Health & Veritas Podcast
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About the Hosts
- Professor Forman is a Professor of Diagnostic Radiology (and faculty director for Finance), Public Health (Health Policy), Economics, and Management. Professor Forman directs the Health Care Management program at the Yale School of Public Health and teaches healthcare economics in the Yale College Economics Department. He is the faculty founder and director of the MD/MBA program as well as the faculty director of the healthcare focus area in the School of Management’s MBA for Executives program. He is the co-founder and special advisor to the Pozen-Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Health Equity Leadership program. He co-hosts the Health & Veritas podcast with Dr. Harlan Krumholz.
Harlan M. Krumholz (Co-Host)
Harlan Krumholz is a cardiologist and scientist at Yale University and Yale New Haven Hospital. He is the Harold H. Hines, Jr. Professor of Medicine, and Professor in the Institute of Social Policy Studies, of Investigative Medicine, and of Public Health (Health Policy), and the Director of the Yale Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation. He is a leading expert in the science to improve the quality and efficiency of care, eliminate disparities and promote equity, improve integrity and transparency in medical research, engage patients in their care, and avoid wasteful practices. Recent efforts are focused on harnessing the digital transformation in healthcare to accelerate knowledge generation and facilitate the delivery of care aligned with each patient’s needs and preferences.
Featured Podcast Episodes
Zack Cooper: High Healthcare Costs: Who Pays, Who Benefits
Episode 122 - March 21, 2024
Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale health economist Zack Cooper to discuss his work on surprise medical bills and the impact of high healthcare costs on households, wages, and the economy. Harlan reports on Hippocratic AI’s efforts to develop AI nurses. Howie looks at the global effort to eradicate tuberculosis.
Links:
“Polaris: A Safety-focused LLM Constellation Architecture for Healthcare”
Yale | Eli Whitney Students Program
Touching the Dragon: And Other Techniques for Surviving Life’s Wars
The Price Ain’t Right? Hospital Prices and Health Spending on the Privately Insured
“Costs Can Go Up Fast When E.R. Is in Network but the Doctors Are Not”
“Bankrupt Envision Healthcare approved to split in two, cut debt”
“The Company Behind Many Surprise Emergency Room Bills”
Surprise! Out-of-Network Billing for Emergency Care in the United States
“Medical LLM developer Hippocratic AI gets $53M at $500 valuation”
World Health Organization | World Tuberculosis Day
Partners In Health | Tuberculosis
“WHO urges investments for the scale up of tuberculosis screening and preventive treatment”
“The latest twist in John Green’s anti-tuberculosis story: working with governments”
Manisha Juthani: Solving Infectious Disease Mysteries
Episode 115 - February 1, 2024
Howie and Harlan are joined by Manisha Juthani, a Yale infectious disease specialist and commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health. They discuss her research, including a study casting doubt on the use of cranberries to prevent urinary tract infection, and her priorities for Connecticut. Harlan reports on a wave of study retractions from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Howie reflects on the progress made toward eradicating Guinea worm and malaria.
Links:
Retractions from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
“Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Researchers Accused of Manipulating Data”
“Top Cancer Center Seeks to Retract or Correct Dozens of Studies”
Pubpeer: The Online Journal Club
Manisha Juthani
“An Outbreak of Domestically Acquired Typhoid Fever in Queens, NY”
“Reduction of Bacteriuria and Pyuria After Ingestion of Cranberry Juice”
Connecticut Department of Public Health
Connecticut Department of Public Health: About the Commissioner
Connecticut Department of Public Health: Statistics and Research
“Court: CT can keep law that ends religious exemptions for vaccines”
“Congenital syphilis cases in the U.S. have skyrocketed, CDC says”
Eradicating Parasites
“Jimmy Carter took on the awful Guinea worm when no one else would—and he triumphed”
“Cape Verde reaches malaria-free milestone”
Melinda Pettigrew: The Battle Against Antimicrobial Resistance
Episode 103 - November 2, 2023
Howie and Harlan are joined by Melinda Pettigrew of the Yale School of Public Health to discuss the changes needed in the prescription and agricultural use of antibiotics to address the crisis of antimicrobial resistance. Harlan reports on a survey underlining the scale of medical misinformation among Americans; Howie discusses a new tool for the treatment of unhoused people.
Links:
"Statement regarding YSPH transitioning to an independent school at Yale"
Medical Misinformation
Harlan Krumholz: “A prescription for the US FDA for the regulation of health misinformation"
“Vaccine Confidence Falls as Belief in Health Misinformation Grows"
Melinda Pettigrew and Antimicrobial Resistance
“Melinda Pettigrew—The next dean of SPH!”
“New Law Will Help Combat Growing Threat of Antibiotic Resistance”
“Two Yale alum tackle infection diagnostics”
FDA Fact Sheet: Veterinary Feed Directive Final Rule and Next Steps
“CDC: Measuring Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing”
Treating the Unhoused
“Housing Supply and the Drivers of Homelessness”
CMS: Place of Service Code Set
“New place of service code for treating unsheltered people”
"'You Have to Learn to Listen’: How a Doctor Cares for Boston’s Homeless”
Peter Salovey: A More Unified, Accessible, and Innovative Yale
Episode 100 - October 16, 2023
In the 100th episode of Health & Veritas, Howie and Harlan are joined by Peter Salovey, the president of Yale University and a pioneering psychology scholar. They discuss Salovey’s tenure as president, which ends in 2024; the future of the newly independent Yale School of Public Health; and Salovey’s influential research on emotional intelligence.
Links:
"Statement regarding YSPH transitioning to an independent school at Yale"
Peter Salovey: “Emotional Intelligence"
Yale School of Medicine: “Medical school and health system form a new affiliation”
“President's house will be a home”
For Humanity: the Yale Campaign
Peter Hotez: Opposing the Anti-Science Movement
Episode 95 - September 19, 2023
In a special episode, Howie and Harlan are joined by the virologist and advocate Peter Hotez to discuss his new book, The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science: A Scientist’s Warning. This interview was recorded in late August.
Links:
Peter Hotez: The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science: A Scientist’s Warning
Peter Hotez: Vaccines Did Not Cause Rachel’s Autism
“The Red/Blue Divide in COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Continues: An Update”
“Swiss study finds connection between watching Fox News and vaccination rates going down”
“The Paranoid Style in American Plutocrats”
“Wakefield’s article linking MMR vaccine and autism was fraudulent”
“Peter Hotez is not alone: Online harassment of doctors is a public health issue”
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy: Building a Culture of Health
Episode 92 - August 9, 2023
In this special episode, Howie and Harlan are joined by Vivek Murthy, the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States and a graduate of the Yale School of Management and the Yale School of Medicine.
Links:
The Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service
CDC: Understanding the Opioid Overdose Epidemic
“How Sleep Deprivation Impacts Mental Health”
CMS: Delivering Services in School-Based Settings
U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory: Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
Surgeon General’s Advisory on E-cigarette Use Among Youth
Vivek Murthy: “U.S. surgeon general: I am concerned about social media and youth mental health”
Hil Moss: The Gap in Care for Cancer Survivors
Episode 87 - June 29, 2023
Howie and Harlan are joined by Hil Moss, a graduate of Yale SOM and the Yale School of Public Health, to discuss her experience being diagnosed with breast cancer while a Yale student, the challenges facing cancer survivors after treatment, and the virtual clinic that she founded to help fill the void. Harlan reports on highly effective new obesity treatments on the horizon; Howie discusses the far-reaching effects of the Dobbs ruling, one year later.
Links:
“Experimental Lilly pill, Mounjaro both lead to 15% weight loss in clinical trials”
VivorCare: The First Virtual Cancer Survivorship Clinic
Hil Moss: “Enough pink: We’re doing Breast Cancer Awareness Month all wrong”
“Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022)”
“A National Survey of OBGYNs’ Experiences After Dobbs”
“Indiana board reprimands Dr. Caitlin Bernard over 10-year-old's abortion case”
David Fiellin: The Treatments Changing the Lives of People with Opioid Addictions
Episode 85 - June 15, 2023
Howie and Harlan are joined by David Fiellin, a Yale internist and an expert in addiction medicine. Harlan reports on a new study showing a surprising benefit from a daily multivitamin; Howie explains how a 1994 law is fueling hype around an untested herbal supplement for weight loss.
Links:
“A Dual-Chamber Leadless Pacemaker”
“Multivitamin Supplementation Improves Memory in Older Adults: A Randomized Clinical Trial”
Earlham College: Mission, Principles, and Values
“What Ozempic Reveals About Desire”
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration: Buprenorphine
National Institute on Drug Abuse: Naloxone DrugFacts
CDC: Understanding the Opioid Overdose Epidemic
“The Truth About ‘Nature’s Ozempic’”
Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994
Albert Ko: A Journey in Public Health
Episode 82 - May 25, 2023
Howie and Harlan welcome Yale’s Albert Ko back to the podcast to discuss the state of the COVID-19 pandemic and his career as an infectious disease specialist and public health researcher. Harlan reports on a breakthrough in pacemaker technology; Howie reflects on the complex relationship between obesity, social media, and mental health for young people.
Links:
“A Dual-Chamber Leadless Pacemaker”
Health & Veritas, Ep. 14: Albert Ko: A Wider View of COVID-19
“What’s Going On With Covid Right Now?”
Weill Cornell Medical School: Warren Johnson
Berkeley Public Health: Lee Riley
WHO: Social Determinants of Health
“Surgeon General Issues New Advisory About Effects Social Media Use Has on Youth Mental Health”
Megan Ranney: What’s Next for Public Health?
Episode 77 - April 20, 2023
Howie and Harlan are joined by Megan Ranney, who will become the dean of the newly independent Yale School of Public Health later this year. Harlan reflects on the research that is helping us understand aging at a cellular level; Howie discusses a new study that he co-authored which examines the costs that make it harder for many mothers to breastfeed.
Links:
Outlive by Peter Attia with Bill Gifford
“Megan Ranney named dean of Yale School of Public Health”
“Yale School of Public Health to become self-supporting, independent school”
Megan Ranney: “To prevent gun injury, build better research”
Megan Ranney: “We need more research on guns. Here are 5 questions we can answer.”
Howard Forman: “No such thing as a free lunch: The direct marginal costs of breastfeeding”
Cary Gross: Effective Cancer Screening
Episode 76 - April 13, 2023
Howie and Harlan are joined by Cary Gross, professor of medicine and public health and director of the National Clinician Scholars Program at Yale, to discuss his creative approach to research and his sometimes contrarian stances on cancer screening and not holding medical conferences in states that ban abortion. Harlan explains the nuances of new research about mortality risks tied to weight loss in older adults; Howie discusses his concerns over courts interfering with FDA drug approval processes arising from two cases tied to the medical abortion pill mifepristone.
Links:
“The Relation between Funding by the National Institutes of Health and the Burden of Disease”
“Allocation of National Institutes of Health Funding by Disease Category in 2008 and 2019”
“Too Many Older Patients Get Cancer Screenings”
“Judge Invalidates F.D.A. Approval of the Abortion Pill Mifepristone”
“Democratic state attorneys general sue Biden administration over abortion pill rules”
Countering COVID Revisionism
Episode 66 - February 2, 2023
Howie and Harlan discuss Howie’s recent bout of COVID-19 and the takeaways from new research on adverse events in hospitals, and they consider claims from Tucker Carlson of Fox News about the pandemic response.
Links:
“5 COVID mistakes Biden’s new chief of staff must admit”
Harlan Krumholz: “A prescription for the US FDA for the regulation of health misinformation”
“What older Americans need to know about taking Paxlovid”
NIH COVID-19 Treatment Guidelines | Molnupiravir
“Efficacy of Antiviral Agents against Omicron Subvariants BQ.1.1 and XBB”
“China Cautiously Takes to the Road for Lunar New Year”
“President Biden to end COVID-19 emergencies on May 11”
Donald Berwick: “Salve Lucrum: The Existential Threat of Greed in US Health Care”
“The Safety of Inpatient Health Care”
“Nearly 1 in 4 U.S. hospitalized patients experience harmful events, study finds”
“Trends in Adverse Event Rates in Hospitalized Patients, 2010-2019”
Healthcare Headlines
Episode 63 - January 12, 2023
Howie and Harlan check in on health issues that are in the news—or will be soon. Harlan discusses his work measuring patient outcomes and new avenues of research on long COVID; Howie reports on the perverse effects of private equity investment in specialty healthcare practices and the looming deadline facing state Medicaid programs.
Links:
"What we learned about the NFL in the aftermath of Damar Hamlin’s cardiac arrest"
Céline Gounder: "Grant Wahl Was a Loving Husband. I Will Always Protect His Legacy."
Harlan Krumholz: “Outcomes Research: Generating Evidence for Best Practice and Policies”
Harlan Krumholz: “Real-world Imperative of Outcomes Research”
Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy: Outcomes Research
"Families First Coronavirus Response Act Medicaid and CHIP Provisions Explained"
"Millions Could Lose Medicaid by April as Pandemic Rules Ease"
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith: The Systemic Roots of Inequities in Health
Episode 55 - November 12, 2022
Harlan reports on three negative—but striking—trials presented at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting; Howie reflects on the victories for health in Tuesday’s election. And they’re joined by Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, a Yale internist and nationally known expert on healthcare equity, to discuss her service in the Biden administration and the need for a broad approach to tackling racism in healthcare and systemic inequities in health.
Links:
“Another Fibrate Fails to Show Cardiovascular Benefit”
“DCP: HCTZ vs. Chlorthalidone in Improving CV Outcomes in Elderly Veterans With HTN”
“Nunez-Smith to lead Biden health equity task force”
Pozen-Commonwealth Fund Fellowship in Health Equity Leadership at Yale University
“Voters will have a say on abortion in 5 states with high-stakes ballot measures”
“South Dakota votes to expand Medicaid”
Employer-Reported Workplace Injuries and Illnesses—2021
Taking the Pulse
Episode 51 - October 13, 2022
Howie and Harlan check in on new research and health issues in the news, including studies on colonoscopies and the timing of hypertension medication, the state of the monkey pox and polio outbreaks, and the wave of legislation restricting treatment of trans youth.
Links:
“Effect of Colonoscopy Screening on Risks of Colorectal Cancer and Related Death”
“Monkeypox Cases Are Declining in New York City and Globally”
“WHO declares monkeypox a global health emergency as infections soar”
“Evening dosing of blood pressure medication not better than morning dosing”
“Arkansas cannot enforce ban on gender-affirming care for trans kids, court rules”
“Watch Jon Stewart Calmly Excoriate the Arkansas Attorney General on Anti-Trans Legislation”
“Yale’s Emily Wang and two alumni win MacArthur ‘genius’ awards”
Beating the Outbreaks
Episode 45 - August 4, 2022
Monkeypox, polio, and COVID-19 have all received the World Health Organization’s rarely used global health emergency designation. Howie and Harlan offer a needed sense of proportion alongside health information, updates on research, and policy developments for the grim trio of diseases.
Dr. James Hamblin: Should You Stop Washing?
Episode 44 - July 8, 2022
Howie and Harlan talk with Dr. James Hamblin, a journalist and a lecturer at the Yale School of Public Health. They discuss his approach to communicating about public health, his prescient February 2020 article on COVID-19, and why he’s quit taking showers.
Links:
“You’re Likely to Get the Coronavirus”
Teresa Chahine: The Social Entrepreneur's Guide to Making Change
Episode 43 - July 21, 2022
Howie and Harlan are joined by Teresa Chahine, the Sheila and Ron ’92 B.A. Marcelo Senior Lecturer in Social Entrepreneurship at Yale SOM. They discuss how social entrepreneurs use an interdisciplinary, iterative, community-centric approach to innovation to create self-sustaining solutions to problems in public health and other areas.
Links:
“Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity”
Teresa Chahine: “Toward an Understanding of Public Health Entrepreneurship and Intrapreneurship”
Teresa Chahine: Social Entrepreneurship: Building Impact Step by Step, 2nd Edition (December 2022)
Gregg Gonsalves: An Inspiring Nonlinear Path to Impact
Episode 39 - June 23, 2022
Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale epidemiologist and MacArthur ‘genius’ Gregg Gonsalves to discuss his non-traditional route to improving responses to global public health challenges.
Links:
Eric Topol on COVID reinfections
Harlan’s Twitter thread on insurance debt
The Best Little Boy in the World
Your Co-host’s Remarkable Career
Episode 38 - June 16, 2022
Harlan interviews Howie about his life as a doctor and teacher, including how a radiologist without a PhD got to teach economics at Yale, why he engages in the daily battles that come with speaking out on Twitter, and the extraordinary return on investment from time spent mentoring young people.
Links:
Arnold Schwarzenegger on deaths attributable to pollution
“Intravenous Vitamin C in Adults with Sepsis in the Intensive Care Unit”
“Climate Change, Fossil-Fuel Pollution, and Children’s Health“
Merriam-Webster on the origin of the word “doctor”
Dr. Amy Justice: Unlocking the Insights in Healthcare Data
Episode 35 - May 26, 2022
Howie and Harlan are joined by Dr. Amy Justice, a Yale clinical epidemiologist. They discuss the influential long-running studies she has conducted using the electronic medical record from the Veterans Administration Healthcare System.
Links:
Basketball coach Steve Kerr on the shooting in Uvalde, Texas
The Veteran Aging Cohort Study
“At Yale, Arya Singh overcame her fears — and found a new side of herself”
Arya Singh's Class Day address
Jason Schwartz: Building a Better Vaccine Policy
Episode 34 - May 19, 2022
Howie and Harlan are joined by Jason Schwartz of the Yale School of Public Health. They discuss what went wrong with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and how Schwartz’s background in history and ethics informs his research on vaccine policy.
Links:
“Impact of sleep duration on executive function and brain structure”
“Mass General Brigham posts $867M quarterly net loss”
Howie's Twitter exchange with Elon Musk
2024
- Episode 123 - Margo Harrison: Women’s Health as a Path to EmpowermentHowie and Harlan are joined by Margo Harrison, an OB-GYN and femtech entrepreneur, to discuss how innovative solutions to women’s health problems offer deeper understanding and expanded choices. Harlan and Howie each offer a caveat emptor for lightly regulated, unproven supplements and treatments such as Prevagen and hydration spas.
- Episode 122 - Zack Cooper: High Healthcare Costs: Who Pays, Who BenefitsHowie and Harlan are joined by Yale health economist Zack Cooper to discuss his work on surprise medical bills and the impact of high healthcare costs on households, wages, and the economy. Harlan reports on Hippocratic AI’s efforts to develop AI nurses. Howie looks at the global effort to eradicate tuberculosis.
- Episode 121 - Robert Alpern: Creating an Inspired Medical SchoolHowie and Harlan are joined by Robert Alpern, a Yale nephrologist and the former dean of the Yale School of Medicine, to discuss the importance of a fiscal base for enabling a medical school to deliver top-quality training, research, and clinical care. Harlan asks whether widespread norovirus is a reason to call it quits on shaking hands. Howie reports on a study of the increased mortality among those with ADHD.
- Episode 120 - Robert Rohrbaugh: Bringing Antiracist Tools to Clinical PracticeHowie and Harlan are joined by Robert Rohrbaugh, professor of psychiatry and deputy dean for professionalism and leadership at the Yale School of Medicine, to discuss his work training doctors in antiracist practices and ensuring the wellbeing of clinicians during the pandemic. Harlan reports on the problematic history of medical journals promoting eugenics; Howie highlights a cyberattack that has paralyzed Change Healthcare, the country’s largest payments processing hub.
- Episode 119 - A Cheating Scandal, Abandoned Research, and Other NewsHowie and Harlan discuss health and healthcare headlines, including a cheating scandal that has led to the invalidation of hundreds of scores from Nepal on the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination, the problem of research that never sees the light of day, new anti-obesity medications, and Florida’s unorthodox approach to measles.
- Episode 118 - Lucila Ohno-Machado: AI and the Art of MedicineHowie and Harlan are joined by Lucila Ohno-Machado, the Yale School of Medicine’s deputy dean for biomedical informatics. She explains how expanding use of data science, informatics, AI, and technology could enable doctors to spend more time with patients. Harlan celebrates mentorship while marking the death of Irwin Birnbaum, a mentor to many in his time as COO of the Yale Medical School and long after retiring. Howie discusses the mixed evidence from a study on vaping as a tool for helping cigarette smokers quit.
- Episode 117 - Farzad Mostashari: Aligning Incentives to Fix Primary CareHowie and Harlan are joined by Farzad Mostashari, co-founder and CEO of Aledade, an "accountable care organization" that seeks to align patient-provider incentives so doctors can make a profit by prioritizing preventive care. Harlan discusses a study suggesting that physical exercise may be protective from severe COVID. Howie highlights the introduction of Apple’s VR headset and the importance of further study to understand the technology’s capacity to “rewire” our brains.
- Episode 116 - Christopher O’Connor: Hospital Leadership in Trying TimesHowie and Harlan are joined by Christopher O’Connor, CEO of Yale New Haven Health, to discuss his career path and his experience leading hospitals through Hurricane Katrina and COVID-19. Harlan reports on promising AI tools for taking clinical notes; Howie looks at the financial headwinds facing the companies offering Medicare Advantage plans.
- Episode 115 - Manisha Juthani: Solving Infectious Disease MysteriesHowie and Harlan are joined by Manisha Juthani, a Yale infectious disease specialist and commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health. They discuss her research, including a study casting doubt on the use of cranberries to prevent urinary tract infection, and her priorities for Connecticut. Harlan reports on a wave of study retractions from the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute; Howie reflects on the progress made toward eradicating Guinea worm and malaria.
- Episode 114 - Claudine Litman: Designing Better Healthcare SolutionsHowie and Harlan are joined by Yale SOM alum Claudine Litman, a designer and the director of Yale‘s Center for Outcomes Research & Evaluation, to talk about using the tools of design to build more effective healthcare spaces and processes. Harlan looks at seven charts illustrating the state of healthcare in 2023; Howie reports on the FDA reprimanding a drug company for misleading advertising.
- Episode 113 - Reshma Ramachandran: Will the Supreme Court Upend Healthcare Regulation?Howie and Harlan are joined by Reshma Ramachandran, a Yale family physician and co-director of Yale Collaboration for Regulatory Rigor, Integrity, and Transparency. They discuss the potential ramifications for healthcare regulation if the Supreme Court overturns the Chevron decision requiring judges to defer to federal agencies. Harlan looks at surveys suggesting an erosion of trust in medicine; Howie reports on the growing measles outbreak.
- Episode 112 - Another Winter Wave, and Other NewsHowie and Harlan discuss the winter wave of COVID-19 and Howie’s experience with the Novovax vaccine, report on potential side effects of the next-generation weight-loss drugs, and unpack the economics of Florida’s plan to import drugs from Canada.
- Episode 111 - Julie Ann Sosa: Personalizing Treatment of Thyroid CancerHowie and Harlan are joined by Julie Ann Sosa, chair of the University of California San Francisco department of surgery. She reports on new approaches to treating thyroid nodules, addressing sexual harassment within the medical profession, and supporting personal and professional success for doctors caring for elderly parents. Harlan and Howie discuss the upswing in COVID-19 cases and research on whether the benefits of exercise could be delivered by a pill.
2023
- Episode 110 - Eric Winer: A Cancer Doctor's JourneyHowie and Harlan are joined by Eric Winer, director of the Yale Cancer Center and president of Yale's Smilow Cancer Hospital. They discuss his career, his personal experiences with hemophilia and HIV, and the state of breast cancer treatment. Harlan reports on the retraction of a high-profile study on the effect of hearing aids on dementia; Howie provides some good news from an annual report on health expenditures in the U.S.
- Episode 109 - Tina Loarte Rodriguez: Understanding Inequities in HealthcareHowie and Harlan are joined by Tina Loarte Rodriguez, associate director, health equity measures, at Yale’s Center for Outcomes Research & Evaluation and the author of Latinas in Nursing: Stories of Determination, Inspiration, and Trust. And Howie and Harlan discuss the clinical and economic dimensions of two newly approved CRISPR-based treatments for sickle cell disease.
- Episode 108 - Tara Sanft: Life after CancerHowie and Harlan are joined by Tara Sanft, chief patient experience officer at Yale’s Smilow Cancer Hospital and director of the Survivorship Program at the Yale Cancer Center. Harlan reports on his study of patients with long-lasting symptoms after the COVID-19 vaccine; Howie reflects on the historic decline in cigarette smoking in the United States.
- Episode 107 - Stephanie Sudikoff: The Power of Medical SimulationHowie and Harlan are joined by Stephanie Sudikoff, an expert on using simulation to train healthcare professionals, to discuss her new venture working to expand treatment for neonatal jaundice and how simulating procedures can assist in quality control and ongoing training. They also look at new developments in AI in radiology and the economics of a powerful treatment for inflammation.
- Episode 106 - Jerold Mande: Our Food Is Making Us SickHowie and Harlan are joined by Jerold Mande, a nutrition expert who has served in the FDA, where he led the graphic design of the Nutrition Facts label, and the USDA. Harlan reports on promising new therapies for sickle cell disease, high cholesterol, and hypertension; Howie reflects on the Thanksgiving holiday and the contributions of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, who died this week.
- Episode 105 - John Morton: The State of Obesity TreatmentHowie and Harlan review the results of a new study testing the effects of anti-obesity medications on cardiovascular health. Then they're joined by Yale's John Morton, a leading bariatric surgeon, to discuss the state of weight-loss surgery and its long-term impact on patients' lives.
- Episode 104 - Dhruv Khullar: The Physician-JournalistHowie and Harlan are joined by the New Yorker's Dhruv Khullar to talk about his life as a clinician, researcher, and journalist. Harlan looks at how direct-to-consumer healthcare companies like Hims & Hers Health are capitalizing on patients' reluctance to share sensitive issues with traditional providers; Howie reports on the health issues on the ballot in this week's election.
- Episode 103 - Melinda Pettigrew: The Battle Against Antimicrobial ResistanceHowie and Harlan are joined by Melinda Pettigrew of the Yale School of Public Health to discuss the changes needed in the prescription and agriculture use of antibiotics to address the crisis of antimicrobial resistance. Harlan reports on a survey underlining the scale of medical misinformation among Americans; Howie discusses a new tool for the treatment of unhoused people.
- Episode 102 - The Latest on COVID-19 Vaccines and Other NewsHowie and Harlan discuss current issues in healthcare, including burnout at the hospital, the downsides to Medicare Advantage, and how AI is helping radiologists catch tiny blood clots.
- Episode 101 - Katherine Baicker: Rigorous Thinking about Hard ProblemsHowie and Harlan are joined by health economist Katherine Baicker of the University of Chicago to discuss her career in academia and government, the landmark Oregon Health Insurance Experiment, and the optimal design for universal healthcare coverage. Harlan asks why life expectancy in the U.S. increasingly lags behind peer nations; Howie discusses the politics threatening the PEPFAR program, which has saved millions of lives around the world.
- Episode 100 - Peter Salovey: A More Unified Accessible and Innovative YaleIn the 100th episode of Health & Veritas, Howie and Harlan are joined by Peter Salovey, the president of Yale University and a pioneering psychology scholar. They discuss Salovey’s tenure as president, which ends in 2024; the future of the newly independent Yale School of Public Health; and Salovey’s influential research on emotional intelligence.
- Episode 99 - Marc Auerbach: Getting Emergency Departments Kid-ReadyHowie and Harlan are joined by Marc Auerbach, a professor of pediatric emergency medicine at Yale, to discuss his work using standards and simulation to improve the treatment of children in emergency departments throughout the United States. Harlan reflects on the importance of simple, well-designed clinical trials to make rapid improvements to care; Howie reports on a congressional study asking whether the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation Center has succeeded in lowering costs and increasing quality.
- Episode 98 - An Inspiring Nobel Win and Other NewsHowie and Harlan discuss the inspiring story behind the Nobel Prize in medicine, the settlement in the Cigna false billing case, and new research providing more evidence for the effectiveness of statins in reducing cardiovascular risk.
- Episode 97 - Mallika Mendu: Improving OperationsHowie and Harlan are joined by Mallika Mendu to discuss how innovations in operations can lead to improved inpatient care and her work as both a practicing nephrologist and associate chief medical officer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Harlan highlights the Lasker Award in medicine; Howie reports on a promising $650 million pilot in North Carolina to comprehensively address the social determinants of health.
- Episode 96 - Nita Ahuja: Epigenetics and CancerHowie and Harlan are joined by Nita Ahuja, a Yale surgeon and researcher, to discuss new methods in for detecting and treating cancers and the barriers faced by women surgeons. Harlan answers questions about an FDA panel’s finding that the decongestant phenylephrine is ineffective; Howie looks at the trends making hospital finances unsustainable.
- Episode 95 - Peter Hotez: Opposing the Anti-Science MovementIn a special episode, Howie and Harlan are joined by the virologist and advocate Peter Hotez to discuss his new book, The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science: A Scientist’s Warning. This interview was recorded in late August.
- Episode 94 - Ted Long: A Model for Effective Primary CareHowie and Harlan are joined by Ted Long, senior vice president of ambulatory care and population health at New York City Health + Hospitals, to discuss New York City’s remarkable success in providing care to its most vulnerable citizens. Harlan discusses the state of research into long COVID, including his own studies; Howie reports on the first round of drug-price negotiation under the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Episode 93 - Zhenqiu Lin: Measuring Quality, Improving CareHowie and Harlan are joined by Zhenqiu Lin, senior director of analytics at Yale’s Center for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, to discuss how quality measures can make care more consistent and effective and improve outcomes for patients. Howie provides an update on research on repetitive head trauma among young football players; Harlan reports on new findings about the benefits of semaglutide for people with heart disease.
- Episode 92 - Surgeon General Vivek Murthy: Building a Culture of HealthIn this special episode, Howie and Harlan are joined by Vivek Murthy, the 19th and 21st Surgeon General of the United States, and a graduate of the Yale School of Management and the Yale School of Medicine.
- Episode 91 - Alan Friedman: To Err Is HumanHowie and Harlan are joined by Alan Friedman, chief medical officer at Yale New Haven Hospital, to talk about the organizational and cultural changes that the hospital has made to minimize medical errors and unprofessional behavior that harm patients. Howie reports on a Yale study showing a gap in excess deaths between Republicans and Democrats after the COVID-19 vaccine was introduced; Harlan discusses the continued problem of financial toxicity for patients, and a new study casting doubt on the effectiveness of “neuroprotective” diets.
- Episode 90 - Melissa Davis: Can a Radiologist Trust AI?Howie and Harlan are joined by Melissa Davis, a Yale radiologist and a graduate of Yale SOM’s MBA for Executives program, to discuss the ‘whoa’ moments and the weaknesses she has encountered using artificial intelligence to help interpret scans. Harlan reflects on the slow progress toward a healthcare system that rewards value rather than volume; Howie reports on new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease.
- Episode 89 - Julius Chapiro: Minimally Invasive Liver Cancer TreatmentHowie and Harlan are joined by Julius Chapiro to discuss advances in the use of machine learning and molecular imaging to understand and treat liver cancer and his work as the director of Yale’s Center for Minimally Invasive Therapies. Harlan reports on a medical journal paper that highlights positive outcomes while ignoring negative ones; Howie warns of the impact of private equity ownership of medical practices.
- Episode 88 - Dawn Harris Sherling: What Food Additives Are Doing to Your MicrobiomeHowie and Harlan are joined by Dawn Harris Sherling, an internist at Florida Atlantic University and the author of Eat Everything: How to Ditch Additives and Emulsifiers, Heal Your Body, and Reclaim the Joy of Food. Harlan provides an update on the dangers of the artificial sweetener aspartame; Howie reflects on the lessons from an outbreak of fungal meningitis linked to a plastic surgery clinic in Mexico.
- Episode 87 - Hil Moss: The Gap in Care for Cancer SurvivorsHowie and Harlan are joined by Hil Moss, a graduate of Yale SOM and the Yale School of Public Health, to discuss her experience being diagnosed with breast cancer while a Yale student, the challenges facing cancer survivors after treatment, and the virtual clinic that she founded to help fill the void. Harlan reports on highly effective new obesity treatments on the horizon; Howie discusses the far-reaching effects of the Dobbs ruling, one year later.
- Episode 86 - Sejal Hathi: Serving the PublicHowie and Harlan are joined by Sejal Hathi, a physician, podcaster, and social entrepreneur who recently left a White House role to become New Jersey’s health officer. Harlan asks if ChatGPT’s imagination is a bug or a feature; Howie discusses the toll of motorcycle accidents and makes the case for helmet laws.
- Episode 85 - David Fiellin: The Treatments Changing the Lives of People with Opioid AddictionsHowie and Harlan are joined by David Fiellin, a Yale internist and an expert in addiction medicine. Harlan reports on a new study showing a surprising benefit from a daily multivitamin; Howie explains how a 1994 law is fueling hype around an untested herbal supplement for weight loss.
- Episode 84 - Abbe Gluck: The Legal Determinants of HealthHowie and Harlan are joined by Abbe Gluck of Yale Law School to discuss how law shapes the health of Americans. Harlan explains how flaws in data privacy affect patients; Howie gives an update on the millions losing their Medicaid coverage, often despite qualifying for the program.
- Episode 83 - Sandeep Jauhar: A Witness to DementiaHowie and Harlan are joined by Sandeep Jauhar, a cardiologist and the author, most recently, of the memoir My Father’s Brain: Life in the Shadow of Alzheimer’s. Harlan reports on new research about the timing of blood thinners for stroke patients with atrial fibrillation; Howie checks in on two physician groups that were acquired by private equity investors earlier this year and are now facing bankruptcy.
- Episode 82 - Albert Ko: A Journey in Public HealthHowie and Harlan welcome Yale’s Albert Ko back to the podcast to discuss the state of the COVID-19 pandemic and his career as an infectious disease specialist and public health researcher. Harlan reports on a breakthrough in pacemaker technology; Howie reflects on the complex relationship between obesity, social media, and mental health for young people.
- Episode 81 - Joseph Sakran: Confronting Gun ViolenceHowie and Harlan are joined by Joseph Sakran, whose career as a trauma surgeon and advocate grew out of his own experience with gun violence. Harlan discusses his new study enumerating the vast scale of excess deaths among Black Americans; Howie reports on improvements in the insurance rate, nearly a decade after the Affordable Care Act went into effect.
- Episode 80 - Josh Geballe: Turning Yale Innovation into StartupsHowie and Harlan are joined by Josh Geballe, a Yale SOM graduate who serves as managing director of Yale Ventures, Yale’s initiative overseeing the translation of research into impactful new companies. Harlan reports from the debate on AI in medicine; Howie reflects on the FDA’s approval process for an over-the-counter birth control pill.
- Episode 79 - Amanda Skinner: Navigating Reproductive Care after RoeHowie and Harlan are joined by Amanda Skinner, a Yale SOM graduate who leads Planned Parenthood of Southern New England. Harlan reflects on the potential and the dangers of artificial intelligence; Howie reports on an advisory from Surgeon General Vivek Murthy about the public health impact of loneliness and social isolation.
- Episode 78 - Elizabeth Arleo: Advice for Working Mothers from a Women’s Health SpecialistHowie and Harlan are joined by Elizabeth Arleo, a radiologist with a focus on breast imaging and the author of First, Eat Your Frog: And Other Pearls for Professional Working Mothers. Harlan reports on the state of AI in healthcare; Howie reflects on the epidemic of lung injuries from vaping.
- Episode 77 - Megan Ranney: What’s Next for Public Health?Megan Ranney: What’s Next for Public Health?Howie and Harlan are joined by Megan Ranney, who will become the dean of the newly independent Yale School of Public Health later this year. Harlan reflects on the research that is helping us understand aging at a cellular level; Howie discusses a new study that he co-authored which examines the costs that make it harder for many mothers to breastfeed.
- Episode 76 - Cary Gross: Effective Cancer ScreeningCary Gross: Effective Cancer ScreeningHowie and Harlan are joined by Cary Gross, professor of medicine and public health and director of the National Clinician Scholars Program at Yale, to discuss his creative approach to research and his sometimes contrarian stances on cancer screening and not holding medical conferences in states that ban abortion. Harlan explains the nuances of new research about mortality risks tied to weight loss in older adults; Howie discusses his concerns over courts interfering with FDA drug approval processes arising from two cases tied to the medical abortion pill mifepristone.
- Episode 75 - Michael Alosco: The Toll of Repetitive Head ImpactsMichael Alosco: The Toll of Repetitive Head ImpactsHowie and Harlan are joined by Michael Alosco, co-director of Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center, to discuss the consequences of years of hits to the head for football players and other athletes. Harlan reports on research that clarifies how to treat high cholesterol; Howie discusses a judge's ruling striking down coverage of preventative care.
- Episode 74 - Helen Burstin: Research with an ImpactHelen Burstin: Research with an ImpactHowie and Harlan are joined by Helen Burstin to discuss her career examining issues of equity and quality in healthcare, and her current role as CEO of the Council of Medical Specialty Societies. Harlan reports on new research about the daily health effects of coffee; Howie looks at two investigations of misconduct by the insurance company Cigna.
- Episode 73 - Michael Ivy: Doctors and Mental HealthHowie and Harlan are joined by Michael Ivy, a surgeon and Yale New Haven Health's deputy chief medical officer, to discuss the mental health issues facing physicians and his own experience with burnout and depression. Harlan reports on new research casting doubt on the benefits of intermittent fasting; Howie explains how a new drug can help reduce the disproportionate rate of renal failure among people of African descent.
- Episode 72 - Harlan Krumholz, This Is Your LifeHowie interviews Harlan about his path to medicine and his career as a physician and scientist.
- Episode 71 - Ami Parekh: Tools for Navigating CareHowie and Harlan are joined by Ami Parekh, chief health officer of Included Health, which provides virtual care and data-driven guidance on finding the right doctor. Harlan reviews new research on alternatives to statins; Howie looks at the effect of mandated sick leave for screening tests like mammographs and colonoscopies.
- Episode 70 - Brita Roy: Leveraging Community Resources for Better HealthHowie and Harlan are joined by Brita Roy of NYU Langone Health to discuss her work drawing on the existing assets of a community to improve health outcomes. Harlan reports on new research on the dangers of sugar substitutes; Howie reflects on the growing openness to the lab-leak hypothesis for the origins of COVID-19.
- Episode 69 - Anna Kaltenboeck: Untangling Drug PricesHowie and Harlan are joined by health economist Anna Kaltenboeck, a graduate of Yale SOM’s EMBA program who served as senior health advisor to the Senate Finance Committee during the development of the drug pricing reforms in the Inflation Reduction Act. Harlan reports on recent research on the timing of exercise; Howie reflects on the limitations of a blue-ribbon panel’s recommendations on healthcare spending.
- Episode 68 - Tara Lagu: The Doctor Won’t See You NowHowie and Harlan are joined by Tara Lagu, a hospitalist, pharmacist, and researcher at Northwestern University, to discuss the startling bias faced by people with disabilities seeking care. Harlan reports on a study of attitudes toward genetic editing of embryos; Howie explains the debate over the looming shortfall in Medicare funding.
- Episode 67 - Jeffrey Sonnenfeld: The CEO WhispererHowie and Harlan are joined by Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, an expert on leadership at the Yale School of Management, to discuss his decades of dialogue with top executives and his insights on healthcare leadership. Harlan reports on his new study exploring the causes of persistent hypertension; Howie reflects on CVS’s acquisition of Oak Street Health and asks who benefits from recent innovations in the healthcare industry.
- Episode 66 - Countering COVID RevisionismHowie and Harlan discuss Howie’s recent bout of COVID-19 and the takeaways from new research on adverse events in hospitals, and they consider claims from Tucker Carlson of Fox News about the pandemic response.
- Episode 65 - Leora Horwitz: Toward a Continuously Learning Healthcare SystemHowie and Harlan are joined by Leora Horwitz, director of the Rapid Randomized Controlled Trial Lab at NYU Langone Health, to discuss her work using experimentation to improve the delivery of care, and her experience as a clinician and researcher in the chaotic first months of the COVID-19 outbreak in New York City. Harlan reports on his new study examining the impact on patients of early-morning blood draws in hospitals; Howie reflects on new business models for delivering discounted generic drugs.