John Williams

Isa Alvarez, Northwestern Medicine Scholar, joins John Williams to talk about the Northwestern Medicine Scholars Program, what it was like being in the inaugural class of the program, how the Scholars Program helped with her preparation for college, when she first became interested in medicine, the mentors that provided support throughout her journey, the interaction she had with physicians throughout the program, and what makes the Northwestern Medicine Scholars Program essential and so unique.

Susan Resko, CEO and President at Josselyn, joins John Williams to talk about their mission of providing quality outpatient mental health care, the work they do with Northwestern Medicine, why someone might reach out to Josselyn, the importance of having better awareness about mental health therapy, the various types of services they offer, some of the barriers people face when when trying to access support and resources, how the partnership with Northwestern helps address some of those barriers, and how long they have been serving the Chicago area.

Dr. Quentin R. Youmans, Heart Failure and Heart Transplant Cardiologist, Northwestern Medicine, joins John Williams to talk about heart health, why he encourages patients to start small when on the path to better heart health, why it’s important to bring heart health screenings into the community, what you should know about the early signs of heart failure, the key indicators that someone may have a family history of heart disease, and how movement, quitting smoking, getting more sleep, managing your weight, controlling your cholesterol, managing blood sugar and blood pressure, and eating better are key foundations for better heart health.

Dr. Dinee Simpson, Transplant Surgeon and Chief Health Equity Executive, and Ann Hall, Vice President of Administration, Northwestern Medicine, join John Williams to talk about the launch of the Kathy Schreiber Community Health Institute, the importance of community health at Northwestern Medicine, why moving barriers to care matters, what the term ‘community health’ means and why it’s an important part of caring for patients, and what Northwestern does to connect with community organizations to make an impact.

We are ‘Keeping it Green’ with Bob Bertog, president of Bertog Landscape Co. in Wheeling and a certified landscape professional with the National Association of Landscape Professionals, joins John Williams to answer all of your lawn and garden questions. Bob talks about the large amount of rainfall we had and why you should make sure your trees are healthy if you noticed branches on the ground after the storms.

John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to [email protected].

Dr. Michael Bauer, Medical Director, Northwestern Medicine Catherine Gratz Griffin Lake Forest Hospital, talks to John Williams about the importance of donating blood due to a shortage of Type O blood, how some users of weight loss drugs lose their sense of taste, the other health benefits of weight loss drugs, and what we should know about West Nile Virus.

Eric Zorn, Publisher of The Picayune Sentinel, joins John Williams to talk about President Trump intervening in the World Cup, a new candidate announcing a run for Chicago mayor, another scandal involving Graham Platner, and why he’s not a fan of the Centennial Wheel at Navy Pier.

John Williams brings you another round of Speed Jokes. Keep sending yours to [email protected].

The great Mr. Fix-It, Lou Manfredini, joins John Williams to tell us the projects we need to be working on this week. Lou says now that we are in the thick of summer, it’s time to start putting some food down.

Listen to HouseSmarts Radio on WGN each Saturday morning at 6 am.