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
Joshua Sharfstein: Policy and Health
Episode 139 - July 18, 2024
Howie and Harlan are joined by Joshua Sharfstein, a longtime public health official in federal, state, and local government, to discuss the state of the opioid epidemic, lessons from the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, and our readiness for a bird flu outbreak. Harlan reports on the summer surge in COVID-19; Howie remembers his mentor Gail Wilensky, a health economist who directed Medicaid and Medicare programs and led many other organizations over a 50-year career.
Joshua Sharfstein transcript download
Links:
COVID-19 Update
CDC: COVID-19 Current Wastewater Viral Activity Levels Map
“What to Know About COVID FLiRT Variants”
Joshua Sharfstein
Joshua Sharfstein: The Opioid Epidemic: What everyone needs to know”
“How Can Over-the-Counter Naloxone Prevent Opioid Overdose Deaths?”
CDC: H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation
“Millions of US Children Experience Range of Long COVID Effects”
Joshua Sharfstein: “The Role for Policy in AI-Assisted Medical Diagnosis”
“Epic’s overhaul of a flawed algorithm shows why AI oversight is a life-or-death issue”
Podcast: “Baltimore cut infant mortality and helped moms thrive, too”
Remembering Gail Wilensky
“In Remembrance Of Gail Wilensky”
“Gail Wilensky, Former CMS Administrator, Dies at 81”
“In Memoriam: Gail Wilensky, Renowned Health Economist & NORC Trustee”
Gail Wilensky: “The Health Care Quality Improvement Initiative”
An HIV Breakthrough and Other News
Episode 136 - June 27, 2024
Howie and Harlan catch up on healthcare headlines, including the politics of treating gun violence as a public health crisis, the growing evidence for the dangers of artificial sweeteners, and the latest on the bird flu outbreak.
HIV Breakthrough and Other News transcript download
Links:
Harlan Krumholz: “The Next Era of JACC”
“First Issue of JACC Debuts Under Harlan M. Krumholz”
"U.S. clinical trials begin for twice-yearly HIV prevention injection"
Rush University System: Dr. Omar B. Lateef
"Rush Signs on as First Partner for Local Laundry Service"
“Health Equity as a System Strategy: The Rush University Medical Center Framework”
"Surgeon General Declares Gun Violence a Public Health Crisis"
Surgeon General’s Advisory on Firearm Violence
"Surgeon General: Why I’m Calling for a Warning Label on Social Media Platforms"
Vinay Prasad: “CT screening for lung cancer for homeless people: the new JAMA IM paper”
Supreme Court: Murthy v. Missouri Opinion
"US supreme court allows government to request removal of misinformation on social media"
Harlan Krumholz: “Why One Cardiologist Has Drunk His Last Diet Soda"
“Xylitol is prothrombotic and associated with cardiovascular risk”
CDC: A(H5N1) Bird Flu Response Update June 21, 2024
"Michigan stands out for its aggressive bird flu response. Will other states follow its lead?"
"Finland to offer bird flu vaccinations to at-risk residents in a world first"
Chima Ndumele: Reinventing Medicaid
Episode 131 - May 23, 2024
Howie and Harlan are joined by Chima Ndumele of the Yale School of Public Health to discuss his research on structural changes to Medicaid that could keep vulnerable populations healthier. Harlan reports on the remarkable abilities of Google's latest medicine-focused AI; Howie reflects on a study showing the impact of race-neutral measures of lung function.
Chima Ndumele transcript download
Links:
AI and Medicine
“Capabilities of Gemini Models in Medicine”
Medicaid
“10 Things to Know About Medicaid”
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
“Long-Term Stability of Coverage Among Michigan Medicaid Beneficiaries: A Cohort Study”
“N.C. developing plan to improve Medicaid participants’ job prospects”
“Yale School of Public Health Graduates Urged to Adopt a “Healthy Disregard for the Impossible”
Race and Lung Function
“Implications of Race Adjustment in Lung-Function Equations”
Harlan Krumholz: “Association of Racial and Socioeconomic Disparities with Outcomes among Patients Hospitalized with Acute Myocardial Infarction, Heart Failure, and Pneumonia. An Analysis of Within- and Between-Hospital Variation”
“Q&A: Harlan Krumholz on hospital readmissions”
Health & Veritas Live on May 30
Join Howie and Harlan in person at the Yale Innovation Summit.
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.
Zack Cooper transcript download
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.
Manisha Juthani transcript download
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.
Melinda Pettigrew transcript download
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.
Peter Salovey transcript download
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.
Peter Hotez transcript download
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.
Surgeon General Vivek Murthy transcript download
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.
David Fiellin transcript download
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.
Megan Ranney transcript download
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.
Cary Gross transcript download
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
Healthcare Headlines
Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith: The Systemic Roots of Inequities in Health
Taking the Pulse
Beating the Outbreaks
Dr. James Hamblin: Should You Stop Washing?
Teresa Chahine: The Social Entrepreneur's Guide to Making Change
Gregg Gonsalves: An Inspiring Nonlinear Path to Impact
2024
- Episode 143 - Boosters, Brain Age, and Other NewsHowie and Harlan discuss recent headlines, including the latest round of COVID and flu vaccines, a lousy report card for the U.S. healthcare system, and a rare case of swine flu. Plus: Howie investigates a mysteriously escalating pharmacy bill.
- Episode 142 - Ania Jastreboff: The Transformative Obesity DrugsHowie and Harlan are joined by Ania Jastreboff, a Yale endocrinologist and an expert on obesity medication, to talk about the remarkable range of diseases treated by drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy. Harlan discusses new Apple devices with the ability to detect sleep apnea and aid in hearing; Howie reports on outbreaks of polio in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Gaza.
- Episode 141 - Margaret McGovern: Building an Integrated Health SystemHowie and Harlan are joined by Margaret McGovern, deputy dean for clinical affairs at the Yale School of Medicine, CEO of Yale Medicine, and chief physician executive of the Yale New Haven Health System. They discuss her path from the lab to healthcare leadership, and her efforts to better align Yale's medical school and its health system. Harlan reflects on the anniversary of the September 11 attacks; Howie provides an update on the bird flu outbreak.
- Episode 140 - Lee Schwamm: Smarter Healthcare Systems With AIHowie and Harlan are joined by Lee Schwamm, associate dean for digital strategy and transformation for Yale School of Medicine and chief digital health officer for Yale New Haven Health System, to discuss how AI and other digital tools can be part of fixing a broken healthcare system. Harlan reports on lightly regulated compounding pharmacies producing anti-obesity drugs; Howie gives an update on efforts by the FDA and CDC to fight bird flu.
- Episode 139 - Joshua Sharfstein: Policy and HealthHowie and Harlan are joined by Joshua Sharfstein, a longtime public health official in federal, state, and local government, to discuss the state of the opioid epidemic, lessons from the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, and our readiness for a bird flu outbreak. Harlan reports on the summer surge in COVID-19; Howie remembers his mentor Gail Wilensky, a health economist who directed Medicaid and Medicare programs and led many other organizations over a 50-year career.
- Episode 138 - Kate Goodrich: A Better Model for CareHowie and Harlan are joined by Kate Goodrich, chief medical officer for Humana and a former Medicare staffer, to discuss the improvements in care and outcomes that result when providers are paid for each patient, not each service. Harlan looks at the challenge of payment for AI-based diagnostic tools; Howie asks if free tuition at Johns Hopkins medical school will address the real problems in medical education.
- Episode 137 - Timothy Westmoreland: Healthcare at the Supreme CourtHowie and Harlan are joined by Timothy Westmoreland to discuss his long career in health policy and law, and the far-reaching consequences of the Supreme Court decision overturning Chevron deference. Harlan looks at President Joe Biden's debate struggles; Howie reports on the many healthcare-related Supreme Court decisions.
- Episode 136 - An HIV Breakthrough and Other NewsHowie and Harlan catch up on healthcare headlines, including the politics of treating gun violence as a public health crisis, the growing evidence for the dangers of artificial sweeteners, and the latest on the bird flu outbreak.
- Episode 135 - Lisa Suter: Medicine, Measurement, and EquityHowie and Harlan are joined by Lisa Suter, a rheumatologist and the senior director of the Quality Measurement Program at Yale’s Center for Outcomes Research & Evaluation. Harlan reflects on the meaning of Juneteenth and reports on a Yale-led report card on health equity; Howie comments on Surgeon General Vivek Murthy’s call for warning labels on social media.
- Episode 134 - Anna Reisman: Bringing the Humanities to MedicineHowie and Harlan are joined by Anna Reisman, a physician and writer who leads Yale’s Program for Humanities in Medicine. They discuss the gaps in care she encountered when her developmentally disabled sister was diagnosed with cancer, and her work reviewing the “dude wall” of portraits at Yale Medical School. Harlan asks what we’ve gained from a new definition of long COVID; Howie provides an update on the spread of the H5N1 bird flu.
- Episode 133 - Mitesh Rao: Democratizing Healthcare DataMitesh Rao, co-founder and CEO of OMNY Health, joins Howie and Harlan to discuss his entrepreneurial journey and how his company is creating a common layer of data connecting healthcare providers and researchers. Harlan reports on a study showing how many lives could be saved by improving quality of care; Howie reflects on the health consequences that have accompanied the legalization of cannabis.
- Episode 132 - Live at the Yale Innovation SummitA special episode recorded at the Yale Innovation Summit, which brings together entrepreneurs and investors in the arts, biotech, climate, health, and tech. Howie and Harlan are joined by Josh Geballe, managing director of Yale Ventures, which hosts the summit; Mary Ann Melnick, site head at Biolabs New Haven; and Lee Schwamm, chief digital health officer at Yale New Haven Health System.
- Episode 131 - Chima Ndumele: Reinventing MedicaidHowie and Harlan are joined by Chima Ndumele of the Yale School of Public Health to discuss his research on structural changes to Medicaid that could keep vulnerable populations healthier. Harlan reports on the remarkable abilities of Google's latest medicine-focused AI; Howie reflects on a study showing the impact of race-neutral measures of lung function.
- Episode 130 - Ruth Katz: Crafting Landmark LegislationHowie and Harlan are joined by Ruth Katz, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Health, Medicine & Society Program and a former Capitol Hill staffer, to discuss her work on the Affordable Care Act and other major healthcare laws. Harlan reflects on a study showing that using different analytical approaches to the same data can lead to a wide range of conclusions; Howie reports on a wave of dangerous infections caused by stem cell treatments at clinics in Mexico.
- Episode 129 - Greg Licholai: Breaking through the Innovation BottleneckHowie and Harlan are joined by Greg Licholai, a Yale SOM lecturer and biotech entrepreneur, to discuss his career and his work at the contract research organization ICON, which performs clinical trials for pharmaceutical companies. Harlan reports on new research illustrating the dangerous consequences of asking patients to share the costs of life-saving drugs; Howie provides the good news and the bad news from the annual Medicare Trustees Report.
- Episode 128 - The Primary Care Crisis and Other NewsHowie and Harlan discuss health and healthcare headlines. From flatlining telehealth to Walmart closing retail clinics to months-long waits for healthcare appointments, they try to untangle the challenges in delivering healthcare. Also considered, H5N1 bird flu increasing the risks of drinking unpasteurized milk, promising research on open-source moderation of misinformation on social media.
- Episode 127 - Arthur Caplan: Medicine’s Toughest Ethical QuestionsHowie and Harlan are joined by Arthur Caplan, Drs. William F. and Virginia Connolly Mitty Professor of Bioethics and founding head of the division of medical ethics at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, to discuss the ethical failings of the pharmaceutical industry and how a community-focused ethos prioritizing justice and protection of the vulnerable would have reshaped the COVID response. Harlan reports on developments in synthetic proteins. Howie recognizes World Malaria Day.
- Episode 126 - Scott Berkowitz: Value-Based Care and Population HealthHowie and Harlan are joined by Scott Berkowitz ’03, cardiologist and chief population health officer at Johns Hopkins Medicine, to discuss the necessity of moving from fee-for-service to value-based care delivery to improve outcomes for all. Harlan highlights the dangers of misinformation about Ivermectin. Howie reports on the potential conflicts of interest created by device manufacturers’ payments to cardiologists.
- Episode 125 - Atheendar Venkataramani: Opportunity, Hope, and HealthHowie and Harlan are joined by Atheendar Venkataramani, a physician, health economist, and director of the Perelman School of Medicine’s Opportunity for Health Lab, to discuss the powerful role of economic opportunity in population health outcomes. Harlan reports on two studies where treatments’ unexpected benefits leapt ahead of understanding why they work. Howie reflects on the business model of the pharma industry and the market reaction to anti-obesity drugs.
- Episode 124 - Kate McEvoy: How Medicaid Is Driving Healthcare InnovationHowie and Harlan are joined by Kate McEvoy, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors, to discuss the programs’ underappreciated advances in holistically addressing health, housing, and food security. Reflecting on the upcoming election, Harlan notes that facts matter, whether in medicine or politics. Howie reports on the dangers of glyoxylic acid in hair straightening products.
- 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.