This week’s guest expert on the Public Health Out Loud podcast is Dr. Patricia Cioe, an Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Brown University. Dr. Cioe’s current research is focused on the effects of cigarette smoking on one’s health, and the development of innovative smoking cessation interventions for people living with HIV. 

Co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan ask Dr. Cioe about the difference between combustible cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and vapes. They also talk about the health effects of smoking tobacco and different methods for decreasing or quitting smoking.  

Quitting tobacco is a journey. Whether you’re thinking about quitting, aren’t yet ready to quit, or have already quit, the Rhode Island Nicotine Helpline can help you each step of the way. Call 1-800-Quitnow, visit quitnowRI.org, or talk to your healthcare provider about quitting smoking. 

This week’s guest expert is Dr. Amy Cameron, a clinical psychologist in the VA Healthcare System in Providence, Rhode Island and a faculty member of the Department of Psychology and Human Behavior at Brown University. Co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan ask her about the most common health concerns among veterans, including chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder, and treatment options that are available to veterans. Download this week’s episode to learn more. 

Are you a veteran in crisis or concerned about one? You're not alone. The Veterans Crisis Line is available 24/7. Call 1-800-273-8255 and press option 1, or visit veteranscrisisline.net to chat online. To learn more about local resources, visit vets.ri.gov.

This week’s guest expert on the Public Health Out Loud podcast is Dr. Scott Rivkees, the former surgeon general for the State of Florida. As the state’s leading public health officer from June 2019 to September 2021, Dr. Rivkees oversaw the state’s COVID-19 response. Now, Dr. Rivkees is a professor of practice of health services, policy, and practice and vice chair of the Department of Health Service, Policy, and Practice at the Brown University School of Public Health.  

Co-hosts Dr. Philip Chan and Dr. Jim McDonald ask Dr. Rivkees about his experiences leading the COVID-19 response in Florida, and opportunities for research and collaboration now that he’s at Brown University. Download this week’s episode to learn more.  

There are a lot of unanswered questions when it comes to Long Covid, which refers to the prolonged symptoms that some patients experience after an initial COVID-19 infection. People experiencing Long Covid have reported symptoms ranging from fatigue to brain fog to difficulty breathing. For some, the symptoms last a couple weeks after their initial infection with COVID-19. For others, the symptoms have lasted much longer. This week on the Public Health Out Loud podcast, find out what we do and don’t know about Long Covid, and what local researchers are doing to get more answers.  

This week’s guest expert is Dr. Francesca Beaudoin, the chair of epidemiology at Brown School of Public Health and director of the Long Covid Initiative there. Dr. Beaudoin talks about who is most at risk of experiencing Long Covid, and the effect that Long Covid is having on some patients’ mental health.  

Co-hosts Dr. Philip Chan and Dr. Jim McDonald also talk about local resources that are available to help people experiencing symptoms of Long Covid, including the Long Covid Clinic at Lifespan. Download this week’s episode to learn more.  

This week’s guest expert on the Public Health Out Loud podcast is Dr. Carol Lewis, a general pediatrician at Hasbro Children’s Hospital and the director of the Refugee Health Program there. Co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan ask her about pediatric health trends and common health issues among the refugee community. They also ask her about how Rhode Island has welcomed recent waves of refugees arriving from Afghanistan and Ukraine. Download this week’s episode to learn more.  

What did COVID-19 teach us about pandemic preparedness? How concerned should we be about monkeypox? Download the latest episode of the Public Health Out Loud podcast to get the answers from Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist, pandemic preparedness expert, and the director at the new Pandemic Preparedness Center at the Brown University School of Public Health.  

Co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan talk about their experiences as local public health officials throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and ask Dr. Nuzzo what Rhode Island, the nation, and the world could do to better prepare for another pandemic.  

Did you know 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have experienced domestic violence in their lifetime? Listen to the latest episode of the Public Health Out Loud podcast to learn more about the patterns of behavior that can occur in abusive relationships and local resources that are available to Rhode Islanders.  

This week’s guest expert is Vanessa Volz, the executive director at Sojourner House. The mission of Sojourner House is to promote healthy relationships by providing culturally sensitive support, advocacy, housing, and education for victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking; and to effect systems change.  

Co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan ask Vanessa about the red flags that people should look out for in their relationships. They also talk about how Sojourner House is empowering victims to become survivors. 

Download this week’s episode to learn more.  

This week’s guest expert is Erin Bertoldi, the state breastfeeding coordinator at the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH).  Co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan ask Erin about the health benefits of breastfeeding, the challenges that parents may face, and the resources that are available to support parents through their breastfeeding journey.  

Why does the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that infants be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life? Has the national formula shortage increased interest in breastfeeding support and training programs in Rhode Island? To learn more, download this week’s episode and visit health.ri.gov/breastfeeding. 

Did you know about 10 million people a year develop an active infection of tuberculosis? Although cases in the United States are rare, tuberculosis continues to be prevalent in other areas of the world. And since there isn’t an effective, long-term vaccine, cases can be fatal. In fact, before COVID-19, tuberculosis was the leading infectious disease killer in the world.  

This week’s guest expert is Dr. Natasha Rybak, the director of the RISE Clinic for Tuberculosis in Rhode Island. She describes how tuberculosis spreads, how it’s treated, and who’s most at risk. She also talks about her work with the Brown University Ukraine Collaboration, which works with Ukrainian health providers to address the challenges of the HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis epidemics for children, women, and their family members in Ukraine. 

How has the war impacted tuberculosis research in Ukraine? Download this week’s episode to find out.  

Ending homelessness is a public health issue. One possible solution? More housing.  

This week’s guest expert on the Public Health Out Loud podcast is Karen Santilli, the CEO of Crossroads Rhode Island. Crossroads is the leading provider of housing and homeless services in Rhode Island. Santilli talks about how rates of homelessness have increased not just in the state, but throughout the country during the pandemic. She also shares stories about how something called a “housing first” model can help homeless or at-risk individuals and families get on a path to stability. 

Hear co-hosts Dr. Jim McDonald and Dr. Philip Chan talk about the difference between providing shelter and having a home, and how that difference can impact someone’s health physically, mentally, and emotionally.  

How can we improve access to healthcare and resources for people experiencing homelessness? What is Crossroads doing to solve the housing crisis in Rhode Island? Download this week’s episode to find out.  For more information about Crossroads, visit their website at crossroadsri.org.