If I Could Change One Thing

Welcome to the 12th season of the SDSU School of Public Health Podcast! On this episode, Dr. Brittnie Bloom and Karrignton Smith, MPH student, speak with Dr. Sayone Thihalolipavan, MD, MPH, Public Health Officer, about the Tijuana River Sewage Crisis impacting San Diego communities. Is this just an environmental and infrastructure issue, or a full public health crisis affecting individuals on both sides of the border? Listen and find out on this episode of If I Could Change One Thing!

On this episode of If I Could Change One Thing, our host Dr. Brittnie Bloom and student co-hosts Yucef Bouzina and Sophia Valdez welcome Dr. Tomás Aragón to discuss leadership and innovation in the field of public health. Dr. Aragón reflects on his experience serving as the Director of the California Department of Public Health and his efforts in transforming the department into a learning and impactful organization. This conversation centers on his idea of Decision Intelligence, a model designed to improve strategic decisions and balance human values. Dr. Aragón explains the integration of artificial intelligence with this framework while ensuring that community needs and empathy remain at the core. We also explore the importance of "servant leadership" and how cognitive diversity can help navigate the uncertainties of public health. Listen to this week's episode for an insightful discussion on how learning, healing, and impact can empower the next generation of public health professionals! For More Information, Please Visit These Links: https://teampublichealth.substack.com/p/decision-intelligence https://bsky.app/profile/tomasaragon.bsky.social/post/3mh6z4ta6ec2y

On this episode of If I Could Change One Thing, our host Dr. Brittnie Bloom takes a step back and lets the students take over! Our talented co-hosts are Lesly Lopez and Katherine Campion, graduating undergraduates in SDSU's School of Public Health who are joined by SDSU Masters of Public Health and Masters of Science students Kitiara Cox, Chris Cellini, and Olivia Pugsley. Our panel of public health peers discuss their various academic paths and what led them to public health. We get their insight into applying to masters programs, how they selected their public health concentration, and their future career paths. Whether you're a current or future student, a faculty member, or a fan of public health - this episode is a way to get connected and stay informed on the current attitudes and values of public health students.

In this episode of If I Could Change One Thing, Dr. Brittnie Bloom and co-host Grana Safi speak with Dr. Amanda Miller, a tenure-track professor at San Diego State University and recipient of a prestigious NIH career development award, to explore what it really means to do global health research with integrity and intention. Dr. Miller reflects on a career that didn't follow a straight path. From studying anthropology and nannying in San Francisco to earning her doctorate and leading community based research in Uganda and South Africa, Dr. Miller makes a compelling case that the "messy" parts of our journeys are often some of the most formative experiences. She breaks down the critical intersection of mental health, substance use, and infectious disease prevention by sharing details of some of her groundbreaking work to reduce perinatal alcohol use and better support expectant fathers living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. The conversation also turns to the current challenges facing global health funding and why building equitable, locally led partnerships has never felt more urgent.

In this episode of If I Could Change One Thing, Dr. Brittnie Bloom and podcast team member Alexis Greenfield sit down with Cara Mears, Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations at the San Diego Rescue Mission (SDRM), to explore innovative and compassionate approaches to addressing homelessness. Cara shares her powerful career journey, from decades in sales to answering a personal calling sparked by a life-changing encounter with a man experiencing homelessness. She explains the SDRM's holistic model, which prioritizes rehabilitation, mental health, sobriety, job training, and community connection, resulting in an 85% long-term success rate for graduates of their residential program. Throughout the conversation, Cara challenges stigma, reframes common misconceptions about homelessness, and reminds listeners that sustainable change happens when communities come together with time, talent, and heart. To learn more about the San Diego Rescue Mission, please check out their website here: https://www.sdrescue.org/

If I Could Change One Thing host Dr. Brittnie Bloom and co-host Lesley Lopez welcome Robert Browning and Sheva Carr to the podcast for a conversation on heart intelligence, healing, and human caring. As Co-Directors of Healthcare and Senior Master Trainers at HeartMath, Robert and Sheva bring more than three decades of experience working in healthcare, education, public policy, and global peacebuilding. Their work spans major health systems including Kaiser Permanente, Stanford, and the VA, as well as global initiatives with the United Nations and the World Health Organization. Together, they explore how heart-based practices can strengthen resilience, prevent burnout, support trauma-sensitive care, and cultivate sustainable leadership in times of crisis and change. From healthcare systems to global policy reform, they share how cultivating physiological coherence and heart-centered awareness can transform individual well-being as well as institutions and communities. This conversation covers how emotional regulation, hope, and leadership can reshape healthcare, mental health, and public health systems. Whether you're a student, clinician, policymaker, or even someone who is just seeking steadiness in uncertain times, this episode offers practical tools and insight into caring for ourselves while caring for others. To access resources mentioned in this episode check out the following websites: https://www.heartmath.com/ https://www.heartmath.org/ heartambassadors.com https://www.fyera.org/team/ La presentadora de "If I Could Change One Thing", la Dra. Brittnie Bloom, y la co-presentadora Lesley Lopez, dan la bienvenida a Robert Browning y Sheva Carr al podcast para conversar sobre la inteligencia cardíaca, la sanación y el cuidado humano. Como Co-Directores de Atención Médica e Instructores Principales en HeartMath, Robert y Sheva aportan décadas de experiencia trabajando en la intersección de la atención médica, la educación y la consolidación de la paz global, desde sistemas hospitalarios como Kaiser Permanente, Stanford y el Departamento de Asuntos de Veteranos (VA), hasta iniciativas internacionales en las Naciones Unidas. Juntos, comparten cómo las prácticas basadas en el corazón pueden fomentar la resiliencia, la atención sensible al trauma y el liderazgo sostenible en momentos de agotamiento y cambio. Exploramos cómo cuidarnos a nosotros mismos mientras cuidamos a los demás, y cómo cultivar la coherencia interna puede generar relaciones y comunidades más saludables. Escuche el episodio de esta semana para una conversación profunda que vincula la ciencia con el poder transformador del corazón.

If I Could Change One Thing host Dr. Brittnie Bloom and co-host Yucef Bouzina speak with Chrissy Cmorik, Senior Director of Education for Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, SDSU Adjunct Professor, and SART Advocate with the Center for Community Solutions, about sexual health, education, and reproductive justice. Chrissy takes us from her start as a SART advocate, sitting with survivors in their most vulnerable hours, to her work creating Planned Parenthood's free online platform Sex Ed To Go. We grapple with how to reach people when politics and stigma get in the way and why "meeting people where they are at" is Chrissy's motto for everything from TikTok videos to trauma-informed care. Listen to this week's episode for a conversation that's equal parts practical, personal, and powerfully hopeful. If you're interested in the resources mentioned in this episode, please check out the Center for Community Solutions (https://www.ccssd.org/) and Planned Parenthood's Sex Ed To Go platform (https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-pacific-southwest/campaigns/sex-ed-to-go). CONTENT WARNING: This episode covers content that is focused on sexual and dating violence.

On this episode of the If I Could Change One Thing Podcast, Dr. Brittnie Bloom and student co-host Karsen Caroll welcome Darbi Berry, Director of the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative Nonprofit and Professor at San Diego State University. In this episode, we learn how social structures within our environmental systems can perpetuate climate change and environmental vulnerability. Darbi offers us ways to adapt and create an "equity first" approach to learning how climate change impacts our planet and how we can be mindful about our contributions to climate change. Darbi has worked on a vast number of initiatives that focus on climate adaptation, resilience, and resource management, which include nonprofit initiatives like The San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative (SDRCC) and the Regional Plan Tracker, which both serve as a resource for promoting a more sustainable future in the local San Diego Community. Finally, Darbi reminds us about the importance of community – when we want to go fast - we go alone; when we want to go far - we go together! Wondering how to get involved? You can get involved by following SDRCC on LinkedIn (@sdclimatecollab), attending their events, and exploring volunteer or collaboration opportunities. The Regional Plan Tracker is a great way to learn about local climate plans and find ways to contribute to sustainability efforts in your community.

In this episode of the If I Could Change One Thing podcast, Dr. Brittnie Bloom and her cohost Sophia Valdez speak with scholar, filmmaker, and public health advocate Dr. Megan Ebor to explore her work in the intersection of race, aging, and sexual health. Dr. Ebor shares her own creative journey from her beginnings in the music industry to academia and filmmaking as a tool for advocacy and change. Together, they discuss taboos around sexual health and aging, the power of storytelling, and the importance of leading with compassion and humanity in both research and teaching. En este episodio del podcast If I Could Change One Thing, la Dra. Brittnie Bloom y su co-anfitriona Sophia Valdez conversan con la Dra. Megan Ebor, académica, cineasta y defensora de la salud pública, para explorar su trabajo en la intersección de la raza, el envejecimiento y la salud sexual. La Dra. Ebor comparte su trayectoria creativa, desde la industria musical hasta la academia y el cine como herramienta de defensa y cambio. Juntas, abordan los tabúes relacionados a la salud sexual y el envejecimiento, el poder de la comunidad y la narración, y la importancia de liderar con compasión y humanidad tanto en la investigación como en la docencia.

On this episode of If I Could Change One Thing, host Dr. Brittnie Bloom welcomes Dr. Shunling Tsang—Family Medicine Chair and Deputy Public Health Officer for Riverside County—to explore how upstream, community-driven strategies can power better health. Dr. Tsang shares her winding path from event planning to public health and medicine, and why blending clinical care with prevention matters. We dive into Riverside County's Blue Zones Project—from "Power 9" habits that we all can benefit from to local policies that help make "the healthy choice the easy choice", like increasing walkability, social connection, and access to nutritious food. Data and community members have guided this important Blue Zones work, highlighting mental health, safety, and cardiovascular risk. Dr. Tsang's one big policy wish: sustained funding for prevention—paired with a personal challenge for all of us to choose one small change today. En este episodio de If I Could Change One Thing, la presentadora, la Dra. Brittnie Bloom, da la bienvenida a la Dra. Shunling Tsang—Presidenta de Medicina Familiar y Subdirectora de Salud Pública del Condado de Riverside—para explorar cómo las estrategias comunitarias y preventivas pueden impulsar una mejor salud. La Dra. Tsang comparte su camino poco convencional desde la organización de eventos hasta la salud pública y la medicina, y explica por qué es importante combinar la atención clínica con la prevención. Nos adentramos en el Blue Zones Project del Condado de Riverside: desde los hábitos "Power 9", de los que todos podemos beneficiarnos, hasta las políticas locales que ayudan a hacer que "la opción saludable sea la opción fácil", como aumentar la caminabilidad, la conexión social y el acceso a alimentos nutritivos. Los datos y los miembros de la comunidad han guiado este importante trabajo de Blue Zones, destacando la salud mental, la seguridad y el riesgo cardiovascular. El gran deseo de política pública de la Dra. Tsang: financiamiento sostenible para la prevención—acompañado de un reto personal para todos nosotros: elegir hoy un pequeño cambio.