Raise the Line

Pediatric nurse, global force in fighting AIDS, professor of nursing, academic leader -- Adele Webb has played many roles in her career by following her passion. As she reveals to host Rishi Desai in this episode of Raise the Line, allowing yourself the opportunity to follow that passion, and having the courage to do so, can be the key to a meaningful career. If you like this podcast, please share...

Half of all nurses in the U.S. are graduates of two-year programs when they first start practicing, and while a national push is on to encourage RN's to get bachelor's degrees, an associate's degree remains a critical path into the profession. Donna Meyer, who runs the only organization that advocates for these two-year programs, joins host Shiv Gaglani to explore the realities facing early-career...

Why are young patients with COVID 19 having strokes? Why are ventilators not as effective as expected? Why do some patients have the symptoms of altitude sickness? One explanation for these mysteries is the disease keeps adapting and changing. But the other is that our understanding of it is catching up to what might be the truth: COVID 19 is not primarily a lung disease but rather a disease of th...

Quick, accurate testing for COVID-19 is critically important as states begin to loosen up social distancing. Enter Biomeme, a Pennsylvania-based biotech firm, with a system that allows sophisticated DNA testing to be done in virtually any location using a smartphone and a piece of lab equipment small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Non-professionals can be quickly trained to use it, and re...

Imagine this: college students back on campus, but older professors teaching from home. That's one of the scenarios Coursera CEO Jeff Maggioncalda says might play out this fall as higher education regroups in response to COVID-19. What he knows for certain is his online education company, which already had 46 million learners and 200 university partners, has seen explosive growth in the past few m...

Dr. Abdirahman Mahamud of the World Health Organization was among the first to see reports out of China last December about a mysterious pneumonia-like illness that we all now know as COVID-19. He tells host Dr. Rishi Desai that preparedness, widespread testing, and aggressive action to deal with those infected explains why many countries in Asia have fared better than parts of Europe and the U.S....

"Your calling is sacred." That's the message Dr. Conrad Fischer has for people entering health professions, especially in the midst of the coronavirus crisis. He took a few moments out from treating COVID-19 patients, twenty of whom had died in his Brooklyn hospital the previous day, to describe the fear, frustration, dedication and humanity of his colleagues who are doing their best in unpreceden...

The Coronavirus crisis has presented unprecedented challenges for physicians. Retired doctors are back in their white coats helping on the frontlines while medical students are being allowed to practice before graduation, and community physicians are struggling to hold on to their practices as people avoid getting routine care. Keeping a sharp eye on all of it is Dr. Patrice Harris, president of t...

Only a handful of people have as much responsibility for overseeing U.S. response to COVID-19 as Dr. Anne Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director at U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and few can match her three decades at the CDC fighting infectious diseases, from AIDS, to Swine Flu, to Ebola. In this insightful interview with Dr. Rishi Desai, she cautions about the accuracy of antibody tests, support...

Combining the perspectives of physician, New York City hospital leader, and high ranking government official, Dr. David Shulkin shares unique insights with host Dr. Rishi Desai on how the coronavirus crisis will impact how we provide healthcare for generations to come. One of the most significant changes could be permanently altering how frequently telemedicine is used. If you like this podcast, p...

Imagine being a pregnant ER doctor in New York City in the middle of the coronavirus crisis and then finding out you are COVID positive. That’s the compelling story Dr. Poonam Desai shares with our chief medical officer (and her cousin!) Dr. Rishi Desai as she recounts what it's like to be on the front lines, the precautions she's taking to protect her family, and her determination to be there for...

Dr. Tom Frieden, president and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives and former Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control joins host Dr. Rishi Desai to discuss U.S. response to the coronavirus crisis, the need for expanded access to testing, and examples of effective responses by governments in Asia. If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the ser...