Taking the Pulse: a Health Care and Life Sciences Podcast

This week, Tina and Darra welcome Dr. Graham Adams, CEO of the South Carolina Office of Rural Health, a statewide non-profit dedicated to improving health care in rural and under-served communities. They chat about the challenge of health care providers remaining viable while serving rural communities, how the SCORH addressed the pandemic, and the future of rural hospitals. Tune in now!

Randy Covington, award winning television news journalist and Director of Special Projects and Newsplex at the University of South Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communications, joins Heather and Matthew for episode 56 of Taking the Pulse. As a television veteran with nearly 30 years of experience, Randy shares his thoughts on the unparalleled media coverage during the pandemic and the dra...

Did you know that colorectal cancer is the second leading cause of death in men and women in the United States? To get some insight into colon cancer’s widespread impact on Americans and other digestive issues, Heather and Darra welcome renowned Gastroenterologist Dr. March Seabrook. He shares important information about colon cancer, including brand new screening recommendations, as well as discu...

For epsiode 54, Heather and Darra chat with Hope Barber, the owner of one of South Carolina’s favorite restaurants, Bowens Island. They dive into how COVID has drastically changed the restaurant industry, including shut downs, staffing shortages, masking, vaccinations, and much more! Tune in now to hear from this long running, family-owned restaurant.

Current trends in the health care industry could soon create dramatic changes in how health care is provided and delivered. Matthew and Heather welcome this week’s guest, PYA Principal Orlando Alvarez, to get his insight on pressing issues like consolidation, value-based care, downside risk, consumerism, tech use with rural providers, and much more. Listen now!

For international nurse’s week, Heather and Darra sat down with two health care heroes who have been serving on the frontlines of the pandemic in rural South Carolina at McLeod-Loris Hospital. Layla Soles and Kaila Bonnett share their challenges, successes, and overall experience of caring for COVID-19 patients during the pandemic. Tune in now for their first-hand accounts.

The rapid changes and complexities of the healthcare industry can be difficult to follow. This week’s guest, Kevin Locke, leads a national health care consulting practice with decades of experience advising his clients on evolving trends in the industry. Tune in to hear Kevin, Matthew, and Heather take a deep dive into the most important trends impacting healthcare such as provider consolidation,...

For our 50th episode, Heather and Darra sat down with Reverend Stacy Lawton, an unsung COVID hero who serves as a Clinical Staff Chaplain at MUSC. Reverend Lawton shares the details of how COVID has drastically changed her job, the challenges of administering support to patients under COVID protocols, and how hospital chaplains are maintaining their own energy and mental health. Tune in now!

This week, Heather and Matthew chat with Dr. Steve Skinner of the Greenwood Genetic Center, a nonprofit that provides clinical genetic services, diagnostic lab testing, and much more. We dive into how the center has evolved over the past four decades, the unique services they provide, and the future of genetic testing and research. Tune in to epsiode 49 now!

With heart disease causing nearly 655,000 deaths in the United States each year, cardiovascular health has never been more important. Dr. Brent McLaurin, a skilled cardiologist and Medical Director of an internationally acclaimed research program, joins Heather and Darra to talk all things heart health. Tune in to episode 48 to learn about Anderson Heart, cardiac trends, and how COVID-19 infection...

For this week’s episode, Heather and Matthew chat with Carl Humphries and Dr. Heather Leisy from HopeHealth, a Federally-Qualified Health Center providing care to patients across multiple South Carolina counties. We discuss HopeHealth’s unique structure, the range of services they provide to more than 50,000 patients, and the future of community health centers post-COVID. Listen now!

On episode 46, Heather and Matthew welcome back South Carolina’s epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell to discuss the vaccine rollout in South Carolina. They dive into vaccine phases, efficacy, safety, strains and much more. Tune in now to hear from an expert in all things regarding the pandemic!

This week, Heather is joined by co-hosts and attorneys Matthew and Darra for a deep dive into the most important topics impacting the health care industry in the Carolinas and beyond. Listen now for their insights on pressing issues that providers and health care professionals need to know, from shifts to value-based care and price transparency to the continued growth of telehealth.

On our latest episode, Heather and Darra welcome Dr. Hugh Durrence, a physician who has been working non-stop to help his community fight COVID-19. We dive into his greatest challenges over the past year, how Liberty is providing the vaccine as a family practice, and his designation by the Board of Medical Examiners to help develop the Protocol for Administration of Vaccines by Pharmacists. Tune i...

On episode 43, Heather and Matthew welcome AnnMargaret McCraw to the studio, a health care reform advocate and CEO of Midlands Orthopaedics & Neurosurgery. AnnMargaret shares her passion for creating meaningful health care reform as well as her insights on cost transparency, ensuring quality care, and telehealth services. Listen now! Midlands Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery website: https://surg...

Newberry County Sheriff Lee Foster joins Heather and Matthew on episode 42 to discuss the ongoing struggles of his personal fight with COVID and the many challenges of leading a department during the pandemic. Tune in to hear Sheriff Foster’s insights and the details of his ordeal now.

This week, Heather and Matthew are joined by a leader in the infectious disease community, Dr. Krutika Kuppalli of MUSC. Dr. Kuppalli, a COVID-19 expert witness to the United States Congress, provides her perspective and shares her vast knowledge on vaccine timelines and effectiveness, new COVID variants, super spreader events like the super bowl, and much more. Tune in now!

On epsiode 40, Heather and Darra are joined by Dr. Kyle Guyton, a Pediatrics Specialist and Co-Owner of SouthernMed. We dive in to how his practice has changed during the pandemic, his participation in a COVID vaccine trial, and his views on in-person and virtual learning as a Lexington School District One board member. Tune in now!

Joining Heather and Matthew for episode 39 is John Carrington, the Founder and CEO of ZVerse, a South Carolina 3D printing company taking the PPE industry by storm. John discusses how he quickly pivoted ZVerse to meet the demands of the pandemic and became a critical supplier of face shields. Tune in now to hear ZVerse's success story, the latest on PPE and more!

For episode 38, Heather and Matthew welcome back our first ever guest: Thornton Kirby of the South Carolina Hospital Association. As President & CEO of SCHA, Thornton has been helping lead the health care industry and SC during the pandemic. Tune in to hear his unique insights on everything from supplies and hospital capacity to the possible salvation on the top of everyone’s mind- the vaccine...

On this week’s episode, Heather and Matthew welcome Jed Suddeth of Suddeth Health Care Solutions and Dr. Mac Knight of the Coker Group. As heads of numerous health care businesses throughout their careers, Jed and Dr. Knight have been at the forefront of creating innovative health care reform to decrease costs and build a more value based care delivery platform. Tune in to learn about their import...

Joining Heather and Darra to kick off season 2 of Taking the Pulse is Mako Medical VP of Operations Steve Hoover. We dive in to how the diagnostic lab has rapidly expanded to meet the demands of COVID-19 testing since we last spoke to Mako in July, news on the new COVID variant in the United States, the current vaccine roll out, and much more. Tune in now!

On episode 35, Heather and Matthew chat with Lauren Sausser, an award winning health care journalist and features editor for The Post and Courier. They discuss how COVID-19 has impacted journalism, Lauren’s recent COVID coverage, and the role of the media during the pandemic and ongoing vaccination roll outs. Tune in now for more!

This week, Heather and Matthew are joined by the Free Medical Clinic Executive Director Freddie Strange, a life-long health care worker known for his hands-on care and leadership. We discuss how the Free Medical Clinic provides high quality health care to South Carolina’s working poor as well as the pandemic’s impact on the non-profit and those they serve. Listen now!

On episode 33, Heather and Darra welcome back South Carolina Superintendent of Education Molly Spearman to discuss how the Palmetto State has met the challenge of maintaining instruction during the fall semester as the pandemic continues. We dive into case numbers, testing strategies within schools, rural broadband services, and much more. Tune in now!