Fixing Healthcare Podcast

Returning to the Fixing Healthcare podcast for a third time is Dr. Don Berwick, here to talk about the dire need for leadership to address our nation’s many healthcare crises. Returning to the Fixing Healthcare podcast is Dr. Don Berwick. He offers frank words about the dire need for medical leadership to address our nation’s many healthcare crises. Don is the former president and CEO of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and led the organization’s 100,000 Lives Campaign. He’s the former administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). In this interview, hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl ask Don to discuss what is holding back healthcare leadership from instituting meaningful change and from kicking off what Don describes as a necessary “revolution.” The discussion leads to the incumbents of healthcare—pharma, health insurance, hospital system execs, etc.—and why they do well when healthcare fails to improve. Don opines on private vs. public care, a global movement toward integrated care systems and the ways ChatGPT can support the “frail memory” of individual physicians. Tune in for the full interview and join the conversation on social media. * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of a book about medicine’s invisible yet highly influential physician culture. Check out “Uncaring: How Physician Culture Is Killing Doctors & Patients.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #98: Don Berwick on leadership, greed + a promising youth movement appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

As Americans everywhere gather around their BBQ grills and gaze up at fireworks, Fixing Healthcare hosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl revisit an important episode from the show’s current season, featuring the brilliant author and observer Malcolm Gladwell. July 4th is a celebration of independence, but it also is a day to recognize the vital role leadership plays. Without courageous and skilled leaders, the Declaration of Independence and the founding of our nation would not have been possible. Medicine would benefit from visionary leaders, as well—the kind capable of translating healthcare opportunities into practice. In this episode, which aired during a season dedicated to improving healthcare leadership in the United States, Gladwell got to talking about his own experiences navigating the nation’s trouble health system. As a relatively new father and the son of a woman in her 90s, Gladwell said, “Observing people at those ends of life, you realize that what you really want from the healthcare system is reassurance as much as anything … You want someone you can call on the phone or email, and who will respond really quickly and tell you it’s going to be okay.” The original episode (#90 if you’re looking for it) is being played in full this week as part of a Fixing Healthcare flashback. The purpose? To quote Dr. Pearl: “My hope in replaying these ideas is to help listeners once again realize how much could be done to transform American healthcare and improve people’s lives. And simultaneously, help them recognize how far we are from delivering the excellence in healthcare Americans want, need and deserve.” Helpful links: Revisionist History (A Malcolm Gladwell podcast) Malcolm Gladwell on breaking the rules of healthcare (FHC #43) Outliers (book) David and Goliath (book) The ordinary greatness of Roger Bannister (The New Yorker) Was Jack Welch the greatest CEO of his day—or the worst? (The New Yorker) * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of a book about medicine’s invisible yet highly influential physician culture. Check out “Uncaring: How Physician Culture Is Killing Doctors & Patients.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #97: Fixing Healthcare flashback with Malcolm Gladwell appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

The FDA moved forward this month with a recommendation to change the composition of Covid-19 boosters in time for fall. Whereas the current vaxx, a cocktail designed to target the original coronavirus and the Omicron strain, will soon give way to a shot aimed at the XBB.1.5 subvariant. The question on the minds of public-health experts (and likely, soon to be on the minds of patients): Will it make any difference? On this episode of “Medicine: The Truth,” cohost Dr. Robert Pearl poses two more pressing questions about the new vaccine: Will insurers cover the costs of the new vaccine or will they charge a copayment? And, regardless of the price, how many folks will roll up their sleeves to receive it (compared to last fall)? In other medication news, another Alzheimer’s drug is expected to receive full FDA approval soon. This one, lecanemab (Leqembi), received conditional approval in January based on its success removing a substance called amyloid-beta from the brains of people in the early stages of Alzheimer’s. But this news raises questions, too: How does lecanemab stack up against its controversial predecessor, aducanumab? Will payers like Medicare make it easy or difficult for patients to access and afford the new medication? Does the high price of any Alzheimer’s drug match the health benefits or expected increase in life expectancy? Hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr discuss these questions and several other pressing healthcare topics, including: the upcoming season of Fixing Healthcare’s focus on end-of-life issues, the latest on a new lung-cancer drug, the current threat of long-COVID and whether the threat is great enough to get more Americans vaccinated and boosted. Tune in for the full conversation around Covid-19 and a host of healthcare topics. As always, Dr. Pearl and Jeremy eagerly follow the facts, uncover the truth, and help listeners understand how the world’s biggest healthcare stories affect us all. Click here for more info: https://www.fixinghealthcarepodcast.com/ * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of a book about medicine’s invisible yet highly influential physician culture. Check out “Uncaring: How Physician Culture Is Killing Doctors & Patients.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post MTT #74: A change in the Covid-19 booster? A new Alzheimer’s drug? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

U.S. healthcare is in financial crisis. Patients are feeling the pain, acutely. Nearly 90 million Americans are enrolled in Medicaid at a time when medical bills have become the leading cause of bankruptcy. As a whole, the U.S. 18% of its GDP on healthcare, nearly twice as much per citizen as any other country. All this, while achieving the worst health outcomes among its 12 richest peers. As patients grapple with the cost of care, major health systems are fighting their own battles for survival. Last month’s megadeal between Kaiser Permanente (where cohost Robert Pearl spent 18 years as CEO of the medical group) and Geisinger Health is yet another example of healthcare consolidation—one that has industry observers scratching their heads. In this episode of ‘Diving Deep,’ Dr. Robert Pearl discusses these trends with cohost Jeremy Corr as the two dive into the implications of medicine’s rising prices and the acquisition of yet another major hospital system. Click play to learn more or check out the various links below for additional information. HELPFUL LINKS The healthcare cost crisis: How zigzagging is hurting America (Forbes) What Kaiser’s acquisition of Geisinger means for all of us (Forbes) Monthly Musings on American Healthcare (Robert Pearl’s newsletter) How does Kaiser benefit from the Geisinger deal? (The Health Care Blog) * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of a book about medicine’s invisible yet highly influential physician culture. Check out “Uncaring: How Physician Culture Is Killing Doctors & Patients.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #96: Diving deep into the financial crisis of U.S. healthcare appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

This Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare welcomes back Dr. Jonathan Fisher, a respected cardiologist and renowned advocate for physician well-being. He joins cohosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl to discuss hard-earned lessons from his upcoming book “Just One Heart: A Cardiologist’s Guide to Healing, Health, and Happiness.” In this interview, Fisher explains the “Seven Timeless Traits of the Heart”: steadiness, wisdom, openness, wholeness, courage, lightness and warmth. Each comprises a chapter in his book, giving readers a set of real-world strategies, exercises and tips for strengthening these qualities of the heart. Fisher says, “As you strengthen the seven traits of your heart, you will find more health, joy, meaning, and connection in your own life and have the tools to help others do the same.” To discover more, press play and check out these helpful links: Presale: ‘Just One Heart’ (Jonathan Fisher’s new book) A Cardiologist on Leading From the Heart (‘Human Leaders’ on LinkedIn) Meet ‘the mindful heart doctor’ (NHF) Brain, Heart, Spine: The Anatomy of Healthcare Leadership (Forbes) * * * Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #95: This cardiologist took care of 20,000 hearts before taking care of his own appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Abraham Verghese is an American physician and Professor of the Theory and Practice of Medicine and Vice Chair of Education at Stanford University Medical School. He is also the author of four best-selling books, two memoirs and two novels. In his first Fixing Healthcare interview, Verghese talks about his newest work of fiction, “The Covenant of Water,” which sits at No. 4 on the New York Times list and is an Oprah book-club selection. The discussion takes listeners on a journey into the mind of an exceptional physician and writer. Verghese compares his approach to writing vs. medicine and concludes, “the gaze is the same.” And because he sees the world similarly, whether he’s sitting in front of keyboard or a sick patient, he shares a fascinating perspective on  physician leadership, end-of-life care and myriad issues that transcend healthcare. For more on this interview and Abraham Verghese, check out the full interview transcript and peruse the helpful links below. Helpful links: Oprah’s Book Club Pick: The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese A biography of Abraham Verghese (Abraham’s website) Verghese interviews Dr. Pearl on ‘Medicine And The Machine’ (podcast) * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of a new book about medicine’s invisible yet highly influential physician culture. Check out “Uncaring: How Physician Culture Is Killing Doctors & Patients.” Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #94: Abraham Verghese on ‘The Covenant of Water’ and the practice of medicine appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Dr. Zeev Neuwirth, Clinical Chief of Care Transformation for Atrium Health, returns to the Fixing Healthcare podcast for a tell-all talk about leadership in healthcare: the good, the bad and the nonexistent. Neuwirth is the author of “Reframing Healthcare” and host of the podcast “Creating A New Healthcare.” His upcoming book “Beyond The Walls: Megatrends, Movements And Market Disruptors Transforming American Healthcare” will hit bookshelves this fall. It is, in many ways, a collection of insights from the foremost leaders in American medicine. He joins Dr. Robert Pearl, a longtime healthcare executive and physician leader, and Jeremy Corr, CEO of Executive Podcast Solutions, to share what he has learned about effective leadership and what it will take to lift our nation’s healthcare system “over the wall” of traditional, inefficient, inconvenient and overly in-person medical care. Helpful links: Beyond the Walls: MegaTrends, Movements and Market Disruptors Transforming American Healthcare (Amazon pre-order) Creating A New Healthcare (Zeev’s podcast) Can A Consumer Approach Transform American Medicine? (Psychiatric News) It’s 2040: How Did U.S. Medicine Become Best In The World? (Forbes) * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of a new book about medicine’s invisible yet highly influential physician culture. Check out “Uncaring: How Physician Culture Is Killing Doctors & Patients.” Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #93: Zeev Neuwirth on the future of healthcare appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Today’s episode of “Medicine: The Truth” (formerly “Coronavirus: The Truth”) looks at the end of the Covid-19 pandemic on the same day that the Twitter hashtag #CovidIsNotOver is trending. This month, both the U.S. government and the World Health Organization made decisive statements on the transition out of a global crisis. “It is time for countries to transition from emergency mode to managing Covid-19 alongside other infectious diseases,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. In support of that statement, Covid-19 deaths continue to fall and may soon dip below 1,000 weekly mortalities, which would put the virus’ annual mortality in the same range as seasonal flu and traffic accidents. Still, more than 1.1 million Americans have died from the virus while many more live with comprised immune systems and, therefore, remain at heightened risk from infection. These troubling figures leave us with difficult questions. How many Covid-19 deaths could have been avoided? Why did Black and Hispanic individuals die from Covid-19 more frequently than white and Asian people? Are we any safer or better prepared for the next pandemic? Hosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr discuss these questions and several other pressing healthcare topics, including: a major change in the recommended age for mammogram screenings,  the DEA’s plan to reduce deaths from opioid addiction and overdose, and new about FDA advisors backing over-the-counter birth control pills. Tune in for the full conversation around Covid-19 and a host of healthcare topics. As always, Dr. Pearl and Jeremy eagerly follow the facts, uncover the truth, and help listeners understand how the world’s biggest healthcare stories affect us all. Click here for more info: https://www.fixinghealthcarepodcast.com/ * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of a book about medicine’s invisible yet highly influential physician culture. Check out “Uncaring: How Physician Culture Is Killing Doctors & Patients.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post MTT #73: #CovidIsNotOver or is it? appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

Since ChatGPT burst onto the tech scene in November 2022, the generative AI application has become one of the hottest topics in the world—and in the world of medicine, especially. Fixing Healthcare cohost Dr. Robert Pearl is a recognized med-tech leader whose insights and perspectives on generative AI have appeared in USA Today, MSN, Wired, Global News, MedPage Today, Modern Healthcare, Becker’s Hospital Review and on SiriusXM. In this episode of ‘Diving Deep,’ Pearl tackles your questions about ChatGPT and its potential uses in medical care. He responds to dozens of listeners who have asked about the safety, security and potential risks of ChatGPT and other generative AI in healthcare. Among the questions answered on today’s show: Will generative AI be HIPAA compliant and secure? Will it help with home health? How will it impact the doctor-patient relationship? Click play to learn more or check out the various links below for additional information. HELPFUL LINKS ChatGPT’s Use In Medicine Raises Questions Of Security, Privacy, Bias (Forbes) Will Generative AI Wreck Or Rekindle The Doctor-Patient Relationship? (Forbes) ChatGPT is poised to upend medical information. For better and worse. (USA Today) ChatGPT Can Help Doctors—and Hurt Patients (WIRED) How ChatGPT may change the role of physicians (MSN via Global News) * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of a book about medicine’s invisible yet highly influential physician culture. Check out “Uncaring: How Physician Culture Is Killing Doctors & Patients.” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #92: Diving deep into the future of AI in medicine appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.

This Unfiltered episode of Fixing Healthcare welcomes back Dr. Jonathan Fisher, a respected cardiologist and renowned advocate for physician well-being. He joins cohosts Jeremy Corr and Dr. Robert Pearl to discuss the lines between human and machine. ChatGPT is constantly challenging our understanding of what generative AI can accomplish. From acing medical-licensing tests to coding entire websites from simple prompts and even simulating talented musicians like Drake and Weeknd, the question now is: what can’t AI do? Dr. Pearl posits that the singularity—a once-hypothetical future point at which technological growth becomes uncontrollable—may be nearing. Dr. Fisher points out that humans tend to overestimate their abilities and, therefore, are overlooking the many limitations of the human mind. These observations dovetail with humanity’s existing anti-tech biases. Take self-driving cars, for example. Pearl notes that humans are often outraged when an autonomous vehicle kills a pedestrian and, yet, rarely is our outrage targeted at the 50,000 human-generated auto deaths that occur each year. How will this thinking, and our very human biases, apply to medicine—both for patients and doctors? To discover more, press play and check out these helpful links: When you realize your favorite new song was performed by … AI (NPR) AI has better ‘bedside manner’ than some doctors, study finds (The Guardian) Will generative AI wreck or rekindle the doctor-patient relationship? (LinkedIn) ChatGPT can help doctors—and hurt patients (Wired) ChatGPT’s raises questions of medical security, privacy, bias (Forbes) * * * Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr. Subscribe to the show via Apple Podcasts or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn. The post FHC #91: An unfiltered look at what AI can (and cannot) do appeared first on Fixing Healthcare.