Inspired To Heal
Stories of clinicians, educators, innovators, and researchers who built or led programs of excellence in government health institutions. Each guest has excelled in clinical medicine, program building, or public health. They persevered and succeeded through a clear vision, collaboration, and a passion for the mission of government-run health systems. Their stories will inspire those seeking change in their own organizations.
Episodes
29 episodes
Chicken Livers in NYC & Guppies in Los Angeles: Public Health Responses with Sharon Balter
Dr. Sharon Balter, physician and poet, reflects on her career leading outbreak responses at the CDC and the public health departments of New York City and Los Angeles. Drawing on her experiences at the Federal level and in the United States’ tw...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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37:26
Public Health Crises from CDC to Alaska with Dr. Jay Butler
After attaining zoology and medical degrees, Dr. Jay Butler’s medical career took an unexpected turn when he discovered the world of public health through the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service. That discovery set him on a path that led to imp...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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42:25
FoodNet: Monitoring Foodborne Illness for the United States
In the early 1990s, a devastating outbreak of contaminated beef led to kidney damage and death among children, sparking a call to action on food safety. In response, the CDC, USDA, FDA, and several state health departments launched FoodNet <...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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20:27
See·Believe·Create, with Tom Frieden
Dr. Tom Frieden has led public health institutions through some of the most defining moments of our time—from his stewardship of New York City’s Department of Health to his leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In his ne...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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42:27
Ground Zero: Santa Clara County's COVID Response
For over two decades, Dr. Sara Cody devoted her career to protecting the health of her community as the Public Health Director for Santa Clara County. Her leadership was tested in early 2020, when COVID-19 arrived in her county—one of the first...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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43:42
Battling TB: Science, Service, & Spirit
In the shadow of the HIV epidemic, Drs. Bill Clapp and Jim McAuley faced a growing tuberculosis crisis in the United States as frontline clinicians and public health experts. In this episode, they discuss the science behind TB control, the valu...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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44:29
Toxic Burgers, Toxic Shock, and Vaccine Talk with Mike Osterholm
Public health expert Mike Osterholm discusses outbreak investigations, pandemics, and the risky path the United States is taking on vaccine recommendations and abandoning innovative technology. Mike’s motivation to leave his small town in Iowa ...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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41:58
Decoding a Legionnaire's Outbreak, New York City
Using molecular methods and shoe-leather epidemiology, Don Weiss and Kim Musser teamed up to resolve a Legionnaires’ outbreak in the Bronx in 2015. It’s a classic tale of combining surveillance and field investigations with advanced molec...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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48:19
Wind Beneath Their Wings: Improving a Government Healthcare System
Chief Communications Officer, Caryn Stancik, and General Counsel, Elizabeth Reidy, recognized the value of a functional government healthcare system to care for the medically underserved population of Cook County. They devoted their caree...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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35:39
Drug Packaging Protects Patients
Professor Laura Bix, the Director of the School of Packaging at Michigan State University, is a national leaders in designing solutions for drug packaging that improves medication safety. Two catastrophic events, young children dying of a...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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34:21
Essential Items For Your Medical Bag
When asked, "What is the one item, literal or figurative, that you would put in your medical bag?", seventeen former Cook County Hospital healthcare workers provided responses that sustained them during challenging but fulfilling, mission-orien...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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23:10
Safer Healthcare for Patients and Staff
Dr. Denise Cardo and David Henderson are infectious diseases physicians and leaders in healthcare epidemiology—the medical discipline that studies the causes and solutions to prevent infections, use antibiotics wisely, and prevent the spread of...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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48:25
Making Microwaves Safer: Preventing Childhood Burns
Pediatrician Kyran Quinlan and occupational therapist Marla Robinson witnessed severe scald burns among young children in their hospital's burn unit. They embarked on an epidemiologic evaluation that turned into a near two-decades odyssey to im...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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38:15
Running Toward Chaos (Jeff Schaider)
Dr. Jeff Schaider thrived in his career as an emergency medicine physician in Cook County Hospital's storied Emergency Department. From the "routine" chaos of a Friday night in the ER to the stress of resuscitating a dying patient, he enj...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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35:00
Legacies: Marcus Welby to Smartphones (Peter Clarke and Chris Smith)
Legendary leaders of Cook County Hospital's internal medicine program for trainees and medical students, and expert clinicians, Peter Clarke and Chris Smith, share their wisdom. They discuss caring for patients, educating the next generat...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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48:25
Leadership with Laughter: Triple-Threat Doctor (Bob Weinstein)
Dr. Robert (Bob) A. Weinstein, former Chair of Medicine at Cook County Hospital, describes a career formed early as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer investigating hospital outbreaks at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.&n...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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38:02
Healing when Unhoused: Creating a Medical Respite Center (Christine Haley and Keiki Hinami)
Medical crises often require time to recuperate in a clean and safe environment—but what happens when someone leaves the hospital with no place to recover? Without access to basic hygiene, secure medication storage, or protection for woun...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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42:48
Deep Roots of Inclusion & Caring for Family (Part 2, Ben Mba)
With roots across continents and religions, inclusion comes natural to Dr. Benjamin Mba. He shares insights on why inclusion is the requisite factor for meaningful DEI efforts, for success of organizations beyond healthcare. Ben explores ...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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26:15
Teaching Thinking: A Master Educator’s Methods (Part 1, Ben Mba)
Dr. Benjamin Mba is a nationally renowned clinical educator of internal medicine trainees and medical students. Effortless?? No! Ben shares insights he learned observing mentors and through decades of honing the craft teaching medic...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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32:09
Weaving Community into Healthcare (Mary Driscoll)
We hear the inspiring story of Mary Driscoll, who repurposed the skills she acquired during community organizing for peace and civil rights to Cook County Hospital and the Illinois Department of Public Health. Through tireless advocacy an...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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30:08
Treating Addiction with Compassion (Jen Smith)
After medical school and training, Doctor Jen Smith knew how to treat the medical complications from harmful use of alcohol and drugs but not how to help people avoid those risks through treatment of their addiction. Through resolute dedi...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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33:47
Healing Women with HIV/AIDS (Toyin Falusi & Mildred Williamson)
At a time when many were reluctant to provide care for people with AIDS, staff at Cook County Hospital rose to the challenge. With support from a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant, the Midwest’s largest provider of HIV services emerged...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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41:44
Cook County Hospital's Past & Present (Dave Schwartz)
With the looming cutbacks to Medicaid, safety net health systems are vital. After three-decades at County, Dr. David Schwartz explores its tumultuous history—one filled with challenge and progress. As a young doctor, he grapp...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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30:34
County Jail: Public Health, & Prevention (Part 2, Jack Raba)
While working in Guatemala, Dr. Jack Raba is recruited back to Cook County Hospital to be the medical director for Cook County Jail. He negotiates and spearheads the transformation of healthcare at the jail, and champions public hea...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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38:32
Healthcare Behind Bars & Beyond Borders (Part 1, Jack Raba)
In Part 1, Dr. Jack Raba recounts his transformative high-school volunteer experience at Cook County Hospital, his return to Cook County as a student at Northwestern Medical School. Seeking to build clinical confidence, he...
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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41:35