Fight Back

We all know a good night's sleep can make a world of difference, but you may not realize just how integral sleep is to your overall health—or that there is a whole field of medicine devoted to the subject. 

During this Fight Back episode, we speak with renowned sleep expert Dr. Rafael Pelayo, who talks with us about how important sleep is to our health. Dr. Pelayo is a clinical professor at the Sleep Medicine division of the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Stanford University. We cover many key topics, from the basics of getting a good night's sleep to the physical and mental impacts of not getting enough high-quality sleep each night. We also discuss sleep disorders, the best ways to treat insomnia, and much more.

Fight Back! talks with Peter Lee, Executive Director for California’s health insurance marketplace, Covered California. In his role, Mr. Lee oversees the planning, development, and administration of Covered California and its efforts to improve the affordability and accessibility of quality healthcare for all Californians.

In our conversation, Peter provides valuable insight into the many facets of the Covered California program, including what options consumers have for obtaining affordable health insurance even if they lose their employment, how middle and low-income families can access subsidies for premiums and co-pays, how the open and special enrollment windows operate, the value of shopping around for the best possible plan, the status of the COVID-19 vaccination program, and much more. 

Lifestyle Medicine focuses on educating and motivating patients to change personal habits and behaviors around using a whole food, plant-predominant dietary lifestyle, regular physical activity, restorative sleep, stress management, avoidance of risky substances, and positive social connection.

We discuss this topic with lifestyle medicine expert Dr. Cate Collings, Director of Lifestyle Medicine at El Camino Hospital and President of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.
 
 Cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, once thought to be irreversible, are just a couple of conditions that lifestyle interventions have improved. Join us as we explore Lifestyle Medicine and how this approach is changing things for patients and doctors alike.

Fight Back is switching things up in our first episode of 2021. For this episode, our host, Steve Poizner, is in the hot seat, discussing what led to the launch of the Healthcare Consumer Rights Foundation and the Fight Back podcast, sharing some of the podcast's most memorable moments, and looking forward to 2021. It's a year in review—and a year to look forward to!

You'll also meet Fight Back co-producers Robert Molnar and J'aime Rosales as they take us back through some of our most poignant episodes. Launching right around the time of California's first stay-at-home order in March, Fight Back wasted no time in addressing the current struggles that healthcare consumers face. From prioritizing mental health when life takes a drastic turn to steps we can take to promote health equity across races, ethnicities, and genders, our goal has been to equip listeners with information and tools to fight for their health. We even hosted Taiwan's former Health Minister, who provided invaluable insight into how Taiwan successfully fought COVID-19 and avoided the fallout that so many other nations experienced.

In 2021, we're going even bigger. Our priority remains to motivate and equip people to fight back and to become the best advocate for their and their loved ones' health.

Latest reports indicate that COVID-19 cases are on the rise throughout the U.S., and many warn of more difficult days to come with the onset of winter. Throughout the pandemic, leaders have indicated that getting the pandemic under control hinges on creating and distributing a vaccine. 

But now that the first of the vaccines are rolling out to the public, consumers want answers to several pressing questions: how were these vaccines developed so fast? Will they be available for everybody? How will they distribute them? Most importantly, are they safe?

In this Fight Back! episode, we talk with vaccine expert Dr. Mike Ybarra, an Emergency Room Physician, and Vice President of Medical Affairs and Strategic Alliances at the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association. Dr. Ybarra has over ten years of advocacy, health policy, and direct patient care experience. His background and knowledge will help us take a deep dive into the development of the COVID vaccine, its technology, and its implications for the public.

Let's take a quick course in Pharmacy 101 with special guest Debby Johnson, a third-generation pharmacist and former President of the California Pharmacist Association. We'll dive into important topics related to the world of pharmacy, including the importance of having your prescriptions at one pharmacy, the dangers of drug interactions, the differences between brand name and generic medicines, and the pharmacist's specific roles and responsibilities. We'll also discuss two very timely topics: the value of receiving a flu shot during the COVID-19 pandemic and the role pharmacists will play in distributing the forthcoming COVID vaccines. 

In this episode, we discuss alternative health systems: different ways to deliver healthcare to patients, and how states, nonprofit organizations, and even companies—like Whole Foods—have implemented unique concepts to enable better and cheaper healthcare options for consumers.

Our guest is Sean Flynn, Assistant Professor of Economics at Scripps College. He is the author of Economics for Dummies, which has now been translated into seven foreign languages, as well as the coauthor of the world's best-selling college textbook, Economics: Principles, Problems, and Policies. A recurring commentator on NPR, FOX Business, and ABC News, Sean holds a B.A. in economics from the University of Southern California and a Ph.D. in economics from U.C. Berkeley. Sean's in-depth knowledge of our healthcare system makes for a great discussion.

While COVID-19 cases explode anew across the world, and America struggles with its next steps, Taiwan's national response has proven to be an important case study for world leaders.
  
 With a population of 23 million, Taiwan has reported only 550 cases of COVID-19 and seven deaths. How did they do this? 
  
We talk with Dr. Wen Chiu, former Taiwanese Minister of Health and Welfare (2011 – 2014), about how Taiwan learned valuable lessons from previous pandemics such as SARS and MERS and applied those lessons quickly as COVID-19 first erupted. From testing and contact tracing to national medical ID cards and an aggressive mandate to wear masks, we'll discuss what steps Taiwan took to mitigate the virus and protect its population. 

As we enter the fall and winter months, and as cases begin surging again across the country and world, we provide an update on all things COVID-19.

From testing and tracing to the progress the medical community has made developing therapeutics and vaccines to what you and your loved ones can do to protect yourself against the next wave, we will discuss it all with our special guest, Dr. Bob Wachter, MD, Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine at University of California, San Francisco, where he is the Holly Smith Distinguished Professor in Science and Medicine and the Benioff Endowed Chair in Hospital Medicine.

A prominent voice for accurate information on all things COVID-19, Dr. Wachter has been a frequent commentator in the media. It is an honor to have him on Fight Back to talk about this national crisis.

Can we eliminate prescription narcotics, even after spinal surgery? It might sound far-fetched, but that is just one of the promises of Holistic Medicine. In this episode, orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. Hooman Melamed joins Fight Back as our special guest. Dr. Melamed is an outspoken advocate of holistic and integrated medicine, the idea that we need to address all aspects of our health for our bodies to be in optimal condition. We discuss what this looks like in our day-to-day practices, including incorporating probiotics to considering the food you eat. Tune in to learn how you might benefit from a more holistic and integrated approach to your health.