Conversations on Health Care

Leading nutritionist Marion Nestle, Ph.D., has a sobering message as we get ready for Thanksgiving: America’s food system delivers twice the calories we need while wasting 40%. “Thanksgiving provides five times the calories we need,” she points out. Her advice? “It is a week in which you just have to do the best you can.”But once we've cleared the dishes after Thursday’s meal, Nestle offers practical advice for people trying to make healthy, budget-conscious choices as food prices continue to rise.“If there is anything that is a superfood, it is a bean. If you want to save money on food, you have to cook.”Nestle discusses the dramatic changes in our food system over the last 20 years, the growing influence of social media on what we buy and eat, and the rise of ultra-processed foods. She joins hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter to discuss her new book, “What to Eat Now,” an updated and expanded guide to navigating today’s food landscape.Watch the full interview now. Nestle’s earlier appearance on Conversations on Health Care is also available, where she discussed artificial food dyes, food industry marketing and the need for a food system that puts public health first. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if health care for moms and babies came with a cash prescription for them?In this Conversations on Health Care episode, hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter welcome back Dr. Mona Hanna, the Flint pediatrician whose research exposed the city’s water crisis and sparked a national reckoning on environmental justice.Now, Dr. Hanna returns to share powerful results from Rx Kids, the nation’s first community-wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program. By providing unconditional financial support to pregnant women and new mothers, Rx Kids is improving maternal health, reducing infant deaths, and strengthening emotional well-being for families across Michigan.“This is about investing in people’s humanity,” says Dr. Hanna. “When we provide the resources parents need to care for their babies, we create healthier families and stronger communities.”Dr. Hanna explains how this simple but transformative idea, grounded in science, dignity, and love, has already reached more than 3,600 families in 11 Michigan communities and distributed $15 million in direct support. She also highlights how advocates can bring this program to their community. Listen to the full interview.You can also revisit Dr. Hanna’s earlier appearance on the program, where she discussed her pivotal role in uncovering the Flint lead water crisis and creating the Pediatric Public Health Initiative.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Food insecurity could soon worsen for millions of families and result in devastating health outcomes. American Academy of Family Physicians CEO Shawn Martin joins hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter to discuss how the government shutdown is putting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in jeopardy. Beginning on Saturday, Nov. 1, food assistance could end for up to 22 million recipients.Martin and his 128,000 members are calling for bipartisan action to reopen the government and protect families from unnecessary harm.“We must put the well-being of families first. Food insecurity is not a political issue—it’s a health issue, and every delay in action deepens the harm to our most vulnerable communities."In this powerful conversation, Martin explores how hunger is showing up in exam rooms, the growing pressure on emergency food banks, and what policymakers must do to prevent a widening public health crisis.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Veterans Day, which is less than a month away, is a time to honor and reflect on those who’ve served. Yet statistics reveal a troubling reality: Veterans are dying by suicide at 1.5 times the rate of the general population. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among veterans under 45.Craig Bryan, clinical psychologist, Iraq War veteran, and author of “Rethinking Suicide: Why Prevention Fails and How We Can Do Better,” joined hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter to share critical research and real-world ideas for change.Bryan challenges the long-held assumption that suicide prevention depends solely on mental health treatment. His work shows that more than half of veterans who die by suicide lack a prior mental health diagnosis, and that firearm safety, access to services, and new therapeutic models can make a real difference.“Many of us were trained in firearm safety on the range. Now, we need to bring that same responsibility into our homes,” Bryan said.This interview provides insights about how we engage with prevention and care for those who’ve served, including research on rapid escalation of suicidal crises. Bryan also highlights the life-saving potential of brief cognitive behavioral therapy (which has shown reductions in attempts of up to 60% in trials).Originally broadcast June 18, 2024.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Happy anniversary to “Conversations on Health Care”! We posted our first program 16 years ago on Sept. 23, 2009. Now, we’re bringing back our first two guests to reflect on where we’ve been and where we’re going in health care.Nancy Pelosi was serving as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and trying to get the Affordable Care Act passed when she joined us on that inaugural show. Today, she continues to serve as Speaker Emerita and remains a stalwart supporter of community health centers. “They’re there…they’ve been there and we always want them to be there…this is so important. I’ve been working with our community health centers,” she says.Our other returning guest is Dr. Mitchell Katz, now serving as CEO and President of New York City Health + Hospitals. He was in a similar role in San Francisco when he was on that initial program. Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter ask him to reflect on what’s changed the most. “The big successes [from ACA] are getting people involved in primary care and chronic disease management…those primary care relationships are incredibly healing.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Next week former Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez will testify in a Senate hearing. The reporters who cover health care in Washington think there could be big revelations about why Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. fired her.Sandhya Raman, health care reporter for Congressional Quarterly and Roll Call, and Michael McAuliff, who covers policy for Modern Healthcare, join our Reporters’ Roundtable. McAuliff says no matter what is discovered during the testimony, Kennedy’s future still rests with President Trump.In addition, McAuliff notes the federal health care workforce challenges right now. “If you look across…all the agencies in the HHS, you would find similar sorts of things where normal processes that help folks in the country just can’t happen because they just don’t have the people,” he observes. Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter also talk to the guests about the COVID vaccine controversy, the new Make America Healthy Again children’s health report and the looming threat of a government shutdown.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Victor Montori, a Mayo Clinic endocrinologist, internationally recognized researcher, and author of “Why We Revolt,” joins hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter to talk about what it really means to fix a health care system that he believes has lost its way.Montori leads The Patient Revolution, a global movement aiming to make health care more elegant with “no waste or haste, focused on the biology and biography of each person, responsive to each patient’s problems, and minimally disruptive, of patients’ lives and loves.”For example, the initiative offers tools and materials they’ve developed over the last 18 years to support patients and clinicians. The Plan Your Conversation cards help patients think through what they’d like to share and “practice” a conversation they’d like to have with the clinician. The cards can be used for any condition or issue and in any care setting.“Revolution is not about branding. It’s about turning away from the processing of people, and toward care,” Montori explains. He yearns for a return to “careful and kind care for all,” and for health systems to re-center themselves on the relationships that make healing possible.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One in five U.S. adults lives with a mental illness, yet only a fraction of philanthropic dollars goes toward mental health, addiction, and well-being. Alyson Niemann, CEO of Mindful Philanthropy, joined Conversations on Health Care hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter to share how her organization is closing this gap and inspiring bold new investments.“We issued a challenge … to increase the funding to mental health, addiction, and well-being to $35 billion annually by 2035,” Niemann explained during the interview at the Aspen Ideas: Health conference. “If invested in the right places, it can produce incredible savings, economic productivity, and well-being across our entire ecosystem.”Mindful Philanthropy is convening more than 1,100 funders across all 50 states; launching state-based collaboratives; and connecting funders, uplifting community-led solutions, and providing strategic guidance to break down silos and scale impact.“We’re hoping to have all of those [funder collaboratives] learn from one another,” Niemann said, underscoring the power of collaboration to advance lasting change.Whether it’s strengthening the mental health workforce, supporting youth from birth to young adulthood, or investing in community-rooted solutions, this conversation offers practical and inspiring insights for anyone passionate about building a healthier future.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.