Shows
Conversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 40: A Conversation with Former CDC Official Daniel Jernigan, MD, MPH On Vaccines, Infectious Diseases and RFK Jr.’s CDCDonald Trump has changed America in many ways since his second term began a year ago. But perhaps in none so personally important as our overall health and health care. On February 25th 2025 the Senate confirmed Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Nearly a year later he has managed to dismantle or re-direct much of it. Among the multitude of public health agencies administered by H-H-S, the one where we’ve seen perhaps the biggest changes is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – or as we usually call it – the CDC.
Many ex...
2026-01-2051 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 40 Promo for A Conversation with Dr. Daniel Jernigan on Health in the Age of RFK Jr.’s CDCWhat will happen in the US if cases of a now contained virus – or a totally new one - suddenly start multiplying by the millions? The CDC has drastically cut back on vaccine research as well as childhood vaccine recommendations. What diseases may come roaring back? Episode 40 drops on Tuesday January 20th with some answers from Daniel Jernigan, MD, MPH - one of the former top officials at the CDC. Links to the major podcast platforms and show notes on https://stephanishelton.com/conversations
Video link
https://youtube.com/shorts/lHunlffqTRg
2026-01-1302 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode A-40: A Conversation Between Me and YouIt’s not exactly an episode – thus the A-40 label. It’s just me talking to you for a few minutes. We had some last minute cancellations – which of course can happen as the holidays as well as the end of the business and financial year approach. The historically long US government shut down also took its toll. On virtually everything.
So -- we will resume the usual episodes on the third Tuesday of January – the 20th to be precise - with Episode 40. Please check the podcast page on my website for guest and subject info; it will be ther...
2025-12-1605 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 39: A Conversation with Dr. Gregory P. Marchildon, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto, on Canada’s Health SystemOur neighbor and long-time friend Canada has been the subject of President Trump’s ire -and his tariffs - since he became President again in January. He’s even claimed Canadians would have “much better” health coverage if Canada were somehow to become the 51st US state. Actually, Canada - like almost all other industrialized countries - has a publicly funded, government run health care system. Which is somewhat similar to the UK’s venerable NHS. Which of course this podcast has looked at several times. Every Canadian in the country legally is covered. Although some fringe coverage can vary from...
2025-11-181h 05Conversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 38: A Conversation on Doctors, Insurance and You with Orthopedist Erica Rowe Urquhart MD, PhD, MBAAs I record this – at the end of the second week in October 2025 – the US government is officially shut down. Senate and House Democrats are demanding negotiations with Republicans and President Trump to restore major health care cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act marketplace subsidies for 2026. It’s expected that if these cuts aren’t restored – and restored quickly - insurance premiums will double or even triple. And millions of Americans who now have at least some basic health insurance will be unable to afford any. Many small, rural hospitals may have to close as well.
Which bri...
2025-10-2151 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 37: An Emergency Update Conversation with Autism Expert Amy Wetherby, PhD, Florida State University (FSU)UPDATE 1/16/26: Today, January 16th, the Lancet – a prestigious women’s health medical journal – published a review and meta-analysis of 60 studies about Tylenol (acetaminophen)and its potential effect when taken as recommended by pregnant women. The research found no association with autism, intellectual disability or ADHD
UPDATE 9/22/25; There was no real study released in late September, as expected, on a potential causal relationship between autism and Tylenol. Instead we got, basically, a rambling statement from President Trump (with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.at his side) warning that pregnant women should ask their doctors before taking Tylenol. (Alread...
2025-09-1633 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 36: A Conversation with General Practitioner Bohumil Seifert, MD, PhD, Assoc. Professor, Prague, Czech RepublicThe cornerstone of any healthcare system is the general practitioner or GP. In the US we’ve renamed the GP to the rather cold sounding “primary care doctor”. Perhaps because so few of us still have that old multi-year connection with our doctor or perhaps because of the way our huge health insurance companies function. In the last podcast – Episode 35 - we talked about the UK’s still ailing health system – the NHS – a year after the Labor Government took over. Not much change yet but a recently released 10 year plan envisions most standard health care centralized in neighborhoods at the GP leve...
2025-08-1956 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #35: A Follow-up Conversation with David Hunter, Emeritus Professor, Newcastle University on the UK’s Still Troubled NHS.The United Kingdom’s National Health Service was founded in 1948 and is considered the mother of all government run health care systems - with Sweden’s slightly later plan for universal coverage just behind. We’ve profiled both systems on this podcast series. But we’re going back to take another look at the NHS --almost exactly one year after labor won a huge parliamentary victory. And the new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his new Secretary for Health and Social Care Wes Streeting declared the NHS was “broken” and promised to fix it.
All health systems are...
2025-07-1531 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 34: A Conversation with Autism Expert Amy Wetherby, PhD, Florida State University (FSU)What do we actually know about autism? Not enough according to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. – the Health and Human Services Secretary. He’s promised an initial 50 million dollars for his plan to find out what exactly causes autism. With an unusually short turnaround for research proposals . Remember Kennedy first promised he’d have all the answers by September but then extended that to March and now it appears by the funding guidelines it will be a year or more. Still much faster than research norms.
Many health experts fear HHS will just cherry pick the answers RFK Jr. has...
2025-06-1758 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 33: A Conversation with Dr. Anurag Gupta, Tembo Health, on Improving Dementia CareIt’s no secret our population is aging fast. According to the US Census Bureau, 10,000 Baby Boomers hit that 65 landmark year each day. In fact 2025 is predicted to be “peak 65” demographically – with more than 11,000 Boomers crossing the daily line. Unfortunately as we age – more of us develop dementia and Alzheimer’s – with most of the associated costs paid by Medicare. It’s estimated that for Alzheimer’s care alone – costs are as much as 2.8 times higher than for other seniors.
So Medicare has begun an experimental program called Guide. Partnering with some private, digitally oriented companies to create better dementi...
2025-05-2045 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 32: A Conversation on Pain, Addiction and Prevention with Addiction Specialist Dr. Arun GuptaMost of you know something about the opioid crisis. It’s considered one of the most devastating public health catastrophes of our time.
Just to summarize briefly – the first wave of deaths began in the mid 1990s when Purdue Pharma’s newly approved pain drug OxyContin was pushed to doctors. Purdue had lied to the FDA, saying OxyContin was less addictive than other opioids. It was, actually, even more addictive. Then came the wave of deaths from many of those addicts switching to “street” heroin. And then, as we all know, came the synthetic opioid fentanyl. 2024 figures aren’t yet...
2025-04-1550 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 31: A Conversation on How NOT to Pay Medical Bills – Legally - with Author Frank LobbHave you ever been hit by a huge medical bill when you thought your health insurance would be covering most of it? Do you know that unpaid medical bills are one of the top reasons Americans declare personal bankruptcy? Well, meet Frank Lobb. He’s a retired navy pilot whose later managerial background in law and compliance had nothing to do with health care. But some years ago Lobb had a very frustrating and ultimately tragic fight with his wife’s insurance company. And he began researching health insurers, personal medical bills and your rights under the law. He’s now...
2025-03-1844 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 30: A Conversation on Obesity with Dr. Naser E. Gharaibeh, Medical Director, Valley Health System Center for Weight and Wellness, New JerseyUPDATE: The Trump administration has decided Medicare will NOT pay for the popular GLP-1 drugs just for weight loss. It would have cost the government nearly $40 Billion over 10 years.
Perhaps the hottest, most divisive topic in health care is obesity. Which in the US appears to have stabilized in 2024 at about 40% of adults. Is obesity a disease or a lifestyle result? How does it affect overall health and what diseases can it cause? Who should take the expensive new GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Wegovy? And perhaps the most divisive issue - who should pay for those d...
2025-02-1846 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 29: A Conversation with Dr. Michelle P. Warren, Endocrinologist, Gynecologist. Medical Director, Center for Menopause, Hormonal Disorders & Women’s Health, Columbia University Medical CenterIs women’s health moving backward?
The Supreme Court’s Dobbs Decision in 2022 overturned what most women believed was settled law – the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision - establishing a constitutional right to abortion. Since Dobbs, many states - especially in the South and Midwest - have banned abortions for any reason or tightly restricted them. Leaving many women in medically dangerous conditions. Even before Dobbs – the United States had a maternal death rate more than double and sometimes triple most other high income countries. More women are obese than men. Causing multiple health issues. These all suggest th...
2025-01-2145 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 28: A Conversation with Ateev Mehrotra MD, MPH; Chair, Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public HealthLate word from CMS – Medicare will keep covering telehealth use through March. Congress must OK a further extension.
Lots of us became well-acquainted with telemedicine during the pandemic. And while many of us have gone back to office appointments with our doctors – telemedicine remains useful. Especially for mental health issues. How useful? Well – recently I logged onto a fascinating Health Affairs Journal webinar on telemedicine. And with winter upon us – I thought it would make a timely episode. Joining me is one of the presenters – Ateev Mehrotra, MD, MPH. He’s a practicing physician as well as the Walter H...
2024-12-1747 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 27: A Continued Conversation with Dr. Steven D. Culler, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at Emory University, on Medicaid and Obamacare Updates for 2025 Open enrollment for Medicare supplement plans, which continues until December 7, runs somewhat concurrently with the annual sign up period for the Affordable Care Act plans - commonly called Obamacare. The plans became available on state marketplaces on November 1 and the window closes on December 15 for coverage beginning January 1. We explained the major Medicare changes for 2025 in Episode 26 - check it out if you or someone in your family still needs the podcast’s actionable information. But right now let’s talk about the other actionable information – the 2025 Obamacare plans and who’s eligible for them. Back again is Dr. Steven D...
2024-11-1920 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 26: A Conversation with Dr. Steven D. Culler, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at Emory University, on Medicare Updates for 2025Once again it’s open enrollment time for Medicare plans - which runs for just 6 weeks each year - from October 15 until December 7th. Millions more Americans who don’t get health insurance through their jobs or Medicaid can find or change so-called Obamacare insurance plans from November 1st through January 15th of next year.
In this episode we’re concentrating on the biggest changes to Medicare for 2025, including qualifications for weight loss drug Wegovy coverage and the Medicare Advantage plans used by about 50 percent of Medicare recipients. Episode 27 – dropping on November 19th – will catch you up on the Affo...
2024-10-1528 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 25: A Conversation with Dr. Mirella M.N. Minkman on Neighbors Helping Neighbors Toward Better Health in the NetherlandsHealth experts in many countries – including the United States – are looking beyond standard health care and medical treatments to some kind of community-based care. Both as a way to improve people’s general health - and as a way to cut the spiraling costs of medical procedures and new drugs.
The Netherlands appears to be well ahead of most countries with its varied efforts to re-invent what is generally called “social care” - starting right at the neighborhood level.
With the huge Boomer population aging quickly - the Netherlands also has a particular focus on integrated...
2024-09-1756 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 24: A Conversation with Maggie and Suzanne about Having Friends and Loved Ones in Rehabilitation and Skilled Nursing FacilitiesDo you know someone – perhaps in your own family – who has spent time in a rehabilitation facility? Maybe after an illness or operation? Lots of people – and particularly older people who live alone – find themselves in rehab or long term care facilities. These are somewhat different from the assisted living or independent care communities we talked about in Episode 10 - when we explored one family’s exhaustive effort to find a place for their Mom in North Carolina. Rehab facilities are often affiliated with hospital groups and deal with everything from recovering from knee replacements to stroke and even dementia c...
2024-08-2032 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 23: A Conversation with Dr. Jihad Malasi, Primary Care Physician, Royal College of General Practitioners, Senior Fellow of the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management, United KingdomWe’re spending some time this summer revisiting the UK’s National Health Service. It’s celebrating its 76th birthday this month – although I doubt anyone would use that exact word. Actually, right after the Labor Party swept the UK parliamentary elections on July 4th – both the new Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and his new Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said flat out that the NHS is broken. Both promised to save it. And - both stressed it couldn‘t be done overnight. Small comfort to the nearly 10 million people the BBC says may be on NHS waiting...
2024-07-1653 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 22: A Conversation with Dr. Amani Hassan, Practicing Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist NHS; Faculty Chair, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Royal College of Psychiatrists, Wales, UKAs the US Surgeon General calls for a social media warning label similar to the one on cigarettes and alcohol, we focus on child and teenage mental health in this somewhat longer than usual episode. And about halfway through – we get into a really good discussion on that really big issue: the role of social media in the growing problems of Gen Z and the youngest children – Gen Alpha.
We’re talking about all this with a child psychiatrist from the United Kingdom’s storied but now struggling National Health System. And she has some ideas you probably...
2024-06-1859 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 21: A Conversation with Theodore Lawrence, MD, PhD, Professor of Radiation Oncology, University of MichiganHow many times have we all asked – when will they find a cure for cancer? Of course there is no one cure any more than there is just one type of cancer. Each one requires its own research pathway. But there have been great strides in recent years. Some cancers which used to be a death sentence can now be basically cured or turned into treatable, chronic illnesses.
My guest for this episode is Theodore Lawrence, MD, PhD. He’s a Professor of Radiation Oncology at the University of Michigan and has an active oncology medical practice. He’s...
2024-05-2147 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 20: A Conversation with Mohammadali Habibi, MD – an electrophysiologist with The Valley Health System in New JerseyThis may surprise you with all the medical advances we’ve made in the last decade --but heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the US. As it has been since 1921. A recent poll conducted for the American Heart Association found 51 percent of respondents had no idea! According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – one person dies every 33 seconds in the US from cardiovascular disease. And this may also surprise you. The CDC says in 2019 - the last year it lists - heart disease cost the US about 2 hundred and 40 billion dollars. Think about the infla...
2024-04-1627 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 19: More of A Conversation with Catharina Barkman, Project Director, Forum for Health Policy in Stockholm on Sweden’s Universal Health Care SystemPart 2: I think we all learned a lot in Episode 18 about Sweden's pioneering universal health care system. Most countries except for the U-S have some version of this – health care that’s paid for by taxes, controlled by the government and essentially free at the point of use. But health care costs are skyrocketing everywhere. So now we're going to talk about how AI and other data-driven innovations may help Sweden - and health care systems in general - cope with the demographic changes and expensive medical breakthroughs already straining budgets. This is the second half of my discussion with...
2024-03-1935 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 18: A Conversation with Catharina Barkman, Project Director, Forum for Health Policy, Stockholm on Sweden’s Universal Health Care SystemPart 1: Most of us are familiar with the idea of universal health care. Ideally – tax-paid, “free” health care for all. We know that in the US we don’t have it – while almost all other countries do – in some form. One of the first countries to adopt universal health care was Sweden – in the early 1950s. But how - exactly - does such a system work? And can it keep afloat as health costs keep rising? I ask Catharina Barkman who heads Sweden's Forum for Health Policy - a non-profit, independent think tank aiming to boost innovation and development in the health car...
2024-02-2035 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 17: Celebrating the Podcast’s First Year and a HalfWe start the 2024 season by celebrating the podcast's first year and a half. A fast review of some of the widely varied subjects and guests. Some are experts on health care systems. Others just people trying to navigate the way the privately-driven US system works. Or for many – doesn’t work. Maybe you’ll find one or two conversations you missed?
2024-01-1815 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #16: A conversation with Alan Weil, Editor-in-Chief of Health Affairs and Podcast Host of A Health Podyssey on Why Drug Costs are So High in the USI’m sure you’ve heard or read that Americans have better access to the newer, often life-saving drugs than people in other countries. But access and being able to pay for the drugs are two different matters. As anyone knows who has been to a pharmacist window lately – these great new drugs are really expensive. And in the United States – unlike other countries - they're often not covered or poorly covered by insurance. Sadly in this rich country - some people actually have to chose between the drugs which control their disease – and feeding their kids. Or even themselves...
2023-12-1939 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #15: More of a Conversation with Dr. Steven D. Culler, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at Emory University, on Open Enrollment Period and Much More.Part 2: Open enrollment for 2024 Medicare supplementary plans continues into December - while those under 65 who don’t have employer health insurance can look for Obamacare plans on state marketplaces until mid January. In Episode 14 we talked mainly about how those Obamacare plans work. Now we’re focusing more on Medicare. More on the difference between Medicare Advantage and purely supplementary plans. And toward the end – we do some “blue skying” about the future of Medicare and health care in general. And how to pay for it. Lots of useful info in the rest of my discussion with Dr. Steven D. Culler...
2023-11-2131 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #14: A Conversation with Dr. Steven D. Culler, Associate Professor of Health Policy and Management at Emory University, on Open Enrollment Period and More. Part 1.Starting in mid October and ending January 15th, millions of eligible Americans who don’t get health insurance through their jobs or Medicaid can use what is known as the Open Enrollment Period to sign up for or change various insurance plans. Medicare recipients – mostly 65 or older - have 6 weeks ending on December 7th this year to choose supplemental insurance or Advantage plans. And those who have or want what most of us call “Obamacare” – health insurance created under the Affordable Care Act – can change or enroll from November 1st. That’s the easy part. The rest – like virtually everything about he...
2023-10-1731 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #13: A Conversation with Gina Mžourek on Her Health Care Experiences in the US, Germany and the Czech RepublicTalking about health care systems doesn’t have much meaning unless you know how they actually affect people. My friend Gina Mžourek is an American from New Jersey. She currently lives in Germany with her Czech husband. But over the past 24 years she’s also lived in the Czech Republic, France and of course – the US. Gina has a chronic illness so she’s very good at comparing the health care systems. They’re all state run except of course – ours here in the US. We talked on Zoom this summer – me in Prague, Gina in her small German town - and...
2023-09-1941 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #12: A Conversation with Teacher Martina Frybortova on the Czech Health Care SystemImagine what it’s like to know that if you get sick or need a knee replacement or just grow old – you’ll never have to worry about paying for your medical care? It’s something few Americans can even imagine. But something that is simply normal for most Europeans. So last month when my husband and I were in Prague – I had a conversation with a Czech friend who’s a public school English teacher and translator. She pays the usual high taxes into the state-run health care system. And then never gives the cost of her medical future anoth...
2023-08-1531 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #11: A Conversation with the UK’s David Hunter, Emeritus Professor, Newcastle University on the National Health Service at 75We’re looking at the growing health care crisis in the United Kingdom in this episode. The government-funded and run National Health Service or NHS as it’s usually known was started in 1948 and most UK citizens really love it. It’s basically the international role model for health care services which are free at the point of use. Something most Americans can only dream of. But ever since the COVID lockdowns ended – the NHS has been in real trouble. I’m sure you’ve seen or read about its huge financial and personnel issues. Doctors and nurses, ambulance drivers – see...
2023-07-1841 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #10: A Conversation with Rich on his Family’s Search for the Right Assisted Living Facility for MomAfter the last two episodes on mental health, we’re talking about another difficult issue many families are struggling with – when and how to find an affordable and caring assisted living facility for Mom or Dad. Rich’s 92 year old Mom is doing well in her new home and Rich shares a lot of helpful information if your family is just beginning to the emotionally draining search. I’m also giving you some useful U.S. research links below:
To find home-based services, contact Eldercare Locator at 1-800-677-1116 or visit https://eldercare.acl.gov. You can also c...
2023-06-2032 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #9: More of A Conversation with PhDr. Radek Pěkný About Mental Health Issues and Care in the Czech Republic, the US and Beyond. Part 2.Part 2: When Part 1 ended – we were talking about how life has changed after the COVID pandemic. and how many people seem to be having trouble just coping these days. Part 2 picks up there. And as we go on – I think you’ll feel almost like you’re in your own personal therapy session as we talk a lot about mental resilience and our lack of it, the effects of social media and how you know you need help. You don’t want to miss the rest of this thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation on mental health with Czech clinical psychologist and psycho...
2023-05-1737 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #8: A Conversation with PhDr. Radek Pěkný about Mental Health Issues and Care in the Czech Republic, the US and Beyond. Part 1Many Americans seem to be having trouble coping with life these days - perhaps because the COVID pandemic changed life as we knew it. It changed life everywhere - including in the Czech Republic. How do we deal with uncertainty? What does it mean to be a man in 2023? Are our children as mentally resilient as we were? What about the effect of social media? Do Czechs try to ignore mental health problems as many Americans do? This is Part 1 a very thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation on mental health with Czech clinical psychologist and psychotherapist PhDr. Radek Pěkný. You...
2023-04-1821 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #7: A Conversation with Lisa Layne D.M.H., M.I.A. On Just About EverythingIt’s hard to characterize Dr. Lisa Layne because she’s worn so many hats. As a result - the way she looks at health care and our relationship with its delivery is quite unique. Dr. Layne went from being a Foreign Service Officer to earning a doctorate in Medical Humanities and later, certificates in Bioethics. As you can imagine, we talk about a lot. We even share a few laughs. What did she learn from her years as a patient advocate at a New Jersey hospital? What’s it like to get sick in a foreign country compared to the...
2023-03-2429 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #7- Preview: A Conversation with Lisa Layne D.M.H., M.I.A. On Just About EverythingIt’s hard to characterize Dr. Lisa Layne because she’s worn so many hats. As a result the way she looks at health care and our relationship with its delivery is quite unique. As this preview of Episode 7 suggests - we talk a little about a lot. Dr. Layne went from being a Foreign Service Officer to earning a doctorate in Medical Humanities and later, certificates in Bioethics. What did she learn from her years as a patient advocate at a New Jersey hospital? What is it like to get sick in a foreign country compared to the US...
2023-03-2202 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #6: Christine Dorn-Moldovan on NursingAt the core of any country’s health system are the nurses. And I’m sure many of you are aware of the continuing nurses’ strikes against the UK’s state-run health care system - as well as the recent one here in New York City. Yes – nurses want pay hikes. But the biggest issue is the continued understaffing at hospitals and other care facilities. Christine Dorn-Moldovan is now a semi-retired school nurse who spent many years as a hospital nurse and supervisor at large New York hospitals. And also worked in the public health system. What does she think has t...
2023-02-1432 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #5: The Continuation of a Conversation with Richard Saltman, PhD, Health Policy ExpertPart 2: We continue to compare the US health care system with those of Sweden and other Nordic and European state-run systems. Does the US really have a mostly private system? Are countries already developing new, hybrid models as the cost of breakthrough medical procedures and designer drugs skyrockets? And can we really compare any single European country to our sprawling land of more than a hundred and 33 million people?Note: all episodes are also available in video form on YouTube.
2023-01-1726 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #4: A Conversation with Richard Saltman, Phd, Health Policy Expert, Emory University, Atlanta GA
Episode #4: A Conversation with Richard Saltman, PhD, Health Policy Expert
Part 1: We're delving into the mix of private insurers, doctor groups, regional hospital systems, Medicare, Medicaid, the Veterans Health Administration - plus a federal and state public health system- which together are considered the US health "system". How does the US "system" compare to those in Europe and the Nordic countries? You may be surprised at what you hear. Note: all episodes are also available in video form on YouTube.
2022-12-2119 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode 3: Pam’s Healthcare NightmareMost of us have had some experience with the mish-mosh of health care in the US which substitutes for a real health system – the European kind you learned about in episodes 1 and 2. Both dealing with health care in the Czech Republic.
But here in the United States – it’s not so simple.
If you’ve had to navigate the maze of doctors, hospitals, health care alliances and insurance in the US – you probably have a horror story. Like my friend Pam Cookson. who lives in St. Augustine, Florida.
Pam’s struggle to get a simple bladd...
2022-11-1829 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #2: When Writer Steve Fisher Nearly Died in Prague, CZYou got an overview of the Czech Republic’s health care system in Episode 1. Unlike ours in the US - it’s a centralized system which is relatively similar to those in most European and Scandinavian countries. Every working adult pays into it. And everyone in the country has a similar level of care. So what happens when someone gets really, REALLY sick there? Meet Steve Fisher - an American writer who’s lived and worked in the capital city – Prague - for the past 30 years. A few years ago a freak infection almost killed him. It’s pretty dramatic.N...
2022-10-1921 minConversations on Health: How We Get There - with Stephani SheltonEpisode #1: A Conversation with Dr. David Marx, Charles University, Prague, Czech RepublicEpisode 1. Some years ago I discovered that like a lot of you --- I really care about good health. And when COVID first hit us - I – like a lot of you – discovered that the US was woefully unprepared for a major public health crisis. So I set out to do a podcast series about health care - who has it and who hasn't and why. And how we might do better in the US.
I’m starting with a typical European - mostly public health care system in the Czech Republic because I spend a lot of tim...
2022-10-0637 min
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2021-05-2501 min