Food insecurity could soon worsen for millions of families and result in devastating health outcomes. American Academy of Family Physicians CEO Shawn Martin joins hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter to discuss how the government shutdown is putting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in jeopardy. Beginning on Saturday, Nov. 1, food assistance could end for up to 22 million recipients.Martin and his 128,000 members are calling for bipartisan action to reopen the government and protect families from unnecessary harm.“We must put the well-being of families first. Food insecurity is not a political issue—it’s a health issue, and every delay in action deepens the harm to our most vulnerable communities."In this powerful conversation, Martin explores how hunger is showing up in exam rooms, the growing pressure on emergency food banks, and what policymakers must do to prevent a widening public health crisis.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that several Southeastern states continue to report the highest rates of late-pregnancy fetal death in the country. This is the kind of research that energizes Nurse-Family Partnership supporters to build on their mission to positively impact and transform the lives of first-time moms and their babies through a proven home visiting model.The NFP model connects specially trained nurses with first-time mothers from early in pregnancy through the child’s second birthday.Sharon Sprinkle, co-director of the partnership’s nursing practice, and Jenny Harper, its government affairs director, discuss with hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter the nonprofit’s founding, funding and how expectant moms can sign up.Sprinkle says too often pregnant women say their concerns were “minimized or totally dismissed, when, in fact, if they were listened to, the outcome would have been better.Originally broadcast June 5, 2024.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Veterans Day, which is less than a month away, is a time to honor and reflect on those who’ve served. Yet statistics reveal a troubling reality: Veterans are dying by suicide at 1.5 times the rate of the general population. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among veterans under 45.Craig Bryan, clinical psychologist, Iraq War veteran, and author of “Rethinking Suicide: Why Prevention Fails and How We Can Do Better,” joined hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter to share critical research and real-world ideas for change.Bryan challenges the long-held assumption that suicide prevention depends solely on mental health treatment. His work shows that more than half of veterans who die by suicide lack a prior mental health diagnosis, and that firearm safety, access to services, and new therapeutic models can make a real difference.“Many of us were trained in firearm safety on the range. Now, we need to bring that same responsibility into our homes,” Bryan said.This interview provides insights about how we engage with prevention and care for those who’ve served, including research on rapid escalation of suicidal crises. Bryan also highlights the life-saving potential of brief cognitive behavioral therapy (which has shown reductions in attempts of up to 60% in trials).Originally broadcast June 18, 2024.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
The federal government is shut down and the ripple effects are being felt. Legislation tied to the budget impasse also means Medicare telehealth flexibilities and the Acute Hospital Care at Home program expired early Wednesday morning. “Most providers and hospital systems are taking calculated risks to continue care during this time, but long-term continuity depends on action by our telehealth champions in Washington to restore these flexibilities and ensure retroactive reimbursement,” says Kyle Zebley, senior vice president, public policy at the American Telemedicine Association.Right before the shutdown he talked to hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter about the situation. “The stakes are enormous. We’re talking about millions of Americans…having access to the telehealth services. It’s a tremendous setback for our community.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Happy anniversary to “Conversations on Health Care”! We posted our first program 16 years ago on Sept. 23, 2009. Now, we’re bringing back our first two guests to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going in health care.Nancy Pelosi was serving as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and trying to get the Affordable Care Act passed when she joined us on that inaugural show. Today, she continues to serve as Speaker Emerita and remains a stalwart supporter of community health centers. “They’re there…they’ve been there and we always want them to be there…this is so important. I’ve been working with our community health centers,” she says.Our other returning guest is Dr. Mitchell Katz, now serving as CEO and President of New York City Health + Hospitals. He was in a similar role in San Francisco when he was on that initial program. Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter ask him to reflect on what’s changed the most. “The big successes [from ACA] are getting people involved in primary care and chronic disease management…those primary care relationships are incredibly healing.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Dr. Wayne Jonas, who formerly led the National Institutes of Health Office of Alternative Medicine, now directs the Healing Works Foundation, which has a mission to “make whole person, integrative care regular and routine.”“The data is very clear: most health does not come from going to your doctor and getting a diagnosis or treatment,” Jonas tells hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter. “The body is continually healing.”Jonas shares the story of a man he calls “Joe,” a grandfather living with chronic back pain despite years of surgeries, injections and medications. The turning point came when Jonas asked Joe what mattered most.“He said his back pain kept him from driving to see his grandkids and getting down on the floor to play with them,” Jonas explains.Together with a physical therapist, Jonas reframed the goal: Joe wasn’t there for pain treatment; he was there to interact with his grandchildren. A regimen of stretching, hot tub treatments, and better sleep and stress management helped him do just that within weeks.“He was engaged in his own self-care…his own self-healing capacity had been tapped,” Jonas says. “He saw the results and said, ‘What else have you got, Doc?’”Jonas’s vision for whole-person care began during his Army service in Germany, where he saw physicians using acupuncture, herbal treatments and other integrative approaches. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Next week former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez will testify in a Senate hearing. The reporters who cover health care in Washington think there could be big revelations about why Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. fired her.Sandhya Raman, health care reporter for Congressional Quarterly and Roll Call, and Michael McAuliff, who covers policy for Modern Healthcare, join our Reporters’ Roundtable. McAuliff says no matter what is discovered during the testimony, Kennedy’s future still rests with President Trump.In addition, McAuliff notes the federal health care workforce challenges right now. “If you look across…all the agencies in the HHS, you would find similar sorts of things where normal processes that help folks in the country just can’t happen because they just don’t have the people,” he observes. Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter also talk to the guests about the COVID vaccine controversy, the new Make America Healthy Again children’s health report and the looming threat of a government shutdown.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Supporters say Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. is fulfilling his vision to be “pro-safety,” not anti-vaccine. His recent actions have included restricting COVID eligibility, dissolving expert panels, installing skeptical voices and defunding mRNA development. Michael Osterholm, Ph.D., director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, is pushing back and says, “I've never in my 50 years in public health experienced anything like this in terms of the threat to good public health.” Osterholm and Mark Olshaker are the co-authors of a new book, “The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics.”The effort to suspend development and availability of certain vaccines is “not based on science. It's not even based on a political philosophy. These are dangerous decisions that have been made and we will pay a big price for them as we are now in preparedness freefall,” Osterholm says.“Conversations on Health Care” hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter ask him point-blank to respond to National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya’s contention that they’re winding down mRNA vaccine development because the technology had “failed a crucial test: earning public trust.”Osterholm responds that “distrust has been sown by the very people who are supposed to be promoting vaccines.” Olshaker says, “We've taken for granted how much vaccines have changed our lives.”Osterholm adds, “There's still a substantial trust in public health. When you have a megaphone the size of one that the Secretary now has, it does start to basically drown out science … but I think we have to continue to remember that the science is on our side.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Dr. Victor Montori, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist, internationally recognized researcher, and author of “Why We Revolt,” joins hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter to talk about what it really means to fix a health care system that he believes has lost its way.Montori leads The Patient Revolution, a global movement aiming to make health care more elegant with “no waste or haste, focused on the biology and biography of each person, responsive to each patient’s problems, and minimally disruptive, of patients’ lives and loves.”For example, the initiative offers tools and materials they’ve developed over the last 18 years to support patients and clinicians. The Plan Your Conversation cards help patients think through what they’d like to share and “practice” a conversation they’d like to have with the clinician. The cards can be used for any condition or issue and in any care setting.“Revolution is not about branding. It’s about turning away from the processing of people, and toward care,” Montori explains. He yearns for a return to “careful and kind care for all,” and for health systems to re-center themselves on the relationships that make healing possible.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Dr. Kenneth Cooper’s FitnessGram is on the ropes. President Trump recently reestablished the Presidential Fitness Test; over 10 years ago, the government replaced the test with Dr. Cooper’s FitnessGram, “the first student fitness report card.”Dr. Cooper has a cautious reaction. “Whether they’re going to be using exactly as the test [in the new process] is not really known. I am delighted to see that they realize the importance of childhood fitness.” To him, it just makes sense to measure fitness levels to help inform schools and families about how to help children get healthier. “Why don’t they test fitness like they test the mind? Data drives decisions.” At 94, Dr. Cooper remains a passionate advocate for reshaping our national approach to health, particularly through the lens of prevention — a theme at the center of his new book, “Grow Healthier as You Grow Older.” He tells host Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter, “We’ve got to stop and spend the money for the prevention of disease, rather than waiting for too much care, too late.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
One in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness, yet only a fraction of philanthropic dollars goes toward mental health, addiction, and well-being. Alyson Niemann, CEO of Mindful Philanthropy, joined Conversations on Health Care hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter to share how her organization is closing this gap and inspiring bold new investments.“We issued a challenge … to increase the funding to mental health, addiction, and well-being to $35 billion annually by 2035,” Niemann explained during the interview at the Aspen Ideas: Health conference. “If invested in the right places, it can produce incredible savings, economic productivity, and well-being across our entire ecosystem.”Mindful Philanthropy is convening more than 1,100 funders across all 50 states; launching state-based collaboratives; and connecting funders, uplifting community-led solutions, and providing strategic guidance to break down silos and scale impact.“We’re hoping to have all of those [funder collaboratives] learn from one another,” Niemann said, underscoring the power of collaboration to advance lasting change.Whether it’s strengthening the mental health workforce, supporting youth from birth to young adulthood, or investing in community-rooted solutions, this conversation offers practical and inspiring insights for anyone passionate about building a healthier future.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Experts who believe in the “food is medicine” concept say recent decisions made in Washington could have a devastating effect. Dr. Hilary Seligman, a nationally recognized expert on food insecurity and health outcomes at the University of California San Francisco, spoke to “Conversations on Health Care.” The interview highlighted that cutbacks to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are projected to reduce federal spending by $186 billion over the next decade. She believes this could result in more people getting sicker and then ending up in emergency departments with severe conditions.Yet Dr. Seligman also sees some rays of optimism. “This administration has done a really deep dive into chronic disease. There is a desire to help make the population of the U.S. healthier again. And there is an interest in supporting better dietary intake. The challenge is to amplify those efforts in a way that is based in science, that is based in evidence and that will support everyone in the U.S. equally. That really is the opportunity that we have,” she told hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Americans are living longer for many reasons and experts credit Medicare and Medicaid for some of this success. This week, these federal programs are celebrating their own birthdays. Sixty years ago, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed Medicare and Medicaid into law.However, recent moves are expected to result in decreased enrollment and payments to health care providers. “Conversations on Health Care” hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Mark Updegrove about this situation. Updegrove is the president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation, presidential historian for ABC News and a recent guest on “The View.” Join us for this important conversation, which examines the history and continuing impact of how we pay for health care for some of our most vulnerable neighbors. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
“I would have never, ever in my whole life have said, ‘we’re going to cure addiction.’ I think we now have knowledge and tools that could potentially, definitely lead us to a cure for addiction.”— Dr. Nora Volkow, Director, National Institute on Drug AbuseDr. Volkow shared her attention-getting belief with “Conversations on Health” at Aspen Ideas: Health. Healthcare providers and society at large have spent decades dealing with substance use disorders and the loss of life has been staggering. Dr. Volkow leads NIDA, the world’s largest funder of biomedical research on addiction, and she explains why she’s so confident with her assessment:The wider availability of naloxone and knowledge about how to quickly use it when needed;Neuroplasticity as a pathway to recovery; andPerhaps surprisingly, smartphones and video games are so distracting to some young people that they no longer need to seek other forms of escape.Join hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter as Dr. Volkow also explains the challenges and opportunities for NIDA within the National Institutes of Health. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
If you ran a healthcare foundation worth nearly $1 billion, where would you invest those dollars? That a question Dr. Joseph Betancourt, his colleagues and board members get to tackle every day.Dr. Betancourt, president of the influential The Commonwealth Fund, is committed to “Affordable, quality health care. For everyone.” Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter interviewed him at Aspen Ideas: Health at the Aspen Institute.Here are some of the Fund’s top concerns right now:Private equity: The Commonwealth Fund is examining how private equity engages in healthcare delivery and what impact it’s having on cost, quality and safety. Dr. Betancourt explains that its new strategic plan will focus on commercial drivers and the tension between patients and profits.Primary care: There’s a growing crisis, exacerbated by fewer primary care medical students and a culture that doesn’t appreciate their contributions.Outcomes: The Fund’s Scorecard on State Health System Performance found the number of children who have received all doses of the seven recommended early childhood vaccines is below 75% in most states.Dr. Betancourt, the first Latino to lead the Fund, is also proud of health equity as he defines it:“My lived experience informs a lot of my ideas around how our foundation can go forward…it’s about respect and making sure we’re not leaving anyone behind, that we and I do the best for everyone. Those are the values I bring personally. Those are the values I bring as a clinician. And those are the values that are very well aligned with the Commonwealth Fund,” he says.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
President Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” into law on July 4 and now leaders such as Stephanie Carlton are in charge of implementing it. She’s the deputy administrator and chief of staff at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.Carlton and the administration see the law’s benefits because Medicaid reimbursement rates “were allowed to go up to commercial rates and states are at varying levels towards that cap. But as we sat back and looked at it and said well, ‘these are providers who are committing to society to vulnerable Americans that they’re going to help with their healthcare needs’…. but paying up to commercial rates kind of changes the focus of the program, where it becomes more about facilities profiting more than making sure patients are taken good care of.” Carlton also answered questions from hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter shortly before Congress passed the bill. In addition, she discussed how they believe modern technology can help with new Medicaid work requirements, concerns about the National Health Service Corps and the administration’s plans to lower prescription drug costs.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
There’s a lot of attention right now around “super agers.” Yet the facts are that current life expectancy at birth is 74.8 years for males and for females it’s 80.2 years in the U.S.Does it catch your eye when you hear about predictions we’ll be able to live to 100 and beyond?Some researchers are throwing cold water on those notions. “We’ll be lucky if 5% of the age cohort makes it to 100,” says S. Jay Olshansky, Ph.D., Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago. He and his colleagues made headlines when they presented data that humans are approaching a biologically-based limit to life. Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter ask Olshansky about the implications of this research — for each of us personally and for policymakers — after decades of hearing predictions that life expectancy would continue to go up. Olshanky explains why we should celebrate longer life that has resulted from healthier diets and medical advances but now focus on improving quality of life in later years.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Millions are still living with the effects of Long COVID and new research shows that for older adults, the consequences may be profound and lasting.In part one of a special two-part series on “Conversations on Health Care,” Dr. Gabriel de Erausquin, a neurologist and leading Long COVID researcher at the University of Texas Health San Antonio, shares groundbreaking findings from his global study of over 3,500 patients. His work reveals a troubling connection: many Long COVID patients over 60 show cognitive decline that mirrors early signs of dementia.“The parts of the brain that are affected by COVID overlap significantly with those that are affected early in the course of Alzheimer’s….the changes overlap, but they are not identical.”His team is now studying brain imaging and biomarkers to understand the link between COVID-related cognitive decline and traditional neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.Dr. de Erausquin also explains how persistent loss of smell — a hallmark COVID symptom — may be the strongest predictor of ongoing cognitive issues, and how genetic sequencing is helping uncover inherited risk.He highlights a dual reality: while many Long COVID patients show biological changes, others had prior diagnoses of depression, anxiety, or chronic fatigue — a nuance often missing from public conversations.Click to hear the full conversation with hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter.“Originally aired on May 15, 2025”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
It’s a troubling situation: Nearly one in three high school students report persistent feelings of hopelessness. At the same time, many communities have a lack of mental health professionals to counsel and help young people.Leaders from philanthropy, public health, and private sectors think they have a path to a solution: Youth Mental Health Corps. This program, which launched a year ago, places young adults as mental health navigators in schools and community organizations. These navigators provide peer-to-peer support, connect young people and families to resources, and serve as trusted guides who understand firsthand the challenges faced by today’s youth.Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter, hosts of “Conversations on Healthcare,” bring their extensive experience to the conversation. They speak to Corps funders Marie Groark, the managing director of the Schultz Family Foundation, and Alise Marshall, the senior global lead for public affairs at Pinterest.Groark shares early findings from the Youth Mental Health Corps. “What they found is that when you have a Youth Mental Health Corps member in your school, especially, you see improved attendance, fewer behavioral incidents, and increased student awareness of mental health and help-seeking behavior.”Focusing on prevention and early intervention, Marshall highlights the power of peer connection. “It is difficult for young people to trust educators and parents when navigating adolescence. Having someone very recently been there, who has navigated the same issues, can make a very big difference.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Description: Dr. Igor Koralnik, the co-director of Northwestern Medicine’s Comprehensive COVID-19 Center, is one of the world’s leading Long COVID researchers. For instance, he’s been involved in a first-of its-kind study that’s giving experts an idea of how Long COVID affects the body by looking through the eyes.Patients at his center receive coordinated care across 14 different specialties to address the many ways Long COVID affects the body.In the second part of our two-part series on Long COVID, Dr. Koralnik explains how patients who have experienced more episodes of COVID are at a higher risk of developing Long COVID.Dr. Koralnik tells hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter that his work includes investigating potential causes such as viral persistence, autoimmune responses, and microvascular changes. His clinic also supports patients through regular virtual support groups that provide education and emotional care.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.