In this episode of Health Dame, Robin Strongin speaks with Dr. Chloe Bird, professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine and program director of the Center for Research on Women’s Health, Sex Differences and Population Health at Tufts Medical Center.

Dr. Bird explains why women’s health research still lags behind,  how male bodies are still often treated as the default in medicine and why clinical trials must do more than simply include women. They discuss the need to study how diseases present in women, how women respond to treatment and how gaps in the evidence base affect diagnosis, care, policy, and precision medicine.

The conversation also looks at what it would take to make these gaps visible, measurable and harder to ignore. For Dr. Bird, better science on women’s health is not just about women. It is about improving healthcare for everyone.

Jarrett Brown was diagnosed with a type-2 meningioma in August 2024.  He went into brain surgery to remove a tangerine-sized tumor on the same day he was scheduled to take the LSAT. Just 28 days after the surgery, he took the LSAT and is now a second-year law student at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Bowen School of Law. His stated reason for entering law school is that he wants to spend the rest of his life speaking for people who do not have a voice.

Before attending law school, Jarrett was a longtime food processing worker. Though he never played football, he likes to say he was a Green Bay Packer because he worked in a packing plant in Green Bay, WI.  During the nearly 20 years that he worked in food processing, Jarrett was a workers' rights advocate. He worked on his own, with unions, and with political organizations to advance the causes of individual workers, groups of workers, and the public.

Medical errors are estimated to be one of the leading causes of death in the U.S. So why is it still so hard for patients to know which hospitals are safest?

In this episode of Health Dame, Robin Strongin talks with Leah Binder, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, Shawn Gremminger, president and CEO of the National Alliance of Healthcare Purchaser Coalitions, and Sue Sheridan, president and CEO of Patients for Patient Safety US.

Together, they discuss why Hospital Safety Grades matter, how patients and employers use quality data to make better decisions and what is at stake when transparency tools come under legal threat.

They also discuss a recent lawsuit affecting The Leapfrog Group’s hospital safety grades and why it could limit access to information patients and families rely on.

The episode looks at the human cost of medical errors, the role employers play in demanding safer care and why patients need trusted, accessible information before they are in crisis.

In this episode of Health Dame, Robin Strongin talks with Dr. Karen Remley, former CEO of the American Academy of Pediatrics, former commissioner of health for the Commonwealth of Virginia and former director of the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.

Dr. Remley reflects on a career shaped by pediatrics, public health and emergency medicine, and discusses the progress that has helped more children live safer, healthier lives. She explains why prevention still matters, from vaccines and car seats to bike helmets, pool safety and safe sleep practices, and why those gains cannot be taken for granted.

The conversation also covers trust in medicine, misinformation, children with complex medical needs, the transition from pediatric to adult care, mental health, crisis communication and the role of families, communities and policymakers in protecting children’s health.

At its core, this interview is about what children need to grow, thrive and be surrounded by what Dr. Remley calls “a cocoon of love.”

What does it take to build a new voice for Latino health advocacy at a time when that voice is urgently needed?

In this episode of Health Dame, Robin Strongin speaks with Jeanette “Jet” Contreras, founder and executive director of the Organization for Latino Health Advocacy (OHLA). Jet shares why she launched the organization, how Latino communities are shaping the future of healthcare and why advocacy must start with listening.

The conversation covers youth mental health, community-based research, health insurance education, civic engagement, cardiovascular health and the importance of connecting policy in Washington with the people most affected by it.

Jet also talks about the young leaders helping guide the organization’s work, the role of trusted community spaces and why health advocacy is also about empowerment.

Women now make up a major part of the medical workforce. So why are so many still missing from the highest levels of leadership?

In this episode of Health Dame, Christine Malcolm and Dr. Shikha Jain join Robin Strongin for a conversation about women in medicine, leadership and the systems that still need to change.

They discuss the progress women have made in entering the medical field, the barriers that still keep many from advancing into top leadership roles and the burnout that can push talented women out of medicine. Dr. Jain shares how her own experiences led her to create Women in Medicine, while Christine Malcolm reflects on the importance of mentorship, sponsorship, and helping women see themselves as leaders.

The conversation also looks at how patients, caregivers, and colleagues can support women physicians in practical ways, from using their professional titles to recognizing, and advocating for their work.

Access is one of the biggest challenges in rural health, but it is only part of the story.

Health Dame’s Robin Strongin kicks off a new series on rural health care in America with Christine Hamp, president of the National Grange. Their conversation looks at the critical issues facing rural communities, including hospital closures, access to care, telehealth and community resilience.

Chris also explains the vital role the Grange plays in everyday life, from bringing people together locally to educating members about healthcare and advocating for needed services. The conversation highlights practical solutions and the importance of intergenerational and cross-sector partnerships in strengthening rural communities.

Robin Strongin sits down with André Blackman for a wide-ranging conversation about men’s health. They discuss research participation, barriers to care, openly sharing information, and the growing role of technology in helping men track their own health data and share it with their health team. They also talk about what health teams, including payers, can learn from patients, what benefits companies can offer men, and how to incorporate more humanity, dignity, and empathy — the care in health care.

Jarrett Brown, diagnosed with vitiligo at 3 years old, shares his experiences — the raw truths — about living with a visible skin condition. Over the years, Jarrett has found his voice and shares his reflections, advice, and advocacy with Health Dame's Robin Strongin.

Health Dame's Robin Strongin interviews Samuel A. Simon, former Nader's Raiders and now a playwright, sharing his personal experience having been diagnosed, and living with, Alzheimer's. Dementia Man, An Existential Journey, is Sam's award-winning autobiographical story.