Shows
Raise the LineHow Emotional Skills Can Elevate Medical Practice and Patient Care: Professor Alicja Galazka, University of Silesia“Very often, doctors try to suppress what they feel or don't even have the vocabulary to describe their emotions,” says Professor Alicja Galazka of the University of Silesia, an observation based on decades of work with physicians to enhance their emotional intelligence and resilience. Galazka, a psychotherapist, psychologist, lecturer and coach, believes this deficit is rooted in part in a lack of instruction in the internal and external psychological dimensions of being a medical provider. “There is not enough space created in medical school for teaching and training students about how to deal with their own stress and all of the...2025-07-1028 min
Raise the LineThe Importance of Seeing Rare Disease Patients Holistically: Eric & Kristi Levine, Parents of a Child with CACNA1A"It was pretty apparent to me that something was going on with him," says Kristi Levine, describing the realization that, based on her experience as a Montessori teacher, her infant son, Trey, was missing developmental milestones. Unfortunately, Kristi’s hunch turned out to be correct and Trey was later diagnosed with a rare genetic mutation called CACNA1A which is impacting his motor skills, balance, coordination and speech. Kristi and her husband, Eric, join host Michael Carrese on this installment in our Year of the Zebraseries to help us understand the disorder and its implications for Trey and their fa...2025-06-1228 min
Raise the LineHow Providers Can Join the Battle Against Misinformation: Dr. Raven Baxter, Director of Science Communication at the Cohen Center for Recovery from Complex Chronic IllnessWe have a special guest on today's episode whose voice will be familiar to regular listeners. Last year at this time, Dr. Raven Baxter occupied the Raise the Line host chair for a special ten-part series we produced in collaboration with the Cohen Center for Recovery from Complex Chronic Illness (CoRe) at Mount Sinai in New York City, where she serves as the Director of Science Communication. The series explored the latest understandings of post-acute infection syndromes -- such as Chronic Lyme and Long COVID -- with an array of experts from the Center and other researchers and providers. I...2025-05-2928 min
Raise the LineEquipping Today’s Medical Students to Manage Uncertainty: Professor Katarzyna Taran, Medical University of ŁódźWe’re honored to continue our global tour of medical education today with Professor Katarzyna Taran, MD, PhD, a pioneering interdisciplinary researcher of tumor cell biology, an award winning educator noted for her focus on student engagement, and -- in a first for a Raise the Line guest -- a shooting sports certified coach and referee. As Professor Taran explains to host Michael Carrese, these seemingly disparate professional activities require the same underlying attributes: patience, the ability to overcome barriers, openness and adaptation. She believes those last qualities are especially important for today’s medical students to acquire given the...2025-05-0131 min
Raise the LineTackle Every Opportunity: Nikolas Bletnitsky, Third Year Student at Touro College of Osteopathic MedicineWe continue our NextGen Journeys series today featuring fresh perspectives on education, medicine, and the future of health care with an impressive medical student who was brought to our attention by a previous podcast guest, Dr. Michael Foti, whom we'd like to thank for the recommendation. Nikolas Bletnitsky is in his third year at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, Middletown, but that's just one element in his medical education. Over the last several years, Nick has done extensive work in the field of OB-GYN -- completing clinical electives in Paris, France and Bologna, Italy, in addition to the Mayo...2025-02-0631 min
Raise the LineProviding Physical Therapy Services in the Home: Palak Shah, Co-Founder and Head of Clinical Services at LunaWe've learned quite a bit on Raise the Line about the growing trend of providing medical care in the home, particularly as it relates to services enabled by advances in remote monitoring technologies. In this episode, we’re adding to that base of knowledge by focusing on what's happening with in-home physical therapy services. Our guide will be Palak Shah, PT, the co-founder and head of clinical services at Luna, a leading provider of in-home physical therapy that has completed one million patient visits in twenty-eight states since its founding in 2019. “Our patients appreciate this option so much because ther...2024-10-2426 min
Raise the LineBeing Open To and Learning From Career Detours: Dr. Andres Acevedo-Melo, Academic Editor at PLOS ONE JournalToday’s Raise the Line guest provides a great example of how to embrace the range of career options that are available to medical practitioners. In the dozen years since earning his medical degree, Dr. Andres Acevedo-Melo has been a medical liaison and advisor for two of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, provided recruitment support for clinical trials, and been an editor with a publisher of open access journals. He also spent two years as a student leader in our Osmosis Medical Education Fellows program. “You might have a plan for your whole medical career, but you can...2024-10-1032 min
Raise the LineLearn to Focus On the Things You Can Do: Brian Kennedy, Director of Sales Analytics at Elsevier and Rare Disease PatientOne way to look at today's guest is that if he were a zebra, he would have extra stripes because, unfortunately, he has more than one rare condition, which is a first for a guest in our Year of the Zebra series. After struggling with various GI issues most of his life, Brian Kennedy, an Elsevier colleague, was diagnosed several years ago with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), a rare disorder that prevents the pancreas from playing its proper role in aiding digestion. At the same time, he was told he had MALS, another rare condition, that interferes with blood...2024-09-2529 min
Raise the LineCreating Practice Models That Work Better for Providers and Patients: Dr. Ginamarie Papia, Founder of Divinely Guided Health“If you really want to build a relationship with your patients, a model based on insurance doesn't enable you to spend enough time with them to build that connection,” says Dr. Ginamarie Papia, a practitioner of integrative medicine based in New York. That explains why the 30-something entrepreneur has just launched her own virtual “direct-to-patient” medical practice that she describes as a more affordable version of the concierge model. The move reflects frustration among providers of her generation with the confining, administrative approach to healthcare delivery that’s contributing to high levels of burnout, and their desire for a better wor...2024-09-1929 min
Raise the LinePathologists Are the Most Important Doctor You’ll Never Meet: Dr. Jennifer Hunt, Interim Dean at the University of Florida College of Medicine“When I make a diagnosis of cancer, that's changing the landscape of that patient's life forever. Their trajectory is being set by the words I write down on my report. So, that’s why I say pathologists are the most important doctors you’ll never meet,” explains Dr. Jennifer Hunt, interim dean at the University of Florida College of Medicine. As she tells host Michael Carrese, it was the intervention of mentors that facilitated her exploration of pathology, sparking a passion in her for the importance of mentorship and sponsorship. Her career as a practitioner, educator and leader at some of the...2024-08-2234 min
Raise the LineA Look at Medical Education in Northern Europe: Dr. Povilas Ignatavicius, Vice Dean at Lithuanian University of Health SciencesToday on Raise the Line, we make a stop in Northern Europe on our ongoing tour of medical education around the globe and bring you the perspective of Dr. Povilas Ignatavicius, a hepato-pancreato-biliary and liver transplant surgeon and vice dean at Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, which is the largest institution of higher education for biomedical sciences in that country. In particular, Dr. Ignatavicius shares his insights on medical simulation and student evaluations, which are among his areas of responsibility. As he describes to host Michael Carrese, his school takes an approach to simulation that values a continual presence of...2024-07-2525 min
Raise the LineLooking Abroad for Solutions to the Nursing Shortage in the US: Bhavdeep Singh, Founder and CEO of Global MedTeamToday, we add another voice to our ongoing conversation on Raise the Line about how to improve the nurse staffing crisis faced by the US healthcare system. That voice belongs to Bhavdeep Singh, founder and CEO of Global MedTeam, a startup focused on bringing foreign-born nurses to the US to fill staff shortages. When Singh, who has deep experience in healthcare management, learned from a hospital executive that the annualized cost of employing one travel nurse can reach into hundreds of thousands of dollars in some locations, he realized there was room, and a need, for new approaches. “There's so...2024-05-2336 min
Raise the LineScalable Education for Cancer Patients and Their Loved Ones: Dr. David Grew, Founder and CEO of PRIMRPart of why we love bringing Raise the Line to you is we get to introduce you to creative, committed people who see challenges in the healthcare system as opportunities to improve it. Today’s guest, radiation oncologist Dr. David Grew, is a perfect example. In the depths of COVID when his patients had to meet with him unaccompanied by a support person, he realized his ability to help people understand the complexities of their care was more important than ever, so he doubled-down on his practice of making simple drawings for them on whatever piece of paper was han...2024-05-1527 min
Raise the LineBringing Innovation and Hope to Alzheimer's and Dementia Care: Eleonora Tornatore-Mikesh, Stephani Shivers and Dr. Anne Kenney of CaringKindPromising research, a growing respect for the patient voice and innovative ways of using technology to support patients might be adding up to a new reality of Alzheimer’s and other dementias being experienced as chronic diseases like some cancers are now considered to be. We’re going to learn about that trend and other positive developments in the space on this special episode of Raise the Line with the leaders of CaringKind - one of the nation’s premier organizations focused on Alzheimer’s and dementia caregiving - who took time out from preparing for its annual gala on June 3...2024-05-0844 min
Raise the LineStrategies for Integrating Technology Into Medical Education: Dr. Warren Wiechmann, Senior Associate Dean of Clinical Science Education and Educational Technologies at University of California IrvineThe question of how generative AI and other recent advances in technology will change medical education is one we're continually seeking answers to on Raise the Line, and today we're turning to a really well-placed expert to weigh in on this issue. He's Dr. Warren Wiechmann, senior associate dean of Clinical Science Education and Educational Technologies at University of California Irvine, a school known for its embrace of technology. Dr. Wiechmann is considered the architect of the school's iMedEd Initiative, a comprehensive curriculum that uses everything from augmented reality to 3D printing as catalysts for curricular innovation. As he...2024-03-1431 min
Raise the LineHelping Busy Physicians Earn Passive Income: Brett Riggins, Founder of Physician Wealth SystemsMost people associate being a physician with achieving financial security, but according to a recent report issued by Medscape, only about half of physicians in the United States report having a net worth over $1 million. That's where today's guest comes in. Brett Riggins founded Physician Wealth Systems in 2022 to help doctors achieve financial security through real estate investments that generate passive income. “Real estate could be that ‘means to an end’ kind of thing. It could produce this situation where it allows you to separate your time from your money and we can allow physicians to practice with passion, not pr...2024-03-1327 min
Raise the LineCan Psychedelics Help Treat Chronic Pain Disorders? - Dr. Peter Hendricks, Endowed Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Alabama Birmingham“I feel like I'm living a dream in many ways. It's really gratifying to be working in this area,” says Dr. Peter Hendricks, a clinical psychologist at University of Alabama Birmingham who is pursuing a long-held interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelics. In addition to being anEndowed Professor of Psychiatry there, he is also a professor in the Center for Addiction and Pain Prevention and Intervention which explains why he is researching the use of psilocybin in patients with fibromyalgia, a condition which commonly involves chronic pain. “Pain involves a physiological sensation but also a psychological reactio...2024-02-2834 min
Raise the LineNormalizing the Mental Health Struggles of Healthcare Professionals - Dr. Michael Foti, Clinical Assistant Professor at Touro College of Osteopathic MedicineAfter many months of emotionally wrenching, exhausting work on the frontlines of COVID, and the unexpected death of his mother, Dr. Michael Foti found himself in an emergency room dealing with what he suspected was a heart attack, but it was actually a panic attack caused by untreated anxiety and depression. “As healthcare providers, we're afraid to speak up about our mental health because it's seen as a weakness,” he explains. He’s trying to change that culture in his role as a clinical assistant professor of Internal Medicine at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine. One key message he tries to...2024-02-2231 min
Raise the LineBridging The Information Gap In Patient Education - Jack Needham and James Naylor, Co-Founders of Sanctuary HealthOur guests today have set a big goal to tackle a big problem. Jack Needham and James Naylor co-founded Sanctuary Health to build the largest video library for patient education motivated by the fact that patients forget approximately half of what doctors tell them in appointments. The young British entrepreneurs are aiming to move the healthcare system beyond the practice of handing every patient with a new diagnosis the same generic pamphlet as they leave an appointment. Based on research, they’ve chosen short-form video as the most effective vehicle. “Studies have consistently shown that if you break a video...2024-02-2128 min
Raise the LineThe Role of Naturopathic Medicine In the Broader Healthcare System - Dr. Kristina Conner, Dean of the School of Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr UniversityDue to rising awareness of the importance of nutrition to good health and patient demand for alternatives to so-called Western medicine, the number of medical schools offering naturopathic programs has grown in the past two decades in the United States. Today on Raise the Line, we're going to learn more about this approach to medicine, the education and training involved, and where the field is heading with Dr. Kristina Conner, Dean of the School of Naturopathic Medicine at Bastyr University. As she explains to host Michael Carrese, Dr. Conner believes the rising interest is partially rooted in people wanting...2024-02-1528 min
Raise the LineBuilding a Better Primary Care System In A Rural Region - Dr. Timothy Collins, CEO of University of California Riverside HealthAbout one-third of Californians live in areas where there's a shortage of primary care providers, and this gap is especially apparent in what's known as the Inland Empire -- a rural region in the southern part of the state. As we’ll learn on today’s episode, the barriers to access this creates might only get worse because population is expected to grow sharply in that area. Our guest, Dr. Timothy Collins, has the challenge and opportunity of developing solutions to these thorny problems as CEO of UCR Health, a clinical enterprise affiliated with the University of California Riverside Scho...2024-02-0828 min
Raise the LineCreative Solutions to the Nursing Shortage - Mandy Richards, Chief Nursing Executive for Intermountain HealthHow do we solve for nursing shortages in a thoughtful way in which we're reinventing the way we deliver care? That question is asked and answered on today’s episode of Raise the Line by Mandy Richards, Chief Nursing Executive for Intermountain Health which operates thirty-three hospitals in seven states. The veteran nurse leader believes the go-to strategies of doing a better job at recruitment and retention, while important, will not be enough, so it will be necessary to reskill the current workforce and redesign nursing education. Or as she puts it to host Michael Carrese, “Are we ensuring that...2024-02-0726 min
Raise the LineHow to Maintain Passion in Teaching and Learning - Dr. Linda Costanzo, Professor Emerita at Virginia Commonwealth University School of MedicineWe're marking a couple of firsts on today's episode of Raise the Line. In the hundreds of podcasts we’ve done, we've never interviewed a goddess before, nor had a guest who has won an astounding seventy-five teaching awards, but that is the happy situation we face today in welcoming Dr. Linda Costanzo to the show. She’s been on the faculty of Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine for forty-three years, earning the nickname “Physiology Goddess” for her trio of books -- including Costanzo Physiology 7th Edition, published by Elsevier -- that have been translated into thirteen languages. One key f...2024-01-3125 min
Raise the LineThe Current and Future State of the Largest Primary Care System in the US - Dr. Kyu Rhee, CEO of the National Association of Community Health CentersAll health organizations aim to be ‘patient-centered’ but not many actually give patients decision making power. That’s not the case with the 1,400 Community Health Centers (CHC) across the US which require 51% of board members to be patients. “That does so many things that I think changes the dynamics of healthcare and how it's delivered,” says Dr. Kyu Rhee, president and CEO of the National Association of Community Health Centers. Impacts include co-locating oral and mental healthcare with primary care and ensuring culturally appropriate delivery of care. Although CHCs already comprise the largest primary care system in the country -- serving...2024-01-1124 min
Raise the LineA Seamless Way to Deliver Patient Education and Build Trust - David Neyhart, Co-Founder and CEO of Encap Health“Patient engagement is shockingly bad across the system. Doctors just don't have the time or mechanisms to educate their patients,” says former Amazon product manager David Neyhart. It’s something he learned firsthand during a scary health odyssey that included many rushed appointments where there was no chance to ask questions, and at best he’d be handed subpar educational materials. He’s filling this information gap through a company he co-founded called Encap Health which provides physicians with a seamless and customized way to give their patients the information they need to manage and improve their health. “We integrate wi...2024-01-1029 min
Raise the LinePartnering with Providers to Improve the Cancer Care Experience - Dr. Brad Diephuis, Chief Business Officer of Thyme CareFor the two million Americans diagnosed with cancer each year, the emotional toll of absorbing the news is often exacerbated by uncertainty about the variety of treatments, and confusion trying to navigate a fragmented healthcare system. Accompanying patients on that journey and smoothing the way for them is where Thyme Care enters the picture, a company that supports and supplements the care provided by oncology practices at no cost to patients. “We do the types of things that everybody in the oncology space knows should be done, but it’s often hard to operationalize them at scale,” says Dr. Brad Di...2023-12-2127 min
Raise the LineInside the Nursing Program at the Nation’s Largest HBCU - Dr. Tiffany Morris, Director of Nursing at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University“I did not see myself as a leader, to be honest. I had my mind made up on doing something else, but it has been an amazing journey,” says Dr. Tiffany Morris, director of Nursing at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. That journey includes being the inaugural department chair in the nursing program at Elon University School of Health Sciences and serving as an interim dean in North Carolina A&T’s School of Nursing. She returned to North Carolina A&T earlier this year partly because of the larger impact she can have due to the school...2023-12-2026 min
Raise the LineInsights on Providing Healthcare in One of America’s Most Diverse Cities - Dr. David Lubarsky, Vice Chancellor of Human Health Sciences and CEO for UC Davis HealthSacramento, California has long been one of America’s most racially diverse cities, so it stands to reason that reducing disparities in healthcare delivery is a focus of Dr. David Lubarsky, the CEO for UC Davis Health in Sacramento. “We've realized that health equity can really only be achieved if you actually have the time and resources to get what's needed to make yourself well or keep yourself well,” he tells host Michael Carrese. With that tight correlation between economics and equity in mind, UC Davis Health leaned into its role as an employer and launched an effort to hire mor...2023-12-1426 min
Raise the LineCommunication About Public Health Should Be A Conversation - Dr. Jan Carney, Associate Dean for Public Health and Health Policy at The Larner College of Medicine at the University of VermontOne silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic is a jump in enrollments in public health degree programs and that’s welcome news to Dr. Jan Carney, director of the Master of Public Health program at the University of Vermont's Larner College of Medicine, who believes the field needs a massive injection of personnel. “We need probably an 80% increase in people working in state and local health departments to have the essentials of public health.” As Vermont’s former Commissioner of Health, Carney knows the challenges public health officials face and brings those insights to Larner’s online-only MPH program, which cove...2023-11-2930 min
Raise the LineThe Psychedelic Renaissance Can’t Achieve Its Aims Without Social Workers - Dr. Megan Meyer, University of Maryland School of Social WorkToday’s Raise the Line guest, Dr. Megan Meyer, has a pretty simple message for proponents of psychedelic-assisted therapy (PAT) who are concerned that demand for therapists will outstrip supply in the coming years: don’t overlook the largest group of mental health providers in the nation. “Social workers provide more mental health services than psychologists, psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses combined and we’re embedded everywhere. I don't think the psychedelic renaissance can actually achieve its aims without us,” says Meyer, who is an associate professor at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. Meyers adds that social workers als...2023-11-0829 min
Raise the LineUsing Music Based on DNA to Drive Rare Disease Awareness - Dr. Aditi Kantipuly, Professor Stephen Taylor and Casey McPhersonYou’re going to hear something in this episode of Raise the Line that you most likely have never heard before: what DNA sounds like. Our guests today all had an interest in musically representing DNA for different reasons, and have come together to pursue this theme as a way to raise awareness for rare diseases. Dr. Aditi Kantipuly had used the arts once before to achieve that goal by writing the children’s book The Zebra Alphabet. After coming across music based on genetic sequences composed by University of Chicago professor Stephen Taylor, a new idea formed. “Can we make a...2023-08-1725 min
Raise the LineCreating Moments of Cultural Connection and Joy with Patients - Dr. Raj Sundar, Family Medicine Physician and Host of the Healthcare for Humans PodcastWhile it’s encouraging that efforts to provide culturally competent care have gained a foothold in the wake of COVID, today’s Raise the Line guest says it is time to expand the conversation to encompass the concepts of cultural safety - which involves awareness of historical power dynamics -- and cultural humility -- which requires an inward look. “Are you reflecting on your own values, beliefs, and background and what you're bringing to the table,” Dr. Raj Sundar explains to host Michael Carrese. Sundar tries to practice all of this himself with patients in his family medicine practice in Washi...2023-08-1030 min
Raise the LineHelping Nurses Find Their Voice - Rebecca Love, IntelyCare“We don't have a shortage of nurses in this country. We have a shortage of nurses willing to practice in the healthcare environments as they are today,” says Rebecca Love, an educator, innovator and leader who has devoted her career to improving the profession of nursing from multiple angles. She’s currently pursuing one of those efforts as chief clinical officer at IntelyCare, an app which smooths out the scheduling process for nurses looking to pick up extra shifts. “We created a platform that allows nurses more of a credentialing passport to work anywhere they want, when they want to.” Lov...2023-07-2729 min
Raise the LineChallenging Medical Dogma to Save Her Child - Dr. Tracy Dixon-Salazar, Executive Director of the LGS FoundationWhen Tracy Dixon-Salazar was a young mother of two she described herself as a mediocre high school student with no real academic or career ambitions. Today, she has a PhD in Neurobiology and Neurosciences, is credited with uncovering the genetic driver of a rare form of childhood-onset epilepsy, and she also identified the first precision therapy for it. Unfortunately, the spark for this remarkable change of course was her daughter Savannah’s battle with Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome (LGS) which caused hundreds of seizures a day, stopped her cognitive development and nearly killed her several times. It all started thirty years ago...2023-07-0533 min
Raise the Line“We Want to Be the Most Inclusive University in the Country” - Dr. Janelle Sokolowich, Academic Vice President and Dean of the Leavitt School of Health at Western Governors UniversityAfter battling chronic illness as a child, Dr. Janelle Sokolowich swore she’d never step foot in a hospital again and started pursuing a different path in college. But life had a way of bringing her back to the world of medicine. “I started thinking back to all the nurses that made such an impact on me as a child and helped me to grow up to be a functioning adult,” she explains to host Michel Carrese. Now as academic vice president and dean of the Leavitt School of Health at Western Governors University, Dr. Sokolowich is in a positio...2023-06-0732 min
Raise the LineBringing Efficiency to the Prescription Process for Providers and Patients - Deepak Thomas, Co-Founder of Phil, Inc.When Deepak Thomas contracted Lyme disease in his twenties, he quickly discovered how difficult it can be for a person to navigate the healthcare system, particularly when filling prescriptions. “When it came to accessing medications that could keep me healthy and eventually kick this condition, I found myself making three to four trips to the pharmacy every week, despite being covered by a generous healthcare plan.” So, by drawing on many years of experience working for leading tech companies such as Oracle and eBay, Thomas co-founded Phil, which offers a platform designed to remove provider and patient barriers to startin...2023-05-3124 min
Raise the Line“A Pull From Below On the Whole Central Nervous System”- Dr. Miguel Bautista Royo-Salvador, Director of the Institut Chiari & Syringomyelia Escoliosis de BarcelonaAs our Year of the Zebra focus on rare diseases continues, we’re putting several neurological conditions in the spotlight whose symptoms include neck pain, vertigo, swallowing issues, memory trouble and many more: idiopathic syringomyelia; idiopathic scoliosis; and the Arnold-Chiari Syndrome type 1 caused variously by cavities in the spinal cord and brain herniation. Fortunately, our guide is one of the world’s leading experts in this area, Dr. Miguel Bautista Royo-Salvador, Director of the Institut Chiari & Syringomyelia Escoliosis de Barcelona, and President of the Chiari and Scoliosis and Syringomyelia Foundation. In his fifty-plus years of focus on these conditions, Dr. R...2023-05-2514 min
Raise the LineAI Draws New Value from Old Medical Technology - Dr. Jacob Donoghue, Co-Founder & CEO of Beacon BiosignalsIn this episode of Raise the Line, we dive into the fascinating story of a very old technology, EEGs, being mined for data using a very new technology, AI, that's changing the way treatments are being developed for disorders of the brain. Joining host Michael Carrese to explain is Dr. Jake Donoghue, co-founder and CEO of Beacon Biosignals, a startup that’s using AI to unlock precision medicine for various neurological, psychiatric and sleep disorders. “We utilize our AI tools to bring quantitative endpoints into clinical trials to see if the drugs are impacting brain activity,” Donoghue explains. AI’s ability...2023-05-2419 min
Raise the LineMining Data to Aid in Rare Disease Research and Improve Quality of Care - Dr. Michael Mbagwu, Senior Medical Director at Verana HealthOne challenge in developing treatments for rare diseases is finding enough people with the condition to mount valid clinical trials. Databases that contain diagnostic codes for specific conditions can help, but those miss people who may have the condition but have yet to be conclusively diagnosed. That’s where Verana Health comes in, a digital health company that uses AI to mine its data network of more than 20,000 healthcare providers and the clinic notes they make about patient encounters. “If you wanted to find somebody with a specific genetic defect, or a specific condition for which a diagnostic code doesn't...2023-05-1122 min
Raise the LineThe Importance of Mentorship in Nursing Education - Beth Hendricks, Assistant Professor at New Mexico State University School of Nursing“It is my deepest wish for all of my students to find me as a mentor and a coach,” says Beth Hendricks, RN, MSN and assistant professor at New Mexico State University School of Nursing. That can be traced back in part to a nursing educator early in her career who took that approach and built her confidence. Being devoted to paying that forward is one reason Hendricks is the winner of the 2022 Osmosis Raise The Line Faculty Awards in the RN-Nurse Practitioner category. Her student nominators describe her as both empathetic and driven to see them succeed, which is a...2023-05-0322 min
Raise the LineImproving At-Home Surgical Recovery - Dr. Sanjeev Suratwala and Gary Arora of Recuperet HealthWe've learned quite a bit on Raise the Line about at-home monitoring technology for chronic disease management, but on this episode we're going to explore the use of tech for a different aspect of the patient experience: post-surgical care. It’s a significant issue because hospitals are incentivized to discharge patients as soon as possible, leaving many to recover at home with varying degrees of support. “The whole postoperative period is a huge black box of missing information. We really don't know how patients are doing after their surgery because we’re not capturing the 24-7 experience the patient is liv...2023-04-2723 min
Raise the LineInsights on the Use of Technology in Education - Dr. Nicolene Lottering, Assistant Professor at Bond University, Queensland“I noticed early on in my academic career that the traditional methods of engagement and the lecture was no longer working for millennials and Gen Z, which is the first generation to completely grow up being immersed in technology,” says Dr. Nicolene “Nikki” Lottering of Bond University in Queensland. That set the assistant professor of anatomy and forensic anthropologist on the path of determining how to use technology effectively without going too far. “For me, it's about the responsible use of technology to meet students halfway and harness that power to engage them and make them excited about what they're le...2023-04-2627 min
Raise the LineMaking Learning Fun Makes It Effective - Dr. Kishore Gopal Banerjee, Associate Professor at Manipal University College of Malaysia“Even my mother always told me that my biggest strength is my explanation capability,” says Dr. Kishore Banerjee, the winner of the 2022 Osmosis Raise the Line Faculty Awards in the Medicine - Osteopathy category. It’s a skill the pathologist and educator has continued to hone over many years of teaching. “If you can create analogies and compare things with a real-life experience, then it becomes very easy for the student.” Better yet, Dr. Banerjee tells host Michael Carrese, is the prospect of enhancing the images he is trying to create for students using new technologies. “If we can create an imme...2023-04-1924 min
Raise the LineTools to Personalize Medical Education - Dr. Phil Xiu, Editor-in-Chief for Elsevier’s ClinicalKey Student AssessmentOne effective approach to teaching is to identify where students may have some weaknesses and then provide them with additional resources or information to shore up their understanding of that topic. Well, that’s exactly what Elsevier’s ClinicalKey Student Assessment is designed to do, and because it’s an online platform, the process is efficient for both instructors and students. “It’s a foundation to help students in that journey of self-discovery and self-learning which, hopefully, will set them up for the rest of their careers,” says Dr. Phil Xiu, the platform’s editor-in-chief. Xiu’s journey to that role includes ma...2023-04-1126 min
Raise the LineHelping Students Manage the Transition to Post-Graduate Education - Susan Spielberg, Education Specialist at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic MedicineIt’s another special episode of Raise the Line, where we have the honor of speaking with Susan Spielberg, overall winner of the Student Advisor category in the 2022 Osmosis Raise the Line Faculty Awards. Chosen from a pool of over 1,000 nominees representing 377 institutions worldwide, Susan truly embodies the six core values of Osmosis, as evidenced by the glowing testimonials and videos submitted by her students and colleagues. Join host Michael Carrese as he dives into Susan's educational career and her current role at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she serves as a student advisor across the pharmacy and...2023-04-0526 minRaise the LineBringing Cultural Competence to Health Insurance - Myong Lee, Co-Founder and CEO of Clever Care Health PlanEven for those with experience in the healthcare system, dealing with health insurance can be confusing and complicated. And for millions of Americans, they have the additional challenge of navigating this complexity in something other than their native language, which is a real barrier to access. Knocking down those barriers is where today’s Raise the Line guest enters the picture. Myong Lee is co-founder and CEO of Clever Care Health Plan, a culturally sensitive Medicare Advantage plan that's tailored to the customs, values and linguistic needs of the diverse communities it serves. The company was sparked by Lee's exp...2023-03-3025 min
Raise the LinePreparing PAs for Their Increasingly Important Role On the Healthcare Team - Michael Moore, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Physician Assistant Program, University of Michigan-FlintJoin us for this special episode as we continue a series of conversations with the winners of the Osmosis from Elsevier 2022 Raise the Line Faculty Awards which recognize the inspirational educators who are responsible for training future generations of healthcare professionals. Winners were chosen fromover 1,000 nominations received from 377 institutions around the world. The interviews feature testimonials from the students and peers who nominated the eventual winners focusing on how they embody the six Osmosis core values. Today we feature Michael Moore, the overall winner for the Physician Assistant category. Tapping into his deep passion for education and helping students...2023-03-2925 min
Raise the LineThe Inside Story of the Year of the Zebra Campaign - Shiv Gaglani, Co-Founder of Osmosis from ElsevierWe’re turning the tables on Raise the Line co-host Shiv Gaglani today who will be answering questions, instead of asking them, about Osmosis from Elsevier’s Year of the Zebra campaign.As Shiv explains to host Michael Carrese, he first became interested in rare diseases meeting patients as a medical student at Johns Hopkins University a decade ago. His discomfort with the standard advice given to medical students to think of horses (the common condition) and not zebras (the rare condition) when determining a diagnosis sparked an interest in learning more. In the ensuing years he creat...2023-03-2316 min
Raise the LineHow At-Home Monitoring Empowers Patients and Improves Healthcare - Carol Lucarelli, Executive Director of Marketing and Ecommerce at OMRON HealthcareOne of our favorite themes on Raise the Line is how technology can help people become better informed about their own health, allowing them to participate more actively in maintaining and improving it. Well, today, we're going to take a deeper look at that issue with the help of Carol Lucarelli, Executive Director of Marketing and E-Commerce at Omron Healthcare, the global leader in remote blood pressure monitoring and personal health technology. “We want individuals to take responsibility for understanding what ails them and be part of the care plan to get better.” The medical devices Omron makes can help...2023-03-2123 min
Raise the LineLetting the Student Voice Drive Teaching Innovation - Dr. Athanasios Hassoulas, Director of the Master of Science Psychiatry Program Cardiff University and Winner of a 2022 Osmosis Raise the Line Faculty AwardJoin us on this special episode as we start a series of conversations with the winners of the Osmosis from Elsevier 2022 Raise the Line Faculty Awards which recognize the inspirational educators who are responsible for training future generations of healthcare professionals. Winners were chosen fromover 1,000 nominations received from 377 institutions around the world. The interviews feature testimonials from the students and peers who nominated the eventual winners focusing on how they embody the six Osmosis core values. We start with Dr. Athanasios Hassoulas, Director of the Master of Science Psychiatry Program and Digital Education Lead at Cardiff University in Wales who...2023-03-1526 min
Raise the LineThe Connection Between Rare Disease Research and Treatments for Common Diseases - Dr. Jules Berman, Pathologist and AuthorRegular listeners to Raise the Line know that research into rare diseases should matter to everybody because it has led to treatments for much more common conditions that have improved and saved millions of lives. Statins are usually the prime example of that. Well, on this episode we're going to get into much more detail on this point with someone who literally wrote the book on the subject: Dr. Jules Berman. His 2014 work published by Elsevier, Rare Diseases and Orphan Drugs, Keys to Understanding and Treating the Common Diseases, shows that much of what we now know about common...2023-03-0927 min
Raise the LinePhysicians Fight for Their Daughter and All Children with Single Gene Disorders - Dr. Geri Landman, Co-Founder of Moonshots for UnicornsLucy Landman is one of only a few children known worldwide to have a genetic disorder called PGAP3, in which a single missing gene can cause seizures and severe physical and cognitive limitations. Luckily for Lucy, her parents Geri and Zach Landman are both physicians whose expertise has been a big help in obtaining a diagnosis and in advocating for her. The Landmans are bringing that know-how and a fervent desire to help all children with single gene disorders to the non-profit they founded, Moonshots for Unicorns, which is already working with Nationwide Children’s Hospital on a promising ge...2023-03-0819 min
Raise the LineUnlocking Potential Cures For Rare Diseases With Gene Therapy - Dr. Gaurav Shah, CEO of Rocket PharmaEighty percent of rare diseases are caused by genetic mutations, which is why many of our recent guests have highlighted the importance of pursuing gene therapies as potential treatments and cures. That’s why we’re particularly pleased to have Dr. Gaurav Shah on Raise the Line today. He’s the CEO of Rocket Pharma, a company that’s in hot pursuit of developing curative gene therapies for patients with inherited genetic diseases, and showing remarkable results in some cases. For instance, a gene therapy for a rare and fatal heart condition called Danon disease is moving every parameter in the r...2023-03-0227 min
Raise the LineEmpowering Rare Disease Patients to Solve Problems - Annie Kennedy, Chief of Policy, Advocacy and Patient Engagement at the EveryLife Foundation“Our rare disease community is looking to solve for many different types of policy barriers because we have a very diverse patient community,” says Annie Kennedy, who was drawn to the rare disease issue due to some personal experience early in her life. After spending many years as a patient advocate -- including being with patients during provider visits -- she has developed a keen understanding of where the healthcare system can be improved to do justice to rare disease patients and families. That insight informs her work as chief of Policy, Advocacy and Patient Engagement at the EveryLife Founda...2023-02-2230 min
Raise the LineLessons From ‘Patient School’ That Medical School Doesn’t Teach - Dr. Alin Gragossian, Heart Transplant Recipient and Emergency Medicine Specialist“In about three weeks, I went from a completely normal thirty-year-old to somebody with a heart transplant. It was crazy,” says Dr. Alin Gragossian, who shares her remarkable experience on this edition of Raise the Line. What makes her tale even more interesting is that at the time of the life-threatening heart episode that necessitated the transplant, she was finishing up a residency in emergency medicine. In fact, Dr. Gragossian is dually trained in emergency medicine and critical care medicine. Since her transplant, she’s been using her platform to share her unique experiences with other health professionals and raise...2023-02-1625 min
Raise the LineNavigating Changes, Choices and Challenges Facing Med Students and Faculty - Dr. Kim Tartaglia of Ohio State University Wexner College of MedicineThere are so many choices to make as an undergrad in med school: selecting which medical field to go into; whether to go down the academic path; and how to use your knowledge and skills to find success and create positive change in the world, to name a few. On today’s episode we’re going to hear from someone who helps students work through all of those questions and also assists faculty colleagues with adjusting to the changing medical education landscape. Dr. Kim Tartaglia does all of this wearing several hats at Ohio State University Wexner College of Medi...2023-02-1532 min
Raise the LineThe Unexpected Career Opportunities in Life Sciences - Marc Cummings, President & CEO of Life Science Washington and Dr. Tina Albertson, Chief Medical Officer at Lyell Immunopharma“There's a real diversity of jobs available that folks don’t always think about initially when they think about going into healthcare,” says Marc Cummings, the President and CEO of Life Science Washington, a nonprofit trade association serving the life sciences industry in the state of Washington. Dr. Tina Albertson, the Chief Medical Officer at nearby Lyell Immunopharma, agrees. For instance at her company, which does R&D on cell therapies for solid tumor cancers, there’s a need for specialists in logistics who organize and monitor the movement of patient cells that need to be flown to other locations t...2023-02-0224 min
Raise the LineThe Need for Leadership Training in Medical School - Nita Gombakomba, National President of the Student National Medical Association“In medical school, you don't learn about leadership. You don't learn about what skills are required to make large-scale strategic decisions that can impact your patients,” says Nita Gombakomba, who will complete her medical degree later this year at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. As national president of the Student National Medical Association -- which has been fighting for equity and diversity in the medical field for sixty years – Nita has cultivated a broad perspective on medical education and the practice of medicine as she contemplates the future she and her classmates are facing. As she explains to host...2023-01-1819 min
Raise the LineTaking Quality from the ‘Back of the House’ to Front of Mind: Stephanie Mercado, CEO of the National Association for Healthcare QualityYou might think improving healthcare quality is largely in the hands of the clinicians providing the care, but much of this challenging work is actually done behind the scenes by professionals who lead quality reviews, institute new protocols for safer care and focus on performance improvement, among many other efforts. “We are on a journey to really change the perception of what quality is. We want to make it more prospective and actually solve problems for patients and the healthcare workforce,” says Stephanie Mercado, CEO and Executive Director of the National Association for Healthcare Quality. On this episode of Raise...2022-12-0825 min
Raise the LineThe Health and Wellness Implications of Adding Scent to Virtual Reality - Aaron Wisniewski & Dr. Rachel Herz of OVR TechnologyIt’s not hard to start feeling relaxed when you experience a virtual reality visit to a mountain top, taking in the beautiful views of forested peaks and valleys and hearing the rustling breeze. You can actually feel transported from the real world. But imagine how much more transporting it would be if you could also smell the pine trees? Well, now you can, thanks to OVR Technology, a Vermont-based company that has overcome substantial technical challenges to seamlessly add scent to the VR and AR experience. “Research has shown quite directly that adding sense of smell to VR tangib...2022-11-1724 min
Raise the LineA Value-Based Approach to Pharmacy Benefit Management - Karthik Ganesh, CEO of EmpiRx Health“We're the richest country on the planet, healthcare access has to be core to who we are,” says Karthik Ganesh, CEO of EmpiRx Health, one of the fastest growing healthcare services companies in the country and the industry’s only value-based Pharmacy Benefit Manager. Ganesh and his team believe that radical changes are needed in the country’s healthcare system and they’re working to create a better experience for patients, providers, businesses, and insurance companies alike. Ganesh has deep experience in the healthcare insurance industry and health data management with stops in his career at Aetna, Express Scripts and Deloitte...2022-11-1625 min
Raise the LineRadiology’s Role in Precision Medicine - Dr. Rajarshi Banerjee, CEO of PerspectumWould you rather be poked with a needle, or get a diagnosis from a non-invasive scan? Most of us would choose the latter, if we had the option. Needle biopsies also come with the risk of infection and other complications that can be avoided by obtaining a diagnosis via imaging. Those are just some of the advantages underpinning the work of Perspectum, a global precision health company focused on improving the diagnosis, treatment, and management of metabolic diseases and cancer. As founder and CEO Dr. Rajarshi Banerjee explains to host Michael Carrese, “I can work out with incredible clarity what...2022-11-1025 min
Raise the LineGiving Nurses a Voice On the World Stage - Dr. Michelle Acorn, Chief Nurse at the International Council of Nurses“We know that whenever nurses are listened to in policymaking arenas, health outcomes improve,” says Dr. Michelle Acorn, chief nurse at the International Council of Nurses, a federation of nursing associations. That’s why she’s focused on making sure nurses are at the decision-making tables all over the world. “ICN ensures that nurses have a voice in developing and implementing health policy so that we can meet the real needs of patients, families and communities.” Acorn makes a point of getting into the decision-making arena herself, including at the recent United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York where she rai...2022-11-0927 min
Raise the LineAn App for Gut Health Using “Whole Self Science” - Jeff Glueck, CEO and Co-Founder at Salvo HealthNinety percent of the body's serotonin is produced in the gut, says Jeff Glueck. So, if you are like the many millions of Americans with a digestive disorder, happiness and calm may not come easily. Enter Salvo, a “medical clinic in an app” that provides specialty care for people suffering from chronic GI conditions. In this episode of Raise the Line with host Michael Carrese, hear how the loss of a child and the illness of two others, combined with Glueck's love of entrepreneurship and data-based solutions, motivated him to start the company. Tune in to find out about Salv...2022-10-2722 min
Raise the LineEmpowering Consumers to Make Better Health Decisions - Dr. Taylor Sittler, Head of Research & Development at LevelsDirect-to-consumer healthcare and how technology can empower people to be active participants in achieving and maintaining their own good health is a favorite topic on Raise the Line. Today we’re going to take a closer look at how one consumer health device that’s growing sharply in popularity, continuous glucose monitors, can be used to drive healthier decisions. Millions of Americans wear the devices to see the impact of what they eat on their bodies, but it can be difficult for people to use that information. That’s where Levels enters the picture, a health tech company helping people di...2022-09-2123 min
Raise the LineA Ukrainian Wellness Company Meets the Needs of Its Consumers and Employees Despite the War - Victoria Repa, CEO & Founder of BetterMeVictoria Repa has known from her earliest days growing up in Ukraine how difficult it can be to lose weight. “In my family, everyone is overweight. It's our family problem and we can't overcome it.” Breaking that cycle provided Repa with the motivation to start her own journey toward better health, but she wanted to help others find their own motivation as well, and sustain it. Armed with business degrees from Kyiv University and Stanford, she launched the tech company BetterMe five years ago whose apps have already been downloaded 110 million times. Keeping that level of success going would be a...2022-09-0721 min
Raise the LineVirtual Care That Creates Real Connections Between Providers and Patients - Ryan McQuaid, Co-founder & CEO of PlushCareRyan McQuaid was facing chronic back and joint pain so intense he could barely stand up in the morning. Without a primary care doctor to reach out to about his symptoms -- and little experience navigating the healthcare system -- he turned to a friend, James Wantuck, who happened to be a Stanford-trained physician. Through this relationship, which was largely conducted via text messages and FaceTime calls, Ryan’s condition was diagnosed and he received effective treatment. It was out of this experience that PlushCare was born. “We said let's take that experience, this human-centric personalized care done digitally, and dem...2022-08-0421 min
Raise the LineUsing Technology to Create Deeper Learning Experiences - Dr. Peter Decherney, Faculty Director of the Online Learning Initiative, University of PennsylvaniaLike many academics, Dr. Peter Decherney wears many hats, but in his case you can also add a virtual reality headset. That’s because in addition to being a professor of Cinema & Media Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, he’s also a filmmaker working in both the traditional “flatty” format and virtual reality, with subjects ranging from artists in Puerto Rico to a Jewish community in Ethiopia. Choosing which medium to use to tell which story is a newer part of the process he enjoys. “Filmmaking is often about this kind of obsessive control. It's a challenge to be able to...2022-07-2822 min
Raise the LineThe Tech Behind Successful Student Journeys - Greg Vanclief, President and CEO of Elentra“Curriculum is at the heart of everything a university does, so it only makes sense to architect the solution we provide based on the core offering of the universities,” says Greg Vanclief, President & CEO of Elentra. The tech industry veteran and his team are on a mission to transform the delivery of higher education and nurture life-long learners through an end-to-end platform featuring a wide range of tools to support everything from scheduling to curriculum mapping to testing and accreditation management. The global reach of Elentra’s advanced education management system is growing in part because it allows universities to cons...2022-07-2719 min
Raise the LineTraining Doctors to Be Active Citizens, Focused on Equity – Dr. Paula Termuhlen, Dean of Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of MedicineIn the last decade, a projected physician shortage drove the establishment of new medical schools across the country. Among these was the Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine, where Dean Dr. Paula Termuhlen is working to forge an identity for the young institution. She says they’ve settled on “health equity” -- a vision that emphasizes teaching and practicing among the undeserved in the local community. This, she tells host Michael Carrese, doesn’t just mean more people get care, but it also shores up public trust in doctors, and brings new potential populations into the medical...2022-07-2121 min
Raise the LineBuilding Awareness and Communities Around Rare Disorders – Dr. Edward Neilan and Rebecca Aune of NORDIn medical school, when taught about differential diagnoses, students are often taught, "if you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras” says Rebecca Aune, the Director of Education Programs at National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD).NORD, she says, represents twenty-five million American zebras living with rare diseases every day, many of whom undergo a deeply frustrating and isolating odyssey as they seek an accurate diagnosis. The reasons for this are numerous, Dr. Edward Neilan, the organization’s Chief Medical and Scientific Officer, tells host Michael Carrese. But NORD is working to address many of these problems at once -- at the l...2022-07-2023 min
Raise the LineOpening Doors for Medical Students of Color - Bridgette Hudson, Executive Director of the Student National Medical AssociationThe Student National Medical Association has been fighting for equity and diversity in the medical field for almost 60 years. Unfortunately, it’s a need as pressing today as it was when the association began, with Black doctors making up only 5% of the physician workforce in the nation. And beyond making sure Black Americans are aware of the path to, and through, medical school, SNMA Executive Director Bridgette Hudson also works closely with her team to make sure medical students have the opportunity to be great leaders as well. “We have an amazing pipeline of learners who are going to be prim...2022-07-1423 min
Raise the LineDesigning a Curriculum That Serves and Reflects Your Community – Dr. Steve Riley, Dean of Medical Education at Cardiff University in WalesOne of the things that convinced Dr. Steve Riley to remain in Wales after leaving his native England as a youth to attend Cardiff University is what he calls its sense of citizenship and social accountability. It was a good fit with his own values, and when given the opportunity to help shape the curriculum at the University’s School of Medicine, he wanted it to reflect those sensibilities. “For me, it’s about trying to structure a course that recognizes the needs of the local population and seeing how a school of medicine can contribute back to make things better...2022-07-1321 min
Raise the LineMaking Prior Authorization as Easy as a Credit Card Swipe - Syam Palakurthy, Co-Founder and CEO at SamaCareThere is approximately $266 billion in administrative waste in the U.S. healthcare system each year, and much of it is tied to the complexity of insurance. Our guest today, Syam Palakurthy, co-founded SamaCare to help solve this seemingly intractable problem. SamaCare builds software to make the often-burdensome process of prior authorization as quick and easy as a credit card swipe, improving outcomes for patients and reducing a major administrative burden for providers. Tune in to this interview with host Michael Carrese to learn how Palakurthy approaches the challenge of threading together disparate incentives in the healthcare system to produce change...2022-04-2721 min
Raise the LineVirtual Patient Platform Aims to Reduce Misdiagnoses - Dr. Thomas Kelly, Founder and CEO, Oscer“Software can keep in its mind a million more things than a doctor can,” explains Dr. Tom Kelly, who started a company in Australia called Oscer that aims to eliminate misdiagnosis. It all started with Dr. Kelly's desire to improve the lives of others, after he saw first-hand the impact that mistakes in diagnosis were having in rural Australia. In this fascinating talk with host Michael Carrese, learn more about Dr. Kelly's path and the important work of his company, whose education platform is now used to teach clinical reasoning by more than 150 universities across 35 countries and counting. Listen in for...2022-02-0929 min