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Doctors reclaiming their humanity in a broken system [PODCAST]
Physician advocates Alae Kawam, Kim Downey, and Nicole Solomos discuss their article "True stories of doctors reclaiming their humanity in a system that challenges it," sharing firsthand accounts of the cultural rift in modern medicine and the toll of corporate models on patient care and physician well-being. Alae, Kim, and Nicole outline how millennial and Gen Z physicians are redefining professional boundaries, resisting overwork, and demanding autonomy over cookie-cutter wellness programs. They highlight the divisions and biases among physicians, the erosion of collegiality, and the harm caused when outdated or false medical studies persist. The conversation offers actionable insights for health care leaders on valuing physicians as strategic assets, fostering collaboration, and restoring trust and compassion as the foundation of patient care.
Federal shakeup of vaccine policy and the battle for public trust [PODCAST]
Physician leader Janet Jokela discusses her article "How federal actions threaten vaccine policy and trust," highlighting the unprecedented removal of expert members from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and its replacement with individuals lacking clinical experience, some holding anti-vaccine views. Janet explains the downstream risks to immunization standards, insurance coverage, and public health, and describes swift pushback from major physician groups and ongoing legal challenges. She also examines the role of professional societies, emerging initiatives like the Vaccine Integrity Project, and the urgent need for new health communication models to rebuild trust. Janet offers actionable strategies to safeguard evidence-based policy, protect patient-physician relationships, and maintain vaccine access in the U.S.
Few people realize this common infection can cause serious complications [PODCAST]
Public health advocate Kathleen Muldoon discusses her article "Why congenital CMV should be on every parent and doctor's radar," revealing how congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) remains the most common viral cause of disability in the U.S., yet is often ignored in medical training, prenatal counseling, and public health policy. Kathleen explains how toddlers act as primary vectors, why prevention advice is rarely shared, and how early antiviral treatment can improve outcomes when the infection is detected in time. She outlines practical steps clinicians can take now, from incorporating prevention into prenatal visits to advocating for universal newborn screening, and calls for a cultural and educational shift to make cCMV awareness as routine as counseling on folic acid or listeria.
Why leadership training in medicine needs to start with self-awareness
Traditional leadership training in medicine overlooks the need for self-awareness and intentional career planning, but programs like LEAD+ aim to help future physicians thrive by aligning their values, well-being, and professional choices.
An ER nurse explains why the system is collapsing [PODCAST]
Professional development practitioner and veteran emergency nurse Kristen Cline discusses her article, "America's ER crisis: Why the system is collapsing from within." Using the TV drama "The Pitt" as a reference point, she argues that the reality of the emergency department is exponentially more chaotic and dangerous than portrayed. Kristen shares her frontline perspective on the intersecting crises crippling the system: an epidemic of workplace violence where assault is treated as "part of the job," a wisdom gap created by an exodus of experienced nurses, and a perpetual backlog caused by hospital overcrowding and a lack of downstream facilities. The conversation reveals how profit-driven management and impending Medicaid cuts are accelerating the closure of rural hospitals and vital services, creating health care deserts. Her core message is a stark warning: the safety net is tearing, and it has been held together only by the sacrifice of health care workers who are running out of hope.
This isn't burnout, it's moral injury [PODCAST]
Family physician Jonathan Bushman discusses his article, "The hidden moral injury behind value-based health care." He shares the story of a young physician who was told to remove her most complex patients from her panel to protect the health system's performance metrics. Jonathan uses this powerful example to explain moral injury: a deep, ethical wound that is fundamentally different from burnout. The conversation exposes how value-based payment models, even in not-for-profit systems, can incentivize data manipulation and force doctors to choose between their patients' well-being and their employer's bottom line. He argues that this crisis of integrity is a primary reason many physicians are leaving employed positions for independent models like direct primary care (DPC), where they can answer directly to their patients instead of a spreadsheet. His core message is an urgent call to confront the reality that when "value" becomes code for "profitable," the entire system's moral compass is at risk.
How peer support can save physician lives [PODCAST]
Anesthesiologist and clinical mental health counselor Maire Daugharty discusses her article, "Why peer support can save lives in high-pressure medical careers." Drawing from her personal experience of losing three colleagues to suicide and overdose, Maire makes a powerful case for peer support as a direct antidote to the isolation that plagues the medical profession. She explains how the culture of medicine, with its relentless pursuit of perfection, leaves physicians vulnerable to despair when they inevitably face human fallibility. The conversation explores how structured peer support creates a space for authentic connection, validating shared struggles and mitigating the self-recrimination that can follow adverse outcomes. Maire also clarifies that while peer support is a lifeline, it is also a crucial tool for identifying colleagues who need deeper professional help, and for normalizing that next step. Her core message is an urgent call for medical environments to integrate protected peer support programs as an essential, proactive strategy to save lives.
Beyond the surgery: the human side of transplant care [PODCAST]
Physician and public health advocate Judith Eguzoikpe discusses her article, "Hope is the lifeline: a deeper look into transplant care." She pulls back the curtain on the kidney transplant process, revealing that the true journey for patients with end-stage kidney disease is not just a single surgery but months or years of emotional and logistical challenges. Judith shares powerful patient stories that illustrate the fear, frustration, and uncertainty that define the waiting period. The conversation highlights the essential role of health care professionals as advocates who must provide not just information but presence and compassion. She also confronts the stark inequities in the system, where marginalized communities face greater barriers to care. The core message is a call for clinicians to look beyond lab values and recognize that building hope through advocacy and human connection is a critical part of the treatment itself.