Expert Coronavirus Updates with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed | Session 16
It’s been almost six months since COVID-19 became a global pandemic, and no country has been spared from this crisis. As we now know, this is the most significant global public health threat we have faced in generations.
Despite this, many nations have systematically fought the virus and have prevented it from devastating its people and communities.
But what about the United States? How has the world’s most powerful country dealt with the pandemic, and where do we go from here?
Join me in this episode as former Health Commissioner of the City of Detroit, national activist, and author Dr. Abdul El-Sayed discusses his book, “Healing Politics,” and shares his diagnosis and prescription for how we can work together to move the health of our nation forward during this unprecedented time.
Episode Highlights:
- The epidemic within this pandemic
- Where do we stand as a country amidst the pandemic
- How the notion of insecurity is negatively impacting our nation in times of crisis
- Why we as a society are unable to invest in a collective action
- What leaders should be thinking of to prepare for the future
- Addressing the current failures of our culture
- Highlights from Dr. Abdul’s book, “Healing Politics”
About Our Guest:
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is a physician, epidemiologist, progressive activist, educator, author, speaker, and podcast host. He is the Chair of Southpaw Michigan and a Political Contributor at CNN. He serves as a Sanders appointee and one of eight members of Vice President Biden’s 2020 Unity Task Force for Healthcare. His book, Healing Politics (Abrams Press), diagnoses our country’s epidemic of insecurity and the empathy politics we will need to treat it, and his forthcoming book Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide ( Oxford University Press, 2021) co-authored with Dr. Micah Johnson, offers a no nonsense guide to the policy. He is the host of “America Dissected,” a podcast by Crooked Media, which goes beyond the headlines to explore what really matters for our health. He is a Scholar-in-Residence at Wayne State University and American University, where he teaches at the intersection between public health, public policy, and politics. He was previously a SIne Fellow at American University’s Sine Institute of Policy & Politics, and Pritzker Fellow at the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics.
In 2018, Abdul ran for Governor of Michigan on an unapologetically progressive platform. Though he finished second of three earning over 340,000 votes in the Democratic primary, his bid was endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and The Nation. Prior, he served the City of Detroit as Health Director, appointed to rebuild Detroit’s Health Department after it was privatized during the city’s bankruptcy. He was the youngest health official in a major American city and was awarded “Public Official of the Year” by the Michigan League of Conservation Voters and “40 under 40” by Crain’s Detroit Business in view of his leadership. Prior to entering public service, he was Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health where he led Columbia’s Systems Science Program and Global Research Analytics for Population Health. He has over 100 peer reviewed scientific publications that have been cited over 1700 times.
Abdul earned a Doctorate in Public Health from Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He also holds a Medical Degree from Columbia University where he was an NIH-funded Medical Scientist Training Program Fellow and Soros New Americans Fellow. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa with Highest Distinction from the University of Michigan, where he was chosen to deliver the student remarks alongside President Bill Clinton and was awarded the Bicentennial Alumni Award in 2017. He is a native Michigander who was born and raised in Metro Detroit, where he lives with his wife Sarah, a psychiatrist, and daughter Emmalee. He is a proud member of UAW Local 1981, AFT Local 477, and SEIU Local 500. He enjoys good people, good coffee, good food, and University of Michigan football.
Links Supporting This Episode:
- Dr. Abdul El-Sayed website: CLICK HERE
- Dr. Abdul El-Sayed LinkedIn page: CLICK HERE
- Dr. Abdul El-Sayed Twitter page: CLICK HERE
- Dr. Abdul El-Sayed’s book – Healing Politics: CLICK HERE
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