Taking the Pulse: a Health Care and Life Sciences Podcast

Heather and Matthew are joined by special co-host Nexsen Pruet attorney Tushar Chikhliker for a crossover episode with The Buzz to introduce SCBIO’s new leader, James Chappell. After a nationwide search, James has been named as SCBIO’s new President & CEO to lead the organization’s great work in directing the flourishing life sciences industry in South Carolina. Tune in for this special episod...

Dr. Elizabeth Mack, Chief of Pediatric Critical Care at MUSC, joins Heather and Matthew to share her experience treating COVID-19 in children over the last 20 months and discusses the long-term impacts of COVID in children as well as vaccinations. Tune in now for Dr. Mack’s expert insight and to learn about her impressive career!

On episode 80, Darra and Heather welcome back South Carolina epidemiologist Dr. Linda Bell to discuss the status of the pandemic. They dive into the omicron variant, vaccination rates in children, and the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and increased overdoses. Tune in now for her expert insight!

Matthew and Heather welcome Brian Argo of Conway Medical Center, a non-profit, full-service hospital serving the needs of Horry County, South Carolina, and the surrounding communities. We discuss how he has helped lead the medical center through the pandemic, the challenges and opportunities around the growth of the Grand Strand area, and hot health care topics. Tune in now!

On episode 78, Bart Strickland, VP of Provider Services and Health Systems, and Shannon Hudson, Director of Health Care Regulation, join Matthew and Heather for a deep dive into the No Surprises Act. We cover implementation, what plans are included and excluded, the details on covered services, and much more. Tune in now for everything you need to about the No Surprises Act!

Joining us again is Representative Murrell Smith, an attorney and Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, for an update on COVID-19’s continued impact on the Statehouse. We discuss the State’s 2022 legislative outlook, including the DHEC restructuring bill, the Affordable Care Act, and hospital consolidation. Tune in now for Murrell’s insights on health care law in South Carolina!

Nexsen Pruet employment and health care lawyers Nikole Mergo and Jennie Cluverius join Matthew and Heather to navigate the whirlwind of new issues and changes in State and Federal laws affecting employers since the pandemic began. We dive into managing risk, requiring tests, the vaccinate mandate, and exemptions. Listen now for their insights for employers on all things vaccines and more. *This ep...

On episode 75, Heather and Matthew are joined by the South Carolina Hospital Association’s Vice President of Engagement, Rozalynn Goodwin. Rozalynn has been a force in the community advocating for quality and accessible health care with SCHA for years, and shares her insights on the Affordable Care Act and rural health care and as well as her personal story of loss with COVID-19. Tune in to hear f...

This week, Heather and Matthew speak with Dr. Patel and Dr. Naidu, practitioners and leaders of Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associates, a medical practice that promotes both physical and emotional wellbeing for patients diagnosed with cancer. Dr. Kashyap and Dr. Naidu share their deep knowledge of cancer care, explain their holistic approach, and discuss their dedication to positioning patients...

For episode 73, our hosts chat with Dr. Sarah Allen, the founder, CEO and Chief Clinical Officer of The Skin Clique, a growing company comprised of physicians and nurse practitioners who see patients from the comfort of their own home. Dr. Allen describes her innovative medical group and how they help patients look and feel their best, their effective business model, trends in aesthetic medicine,...

Joining us again is Mako Medical COO Josh Arant, who first sat down on Taking the Pulse at the beginning of the pandemic. Josh and our hosts discuss how the diagnostic lab has continued to rapidly expand and innovate to meet the demands of COVID-19 testing, what the Mako team has accomplished over the past 1.5 years, and what they will continue to do to help serve countless communities and schools...

Joining Heather and Darra from We Are Sharing Hope, Dave DeStefano and Kristine Neal dive deep into organ and tissue donation on episode 71. As South Carolina’s federally designated Organ Procurement Organization (OPO), their non-profit facilitates life-saving organic and life-enhancing tissue donation across the State. Dave and Kristine describe specific donor needs, conveying the benefits of don...

On this week’s episode, Heather and Matthew welcome Foster Jordan of Charles River Laboratories, which provides products and services to help expedite the discovery, early-stage development and safe manufacture of novel drugs and therapeutics. We have a lively conversation about health care and patient safety – including how horseshoe crabs right here in South Carolina contribute to keeping inject...

What does a medical practice that operates without the constraints of insurance look like? Dr. Cory Annis, the founder of Unorthodoc, sits down with Heather and Matthew to discuss how her practice provides patients with affordable, relationship-driven health care through the Direct Primary Care model. Dr. Annis explains her improved physician-patient relationships, monthly membership fees, and the...

Bon Secours St. Francis President Matt Caldwell joins Heather and Matthew for episode 68 to discuss how the Upstate of South Carolina is battling the Delta Variant, a low vaccine rate, and burnout in medical professionals. A veteran of hospital leadership, Matt also dives into trending health care issues such as Certificate of Need, value-based care, and hospital provider consolidations. Tune in n...

On episode 67, Heather and Darra are joined by Stuart Barber, the Director of Senior Living at Charleston based architecture firm McMillan Pazdan Smith. Stuart focuses his work on environments for seniors and discusses the relationship between design and the quality of life for adults residing in senior living facilities. We also dive into how COVID has affected senior care, the future of design f...

South Carolina criminal defense lawyer and former federal prosecutor Debbie Barbier joins Heather and Matthew to discuss her 25 years of experience in both state and federal courtrooms. She shares her thoughts on cases and legislation impacting the health care industry including COVID relief fraud, her methods when working on health care related cases, and much more. Tune in to episode 66 now!

Joining Heather and Darra from Prisma Health, Dr. Kevin Walker, a pain medicine specialist and anesthesiologist, and Doug Furmanek, Clinical Director of Pharmacy Services, dive deep in to the opioid epidemic gripping the United States. They share first-hand accounts of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the incidence of opioid misuses in South Carolina, ways the medical community can reduce op...

On episode 64, Heather and Nexsen Pruet health care attorneys Matthew Roberts and Nikole Mergo sit down with Tod Augsburger, the President and CEO of Lexington Medical Center, a 557 bed nonprofit hospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. As the delta variant surges throughout the nation, Tod shares his insights on how Lexington Medical Center and the Lexington community has battled COVID since 20...

Matthew and Heather welcome back Sam Konduros to discuss his new role as President and CEO of KOR Medical. KOR Medical is a recently launched health innovation company that plans to set the standard in the arena of personalized, clinical cannabis to benefit patients suffering from diseases like epilepsy and cancer and to help alleviate the nationwide opioid crisis. Tune in now and learn more about...

Dr. Ada Stewart, a physician at Eua Claire Cooperative Health Center, returns a year after first joining Heather and Darra on the podcast to give us an update on how the pandemic has impacted her work and patients. Dr. Stewart shares the details of her experience as President of the American Academy of Family Physicians during a tumultuous time, her service to underserved communities in South Caro...

South Carolina Representative Kambrell Garvin of District 77 joins Heather and Darra to discuss Legislative initiatives helping the Palmetto State recover and thrive post-pandemic. Representative Garvin also provides insights on the health care issues impacting his District, challenges in the education system, and vaccinations in SC. Tune in to epsiode 61 now!

For our 60th episode, political journalist Meg Kinnard of the Associated Press joins us to share her fierce and focused fight against stage 3 inflammatory breast cancer. Meg discusses the personal details of her journey, including what she has learned about the health care system, how she continues to work, stay active, and spend time with her family, as well as her important story of detection. T...

Our guest this week, Dr. Caughman Taylor, has spent nearly 4 decades dedicated to improving the lives of children in South Carolina. As the senior medical director at Prisma Health Children’s Hospital and Chair of the Palmetto Health-USC Medical Group Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Taylor shares his insights with Tina and Matthew on the benefits of a freestanding Children’s hospital and what sets P...

On episode 58, Allendale County Hospital CEO Lari Gooding joins Tina and Matthew to discuss the county-owned, non-profit hospital that has been serving Allendale and Hampton counties for nearly 70 years. We dive into the difficulties of rural health care, strategic partnerships and that help provide and expand health care services, and vaccinations in rural communities. Listen now!