When kids with chronic conditions transition from pediatrics to adult medicine, they fall off something of a cliff of support. Adult medicine is simply not set up to address the needs of this population, and these young people and their families are left to manage the complexity, stress and expense of their own care. We have pediatrics and geriatrics. With 1 in 4 young adults living with a serious health condition, it’s time to establish the official field of Young Adult Medicine.

Dr. Adaobi Ugochukwu grew up and came through Johns Hopkins medical school while living with lupus, and is uniquely qualified to take us through this issue which touches the whole, 20 million-strong community of young adults living with chronic conditions, and to highlight the need for entirely new practices to serve this population.

To get involved and donate, visit:

https://invisiblewave.org/donate

The Invisible Wave Podcast is a non-profit public service produced by TenTen Audio and released in association with Signal Co. No1. Our theme song is “Conqueror” by Blake x Maile.

Host Dr. Santi Bhagat describes how her daughter Natasha's diagnosis with epilepsy at age 8 led her to decades of activism in chronic health in young people, work that is now culminating in a grassroots awareness and community-building initiative, with the Invisible Wave Podcast at its heart. 

The Invisible Wave Podcast is a non-profit public service produced by TenTen Audio and released in association with Signal Co. No1. Our theme song is “Conqueror” by Blake x Maile.

1 in 4 young adults is living with a chronic medical condition, often invisible to the naked eye. They are, The Invisible Wave. 

Hosted by Dr. Santi KM Bhagat, a mother of a young adult with epilepsy who founded a non-profit think tank that studied how policies, systems of care, and society support young people with chronic conditions over the last two decades. She found that little is in place when they turn 18 and graduate from pediatrics and high school. They don’t have a broken health system: they don’t have a system at all. They need a new field of medicine designed for young adults; they need higher education and the workplace to provide supports so they can succeed. After starting legislative change in Annapolis, Maryland and Capitol Hill, Dr. Bhagat realized the need for a grassroots movement where she could bring policy to the people. 

The Invisible Wave Podcast is a national gathering place for young adults, families, providers and innovators to share their personal experiences, pool resources and elevate immediate, actionable solutions to improve quality of life for this vast, underserved population. 

Please find and follow The Invisible Wave Podcast starting on September 25 wherever you get your podcasts.

The Invisible Wave Podcast is a non-profit public service produced by TenTen Audio and released in association with Signal Co. No1.