Health & Veritas
Howard Forman and Harlan Krumholz, two Yale physician-professors, discuss the latest news and ideas in healthcare and seek out the truth amid the noise.
Produced with the Yale School of Management and the Yale School of Public Health. New episodes are available every Thursday.

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Episodes
- PodcastEpisode 164Duration 34:32
Sarah Taylor: The Science of Breastfeeding
Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale neonatologist Sarah Taylor to discuss our growing understanding of breastfeeding, including the active role that infants play in shaping the composition of breast milk. Harlan discusses the rapid growth of Hims & Hers Health, which provides treatment and medication over the internet; Howie reports on the promising initial results from a pilot program in North Carolina that seeks to reduce healthcare costs by providing support in non-medical areas like food security and housing.
- PodcastEpisode 163Duration 35:44
Michael Dunne: Confronting the Antibiotic Resistance Crisis
Howie and Harlan are joined by infectious disease specialist Michael Dunne to discuss the growing problem of antimicrobial resistance and what’s needed to incentivize the development of new antibiotics. Harlan reflects on the controversy sparked by the release of his study on post-vaccination syndrome; Howie provides an update on the measles outbreak in Texas.
- PodcastEpisode 162Duration 38:30
Paul Lombardo: Reckoning with the Dark History of Eugenics
Howie and Harlan are joined by legal historian Paul Lombardo to discuss his work exploring the role of the legal and medical establishments in eugenics and sterilization in the United States. Harlan reports on his new research on post-vaccination syndrome, a constellation of chronic symptoms experienced by some people after getting the COVID-19 vaccine; Howie discusses the science behind a measles outbreak in Texas.
- PodcastEpisode 161Duration 37:40
Deborah Rhodes: A Breast-Cancer Screening Breakthrough
Howie and Harlan are joined by Deborah Rhodes, a Yale internist and the chief quality officer for Yale Medicine and Yale New Haven Health System. They discuss how she helped develop a better approach to scanning for breast cancer in women with dense breast tissue, and the obstacles to wide adoption. Harlan reports on the Trump administration’s plan to slash indirect support for research; Howie explains the potential consequences of cuts to Medicaid.
- PodcastEpisode 160Duration 32:59
The AI in the Doctor’s Office and Other News
Howie and Harlan discuss a breakthrough pain medication, studies on AI-assisted medicine, the explosion of sports gambling, and the health consequences of the shutdown of USAID.
- PodcastEpisode 159Duration 38:23
Lisa Rosenbaum: Medicine, Well-Being, and Victimhood
Howie and Harlan are joined by Lisa Rosenbaum, a cardiologist and the national correspondent for the New England Journal of Medicine, to discuss her writing illuminating critical topics in medicine. Harlan reports on the companies claiming to prevent illness through a non-invasive full-body scan; Howie explains the healthcare impact of the Trump administration’s freeze of federal aid.
- PodcastEpisode 158Duration 43:46
Susan Mayne: Keeping Food Safe
Howie and Harlan are joined by Susan Mayne, a Yale epidemiologist and the former director of the FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, to discuss what the agency can and can’t do to keep contaminants out of food and promote healthier eating habits. Harlan reports on the Trump administration’s cancellation of multiple scientific meetings; Howie explains the administration’s health-related executive orders.
- PodcastEpisode 157Duration 38:20
Sachin Jain: Has Managed Care Lost Its Way?
Howie and Harlan are joined by Sachin Jain, CEO of the nonprofit Scan Health Plan, who argues that the managed care industry must dramatically reorient itself towards patient care. Harlan looks at the long-term health effects of the L.A. wildfires and an effort to replace the widely used body-mass index; Howie reflects on the growing mistrust of doctors and its connection to declining vaccination rates.
- PodcastEpisode 156Duration 35:47
Perverse Incentives in Healthcare and Other News
Howie and Harlan discuss health and healthcare headlines, including misaligned incentives keeping medicine from its mission, burdensome out-of-pockets costs, ultraprocessed foods, and serving the growing population of cancer survivors effectively.
- PodcastEpisode 155Duration 38:25
Dana Dunne: Learning to Learn
Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale physician Dana Dunne, who leads a new coaching program designed to help medical students develop a lifelong orientation toward growth and building knowledge. Harlan reports on a new generation of AI that can diagnose patients more consistently than human doctors; Howie explains how the state of Connecticut wiped out medical debt for thousands of low-income residents.