Public Health Out Loud
139 episodes - English - Latest episode: 21 days ago - ★★★★★ - 17 ratingsPublic Health Out Loud is a podcast that delves into the broader public health concerns and issues facing everyday Rhode Islanders. From discussions about safeguarding against future pandemics to actionable plans for families to help keep their loved ones safe from preventable diseases, Public Health Out Loud is a no nonsense resource for listeners who want to stick to the facts. Host Dr. Philip Chan promises to deliver accurate, light-hearted, and informative public health updates that matter to you. This podcast is brought to you by the Rhode Island Department of Health.
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Episodes
The Surprising Effects of Mindfulness on Blood Pressure
April 04, 2024 16:00 - 23 minutes - 16.3 MBThere’s a lot of talk these days about the benefits of being mindful. But a recently published study led by Brown University researchers suggests mindfulness isn’t just good for one’s mental and emotional well-being. It’s also beneficial for our physical health. In this episode of Public Health Out Loud Dr. Philip Chan is joined by Dr. Eric Loucks, director of the Mindfulness Center at Brown University, to explain how being mindful - about what we eat - can help dramatically lower blood pres...
Celebrating Fifty Years of WIC
March 26, 2024 18:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBWIC - which is short for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Education Program for Women, Infants, and Children - is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month. In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan is joined by RIDOH’s own Ann Barone, Chief for the Office of Women, Infants, and Children to talk about the program’s history and the positive impact it has had on so many families over the years.
What You Need to Know About Congenital Syphilis
March 12, 2024 19:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MBThe CDC recently released data showing that nationally, there has been a sharp rise in congenital syphilis. Cases have more than tripled in recent years in the US, with 3,700 cases reported in 2022 alone. Here in Rhode Island we’ve seen several cases of congenital syphilis after over a decade of having none. What is causing this increase and what can be done to prevent it from happening? On this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan is joined Dr. Erica Hardy, Director for the ...
How One Rhode Island Organization is Helping to Put Children's Teeth First!
February 27, 2024 23:00 - 19 minutes - 13.4 MBTooth decay is the most common chronic disease among children but it is also completely preventable. In honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month, Dr. Philip Chan sat down with Katherine Linwood, communications manager at TeethFirst!, a group that provides educational resources on the importance of early dental care. Download and listen in as she touches on the importance of dental care from a very young age and what parents, healthcare, and dental professionals can do to help ensure ...
What it Takes to be Prepared for a Public Health Emergency in RI
February 16, 2024 13:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBIn public health, the term “emergency preparedness” has become linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. But public health emergency preparedness encompasses so much more. In fact, Rhode Islanders all over the State come into contact with people who work in public health emergency preparedness, they just may not know it. In this episode Alysia Mihalakos from the Rhode Island Department of Health’s Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response talks with Dr. Philip Chan about public health emergency ...
A Critical Need: The Life-Saving Importance of Blood Donation
January 19, 2024 12:00 - 21 minutes - 14.6 MBA blood transfusion occurs in the US every two seconds. Some examples of those in need include cancer patients; accident, burn, or trauma victims; newborn babies and their mothers; transplant recipients; or surgery patients. Despite blood being critical to saving lives, only 4% of Rhode Island's eligible population actually donates blood. In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan talks with Caitlin Grimaldi-Flick, marketing and communications manager at the Rhode Island Bloo...
Overdose Prevention by the Numbers: How Improving Data Collection Helps Save Lives
January 04, 2024 19:00 - 23 minutes - 15.9 MBIn this episode of Public Health Out Loud, RIDOH's Dr. Philip Chan sits down with colleagues Nathaniel Fuchs and Sarah Edwards. Nathaniel is an epidemiologist who works with data about non-fatal opioid overdoses. Sarah Edwards is from RIDOH’s Drug Overdose Prevention Program, and her focus is on working with communities. Together, they explain how the Department’s enhanced data tracking system identifies upticks in drug overdoses that allow Rhode Island communities to respond in real time.
A Deadly Drug Supply: What's Being Done to Keep RI Communities Safe?
December 20, 2023 16:00 - 27 minutes - 19 MBIn 2022, 75% of overdose deaths involved illicit fentanyl, a highly potent opioid. In this episode, Dr. Philip Chan is joined by Bryan Volpe, a Drug Intelligence Officer at The New England High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and Dr. Louis Marchetti, Chief of Operations at the Center for Clinical Toxicology and Laboratory Support, at the Rhode Island State Health Laboratories for a look at what's being done to keep Rhode Islanders safe from a deadly drug supply.
Past, Present, and Future - A Conversation About Public Health
December 08, 2023 01:00 - 29 minutes - 20.2 MBDr. Jan Carney, Associate Dean for Public Health and Health Policy and Professor of Medicine at the University of Vermont and author of the book Public Health: From Past to Present joins Dr. Philip Chan for a candid conversation on the topic of public health. With workforce shortages and professional burnout, what does the future look like for the field? What are some of the biggest lessons learned from past events? What challenges lie ahead? Check it out on this episode of Public Health ...
Coming Up Short: Fewer Primary Care Physicians Impacts RI in a Big Way
November 20, 2023 18:00 - 23 minutes - 16.4 MBIn this episode of Public Health Out Loud, the Rhode Island Department of Health's Dr. Philip Chan is joined by Dr. Jeffrey Borkan to explore a problem that affects everyone – a shortage of primary care physicians in RI. It’s causing long waits for appointments and the inability, in many cases, for doctors to take on new patients. What's causing the shortage, why should we care, and can anything be done to remedy this issue? Download this latest episode to find out.
Tornados, Flooding, and Heat Waves, Oh My! An Honest Talk About Climate Change
November 06, 2023 20:00 - 26 minutes - 18.6 MBAs unusual weather patterns, heat waves, floods, and other catastrophic events in unlikely places seem to be on the rise, climate change continues to be a hot topic. In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan is joined by climate scientists Dr. Gaurab Basu, Director of Education and Policy at the Harvard School of Public Health’s Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment and Rachel Calabro, Climate Policy Specialist with the Rhode Island Department of Environmen...
Preventing Domestic Violence by Addressing the Root Causes
October 18, 2023 14:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBIn honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Krista Cunningham and Dr. Cynthia Roberts from the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence sat down with the Rhode Island Department of Health's Dr. Philip Chan for a serious look at the causes of domestic and intimate partner violence, how they can be addressed for prevention, and the work that still needs to be done, both in Rhode Island and nationally.
Promoting Equity in Oral Health is a True "Mission of Mercy"
September 21, 2023 17:00 - 21 minutes - 15 MBIn this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Chan discusses the importance of oral health with local dentists, Dr. Sam Zwetchkenbaum and Dr. Jeff Dodge and their role in the Rhode Island Mission of Mercy. This two-day, annual event, has provided thousands of Rhode Islanders, who may not have regular access, with free dental care. Download and listen in as the conversation also explores the need for more oral health professionals in Rhode Island, and how young people interested in going in...
A Must-See Documentary About Those Hiding In Plain Sight
August 24, 2023 19:00 - 36 minutes - 25 MBSeventy five percent of mental illness begins before the age of 25 and 50% before the age of 14. In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan sits down with Erik Ewers, a documentary filmmaker whose recent film "Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness” sheds light on these startling mental health statistics through the lens of 23 young people growing up in America. They bravely shared their deeply personal stories with the goal of helping others. Download and listen in for ...
What College Students and Their Supporters Need to Know About Preventing Sexual Assault
August 08, 2023 19:00 - 30 minutes - 21.4 MBIn this episode, Dr. Philip Chan sits down with Johnson and Wales University's Korina Ramsland Short and Roger Williams University's Dr. Jen Stanley to discuss a serious topic before the start of the fall semester. It can be difficult and uncomfortable to discuss, but it is important to talk about it openly and honestly. The topic? Sexual violence prevention. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), every 68 seconds an American is sexually assaulted. What conversati...
A Look at Community Acupuncture - The Science, Accessibility, and Potential Benefits
July 27, 2023 14:00 - 22 minutes - 15.8 MBIn this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan takes a deep dive into the world of acupuncture with Providence Community Acupuncture's Cris Monteiro. What is the science behind acupuncture? What's being done to make this centuries-old practice more available to everyone? Download this latest episode for the answers to these questions and many more.
Talking About Ticks: Understanding and Preventing the Diseases Ticks Carry
July 14, 2023 00:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBAfter a mild winter, more ticks than usual survived into the spring. Because of this, the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management have warned Rhode Islanders that this year could be a bad year for the transmission of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. On this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan sits down with infectious disease expert Dr. Jerome Larkin to discuss how tick-borne diseases can impact human health, som...
Staying Safe Under the Sun - Expert Skin Cancer Prevention Tips for Summer
June 14, 2023 16:00 - 23 minutes - 16 MBOne in every three cancers diagnosed is a skin cancer and one in every five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. Are you playing it safe this summer? Dr. Philip Chan explores the best ways to protect yourself with local skin cancer expert Dr. Abrar Qureshi, Chair of the Department of Dermatology at the Warren Alpert Medical School and Professor of Dermatology and Epidemiology at Brown University. What should you look for in an effective sun block? Does a hat with a wide bri...
Providence Mayor Brett Smiley Talks Health Priorities for the Capitol City
June 12, 2023 17:00 - 26 minutes - 18.3 MBHave things returned to normal in Rhode Island's capitol city since the pandemic? What are the public health priorities-and challenges facing Providence moving forward? Dr. Philip Chan sits down with Providence Mayor Brett Smiley to get the skinny on all this, what it's like to be Mayor, where the city is at now, and much more in this episode of Public Health Out Loud.
Medicaid: How Insurance is Changing Post-Pandemic and Will It Impact You?
June 01, 2023 17:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MBDuring the Public Health Emergency (or PHE), the federal government paused annual renewals for the Medicaid Program to ensure no one lost access to health insurance coverage during the pandemic. Now that the PHE has ended, the Medicaid recertification process began again in Rhode Island on April 1. In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan is joined by Kristin Sousa, Director of the Medicaid Program, at the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services to shar...
Today’s Mental Health Crisis: Impacts and Advice from a Local Expert
May 05, 2023 13:00 - 27 minutes - 18.8 MBThe COVID-19 pandemic worsened the already significant rise in depression and anxiety, for everyone, but especially for youth. In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan is joined by Dr. Joseph Trunzo, practicing psychologist, incoming president of the Rhode Island Psychological Association, and chair of the Department of Psychology at Bryant University. What factors contribute to a person’s mental well-being and how does physical health play a role? How did the COVID-19 pand...
Lessons in Environmental Health and Crisis Communications from the Ohio Train Derailment
April 12, 2023 12:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBIt’s been a couple months since the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, but many people still have questions about its environmental and health impacts. What do we know about the chemicals that were being transported on that train? What can we learn about crisis communications from this event? How concerned do we need to be about chemical exposure in general and how do we evaluate our risk? Download the latest episode of Public Health Out Loud to get answers from our local experts Dr. ...
Food as Medicine: How Our Diet Impacts Health
March 30, 2023 15:00 - 25 minutes - 17.9 MBIn this week’s episode of the Public Health Out Loud podcast, Dr. Philip Chan is joined by Dr. Kara Cucinotta and Mallory Sullivan from Johnson and Wales University. They’re talking about all things diet and nutrition. How does what we eat and drink impact our health? How can we improve education about healthy eating habits? What role has social media played in promoting harmful diet culture? Download this week’s episode to find out.
What’s in Rhode Island’s Local Drug Supply?
February 28, 2023 16:00 - 31 minutes - 21.8 MBWith national and local headlines about overdoses, fentanyl, and xylazine, it’s important to know about the risks of substance use and the local drug supply. In this week’s Public Health Out Loud podcast, Dr. Philip Chan is joined by Dr. Alexandra Collins and Dr. Rachel Wightman, who are leading a new research study at the Brown University School of Public Health and Warren Alpert Medical School called testRI. The research team tests drug residue samples from used paraphernalia collected a...
Gonorrhea & Drug Resistance: A Major Public Health Threat
February 14, 2023 14:00 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBWe’re back for season 3! In the season opener, Dr. Philip Chan from the Rhode Island Department of Health talks about the rising number of sexually transmitted infections in Rhode Island and nationwide. He’s joined by Kathleen Roosevelt, the director of STD prevention and HIV surveillance at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, and Dr. Kathy Hsu, the medical director for that division at MDPH. The three experts focus their discussion on gonorrhea: what is it? How is it treated? How...
Monkeypox Mythbusters: Season 2 Finale
August 23, 2022 14:00 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MBDo you have questions about monkeypox? Download the season 2 finale of the Public Health Out Loud podcast to get answers. Co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan talk about the origins of monkeypox, how it’s spread, and how to protect yourself. They also talk about the JYNNEOS vaccine, and how Rhode Island is administering it. Get the facts about monkeypox from our public health experts so you can recognize misinformation when it’s circulating online. To learn more about Rhode Islan...
Healing through Storytelling
August 19, 2022 13:00 - 26 minutes - 18.2 MBThis week’s guest expert on the Public Health Out Loud podcast is Ana Bess Moyer Bell, a drama therapist and executive director of 2nd Act. 2nd Act is a Boston-based non-profit organization that uses drama therapy to support healing and recovery for people who have experienced trauma, substance use disorder, a family member living with substance use disorder, or the death of a loved one. Co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan ask their guest about how the experience of writing, acti...
Tobacco: Know the Health Effects and How to Quit
August 12, 2022 19:00 - 29 minutes - 20.3 MBThis week’s guest expert on the Public Health Out Loud podcast is Dr. Patricia Cioe, an Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Brown University. Dr. Cioe’s current research is focused on the effects of cigarette smoking on one’s health, and the development of innovative smoking cessation interventions for people living with HIV. Co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan ask Dr. Cioe about the difference between combustible cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and vapes. They als...
Veterans' Health
August 05, 2022 18:00 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MBThis week’s guest expert is Dr. Amy Cameron, a clinical psychologist in the VA Healthcare System in Providence, Rhode Island and a faculty member of the Department of Psychology and Human Behavior at Brown University. Co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan ask her about the most common health concerns among veterans, including chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, and treatment options that are available to veterans. Download this week’s episode to learn more. Are you a ...
A Discussion with Former Fla. Surgeon General
July 29, 2022 19:00 - 29 minutes - 20.6 MBThis week’s guest expert on the Public Health Out Loud podcast is Dr. Scott Rivkees, the former surgeon general for the State of Florida. As the state’s leading public health officer from June 2019 to September 2021, Dr. Rivkees oversaw the state’s COVID-19 response. Now, Dr. Rivkees is a professor of practice of health services, policy, and practice and vice chair of the Department of Health Service, Policy, and Practice at the Brown University School of Public Health. Co-hosts Dr. Phili...
Long Covid: Get the Facts
July 22, 2022 18:00 - 26 minutes - 18.1 MBThere are a lot of unanswered questions when it comes to Long Covid, which refers to the prolonged symptoms that some patients experience after an initial COVID-19 infection. People experiencing Long Covid have reported symptoms ranging from fatigue to brain fog to difficulty breathing. For some, the symptoms last a couple weeks after their initial infection with COVID-19. For others, the symptoms have lasted much longer. This week on the Public Health Out Loud podcast, find out what we do a...
Refugee Health
July 15, 2022 17:00 - 23 minutes - 16.5 MBThis week’s guest expert on the Public Health Out Loud podcast is Dr. Carol Lewis, a general pediatrician at Hasbro Children’s Hospital and the director of the Refugee Health Program there. Co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan ask her about pediatric health trends and common health issues among the refugee community. They also ask her about how Rhode Island has welcomed recent waves of refugees arriving from Afghanistan and Ukraine. Download this week’s episode to learn more.
How to Prepare for the Next Pandemic
July 08, 2022 18:00 - 23 minutes - 16.6 MBWhat did COVID-19 teach us about pandemic preparedness? How concerned should we be about monkeypox? Download the latest episode of the Public Health Out Loud podcast to get the answers from Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist, pandemic preparedness expert, and the director at the new Pandemic Preparedness Center at the Brown University School of Public Health. Co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan talk about their experiences as local public health officials throughout the COVID...
Domestic Violence: Know the Red Flags and Resources
July 01, 2022 18:00 - 28 minutes - 19.9 MBDid you know 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have experienced domestic violence in their lifetime? Listen to the latest episode of the Public Health Out Loud podcast to learn more about the patterns of behavior that can occur in abusive relationships and local resources that are available to Rhode Islanders. This week’s guest expert is Vanessa Volz, the executive director at Sojourner House. The mission of Sojourner House is to promote healthy relationships by providing culturally sensitive s...
Why Breastfeed Baby?
June 24, 2022 14:00 - 23 minutes - 16.3 MBThis week’s guest expert is Erin Bertoldi, the state breastfeeding coordinator at the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). Co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan ask Erin about the health benefits of breastfeeding, the challenges that parents may face, and the resources that are available to support parents through their breastfeeding journey. Why does the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that infants be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life? Has the...
Tuberculosis: Not a Disease of the Past
June 17, 2022 18:00 - 22 minutes - 15.4 MBDid you know about 10 million people a year develop an active infection of tuberculosis? Although cases in the United States are rare, tuberculosis continues to be prevalent in other areas of the world. And since there isn’t an effective, long-term vaccine, cases can be fatal. In fact, before COVID-19, tuberculosis was the leading infectious disease killer in the world. This week’s guest expert is Dr. Natasha Rybak, the director of the RISE Clinic for Tuberculosis in Rhode Island. She des...
Crossroads: How Do Homeless Services and Public Health Intersect?
June 10, 2022 13:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBEnding homelessness is a public health issue. One possible solution? More housing. This week’s guest expert on the Public Health Out Loud podcast is Karen Santilli, the CEO of Crossroads Rhode Island. Crossroads is the leading provider of housing and homeless services in Rhode Island. Santilli talks about how rates of homelessness have increased not just in the state, but throughout the country during the pandemic. She also shares stories about how something called a “housing first” model...
Crossroads: How Do Homeless Services and Public Health Intersect?
June 10, 2022 13:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBEnding homelessness is a public health issue. One possible solution? More housing. This week’s guest expert on the Public Health Out Loud podcast is Karen Santilli, the CEO of Crossroads Rhode Island. Crossroads is the leading provider of housing and homeless services in Rhode Island. Santilli talks about how rates of homelessness have increased not just in the state, but throughout the country during the pandemic. She also shares stories about how something called a “housing first” model...
From Reactive to Proactive: Transforming Primary Care
June 03, 2022 12:00 - 26 minutes - 18 MBThis week’s guest expert on the Public Health Out Loud podcast is Dr. Andrew Saal; a family physician and the chief medical officer of the largest community health center in Rhode Island, Providence Community Health Centers (PCHC). Co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan ask Dr. Saal about the difference between reactive and proactive healthcare. They also ask him about how transforming primary care to a team-based approach could relieve crowded emergency rooms and reduce burnout am...
The Evolving Role of Pharmacists in Public Health
May 27, 2022 17:00 - 25 minutes - 17.4 MBPharmacists do a lot more than dispense medication. Pharmacies have become a major hub for people to access health care services—like testing, vaccine, and treatment—during the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, roughly 75 percent of the country’s eligible population got their COVID-19 vaccine from a pharmacy. How has the role of the pharmacist evolved over time? This week’s guest experts, Dr. Jeffrey Bratberg and Dr. Sabrina Silveira, will explain just that. Dr. Bratberg is a clinical professor...
Outbreaks, Epidemics, and Pandemics... Oh My!
May 20, 2022 18:00 - 24 minutes - 17.2 MBThis week’s guest expert has been managing outbreaks, epidemics, and pandemics throughout her career. Meet Dr. Utpala Bandy, the Medical Director for the Division of Preparedness, Response, Infectious Diseases, and Emergency Medical Services at the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH). Dr. Bandy gives a tour of her healthcare experiences from around the globe, including her education and the onset of her career in India, and the front-line training she received throughout the United Kin...
Trauma-Informed Care: What is it and Why Does it Matter?
May 13, 2022 19:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBTrauma-informed care shifts the focus from “What’s wrong with you?” to “What happened to you?” A trauma-informed approach to health acknowledges that physicians and healthcare organizations need to have a complete picture of a patient’s life situation — past and present — in order to provide effective healthcare services with a focus on healing. This week’s guest experts are Dr. Catherine DeGood; a physician in family and addiction medicine, medical director of CODAC Behavioral Healthcare,...
Housing Instability: Health Outcomes and Solutions
May 06, 2022 13:00 - 28 minutes - 19.6 MBThis week’s guest on the Public Health Out Loud podcast is an expert on housing instability, the eviction crisis, and related impacts on health outcomes. Dr. Gracie Himmelstein is a resident in internal medicine at the University of California Los Angeles with a PhD in demography from Princeton University. She has also conducted research with The Eviction Lab at Princeton University, which creates data, interactive tools, and research to help neighbors and policymakers understand the evictio...
Harm Reduction Centers in Rhode Island Will Be Among First in the Nation
April 29, 2022 16:00 - 29 minutes - 20.4 MBIn July of 2021, Rhode Island Governor Dan McKee signed legislation allowing for a two-year harm reduction center pilot program in the state. This means Rhode Island will be among the first in the nation to license and establish harm reduction centers, which are places where people can go to use drugs safely. What will a harm reduction center in Rhode Island look like? How effective have harm reduction centers been at preventing overdose deaths in other countries? Learn more about Rhod...
How Did They Get Here? Dr. McDonald & Dr. Chan's Journeys to Public Health
April 22, 2022 17:00 - 23 minutes - 16.2 MBIn this week’s episode, you’ll hear co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan talk about their roads to becoming doctors, and their journeys into public health. What did Dr. Chan’s time as an ambulance driver teach him about medicine? What made Dr. McDonald decide to drop his undergraduate major in photography? Download this week’s episode to learn more.
Not Your Average Vending Machine: How Rhode Island Dispenses Free Harm Reduction Tools 24/7
April 15, 2022 19:00 - 24 minutes - 16.6 MBWhen we think about vending machines, we imagine sugary drinks and candy bars. But in Rhode Island, vending machines are being used to dispense harm reduction tools that can help prevent overdose and reduce the spread of infectious diseases like HIV and hepatitis C. Through these vending machines, individuals can access free, sterile syringes, rapid tests for sexually transmitted infections, naloxone (Narcan®), wound care and hygiene kits, and fentanyl test strips any time of day or night. ...
Positive Childhood Experiences and Their Impact on Health Outcomes
April 08, 2022 19:00 - 27 minutes - 19 MBResearch shows that adverse childhood experiences, like abuse or parental abandonment, can negatively impact a person’s health outcomes later in life. This week’s guest expert, Dr. Robert Sege, is determined to flip pediatrics upside down by asking the question: Can positive childhood experiences foster better health outcomes for children later in life? Dr. Sege is a pediatrician at Tufts Children’s Hospital in Boston, Mass. In this week’s episode, he talks with co-hosts Dr. Philip Chan an...
Fostering Trust in Public Health
April 01, 2022 18:00 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MBMany Rhode Islanders living in specific geographies have experienced higher rates of COVID-19 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths throughout the pandemic. For example, in the seven hardest-hit ZIP codes, people of color as young as 25 are experiencing higher hospitalization rates than white people over 60 years old. Such differences are directly connected to the social conditions in which some communities of color are more likely to live and work every day, and to systems of structural ...
Delivering Healthcare in Correctional Settings
March 25, 2022 19:00 - 21 minutes - 14.7 MBPeople who are incarcerated have a constitutional right to quality healthcare services. This week’s guest expert, Dr. Justin Berk, is responsible for ensuring every person who is incarcerated at Rhode Island’s correctional facilities has access to, and receives, quality healthcare. Dr. Berk is medical director at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections and a faculty member at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. He is a staunch advocate for increased access to medicati...
Medical Ethics Before and During COVID-19
March 18, 2022 18:00 - 24 minutes - 16.8 MBThis week’s guest expert is Dr. Tom Bledsoe, a general internist and chair of the Rhode Island Hospital Ethics Committee. Co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan ask him about how medical ethical issues are handled in Rhode Island. Do physicians have a different ethical responsibility from the average person? What were some of the ethical conundrums that arose during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic? Download this week’s episode to find out.