The Podcast by KevinMD

Bharat Desai, an internal medicine and pulmonary physician, dives into the shocking story behind Acthar Gel, a drug priced at $250,000. He reveals how pharmaceutical companies exploit regulatory loopholes, reclassifying an outdated product while monopolizing the market. Desai critiques the complicity of medical professionals accepting industry funding, promoting a drug with weak evidence over better alternatives like prednisone. The conversation urges a reevaluation of morality in pricing and the need for critical thinking in prescribing practices.

Certified coach and professor Kathleen Muldoon and co-founder of Ryan House and Children's Respite Homes of America Jonathan Cottor discuss the article "The need for pediatric respite care." Kathleen shares the personal story of raising her son Gideon who lives with over 42 medical diagnoses and explain why the family had to move across the country to find safety. They highlight the critical difference between taking a break and surviving the relentless cycle of 24/7 medical vigilance required for medically complex children. The conversation advocates for the expansion of pediatric respite homes in the U.S. while urging clinicians to recognize that caregiver well-being is inseparable from patient health. We must acknowledge that keeping a family together often depends on the support they receive outside the hospital walls. Partner with me on the KevinMD platform. With over three million monthly readers and half a million social media followers, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story. PARTNER WITH KEVINMD → https://kevinmd.com/influencer SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

In this engaging discussion, Kevin J. Campbell, an orthopedic surgeon and CEO of Stream, explores the pressing need for AI in healthcare. He highlights how the current medical system mirrors the outdated Yahoo model, causing delays that can harm patient care. Campbell advocates for AI-driven platforms to provide timely, physician-vetted responses, enhancing patient trust. He emphasizes the importance of shifting to automated systems to alleviate staff burnout while ensuring patients receive immediate and relevant healthcare guidance.

Psychotherapist and patient advocate Sara Rands discusses her article "Early-onset breast cancer: a survivor's story." Sara shares her harrowing journey of finding a lump at age 32 despite having no family history and receiving a stage 3C diagnosis. She highlights the terrifying reality that mammograms often miss tumors in dense tissue and challenges the medical community to address why young women are frequently dismissed or misdiagnosed. The conversation addresses the rising incidence of early-onset disease, racial disparities in mortality rates, and the desperate need for research focused on younger populations. We must demand better screening tools to ensure mothers get the chance to see their children grow up. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Now you can streamline and customize documentation, surface information right at the point of care, and automate tasks with just a click. Part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Dragon Copilot offers an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform to help unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise, and it's built on a foundation of trust. It's time to ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

CEO, president, and founder of the Clinician Burnout Foundation Jodie Green and physician advocate and physical therapist Kim Downey discuss their article "Why wellness programs fail health care." Jodie and Kim explain why traditional wellness initiatives often add to the burden rather than relieving it for exhausted medical professionals. They introduce the concept of the quicksand effect where meaningful help becomes impossible to grasp amidst systemic failure and advocate for immediate practical support like transportation and child care. The conversation covers alarming statistics regarding physician suicide and nurse safety in the U.S. while addressing the critical difference between burnout and moral injury. Real change happens when we lift the burden from those who care for us to restore their capacity and hope. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Now you can streamline and customize documentation, surface information right at the point of care, and automate tasks with just a click. Part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, Dragon Copilot offers an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform to help unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise, and it's built on a foundation of trust. It's time to ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Orthopedic surgeon Yoshihiro Katsuura, medical student Mark Polemidiotis, and premedical student Cyrus Nasr discuss their article, "Why young people need to care about bone health now." Yoshihiro, Mark, and Cyrus explain that osteoporosis is not just an old person's disease but a result of peak bone mass missed during youth. They use the powerful metaphor of a "retirement account" to describe skeletal metabolism, where deposits must be made before age twenty to prevent a "moth-eaten" structure later in life. The discussion highlights the shocking mortality rates of insufficiency fractures and reveals why modern anabolic medications are revolutionizing treatment beyond the old "freezing" methods of bisphosphonates. Learn how to invest in your skeleton now to avoid paying the high price of frailty later. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Want to streamline your clinical documentation and take advantage of customizations that put you in control? What about the ability to surface information right at the point of care or automate tasks with just a click? Now, you can. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Offering an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform, Dragon Copilot can help you unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise, and it's part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, built on a foundation of trust. Ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Palliative care physician and certified physician development coach Christie Mulholland discusses her article, "Reclaiming physician agency in a broken system." She shares her personal story of leaving a prestigious academic position after realizing that "being a good doctor" was impossible within the constraints of corporate health care. Christie explains how for-profit entities now control seventy-eight percent of hospices, leading to worse patient care and deep moral injury for clinicians. The discussion explores the four paths physicians can take to reclaim agency: working within the system with boundaries, building alternatives like direct primary care, organizing through unions, or planning a strategic exit. Christie emphasizes that while the system is broken, physicians still have the power to make conscious choices about how they engage with it. Learn how to move from passive demoralization to active, values-driven leadership in your medical career. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Want to streamline your clinical documentation and take advantage of customizations that put you in control? What about the ability to surface information right at the point of care or automate tasks with just a click? Now, you can. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Offering an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform, Dragon Copilot can help you unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise, and it's part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, built on a foundation of trust. Ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Psychiatrist Farid Sabet-Sharghi discusses his article, "The psychological trauma of polarization." Farid explains how the human psyche is evolutionarily wired for connection, making the current climate of hostility and division deeply traumatic. He connects the panic and anxiety seen in his clinic to the reactivation of childhood wounds, where global discord mimics the volatility of a troubled family system. The discussion highlights the visceral impact of the 24-hour news cycle and offers clinical strategies for reclaiming agency through setting boundaries. Learn why unity is not just a social ideal but a fundamental psychological necessity for mental health.

Interventional physiatrist Francisco M. Torres discusses his article, "A doctor's own prostate cancer recovery." He shares his vulnerable story of undergoing a robot-assisted radical prostatectomy and the unexpected shame and "erosion of dignity" caused by severe urinary incontinence. Francisco explains how his medical assumption that anatomical knowledge would ensure a fast recovery was wrong, and how pelvic floor physical therapy with biofeedback finally restored his function. The conversation advocates for a systemic shift toward "prehabilitation," arguing that men should start pelvic floor training weeks before surgery rather than being sent home with a pamphlet and diapers. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Want to streamline your clinical documentation and take advantage of customizations that put you in control? What about the ability to surface information right at the point of care or automate tasks with just a click? Now, you can. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Offering an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform, Dragon Copilot can help you unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise, and it's part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, built on a foundation of trust. Ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended

Vascular surgeon Xzabia Caliste discusses her article, "The silent disease causing 400 amputations daily." She shares the heartbreaking personal story of witnessing both her aunt and uncle lose their limbs to peripheral artery disease (PAD), a preventable condition that causes over 400 amputations every day in the U.S. Xzabia explains how PAD restricts blood flow and why symptoms like leg pain or non-healing wounds are often dangerously dismissed as simple aging. The discussion addresses the critical "confidence gap" in primary care, where eighty percent of providers feel unprepared to diagnose vascular disease, and highlights the urgent need for early screening for those with risk factors like diabetes and smoking. Learn how to recognize the subtle warning signs of vascular disease and advocate for the specialized care that can save your mobility and independence. Our presenting sponsor is Microsoft Dragon Copilot. Want to streamline your clinical documentation and take advantage of customizations that put you in control? What about the ability to surface information right at the point of care or automate tasks with just a click? Now, you can. Microsoft Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow, is transforming how clinicians work. Offering an extensible AI workspace and a single, integrated platform, Dragon Copilot can help you unlock new levels of efficiency. Plus, it's backed by a proven track record and decades of clinical expertise, and it's part of Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare, built on a foundation of trust. Ease your administrative burdens and stay focused on what matters most with Dragon Copilot, your AI assistant for clinical workflow. VISIT SPONSOR → https://aka.ms/kevinmd SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST → https://www.kevinmd.com/podcast RECOMMENDED BY KEVINMD → https://www.kevinmd.com/recommended