Raise the Line

In any given year, more physicians in the U.S. healthcare system graduate from schools affiliated with Adtalem Global Education than any other medical schools in the world. Even before COVID hit, educating providers at that scale was a pretty complicated undertaking, and the pandemic obviously made it more so. But the ability of Adtalem's schools to quickly learn from each other as adjustments were made, and system resiliency built while recovering from a devastating hurricane several years ago, allowed for continuation of programs and even making lasting improvements. In this episode of Raise the Line, Kathy Boden Holland speaks with Shiv Gaglani about the growing role of online learning, serving the educational needs of people passionate about providing care, and a potential surge of interest in healthcare professions in the wake of COVID-19. If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

It was when he lost yet another colleague to suicide in his young career that Dr. Adam Hill decided he had to speak up. Hill - who was then successfully in recovery from an alcohol addiction - had come close to suicide himself, but due to the shame imposed by the medical profession on providers who struggle with mental health and substance abuse issues, he had not yet shared his story. His subsequent book "Long Walk Out of the Woods" details his journey, and he now takes every opportunity to share his lessons of recovery and hope. A free webinar on September 17 sponsored by Coverys and Med-IQ will feature Dr. Hill offering examples of how people can be proactive about their own mental health and also challenge the status quo to open doors for other people. As he tells host Rishi Desai int this heartfelt conversation, the medical community needs to stop the shaming and "carve out spaces for compassion, empathy and understanding." (See webinar registration information in the transcript below.) If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

How does COVID-19 transform a hospital? UMass Memorial Medical Center's impressive response to the pandemic has included a 21-step surge plan, seeking out lessons from institutions in the U.S. and abroad, and working with community partners to serve vulnerable populations. In this episode, Dr. Michael Gustafson -- one of the first surgeons to receive an MBA from Harvard - also shares what his hospital has done to empower and care for its caregivers during this difficult time, and how they are reimagining the role of the hospital as a “driver” of improvements in public health and racial inequality. Turns out there just may be some silver linings to the COVID-19 crisis. If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

Bravado, stresses Dr. David Skorton, is not an asset. Knowing how to ask for help is. Through a long career spanning clinical medicine, two university presidencies, and heading the Smithsonian Institution, Dr. Skorton has a lot of experience to draw on when giving advice. In conversation with Dr. Rishi Desai, he traces his fascinating background and describes how two clinical skills in particular — making decisions under uncertainty, and listening before acting — have been essential assets for him in becoming an effective leader. Tune in to the latest episode of Raise the Line to find out why Dr. Skorton believes he and his generation “have failed” (think systemic inequities), and learn about the AAMC's proposed roadmap to resetting the country's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

They share one initial in their credentials, meet the same professional standards and have the same passion to care for people, but there are also differences between MDs and DOs in their education and approach to medicine. On this episode of Raise the Line with Dr. Robert Cain, we'll learn about the philosophy behind osteopathic medicine and explore what educators and students in the osteopathic community are doing in response to the short-term and long-term challenges posed by the COVID crisis, including issues of racial disparity and inequity. One interesting initiative involves building an "army" of health professions students to help address pressing public health needs. If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

Even though Bunny Ellerin has built a career around bringing people and organizations together -- in fact she's known as "the most connected person in healthcare" -- she still gets apprehensive walking into a room full of business leaders she may not know. While acknowledging that networking is scary for many people, and seen as too transactional for others, she wants her students at Columbia Business School and people in healthcare professions to understand that it's not just about handing out business cards at events. Reaching out with an article recommendation or proactively connecting people who you think would benefit from knowing each other is also "networking". Check out this episode of Raise the Line to find out how, as co-founder and CEO of New York City Health Business Leaders, Ellerin has used this approach to spur innovation in healthcare and help build a thriving digital health scene in New York. If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

It’s a question that has troubled providers for years – how do you keep patients on track with behavior change between appointments? Longtime physician assistant and educator Ken Korber hit upon a novel idea: use story books to educate the patient’s young children about healthy behaviors, and turn them into “little health ambassadors” in the home. Korber, who is also president of the Association of Family Practice PAs and NPs and a Clinical Instructor at Mount St. Joseph University, says the books allow him to bridge his clinical experience with his passion for writing and education, and will hopefully improve the health of adults and kids alike. It’s also in keeping with the focus many PAs and NPs have on primary care and prevention. His latest book "Grace Fights COVID-19" is the first resource of its kind in the U.S. for parents and kids. He also has advice for newly minted PAs and NPs about their role on the healthcare team, so there’s lots to check out in this episode with host Dr. Rishi Desai. If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

The work of the Jonas Philanthropies spans some broad areas - veterans health, children's health, and nursing education among others - but the unifying theme is improving public health. Vice President Lendri Purcell and Althea Hicks, Grants and Programs Manager for Jonas Nursing and Veterans Healthcare at Columbia University School of Nursing, say to do that effectively, caregivers must understand the particular needs of the people they are serving and have the skillsets to meet those needs. As you'll hear in this episode, helping providers to do that is challenging in this time of great change in healthcare and society. If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

Colleges and universities were struggling well before COVID knocked them for a loop because of declining birth rates and soaring tuition costs, among other factors. Now the on-campus model is in question, at least in the near-term. Taking all of those headwinds into account, Paul Freedman of Guild Education believes the institutions that shift their focus to serving working adults will be in a much stronger position to thrive in the future. As he explains to host Shiv Gaglani, it's a good time to be a working adult learner because more and more companies are offering to pay tuition costs as a standard benefit. Tune in to find out why and how it may impact you. If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

The gap is staggering. Just in California alone, 500,000 allied health workers are needed by 2024. Realizing it was time for new approaches to developing this workforce, a unique partnership formed this year with Kaiser Permanente and SEIU United Healthcare Workers to fund and facilitate the educational journey required. Leading the effort is veteran educator Van Ton-Quinlivan, who has her eye on all of the associated issues of student debt, diversity and inclusion, shifting skillsets due to COVID, and other factors. Check out this fascinating discussion with Shiv Gaglani on the innovative thinking and partnerships that are driving workforce development. If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast