Public Health On Call

Latest Episodes:

497 - Juul vs. The FDA: The Failed Promise of E-Cigarettes Jul 27, 2022

Show notes

The FDA recently issued a marketing denial order for all Juul products, which was quickly reversed when Juul filed for a temporary stay. Dr. Joanna Cohen talks with Stephanie Desmon about why e-cigarettes are regulated like cigarettes and not pharmaceuticals despite their initial introduction to the market as a smoking cessation tool, where gains have been made in reducing popularity with youths, and why other tools like nicotine replacement therapy have not been able to live up to their promise to help more people quit smoking.

496 - The Sharp Rise in Overdose Deaths Among Black Americans Jul 25, 2022

Show notes

Overdose death rates among Black Americans surpassed those among white Americans in 2020, a sharp reversal from a decade earlier. Hopkins post-doctoral fellows Dr. Keisha Solomon and Dr. Jason Gibbons talk with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the reasons behind this alarming increase and what can be done to respond.

495 - The Science of Mindfulness Jul 22, 2022

Show notes

Mindfulness is sometimes seen as a buzzword, but it's an evidence-based facet key to our physical and emotional well-being. Mindfulness researcher Dr. Christina Bethell talks with Lindsay Smith Rogers about the science behind the practice, the connection to resilience, and how mindfulness can help people recover from trauma and adverse childhood experiences. They also discuss some basic practices you can do yourself and Dr. Bethell leads a short breathing exercise. Learn more about her work here.

Bonus — Tradeoffs Special Episode: Struggling to Staff the Nation's New Crisis Line, 9-8-8 Jul 21, 2022

Show notes

In a special episode Tradeoffs host Dan Gorenstein talks about the nation's new 9-8-8 crisis line, and how local agencies are struggling to find counselors to staff the Lifeline number. A content warning that this episode mentions suicide and other mental health emergencies. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 (TALK). Learn more here: https://tradeoffs.org/

494 - Beyond "Drill and Fill"—Oral Health Is Critical to Overall Health, So Why Isn't It Considered Part of Medicine? Jul 20, 2022

Show notes

Oral health extends far beyond cleanings and cavities, but coverage schemes are often considered an extra "benefit" and not a necessity. Dentists Leah Leinbach and Sujay Mehta talk with Stephanie Desmon about why oral health goes way beyond "drill and fill" to impacting overall health, the history behind oral health's divorce from medicine, and how the importance of including dental care as part of health care is being discussed at a global level.

493 - Development Impact Bonds—An Innovative Approach to Financing Global Public Health Projects Jul 18, 2022

Show notes

Nonprofits or NGOs often find themselves limited by the terms of available grants, which may be insufficient or too short-term to meet certain needs. Enter development impact bonds, or investments made by a little-known government agency. Dia Martin, a managing director on the social enterprise finance team of the US International Development Finance Corporation talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about these bonds, and two initial projects: a cataract clinic in Cameroon and micro-enterprises for Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon.

492 - Book Club—Emergency: A Year of Healing and Heartbreak in a Chicago ER with Dr. Thomas Fisher Jul 15, 2022

Show notes

Some of the greatest societal inequities are evident in emergency rooms. ER physician Dr. Thomas Fisher, author of Emergency: A Year of Healing and Heartbreak in a Chicago ER, captures some of these moments during the COVID pandemic, illuminating the intimate relationship between doctors and patients. He talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about his book and about how health care—and ERs in particular—uphold systems of inequity even without intending to, and how providers can try to offer everyone coming through the doors the care they deserve.

Bonus - Microchipping, Conspiracy Theories, Ivermectin, and More: Dr. Josh Sharfstein Answers Viewer Questions Live on C-SPAN Jul 14, 2022

Show notes

In April, Dr. Josh Sharfstein appeared on the Washington Journal segment of C-SPAN to talk about the podcast and answer questions from callers live on TV. Many of the questions stemmed from misinformation that's proliferated online, but all COVID questions deserve answers. In this bonus episode, we share some of those questions and Dr. Sharfstein's responses—live and unscripted.

491 - What's Happening in Florida? Politics, COVID Vaccines, and the Firing of Dr. Lisa Gwynn Jul 13, 2022

Show notes

Dr. Lisa Gwynn, president of the Florida chapter of the American Academic of Pediatrics and a professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, was fired from a state board for advocating for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for kids under 5. She talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about how politics and misinformation in Florida are contributing to a situation that's harmful to children's health and strips away medical choices and access from parents.

490 - Urban Heat Islands: Why Is It So Much Hotter in Cities Than Suburbs? Jul 11, 2022

Show notes

Lack of green space, abundant concrete, and building materials that trap heat all contribute to why cities are often as much as 10 degrees warmer than surrounding suburbs. Johns Hopkins earth and planetary sciences professor Dr. Ben Zaitchik talks with Stephanie Desmon about urban heat islands which disproportionately affect poorer and minority communities, why heat is known as "the silent killer," and how investments in urban heat mitigation can help make neighborhoods stronger and safer.

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected