Faisel and Friends: A Primary Care Podcast

We’re discussing Who Will Care for America: Community Health Centers Confronting the Primary Care Crisis! Faisel and Dan are joined by Dr. Luis Padilla, Chief Health Officer at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC). Our conversation revolves around increasing access to primary care for uninsured and under-insured patients, addressing the upstream causes of nationwide physici...

We’re discussing Early Intervention Advantage: Redesigning Heart Care! Faisel and Dan are joined by Dr. Karthik Rao, Chief Medical Officer at agilon health, and Dr. Jon Copeland, family physician at United Physicians and Medical Director at agilon health. Our conversation revolves around the data supporting early heart failure diagnosis, the collaboration of treating patients with guideline-direct...

We’re discussing Practicing Progress: Advances in Telemedicine! Faisel and Dan are joined by Dr. Anisha Singh, Founder and Medical Director  at MedCollab Global. Our conversation revolves around utilizing technology to improve care processes, providing patients with flexibility and access, and practicing within a model that strives to lessen physician burnout.

This week on Faisel and Friends, we are celebrating our 200th episode by discussing Investing in Humans: How Super-Generalists Shape the Future of Primary Care. Faisel and Dan are talking with Shawn Martin, Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Our conversation explores breaking down the factors of healthcare affordability, building mome...

We’re discussing Primary Care at Its Best: Putting Physicians Where They’re Needed Most! Faisel and Dan are joined by Tom Robertson, National Advisor at Manatt Health. Our conversation revolves around dissecting the current norms of practicing primary care, introducing the concept of Chronic Care physicians, and tailoring relationships to different patient poulations based on need.

This week on Faisel and Friends, we are discussing What Clinicians Need to Know This Fall: Vaccines, Communication, and Trust. Faisel and Dan are talking with Dr. Gretchen LaSalle, former AAFP vaccine science fellow. Our conversation explores strategies for discussing vaccines in the clinic, the reality that immunization is one of the most powerful preventative health tools we have, and an approac...

We’re discussing The Beautiful Mess of Primary Care! Faisel and Dan are joined by Rebecca Etz, PhD from The Larry A. Green Center. Our conversation revolves around working with the system and the technology we have,  addressing outcomes from different care models, and investing time and humanity to foster depth of connection with patients.

This week on Faisel and Friends, we are discussing Improving the Match: The Resident Perspective. Faisel and Dan are talking with Dr. Amanda Lilley and Dr. Molly Stegman, residents involved in shaping the AAFP’s Residency Selection Improvement Initiative (RSII). Our conversation explores identifying factors of the match that are in need of improvement, participating in efforts that will impact the...

We’re discussing Street Medicine: Meeting Patients Where They Are! Faisel and Dan are joined by Dr. Sarah Brown & Dr. Michaela Kowalewski from Emplify Health. Our conversation revolves around building a street medicine program from grassroots relationship-based community service, building trust with populations who may be resistant to seeking care, and teaching residents the value of a physici...

This week on Faisel and Friends, we are discussing Fostering a Sustainable Workforce. Faisel and Dan are talking with Bergen Morehouse and Mahima Sangtani from HOSA—Future Healthcare Professionals. Our conversation explores the value of introducing clinical knowledge to young people, the importance of teaching leadership and communication skills in medicine, and the advantage from early involvemen...

Having just attended an energizing event hosted by Primary Care for America, Faisel and Dan are discussing Doubling Down on the Triple Double: Fresh Thoughts on Primary Care! Our conversation revolves around the impact of the Triple Double national campaign to transform healthcare, the value of primary care as the most influential specialty to improve outcomes, and the challenges of our present ca...

We’re discussing Family Medicine Revolution: Physician Leadership in Action! Faisel and Dan are joined by Dr. Jay Lee, co-founder of #FMRevolution. Our conversation revolves around starting an ongoing movement to inspire the family medicine workforce, defining success in leadership and advocacy, and fulfilling your values through current technology and alternative care models.

This week on Faisel and Friends, we are discussing Sharing Care: Expanding Primary Care Delivery. Faisel and Dan are talking with Dr. Yasir Abdul-Rahman, Physician and Innovator. Our conversation explores scaling primary care accessibility through virtual group visits, improving patient outcomes while reducing physician burnout, and building community within shared medical care.

We’re discussing More than Just Mom: the Role of Family and Community in Maternal Health! Faisel and Dan are joined by Dr. Esa Davis from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Our conversation revolves around providing value through continuity during and beyond perinatal care, partnering with community health professionals for holistic patient care, and considering how to utilize AI witho...

This week on Faisel and Friends, we are discussing The Doctor Abides: Simple Rules of Family Medicine. Faisel and Dan are talking with Dr. Kurt Stange, Director of the Center for Community Health Integration. Our conversation explores the differences between generalists and specialists, the utmost relevance of primary care in the current healthcare system, and the lasting impact family physicians...

Medical students are eagerly awaiting Match Day 2026, and we’re discussing Optimizing the Match: the Residency Selection Improvement Initiative! Faisel and Dan are joined by Dr. Karen Mitchell, Vice President at the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP). Our conversation revolves around improving the efficiency of the resident application process, visualizing a future where residency applic...

This week on Faisel and Friends, we are discussing A Call to Action: the Primary Care Triple Double. Faisel and Dan are talking with Dr. Asaf Bitton, executive director of Ariadne Labs. Our conversation explores envisioning the next four years of advancement in primary care, breaking down the factors to achieve that vision, and identifying the outcomes of our efforts. Stay informed and learn more...

We’re discussing Rural Collective Care: Primary Care That Shows Up! Faisel and Dan are joined by Dr. Jim Lancaster, from Main Street Health. Our conversation revolves around measuring value in both quality as well as outcomes, providing patient care that goes above and beyond the clinic walls, responding to natural disasters as a team to support the community, and making the bright future of rural...

This week on Faisel and Friends, we are discussing Physician as Patient: Navigating the Healthcare System in an Emergency. Faisel and Dan are talking with Dr. Lauren Hughes: Family Physician Executive and Health Policy Leader improving Primary Care and Rural Health. Our conversation explores how Dr. Hughes managed her patient experience after a car accident: the work required to navigate insurance...

We’re discussing The Compass of Connection: Using Moral Insight to Guide Patient-Centered Care! Faisel and Dan are joined by Dr. Peter Murphy, from Mountain View Direct Care. Our conversation revolves around defining what sets Direct Primary Care apart from other models, considering the moral injury of financial harm as part of patients’ health, and forging a new path based in quality relationship...

We’re discussing A Year in Review: Looking Forward to 2026! Faisel and Dan are reflecting on all we learned through our conversations in 2025, and projecting what’s on the horizon this year. Our conversation revolves around improving the healthcare system for all patients, expanding access to Direct Primary Care through health savings accounts, and personalizing the way we coordinate care for bett...

This week on Faisel and Friends, we are discussing Following the Information Blueprint: Restoring Joy in Primary Care. Faisel and Dan are talking with Karen Johnson, PhD: Vice President of Practice Advancement at the American Academy of Family Physicians. Our conversation explores reducing the burdens of practice by utilizing AI, improving information-sharing and data flow to guide impactful actio...

We’re discussing Smarter Tech, Stronger Connections! Faisel and Dan are joined by Dr. Paulius Mui & Dr. Gina Engel Our conversation revolves around preserving human connection and clinical judgement in a digital landscape, enhancing care with responsible AI use, and treating technology as support rather than replacement. This episode was recorded live at FMX, the AAFP's premier Family Medicine...

This week on Faisel and Friends, we are discussing Reclaiming the Human Interaction in The Age of AI. Faisel and Dan are talking with Dr. Steven Waldren & Dr. Jay Lee. Our conversation explores empowering clinicians with technology, optimizing team collaboration with AI, and reclaiming the narrative around primary care physicians as trusted voices of wellness. This episode was recorded live at...

We’re discussing Empowering Patients to Make the Best Decisions! Faisel and Dan are joined by Dr. Alex McDonald: Family and Sports Medicine Physician, AAFP Vaccine Science Fellow, and Immediate Past President of the California Academy of Family Physicians. Our conversation revolves around exploring vaccination options with patients, building a movement from an online immunization community, and pr...