Fight Back

Peter Lee, Executive Director of Covered California, talks about the many facets of the Covered California program, including who qualifies, how the program works, what options consumers have if they lose their job, and how to navigate the open enrollment process.

In this Fight Back episode we welcome Linda Garvin, a Health Advocate. Linda graduated from the University of Massachusetts, earning her Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) and Adult Nurse Practitioner training with honors. She has a Public Health Certificate in California. After an extensive medical career, Linda founded Patient Advocate Bay Area, where she serves as President. She has spent the last 20 years as a health advocate in California and nationwide.

Health Advocates support and advocate on behalf of patients and their families when a third party’s expertise and knowledge can improve treatments and navigate a complicated health situation. Could a health advocate help you or your loved one? What specific kind of services do health advocates provide? Join us as Linda answers these and other questions.

In this Fight Back minicast, we talk with Gary Cohen, Vice President of Government Affairs at Blue Shield of California, about bringing healthcare into the digital age. We discuss what needs to happen to make electronic records work, hurdles to overcome regarding privacy concerns, and what consumers can do during the “digital transition.”

In this Fight Back episode, our host, Steve Poizner, executive director of HCRF, welcomes our special guest, Dr. Jeff Poizner. Dr. Poizner is a Staff Psychologist at VA San Diego Healthcare System and specializes in providing evidence-based treatments via Telemental Health platforms to veterans with PTSD and other conditions. Dr. Poizner completed his pre-doctoral internship at UCLA Counseling and Psychological Services and post-doctoral fellowship at UCSD Counseling and Psychological Services. His clinical and research interests include reducing barriers and improving access to evidence-based treatments for veterans with PTSD. 

Dr. Poizner joins us to discuss a very complicated and challenging issue: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, more commonly known as PTSD. While most are familiar with PTSD as it relates to Armed Forces Service members, Dr. Poizner reminds us that there are many forms of PTSD, and anyone who has suffered a traumatic event can suffer from PTSD. Our conversation today looks at the many types of PTSD, what symptoms look like, the types of treatment, and how to access treatment. 

Are your stomach and digestion connected to your overall health? The answer is obvious: yes. But exactly how profound that connection is and the level to which an anti-inflammatory diet can impact your overall health and wellness is the topic we explore this week on Fight Back.

 In this Minicast, host Steve Poizner talks with Dr. Melamed about how you can fight back against the inflammatory foods so pervasive in the American diet and improve your physical well-being with some easy-to-access, affordable anti-inflammatory food strategies. Listen in to this health-changing Minicast for more!

In this Fight Back Minicast, we talk with Adriana Contreras about the health and safety of student athletes. As a collegiate swim coach and a certified and professional Division I collegiate soccer referee, Adriana talks about how pressure can be too much for an athlete, when parents need to speak with an athlete’s coach, and adhering to the banned substances guidelines.

What's the latest on "Long-COVID"? What is the current predominant sub-variant in the United States? What do we know about the new vaccine coming out in the fall of 2022? Do we have any data on why some people never test positive for COVID? Recently, President Biden experienced a rebound effect from the antivirals. How common is this? What should we know about monkey pox? Dr. Brad Pollock from UC Davis joins us for our monthly COVIDcast to answer these questions and more!

In this minicast, we talk with Sean Flynn, an assistant professor of economics at Scripps College, about the economics of our healthcare system: why consumers don’t pay much attention to healthcare costs, why health insurance companies spend so much, and why employers don’t push for reform. He also profiles Whole Food’s experiment.

In this Fight Back episode, we welcome Dr. Howard Zucker, former New York State Public Health Commissioner who led New York through the initial impact of COVID-19. He has held public health positions at the state, federal, and international levels and academic appointments at the Yale, Columbia, and Albert Einstein medical schools. He served as head of the Pediatric ICU at New York Presbyterian Hospital and was a research affiliate at MIT.

Dr. Zucker shares New York’s experience as the first hot spot for COVID-19, dealing with shutdowns, masks, vaccines, and overrun emergency rooms. Join us as we look back at the start of COVID-19 in New York and how local, state, and federal governments interfaced with the healthcare system.