Conversations on Health Care

U.S. spending on primary care fell again, to a mere 4.6% of total health care dollars spent. Primary Care Collaborative is the only national multi-stakeholder organization focused on whole-person primary care. Primary Care Collaborative President & CEO Ann Greiner joins hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter to discuss better compensation and reimbursement for primary care clinicians and eff...

Across the board, children of color in America receive less treatment and fewer life-saving interventions than white children, according to a research review published in Lancet Child and Adolescent Health. The data find that strongest disparities between whites and children of color involved pain management; kids of color are less likely than their white peers to get painkillers for a broken arm...

How is the long-held image of a psychiatrist with a couch in an office being replaced by artificial intelligence? And what are the promises and perils of using technology to help treat depression and anxiety? Dr. Jodi Halpern is a psychiatrist, noted author and co-founder of the University of California’s Berkeley Group for Ethics and Regulation of Innovative Technologies. Research shows that 26%...

There are many ways to address the social determinants of health but do we need to pay more attention to the one right in front of us? The Green and Healthy Homes Initiative thinks so, and it’s focused on addressing health inequities by making homes healthier, safer and more energy efficient. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy...

Experts praise community health workers as the keys to building a more equitable and fair health care system in America. Is there a way to unlock more success for hiring and retaining them? Dr. Shreya Kangovi thinks so; she developed the IMPaCT Care program, which is saving money and quickly growing. “Conversations on Health Care” hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter talked to her about how it...

Less than three months ago, Alondra Nelson, Ph. D., proudly watched as President Biden unveiled the administration’s blueprint for an artificial intelligence bill of rights, which is focused on ensuring safe, secure and trustworthy technology. Nelson had a big role in developing the strategy as she served as deputy assistant to the president and acting director of the White House Office of Science...

A new year brings hope for breakthroughs for our most complex health care issues. The leading thinkers have been sharing their perspectives with us. We’ve captured the highlights from our recent interviews covering vaccinations, abortion, mental health and all the top stories. Plus, we have important updates for 2024. Click below to join hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter for “Conversations...

The diagnosis and treatment of Long COVID made many advancements in the past 12 months and “Conversations on Health Care” covered all of them. We’ve collected the most important insights from leading researchers and clinicians as this medical mystery continues. Join hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter as they highlight the perspectives of guests ranging from NIH researchers and patients, to t...

The advice from one of Washington’s health care policy reporters is to rest up and enjoy the holidays because 2024 is going to be a very intense time. The top items on the agenda include a federal fight over the budget (including health care) that could lead to a government shutdown at the beginning of the year, a presidential campaign that will place health issues at the forefront, continuing con...

This is a critically important time for Dr. Ken Duckworth as the chief medical officer for NAMI— the National Alliance on Mental Illness. It’s the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Yet the holidays often bring increased instances of depression, which is especially troubling for a count...

Our guests were looking for a book that told real-life stories about Latinas in nursing, but they couldn’t find one. So they took the job upon themselves and wrote their own book, titled “Latinas in Nursing: Stories of Determination, Inspiration, and Trust.” The book is a compilation of the beautiful stories of the challenges, growth and discovery influential Latina nurses share about their journe...

The United Nations Climate Change Conference (known as COP28) is underway and on Dec. 3 it will feature a “Day of Health.” This is the first time the world leaders on climate change will devote an entire day to how climate change is affecting our physical, mental and emotional health. Dr. Vanessa Kerry, the World Health Organization Director-General Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health, joi...

Dr. Lisa Sanders grew up reading Sherlock Holmes. Now, she’s looking to solve health care mysteries as the medical director of the Yale New Haven Long COVID Multidisciplinary Care Center. She recently explained her patients are getting better through a variety of approaches and she’s hopeful the caseload will continue to decrease. Dr. Sanders, well-known for writing The New York Times “Diagnosis”...

Did you catch environmental engineer Linsey Marr, Ph. D., on “60 Minutes” explaining how she was confident she knew COVID was an airborne virus (even when the World Health Organization was saying otherwise)? Learn more about her insights and latest observations as she joins “Conversations on Health Care” this week. Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter also discuss air quality and energy effici...

Experienced health care executive Dr. Kyu Rhee, recently named as the president and CEO of the National Association of Community Health Centers, says member organizations are working on three big goals: Being the provider of choice, the employer of choice and the partner of choice. As he and NACHC members focus on these items, they’re also nervously awaiting congressional action. In late September...

Dr. Rajiv Shah, president of The Rockefeller Foundation, previously served on the National Security Council when he led USAID. Dr. Shah, our guest this week on “Conversations of Health Care,” explained that the war in Gaza requires a need to balance defense, diplomacy and development. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-...

Dr. Shereef Elnahal, the Under Secretary for Health in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, says their most important clinical care and public health issue right now is preventing veteran suicides. The data show that 17 vets a day die by suicide. Their work includes making sure vets know that the 988 Suicide and Crisis Hotline is available for them. He also explained that the VA has communicat...

Dr. Mandy Cohen, the new CDC director, is facing big hurdles as she tries to explain to Americans the benefits of three vaccines now available at the same time: the updated COVID and the flu vaccine (for everyone 6 months and older) and the RSV vaccine (for eligible older adults). There's vaccine skepticism and have been some issues with insurance payments. At the same time, she’s trying to rebuil...

While the Republican conference has selected Majority Leader Steve Scalise as its candidate for Speaker of the House and both parties fight over the budget, health care policy hangs in the balance. Ben Leonard with POLITICO and Nathaniel Weixcel with The Hill both cover health care policy and join us for a reporters’ roundtable to go over the pending issues as the government faces another funding...

As we mark Hispanic Heritage Month, we hear from Dr. Elena Rios, President and CEO of the National Hispanic Medical Association, which represents the interests of the nation’s 50,000 Latino physicians. This is an encore presentation from 2021 yet many of the issues we discussed then are still relevant, including Latino vaccine hesitancy and the pandemic’s mental health toll. Join hosts Mark Massel...

Researchers just announced they have found clear differences in the blood of Long COVID patients—this is the scientific proof that some in the health care sector want to see. Right before this news broke, we asked Dr. Lisa Sanders, the director of the new Yale New Haven Long COVID Multidisciplinary Care Center, about the lack of a Long COVID blood test. She pushed back on skeptics because she has...

Lola Adedokun is executive director of the Aspen Global Innovators Group, which advances a portfolio of programs focused on health and prosperity in the U.S. and around the world. This work includes a focus on what she calls powerful women who are redesigning health systems to better meet the needs of families. Join hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter as Adedokun explains how local leaders ar...

Two of the leading and most influential experts in LGBTQ+ health issues join “Conversations on Health Care” to discuss what the Human Rights Campaign calls its community’s “state of emergency.” Dr. Marwan Haddad is the immediate past chair of the HIV Medicine Association and the medical director at the Center for Key Populations at Community Health Center, Inc. Dr. Carl Streed is the president-ele...

Dr. Ashish Jha, the former White House COVID Coordinator, says he expects vaccines updated for this fall will provide a “great deal of protection” but he acknowledges there are questions about whether a young person should get the booster. “My best read of the literature is that, yes, they should [get the COVID booster shot]. A reasonable person could read the literature and say, ‘I don’t know if...

The director of Mayo Clinic's COVID Activity Rehabilitation Program says they’re seeing a decrease in Long COVID cases, likely due to variant changes and the effectiveness of vaccines. Dr. Greg Vanichkachorn describes Long COVID as a group of symptoms that linger longer than the normal COVID recovery period. He says fatigue and physical complaints decrease but patients have lingering cognitive eff...