In the third episode of our three-part deep dive into A Path Forward, Dr. Carolyn Brooks, Vice President of Quality, Strategy, Innovation, and Experience at UnitedHealthcare Medicare and Retirement, and Dr. Wyatt Decker, CEO of Optum Health discuss ways to address health disparities and improve the health care experience.

In the second installment of our three-part podcast deep dive into A Path Forward, Dirk McMahon, President and Chief Operating Officer at UnitedHealth Group and Heather Cianfrocco, CEO at Optum Rx, discuss ways to make the health system more affordable for consumers, employers and governments.

UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and Optum Everycare CEO Kristi Henderson join the podcast to discuss policy solutions to achieve universal coverage and expand access to care.

Dr. Yusra Benhalim, Senior Medical Director at Optum Behavioral Health, discusses the growing rates of youth mental health challenges.

Craig Kurtzweil, leader of UnitedHealthcare's Center for Advanced Analytics, explains what five conditions are the costliest and how preventive care plays a role in improving affordability.

Throughout the past two years, virtual care has expanded and evolved at a rapid pace. Colleen Van Ham, CEO of UnitedHealthcare Dental, discusses how virtual dentistry is improving access to preventive care.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a new sense of urgency and creativity within patient care and provider support. Dr. Amy Nguyen Howell with Optum’s Office for Provider Advancement discusses ways to improve the provider and patient experience.

The health care workforce shortage, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, is one of the biggest issues facing the industry in 2022. Clinicians across the industry are struggling with high rates of burnout and pandemic fatigue. UnitedHealth Group's Mary Jo Jerde discusses the impact of clinician burnout and how the Center for Clinician Advancement is working to build a sustainable health care workforce.

When it came time to evaluate the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, the FDA tapped into Optum Scientific Consulting's 25 year history of conducting drug and vaccine safety. Optum Chief Scientific Officer John Seeger discusses the companies role in evaluating vaccines for kids ages 5 to 11 and the broader impact data has on drug and vaccine safety.

Eliminating friction points in health care could save the health system billions of dollars and improve patient outcomes. Optum Insight's Shea Helmle joins the podcast to discuss where that friction exists and how to root it out.