Health Policy Podcasts

Hosted by former RWJF Clinical Scholar Dr. Matthew Press (Penn ’08-’10), the RWJF Clinical Scholars Health Policy Podcast is a monthly series featuring interviews with health policy experts who are visitors, alumni, or faculty of the Clinical Scholars Program.

In the concluding interview of the 2010-2011 season of the RWJF Clinical Scholars Health Policy Podcast, we welcome Robert Ross, MD, President and CEO of the California Endowment. Dr. Ross was previously the Health Commissioner of Philadelphia and of San Diego. Listen in to find out how Dr. Ross became Health Commissioner within two years of graduating from the Clinical Scholars Program, how the California Endowment will spend $1 billion to build healthy communities, and what happened when the Endowment told then-Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger to say, “Hasta la vista to buying sodas with food stamps.” The interview with series host, Dr. Matthew Press, was part of Dr. Ross’s recent visit to the Clinical Scholars Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

In this month’s RWJF Clinical Scholars Health Policy Podcast, we welcome Nirav Shah, Health Commissioner for the State of New York. With his confirmation by the State Senate in January of 2011, Dr. Shah became the youngest Health Commissioner in New York State history. In the interview with series host, Dr. Matthew Press, Dr. Shah takes stock of his first 2 months on the job—from nomination to confirmation to Commissioner. He also discusses what he believes will and will not work in the effort to contain health care costs in Medicaid. Dr. Shah is an alumnus of the RWJF Clinical Scholars program (2001-2003), the RWJF Physician Faculty Scholars program (2007-2010), and a RWJF Health e-Technologies Initiative grantee (2004). For more information about Dr. Shah, visit: http://www.rwjf.org/pr/product.jsp?id=71922.

This month’s RWJF Clinical Scholars Health Policy Podcast features a fascinating interview with Dr. Donald Schwarz, Health Commissioner and Deputy Mayor for Health and Opportunity for the City of Philadelphia. Dr. Schwarz, an alumnus of the Clinical Scholars Program, chats with series host, Dr. Matthew Press, about his efforts to curb the childhood obesity epidemic in Philadelphia, including the controversial soda tax. He also discusses the impact of health care reform at the city health level—as well as the very steep learning curve when transitioning from a career in academia to government service. The interview took place as part of Dr. Schwarz’s visit to the Clinical Scholars Program at the University of Pennsylvania.

In this month’s RWJF Clinical Scholars Health Policy Podcast, series host, Dr. Matthew Press, interviews Robert Galvin, MD, CEO of Equity Healthcare at the Blackstone Group. In a lively conversation, Dr. Galvin gives listeners a business perspective on many of today’s key health policy issues—from concerns about health care reform to the potential of incentives for healthy behavior. Dr. Galvin, recently elected to the Institute of Medicine, is a core faculty member of the Clinical Scholars Program at Yale University, where he directs the course, "The Role of the Private Sector in the U.S. Health Care System."

In this month’s RWJF Clinical Scholars Health Policy Podcast, we welcome Carolyn Clancy, MD, Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Dr. Clancy sat down with series host, Dr. Matthew Press, during her visit to the Clinical Scholars Program at the University of Pennsylvania on the day before Thanksgiving. Listen to the interview and hear the story behind AHRQ’s name change, Dr. Clancy’s take on improving patient safety, and how AHRQ is giving patients a voice in comparative effectiveness research. To learn more about Dr. Clancy and AHRQ, visit www.ahrq.gov.

Richard Besser, MD, former Acting Director of the CDC and now Chief Health and Medical Editor at ABC News, is our guest in the latest episode of the RWJF Clinical Scholars Health Policy Podcast. In the interview, Dr. Besser recounts his experience in the early days of the H1N1 flu pandemic and reveals the keys to effective communication during a public health crisis. He also takes stock of his exciting first year as a television news correspondent. Series host, Dr. Matthew Press, interviewed Dr. Besser at ABC News headquarters in New York.

Dr. Besser will be speaking this year at the Clinical Scholars National Meeting in Atlanta. Current Clinical Scholars interested in an internship with him should contact their Program Directors. For more information about Dr. Besser, go to http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Richard_Besser

The RWJF Clinical Scholars Health Policy Podcast kicks off a new season with special guest, Robert Wachter, MD, a leading voice on patient safety and medical errors. Dr. Wachter, a former Clinical Scholar (Stanford ’88-’90) and current Professor of Medicine at UCSF, shares with series host, Dr. Matt Press, his take on health care quality: from flaws to fixes…and what the future holds. Also hear how Dr. Wachter balances objectivity as a researcher with opinion as a blogger (his popular blog is Wachter’s World). The interview took place as part of Dr. Wachter’s visit to the CSP at the University of Pennsylvania.

To access health policy podcasts from other sources click on the links below:

Jefferson School of Population Health Monthly Health Policy Forum
http://jeffline.jefferson.edu/itunesu

Center for Health Policy at Meharry Medical College Scholars Health Policy Seminar Series
http://meharryhealthpolicy.org/