Public Service Announcement with Dr. James E.K. Hildreth

Reverend Robert Hall, chaplain at Meharry Medical College and special advisor to the president joins Dr. James E.K. Hildreth to discuss how faith interweaves with medicine, how spiritual care shapes compassionate healthcare providers, and why trust between communities and healthcare systems often begins in places of worship. He also shares lessons from Meharry's 150-year legacy and how students ca...

With more than 30 years of experience in health disparities research, Mr. Vence Bonham , president and CEO of Meharry Medical College's Diaspora Human Genomics Institute (DHGI), joins Dr. James E.K. Hildreth to explain how genomics is shaping the future of personalized medicine, and why the lack of diversity in genetic data creates major gaps in care. Through initiatives like Together for Change,...

Dr. Juan McGruder, senior vice president of institutional advancement at Meharry Medical College joins Dr. James E.K. Hildreth to explain how fundraising, partnerships and alumni engagement fuel Meharry's mission and student success. He also discusses the unique challenges facing historically Black medical schools, the importance of storytelling and endowment and how Meharry's 150th anniversary is...

What does it take to pivot from professional athletics to a career in health care? Dr. James E.K. Hildreth explores that path with Donovan Gilmore, a Harlem Globetrotter and current Meharry School of Dentistry student (Class of 2027). Gilmore shares how mentorship and a pivotal conversation inspired him to pursue dentistry after a career in athletics and entertainment. He reflects on the challenge...

Dr. Andrew Marshall , a 2015 Meharry alumnus, joins Dr. James E.K. Hildreth to discuss his journey from emergency medicine to a clinical specialist role at Google. With advanced training in bioinformatics from Harvard, he now leverages artificial intelligence and digital health innovation to improve health literacy, expand equitable access to care, and enhance online health information. In the con...

Dr. Mosa Shubayr, a Meharry graduate and leader in dental public health, joins Dr. James E.K. Hildreth to discuss how he is transforming care in Saudi Arabia. From launching a dental program serving more than 70,000 rural people to successfully integrating research, academic training and clinical services, Shubayr shares how compassion and data-driven strategy can improve oral health outcomes. He...

Preserving history isn't about looking backward — it's about ensuring the future understands what came before. As Executive Director of the Meharry Medical College Library and Archives, Sandra Parham serves as the guardian of a 150-year legacy rooted in service, resilience and community care. In this episode, she shares how documenting Meharry's past — its students, stories and sacrifices — reveal...

Meharry alumnus Dr. Brandon Morgan , founder of Iconic Orthodontics in Atlanta, sits down with Dr. James E.K. Hildreth to share how his journey through Meharry and Howard University shaped his commitment to serving underserved communities, launching a Medicaid orthodontic program and building a non-traditional practice centered on access and trust. The conversation explores the importance of mento...

Orthodontist and Meharry alumnus Dr. Kenneth Carter (class of 2020) shares how mentorship shaped his path from Chicago to dental education and practice ownership. As the first Meharrian accepted into the University of Michigan's orthodontics program, Carter discusses the importance of representation, the barriers facing aspiring Black and brown healthcare professionals and his commitment to buildi...

Thousands of Tennesseans can't access the dental care they need, but Dr. Julie Gray isn't waiting around for this to change — she's driving the change right to their doors. As Associate Dean of Community Affairs at Meharry Medical College, Gray leads transformational programs like the Mobile Dental Unit and biannual Oral Health Days, bringing compassionate, high-quality care directly to underserve...

For many patients in rural and underserved communities, seeing a kidney specialist has long meant hours of travel, months of waiting, and overwhelming anxiety. Meharry Medical College alumna Dr. Sharica Brookins (Class of 2012) saw the impact of those gaps firsthand — and instead of accepting them, she brought care closer to the patient's home. Through Remote Renal Care, the state's first fully vi...

Dr. Armen Henderson, a Meharry graduate, shares his journey as an advocate on the front lines of health equity. Our discussion covers how his organization grew from disaster relief and community workshops into a full-time provider of comprehensive, around the clock care for marginalized communities. We'll offer an insider's look into the complexities and rewards of running a not-for-profit health...

In our Season One finale, Dr. Hildreth welcomes back entrepreneur and health equity advocate Marcus Whitney to reflect on the importance of building and maintaining trust in healthcare. Together they'll explore Meharry Medical College's critical role in addressing historical health disparities, particularly for marginalized communities, and the groundbreaking Together for Change initiative that wi...

David Feinberg, MD, chairman of Oracle Health, believes AI will revolutionize health care, enabling better outcomes through predictive diagnostics, streamlined workflows and reduced clinician burden. In this episode, he shares how Oracle Health's innovative platform leverages AI to enhance efficiency and accuracy, integrating tools like ambient listening and real-time data capture to improve patie...

LifePoint Health's CEO, David Dill , shares his personal story and the inspiration behind his work in addressing the challenges of delivering health care to rural areas and communities. Dill joins Dr. Hildreth to emphasize the importance of partnerships and collaborations in addressing these challenges and to highlight the role of trust in health care delivery. They also cover the significance of...

As a pillar of the Meharry community for over six decades, Dr. Henry Moses continues to lead with a legacy of leadership, and a deep commitment to student mentorship. Together, Dr. Moses and Dr. James E.K. Hildreth address the evolving perceptions of Meharry over the years and the profound impact the institution has had on patient care, both locally and world-wide. They also reflect on some of the...

Senator Bill Frist believes climate change impacts more than just our environment; it also has a significant effect on our mental and physical health. Sen. Frist joins Dr. Hildreth to discuss the reasons for rising incidences of diseases previously under control, and highlights the correlation between weather and increases in violent crime, suicide and natural disasters. They also explore the heal...

Trust in health care is eroding, with the percentage of people who trust physicians decreasing from 90% in 2020 to 75% in the present. Alex Jahangir , MD, MMHC, an orthopedic surgeon and chair of the Board of Health in Nashville, joins James E.K. Hildreth, PhD, MD, to discuss lessons learned from the pandemic and the negative consequences that dwindling trust between may have on patient outcomes....

Jeannette South-Paul , M.D., DHL(Hon), FAAFP, executive vice president and Provost of Meharry Medical College, joins James E.K. Hildreth , PhD, MD, to discuss the longstanding relationship between the Department of Veterans Affairs and medical schools across the country. Together they delve into the impact this collaboration has on medical students, veterans and the broader health care landscape....

Dr. Atul Grover , executive director of the AAMC Research and Action Institute, outlines his concerns regarding health disparities created by recent policy changes and the effects regulations have on minority populations. As a nationally recognized expert in health policy, Dr. Grover describes his goal of contributing to growth in academic medicine through increasing diversity within the health ca...

CEO of the National Healthcare for the Homeless Council, Bobby Watts , joins Dr. Hildreth to discuss the vitality of health equity in the face of economic disparity, and how understanding the homelessness crisis as a substantial human rights issue promotes empathy and strengthens the country as a whole. They'll also provide insights into effective strategies for ensuring equal access to healthcare...

A legendary transplant surgeon, Clive Callender , MD, FACS, founder and president of The National Minority Organ Tissue Transplant Education Program (MOTTEP) and professor of surgery at the Howard University College of Medicine. Dr. Callender joins Dr. Hildreth to reflect on how his difficult upbringing inspired his later success as a medical professional and educator, and highlights the importanc...

Dr. Cherae Farmer-Dixon serves as Dean of Meharry's superior School of Dentistry which produces 40 percent of the nation's currently practicing Black dentists. Dean Farmer-Dixon joins Dr. Hildreth for an insightful conversation on the importance of oral health to one's overall wellbeing and how a single visit to a dentist could potentially save your life by helping detect other related medical iss...

Guest host Marcus Whitney , founder of Jumpstart Nova, the first venture fund in America focused on Black-led startups, interviews Dr. James E.K. Hildreth , PhD, MD, to hear his personal journey of struggle and triumph as a young Black man in health care, how his childhood impacted his path through elite higher education and why he continues to encourage others to take chances on their goals.

Join host Dr. James E.K. Hildreth, PhD, MD, as we step inside the minds of healthcare leaders across the country with a new series aimed at spreading factual, informative and inspiring knowledge through conversations with a list of influential and educated health and policy experts in various fields. Dr. Hildreth is an infectious disease expert and researcher and CEO and president of one of the co...