Transforming health care and health care delivery are priorities for the Mayo Clinic Platform, according to Dr. John Halamka, president of the Mayo Clinic Platform.

"If we are going to deliver advice, let's make sure it's customized to the person, their geography, the time of year, all those other variables," says Dr. Halamka. He adds that the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed how well that can work.

"COVID-19 has taught us, culturally, that it's actually OK to do things at a distance," says Dr. Halamka. "We've been able to do remote infusions of things like remdesivir. We've been able to enhance the patient's experience of getting COVID-19 treatment without them having to leave their homes."

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Halamka explains artificial intelligence, talks about new devices generating new kinds of data, and how to make sure those data are used ethically. He also offers predictions about what health care will look like in the future.

For more information, visit the Mayo Clinic News Network.

The distribution kinks for COVID-19 vaccines are getting ironed out, says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group.

"It's a logistics nightmare, but now you're seeing a plan to administer 1 million doses a day and I think that's very achievable," says Dr. Poland. "And the production of the vaccine is just going to accelerate."

Dr. Poland also repeats the reminders about preventing transmission of COVID-19:

"The current estimates are that in the next four weeks, we'll probably have about another 100,000 deaths," adds Dr. Poland. "It's stunning when you think about 1 out of every 860 Americans has now died of this."

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland talks more about the rollout, transmission and herd immunity, as well as fertility issues related to COVID-19, survivor brain fog and more.

Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.

Naloxone is a potentially lifesaving medication that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid medicine. It can be easily administered to those who overdose. Many who are battling the opioid epidemic would like to see naloxone made more readily available.

Dr. Halena Gazelka, host of the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, is also chair of Mayo Clinic's Opioid Stewardship Program Subcommittee. She is a strong advocate for breaking the stigma of opioid use disorder.

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Gazelka talks with Dr. Bonnie Milas, an anesthesiologist and critical care physician from the University of Pennsylvania. They discuss naloxone, the opioid epidemic and the tragic loss of Dr. Milas' two sons to opioid overdoses.

The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed medical research and patient care to new levels. High-volume testing for COVID-19, researching convalescent plasma and monitoring patients at home are just a few of the challenges met by Mayo Clinic in Florida in 2020.

Dr. Kent Thielen, CEO of Mayo Clinic in Florida, says they also are looking ahead as the campus continues to grow. He highlights the Lung Restoration Center, the Discovery and Innovation Center, the BioBusiness Incubator and the integrated oncology facility as examples of accelerated programs.

In the this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Thielen expands on the culture of innovation on the Florida campus and what the future holds for the practice.

The U.S. rollout of COVID-19 vaccines is reportedly ramping up with news that nearly all available doses will soon be released to the American public.

"The new COVID-19 variants are traveling quickly, and this is a warning that we need to take precautions," says Dr. Gregory Poland, an infectious diseases expert and head of Mayo Clinic's Vaccine Research Group.

Dr. Poland says these new variants are a consequence of an RNA virus being transmitted from human to human. "Even after we get our vaccines, we still need to wear masks out in public. We still need to maintain physical distancing. And we still need to wash our hands until about 80% of people get their COVID-19 vaccines," Dr. Poland emphasizes.

In this Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland goes into detail about the COVID-19 vaccines, including "sterilizing immunity," testing for antibodies after receiving the vaccine, the possibility of booster doses in the future and much more.

Research disclosures for Dr. Gregory Poland.