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Dr. Tom Frieden on The Formula for Better Health
What does it take to protect health at the scale of an entire city—or the world? Dr. Tom Frieden, former Director of the CDC and NYC Health Commissioner, operates at this massive scale. In this episode, he joins Dr. Rohan Ramakrishna to dismantle the "invisible" threats shaping modern medicine, from the "pus bucket" TB wards of 1990s New York to the high-pressure White House Situation Room during the Ebola crisis.
Discussing his new book, The Formula for Better Health, Dr. Frieden breaks down his "See, Believe, Create" framework and the critical difference between regulation and the "nanny state." They dive deep into why hypertension remains the world’s deadliest—and most neglected—pathology, the failures of COVID-19 communication, and the "Big Six" lifestyle behaviors that actually determine longevity. Whether you are a clinician or a policymaker, this conversation offers a masterclass in how organized, rigorous action can save millions of lives.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(02:09) From Philosophy Major to Medicine
(04:54) Defining Public Health
(06:12) The Father’s Question: "How Would You Know?"
(08:00) Inside the Epidemic Intelligence Service
(11:08) The 1990s NYC Tuberculosis Crisis
(12:04) The "See, Believe, Create" Framework
(17:32) The Story of Jorge and Christian
(21:13) The Ebola "Table Drop" Moment
(25:01) Inside the White House Situation Room
(27:12) COVID-19 Failures and Incident Management
(30:26) The Assault on the CDC
(34:35) Restoring Public Trust
(36:36) The Ethics of Mandates
(42:14) The Role of the Physician in Public Health
(45:34) Hypertension: The World's Silent Killer
(49:26) The HEARTS Technical Package
(51:01) Global Implementation Challenges
(56:55) AI as a Member of the Care Team
(58:39) The "Big Six" for Longevity
(01:00:30) Social Connection and Dementia Risk
(01:03:07) Microplastics and Environmental Toxins
(01:05:23) Misaligned Incentives in Healthcare
(01:08:19) Quick Hits
(01:10:36) Outro
New episodes are released every other week, wherever you get your podcasts.
For more from Roon, visit: https://www.roon.com/
Sign up for our substack: https://rohanramakrishna.substack.com/
Find us on Instagram and X: @roondoctors
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for a future guest, please email us: [email protected].
View all episodes
By Rohan RamakrishnaWhat does it take to protect health at the scale of an entire city—or the world? Dr. Tom Frieden, former Director of the CDC and NYC Health Commissioner, operates at this massive scale. In this episode, he joins Dr. Rohan Ramakrishna to dismantle the "invisible" threats shaping modern medicine, from the "pus bucket" TB wards of 1990s New York to the high-pressure White House Situation Room during the Ebola crisis.
Discussing his new book, The Formula for Better Health, Dr. Frieden breaks down his "See, Believe, Create" framework and the critical difference between regulation and the "nanny state." They dive deep into why hypertension remains the world’s deadliest—and most neglected—pathology, the failures of COVID-19 communication, and the "Big Six" lifestyle behaviors that actually determine longevity. Whether you are a clinician or a policymaker, this conversation offers a masterclass in how organized, rigorous action can save millions of lives.
Timestamps:
(00:00) Intro
(02:09) From Philosophy Major to Medicine
(04:54) Defining Public Health
(06:12) The Father’s Question: "How Would You Know?"
(08:00) Inside the Epidemic Intelligence Service
(11:08) The 1990s NYC Tuberculosis Crisis
(12:04) The "See, Believe, Create" Framework
(17:32) The Story of Jorge and Christian
(21:13) The Ebola "Table Drop" Moment
(25:01) Inside the White House Situation Room
(27:12) COVID-19 Failures and Incident Management
(30:26) The Assault on the CDC
(34:35) Restoring Public Trust
(36:36) The Ethics of Mandates
(42:14) The Role of the Physician in Public Health
(45:34) Hypertension: The World's Silent Killer
(49:26) The HEARTS Technical Package
(51:01) Global Implementation Challenges
(56:55) AI as a Member of the Care Team
(58:39) The "Big Six" for Longevity
(01:00:30) Social Connection and Dementia Risk
(01:03:07) Microplastics and Environmental Toxins
(01:05:23) Misaligned Incentives in Healthcare
(01:08:19) Quick Hits
(01:10:36) Outro
New episodes are released every other week, wherever you get your podcasts.
For more from Roon, visit: https://www.roon.com/
Sign up for our substack: https://rohanramakrishna.substack.com/
Find us on Instagram and X: @roondoctors
If you have a question, comment, or suggestion for a future guest, please email us: [email protected].