Connected By Health

Kim Downey, a pediatric physical therapist, founded Stand Up for Doctors after a personal journey through multiple cancer diagnoses and the traumatic loss of a radiologist she trusted to suicide. Those experiences left her emotionally depleted and searching for ways to support the clinicians who care for others while often struggling in silence. Through coaching and connection, she shifted from lo...

Dr Krishna Vedala is hosting Dr. Herschel Brown, an emergency physician and candidate for Oklahoma House District 99, discusses how front-line clinical experience shapes his view that many of Oklahoma's health problems require legislative solutions. He describes seeing patients at their most dire—mental health crises, substance use, unmanaged chronic disease, and lack of prenatal care—and emphasiz...

Dr Krishna Vedala introduces Dr. Megan Sheppard, a board-certified bariatric and foregut surgeon, and frames the episode around advances in bariatric and foregut surgery and practical guidance for patients considering weight-loss or foregut procedures. Dr. Sheppard's background is summarized: Kansas native, KU medical school, surgical residency in Knoxville, and fellowship in Kansas City focusing...

The episode opens with Dr Krishna Vedala introducing Dr. Crystal Hernandez, a forensic psychologist turned system architect and activator with an MBA and over 20 years in behavioral health administration. Dr. Hernandez frames her work as operational — designing and implementing real-world systems that integrate behavioral and physical health rather than only producing policy on paper. Dr. Hernande...

Dr Krishna Vedala opens the episode by introducing Dr. Stephanie Byerly, an anesthesiologist-turned-coach who helps people move past numbness to reclaim clarity, purpose, and meaning. He frames the conversation around the common existential question—"Is this all there is?"—and highlights Dr. Byerly's focus on supporting people through burnout, loss, and loss of direction. The introduction sets the...

  Krishna Vedala interviews Po Murray, co-founder and chairwoman of the Newtown Action Alliance, about community-led and policy-driven efforts to prevent gun violence. She frames gun violence as a public health crisis, sharing that her advocacy began after the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre, and describing the Alliance's work supporting survivors, organizing vigils, and pushing for evidence-based reform...

Dr. Krishna welcomes Dr. Swati Shah, an OB-GYN with a public health background and entrepreneur behind Plans Connect, to discuss clinical experiences, career development, and the importance of human connection. Dr. Shah shares how long-term patient relationships shaped her practice and led her to shift from clinical work into roles across public health, pharmaceuticals, and startup leadership. Per...

The hosts discuss a recent proposal to rename polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) to polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS), arguing the new name better reflects the condition's endocrine and metabolic roots rather than implying it's solely an ovarian problem. They note the diagnostic criteria (Rotterdam) remain unchanged; the rename is mainly semantic and aimed at improving understanding...

Dr Krishna Vedala opens the episode by framing firearm violence not as a political talking point but as a quantifiable public‑health crisis. He cites CDC data showing over 48,000 firearm deaths in 2022—the highest on record—and stresses that firearms now kill more people annually than motor vehicle crashes. Most strikingly, firearms are the leading cause of death for children and adolescents in th...

Senate candidate Troy W. Green visits Connected by Health to share how his thirty-plus years in law enforcement, juvenile services, and community leadership shape a campaign centered on public safety, opportunity, and support for working families. Drawing on his experience founding Safe Haven Oklahoma, Mr. Green emphasizes combating human trafficking, protecting at‑risk youth, and strengthening fo...

In this episode Dr Krishna Vedala speaks with pediatrician Dr. Alexander Mock about the importance of childhood vaccinations. They explain that the routine immunization schedule is evidence-based, timed to protect children when they are most vulnerable and to build community immunity that shields those who cannot be vaccinated. Delaying vaccines leaves children exposed to preventable infections, a...

BroSides Ep. 1 (Vedala Brothers) Topic: Male obesity-associated secondary hypogonadism (MOSH). Definition: MOSH = low testosterone in men driven by obesity-related mechanisms rather than primary testicular failure. Mechanism: Excess adipose tissue increases aromatase (converts testosterone → estrogen) and obesity/insulin resistance lowers SHBG, reducing total testosterone. Clinical approach: Confi...

Episode 14 - From Frontline to Policy: A Behavioral Health Journey   Krishna interviews Ms Ruth Downey, director of Care Management and Strategic Transformation, about the realities and solutions in behavioral health. Downey draws on extensive frontline and leadership experkience—working in youth residential settings, schools, crisis services, substance use, and rural health—to explain how behavio...

Four Percent of Spending. One Hundred Percent of the Foundation Primary care is called the front door of the healthcare system. It's where prevention happens. It's where chronic disease is managed. It's where trust between patients and clinicians is built. And yet in the United States, that front door is cracking. Primary care accounts for just 4–5% of total healthcare spending in a system that sp...

In this Snapshot episode Dr. Bernadette Miller, an expert in Ehlers‑Danlos syndromes, explains what EDS is, highlights the risks of vascular EDS (VEDS) on REDs 4 VEDS Day, and outlines common signs like hypermobile joints, chronic pain, easy bruising, and dysautonomia. She offers practical tips for daily management (joint supports, appropriate footwear, braces), recommends the Ehlers‑Danlos Societ...

This episode centers on mental health as essential infrastructure, featuring psychiatrist and director of OK SPARK Dr. Sara Coffey and host Krishna. Dr. Coffey opens with her background—motivated by early work in child welfare—and explains why she chose child psychiatry. The conversation highlights systemic barriers to timely, evidence-based mental health care: stigma, inadequate reimbursement/par...

Title:  Trillion and Rising: Why Healthcare Keeps Getting More Expensive   The United States now spends over $5 trillion a year on healthcare.   That's nearly 1 in every 5 dollars in the entire U.S. economy. Yet despite this staggering number, millions of Americans still delay care, skip medications, or struggle to afford basic services.   As Krishna asks in this episode: "Why does spending keep g...

Host Krishna introduces Dr. Brian Whitson, an experienced pulmonologist with board certification across multiple fields (pulmonary, sleep medicine, palliative care, internal medicine, formerly critical care). Dr. Whitson has practiced predominantly in rural Oklahoma (Enid) for about 31 years and blends clinical care, education, and community service. Dr. Whitson recounts formative experiences: wor...

Deep dive into interprofessional education (IPE) and interprofessional collaborative practice (IPC): what they are, how they differ from other team concepts, why they matter for patient, population, and community health, and practical steps for educators and health systems to improve teamwork. Guest - Dr. Tina Patel‑Gonaldo — expert in interprofessional education and collaborative practice; backgr...

      Episode framing Host Krishna frames vaccines as both medical and economic interventions, calling this discussion a "deep dive" into the economic ramifications of vaccination for public policy, health systems, insurers, employers, schools and GDP.   Historical impact Edward Jenner's 1796 cowpox inoculation led to eventual smallpox eradication (WHO declared eradication in 1980). Smallpox eradi...

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Kerry Morgan, public health professor and health behavior researcher at the University of Central Oklahoma, to explore the foundational role of public health in shaping healthier, more resilient communities. From disease prevention and health education to burnout, research, and policy, this conversation highlights how public health operates far beyond hospital...

In this episode of Connected by Health , host Krishna Vedala sits down with healthcare administrator Adrian Francisco from Advent Aurora Health in Wisconsin to explore what it truly means to lead in today's evolving healthcare system. Drawing from his experience within one of the largest nonprofit health systems in the U.S., Adrian explains how administrative decisions—from staffing models to reim...

Education, Health, and the Foundation of Human Potential Guest: Superintendent Jason Perez   The Big Idea of the Episode This conversation explores how education and health are deeply connected , and why schools often serve as the front line for community wellbeing . Jason Perez discusses how meeting students' basic human needs is essential before learning can truly happen — a concept rooted in Ma...

Why Your Prescriptions Cost So Much: A Pharmacist Explains PBMs   Why does the same medication cost dramatically less in other countries while Americans are stuck choosing between prescriptions and rent? In this episode of Connected by Health , Dr. Krishna Vedala sits down with Alexander Vedala, a licensed pharmacist and CEO of Sooner Pharmacy and Compassionate Care Pharmacy, to expose what's real...

A Tale of Sacrifice and Truth: The Untold Reality of Practicing Medicine During COVID When Medicine Had No Playbook   What was it really like inside hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic? Behind the headlines, political arguments, and endless media coverage were physicians and nurses navigating a crisis that modern medicine had never faced before. Protocols were evolving in real time. Data change...