Turn on the Lights Podcast

Inequities, inequalities, and truth to power - with Steven Woolf

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Graduate medical education and social contracts - with Tom Nasca

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Home-based care to tackle maternal health inequities and improve outcomes - with Rebekah Gee

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Humans in health care - with Tom Fisher

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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

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! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices