What if the most effective longevity hack isn’t a supplement or a cold plunge, but a simple dinner party?

Dr. Zeke Emanuel, oncologist, bioethicist, and key architect of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), joins Dr. Rohan Ramakrishna for a candid look at the intersection of medicine and politics. Dr. Emanuel reveals the gritty reality of passing legislation, explaining why "politics beats policy" and how the "scarce resource" framework he developed at the NIH shaped global COVID-19 vaccine distribution.

They discuss the critical consequences of cutting Medicaid funding, the rise of medical misinformation, and why doctors must become more politically active to protect public health. Finally, Dr. Emanuel introduces his new book, Eat Your Ice Cream, challenging the modern obsession with biohacking. He argues that in a world fixated on optimization, fostering deep social connections is the ultimate prescription for a longer, happier life.

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]

(00:00) Intro: Dr. Zeke Emanuel

(03:10) Beekeeping and the pursuit of new skills

(04:50) Choosing policy over the lab

(08:41) Redefining research ethics at the NIH

(11:05) Allocating scarce resources: The COVID framework

(17:35) Politics beats policy: Inside the Obama White House

(19:40) Why malpractice reform failed

(22:37) Frustrations with the ACA and bundled payments

(27:12) The ACA’s biggest win: Saving lives via coverage

(33:20) Why healthcare will dominate the 2032 election

(34:55) The deadly consequences of cutting Medicaid

(38:05) Future reform: Simplification and standardization

(42:20) Vertical integration and antitrust enforcement

(44:15) Combating misinformation and breaking algorithms

(48:45) "Eat Your Ice Cream" and rejecting biohacking

(52:40) The highest yield longevity hacks over 60

(57:50) Policy solutions for the loneliness epidemic

(01:01:25) Communicating relative risk and vaccine safety

(01:04:35) Lightning Round: Mentors and books

(01:06:38) The "Bob Dylan" intro music

(01:07:25) Life lessons from artisanal chocolate

(01:09:40) Working for Rahm Emanuel?

(01:10:45) Outro

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].

What happens when the President-elect of the American Medical Association becomes a patient overnight?

In this episode, Dr. Rohan Ramakrishna sits down with Dr. Bobby Mukkamala, a longtime Flint-based ENT surgeon and incoming AMA President who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Dr. Mukkamala shares the harrowing moment his symptoms began during a public speech and his rapid transition from surgeon to patient. He discusses why seeing risk percentages from the other side of the gown changes everything and argues that family support should be treated as a vital clinical intervention.

The conversation then pivots to the critical work ahead for the AMA. They explore the fight to index Medicare payments to inflation, the crushing impact of administrative burnout, the erosion of private practice, and why protecting NIH research funding is a matter of life and death. This is a deeply personal and policy-focused look at the fragile state of our healthcare system.

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].

This week, Dr. Rohan Ramakrishna sits down with neuroscientist Dr. Ben Rein to unpack the physiological harm of loneliness and the neuroscience of social connection. They discuss how isolation creates chronic inflammation, why social media can erode empathy, and how building social connection creates cognitive reserve to protect our brains as we age.

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].

This week, Dr. Rohan Ramakrishna sits down with Chelsea Clinton—vice chair of the Clinton Foundation and Clinton Health Access Initiative—to unpack maternal health in America, the confusion around emergency-room care laws, and the risks of research funding cuts. They talk about what restrictive statutes are doing to patients and providers, how to support clinicians on the front lines, and the practical policy moves that would make care safer, sooner.

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].

As doctors, we navigate an increasingly complex healthcare landscape filled with administrative burden, regulatory pressures, and systems that often get in the way of patient care. Yet we persist because of what drew us to medicine in the first place: the privilege of healing, the joy of collaboration with brilliant colleagues, and the front-row seat to innovation.

Good Medicine is a podcast about reclaiming what's essential in healthcare. Hosted by Dr. Rohan Ramakrishna, neurosurgeon and co-founder of Roon, each episode features honest conversations with physicians, researchers, and healthcare leaders who are shaping the future of medicine.

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].