The Wellness Index Report Podcast

Rhode Island is facing what gubernatorial candidate Aaron Guckian calls a “healthcare hurricane,” and in this episode he shares how transparency, data, and unlikely partnerships could help fix it. Host Lindsay “LOO” O’Neill-O’Keefe sits down with Guckian, the former executive director of the Rhode Island Dental Association, to dig into the state’s healthcare challenges and what a practical, non-political path forward could look like.

In this episode:

• Rhode Island Works Smarter: Guckian’s fiscal platform brings frontline and union workers into the search for savings, with a revenue share for the efficiencies they uncover. A 24/7/365 anonymous idea portal lets employees submit cost-saving suggestions, and the savings are reinvested into priorities like healthcare.
• A healthcare system under strain: Low reimbursement rates and shortages of doctors and dentists are straining care across the state. Guckian walks through what he accomplished in oral health, including a high school career pathway, an expanded surgery center serving more patients, and grant funding for children’s emergency dental care.
• Why data transparency matters: Guckian explains his push for a dental loss ratio bill, which would require insurers to disclose reimbursement data. He argues that transparency is the one solution that applies across nearly every healthcare problem.
• Solving the “retirement cliff”: To keep new doctors in Rhode Island as older physicians retire, Guckian proposes a loan repayment program for medical graduates, with a clawback if they leave the state.
• Leadership through collaboration: Guckian makes the case for bringing together people who rarely work side by side, and for choosing practical solutions over politics. He also opens up about ten years of sobriety and why reaching out for help and breaking through isolation can make even the hardest challenges surmountable.

Who should listen: Anyone interested in healthcare policy, state government innovation, oral health access, or leadership grounded in transparency and collaboration.

For more than 30 years, Carolyn Johnson has worked in women’s health, from the NICU and labor and delivery to psychiatry and beyond. Over and over, she watched women struggle with symptoms that were brushed aside. That experience led her to create SerenityNP, a practice built on the belief that every woman deserves a provider who listens, digs deep, and sees her as a whole person.

Carolyn runs SerenityNP out of a historic building in Crystal Lake, Illinois, a space she dreamed of working in her whole life. Today, clients fly in from around the world to work with her. Most are women in midlife looking for real answers, and Carolyn’s focus is healthspan, not just lifespan. In her words, it’s all about the quality of the days.

Lindsay first met Carolyn in Mexico, and in this conversation they talk about:

• Why so many women in midlife feel dismissed by traditional care, and what a different approach looks like
• How Carolyn combines bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT), functional medicine, and nutrition coaching
• Why healthspan, or adding life to your years, matters more than lifespan alone
• What it means to be treated as a whole person instead of a list of symptoms
• Building a dream practice in a historic Crystal Lake building that now draws clients from around the world

If you’ve ever left an appointment feeling unheard, this episode is for you.

About Carolyn Johnson, NP

Carolyn Johnson is a nurse practitioner and the founder of SerenityNP in Crystal Lake, Illinois. She holds advanced certifications in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, functional medicine, and nutrition coaching, and brings both clinical expertise and real compassion to every consultation.

Connect with Carolyn: SerenityNP.com

About the show

The Wellness Index Report Podcast, hosted by Lindsay O’Neill-O’Keefe, amplifies the voices of the best wellness providers, experts, and innovators. First we verify, then we amplify. Learn more at wellnessindexreport.com.

The new season of The Wellness Index Report Podcast opens with Dr. Yasmine Saad, a TEDx speaker with over 1M views, founder of two-time Inc. 500 practice Madison Park Psychology, and one of New York City's top three psychologists. She shares practical tips for making sense of what you're feeling, fast.

Then host Lindsay "LOO" O'Neill-O'Keefe puts those tips to the test on herself, uncovering an emotional pattern that so many women in perimenopause quietly live with. Curious what it is? Tune in to this hard-hitting 30-minute episode now.

The Optimize W(e) Podcast is back with a new name and a sharper mission. Relaunched in 2026 as The Wellness Index Report Podcast, this is peer-to-peer insight for providers: what's working, what isn't, which wellness solutions actually move the needle on patient outcomes, and which ones are sitting in the corner collecting dust.

Each week, Lindsay "LOO" O'Neill-O'Keefe sits down with experts across health and wellness to pair cutting-edge science and technology with decades of research and real in-clinic practice.

New episodes weekly, 15 to 20 minutes. If you're a provider who wants to save time, energy, and headaches, tune in.

Victoria Kar, a spiritual DNA activator and quantum healer, discusses how to transcend trauma and achieve divine activation and holistic thrivability. Kar defines her work as helping individuals understand their human and divine identities, emphasizing that spiritual DNA is the "wisdom of the soul" from past experiences, distinct from physical DNA.

The ultimate goal, or "Earth School," is the "reclamation of our sovereignty of creation," viewing traumas as spiritual initiations. She highlights Western society's overreliance on "thinking over knowing" (intuition), which limits our multi-dimensional experience.

Kar's work focuses on "Claiming Your Queendom" by integrating masculine and feminine energies. The "Mother Wound" is presented as a foundational entry point, not about separating from one's mother, but about breaking karmic patterns. She emphasizes that "Trauma is not our fault, but it is our responsibility," particularly for Western women.

The "Three Magdalene Wounds" to be reclaimed are the Sacred Bitch (rage), Sacred Witch (intuition), and Sacred Whore (pleasure). Victoria Kar's work is described as fast, intense, and courageous, often starting with rectifying the Mother Wound within four sessions.

Dr. Mamta Bhatt, a scientist and holistic wellness expert, shares her profound journey from corporate overachiever to enlightened scientist, emphasizing transformation, joy, and self-love. Her path began with intense pressure and a multi-system illness that Western and alternative medicine couldn't diagnose. This led her to a monastery for two decades, where she shifted from a left-brained focus to an activated right-brain through silence, prayer, and service.

Dr. Bhatt then applied her scientific training to practical wellness. She advocates for mindset first, with joy as a central factor, and emphasizes consistent implementation over excessive knowledge. Breathwork is highlighted as the "best biohack" for connecting to intuition and dissolving self-judgment. She stresses listening to one's body regarding diet, noting that after changing her own based on blood tests, chronic issues like a 30-year sinus problem and allergies cleared up within weeks. She also warns against inflammatory oils found in many processed foods.

Her daughter's story further illustrates the power of this philosophy. Despite no exposure to computers at the monastery's boarding school, she excelled in college, earned a PhD in Neuroscience from Harvard, and now works as an investment banker funding biotech companies.

Dr. Bhatt's overlying message is to "carry the monastery inside you" by pausing, resting, and dedicating time to self-love. Her mission is to help the 60% of the world's sick population heal by empowering them to be the CEOs of their own health. More information can be found at drmamtabhatt.com and @TheJoyfulScientist on Instagram.

In this episode of the Optimize We Podcast, Brian Vaszily, founder of The Art of Anti-Aging, discusses his journey into the longevity and anti-aging space. He shares his personal story of overcoming trauma and health issues, emphasizing the importance of emotional work and physical changes.

The interview delves into foundational health and longevity, highlighting the critical role of gut health, the benefits of a diverse diet rich in plant foods, herbs, and spices, and the significance of lifestyle modalities like sunlight and red light therapy.

Brian also introduces his next focus: addressing decision fatigue and impulse control to help people maintain healthy habits in a constantly stimulating world.

Lindsay O' Neill-O' Keefe welcomes Pamela Gold, the founder of PRTL, who delves into her journey from a diverse professional background to becoming a pioneer in holistic optimization and biohacking. Gold, a Yale graduate, transitioned from the restaurant and fashion industries to personal training, eventually establishing New York City's first biohacking gym in 2018. Her approach, driven by the need for "minimum effective dose" modalities after becoming a mother, focuses on highly efficient workouts and recovery techniques.

The discussion highlights the physical stack of biohacking modalities, including ARX for strength, CAROL Bike for cardio, and various recovery tools like Nano V, Pulse PEMF, and Ballancer Pro, all quantified by Fit 3D Scans. The interview then explores Prtl's evolution into an online coaching program during the COVID-19 pandemic, emphasizing an integrated fitness model built on five pillars: Physical, Mental, Sleep, Nutrition, and Communal.

Gold's core philosophy centers on an "optimization matrix" for constant life course corrections, promoting expansion, intentionality, and resilience. Key tools and concepts include the "LAVA Skill" for managing discomfort, the importance of grace and faith for self-forgiveness and mitigating fear, and the belief that love is our greatest superpower. 

Lindsay O' Neill-O' Keefe welcomes Dr. Trevor Colm, CEO and Founder of CNS Technologies, to discuss his journey and the development of Cortex Brain, a revolutionary EEG device.

Dr. Colm, a chiropractor, was inspired to create Cortex Brain after a severe concussion and his subsequent recovery through chiropractic care. He recognized the need for a tool to scientifically validate the efficacy of chiropractic and other alternative treatments, which are often perceived as "pseudoscience."

Cortex Brain addresses the limitations of traditional EEG machines by offering a robotic headset with a three-second setup time and advanced AI algorithms to filter out noise. It processes data instantaneously, creating a "digital twin of the brain" in real-time, with future plans for AI-driven predictive care plans.

The technology aims to validate biohacking, assess the impact of environmental factors on human physiology, and prioritize data security through anonymization and shared ownership.

Lindsay O'Neill-O'Keefe dives into the inspiring journey of Dr. Annabelle Morgan, as she shares her personal and professional quest. Dr. Annabelle Manalo-Morgan is a Filipino-Canadian scientist, educator, author, and speaker with a PhD in Cell and Developmental Biology from Vanderbilt University.

Her third child, Macario (which means "blessing" in Tagalog), suffered up to 200 seizures per day from birth and underwent surgery to remove 38% of his brain at 28 days old. Feeling helpless with traditional medicine, she used her scientific background to develop a pure and potent proprietary cannabidiol (CBD) formula for her son.

From her groundbreaking work in cardio oncology and her son's miraculous recovery using a self-created cannabinoid formula, to her advocacy for integrated science and her acumen for fast-tracked research, she highlights her unique blend of ancient wisdom and modern science. 

Discover her insights on collaboration, cellular uniqueness, and the importance of scientific justification, all while balancing a demanding career with a large family, including her son BJ's "38 Foundation."

She balances her career and travel with being a mother of five and a wife to Roy “Gramps” Morgan, a Grammy award-winning reggae artist. She prioritizes being present when she is home.