The Heart of Healthcare | A Digital Health Podcast

Anne Wojcicki started 23andMe in 2006 to empower consumers with access to their own genetic information. In this episode, she shares the highs and lows of this journey including getting an FDA warning letter, going public, and genotyping over 12 million customers. Plus, she shares why she thinks our healthcare system is a communist system, their role in the discussion of race, and how genetic relative surprises are remarkably common.Follow Anne Wojcicki on Twitter.Follow host Halle Tecco on on Twitter.Visit The Heart of Healthcare website for episode recaps.Visit offscrip.com/shows for more podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month. And this year it hits different. We have faced a severe shortage of infant formula, with an out-of-stock rate surging to 70%. While it's easy to say "just breastfeed!" — not everyone can breastfeed for a variety of reasons, and we don’t exactly make it easy for working mothers.In this episode, we talk to Dr. Leila Strickland, a biologist, and co-founder of Biomilq. Biomilq is a women-owned, Bill Gates-funded infant nutrition company producing cultured breastmilk in a lab.Visit the Biomilq website.Visit The Heart of Healthcare website.Visit offscrip.com/shows for more podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Nearly half of girls in the U.S. have lacked access to period products, and 1 in 5 have missed school because of it. With a tampon shortage and increasing costs, the problem is worsening and forcing girls to use unhygienic and unsafe alternatives. And it doesn’t help that most states tax period products like luxury goods. In this episode, we discuss the movement for menstrual equity with Lynette Medley, the Founder & CEO of No More Secrets Mind Body Spirituality.Follow No More Secrets on Instagram.Follow host Halle Tecco on Instagram.Visit The Heart of Healthcare website for episode recaps.Visit offscrip.com/shows for more podcasts. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Last week, the first-ever application to the FDA was submitted to turn Opill birth control from prescription to over-the-counter (OTC) status. Unintended pregnancies in the U.S. are at an all-time low, yet they still represent nearly half of all pregnancies, and each one costs taxpayers over $9,000. In this short episode, I advocate for OTC birth control and the reason we should make it free.Follow host Halle Tecco on Instagram and Twitter.OffScrip.com/ShowsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Patrick Brown, founder of Impossible Foods, doesn’t care about food. He just wants to stop climate change. And he knows the best way to halt global warming is to ditch meat from animals. A former Stanford Professor, Patrick Brown started Impossible Foods at age 60 and has helped grow it to a multi-billion dollar company and household name. In this episode, we talk about his journey to save the planet and human health, and how food is just the vessel for that mission.Learn more about Impossible Foods on Instagram.Follow host Halle Tecco on Instagram.Visit The Heart of Healthcare website for episode recaps.https://offscrip.com/shows/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Quality, evidence-based sex education is more important than ever. In this episode [Ep 10 revisited], youth sex educator Nora Gelperin dives into sex education today and why abstinence-only education has been a failed experiment. She also touches upon contraceptive access for teens, and the #FreeThePill movement to make birth control available over the counter.Nora is the director of Sexuality Education and Training at Advocates for Youth. She is also a proponent of evidence-based sex education, supported by leading professional organizations, including the AMA, ACOG, APHA, and AAP.Follow Advocates for Youth on Instagram.Follow host Halle Tecco on Instagram.Visit The Heart of Healthcare website for episode recaps.offscrip.com/showsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The recent Supreme Court ruling represents a major blow to the fight for reproductive justice in the United States, creating reproductive healthcare restrictions across the country. It spans far beyond a woman’s right to bodily autonomy. In this episode, we discuss evidence-backed public health for reducing unplanned pregnancies, and what the repeal could mean for families needing fertility treatments.Donate to Resolve. Listen to our episode on Sex Ed. Follow host Halle Tecco on Twitter.Visit The Heart of Healthcare website for episode recaps. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode [Episode 3 revisited], emergency room physician Dr. Megan Ranney explains how gun violence is a public health crisis, and shares her non-partisan approach to help end it. Dr. Ranney is a respected researcher, emergency physician, and advocate in the field of injury prevention and digital health. She is a Professor at Brown University, and the co-founder of AFFIRM, the American Foundation for Firearm Injury Reduction in Medicine.Follow Dr. Megan Ranney on Twitter.Follow host Halle Tecco on Twitter.Visit The Heart of Healthcare website for episode recaps.SHOW NOTES: Check out "Is It Serious?" from OffScrip Health https://offscrip.com/shows/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We love to hate on them, but right now teenagers need our help. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics declared the mental health crisis facing children and teens a national emergency.In this episode, Dr. Hina Talib discusses the challenges adolescents are facing today. Dr. Talib is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and an OBGYN at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She is a spokesperson with the American Academy of Pediatrics and serves on the executive board of the North American Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology.Follow Dr. Hina Talib on Instagram at @TeenHealthDocFollow host Halle Tecco on Instagram.Visit The Heart of Healthcare website for episode recaps.To find out more, visit offscrip.com/shows.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ten years ago, Dr. B found himself with low self-esteem, anxiety, and 50 extra pounds of weight. He turned to his favorite tool from med school -- medical research -- to transform his life through gut health. Dr. B saw mind-blowing results by combining cutting-edge microbiome science with a newfound love of plant-based foods. In this episode, Dr. Will Bulsiewicz, board-certified gastroenterologist and author of NYT best-seller, Fiber Fueled, shares his journey from helping himself to helping others.Follow Dr. B on Instagram at @TheGutHealthMD.Follow host Halle Tecco on Instagram.Visit The Heart of Healthcare website for episode recaps.To find out more, visit offscrip.com/shows.FOdakvkm1lwqgKUvWv3vSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Every day, we’re bombarded with pressure to be positive. From “good vibes only” and “life is good” memes, to “look on the bright side,” we’re constantly told that the key to happiness is silencing negativity. Even when faced with illness, infertility, and other challenges, there’s little space for talking about our real feelings—and processing them so that we can feel better and move forward.In this episode, Whitney Goodman, psychotherapist and author of the book Toxic Positivity, shares the latest research along with everyday examples and stories that reveal how damaging toxic positivity is to ourselves and our relationships.Check out Toxic Positivity on Bookshop.org.Follow Whitney Goodman on Instagram.Follow host Halle Tecco on Instagram.Visit The Heart of Healthcare website for episode recaps.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

May is Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Heritage Month. 8.5% of healthcare workers are AAPI, compared to 6.8% of the U.S. population. While Americans of Asian and Pacific Island descent have made many contributions to our healthcare system, they are facing increased discrimination at work and in their communities.In this episode, Dr. Esther Choo discusses the racism faced by AAPI healthcare workers, and what we can do about it.Follow Dr. Esther Choo on Twitter.Follow host Halle Tecco on Twitter.Visit The Heart of Healthcare website for episode recaps.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jake Eberts went viral from live-tweeting his experience participating in an 11-day clinical trial for a dysentery vaccine. He told the story incredibly humorous on Twitter, and I just needed to know more. In this episode, Jake shares all the details from drinking the "shigella smoothie" to his thoughts on clinical trial ethics.Learn more about the shigella vaccine clinical trial.Follow Jake Eberts on Twitter.Follow host Halle Tecco on Twitter.Visit The Heart of Healthcare website for episode recaps.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It’s National Nurses Week! As the most trusted profession for the last 20 years, nurses make up the highest percentage of the US healthcare workforce and serve as the primary providers of patient care. But we’re facing a nursing crisis and looming shortage.In this episode, McKinsey Partner and former nurse Gretchen Berlin shares the challenges the profession is facing, and what’s needed to turn things around (not a parade).Read the 2022 McKinsey Nursing Report.Follow host Halle Tecco on Twitter.Visit The Heart of Healthcare website for episode recaps.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Decades of public health efforts to curb teen smoking have unraveled since Juul and other e-cigarette brands came on the market in 2015. With sketchy ads targeting youth and flavor names like “gummy bear” and “cool cucumber”, vaping has skyrocketed amongst youth. In fact, 10%-24% of high school students are now addicted to nicotine. In this episode, Dr. Susan Walley, Chief of the Division of Hospital Medicine at Children's National Hospital, discusses her work developing effective healthcare and school-based interventions to reduce youth tobacco use.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Just because a computer isn’t running a Windows operating system doesn’t mean it’s broken, it’s just different. Same goes for people who are “neurodivergent”, a term used to describe any kind of divergence from dominant cultural norms of neurocognitive functioning. This can include people living with autism, ADHD, OCD, epilepsy, synesthesia, dyslexia, and more. In this episode, special guest host Marissa Pittard (who is neurodivergent herself, and the co-founder of Beaming Health) interviews actor Major Dodson about life on the spectrum. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For decades, the U.S. has been forcibly sterilizing women of color, taking away their basic human right to become a parent. It’s happening in prisons and immigration detention centers, where doctors are performing unwarranted hysterectomies and bilateral tubal ligation without proper consent. Last year, California announced it would pay out millions of dollars to living survivors of the state’s forced sterilization efforts. Co-sponsor of the bill, Laura Jimenez, Executive Director of California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, explains the racist, classist, ableist history of forced sterilization and why it’s still happening today. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

LGBTQ+ people face worse health outcomes in our country due to a long history of oppression and discrimination. Dr. Mitchell Lunn is a physician and researcher of sexual and gender minority populations (SGM) at Stanford University. In this episode, he explains what health equity means for SGM people, and what we can do to be better allies. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fentanyl is now the leading cause of death in 18-45-year-olds in the US, claiming more lives than car crashes and gun violence combined. After Dr. Beth Weinstock lost her son last year to what she calls “the most devastating health crisis this generation has ever seen,” she decided to do something about it. In this episode, Dr. Weinstock explains how a harm-reduction approach can protect young people from accidental fentanyl poisoning.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In wartime, the dismantling of healthcare services due to destroyed infrastructure, understaffed hospitals, supply chain issues, and drug shortages often kill far more people than bombs and bullets. These effects linger long after the war has ended. And they impact the health and wellbeing of entire generations of people. In this episode, we share an overview of the situation in Ukraine from a healthcare perspective and how you can help. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In celebration of National Nutrition Month, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Michael Moss explains how the big food industry uses science and marketing schemes to get us hooked on unhealthy food products. They then sell us diet fads that don't work. Michael Moss is the author of "Salt Sugar Fat" and "Hooked." He was formerly an investigative journalist for the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Charlamagne Tha God is a multimedia mogul, Radio Hall of Fame inductee, bestselling author, and one of the most influential thought leaders in modern culture. He explains how his mental health struggles led him to start the Mental Wealth Alliance to destigmatize, accelerate, and center state-of-the-art mental health outreach and care, building an unprecedented long-term system of generational support for Black communities.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

February is Cancer Prevention Month. Nearly 40% of Americans will be diagnosed with cancer at some point during their lifetimes. The good news is that continued advancements in medical research have led to more people surviving cancer. But what if we could prevent cancer altogether? Is it possible? In this episode, Jody Hoyos, President and Chief Operating Officer of the Prevent Cancer Foundation, discusses cancer prevention and early detection.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The R-word is a form of hate speech that has been used to describe people with intellectual disabilities. Today’s guest, Jamie Brewer, is a successful actress and model who is also an advocate for differently-abled people. Not only was she the first person with Down syndrome to walk the runway at New York Fashion Week, but she also successfully persuaded Texas state senators to remove the R-word in any official use.This episode is hosted in partnership with The BodCon 2022, a live virtual conference on February 27th that's focused on body confidence and the movement towards radical self-acceptance, at which Jamie will be speaking about disability pride. For more information, visit thebodcon.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mark Cuban was horrified at how many Americans struggle to pay for their medications, which are are 250% more expensive in the U.S. than in other OECD nations. In this episode, he shares the details of his new online pharmacy for generic drugs that offers steep discounts. The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company cuts out the middle-man, charging customers a transparent price that is equal to the manufacturers' price, plus a flat 15% markup.Visit costplusdrugs.com for more information. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Generic medications, which represent 90% of the prescriptions filled in the US, are largely manufactured overseas. Some leaders are questioning our over-reliance on pharmaceuticals produced abroad, saying it creates vulnerable supply chains that pose serious risks to national security. In this episode, scientist and entrepreneur Hitha Palepu explains the problem with generic drugs and what we can do about it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The COVID-19 pandemic has upended our lives in many frustrating ways, for a lot longer than we'd hoped. Which begs the question: Is this just our life now? In this episode, Dr. Bob Wachter, chair of the University of California San Francisco Department of Medicine, answers all the questions that have been weighing on our conscience. He also explains his predictions for spring and summer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Dr. Ebony Jade Hilton talks about her advocacy for a more equitable healthcare system. Dr. Hilton is an anesthesiologist at the University of Virginia and the first Black woman anesthesiologist at Medical University of South Carolina since it opened. Dr. Hilton’s work extends far beyond the walls of the hospital. She is a vocal supporter of health equity, advocating for underserved and marginalized populations. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Each year motor vehicle crashes take the lives of more than 40,000 people in the United States, and result in 2.7 million emergency department visits. Car crashes are the third leading cause of death for people under 55 and cost us $463 billion in wage and productivity losses, medical expenses, admin expenses, and property damage.The thing about car accidents is that they are not accidents. They are completely preventable events, but reducing them requires collaboration between car manufacturers, policymakers, the justice system, and the healthcare system which deals with the aftermath. There are people working at this intersection who have dedicated their lives to making our roads safer. Today’s guest is Debbie Hersman, a transportation and safety expert. She was previously the Chief Safety Officer and Senior Advisor to Waymo, Google's self-driving car project. She served as the CEO of the National Safety Council as a board member of the National Transportation Safety Board, and was nominated by both President Bush and President Obama and unanimously confirmed by the Senate four times. —📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this special episode of The Heart of Healthcare, we talk with Julia Cheek about how women's healthcare needs are often ignored and how we can upend the paternalistic system to achieve health equity. Julia Cheek is the CEO and Founder of Everly Health, a fully integrated digital care platform.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Dr. Lucy Kalanithi delves into her journey of becoming a doctor and her personal experience with losing her husband. Dr. Kalanithi is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at Stanford and the widow of Dr. Paul Kalanithi, author of the bestselling memoir "When Breath Becomes Air," to which she wrote the epilogue. Dr. Kalanithi has implemented novel health care delivery models in primary care hospitals and health systems and serves as the host of the podcast 'Gravity' which explores narratives of suffering.This episode was recorded at the 2021 Rock Health Virtual Summit.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Live from the Rock Health Virtual Summit, Dr. Nzinga Harrison puts addiction and substance use disorder into context. She also explains how an evidence-based and compassionate harm-reduction approach can lead to better health outcomes. Nzinga Harrison, MD, FASAM is the Chief Medical Officer and Co-Founder of Eleanor Health, a company built on equity and justice developing mental health medical homes for those affected by substance use disorders.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and in this episode, we’ll dissect how a pandemic, economic shock, and civil unrest compounded domestic violence risk factors and reduced access to resources.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, youth sex educator Nora Gelperin dives into the good and bad of sex education today. Nora is the director of Sexuality Education and Training at Advocates for Youth. She is also a proponent of evidence-based sex education, supported by leading professional organizations including the AMA, ACOG, APHA, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, LaShyra "Lash" Nolen talks about the future of medical education and care. Lash is a medical student, Fulbright scholar, science communicator, and the Founder of the non-profit We Got Us. She currently serves as the first Black woman to become class president of the Harvard Medical School.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, HaeSung Han, founder of POETIC, explains how vulnerable youth are at risk of exploitation like sexual abuse and sex trafficking. POETIC builds a pipeline out of the juvenile justice system and into intensive aftercare for girls who have been exploited and trafficked.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Dr. Elisabeth Rosenthal shares a treatment plan for our healthcare system. Elisabeth is an ER doctor turned reporter. She's the author of the New York Times bestselling book, An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take it Back. Her book reveals the dangerous, expensive, and dysfunctional American healthcare system, and tells us exactly what we can do to fix it. Dr. Rosenthal spent 22 years as a correspondent at the New York Times before joining Kaiser Health News as Editor-in-Chief in 2016. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Dr. Charity Dean walks us through the early days of COVID-19. She was told not to use the word "pandemic" because it could scare people, but sounded alarms anyway. Dr. Dean served as the Assistant Director for the California Department of Public Health. She was a key member of the executive team directing the COVID-19 outbreak response from the high-level overview, to tactical operations, to co-founding and leading the Testing Task Force. She is currently the Founder & CEO of The Public Health Company. Dr. Dean is also the protagonist in Michael Lewis's new book 'The Premonition.'See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Dr. Margot Kushel explains the country’s rise in homelessness and the critical impact of housing on the health needs of vulnerable populations. Dr. Margot Kushel is the director of the UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations. Her research focuses on reducing the burden of homelessness on health through examining efforts to prevent and end homelessness and mitigating the effects of housing instability on health care outcomes.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, emergency room physician Dr. Megan Ranney explains how gun violence is a public health crisis, and what she's doing to help end it. Dr. Ranney is a respected researcher, emergency physician, and advocate in the injury prevention and digital health field. She is a Professor at Brown University, and the co-founder of AFFIRM, the American Foundation for Firearm Injury Reduction in Medicine.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Dr. John Brownstein explains his work as a Digital Epidemiologist (not a finger doctor!) Dr. Brownstein has led projects like HealthMap.org, which offers real-time intelligence on emerging infectious diseases; Street Rx, which crowdsources the black market for prices of prescription drugs; and most recently VaccineFinder.org. Dr. John Brownstein is the Chief Innovation Officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and a Professor at Harvard Medical School.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, Catherine Coleman Flowers (the “Erin Brockovich of Sewage”) explains how crumbling infrastructure causes toxic sewage spills in the backyards of poor, rural communities. Flowers also talks about how she discovered an outbreak of an intestinal, blood-feeding parasite we thought had been eradicated in the United States. Catherine Coleman Flowers is a MacArthur 'Genius' grant winner, the founder of the Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice, and the author of Waste: One Woman’s Fight Against America’s Dirty Secret.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.