In our online world having access to the internet is crucial for a healthy life. Michael Crawford is Howard University’s Associate Dean for Strategy, Outreach and Innovation and Founder of 1867 Health Innovations Project. He joined Chip to discuss how the Project is battling chronic diseases - like diabetes - with technology and data from sources such as remote monitoring. The two also examined how we can bridge the digital divide that keeps so many vulnerable populations from the care they need.

Reporters are more important than ever. The 24/7 news cycle around the Coronavirus pandemic, economic recession and racial inequality can be overwhelming for the public, but the same can be said for those covering the news. Editor of Modern Healthcare Aurora Aguilar joins Chip to discuss the challenges of reporting in the era of “fake news” and how journalism is changing to keep up with unprecedented times.

Women in the United States suffer the worst maternal mortality rates in the developed world. Congresswoman Lauren Underwood is trying to change that with her package of legislation appropriately titled the Momnibus. In this episode she discusses with Chip the social determinants of health that are leading to poor health outcomes for Black and minority mothers, how COVID-19 has advanced patient care approaches like telemedicine to benefit new mothers’ mental health, and how she collaborated with her colleagues across the aisle to find solutions.

America is reckoning with its public health on two fronts: COVID-19 and social determinants of health. Dr. Georges Benjamin is the Executive Director of the American Public Health Association and has spent his career working to achieve health equity for Americans. He joined Chip on our inaugural episode of our series Hospitals In Focus: Achieving Health Equity to discuss how COVID-19 has exposed and amplified issues in our health care system. Dr. Benjamin discusses the obstacles that many in communities of color and other vulnerable populations face when it comes to getting treatment - and what health care providers can do to mitigate some of their challenges.

The Great Influenza and Rising Tide author and historian John M. Barry knows a thing or two about disasters and society. The Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine professor joined Chip to discuss not just the ramifications of great crises on society and politics, but also how we get there. What are the policy decisions that make or in some cases break the public response? And what can we learn for future policy making by looking at decisions from the past? All is discussed on this episode of Hospitals In Focus.

Initially, Israel had one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 infection in the world, but after the nation’s lockdown was lifted things changed drastically. Chip talks to Dr. Eyal Zimlichman of the Sheba Medical Center about how Israel contained the virus in the beginning and how it is coping with an increased outbreak now. From protecting the elderly to re-opening schools – Chip and Dr. Zimlichman talk about lessons learned and how they translate to the US.

Italy was the early epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the US is now facing the highest number of cases in the world. Professor Martin McKee of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine joined Chip to compare US and Europe’s response through the lens of a public health expert. They discussed the lessons to be learned from both responses, the potential vaccine light at the end of the tunnel and the implications of the US pulling out of the World Health Organization.  

The health care supply chain wraps around the entire world, so when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, people were worried. News articles about providing front line workers PPE and giving patients needed ventilators were everywhere. What did we learn from the initial onslaught? And how is the supply chain changing to meet the needs of the future? John Pritchard, President & CEO of Share Moving Media joined Chip to discuss all of this and more.

Health finance expert J.B. Silvers joined Chip to discuss his recent nationally published op-ed in which he compared the situation hospitals and health systems are facing due to COVID-19 to that of banks during the 2008 financial crisis. JB, who is a professor of banking and finance at the Weatherhead School of Management at Case Western Reserve University, says the health care system may look much different after pandemic and he offers a look at what the new normal might be.