Turn on the Lights Podcast

How can healthcare systems worldwide overcome workforce challenges while adapting to shifting demographics, advancing technologies, and evolving patient expectations? In this episode, Dr. Navina Evans, the Chief Workforce, Training, and Education Officer at the new NHS England, discusses the challenges and evolution of workforce planning in the National Health Service (NHS) amid global pressures o...

In a world where misinformation often outpaces facts, clear public health communication and preparedness are more crucial than ever. In this episode, Dr. Celine Gounder, Senior Fellow & Editor-at-Large for Public Health at KFF Health News, shares her journey from clinician to a media figure focused on public health, highlighting her roles during the Ebola and COVID-19 crises. She emphasizes the wi...

Imagine a health care system where patients are not just recipients but co-owners, shaping the services they receive based on the needs of their community. In this episode, Doug Eby and April Kyle discuss Southcentral Foundation's community-driven health care model, which prioritizes customer ownership, flexible management, and service integration to improve outcomes and reduce costs for Alaska Na...

Is the rapid growth of Medicare Advantage a solution for health care efficiency, or is it a costly gamble that benefits insurers more than patients? In this episode, Hayden Rooke-Ley discusses the rapid expansion of Medicare Advantage, a privatized form of Medicare, and the growing influence of private insurance companies in the U.S. health care system. He highlights concerns about the cost-effect...

What happens when we reduce people to mere data points in a world driven by economic values? In this episode, Marshall Ganz, the Rita T. Hauser Senior Lecturer in Leadership, Organizing, and Civil Society at the Harvard Kennedy School, discusses how health care and other systems risk dehumanization by reducing people to data points, driven by economic values rather than human complexity. He argues...

Could health care thrive if leaders treated trust and teamwork as carefully as they manage finances? In this episode, Thomas H. Lee, Chief Medical Officer for Press Ganey Associates, Inc., talks about the critical role of social capital in fostering trust, teamwork, and effective patient care within health care organizations. Thomas argues that leaders should approach social capital with the same...

When health care meets ethics, our choices reveal as much about our values as they do about our scientific advances. In this episode, Vardit Ravitsky, President and CEO of the Hastings Center, highlights the role of bioethics in navigating complex health care choices, especially those made prominent by the pandemic. She describes bioethics as interdisciplinary, involving collaboration across philo...

AI is rapidly transforming health care, offering technology companies new possibilities for improving patient outcomes and revolutionizing care delivery. In this episode, Dr. Michael Howell, Chief Clinical Officer at Google, explores how technology giants like Google are impacting health care, sharing insights on AI advancements and their potential to improve patient outcomes. Dr. Howell believes...

Transforming health systems requires addressing social determinants of health and expanding beyond traditional hospital care. In this episode, Michael Dowling, President and CEO of Northwell Health, talks about how he is redefining health system leadership by addressing broader health determinants and expanding services beyond traditional hospital care. He shares his journey from a background in h...

In a time when trust in health care leadership and media is faltering, how can transparent, local, and solution-driven journalism bridge the gap and rebuild confidence in the stories that shape our health and lives? In this episode, David Rousseau, Publisher and Executive Director of Journalism and Information Technology at KFF Health News, talks about the challenges that today’s health care journ...

AI implementation in health care, especially for predicting conditions like sepsis, needs collaboration between data scientists and clinicians to ensure accurate and valuable results. In this episode, Dr. Eric Poon, professor of medicine and the Chief Health Information Officer at the Duke University Health System, discusses the significant impact of information technology on health care, mainly f...

Community organizing empowers patients, clinicians, and providers to advocate for necessary reforms. In this episode, Dr. Pedja Stojicic, Executive Director of People Power Health, discusses the urgent need for change in healthcare and the challenges faced by established organizations. He highlights the role of agency in health, arguing people experience better outcomes when they have control over...

Early online patient communities were pioneers in sharing personal health data to support others with similar conditions. In this episode, Susannah Fox, anthropologist and author of Rebel Health, dives into the evolving landscape of health care, where the traditional power dynamics between patients and providers are shifting. Susannah explores the concept of co-production of care, where patients'...

Studies indicate that treating patients at home can result in lower mortality rates compared to traditional hospital care. In this episode, Dr. Bruce Leff, a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, discusses the transformative shift of healthcare from hospitals to home-based care. He underscores the importance of trust, patient education, and personalized care, partic...

The Ukrainian medical community has shifted from emotional reactions to systematic approaches in response to the war. In this episode, Dr. Olesya Vynnyk, coordinating medical initiatives for the World Congress of Ukraine, and Dr. Miguel Cendoroglo Neto, the CMO for Albert Einstein Jewish Hospital, focus on the challenges Ukraine's health care system faces during the ongoing conflict with Russia. D...

Michelle Browder began using art at 13 to channel her energy and fight against racism, leading to her lifelong journey in activism. In this episode, Michelle Browder, an American artist and activist known for her work in reimagining the future of gynecology and obstetrics in the US, explores the connection between art, activism, and medicine. Michelle's journey from a young fighter against racism...

How accountable are we when it comes to injuries caused by medical errors? Since this archive episode aired, patient safety remains a serious issue, with thousands of Americans dying from errors in their care. Although interest in improving patient safety has sadly waned, many are working to revive it and increase attention to the problem. In this interview, Sue Sheridan, founder and a global lead...

Since this archive episode aired early in our podcast, organizations have paid off billions of dollars in medical debt, and many hospitals have stopped suing patients for small claims. However, the problem of medical debt is far from over and now is the best moment to do something about medical debt. In this interview, Berneta Haynes, Staff Attorney with the National Consumer Law Center, talks in...

The aging population is rapidly growing, posing significant challenges for global health care systems. In this episode, Dr. Maria Carney, Chief and Medical Director at Northwell Health, and Charles Kenney, Senior Vice President at Northwell Health, talk about the need for a health care system that supports healthy aging. Dr. Carney and Charles discuss Robert Butler's vision of alleviating older ad...

Patients and their families feel more empowered and regain normalcy by participating in their own care. In this episode, Dr. Kavita Bhavan, Chief Innovation Officer at Parkland Health and an infectious disease specialist, shares how empowering patients to self-administer IV antibiotics at home has improved health care access and equity. She highlights the success of involving patients and their fa...

Disparities in patient care based on race and insurance status lead to frustration, fueling a growing movement to unionize and push for fair treatment. In this episode, Dr. Holly Humphrey, President of the Josiah Macy Jr. Foundation, explores the pressing issues facing the American health care system and the foundation's pivotal role in transforming health professional education. Dr. Humphrey shar...

Significant variations in medical treatments, even within the same state, challenge the belief that medical care is primarily based on science. In this episode, Dr. Rita Redberg, a Professor of Medicine at UCSF Health, examines the belief that medical care is based primarily on science by discussing significant variations in treatment practices and advocating for evidence-based medicine. In her "L...

Imagine mobilizing a community of doctors and patients to spark change in the health care system. In this episode, Dr. Nisha Mehta and Dr. Tina Shah share how they made significant strides in addressing one of the most pressing issues in health care today: prior authorizations. They share how they mobilized a vast community of doctors to tackle the pressing issue of prior authorizations and their...

Evidence is paramount in policy-making due to its reliance on the scientific method. In this episode, Alan Weil, the editor-in-chief of Health Affairs, explores ways to improve the US healthcare system and combat widespread misinformation. He shares insights from his extensive career in state health policy, emphasizing the critical importance of evidence-based decision-making and the scientific me...

The US health care system is facing a crisis of mistrust, with less than half of Americans trusting health care professionals. In this episode, Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, the 17th Editor-in-Chief of JAMA and the JAMA Network, discusses various topics, ranging from the importance of truth, transparency, and scientific thinking to the role of health equity, structural racism, AI, and machine learning...