Tony Lutz is 62 and was born and raised in Jefferson City. He spoke about his experiences as a closeted gay man in mid Missouri – during the early days of the AIDS epidemic.

Dr. Thomas Selva, a pediatrician and the Chief Medical Information Officer at University of Missouri Health Care, spoke about how patient portals can empower people to play a larger role in their own healthcare and increase access for patients.

Dr. Crystal Lim is the chair of health psychology at the University of Missouri, and has spent much of her career working with children who are overweight. She spoke about how the treatment of excess weight has changed to focus more of health than size.

Jessica Obuchowski is the Central Region Vice President of Youth Services for Brightli, the parent compant of Burrell Behavioral Health. She spoke about how parents can talk to their kids about mental health and recognize warning signs for suicide.

Jeff Horwitz is the CEO of Stop the Addiction Fatality Epidemic Project, or SAFE, a national organization working to end overdose deaths. He spoke a little about how the safe storage – and timely disposal – of prescription medications at home can protect families.

Jaime Basnett is the ALS research program manager at NextGen Precision Health. She spoke about challenges rural ALS patients can face seeking care and what NextGen is doing to help.

Treaka Young was elected last month to the Jefferson City City Council, but previously worked as an ombudsman for the state. A long-term care ombudsman is often a volunteer who helps families and individuals ensure their rights and needs are being respected and preserved in long-term care facilities, like nursing homes. Treaka spoke a little about an ombudsman’s role and how people can reach out to them for help.

Joe Jefferies is a certified peer support specialist who lives in Fayette. They spoke about their queer identity and journey toward recovery from substance use disorder, as well as about the need for more resources in rural communities.

Addiction science expert Rachel Winograd spoke about how the dominant perception of people who use drugs can impact their ability to seek care and recover

Paige Spears has been incarcerated in the Missouri Department of Corrections for nearly 35 years. At the age of 26, he was given a life sentence plus 30 years for an armed robbery he committed in 1988 – where no one was physically injured. He’s now 62. We met up with his family in January-Wabash Park in north county St. Louis recently and spoke about Paige and how his absence for more than 30 years of incarceration has impacted them.