Dr. Brent James, chief quality officer at Intermountain Healthcare, discusses his groundbreaking approach to clinical quality improvement.

Conversations on Health Care® focuses on the work of one healthcare system in Utah and Idaho that has successfully put into practice the idea that higher quality drives down costs. Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Dr. Brent James, the man who has led Intermountain into a model system of quality and efficiency in care through a measured clinical outcomes approach.

Brian Dolan, Co-Founder and Managing Editor of MobiHealthNews

This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Brian Dolan, Co-Founder and Managing Editor of MobiHealthNews – the online publication monitoring new developments in mobile health technology. Dolan discusses the myriad health and medical applications for mobile phones and tablets that have the power to revolutionize how healthcare is delivered moving forward and how consumers participate in their health care.

Guardrails for Health AI: How, Why and When

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing health care—but how do we ensure it’s safe, effective, and responsible? Dr. Brian Anderson, CEO of the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI), explains to “Conversations on Health Care” how his organization is working to establish clear guidelines for responsible AI in health care.

Bryan Sivak, Chief Technology Officer, Health and Human Services

This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Bryan Sivak, Chief Technology Officer of the Department of Health and Human Services. Mr. Sivak talks about programs underway at HHS to harness the power of data, technology and innovation to improve the health and welfare of the nation. He discusses numerous programs that have been launched to improve access to health data for researchers, governments and individuals.

Bryan Sivak, Chief Technology Officer, Health and Human Services

This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Bryan Sivak, Chief Technology Officer of the Department of Health and Human Services. Mr. Sivak talks about programs underway at HHS to harness the power of data, technology and innovation to improve the health and welfare of the nation. He discusses numerous programs that have been launched to improve access to health data for researchers, governments and individuals.

Dr. C. Michael Gibson, Founder and Chairman of the WikiDoc Foundation

This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Dr. C. Michael Gibson, interventional cardiologist and Founder and Chairman of the Board of the WikiDoc Foundation, the world's largest open source texbook of medicine designed to make medical knowledge free and accessible to all.

Dr. C. Michael Gibson, Founder and Chairman of the WikiDoc Foundation

This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Dr. C. Michael Gibson, interventional cardiologist and Founder and Chairman of the Board of the WikiDoc Foundation, the world's largest open source texbook of medicine designed to make medical knowledge free and accessible to all.

Biden COVID Equity Advisor Faces Dilemma as His Employer Drops Vaccine Mandate

Dr. Cameron Webb, White House Senior Policy Adviser for COVID-19 Equity, is navigating a tricky situation — as he advocates for vaccines, the university where he works just dropped its student vaccine mandate. Webb tells Conversations on Health Care hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter that he realizes the University of Virginia has some new dynamics to navigate. “There’s this rush to roll back a lot of the strategies that have gotten us to a point where we’re seeing less death,” he says. “This pandemic has been politicized to a point that it’s indistinguishable from the rest of our political rhetoric…rhetoric often meant to motivate a voter base.” Webb also discusses the administration’s efforts to address COVID equity issues, including the need to collect better data about race and ethnicity vaccination rates.

Carl Schmid, Deputy Executive Director of the AIDS Institute

This week, Mark and Margaret speak Carl Schmid, Deputy Executive Director of the AIDS Institute, and an AIDS policy analyst and activist. Mr. Schmid speaks with us from the recent AIDS 2012 Convention, talks about strides in containing the spread of HIV/AIDS, and the hope for further progress towards ending the epidemic and improving the lives of those living with HIV in the U.S. and around the world.

"She Has Her Mother's Laugh" - New York Times Science Writer Carl Zimmer on Heredity and the Genomics Revolution

This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with award-winning New York Times science writer and columnist Carl Zimmer on his critically acclaimed book, "She Has Her Mother's Laugh: The Powers, Perversions and Potentials of Heredity" on the dramatic scientific discovery underway fueled by genomics. He discusses the genome's role in understanding heredity and how personalized medicine will be advanced once the science and medical communities master their knowledge of how genomics impact health and disease.

Community Health Legend Dr. Carl Lecce: Lessons Learned

The nation’s expanded focus on community health and family (or primary) care didn’t just occur by chance. It took the dedicated commitment of professionals across the country to make it happen. This week we present a special edition of “Conversations on Health Care” with Dr. Carl Lecce. For 45 years he’s served as a family physician with Community Health Center in Middletown, Connecticut.

Our hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter have worked closely with Dr. Lecce through the years and their reflections give us all insights into the challenges and opportunities for making health care a right and “not a privilege.”

200 Million Vaccines and Counting: Emory’s Dr. Carlos Del Rio on Effort To Target Vaccine Resistance

This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with leading infectious disease expert Dr. Carlos Del Rio, Executive Associate Dean at the Emory University School of Medicine, and lead researcher on HIV/AIDS and now, COVID-19. Dr. Del Rio applauds the Biden Administration’s achievement of 200 million vaccine doses delivered in the US, but warns vaccine resistance in this country, and lack of supply globally, must be addressed to bring the pandemic fully under control. He lauds the remarkable science around mRNA technology that will have far reaching implications for tackling many diseases.

IVF Fallout: Top Biden Health Official Sees Dangers Beyond Reproductive Rights

Originally broadcast on March 4, 2024

Even as Alabama scrambles to enact a law protecting in vitro fertilization in the state, the Biden-Harris Administration sees additional challenges that legislation may not be able to quickly fix. Carole Johnson leads the Health Resources and Services Administration, the part of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department tasked with strengthening the health workforce and connecting skilled professionals to rural, urban and tribal underserved communities.

Johnson explains that some health care providers were already reluctant to work in states with restrictive reproductive legislation and the Alabama situation presents a new challenge.

In rejecting Alabama’s Supreme Court decision she says, “It should not be the case that young women in this generation have less rights than I did growing up and we need to change that. We will continue to lean in as an administration supporting women.”

Trump & Harris Debate IVF: Why It’s an Election Issue

At the beginning of this year, few could have predicted that in vitro fertilization would become a big political topic. But that’s what occurred after the Alabama Supreme Court ruled frozen embryos are “unborn children.” The Alabama legislature then responded by passing a law to shield IVF providers.

Since then, former President Trump said he wants the government or insurance companies to pay for IVF treatment. However, Vice President Kamala Harris has said that “under Donald Trump’s abortion bans, couples who pray and dream of having a family are being denied IVF treatments.”

As we near election day, we’re looking back to an interview with a national leader on these issues. Carole Johnson is the administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration, which is part of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department.

Johnson told hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter in March that some health care providers were already reluctant to work in states with restrictive reproductive legislation and the Alabama situation presented a new challenge.

She stated that “It should not be the case that young women in this generation have less rights than I did growing up and we need to change that. We will continue to lean in as an administration supporting women.”

Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

Conversations on Health Care® focuses this week on improving the quality and effectiveness of health care. Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Dr. Carolyn Clancy from AHRQ, about its role in American health care, engaging people with their health care and putting clinical research into practice.

Carolyn Miles, President and CEO of Save the Children

This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Carolyn Miles, President and CEO of Save the Children. Miles discusses the organization's three year study on global child mortality, focusing on newborns, and the strategies being employed to reduce mortality rates. Miles also discusses technological innovations that are allowing Save the Children to serve over 80 million children living in more than 120 countries, including the US.

Dr. Carolyn Clancy, director of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

This week, Mark and Margaret speak with Dr. Carolyn Clancy, Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality at the Department of Health and Human Services. Dr. Clancy discusses AHRQ's recent report: Making Health Care Safer II - which offers evidence-based analysis of a number of patient safety practice recommendations intended to improve patient safety and reduce costly and deadly errors in health care.

Carolyn Miles, President and CEO of Save the Children

This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Carolyn Miles, President and CEO of Save the Children, an independent non-profit organization meeting the basic health, education and nutritional needs of over 140 million children worldwide. Ms. Miles discusses the myriad humanitarian crises the world's children are currently facing in war zones, refugee camps and infectious disease outbreaks.

Carolyn Miles, President and CEO of Save the Children

This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Carolyn Miles, President and CEO of Save the Children, an independent non-profit organization meeting the basic health, education and nutritional needs of over 140 million children worldwide. Ms. Miles discusses the myriad humanitarian crises the world's children are currently facing in war zones, refugee camps and infectious disease outbreaks.

Save the Children CEO Carolyn Miles Examines Threats to Children in "End of Childhood" Report

This week, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter speak with Carolyn Miles, CEO of Save the Children, on the plight of children in the US and around the world. She discusses their new report on the "End of Childhood" and the ongoing threat to child wellbeing due to war, the refugee crisis, and lack of access to education and other opportunities due to growing global disparities.