Connections Podcast

The Rochester Youth Climate Leaders are gearing up to host their annual Youth Climate Summit on April 14. The virtual conference will include a number of subjects: what climate change will mean for Rochester and the Finger Lakes; climate justice; Monroe County's Climate Action Plan; climate education; and more. We preview the conference with our guests: Genevieve Guenther , founder and director of EndClimateSilence.org Terry Smith , head of the Lower School at the Harley School, and co-coach of

What are the most significant public health errors of the pandemic? Our guests are doctors who have pushed back against public health groupthink, challenging colleagues to stop the refrain of "Stay home, save lives." They feel that public health has failed to protect the most vulnerable during this pandemic, and they have ideas for how to shift course. Guests include: Dr. Stefan Baral , physician epidemiologist and professor in the department of epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins School of Public

How are overnight summer camps preparing for the season? What will camp look like during the second pandemic summer? Without vaccines for children, what changes are camps making to typical schedules and operations? We discuss these questions and more with our guests: Jackie Rudolph, executive director of YMCA Camp Gorham Pat Foster, executive director of YMCA Camp Cory Pam Cowan, chief marketing and experience officer for the YMCA of Greater Rochester Caitlyn Bailey, camp director at Camp Good

We continue our conversations with candidates for Rochester City Council. Nearly 20 candidates are vying for five open at-large seats. We talk to the candidates about their priorities and platforms in advance of primary day. Our guests: Jonathan Hardin Stanley Martin Victor Sanchez

New reporting from Justin Murphy at the Democrat and Chronicle shows that more than three quarters of Rochester City School District teachers and principals live in the suburbs. Murphy writes that of the top 100 earners in the district, only 12 live in the city. People studying the effect of this issue say there's a cost: a financial one, with tax dollars leaving the city and widening economic disparities between the city and the suburbs; and there's an impact on community-building at schools.

New data shows a decline in child and adult illnesses in almost all categories. The declines have been driven by masking and other pandemic-related practices. Once the pandemic subsides, which of these practices will stick around, and which will fade away? Our guests discuss it: Elizabeth Murray , D.O., M.B.A., assistant professor of pediatrics and emergency medicine, and faculty director for child health and safety communications for Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong Nicole Cifra , M.D., M

Local urbanists share their 2021 wish list. What laws or rules or regulations could change to allow for more community building? Outdoor interaction remains the safest way to get together, but urbanists say that some regulations make that more difficult. Some municipalities ban front-yard patios, for example, forcing interactions into backyards and fenced areas. Our guests make their case: Jason Partyka , bus innovator at Reconnect Rochester Molly Gaudioso, senior community planner at Barton

We sit down with iconic former WAMU host, Diane Rehm. She has a new film airing on PBS stations this month called " When My Time Comes." It's about end-of-life options for people with terminal illnesses. It comes from a personal perspective: Rehm's husband of 54 years died of Parkinson’s disease in 2014. He was denied the option of medical aid in dying in their home state of Maryland. Since his death, Rehm has been at the forefront of activism on the issue. We talk with her about the state of

During a discussion about Body Mass Index, or BMI, Connections listeners reached out to describe their own experiences with weight shaming. Some of those experiences happened in their own doctors' offices. This hour, we explore how communication, especially in medical settings, can be more effective in regard to weight and personal health. Our guests: Holly Russell , M.D., medical director of clinical and community-based programs at the Center for Community Health and Prevention at the

A new report from ACT Rochester and Trillium Health shows that Monroe County has some of the highest increases in sexually transmitted infection rates in the state. We talk to the authors of the report about the data and about how health professionals can adopt a comprehensive approach to sexual health. Our guests: William Valenti , M.D., senior vice president for strategic advancement, chief of innovation, and co-founder and staff physician at Trillium Health Ann Johnson , executive director of