More Health, Less Healthcare

Welcome back to our continuing series, "Why All Healthcare is Local," with your host Peter Bolan. In today's episode, we're taking a deep dive into a highly thought-provoking subject: the unsustainable nature of the "sickness care" economy. Characterized by severe financial strain and deep moral dilemmas, this system is failing both patient outcomes and the health industry's balance sheets alike....

Welcome back to "More Health, Less Healthcare." In today's episode—part three of our 10-part series with host Peter Boland—we're challenging the pervasive narrative that the U.S. has the best healthcare system in the world. While American medical advancements are undeniably impressive, we're diving into the deep systemic issues that contradict this claim. We'll explore how our healthcare truly sta...

Welcome back to "More Health, Less Healthcare.", In today's episode, we're diving into the crucial questions of funding local health initiatives and understanding what it truly means for healthcare to be "local." Building on our previous look at hospitals transforming their neighborhoods, we'll explore how institutions like University Hospitals in Cleveland have uncovered the money for upstream in...

Welcome back to More Health Less Healthcare. Today we're launching a new series that explores a powerful idea: All healthcare is local. Over the next 2 episodes, we'll shift the conversation from what's broken in our healthcare system to the innovative work happening in communities across the country—where health systems, plans, and local organizations are investing in people and places, not just...

In our latest episode, Peter Boland wraps up our "What If They Got the Incentives Right?" podcast series with a powerful discussion on the role of measurement, transparency, and true accountability in transforming healthcare. Measuring What Matters: Peter Boland challenges the status quo, noting that while healthcare generates massive amounts of data, much of it measures the wrong things—often fai...

In the latest episode of More Health, Less Healthcare , Peter Boland takes us on a journey through innovative models for community health investments that genuinely listen and respond to community needs—not just on paper, but in practice. Here’s what you need to know from this insightful installment: Peter Boland underscores the pitfalls of top-down solutions (“paternalistic and ineffective”) and...

In our latest episode, Peter Boland explores a transformative question: What if employers used their full leverage to reshape employee healthcare — and invested the savings back into their communities? Most U.S. employers have enormous purchasing power and a unique relationship with their workforce, yet often act as passive consumers of traditional insurance products. Peter Boland argues that this...

Peter Boland dives deep into the transformative power of community-driven housing investments and how shifting incentives—and power—can radically improve health equity. Featured Discussions Healthy Homes Des Moines Tackling childhood asthma and allergies at the source, this program goes directly into homes, identifies environmental triggers, and provides meaningful repairs and supplies. The lesson...

Welcome back to More Health, Less Healthcare with Peter Boland. In this, we dive into why housing is far more than just a place to live—it's a clinical intervention that can shape the health of entire communities. Key Takeaways Treating Neighborhoods as the Patient: Peter Boland explores how Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus redefined its mission, tackling intergenerational poverty by vie...

In our latest episode, Peter Boland dives deep into the fascinating and urgent topic of Food as Medicine —a movement proving that changing what's on our plates can save both lives and dollars. Key Takeaways Geisinger Fresh Food Pharmacy Peter Boland highlights that Geisinger’s program for type 2 diabetes achieved an 80% reduction in healthcare costs —dropping from $240,000 to just $48,000 per pati...

In our latest episode of More Health, Less Healthcare, Peter Boland tackles a fundamental question:  What if the healthcare industry got the incentives right?  Drawing from insights in the comprehensive Health Equity Case Studies Handbook, Peter Boland summarizes game-changing models and the powerful results that emerged when organizations shifted to pay-for-outcomes. Key Takeaways from...

In this episode, Peter Boland zooms out to examine why maternal health outcomes in the U.S. are a direct result of the systems and policies we build, not random chance. Too often, policy treats pregnancy as a brief event—missing the reality that maternal health is a long-term continuum stretching from pre-pregnancy, through birth, and into the year after. It’s not enough to offer coverage on paper...

In our latest episode of More Health, Less Healthcare , Peter Boland uncovers a crucial and often overlooked issue: the “hidden tax” on motherhood. Unlike the taxes you see on receipts, this one is paid in hospital bills, lost wages, and missed life chances — with the biggest burden falling on those who can least afford it. These costs may be invisible, but their impact is real — affecting hospita...

In this thought-provoking episode of Author Podcasts, Peter Boland introduces the "More Health, Less Healthcare" series by asking a bold question: What if our healthcare system isn't truly designed to create health, but rather to respond to illness? Using maternal health as a lens, Peter Boland explores the disconnect between what we claim to value and what our system actually delivers. A Shortage...

Welcome back to the More Health, Less Healthcare podcast! In Episode 29, Peter Boland delivers a compelling exploration of the fundamental flaws in our current health care system—and a roadmap for a healthier, more equitable future. He challenges us all to consider: Can health care in America shift from profiting off sickness to truly creating value from health? Can leaders build systems that inve...

This week on More Health, Less Healthcare , Peter Boland shines a spotlight on a concept that rarely appears in our benefit dashboards but shapes the lives of our patients, members, and colleagues daily: weathering. What is Weathering? As Peter Boland defines, weathering is what happens when people spend years inside systems—healthcare, employment, social services—that treat their bodies as expend...

This week on More Health, Less Healthcare , Peter explored a concept that fundamentally reshapes how we think about health, equity, and the responsibilities of systems: Weathering . What is Weathering? Once you hear the term, you can’t unhear it. Weathering isn’t just about stress or burnout — it’s the biological and societal toll that chronic stress, racism, economic instability, and bureaucratic...

We’re thrilled to feature Arlene, acclaimed author and professor at the School of Public Health in Michigan, recently honored by the National Academy of Medicine for her groundbreaking discovery of “weathering.” In this powerful conversation, Arlene unpacks the toll that chronic social stressors and systemic injustice have on physical health, regardless of individual habits or ...

We’ve just dropped a brand new episode of More Health, Less Healthcare that zeroes in on a question at the heart of American healthcare: Can nonprofit health plans truly serve their communities while operating inside a system designed to profit from sickness? This time, Speaker A breaks down the paradox, using Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina as a case study and sharing actionable insights...

We just launched a powerful new episode of the More Health, Less healthcare podcast—and trust us, you don’t want to miss this one! Peter Boland takes us deep into the world of nonprofit healthcare to reveal the surprising contradictions that shape the system, using Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina as a live case study. If you’ve ever wondered why “nonprofit” doesn’t necessarily mean “missi...

We're excited to share the latest episode of "More Health, Less Healthcare," where Peter Boland dives deep into the powerful (and complicated!) story of how Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota turned tobacco lawsuit money into community transformation. This one really asks the big question: Are health insurers doing enough to change the game, or is it just a smarter form of PR?  5 Keys Yo...

We’ve just dropped a brand new episode you won’t want to miss: “More Health, Less Healthcare: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Part 2.” Hosted by Peter Boland, this episode dives deep into what happens after a health plan truly listens to its community—and why good intentions alone might not bend the cost curve for everyday families. 🌟 Here are 5 keys you’ll learn in this episode: 1.&nbsp...

We’re excited to share a brand new episode of "More Health, Less Healthcare" with you! This week, host Peter Boland sits down with two incredible voices from the SIREN group: Andy Quiñones-Rivera and Danielle Hessler Jones. If you care about what makes social care truly effective (it’s more than just paperwork), this episode is a must-listen. Episode Sneak Peek: What You’ll Learn We packed this ep...

We’re excited to announce the release of Part 2 of our conversation with Jason Gale on the More Health, Less Healthcare podcast! This episode is packed with honest insights, global perspectives, and a healthy dose of optimism for tackling the chronic aftermath of COVID-19 and future pandemics. Introduction In this episode, Peter Boland welcomes back Jason Gale, a Bloomberg News journalist with dec...

We’re excited to share our latest episode from More Health, Less Healthcare , and this is one you don’t want to miss. We had the absolute pleasure of hosting the award-winning journalist and senior Bloomberg News editor, Jason Gale, who’s here to talk about his new book, “After COVID: Health Impacts That Last Generations.” In this first part of our two-part series, Peter Boland and Jason Gale dive...