

Episode 19: In this episode of Jackson Health System’s On Call, Off Script, we sit down with Dr. Vanessa Padilla, a clinical psychiatrist at Jackson Behavioral Health Hospital, Commissioner René Garcia, chairman of Miami-Dade County’s Behavioral Health Advisory Board, and Michelle Kligman, Psy. D., MBA, MS, executive vice president and chief human resources officer at Jackson Health System, for an...

Episode 18: What do vaping, incense, and long-COVID have in common? They can all impact your lungs in ways most people don’t consider. In this episode of On Call, Off Script, lung experts from the Lung Center at Jackson Health System/ Miami Transplant Institute, an affiliation between Jackson Health System and UHealth – University of Miami Health System explore, explain, and debunk fascinating lun...

Episode 17: Formula 1 is all about speed, precision, and split-second decisions. So is trauma care. In this high-intensity episode of On Call, Off Script, we take you behind the scenes of one of the most complex medical operations in sports. As Formula 1 returns to Miami, the team at Jackson Health System’s Ryder Trauma Center isn’t just on standby. They’re building a fully operational trauma unit...

Episode 16: The importance and value of organ donation takes center stage every April for Donate Life Month. It’s a time to spotlight the impact that being an organ donor can have on countless lives. With thousands of patients on the transplant waitlist and the growing gap between supply and demand, understanding the truth behind organ donation is crucial. In this episode of On Call, Off Script, a...

Episode 15: Jackson Health System is advancing the future of emergency care. A new, state-of-the-art emergency room (ER) is opening at Jackson Memorial Hospital in April. In this episode of On Call, Off Script, the minds behind one of the largest emergency rooms in the nation share how collaboration between clinical and construction brought this project to life. The new ER is more than just a bran...

Episode 14: From dramatic defibrillator scenes to instant diagnoses, pop culture shapes how many people think hospitals operate. But how much of what we see on TV actually reflects real life? On this episode of On Call, Off Script, two experienced nurse leaders from Jackson Health System separate fact from fiction. They break down the truth about “Code Blue” situations, explain why medical teams r...

Episode 13: In this episode of On Call Off Script, we go behind the scenes with Miami’s first responders and trauma care teams to explore what it truly takes to serve the 305. From coping with tragedy and finding humor in the toughest situations, to building trust with patients and their families, our guests share the human side of some of the city’s most demanding roles. Listen as Michael Vega, a...

Episode 12: It’s hard to imagine vomiting worse than it already is. The symptom of ‘scromiting’, or screaming and vomiting, is sending people to the emergency room in South Florida. Jeffrey Bernstein, MD, director of Florida Poison Control Center Miami, talks about the real medical condition behind scromiting, called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS). Caused by excessive marijuana use, Dr. Be...

Episode 11:  You’d never guess that some of your favorite everyday activities are on our experts’ personal no-fly list. In this eye-opening conversation, Vincente Nelson, MD, a trauma surgeon at Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial and Timothy Tan, MD, chief of emergency medicine at Jackson Memorial Medical Center shares the habits, hobbies, and Miami-style behaviors that most often land people...

Episode 10: The beginning of a new year often brings fresh starts, new goals, and for many families, the start of a journey into parenthood. In this episode of On Call Off Script, we’re joined by Joanne Ruggiero, senior vice president and chief executive officer of Jackson Memorial Medical Center, to talk about what expectant parents can really expect when preparing to give birth at The Women’s Ho...

Episode 9: The holiday season tends to be a time of excess – of celebration, of eating, and for adults it tends to include drinking alcohol too. On the heels of the new year, this episode of On Call Off Script explores the real health benefits behind breaking a holiday habit of heavy drinking. Our experts Dr. Brett Fortune and Dr. Chinmay Jani discuss how Dry January can be more than just a 31-day...

Episode 8: Eight-year-old Dylan Smith is all energy, jokes, and big dreams today—but his miracle story begins with every parent’s worst nightmare: a near-drowning in the family’s backyard pool. In this special Month of Miracles episode of On Call, Off Script, host Ruelle Champion sits down with Dylan’s mom, Tiffany Smith, pediatric critical care doctor Dr. Asumthia Jeyapalan, and pediatric physica...

Episode 7: December is our Month of Miracles, highlighting our strong patients and families, the excellent care at Holtz Children’s Hospital, and the power of community. In this episode, we meet 14-year-old Jake Alexander Kleppen, known to his Instagram community as “Jake the Victorious Warrior.” Jake has not only battled cancer once, but twice, showing a resilience that lifts up everyone around h...

Episode 6: In this lively holiday episode of On Call, Off Script, host Ruelle Champion brings together a joyful trio: Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Anitrice McKinnis-Jackson, also known as Mama Joy, founder of the nonprofit Nana’s Restart, and Rocio Garcia, a registered dietitian with Jackson Health System. Together, they celebrate beloved grandmother-approved holiday dishes, and g...

Episode 5: Are men really “allergic” to the doctor’s office until something’s falling off? And do women actually self-diagnose after a deep dive on “Google University”? In this eye-opening episode of On Call Off Script, a Jackson Health System podcast, our host Ruelle Champion sits down with Dayron Rodriguez, MD, a community urologist, and Mrudula Munagala, MD, a transplant cardiologist from Miami...