The Skin You're In

Host Thomas LaVeist chats with Dr. Rebekah Gee , CEO of Nest Health , about her journey from academia to government and now to the private sector. They discuss the successful implementation of Medicaid expansion in Louisiana, which provided coverage to over 600,000 residents, and the innovative at-home care model Nest Health offers for families lacking access to primary healthcare. Dr. Gee address...

From our companion series, the latest episode of the Partners for Advancing Health Equity podcast explores Black joy, resilience, and health equity. Host Dr. Caryn Bell and guests Dr. Yanica Faustin and Dr. Tiffany Ford discuss how structural racism impacts health outcomes, especially in maternal health. They advocate for strength-based approaches in health equity research that celebrate Black exp...

In this insightful episode, we talk with Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association (APHA). Georges reflects on the nuances of navigating policies and politics and APHA’s influence in advocating for impactful initiatives. The conversation also addresses the diverse political landscapes within public health, highlighting the need for inclusivity while maintai...

In this episode of our companion podcast, Partners for Advancing Health Equity,  host Caryn Bell emphasizes the significance of mental and emotional well-being as essential components for sustaining health equity efforts. As advocates face increasing challenges, this episode explores how community care, adaptability, and collective action form the foundation for endurance in this vital work.   Lis...

In part one, we heard from the filmmakers and featured participants as they discussed the making of the documentary and the broader forces shaping health disparities in America. In this second installment, the conversation expands beyond the stage. Panelists and audience members offer their own perspectives, highlighting the importance of community dialogue, shared experience, and sustained engage...

In this powerful episode, we delve into the critical question: Why do Black Americans face poorer health outcomes and shorter life expectancies? Centered around the documentary, The Skin You’re In , this conversation was recorded live, December 2025, at the film's premiere in Montgomery, Alabama—a city steeped in civil rights history. Moderated by Spectrum News NY1 Anchor Dean Meminger , the filmm...

Recorded at the 2025 Breakthrough Health Film Festival at Tulane , this episode is the post screening conversation for the docuseries, “ The Skin You’re In ” , with writer and executive producer, Thomas LaVeist . The film explores why Black Americans in the United States experience poorer health outcomes and shorter lifespans compared to other ethnic groups. The docuseries specifically highlights...

In this episode we speak to Dr. Melody Goodman, Interim Dean, Professor of Biostatistics, Director, Center for Anti-racism, Social Justice & Public Health, New York University. We cover her childhood living in Jamaica Queens, New York, and her unconventional career journey that led her to biostatistics and academia. We also discuss the importance of mentorship and her approach to mentoring you...

In this episode, we speak to Dr. Harold “Woody” Neighbors, Senior Advisor for public health research and Research Professor with Tulane’s School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, about his life experiences that led him to study the intersection of socio-political determinants and behavioral response in producing racial disparities in disease. We discuss several aspects of his work, including...

In this episode, we speak with Kyriakos (Kokos) Markides, PhD, the Annie and John Gnitzinger Distinguished Professor of Aging and Professor at the School of Public and Population Health at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, and Editor of the Journal of Aging and Health. We discuss his immigration to the United States from Cyprus as a child, and how his life journey led him to the...

In this episode we speak with Louis Sullivan, M.D., former Secretary of Health and Human Services under President George H.W. Bush, and the founding dean and director of the School of Medicine at Morehouse College. We discuss defining moments in his life and how they influenced his pursuit of a career in medicine, his establishment of institutions to improve opportunities for historically underrep...