Public Health On Call

Dr. Zirui Song, a Harvard Medical School physician and health economist, examines America’s primary care crisis. They discuss workforce shortages, concierge medicine, and why more than 30% of adults lack regular care. Song explores treating primary care like a public utility, pooling funds for universal access, protecting doctor-patient continuity, and making family medicine careers more appealing.

Natalie Crawford, an Emory implementation scientist studying HIV prevention, and Leisha McKinley-Beach, a national HIV prevention expert and Black Public Health Academy founder, explore Rx4Change. They discuss pharmacists providing same-day PrEP, community-designed care in Georgia and Louisiana, trusted pharmacies as less stigmatizing access points, and how academic, pharmacy, and community partnerships can expand HIV prevention.

Kiara Álvarez, a Johns Hopkins professor and clinical psychologist specializing in immigrant children’s mental health, explores the pressures facing immigrant families, from discrimination and enforcement fears to separation and disrupted care. She discusses how community health workers and promotores build trust through home visits, connect families with services, and bring healthcare into neighborhoods. She also highlights the support these essential workers need.

Dr. Michael Silverstein, a Brown University pediatrician, public health researcher, and former chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, discusses how the panel evaluates preventive care. He explores its transparent evidence reviews, public input, conflicts of interest, and role in Affordable Care Act coverage. They also examine recent firings, staffing losses, and concerns about political or commercial influence.

Tom Philpott, a food and agriculture journalist, and Patti Anderson, an environmental health and policy expert at Johns Hopkins, assess MAHA’s food-policy record. They explore food dyes, dietary guidelines, pesticides, ultra-processed foods, and GRAS transparency. The conversation also examines the tension between reform rhetoric, industry influence, and staffing cuts at the FDA.

Dr. Megan Moreno, a pediatrician and University of Wisconsin professor, co-leads the American Academy of Pediatrics’ work on healthier digital environments for children. She explores why screen-time totals can mislead, how family values shape tech boundaries, and why social media affects children differently. The conversation also covers younger users, sleep, parent modeling, ongoing discussions, and using AI without replacing human relationships.

Shashawnda Campbell, an environmental justice leader, and Christopher Heaney, a Johns Hopkins environmental health researcher, discuss Curtis Bay’s long fight against a medical-waste incinerator. They explore pollution violations, community-led evidence gathering, health concerns, and the state agreement ending incineration. The conversation also examines zero-waste strategies, hospital practices, and the ongoing struggle for environmental justice.

About this episode: In addition to making you feel a bit jetlagged, the semiannual practice of moving our clocks forward and back can have health impacts. And while many Americans agree that we should "lock the clock," there's a growing debate about whether the clock should be fixed to daylight saving time or standard time. In this episode: Sleep expert Vadim Zipunnikov discusses the biology behind changing clocks and why many scientists—himself included—are on team standard time. Guest: Vadim Zipunnikov, PhD, MS, MA, is a professor of Biostatistics at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for The Uptake, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: H.R.139 - Sunshine Protection Act of 2025—Congress.gov 7 Things to Know About Daylight Saving Time—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health End of daylight saving time can send our internal clocks into a tailspin—The Hub Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. You can also email [email protected] to request a transcript. AI disclosure (as of September 2026): The conversations you hear on the podcast are happening between real humans, and real humans are developing and researching episodes behind the scenes. In addition to real human audio engineers, Public Health On Call uses AI production tools to assist with the removal of filler words and improve audio quality. If you have any questions about our use of AI, please reach out to [email protected]. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. You can also leave us a voicemail at ‪(667) 217-6214‬ for the chance to hear your voice on the podcast. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

About this episode: Headlines about an alleged sexual assault at Cornell University provide a devastating reminder of how common sexual violence is in the U.S., particularly among high school and college students. In this episode: Michele Decker, whose research focuses on gender-based violence prevention and response, discusses the scope of sexual violence as a public health problem, misconceptions about how it's perpetrated, and evidence-backed methods for prevention, survivor support, and accountability. Note: This episode includes discussion of incidents of sexual assault. If you or someone you know are concerned about having experienced sexual violence or supporting a survivor, you can reach out to to http://RAINN.org or call 800-656-HOPE or text HOPE to 64673. Guest: Michele Decker, ScD, MPH, is a Bloomberg Professor of American Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the founder and director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Women's Health and Gender Equity. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for The Uptake, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Stop downplaying the plague of violence against women—The Hill How a Cornell Student Went From Shame to Action—The New York Times The Jeanne Clery Act—Clery Center Chanel Miller reads her entire victim impact statement—60 Minutes via YouTube The "Red Zone" of Sexual Assault—Johns Hopkins Student Well-Being Blog Child Sexual Abuse is Preventable, Not Inevitable—Public Health On Call (August 2026) The 30th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act—Public Health On Call (October 2024) Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) and the Dual Crises of Nurse Shortages & Post-Roe Fallout—Public Health On Call (November 2022) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. You can also email [email protected] to request a transcript. AI disclosure (as of September 2026): The conversations you hear on the podcast are happening between real humans, and real humans are developing and researching episodes behind the scenes. In addition to real human audio engineers, Public Health On Call uses AI production tools to assist with the removal of filler words and improve audio quality. If you have any questions about our use of AI, please reach out to [email protected]. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. You can also leave us a voicemail at ‪(667) 217-6214‬ for the chance to hear your voice on the podcast. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

About this episode: We promise this episode won't put you to sleep. Adam Milam is a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist with a PhD in public health who leverages this unique background to improve the quality of care for his patients inside the operating room and beyond. In this episode: Dr. Milam shares how his public health training has allowed him to probe at larger questions about ethics and care as a clinician, and how his time in the operating room has given him a sense of urgency in solving population-level challenges. Guest: Dr. Adam Milam, PhD, MHS, is a professor of anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and he serves as vice chair for health outcomes in the department of anesthesiology and critical care medicine. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Equity and Quality—Improving Health Care Delivery Requires Both—JAMA Advancing Health Equity Research in Perioperative Medicine—Anesthesiology & Analgesia Social drivers of health and perioperative outcomes: Identifying domains and barriers with significant impact—The American Journal of Surgery Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. You can also email [email protected] to request a transcript. AI disclosure (as of September 2026): The conversations you hear on the podcast are happening between real humans, and real humans are developing and researching episodes behind the scenes. In addition to real human audio engineers, Public Health On Call uses AI production tools to assist with the removal of filler words and improve audio quality. If you have any questions about our use of AI, please reach out to [email protected]. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. You can also leave us a voicemail at ‪(667) 217-6214‬ for the chance to hear your voice on the podcast. Follow us: @‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.