The Healthcare Confidential Podcast

Ep. 64 Healthcare for All with Wendell Potter

Sun, 12 Sep 2021 18:13:00 +0000

A high-ranking insurance company executive has a crisis of conscience when he visits a "health exposition" at a fairground in rural Tennessee, where he is shocked to see hundreds of people lined up in the rain to obtain free healthcare in animal stalls at the fairground. Wendell Potter left his job and wrote a book, “Deadly Spin: An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR is Killing Health Care and Deceiving Americans,” which revealed the deceptive practices of major insurance companies to spread disinformation designed to increase their profits. This week, Wendell is launching a coalition of non-profits to advocate for meaningful healthcare finance reform designed to help Americans gain truly affordable coverage. Learn more at wendellpotter.com and centerforhealthanddemocracy.org.

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Ep 63: Concierge Medicine with Michael Tetreault

Mon, 06 Sep 2021 12:53:33 +0000

As a reaction to the less personal world of modern medicine, concierge medicine is an increasingly popular way that doctors are getting in touch with their patients. Michael Tetreault is an expert on this. He is also an author, speaker, and brand strategist, editor in chief of Concierge Medicine Today, co-authored the bestselling book The Doctors Guide to Concierge Medicine. His books are industry bestsellers and are referenced in college classrooms and journals. In this episode we discuss what concierge medicine is, how it can improve patient experience, and even how it improves a physician's enjoyment of their career.

The Take-Away: Making medicine more personal and intimate for a patient has so many benefits to everyone involved, and can improve everyone’s experience of the industry.

Learn more: The Concierge Medicine Forum is a pharmacy conference happening October 21-23 in Atlanta to host speakers discussing new ideas in concierge medicine. You can check out Concierge Medicine’s books and any information concerning Concierge Medicine at https://conciergemedicinetoday.org

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COVID-19 and Children with Dr. Sharon Nachman

Mon, 30 Aug 2021 01:56:00 +0000

Just in time for the new school year, Dr. Sharon Nachman shares the important information that parents need to know about keeping our children safe from COVID-19. As Chief of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Stony Brook Children’s Hospital, Dr. Nachman has been at the forefront of coronavirus care since the beginning of the pandemic. As Associate Dean for Research at Stony Brook University’s Renaissance School of Medicine, she has been an investigator on eight clinical research studies related to COVID-19.

In this episode, we discussed the Delta+ variant, vaccines for children under 12, and more.

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Ep 61 LinkedIn Local with Beth Granger

Sun, 22 Aug 2021 20:23:00 +0000

Do you know how to leverage LinkedIn as a professional tool at any stage of your career? Have you had a look at TikTok or dropped in on Clubhouse? This week, we chat with LinkedIn expert Beth Granger about social media, her upcoming LinkedIn Local virtual event, and fundraising for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a cause that is personal for her and one that offers hope to many.

Reach Beth at Beth@bethgranger.com. Learn more about her fundraising event by visiting bit.ly/linkedinlocalisback.

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Ep. 60 - From the Vault: Planning for a Crisis with Doug Levy

Fri, 20 Aug 2021 00:41:41 +0000

August is vacation time...but crises don't take a holiday. Enjoy this re-air of an episode from our first season: Crisis Planning with Doug Levy, author of "The Communications Golden Hour."

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Diasyst: A Remote Patient Monitoring Platform for Diabetic Care

Mon, 09 Aug 2021 02:13:34 +0000

Chun Yong is the CEO and Cofounder of Diasyst, a digital health company based in Atlanta, GA. Diasyst provides best-in-class technologies to help healthcare providers deliver cost-effective virtual care to their patients with chronic conditions. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the acceptance of remote patient monitoring technology by providers, patients and payers. CMS recently added financial incentives for RPM. Diasyst leverages these to help healthcare organizations operationalize virtual care services, ensuring that their programs become scalable and profitable.

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Ep 58: Patient Rights Advocate with Cynthia Fisher

Fri, 30 Jul 2021 18:04:43 +0000

Have you ever received a surprise medical bill? Were you ever shocked by how much a hospital charged for medical care? Did you ever wonder why hospital prices vary widely from facility to facility, and sometimes from patient to patient? Cynthia Fisher is a life sciences entrepreneur and investor who was so disturbed seeing friends and acquaintances facing financial ruin due to outrageous medical bills that she founded a non-profit organization to advocate for patient rights. Her organization, Patient Rights Advocate, has a dual mission of helping consumers comparison shop for medical care and fight onerous bills, while lobbying the federal government to require price transparency by hospitals. In this episode, she shares tips that every patient or would-be patient needs to know.

The Take-Away: There is still a lot of work to be done but a lot of progress is being made to hold hospitals accountable and establish a competitive market with fair prices in today’s healthcare world.

Learn more: Go to https://www.patientrightsadvocate.org/ to learn more, comment, and support and make your voice heard!

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Ep. 57 Project Sunshine with Whitney Namm Pollack

Mon, 26 Jul 2021 01:41:00 +0000

Whitney Namm Pollack is Executive Director of Project Sunshine, a non-profit organization that harnesses the power of play to support the psychosocial and developmental needs of children and their families as they face medical challenges. In this episode of Healthcare Confidential, she talks how the organization innovated during the pandemic and how it uses technology to overcome the isolation that affects many children who are dealing with illness and hospital stays.

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Ep. 56 Price Transparency & Consolidation with Marni Jameson Carey

Sun, 18 Jul 2021 21:32:00 +0000

The 10 largest healthcare systems control 25% of the market, and these hospital systems charge higher prices than markets with healthy competition. President Biden recently signed an Executive Order that impacts price transparency and consolidation in healthcare. Marni Jameson Carey, Executive Director of AID, the Association of Independent Doctors. breaks down what that means for doctors and patients.

The Take-Away: There is a lot of work to be done in order to make the healthcare industry a healthy, productive market is fair to both patients and providers. Focusing on consolidation in the marketplace, implementing price transparency, and removing the middlemen from the equation are the steps we need to take to transform healthcare.

Learn More: Go to https://www.aid-us.org/ to learn more about AID, or email Marni directly at marni@AID-us.org

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Ep 55 The LI Alzheimer's & Dementia Center with Tori Cohen

Mon, 12 Jul 2021 02:04:00 +0000

A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is devastating, not only for patients but for the entire family. Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s is a tremendous challenge that can leave caregivers physically and emotionally depleted. Tori Cohen, Executive Director of the Long Island Alzheimer’s and Dementia Center, is a passionate advocate for Alzheimer’s patients and their caregivers. Under her direction, the Center has expanded its range of services to help ease the burden on families. Even when the Center was forced to suspend its on-site due to the Covid-19 pandemic, its staff managed to find creative ways to connect with clients and provide assistance to those in need. With more than 6 million Alzheimer’s patients across the United States, there is a growing need for the types of outreach and support that LIAD provides.

The Take-Away: A diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease is life-changing, but not immediately life-ending. Patients and families can be supported to make the most of every day at every stage of the illness.

Learn more: LIAD is available to help Alzhiemer’s patients and families. Volunteers and donations are also welcome to help LIAD fulfill its mission. Visit www.lidementia.org or call 516-767-6856.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Lucille R. Protano, Michael Protano, and all those who have battled Alzheimer’s and related dementias.

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Ep. 54 Smashing the Silo with Kiki Orski

Fri, 02 Jul 2021 23:38:00 +0000

Healthcare confidential: Communication is one of the most effective tools to make any organization run smoothly and efficiently. This is especially important in the business of healthcare, where in many cases lives are on the line. Effective communication often gets sidelined by “Silo Thinking” where people in an organization withhold information or believe that they know better and make decisions without input from the others outside of their departments. Kiki Orski of Peak Performance Consulting helps organizations combat silo thinking while fostering a culture of mutual respect. In this episode she talks about how silo thinking can occur, explains her process for fixing this problem in the workplace, and offers practical advice for businesspeople looking to smash silo thinking.

The Take-Away: Communication is key for a successful organization. Smashing the silos that prevent the open flow of information is an essential step toward building more effective teams and businesses.

Learn more: Go to https://peakperformanceleader.com or email Kiki at kiki@peakperformanceleader.com !

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Ep. 53: Physician-Patient Communication with Richard Frankel

Mon, 28 Jun 2021 12:53:00 +0000

Effective communication is not an add-on to good clinical skills for a provider; it is an essential part of high-quality care. Our guest this week, Richard Frankel, PhD, is professor of medicine and geriatrics at Indiana University School of Medicine. He is a researcher whose interests include face-to-face communication, the role of technology and its effects on quality, safety, and outcomes of care. As a medical educator for the past 40 years, he is internationally respected for his contributions and achievements in fostering humanism in medical education, practice and research.

The Take-Away: Physicians need to develop their communication skills as well as their diagnostic and clinical skills in order to ensure positive outcomes.

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Ep. 52 The Gray Panthers with Jack Kupferman

Mon, 21 Jun 2021 14:05:00 +0000

We may not think about it but in a lot of ways the elderly, not the youth, are the future. This is why it is so important that we invest in the well-being of our older adults, who have in many ways been disregarded by society. This was underscored during the pandemic during which 200,000 nursing home residents died, a staggering number. Jack Kupferman, president of the New York City network of The Gray Panthers, an elderly rights group, has dedicated his life to caring for the elderly. In this episode we discuss the impact of the pandemic on the elderly, nursing home transformation, and more.

The Take-Away: Older adults should be viewed a resource, not a burden. In order to truly help the older Americans we need to shift our perspective toward improving the environment they require for optimal well-being.

Learn more: go to Welcome | GRAY PANTHERS NYC or the Gray Panthers NYC YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw79SOjLb66Bts2SqIhttMg where you can watch a video Day of Remembrance for the lives lost in nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Ep 51 The Wellness Unicorn with Tami Racaniello

Mon, 14 Jun 2021 14:55:17 +0000

The summer is here and many are concerned about what they look like in a swimsuit, especially after a year and a half of rather unhealthy eating habits. Today’s guest is Tami Racaniello, a wellness consultant who helps businesses focus on their employees’ health and wellness to boost productivity in the workplace. She also works with companies to ensure their food labels meet FDA standards, and develops programs and plans for individuals to improve their diet choices. In this episode we discuss health in the workplace, fad diets, and how she initially decided to make health the center of her life and career.

The Take Away: Ensuring healthy habits with a varied diet is the best starting point to building a healthier lifestyle, as it lets you tie healthy habits to your daily routine. It’s also important to know that achieving optimal health is more important than the number on the scale.

Learn more: Visit Wellnessunicorn.com and follow Tami on Instagram and Linkedin @tamiracaniello.

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Ep. 50 Walk Safe with Cynthia Brown

Mon, 07 Jun 2021 15:07:00 +0000

NY ranks seventh in the US for the most pedestrian fatalities, and Long Island, a densely populated suburban area, is known as one of the deadliest in the state for pedestrians. Cynthia Brown is the executive director of the New York Coalition for Transportation Safety, where she works to spread awareness and develop programs to prevent injuries and fatalities from motor vehicles. In this episode she talks about the history of the NYCTS, originally established to lobby for the passage of mandatory seatbelt laws, as well as issues newly emerging threats to pedestrian safety and some of the initiatives her organization is undertaking to address the issue.

The Take-Away: Transportation safety is a public health issue, one that is constantly developing and changing, and is not limited to those behind the wheel, but bicyclists, pedestrians, scooter and ATV riders, and everyone who uses public streets.

Learn more: Visit NYCTS.org or walksafeli.org. Cynthia can also be reached via email at cbrown@nassaucountyny.gov or by telephone at (516) 571-6808.

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Ep. 49 Taking it Easy with Dr. Brian King

Tue, 01 Jun 2021 00:43:26 +0000

We’ve lived through a global pandemic. People are filled with stress and anxiety. Even under the best of circumstances, there’s nothing funny about mental health. Until you meet Dr. Brian King. Combining his training as a clinical psychologist with his love of stand-up comedy, Dr. Brian shares his timely tips for managing stress in his new book, “The Fine Art of Taking it Easy,” in which he compares and contrasts being chased by a bear to being stuck in traffic. Prior to the pandemic, Dr. Brian made his living as a corporate speaker and a stand-up comedian. Covid-19 curtailed his traveling, but his message has never been more timely.

The Take-Away: Our physiologic response to stress was designed to keep us safe from the threats that our forebearers routinely faced. But in today’s modern world, we rarely confront existential threats. Our bodies don’t know this and still react to stress with the same fight-flight-freeze response. In his book, Dr. Brian teaches readers how to mitigate that response to alleviate the overwhelming stress response that leads to anxiety and its related health problems.

Learn more: Find Dr. Brian King on social media. He can be found on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Find his books, including The Fine Art of Taking it Easy, on Amazon and at your local book seller.

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Ep. 47 Sima Ali

Mon, 17 May 2021 16:59:38 +0000

Many healthcare businesses have continued their operations uninterrupted and unchanged throughout the pandemic. Others closed for a period of time but have since re-opened. Some have adapted to remote arrangements for a portion or all of their workforce, while others have only recently brought workers back onsite. Wherever your company or practice may be along this spectrum, labor and employment attorney Sima Ali says one thing is clear: you must be in compliance with new federal, state and local laws enacted to protect workers during the pandemic. Sima has more than 20 years’ experience helping clients navigate workplace issues. Among her clients are numerous physician practices and other healthcare businesses.

The Take-Away: It is essential that employers have updated human resources policy and procedures manuals and that someone within the company is up-to-date on rapidly changing laws and regulations.

Learn more: Visit alilawgroup.com for updated information on the laws affecting employee leave, Covid-19 testing and screening protocols, safety mandates, whistleblower protections, non-compete agreements and more.

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Ep. 46 When the Doctor Might Need a Lawyer with Matt Levy

Sat, 08 May 2021 02:22:00 +0000

More than 70 percent of medical practices are committing healthcare fraud...but they are not all criminals. According to healthcare attorney Mathew Levy, Shareholder and Director of Weiss Zarett and co-chair of the Firm’s corporate transaction and healthcare regulatory practice, many providers are simply using out of date codes, or may have been flagged by an insurance company algorithm because their billing practices are outside of the statistical norm. When does a practice need outside legal assistance? Levy breaks down a few common scenarios and offers valuable advice.

The Take-Away: Consult with experts early in order to ensure that your coding, billing, and even leasing activities are in compliance with state and federal laws.

Learn more: Reach Mathew Levy at 516-926-3320, email mlevy@weisszarett.com or visit www.weisszarett.com.

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The Healthcare Confidential Podcast | Episode 45 “A Year’s Worth of Conversations About Covid-19”

Mon, 03 May 2021 05:16:36 +0000

As we close in on one year of Healthcare Confidential episodes, we decided to take a look back at a topic that has dominated many of our interviews and conversations: the Covid-19 pandemic. How have the healthcare providers who have been guests on the podcast coped with the stress of caring for patients […]

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The Healthcare Confidential Podcast | Episode 44 “Anti-Covid Nasal and Throat Spray”

Mon, 26 Apr 2021 03:58:25 +0000

Professor Mart Ustav is part of a team of researchers from the University of Tartu in Estonia who have developed SARS COV-2 neutralizing antibodies by immunizing the pregnant cows on the third trimester with the spike protein antigen. With a consortium of five partners: Icosagen AS, ChemiPharm AS, OÜ Teadus & Tegu, Tartu University […]

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The Healthcare Confidential Podcast | Episode 43 “Get a Life (Coach) with Phyl Perry”

Mon, 12 Apr 2021 02:02:41 +0000

Phyl Perry is a master of reinvention…of herself. She has held numerous careers, beginning her professional life as an accountant, then pivoting to human resources roles at major corporations and healthcare entities, before making a major life shift and becoming a tour director. Along the way, she also became certified in neurolinguistic programming and […]

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The Healthcare Confidential Podcast | Episode 42 “The Next Shift with Gabriel Winant”

Sun, 04 Apr 2021 22:52:15 +0000

Gabriel Winant is Assistant Professor of History at the University of Chicago. His writing about work, inequality, and capitalism in modern America has appeared in The Nation, The New Republic, Dissent, and n+1. His new book, “The Next Shift: The Fall of Industry and the Rise of Health Care in Rust Belt America,” examines the link between deindustrialization and […]

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The Healthcare Confidential Podcast | Episode 41 “Value-Based Payments with Zack Caplan”

Mon, 29 Mar 2021 01:38:18 +0000

Zack Caplan is Director of Provider Network & Strategy at Stellar Health, where he is focused on helping healthcare providers, technology, and service companies scale. He has experience developing value-based care strategies and advising growth through mergers and acquisitions. Before this, he worked in Deloitte Consulting’s Healthcare Strategy & Operations practice. He has also […]

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The Healthcare Confidential Podcast | Episode 39 “The Pharmacist Will See You Now with Ken Sternfeld”

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 02:46:20 +0000

Ken Sternfeld is on a mission to transform healthcare for providers and patients. He’s a retired pharmacist whose company, RXVIP Concierge, is focused on improving healthcare by elevating the role of the registered pharmacist to a full-fledged member of the healthcare team working at the point of care. RXVIP Concierge pharmacists are embedded in […]

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The Healthcare Confidential Podcast | Episode 38 “The Patient’s Voice with Steven Taibbi”

Mon, 08 Mar 2021 05:52:17 +0000

Steven G. Taibbi had surgery for the first time on the day he drew his first breath. Since that day in April 1953, he has had many more operations including two heart transplants. A prolific writer, he published his memoir in 2019. After a career that included 25 years as a Producer/Director and Director […]

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The Healthcare Confidential Podcast | Episode 37 “State and National Healthcare Policy Priorities with Wendy Darwell”

Mon, 01 Mar 2021 03:09:26 +0000

Wendy Darwell recently took the helm at the Suburban Hospital Alliance and its regional hospital associations – the Nassau Suffolk Hospital Council and the Northern Metropolitan Hospital Association, where she had previously served as chief operating officer. Prior to that, she worked on Capitol Hill for the late Congressman Maurice Hinchey. So she knows as […]

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The Healthcare Confidential Podcast | Episode 36 “Gun Violence Prevention with Dr. Chethan Sathya”

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 07:28:47 +0000

Gun violence is a leading cause of premature death in the United States, killing more than 38,000 people and causing 85,00 injuries each year. Our guest this week, Chethan Sathya, MD, is Director of Northwell Health’s Center for Gun Violence Prevention. He is also a pediatric trauma surgeon and National Institutes of Health-funded firearm […]

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The Healthcare Confidential Podcast | Episode 35 “Implicit Bias with Dr. Robert O. Roswell”

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 14:59:07 +0000

Countless studies have linked implicit bias impacted with not only negative patient outcomes but provider-patient interactions and treatment decisions. Our guest today, Robert O. Roswell, MD, FACP, FACC, is a leader in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in medicine and is focused on the impact of implicit bias on disparities in health care access, […]

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