PAMED Talks

Join us for a conversation with Jon Lepley, DO, Foundation Board Trustee and board-certified physician in family medicine and addiction, and past president of American Osteopathic Academy of Addiction Medicine (AOAAM). Dr. Lepley explores the challenges facing today’s physicians and the actions we can all take to promote mental health and prevent suicide in the medical profession.

Visit npsaday.org to learn more about the cause, and how you can make time to talk and provide timely support to help physicians navigate challenges before they become crises.  To learn more about the mission and work of the PA PHP, visit foundationpamp.org/php. 

Visit www.pamedsoc.org for more. 

What does it take to become a physician leader while navigating the challenges of medical residency and immigration? In this episode of PAMED Talks, Dana Lombardo, Outreach Specialist at the Pennsylvania Medical Society, interviews Tejas Nikumbh, MD, an internal medicine chief resident, PAMED trustee, and Vice Chair of the Residents & Fellows Section.

Dr. Nikumbh discusses his journey in physician advocacy, the leadership opportunities available through PAMED, and how involvement in organized medicine has helped shape his career. He also shares his firsthand experience navigating the recent J-1 visa processing freeze, highlighting the challenges many international medical graduates (IMGs) face during residency.

The conversation also explores Dr. Nikumbh's recognition as a 2026 PAMED Top Physician Under 40, practical career advice for resident physicians and fellows, and how physicians in training can develop leadership skills through section elections, advocacy, and participation in the PAMED House of Delegates.

Whether you're a medical student, resident, fellow, or practicing physician, this episode offers valuable insights into physician leadership, organized medicine, residency success, and making a lasting impact in healthcare.

Learn more about PAMED's Residents & Fellows Section: pamedsoc.org/RFS

Visit www.pamedsoc.org for more. 

In this episode of PAMED Talks, Julie Heaney speaks with Rose Wascher, first-year medical student at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and 2026 Lycoming County Medical Society scholarship recipient. Rose shares the complexity of being a first generation medical student, the hidden support of financial assistance like scholarships, and how being a patient informed her path toward becoming a health care professional. 

The Foundation's Student Financial Services area administers yearly scholarship programs to deserving medical students from Pennsylvania. Scholarship applications are accepted July 1st through September 30th of each year. Notifications are made in November, and funds are disbursed directly to the medical school in December. Visit foundationpamedsoc.org/scholarships to apply!

Visit www.pamedsoc.org for more. 

In this episode of PAMED Talks, PAMED President Arvind R. Cavale, MD, FACE, FCPP, PCEO sits down with Dave Chase, Creator and Co-founder of Health Rosetta and author of the upcoming Relocalizing Health: Taking Back Healthcare & Rebuilding Communities. Together, they discuss the state of healthcare, the epidemic of physician burnout, and why the future of medicine may already exist.

Visit www.pamedsoc.org for more. 

In this episode of PAMED Talks, Julie Heaney speaks with Kristen Sandel, MD, FACEP, FAAEM, emergency physician, leader at WellSpan Ephrata, and Trustee of The Foundation of the Pennsylvania Medical Society, about her work as a physician reviewer for the LifeGuard Program. Dr. Sandel shares insights on how emergency medicine is evolving, common challenges physicians face with board certification, and the impact of burnout on learning and performance. She also highlights how LifeGuard supports physicians in strengthening clinical competency and returning to board eligibility.

LifeGuard's Return to Board Eligibility (ABEM) pathway offers a structured, supportive route for emergency physicians to regain board eligibility through targeted assessment, learning, and clinical evaluation. Visit lifeguardprogram.com/pathways to learn more!

Visit www.pamedsoc.org for more. 

Clinically integrated networks and value based care are reshaping how Pennsylvania physicians practice, and this episode breaks down what that actually means.

In this episode of PAMED Talks, PAMED President Arvind R. Cavale, MD, FACE, FCPP, PCEO sits down with John Pagan, MD, MBA, FACS, CEO of the Pennsylvania Clinical Network and President of the Bucks County Medical Society, to explore the history, mechanics, and future of physician led networks in Pennsylvania.

This conversation covers how the PA Clinical Network came to be, how it operates day to day, and what independent physicians should understand about value based care whether or not they choose to participate.

Topics covered:

• What a clinically integrated network is and how the PA Clinical Network fits into Pennsylvania's healthcare landscape
• How specialists and primary care physicians can engage with clinically integrated networks
• How physician led networks relate to broader conversations about care

Arvind R. Cavale, MD, FACE, FCPP, PCEO is the 176th President of the Pennsylvania Medical Society. John Pagan, MD, MBA, FACS is CEO of the PA Clinical Network and a board certified surgeon.

Learn more about the PA Clinical Network: https://www.paclinicalnetwork.com

Register for the IP Summit: https://www.pamedsoc.org/IPSummit

#PhysicianAdvocacy #PennsylvaniaMedicine #PAMED #IndependentMedicine

Visit www.pamedsoc.org for more. 

Community-Owned Health Plans and direct contracting are changing the conversation about what is possible for physicians in Pennsylvania, and this episode explains exactly how. Join us as PAMED President Arvind R. Cavale, MD, FACE, FCPP, PCEO sits down with Tina Wilt, GBA, Senior Consultant in Advanced Healthcare Strategies at Alera Group, an expert with more than 25 years in employee benefits and one of the architects of central Pennsylvania's first community owned health plan.

Take the Community-Owned Health Plan (COHP) Interest Survey: www.surveymonkey.com/r/WS2YXPG

Topics covered: 

• What a Community-Owned Health Plan is
• Direct Contracting
• How Pennsylvania independent physician practices can lower costs while improving patient access to care 
• The role of technology in reducing administrative burden for independent practices
• PAMED's June 19th Independent Practice Summit in Harrisburg - Register now: www.pamedsoc.org/IPSummit

Tina Wilt, GBA, is Senior Consultant in Advanced Healthcare Strategies at Alera Group with more than 25 years of experience in employee benefits and alternative health plan design.

Learn more about PAMED's presidential initiative at pamedsoc.org/autonomy

#PhysicianAdvocacy #PennsylvaniaMedicine #PAMED #IndependentMedicine

Visit www.pamedsoc.org for more. 

In honor of Nurses' Day, join us for a conversation with Karen Allen, RN, retired nurse and current member of the Nurses' Health Program (NHP) Advisory Committee, as we explore the reality of substance use disorder in nursing and Karen shares her own recovery story. Substance use disorder is a real and often hidden challenge within the nursing profession, affecting dedicated professionals across all roles and career stages. The Nurses’ Health Program provides confidential monitoring, advocacy, and support that helps nurses safely recover, remain accountable, and ultimately return to practice.

This Nurses' Day, consider the importance of financial assistance for programs like the NHP Assistance Fund, which provides support to assist nurses with the cost of required toxicology testing while they participate in the Nurses' Health Program. Your generosity directly impacts the life of a nurse who is working diligently to restore their health, their career, and the ability to serve others.

To support the NHP Assistance Fund this Nurses' Day, visit https://www.foundationpamp.org/nhp

Visit www.pamedsoc.org for more. 

Pennsylvania physicians, residents, fellows, and medical students have the power to shape health policy through PAMED resolutions, and this episode walks you through exactly how to do it. In this resident wrap-up episode of PAMED Talks, PAMED Outreach Specialist Dana Lombardo sits down with PAMED Policy Administrator Minahil Abbas to explain the resolution writing process ahead of the 2026 House of Delegates.

Whether you are a medical student, resident, or early career physician in Pennsylvania, the resolution process is one of the most direct ways to turn your ideas into real organizational policy and advocacy.

Topics covered: 

• What a PAMED resolution is and how it becomes policy
• How Pennsylvania physicians and residents can write and submit a resolution 
• What happens after you submit
• Common mistakes to avoid when writing your first resolution 
• How to get involved through testimony

Sign up for HOD Alerts: pamedsoc.org/house-of-delegates/about-hod/sign-up-for-hod-alerts

Learn more and access resolution writing resources at pamedsoc.org/HOD.

#PhysicianAdvocacy #PennsylvaniaMedicine #PAMed #HouseOfDelegates #PhysicianLeadership

Join PAMED to access full member resources and bring your voice to the 2026 House of Delegates at pamedsoc.org.

Visit www.pamedsoc.org for more. 

Rural hospital closures in Pennsylvania are reshaping access to care, and PA physicians are on the front lines of the crisis. In this episode of PAMED Talks, a Pennsylvania physician breaks down the real drivers behind the rural healthcare crisis and what it means for patients and the future of medicine.

From workforce shortages to private equity and declining reimbursement, this conversation explores the structural challenges threatening rural healthcare across Pennsylvania. The key takeaway: access isn’t just about geography. It’s about policy, sustainability, and whether physicians can continue to practice where they’re needed most.

Topics covered:

• Rural hospital closures and their impact on patient outcomes and access to care
• Physician workforce shortages and barriers to practicing in rural Pennsylvania
• The role of private equity, consolidation, and non-compete agreements
• Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement challenges in rural communities
• How advocacy, residency pipelines, and policy reform can strengthen rural healthcare

Lorraine Rosamilia, MD, FAAD is a board-certified dermatologist with Mount Nittany Health and Board Chair of the Pennsylvania Medical Society.

To register for the Independent Practice Summit on June 19 in Harrisburg, PA, visit https://www.pamedsoc.org/IPSummit

Learn more about PAMED's advocacy efforts: https://www.pamedsoc.org/advocacy

Visit www.pamedsoc.org for more.