HealthCast

As the oldest American medical school and the only HBCU to have been chartered by Congress, Howard University's College of Medicine is innovating in medical technology and working with industry and government partners to foster more equitable, accessible and improved health care. This episode in our HBCU spotlight series talks to Associate Dean Michael Crawford who highlights the role Howard and o...

This mental health awareness month, Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, returns to HealthCast to discuss the latest research and understanding of public mental health and substance abuse initiatives. This includes the importance of early detection, targeting underserved populations and removing the stigma on seeking help.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. HealthCast is bringing you episodes to honor top mental health efforts across the federal government from a leadership perspective. The National Institute of Mental Health's Director Dr. Joshua Gordon discusses the work the leading federal agency for research on mental health disorders is doing to combat mental health issues and possibly prevent them in the fu...

In our second episode of our National Cancer Act 50th Anniversary miniseries, we examine the field of cancer research and diagnostics. National Cancer Institute Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnostics Associate Director Dr. Meg Mooney and Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis Director Dr. James Doroshow explain the history of this technology, as well as...

The COVID-19 pandemic created demand for a rapid vaccination program without precedence in American history. It also placed considerable responsibility on federal agencies, particularly the Department of Veterans Affairs, which provides full-scale health care to over 9 million enrolled veterans nationwide. Deputy Chief Consultant for Preventive Medicine Dr. Sophia Califano breaks down how VA met t...

With people of minority background and those with obesity and diabetes most at risk for severe cases of COVID-19, the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases is leading in the research behind why that is. Director Dr. Griffin Rodgers, who contributed to the first effective therapy for sickle cell anemia, updates HealthCast on the institute's work to lessen the effects of C...

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death for African Americans, and there are a number of environmental and genetic factors behind it. The Jackson Heart Study has been ongoing for over 20 years to understand why, and we talk to one of its principal investigators at Tougaloo College, Dr. Wendy White, to understand how it's helping build trust between the U.S. medical establishment and Afr...

There are many racial disparities in American medical research and health care, but HBCUs play a critical role in bridging those divides. Dr. Cynthia Warrick, president of Stillman College, and also a pharmacist and health services researcher by trade, highlights how her academic institution is uplifting students and faculty to expand biomedical programs and research impacting the public health ca...

50 years ago, President Richard Nixon signed the National Cancer Act into law. But what was the state of cancer in America like before the act, and how has the fight against cancer generally changed since the act passed? We spoke with NCI Director Dr. Ned Sharpless to talk about the work NCI has done since the passage of the act as the first part of our six-part miniseries this year in commemorati...

Peek into HealthCast's special six-episode series with the National Cancer Institute to honor the 50th anniversary of the National Cancer Act. This introductory episode includes an overview of the legislation's impact from NCI Director Dr. Ned Sharpless. Episodes will release bimonthly and will include perspectives from health and research officials from NCI and beyond.

The isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic has been challenging for all Americans, no less so for veterans seeking treatment for mental health and PTSD recovery. Hear from Dr. Christina Armstrong, clinical psychologist at the VA Office of Connected Care, on how the agency has worked to increase the availability and access to remote counseling and mental telehealth over the past year.

This special three-part episode recognizes Eating Disorder Awareness Week. Researchers from the National Eating Disorders Association and National Institute of Mental Health are pioneering treatments for mental illnesses and eating disorders to uplift underrepresented affected communities and personalize care. This includes demystifying the diseases, identifying future opportunities with data anal...

The COVID-19 vaccine is here, and people are seeking to get it. Fraudsters are taking advantage of this moment and are scamming people into fake vaccination signups, pilfering money and identity information. HHS OIG Special Agent in Charge Nenette Day tells us about how her organization is navigating upticks in fraud and how to protect yourself from it.

The Defense Innovation Unit connects industry and the Defense Department, acting as an acquisition accelerator of innovation and commercial technology to military customers. DIU Human Systems Portfolio Director Christian Whitchurch shares some of his projects in the medical and COVID-19 spaces and how his relationship with industry and DOD customers is unique for innovating new ways of looking at...

Eli Kaufman from the the Department of Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Medical Center founded the agency's Mobile OPS program, which is designed to bring in-home prosthetics care to veterans who might face challenges visiting a VA medical center. Kaufman reflects on the impact of being able to visit a veteran at their home, and the exceptional benefits for patient outcomes and satisfaction when provi...

At the intersection of health and technology, Indian Health Service Chief Health Informatics Officer Susy Postal provides a look into the health modernization underway at the agency. Faced with disproportionate health issues and support, and a comparatively lower budget than other health agencies, IHS is tackling tech improvements that can address these disparities.

Behrouz Shabestari, acting director of NIH NIBIB's Division of Health Informatics Technologies, details how the center is researching innovative applications in biotechnologies and the impact of AI in health care. Shabestari describes how these methods, including imaging tech, also have contributed to tackling COVID-19 detection and treatment.

Kevin Patel, winner of the VHA Innovation Ecosystem Challenge America COVID-19 Maker Challenge series, and Allison Amrhein, director of operations for the VHA Innovators Network, discuss a new telehealth prototype and how the Innovation Ecosystem is expanding the horizons of telehealth at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Mannan Dasti, CIO at the National Institute of Mental Health, discusses how the agency is focused on the holistic view of technology. He describes the importance that apps work together and for data to be shared across multiple systems in order for the scientific community to make complete decisions. The public and health professionals can address and tackle the stigma around mental health issues...

The Food and Drug Administration is responsible for regulating certain digital health software and devices, like those many of us wear daily. Bakul Patel, the first director of FDA's new Digital Health Center of Excellence, talks about how the FDA is looking to advance regulatory policies, collaborate with stakeholders, and ensure digital health technologies are safe and effective for the public.

The Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research office has a vital role in the decision-making that regulates medicines. Senior Business Informatics Officer Justin Scott describes how the agency is using digital intelligence tools like ABBYY and automation to modernize the agency's 30 years of archives and support researchers monitoring public health.

With recent news about the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, the Department of Health and Human Services is still focused on managing the ongoing threat of the pandemic. The HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response's Joe Hamel explains how his office is fortifying medical supply manufacturing and distribution for soon-to-be COVID-19 vaccines, as well as how innovative tech...

The Defense Healthcare Management System Program Executive Office (DHMS) has been deploying the Military Health System's new electronic health record, MHS GENESIS. DHMS Acting Program Executive Officer Holly Joers discusses in this episode updates to the deployment, including the inclusion of the U.S. Coast Guard to the EHR, as well as how the Joint Health Information Exchange and more recent Comm...

The National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases, part of the NIH, is leading COVID-19 clinical trial efforts through a large-scale network, called the COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN). Dr. Jim Kublin, the executive director of operation programs for CoVPN, shares more about this government-funded clinical trials network for COVID-19, the importance of diversity in research, and how...

Dr. Emily Tonorezos, the director of the office of cancer survivorship at the National Cancer Institute, joins us for this episode to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of cancer patients, as well as ways technology is being used to support cancer care delivery and mental health services.