AI in medicine is here to stay. But do we like it? In the first of many episodes to come on this topic, Wendy and Matt discuss AI's growing influence in healthcare, and ask, "Does AI help or hurt the patient/physician experience, and what can we do about it either way?"

Dr. Pedja Stojicic, Executive Director of People Power Health, and Adjunct Lecturer at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has led movements that empowered clinicians and toppled governments. Now he teaches clinicians those activism skills - story-telling, community organizing, and building social movements.

"Another Round" offers short, follow-up news and commentary on stories 43cc has covered in the past. In this episode, Wendy and Matt revisit noncompetes and some spicy Steward Health Care news.

Changing healthcare can feel like an insurmountable task. But when change isn't limited to what's within an individual's control, and when the scale of change is massive and urgent, as is the case in healthcare right now, coming together is essential. Matt and Wendy talk about how to break down the process of change so it's within our grasp - starting with getting off our chairs and getting mad as hell.

The Surgery Center of Oklahoma opened in 1997 with one key goal: make all medical fees predictable, transparent, and complete - no surprises. Dr. Keith Smith, co-founder of the Surgery Center, joins us to talk about his free market approach to medical service delivery, and how physicians across the country can apply his model to their practice.

Once upon a time, physicians were in charge of their profession and how they cared for their patients. Our dedication to medicine hasn't changed, so why do so many of us feel we're no longer holding the reins? If doctors aren't in charge, who is?

Physician orgs are splintering into ever narrower specialty groups. Is there one voice that can unite us and advocate for change? The American Medical Association, once the preeminent physicians organization in the US, has faced declining membership and increased criticism for years. Dr. Michael Suk, the new Chair of the AMA Board of Trustees, joins us to share the new 5 point plan for how AMA will support and advocate for physicians in 2024 and beyond (and he takes a little heat from Matt and Wendy in the process).

"Another Round", a new, bonus addition to 43cc, offers short, follow-up news and commentary on stories we've reported on in the past. In this episode, Wendy and Matt give an update on Steward Health Care.

What do we lose, as physicians and as patients, when society no longer treats medicine as a profession? What are the moral, ethical, and practical consequences of treating healthcare practitioners as shift workers? Matt and Wendy dive into a deep, and at times emotional, conversation about what it means to be a medical professional.

Why is private equity trying to take over healthcare? And what does the law have to say about it? Erin C. Fuse Brown, an expert on private-equity investment in healthcare and Professor of Health Services, Policy & Management at Brown University, joins us to talk about the official - and unofficial - corporate practice of medicine from a legal perspective.

Have a rant of your own on this topic? The FTC wants to hear it! Send in your comments at: Request for Information on Consolidation in Health Care Markets For more information, go to the FTC's RFI on Impact of Corporate Greed in Healthcare.