Turn on the Lights Podcast

Copyright: Copyright © 2023 Institute for Healthcare Improvement. All rights reserved. 'Turn on the Lights' podcast is owned by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and may not be reproduced or distributed without permission.

Latest Episodes:

Looking Back, Looking Ahead: Optimism, Concern, and the Future of Health Care with Don Berwick & Kedar Mate Sep 05, 2025

Show notes

Celebrating 100 episodes is no small feat!

In this episode, co-hosts Kedar Mate and Don Berwick look back on their podcast journey, highlighting powerful stories and themes like moral injury, health inequities, and the promise of AI in health care. They reflect on moving moments of resilience and leadership while balancing short-term concerns with long-term optimism for a better future.

Tune in to this milestone episode of Turn On The Lights!

Safety x AI - with Jason Adelman Aug 29, 2025

Show notes

Human error in health care is inevitable, but system-level solutions offer real hope for reducing harm.

In this episode, Dr. Jason Adelman, a leading patient safety expert, shares how a critical medication error propelled his transition from hospitalist to patient safety researcher, leading to innovations like the “retract-and-reorder” method for detecting wrong-patient errors. He explains the importance of a "just culture" in health care, the systemic nature of most medical errors, and how AI could help reduce harm, if used thoughtfully.

Tune in and learn how technology and mindset shifts are reshaping the future of safer care!

Madd love: Reducing recidivism rates in young adults - with Gregg Croteau Aug 22, 2025

Show notes

The criminal justice system in the U.S. is, at its core, a healthcare issue, one that demands healing, not punishment.

In this episode, Gregg Croteau, CEO of UTEC, shares how his organization helps justice-involved young adults escape cycles of violence and incarceration through education, employment, and unwavering support. Founded by young people in response to gang violence, UTEC now focuses on those aged 18–25, the group most at risk of returning to prison. Through social enterprises like mattress recycling and food services, participants are paid while also receiving therapy, childcare, coaching, and education. Gregg emphasizes the need for systemic change, including better mental health care, reentry support, and human connection, urging a more restorative approach to justice.

Tune in and learn how compassion, structure, and persistence can rebuild lives and systems!

It shouldn't take a crisis to make us talk about public health - with Howard Koh Aug 15, 2025

Show notes

Public health is invisible when it works and only noticed when it fails.

In this episode, Dr. Howard Koh reflects on the chronic underfunding, political challenges, and cultural barriers weakening America’s public health system, drawing from his leadership experience during crises like 9/11, anthrax, H1N1, and the ACA rollout. He underscores the undervaluing of prevention and the difficulty of making invisible successes visible and frames public health as a spiritual calling rooted in meaning and service.

Tune in and learn how we can reignite the public health torch and carry it forward, together!

Inequities, inequalities, and truth to power - with Steven Woolf Aug 08, 2025

Show notes

A 20- to 30-year life expectancy gap between neighborhoods just miles apart reveals the brutal reality of health inequity in the United States.

In this episode, Dr. Steven Woolf, physician and public health expert, explains how U.S. health disparities are driven more by social determinants, like education, income, housing, and systemic racism, than by access to care, with COVID-19 worsening these gaps for marginalized communities. He calls for bold investments in economic and educational equity to reverse these trends, warning that without political will, systemic health inequities and poor outcomes will persist.

Tune in and learn how economic policy, not just medicine, could be the key to saving lives!

Graduate medical education and social contracts - with Tom Nasca Aug 01, 2025

Show notes

The survival of professional trust in medicine depends not only on individual doctors but on the systems and institutions that shape their behavior.

In this episode, Dr. Thomas Nasca discusses the evolution of physician training, the role of accreditation and certification in ensuring national standards, and the need for institutional professionalism to support clinicians in upholding their oaths. He warns that growing financial pressures, particularly from private equity, are threatening the integrity of care and introduces a new center focused on preparing future medical leaders to confront these challenges.

Tune in and learn how the future of health care may hinge not only on medical knowledge, but on who gets to shape the systems that deliver it!

Home-based care to tackle maternal health inequities and improve outcomes - with Rebekah Gee Jul 25, 2025

Show notes

The U.S. ranks worst among developed nations for maternal and child health outcomes, highlighting a systemic failure that demands urgent attention.

In this episode, Rebekah Gee examines the crisis of maternal mortality in the U.S. and how structural inequities and lack of home-based care continue to harm vulnerable families, drawing on her own life experiences and leadership in Medicaid expansion. She introduces Nest Health, a holistic, home-based model that serves entire Medicaid households, aiming to reduce ER visits, improve outcomes, and rebuild trust through empathy, data, and community-rooted care.

Tune in and learn how innovation, policy, and persistence can reshape health care from the ground up!

Humans in health care - with Tom Fisher Jul 18, 2025

Show notes

Health care fundamentally lacks accountability to the humanity of its patients due to systemic profit-driven motives.

In this episode, Dr. Thomas Fisher, an emergency room physician, discusses his journey through emergency medicine and public policy, illustrating how health care reflects systemic societal challenges, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on personal and professional experiences, he calls for a more humane, equitable health system shaped by policy reform and collective imagination.

Tune in and learn about the intersection of health care, policy, and human dignity through the lens of emergency medicine!

The story of palliative care, on the big screen - with Jessica Zitter Jul 11, 2025

Show notes

One of the most overlooked but transformative tools in health care is the courage to face hard truths, especially at the end of life.

In this episode, Dr. Jessica Zitter shares how burnout and a pivotal confrontation early in her ICU career led her to embrace the palliative care movement and shift toward more human-centered healing. Through her films Extremis, Caregiver: A Love Story, and The Chaplain and the Doctor, she uses storytelling to explore ethical dilemmas, systemic challenges, and the urgent need for holistic care and honest conversations about death.

Tune in and learn how emotional honesty, empathy, and art can rehumanize health care, one story at a time!

Kindness and what matters to you - with Maureen Bisognano Jun 27, 2025

Show notes

The most powerful antidote to a fragmented health care system may be something deceptively simple: listening.

In this episode, Maureen Bisognano shares how compassion, curiosity, and relational care can transform health care by improving communication, trust, and outcomes for patients and providers alike. Through personal stories and global initiatives like What Matters to You and Kindness in Healthcare, she highlights the power of listening, kindness, and cross-industry learning to create more humane and effective care systems.

Tune in and learn how a few simple questions can spark a global transformation in care!