20-Minute Health Talk

Host Chethan Sathya, MD, sits down with Robert Pearl, MD — Stanford professor, former CEO of Kaiser Permanente, and author of ChatGPT, MD — to trace his journey from Long Island roots and cleft lip/palate missions to leading one of the nation’s largest integrated health systems. Dr. Pearl shares his unexpected pivot from the operating room to administration, and what it was like to step into a lea...

Dr. Sathya dives into Dr. Pearl’s book, ChatGPT, MD , leading to a candid, forward-looking discussion about generative AI’s potential to make care continuous — not episodic — especially in chronic disease management. They explore Utah’s move to allow AI to monitor chronic conditions and renew meds, and why clinician-led adoption is essential. Dr. Pearl discusses training LLMs on real-world health...

In part one, host Chethan Sathya, MD, sits down with Aletha Maybank, MD — nationally recognized physician and CEO of Novellawells — to hear about her origin story that begins with a Fisher Price doctor kit and a beloved pediatrician and grows into a career shaped by proximity, community and equity. Maybank reflects on being raised by a single mother who made intentional choices to expose her to di...

In the second episode, Dr. Maybank traces the rise of chief health equity roles (including her own at the American Medical Association), the post 2020 surge in equity and the recent regression from those values. She explains that health equity is distinct from DEI and offers a plain spoken definition that all can embrace: Ensure everyone has the power, ability, conditions and resources to obtain o...

20-Minute Health Talk host Chethan Sathya, MD, sits down with Craig Spencer, MD, — ER physician, global health leader, and public health professor at Brown University — for a story that stretches from childhood dreams of “sharkology” to the front lines of the 2014 West Africa Ebola outbreak. [Note that this was recorded prior to the current outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.] Dr. Spence...

Part two turns to home turf: Covid-19’s early days in New York City. Dr. Spencer addresses what public health experts got right — including the lifesaving impact of Operation Warp Speed — and what went wrong. Dr. Spencer and Dr. Sathya also unpack the collapse of trust in medical science, arguing that public health’s dramatic successes in saving lives and protecting populations at home and abroad...

In the first episode of this two-part 20-Minute Health Talk, Chethan Sathya, MD, sits down with Don Berwick, MD — former Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services administrator (CMS) and founder of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI). Dr. Berwick traces his path from early harrowing medical experiences to a career dedicated to improving patient care and healthcare delivery. The conversa...

In episode two, Dr. Berwick challenges some basic assumptions: Does competition truly drive innovation in health care? He argues that cooperation often outperforms competition, citing VA-led safety advances and national patient-safety collaboratives at CMS (like the Partnership for Patients) that rewarded results and spread what worked. He also identifies some of the issues that both health care a...

Host Chethan Sathya, MD, sits down with television host and political commentator S. E. Cupp to explore how a “moderate middle” of Americans can still lead in an era obsessed with extremes. Cupp traces her journey from Republican insider to independent conservative, sharing why principles—not parties—guide her in politics and public health. They break down how nearly every hot‑button health topic...

In part 2, S. E. Cupp digs into how to maintain integrity in a chaotic media environment. She distinguishes healthy scientific and journalistic skepticism from conspiratorial content spirals — and explains why some “alternative voices” deserve a hearing while others don’t. Cupp shares how she sets firm on‑air boundaries (including saying no to harmful pairings) to protect her family, her audience,...

In the first half of host Sandra Lindsay ’s conversation with Tareq Aro, MD , urologist, he strips away the fear and mystery surrounding kidney stones. He explains how stones form, why they’re on the rise, and what’s raising the risk for most people. Even better, Dr. Aro provides clear and simple advice on how to prevent the stones from causing trouble in the first place. Northwell is New York Sta...

In part 2, Dr. Aro explains why many stones are “silent”  — and why they suddenly announce their presence with the classic flank pain, which is among medicine’s most intense. He not only clarifies what to do in the moment, but also the options available to patients, including effective new treatments. Stay tuned for his checklist of behaviors that can help, along with advice on avoiding the stones...

In the first episode of this two-part discussion, host Chethan Sathya, MD , sits down with entrepreneur Mark Cuban for a candid look at why Cuban has set his sights on fixing the economics of healthcare. Cuban shares how the “power of broke” shaped his risk mindset, why curiosity beats bravado, and how democratized knowledge and AI are lowering the barrier to entrepreneurship. He unpacks the origi...

In the second part of this conversation between 20-Minute Health Talk host Chethan Sathya, MD , and Mark Cuban , they discuss the twin forces reshaping healthcare: AI and price transparency. He argues that large language models can curb online health misinformation and even augment day-to-day clinical decisions. Cuban dives into policy, praising recent moves to rein in Medicare Advantage overpayme...

Research astronaut and emergency physician Shawna Pandya, MD , joins host Chethan Sathya, MD , for a compelling conversation about space medicine’s real-world impact. From an upcoming all‑female suborbital research mission to VR/AR training, remote imaging, and “independent medical operations” for Moon and Mars, they connect frontier challenges to better care in rural and resource-limited settings...

In part one of this two-part episode, William Frist, MD , and host Chethan Sathya, MD , discuss Dr. Frist’s unlikely arc from heart and lung transplant pioneer to U.S. Senate Majority Leader to global conservation advocate. Dr. Frist explains how scientific curiosity and a problem-solving mindset led him from “healing one-on-one” to impact at scale through public policy. He also explores the moder...

In part two, William Frist, MD , outlines a rural health strategy that meets people where they are, a plan that draws on community health workers, cultural literacy, and hybrid care models that blend local touch with technology. He underscores the social determinants of health, such as environment, behavior and equity. Dr. Frist also connects climate and biodiversity loss to day-to-day health, exp...

In part one of this two-part 20-Minute Health Talk, host Chethan Sathya, MD , sits down with David Skorton, MD , President and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), for a candid look at a career defined by curiosity, openness, and unlikely pivots. Dr. Skorton traces his nontraditional journey from aspiring Los Angeles session musician to internist and cardiologist, to univers...

In the second episode of this two-part 20-Minute Health Talk, the conversation turns to the future of medical education in a world reshaped by AI, information overload, and eroding public trust. David Skorton, MD , discusses with host Chethan Sathya, MD , how academic medicine can responsibly integrate emerging technologies — from ambient listening tools to AI competencies — while ensuring curricu...

On this episode of 20-Minute Health Talk, host Chethan Sathya, MD , speaks with emergency physician and CEO Eric Wei, MD . They trace his path from a resident focused on quality improvement to leading New York City’s storied flagship hospital, Bellevue. Dr. Wei shares why he still works Friday emergency department shifts, what COVID taught him about crisis management and the mission that drives ca...

In a climate of mistrust, what builds credibility? In part 2 of this 20-Minute Health Talk, host Chethan Sathya, MD , and Eric Wei, MD , make the case for empathy and listening to community messengers over monologues, share COVID coordination lessons we must hardwire, and outline top NYC public health priorities—mental health, homelessness, violence prevention, and closing life-expectancy gaps. Th...

Leana Wen, MD — Washington Post columnist, emergency medicine physician, author and former Baltimore health commissioner — joins host Chethan Sathya, MD , to explore what truly builds trust in public health: listening without judgment, translating evidence into real-life decisions and acknowledging the tension between individual liberty and community well-being. She shares lessons from Baltimore’s...

Endometriosis can cause debilitating pain and infertility, yet getting a diagnosis can take nearly a decade. On this episode of 20-Minute Health Talk, hosted by Sandra Lindsay, RN, MBA , Christine Metz, PhD , co-director of the ROSE (Research OutSmarts Endometriosis) Study at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research , explains what endometriosis is, why symptoms can be so misleading, and how...

In part 2 of this 20-Minute Health Talk on endometriosis, host Sandra Lindsay, RN, MBA and guest Christine Metz, PhD , explore some of the findings from the ROSE Study at the Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research , such as potential markers for fertility, chronic inflammation and general uterine health. Dr. Metz describes how anyone can join her ongoing research and how it may lead to diagnost...

In this episode of the 20-Minute Health Talk podcast, Abe Sutton of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) joins host Chethan Sathya, MD , to share his personal path into public service and the lessons that shaped his approach to health policy. Sutton breaks down how CMS is tackling rising medical costs while raising the quality of care, covering value-based care models, payment re...