The Pursuit of Health Podcast

It’s time to talk about rural healthcare.

Enter this week’s guest, Dr. David Schreiner, PhD, who is fresh off the press with his new book Be The Best Part of Their Day.

As President and CEO of Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital in Dixon, Illinois, David knows the intricacies of delivering healthcare in rural communities with compassion and efficacy.

And it shows, with his hospital boasting some of the best stats for quality in the country - priding themselves on a system that forefronts the doctor-patient relationship, values each member of staff that makes the hospital tick and emphasizes gratitude every step of the way.

A passionate community advocate, David shares openly on the daily administrative challenges, the wider reform needed to our system and the vulnerability of the rural population in our country.

Join us!

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Use your voice.

This is the key take-home message for physicians, medical students and residents, from Keshia Bradford.

As Project Manager of Doctors for America, Keshia is on the frontline, witnessing the current state of our healthcare system in unflinching detail.

In giving us a history of our healthcare and health insurance system in the U.S., Dr. Bradford reveals the urgent need to depoliticize healthcare policy, bring the patient's voice to the table, and ensure equitable access for all.

A proactive, passionate, tireless educator, today’s conversation is a call for advocacy.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Knowledge is power.

So how can we ensure our healthcare system is empowering patients?

This episode is a brilliant chat with ‘e-Patient Dave’ deBronkart, a legendary advocate of participatory medicine who came into the spotlight during a battle with cancer in 2007.

Dave is the living embodiment of participatory medicine, and reflects passionately on numerous inspiring examples of patient-led change: Long Covid, Parkinson’s Disease, Marfan Syndrome… the list goes on.

Sharing candidly on his own health battle and the preventable death of his mother due to staff shortages at a care home, it’s clear Dave has always been dedicated to giving as much to life as he can. 

Our healthcare system is broken, the establishment is stubborn to change, but patient power will never let up - we can always take matters into our own hands!

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

This week’s episode is a special retrospective: almost two years on, our guests Martha Lopez-Anderson, Melinda Murray-Nyack and Karen Acompora reconvene to reflect on the progress made over the past few years and the remaining obstacles to achieving their goal of eliminating Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Death in our Youth by 2030.Sitting down at the 19th Annual National Parent Heart Watch Heart-to-Heart Conference, our guests first reflect on what they are proud of: screening numbers reaching amazing levels, legislation drafted up, mandated AEDs in New York State… real change is being enacted.

Acknowledging the national focus incited by the Damar Hamlin incident just over a year ago and the extent to which it has catalyzed progress, the conversation evolves into a look into the future.

Hurdles remain, SCA perception needs to change and measures must be upheld - but as Martha Lopez-Anderson says, 2024 is set to be a year to remember regarding legislation for the prevention of sudden cardiac arrest and death in the young.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Welcome back to The Pursuit of Health Podcast. 

This week, we sit down with Stacy Cortechine, Rachel Moyer and Dr. Mitani from Japan to discuss the cultural differences between Japan and the US in approaching primary and secondary prevention of SCA/SCD in youth.

As shared in our discussion, Stacy and Rachel both lost their sons to sudden cardiac arrest, and now dedicate their efforts to raising awareness, lobbying lawmakers and screening young people through their respective work for Who We Play For and Greg Moyer AED Fund.

Their work is helping to save lives, and yet so many hurdles persist: slow legislation, reluctance to purchase AEDs, misinformation and denial about the necessity of measures - the list goes on.

Dr. Mitani reveals the simplicity of Japan’s approach - compulsory screening, AED programs, educating primary care physicians - and their numbers show that it is working.

The blueprint exists. It’s time for our healthcare system to adopt it in full. 

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Welcome back to the Pursuit of Health Podcast.

We return today with a pertinent discussion on a topic that affects each and every one of us in the United States: the issue of gun violence.

Joining host Dr. Eric Fethke is fellow pediatrician and Founder/Director of Child Health Solutions Dr. Nina Agrawal, who is dedicating her voice to advocating for change.

Dr. Agrawal is shocked that gun violence is affecting, and killing children in our country - and she chose to become an educator, advocate and changemaker to ensure it can never happen again.

Taking us through a timeline that touches on the CDC, NRA and the role of medical research, Dr. Agrawal presents the best possible course of action: normalizing discussion.

As the number one killer of children in our country, this is a public health crisis.

We must strive for change.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Pediatric cardiac surgery has an incredible history, and an incredible future ahead too.

Joining to share his experiences training, educating and delivering results as a heart surgeon is Dr Sameh Said from Westchester Medical Center.

Dr Said uncovers his journey from Egypt to the US, drawn by a fascination with the practice - a dedication to pursuing a career that saves lives.

Revealing the still relatively recent history of the field - Dr Said goes on to share how he approaches his practice, the importance of the whole surgical team and some words of advice for aspiring students.

Engrossed with the ‘beauty’ of his career, Dr Said is perfectly placed to share the global legacy of heart healthcare.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

We need to create frameworks for culturally-competent care.

Joining me today to share a discussion on the need to improve diversity awareness in our American healthcare system is Medical Student Simal Ali.

Currently in her third year at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, Simal is passionate about educating - using her experiences as a Muslim doctor to deliver lectures and share the tenets of her faith with the world.

She reveals practical steps that we can all implement to develop more mindful care that listens to our patients’ religious beliefs and ensures trust.

This episode is all about reconnecting with our fundamental lesson from medical school: patient-centered care!

You can follow Dr. Eric Fethke on Facebook and Instagram @drfethkemd
(This episode will also available in video format on Youtube @drfethkemd).

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Our host, Dr. Fethke, dedicates this episode to a remarkable college classmate and friend at a time when she needs everyone’s support. This person is none other than Maria Ressa, the recipient of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, recognized for her tireless efforts over the past three decades to champion Freedom of the Press in the face of overwhelming obstacles. In the words of the Nobel Committee, Maria Ressa received the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Russia’s Dmitry Muratov for "their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace."

In order to do justice to Ressa’s cause, Dr. Fethke has invited a very special and highly knowledgeable guest, Professor Kathy Kiely. She is the Lee Hills Chair in Free Press Studies at the Missouri School of Journalism. She has worked more than four decades as a reporter and editor for regional and national newspapers as well as online and multimedia publications. She has been recognized for her passionate support of  transparency, free speech and education. After a long career covering politics in Washington, Kiely moved into the classroom full-time because, she says, universities are the laboratories that will discover the formula for making fact-based journalism viable again. Kiely has covered regional and national politics for a number of news outlets, including USA TODAY, the New York Daily News, the Houston Post, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and the Pittsburgh Press. She served as an editor for WAMU, Bill Moyers, the Sunlight Foundation, Bloomberg Politics and helped coordinate the National Journal's campaign coverage with CBS News. She also served on the Congressional Standing Committee of Correspondents and on the boards of the National Press Club Journalism Institute and the Daily Princetonian. She holds a master's degree from American University and a bachelor's degree from Princeton University. She is the inaugural Press Freedom Fellow for the National Press Club‘s nonprofit Journalism Institute.

Prof. Kiely is a well recognized advocate of Journalistic Freedom who believes that Maria Ressa’s voice is at an extremely high risk of being silenced by those in power in the Philippines who are threatened by the integrity and truth of her work. Kiely has commented that the Nobel Peace Prize given to journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov is a warning that across the globe, “forces of darkness and intolerance are on the march… Journalists are the canaries in the mine shaft.

In this episode, Prof. Kiely teaches us why Freedom of Speech and Health are intrinsically linked. Dr. Fethke and Prof. Kiely review the rationale behind the U.S. Consititution’s 1st Amendment protecting free speech and a free press. She then clearly reviews the evolution of digital and social media, with its pros and cons. She defines the concepts of Misinformation and Disinformation, clarifying why the latter is so dangerous to us all. She explains that the Nobel Committee has specifically recognized Maria Ressa because she has led the way for us all to understand the impact of Disinformation and is actively working on solutions to regain the integrity of facts and bring the truth back to journalism. Kiely stresses that the battles that Maria Ressa and her journalist team at Rappler are fighting in the Philippines are critically relevant to the Global pursuit of democracy. As Kiely reminds us, “My father fought in WW2 to defend and help establish a free Philippines. We must never forget that Maria Ressa’s defense of Freedom of the Press is a part of our fathers’ legacies. To do so would be a dishonor to their cause and memory.”

LINKS:

1. House: https://www.house.gov/
2. Senate: https://www.senate.gov/
3. Post office (where you can look up ZIP+4 to get House member's name: https://www.usps.com/

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

This episode is dedicated to Dr. Fethke’s father, Walter P. Fethke, in remembrance of the honorable struggle he underwent along with his loving family in the last years and days of his remarkable life.

In Episode 30 of The Pursuit of Health Podcast, our host, Dr. Fethke, once again reaches across artificial boundaries to a colleague in the legal profession. His guest, Louis Pierro is an esteemed lawyer based in New York State with over 40 years experience in the field of Elder Law.  After attending college at Lehigh University and obtaining his law degree at Albany Law School, Mr. Pierro went on to become one of the pioneers in the field of Elder Law.  He shares his own personal motivations for shifting his focus from the court rooms to working with people to help make their lives better. With his colleagues, he founded Pierro, Connnor & Strauss, a law firm dedicated to estate planning and elder law. Over the years his team has extended their services beyond the New York Capital region to now encompass New York City, Florida, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

Along the way he has joined policymakers and other stakeholders in addressing the issues of aging that have overwhelmed our nation and that we all will inevitably face. This has included his founding the Elder Counsel, a national membership organization of Elder Law and Special Needs law firms that supports the efforts of over 1400 firms amongst all 50 states.He also founded ApolloCare, LLC, a business venture that combines home-based Elder Care (EverHome Care Advisors) with high technology centered in peoples’ homes (VivaLynx).

During this episode, beginning with the mission set by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, Mr. Pierro takes us through the history of America’s struggle to provide humane and high quality care services for our senior citizens. He takes us through the many forms that this journey has assumed including a clear explanation of nursing home, assisted living and home-based care models. He pulls no punches in identifying the past and current hurdles that have hindered America’s progress and left us with an overwhelmingly complex and often daunting  system to deal with the ever increasing issues facing a growing population of elderly.

Despite the challenges, we are so fortunate that Mr. Pierro and his colleagues continue to fight the good fight and take an offensive approach to addressing Aging in America. Through regular education, advocacy and creative business models, they have clearly begun to break through the dark clouds and let some much needed light into this vital issue that involves us all. He stresses that the task at hand is too complex and important for any one profession to deal with. Any effective effort must be a team approach with the patient truly at the center and caretakers, including, but not exclusively involving, the physicians. He adds, “Hopefully, one household at a time, we will build a consensus that will change and improve the way we care for each other as we get older.”

We look forward to your feedback and comments regarding this and any other episodes of The Pursuit of Health Podcast.  We look forward to inviting back guests such as Mr. Pierro to keep up with his progress. We can be reached at drfethkemd on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, as well as our website at drfethkemd.com.

Resources:
Pierro, Connor & Strauss, LLC - www.pierrolaw.com
EverCare - Everhomecareadvisors.com
VivaLynx - Vivalynx.com

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4