National Doctors’ Day
National Doctors Day is a special day that is celebrated annually on March 30th in honor of the doctors who serve tirelessly to keep us healthy and safe. On this day, we express our gratitude to these medical professionals for their hard work, compassion, and commitment to improving our lives.
Doctors have an enormous impact on our lives. They study for years, work long hours, make personal sacrifices, and endure stress and pressure to provide the best possible care to their patients and communities. But not only that — many doctors are working on the ground in their communities, leading companies, innovating, and advocating for a better healthcare system.
On this day, we want to highlight eight doctors working on various problems from e-cigarettes to gun violence to housing. We hope you enjoy these incredible podcast episodes!
Dr. Megan Ranney: Gun Violence is a Public Health Crisis
In this episode, emergency room physician Dr. Megan Ranney explains how gun violence is a public health crisis, and what she's doing to help end it. Dr. Ranney is a respected researcher, emergency physician, and advocate in the field of injury prevention and digital health. She is Dean of Yale’s School of Public Health, and the co-founder of AFFIRM, the American Foundation for Firearm Injury Reduction in Medicine.
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Dr. Margot Kushel: Housing is Healthcare
In this episode, Dr. Margot Kushel explains the country’s rise in homelessness and the critical impact of housing on the health needs of vulnerable populations. Dr. Margot Kushel is the director of the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations. Her research focuses on reducing the burden of homelessness on health through examining efforts to prevent and end homelessness and mitigating the effects of housing instability on health care outcomes.
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Dr. Ebony Jade Hilton: Health Predictors
In this episode, Dr. Ebony Jade Hilton talks about her advocacy for a more equitable healthcare system. Dr. Hilton is an anesthesiologist at the University of Virginia and the first Black woman anesthesiologist at Medical University of South Carolina since it opened. Dr. Hilton’s work extends far beyond the walls of the hospital. She is a vocal supporter of health equity, advocating for underserved and marginalized populations.
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Dr. Beth Weinstock: A Harm-Reduction Approach to the Fentanyl Crisis
Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death in 18-45 year olds in the US, claiming more lives than car crashes and gun violence combined. After Dr. Beth Weinstock lost her son last year to what she calls “the most devastating health crisis this generation has ever seen,” she decided to do something about it. In this episode, we discuss a harm-reduction approach to protecting young people from accidental fentanyl poisoning.
Dr. Susan Walley: How E-Cigarette Makers Target Youth
Decades of public health efforts to curb teen smoking have unraveled since Juul and other e-cigarette brands came on the market in 2015. With sketchy ads targeting youth and flavor names like “gummy bear” and “cool cucumber”, vaping has skyrocketed amongst youth. In fact, 10%-24% of high school students are now addicted to nicotine. In this episode, Dr. Susan Walley, Chief of the Division of Hospital Medicine at Children's National Hospital, discusses her work developing effective healthcare and school-based interventions to reduce youth tobacco use.
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Dr. Farzad Mostashari: Can Value-Based Care Save Our Healthcare System?
The number of Americans with a primary care physician is declining along with the number of medical school graduates wanting to go into primary care. A big reason for this is how, and how much, they are paid. Can replacing our fee-for-service model with value-based care save our healthcare system? In this episode, Dr. Farzad Mostashari, former National Coordinator for Health IT at HHS and current Co-Founder and CEO of Aledade, dives into the what, why, and how of value-based care solutions.
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Dr. Nzinga Harrison: Substance Use (Not Abuse) Disorder
Dr. Nzinga Harrison puts addiction and substance use disorder into context. She also explains how an evidence-based and compassionate harm-reduction approach can lead to better health outcomes. Nzinga Harrison, MD, FASAM is the Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder of Eleanor Health, a company built on equity and justice developing mental health medical homes for those affected by substance use disorders.
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Dr. Jennifer Lincoln: Not Afraid to Talk About Abortion
With a community of 2.8 million followers on TikTok, Dr. Jennifer Lincoln is using social media to educate and bust the (many) myths surrounding reproductive health and abortion. Dr. Lincoln is a board-certified OBGYN who is passionate about helping people understand their bodies and feel empowered to advocate for themselves. She is the author of Let's Talk About Down There: An OBGYN Answers All Your Burning Questions Without Making You Feel Embarrassed for Asking.
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