COVID-19 and Novel Coronavirus Podcasts

On this "podswap" episode of Prognosis Ohio, Dan Skinner is interviewed by Kevin Milligan, one of the hosts of the very informative medical education podcast, UnsCripted Medicine. Kevin talks with Dan about his work as a medical educator, why health policy is important for medical students, and how changes in medicine and health care shape what medical students need to know. Subscribe to UnsScripted where you get fine podcasts, and visit prognosisohio.com for more info.

Friends,Welcome to the first ‘Creating a New Healthcare’ podcast episode of 2021. The major themes we’ll explore in this episode are two sides of the same coin: the strategic, market-driven imperative for transformation in healthcare; and the financial and operational challenges of disrupting one’s own healthcare organization.  Our expert guest in this interview refers to this phenomena as the “conflicting realities” of transformation and disruption. The situation is challenging. If healthcare systems and provider groups don’t pursue transformation, it’s likely that they will find themselves increasingly less relevant in the future. Yet, at the same time, disrupting oneself is fraught with pitfalls and seemingly insurmountable challenges. Our guest this week has spent years threading this needle, earning the wisdom and the wins that demonstrate his competence and credibility. His message is simple and clear, and worth listening to. He believes that we are up to the challenge, if we grasp the mantle of high integrity, courageous, patient-centered leadership.  Dr. Roger Ray is the Chief Physician Executive with The Chartis Group - a well-known and highly respected healthcare consultancy. He has over three decades of service in a variety of leadership positions at major healthcare organizations throughout the eastern United States. Most recently, Dr. Ray served as Executive Vice President/Chief Physician Executive at Atrium Health, where he led a medical group of over 3,000 members and had operational oversight over myriad clinical services & functions. In full disclosure, I had the privilege of working with Dr. Ray for a number of years during his tenure at Atrium Health.    In this episode, we’ll cover:The 4 major strategic advancements that Dr. Ray believes every healthcare system needs to be focused on achieving.The increasing and unprecedented importance of physician leadership, and how that is a differentiating factor among healthcare systems.The specific and significant challenge of disrupting one’s healthcare system, coupled with the conflicting need to rapidly adopt technology, generate new business models and transform healthcare delivery.Why becoming expert at ‘fast-following’ and adopting best practices may be a superior strategy vs being a ‘bleeding-edge’ organization.Dr. Ray is a pragmatist and a highly strategic thinker. But, he’s also a highly principled leader. One of my favorite ‘Ray’ quotes is, “Principles matter when they’re inconvenient.” The point being that it’s much harder, much more meaningful, and far more impactful to manifest principles when they inconvenience you. One of the fundamental principles that Dr. Ray has led by include his focus on ‘patient-first’ healthcare delivery. That is, leading with the question of how any decision impacts patients - first and foremost. As an example of this principle in action - when I asked Dr. Ray what he would say if he had a few minutes with President Biden and VP Kamala Harris, he said that he would remind them that healthcare is fundamentally about “people taking care of people” - highly skilled professionals who are earnest and passionate about helping and healing others - providers and staff who sacrifice and give of themselves, and who daily deliver near-miraculous outcomes. Yes, healthcare is a business. But, if we forget what it’s fundamentally about, we will sub-optimize the endeavour and harm patients. Dr. Ray also added that he would remind the President & VP that the current disparities in American healthcare are an embarrassment to our nation. He would encourage them to use the resolution of healthcare disparities as a primary marker and absolute requirement for American healthcare improvement. I’m delighted to see that Dr. Ray is sharing his expertise and wisdom with many other leaders and organizations across the nation. American healthcare needs more leadership with principled pragmatism, and we need leadership that is willing, capable and courageous enough to thread the needle of disruptive transformation.Until next time, be safe and be well.Zeev Neuwirth, MD

Dan Skinner talks with Paige Pfleger, health and science reporter at WOSU for the past few years, but now on her way to WPLN in Nashville. Dan and Paige discuss Paige's time in Ohio, the challenges and joys of covering stories intersecting with health, and how journalists can stay connected to communities in a rapidly-shifting journalism industry. Show notes at wcbe.org and prognosisohio.com.

A round of thanks to our SEE YOU NOW podcast listeners for tuning in each week to hear incredible stories of nurse-led innovation! We've prepared a special holiday message to extend our sincerest gratitude and to thank you for your support this first year. We can’t wait to introduce you to even more incredible nurse innovators and their stories when we return with new episodes later this month. If you liked what you heard this year, please take a moment to subscribe using your favorite podcast platform and share with your fellow nurses! To learn more, visit our website at www.seeyounowpodcast.com Contact us at [email protected]

Dan Skinner talks with Mike Corey, Executive Director of the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County about how Ohio's non-profits have been doing through the pandemic, the consequences of the dreadful federal response to COVID19, and how you can can help support organizations doing important work in the community.

Each year, thousands of lives are saved and improved through organ and tissue donation. But despite the remarkable advances in organ recovery, more than 100,000 Americans are currently waiting for a lifesaving transplant with 33 dying every day for lack of an organ. This episode spotlights two nurse CEO's innovating at the system level to maximize organ availability. Ginny McBride, RN, MPH, Executive Director of OurLegacy Organ & Tissue Donor Services at Advent Health in Orlando, Florida, and Patti Niles, RN, BSN, CPTC, CEO of Southwest Transport Alliance in Dallas, Texas, are two nurse innovators from organ procurement organizations (OPOs) working to modernize and streamline organ donor management systems across the nation. Working closely with patients, families, and care teams provides them an understanding of the complexities of organ donation and transplantation enabling them to see the big picture and take action where innovations in health information exchange, donor management, and procurement can have an impact on a national scale. Tune in to hear about the groundbreaking work these nurses are leading so more people are able to give and receive the gift of a lifetime. For additional resources, visit our website at www.seeyounowpodcast.com Contact us at [email protected]

Flattening the curve. Testing and contact tracing. Social distancing. Not only have these practices become part of our daily routines, but they are also the primary tools of the public health emergency response to COVID-19. In this episode, we meet Kathleen Blaney, MPH, RN, Director of Disease Control Emergency Preparedness at the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Kathleen recounts the story of building the NYC Test & Trace Corps, a public health initiative to fight the threat of COVID-19 and one of the largest contact tracing endeavors in modern history, which in a matter of weeks trained and onboarded over 3,000 new contact tracers—remotely. She shares how the highly personal nature of contact tracing can strengthen science literacy and vaccine confidence, reduce health disparities, and even help build trust in both public institutions and each other amid the pandemic and beyond. For additional resources, visit our website at www.seeyounowpodcast.com Contact us at [email protected]

Artificial intelligence (AI) has come a long way since being formally established as a field in 1956. Today, AI operates seamlessly in most every facet of our daily lives—and increasingly into more and more aspects of healthcare and how nurses are caring for people, and for entire populations. With the amount of health data and the rate at which we’re generating it, combined with the extraordinary computing power of machines, we're at a point where AI can see patterns we can't and tell us things we didn't know, before they happen! In this episode, we meet nurse and innovation sherpa Robbie Freeman, MSN, MBA RN, NE-BC, and learn how he and his team of clinicians, data scientists, and engineers are working with an interesting array of technology partners to design and embed AI into hospital operations and clinical workflows. This work supports nurses, doctors, and care teams in predicting and better managing clinical situations while keeping people safe, involving patients more deeply in their care, and ushering in a moonshot for healthcare that Robbie characterizes as “Precision Nursing”—delivering the right care to the right person, in the best way, at the ideal moment. For additional resources, visit our website at www.seeyounowpodcast.com Contact us at [email protected]

Rick Hodges, Executive in Residence at Ohio University and former Director of the Ohio Department of Health talks with Dan Skinner about Ohio's response to the COVID19 pandemic. Topics include differences between the current moment and Ohio's experience with ebola during Hodges' time at ODH; the frustrating politics of the current moment; and the federal response (or lack thereof) to COVID19. Show notes at WCBE.org and PrognosisOhio.com.

Seeing the need to keep homeless shelters, their guests and staff safe and coronavirus free, Nurse Disrupted—a pandemic response start-up in Madison, WI—was launched in record time to build fast, simple, virtual health screenings for homeless shelters and communities. On this episode, we meet nurses Bre Loughlin, MS, RN, and Tracy Zvenyach, PhD, APRN-NP, co-founders of Nurse Disrupted, and dig into the details of launching their new venture. We learn how their different, yet complementary backgrounds of technology and policy are a strength of their partnership, and how in solving one problem, they simultaneously solve several more, including helping nursing students fulfill their practicum hours toward graduation and gain digital health tech skills; helping shelter residents improve access to and quality of health care; conserving personal protective equipment; and gathering vital public health data to shape health and social services policy and access government funding. For additional resources, visit our website at www.seeyounowpodcast.com  Contact us at [email protected] 

Friends & Colleagues, The focus of this episode is of immediate importance to all of us. It’s especially important right now, in the month before the inauguration of President-elect Biden & VP-elect Kamala Harris. (Of note, this interview was recorded in late August, so we were unaware of the election outcomes). The topic is ‘fixing’ healthcare and our guest today is Dr. Vivian Lee, the President of Health Platforms at Verily. Dr. Lee recently published a book entitled -The Long Fix - Solving America’s Healthcare Crisis with Strategies that work for Everyone - in which she explains the fundamental problems in healthcare and provides practical solutions. The book speaks directly to policy makers, providers, payers & patients. In this interview, we’ll hit the high points of the book and get a sense of the priority Dr. Lee assigns to certain problems. The book is remarkable and so is Dr. Lee. She is a Harvard-Radcliffe College graduate who obtained a doctorate in medical engineering from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and then earned an M.D. with honors from Harvard Medical School. She has also earned an Executive MBA at NYU’s Stern School of Business. Dr. Lee is a radiologist and medical researcher who has authored over 200 peer-reviewed journals. Prior to her current role, Dr. Lee was the Dean & CEO of the University of Utah Health - one of the nation’s leading hospital and academic medical centers. During her tenure, she and her colleagues achieved numerous nationally recognized accomplishments in quality, safety, patient experience, growth and entrepreneurial commercialization. In 2019 she was ranked #11 among the ‘Most Influential People in Healthcare’ by Modern Healthcare.  She has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. In this episode, Dr. Lee and I will touch on:A broad range of issues ranging from the mind boggling complexities of billing and payment, to the lack of price transparency, to the crippling and uncontrolled costs of medications, to the impact of healthcare costs on suppressing employee wages and retirement funds.The one issue Dr. Lee calls out as the core off-the-charts problem in the American healthcare system.Why Dr. Lee believes that it’s critically important for all citizens to understand how healthcare delivery works and what it would take to make it better. Why universal access to healthcare is not only the right thing to do from an ethical perspective, but also from a public health, productivity and economic point of view.Why Dr. Lee believes we must shift to value-based care in order for universal coverage/access to be optimally effective.I have to say that it was a privilege and a pleasure to speak with Dr. Lee.  Given her remarkable accomplishments, her brilliance, and the enormity of her current position, I was struck by how down-to-earth and humble she is. We didn’t have the opportunity to directly discuss the issue of leadership in healthcare; but an unspoken message that came across is that we need a leadership culture that Dr. Lee embodies - data-driven, humanistic, socially aware, and selfless - leadership that is, first and foremost, for the people.  Dr. Lee wrote this book for the American public - to bring some clarity to our complicated, opaque healthcare system. I applaud her for that.  Most importantly, I applaud her for the explicit intention to deliver solutions that work for everyone. Until Next Time, Be Well Zeev Neuwirth, MD 

How did misinformation, hysteria and fear surrounding the first HIV/AIDS outbreak turn into community, compassion and love? The HIV/AIDS epidemic in the 1980s also brought forth homophobia and panic. Already stigmatized by society as having “gay cancer,” HIV and AIDS patients were discriminated against by their own healthcare providers in the spaces that were intended to provide them support and treatment. Outraged with the lack of care being provided to HIV and AIDS patients, San Francisco General Hospital’s Ward 5B nurses Alison Moed, Cliff Morrison and Guy Vandenberg set aside their own fears to rally around and provide humane and dignified care to these patients when their health and well-being depended on it. Their extraordinary actions have transformed and established a new standard of care that is used around the world for those living with HIV and AIDS.  For additional resources, visit our website at www.seeyounowpodcast.com  Contact us at [email protected] 

Dan Skinner talks with three legal and public health experts from Ohio State University's Moritz College of Law: Patricia Zettler, Efthimios Parasidis, and Micah Berman. Topics include how to understand safety concerns and the FDA's Emergency Use Authorization process; building trust among Americans considering getting vaccinated; plans for a just distribution of approved vaccines; and how to understand the role of market competition and international cooperation. Show notes at WCBE.org (Podcast Experience tab) and prognosisohio.com.

A key component of sound mental health that may help protect against depression and anxiety is resilience, and knowing that you’re connected to a greater purpose—to a story larger than your own—is key to building it. For Native and indigenous peoples, the stories of origin, history, and identity are central in building resilience and experiencing optimal health. In this episode, we meet indigenous nurse researcher John Lowe, RN, PhD, FAAN, and discover how he is addressing the long-standing structural impediments that have kept American Indian, Alaska Native and indigenous youth from connecting to their cultural heritage, native identity, and to a history that he describes as a source of great strength. John established the first Center for Indigenous Nurse Research For Health Equity where he is innovating on ancestral wisdom and tradition—through practices like the Virtual Talking Circle—to enable indigenous youth to move away from harmful behaviors and move toward lives and coping mechanisms that are both positive and strength-based. For more information visit our website at www.seeyounowpodcast.com  Contact us at [email protected]   

Dan Skinner talks with Mike Craycraft, testicular cancer survivor, clinical pharmacist, and founder of the Testicular Cancer Society about trends, research, and treatment for testicular cancer, as well as disparities and challenges in educating young people about about the disease. Show notes at WCBE.org, under the Podcast Experience tab. More information at prognosisohio.com

Fathers play a unique role in their children’s lives and development, and plenty of research backs up the importance of a father's presence. But when it comes to preparing for parenthood, the focus is heavily skewed to preparing mothers for motherhood. So how are fathers getting the support and training they need to be successful -- especially in this age of pandemic parenting? And how does this all come together with the additional challenge of being a father who isn’t living with their children? It's not easy. In this episode, we learn how nurse scientist and researcher Wrenetha Julion, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, CNL, is innovating to build and bolster the involvement of African American fathers who live apart from their children through the Building Bridges to Fatherhood Program and through an exciting new Father Inclusive Prenatal Care program. For additional resources, visit our website at www.seeyounowpodcast.com  Contact us at [email protected] 

The COVID-19 pandemic has shone a new light on the deep-rooted disparities and inequities that are built into the fabric of our American healthcare system. Triggered in part by the pandemic, as well as a number of deeply disturbing episodes of racist police brutality, and the Black Lives Matter movement, we’re experiencing a national re-awakening of concern regarding systemic and institutional racism in our society.Our two distinguished guests in this interview, Dr. Alisahah Cole and Michellene Davis, are nationally recognized leaders in the movement to eliminate healthcare disparities. Michellene Davis, Esq. is currently the Executive Vice President and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at RWJBarnabas Health, the largest academic healthcare system in New Jersey. She is an attorney and has held positions at the senior most tier of government, including as State Treasurer, Chief Policy Counsel to a Governor, and CEO of a state lottery. Dr. Alisahah Cole is currently the System Vice President of Population Health & Policy at CommonSpirit Health, one of the largest integrated healthcare systems in the United States. She is a Family Medicine physician and has held multiple leadership positions including as Chief Community Impact Officer and Academic Chair, implementing novel approaches to improve health equity in vulnerable populations.This interview was recorded last month as a panel discussion during a virtual conference on patient experience. The topic was originally intended to be a discussion on the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH). But we felt that it would be culturally tone-deaf and socially irresponsible to discuss the SDOH without recognizing systemic and institutional racism as a root cause of the inequities and disparities in health care delivery and health outcomes.With that in mind, this panel discussion includes:A passionate discussion on this most recent ‘awakening of awareness’ about the systemic & institutional racism in our society - including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.The manifestations of systemic, institutional & interpersonal racism in healthcare.Practical, real-life recommendations regarding a systematic, data-driven approach to identify, understand & eliminate racism in healthcare.In addition to bringing their experience as clinicians and executives, Michellene and Alisahah also share their lived experience as professional Black women. The stories they share are honest, courageous, and at times, unsettling. For example, Michellene shares that, unlike her white colleagues, she does not have the luxury of putting racism aside, even for a moment. Alisahah shares that, as the mother of two teenage Black boys, she worries for their lives, literally, each time they leave home to venture outside.  This conversation challenges the very core of our humanity - in our communities, our corporations, our social institutions and our government. One lesson this interview taught me is that the issue of ‘social determinants of health’ needs to be reframed in terms of eliminating the racial disparities and inequities in healthcare and in our broader society. Another is that good intention is not enough - we need to take sustained systemic action.There are so many lessons embedded in this podcast. Lessons about listening and building trust. Lessons about the unhealthful effects of racism on Americans of color. Lessons about the need to fundamentally reorient, redesign, reorganize and appropriately resource healthcare delivery so that it meets the needs of vulnerable populations. And lessons about the need to expand healthcare delivery beyond traditional medical boundaries - to apply a racial equity lens to how we reframe our education system, our criminal justice system, our housing and urban development system, our transportation system, our social services systems, our labor system, and our public health system.This was the most important interview I've conducted to date. I say that with Martin Luther King’s words ringing in my ears. Words that, sadly enough, have as much relevance today as they did when he delivered them over five decades ago, during a 1966 speech before the 2nd National Convention of the Medical Committee for Human Rights.  Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health is the most shocking and the most inhuman because it often results in physical death. I see no alternative to direct action and creative nonviolence to raise the conscience of the nation.Martin Luther KingUntil Next Time, Be Well Zeev 

Dan is joined by Rob Moore of Scioto Analysis, who adds a bit more perspective to some of the themes discussed in last week's episode (#70). In that episode, Dan talked with Dr. Sharon Parsons, DDS and Immediate Past President of the Ohio Dental Association. Links and additional information at prognosisohio.com. Learn more about Rob and his work at sciotoanalysis.com.

The CDC reports that Black mothers die at three to four times the rate of white mothers and that the mortality rate of Black infants is higher than that of any other ethnic group in the U.S. Regardless of income and education level, childbirth for Black women is more dangerous than it is for white women. Even tennis legend Serena Williams had a dangerously close call during her pregnancy. In examining why these disparities are so stark, it is clear that structural and systemic racism, racialized health inequities, and implicit bias not only play a role but also signify areas within our society that desperately need improvement. In this episode, we hear from three healthcare innovators who personally and professionally—as Black women and advisors to the Black Mamas Matter Alliance—work tirelessly to advance policy grounded in human rights and reproductive justice to improve Black maternal health and lives. Tune in to hear Jennie Joseph, LM, CPM, RM, Founder and Executive Director of Commonsense Childbirth and Founder of the National Perinatal Task Force; Joia Crear-Perry, MD, Founder and President of the National Birth Equity Collaborative; and Monica McLemore, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, Tenured Associate Professor at the University of California, San Francisco and member of the Bixby Center of Global Reproductive Health, share their wisdom, outrage, approach, and perspectives on the causes and solutions to Black maternal health disparities in the United States. For additional resources, visit our website at www.seeyounowpodcast.com Contact us at [email protected]

Dan Skinner talks with Dr. Sharon Parsons, DDS, Immediate Past President of the Ohio Dental Association about her year as president, and her efforts to advocate for more diversity in dentistry, rethinking pain management and opioid prescription, prevention in oral health, and how the Ohio Dental Association responded to COVID-19. Show notes at wcbe.org and prognosisohio.com.

During a public health crisis, such as COVID-19, we are acutely aware of the connections between social justice, public health and innovation—especially in communities with vast disparities, such as those in Alaska where Tim Struna, MPH, RN, practices. To explore how public health nurses are innovating to respond to the unique challenges of the ongoing pandemic, we talk to Tim, Chief of Public Health Nursing in the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services. He is focused on increasing access to health services for residents in rural areas, particularly during COVID-19, by innovating and coordinating health practices at a community level. For additional resources, visit our website at www.seeyounowpodcast.com  Contact us at [email protected] 

Dear Friends & Colleagues,Welcome to episode #106 of Creating a New Healthcare. This week has been a historic one for our country. As votes continue to be counted at the time of this writing, I want to turn our attention to what will undoubtedly be a key component of POTUS’ work over the next four years - our national healthcare policy agenda.This is the first time we’ve posted during a presidential election. But, it is not the first time we’ve tackled the POTUS question as it relates to healthcare. For those of you who have been listening to the podcast series this year, you’ll immediately recognize the question I’ve asked every guest this season. In this episode, it’s time for me to tackle this question. It’s Thursday, Jan 21, 2021 - the day after inauguration of the President of the United States; and you find yourself in the oval office, sitting on the opposite couch from the POTUS and VPOTUS. (As an important aside, you are socially distanced; and you are all wearing masks.) POTUS has asked for your opinion - your thoughts, suggestions & recommendations on what this administration should be focusing on in regard to HC policy & policy deployment over the next 4 years. What are you going to say to them?Listen to the podcast to discover the 5 Policy Principles I recommend to POTUS and the specific recommendations toward a solution for each. I hope you’ll listen with a discerning ear and let me know how you would answer this question. Finally - I have a request of you. I need your help.If you find value in this podcast series, please share it with as many colleagues as you can think to. I have heard from so many of you how valuable these episodes are to you; and if that’s the case, then it’s critically important that you spread the word about Creating a New Healthcare.Until Next Time, Be WellZeev Neuwirth, MD 

Friends & Colleagues,Welcome to episode #106 of Creating a New Healthcare. This week has been a historic one for our country. As votes continue to be counted at the time of this writing, I want to turn our attention to what will undoubtedly be a key component of POTUS’ work over the next four years - our national healthcare policy agenda.This is the first time we’ve posted during a presidential election. But, it is not the first time we’ve tackled the POTUS question as it relates to healthcare. For those of you who have been listening to the podcast series this year, you’ll immediately recognize the question I’ve asked every guest this season. In this episode, it’s time for me to tackle this question. It’s Thursday, Jan 21, 2021 - the day after inauguration of the President of the United States; and you find yourself in the oval office, sitting on the opposite couch from the POTUS and VPOTUS. (As an important aside, you are socially distanced; and you are all wearing masks.) POTUS has asked for your opinion - your thoughts, suggestions & recommendations on what this administration should be focusing on in regard to HC policy & policy deployment over the next 4 years. What are you going to say to them?Listen to the podcast to discover the 5 Policy Principles I recommend to POTUS and the specific recommendations toward a solution for each. I hope you’ll listen with a discerning ear and let me know how you would answer this question. Finally - I have a request of you. I need your help.If you find value in this podcast series, please share it with as many colleagues as you can think to. I have heard from so many of you how valuable these episodes are to you; and if that’s the case, then it’s critically important that you spread the word about Creating a New Healthcare.Until Next Time, Be Well.Zeev Neuwirth, MD 

When we first aired the episode “Pause For a Moment” back in February of 2020, the world was in a different place, but we were already speaking to the experiences of nurses who, when faced with death, needed to take time to reflect and process each loss and hold time to grieve. Emergency nurse and palliative care liaison, Jonathan Bartels, RN, understands the toll that witnessing a death can have on healthcare worker resiliency. Bartels designed The Pause, a meaningful and effective practice that health systems are rapidly adopting to address the alarming rate of clinician burnout and mental stress. COVID-19 changed the death and dying experience in hospitals and forced nurses to not only innovate the end-of-life experience, but also to shoulder so much more of it. For additional resources, visit our website at www.seeyounowpodcast.com Contact us at [email protected]