Health & Veritas

Howie and Harlan are joined by pediatric cardiologist Emily Bucholz to discuss her work treating fetal heart abnormalities across a multistate region and the challenges of bringing specialized pediatric care to patients far from major medical centers. For Suicide Prevention Month, Howie examines evidence that restricting access to lethal means can prevent suicide; Harlan pays tribute to the late Yale political scientist Theodore Marmor and remembers a moment when Marmor’s mentorship changed his professional path.

Howie and Harlan are joined by Omar Lateef, CEO of Chicago’s Rush University System for Health, to discuss balancing the financial pressures facing hospitals with commitments to patient care, community health, and research—and why healthcare leaders will need to rethink traditional models of care. Howie examines how proposed changes to student and exchange visitor visas could affect international researchers and physicians; Harlan discusses proposed changes to Medicare payment for remote patient monitoring.

Howie and Harlan are joined by cardiologist Aakriti Gupta to discuss advances in minimally invasive heart valve treatment, her work to expand access to cardiovascular care through technology and AI, and a major clinical trial on aortic valve replacement. Howie examines claims that immigration is driving the surge in measles cases; Harlan discusses disappointing trial results for two drugs aimed at preventing cardiovascular disease.

Howie and Harlan discuss health headlines including the ongoing cyclosporiasis outbreak; a recent FDA decision allowing pharmacies to compound certain peptides; and a concerning report from Medicare trustees on the program’s financial future. They also dive into the health habits they’re changing this year and a new feature from ChatGPT allowing users to connect medical records and health data to the platform.

Howie and Harlan are joined by Melanie Matheu, co-founder and chief scientific officer of Lyric Bio, who also shares evidence-based health and science information on TikTok as LaughterinLight PhD. They discuss developing new antibody therapies, building biotech companies, and communicating complex science to the public. Harlan warns that AI could drive up healthcare costs unless payment models change; Howie highlights encouraging declines in traffic deaths while noting the growing risks associated with e-bikes and e-scooters.

Howie and Harlan are joined by Shivan Mehta, associate chief innovation officer at the University of Pennsylvania Health System, to discuss how healthcare organizations can use behavioral science to remove barriers that keep patients from getting recommended care. Harlan warns that ill-defined rules governing scientific collaboration with China could chill medical research; Howie revisits the discovery of Legionnaires’ disease 50 years ago as New York confronts a new outbreak.

Howie and Harlan are joined by Kate Heilpern, president of Yale New Haven Hospital, to discuss the hospital’s 200-year history, the financial pressures facing health systems, and how Yale New Haven is balancing innovation with its mission to serve the local community. Harlan examines the growing burden of U.S. healthcare costs; Howie highlights encouraging trends in infant mortality, life expectancy, overdose deaths, and cancer survival.

In this special episode, Howie and Harlan revisit their conversation with trauma surgeon Selwyn Rogers, whose book Healing the Gun Violence Epidemic: Ending Violence, Rebuilding Communities, and a Trauma Surgeon’s Vision for Restoring Hope was published on July 7.

Howie and Harlan are joined by Jessica Federer, managing director of the Women’s Health Fund and a member of the Yale Institutional Review Board, to discuss how investors can help address the dearth of research on medical problems facing women and why she’s optimistic about the future of women’s health. Harlan explains how caps on indirect costs affect institutional staffing and research agendas; Howie reports on a lawsuit filed by 26 states against the Trump administration over bureaucratic hurdles to accessing Medicaid coverage.

Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale School of Public Health biostatistician Bhramar Mukherjee to discuss how statisticians help researchers turn observations into evidence. Harlan examines a new study linking updated COVID vaccination to lower cardiovascular risk and explains why a headline-grabbing result may not settle the question; Howie discusses new Medicaid work requirements and the danger that administrative hurdles could cost vulnerable patients their coverage.