Causes or Cures
"For the Nerds and the Nerd Nots"
Causes or Cures is a health podcast hosted by Dr. Eeks—an independent, grassroots show driven by curiosity and a passion for breaking down complex health topics into bite-sized, easy-to-understand insights. Dr. Eeks (ErinKate Stair, MPH, MD) works as a senior consultant and contractor in the realm of public health, applied epidemiology, and health communication. She's all about making science relatable and often uses a blue-collar sense of humor to drive the message home.
On this podcast, Dr. Eeks talks with experts from around the world (doctors, researchers, public health pros, and more) to dive into the latest hot topics in health and research, all in a down-to-earth kind of way. She also includes people with compelling stories of healing and "characters" because life is too boring and short to leave out characters. ;)
DISCLAIMER: Some topics are more controversial than others, so keep in mind that this is information only and not health advice. If you are battling an individual health issue, always check in with your doctor & don't run with anything on podcast as advice. Dr. Eeks doesn't endorse any of her guests' views, and despite a strict health routine, nor does she endorse any products, supplements, oils, magic socks or potions. (If an episode is sponsored by a company she likes, she will say so in the show notes.) She does not practice medicine (only public health) so she does not give out medical advice nor should you treat anything on this podcast as medical advice.
Causes or Cures is not a "news site." It's about having conversations, and Dr. Eeks is confident that she can have a respectful conversation with anyone, even people who think far differently than she does. (At least that's been her experience at hole-in-the-walls & on the NYC sidewalks.) The point is to not take anything here as Gospel. Sometimes Dr. Eeks' dog Barnaby makes his opinion known, but the good news is that he's a smart dog. Most importantly, she hopes this podcast encourages folks to stay curious, empathic, hopeful, compassionate, honest, open-minded, and engaged. Freedom of discussion is a beautiful thing, delightfully messy, and one that many take for granted.
*The views on this podcast do not reflect the views of anyone she contracts with or consults for on various public health projects.
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Causes or Cures
The Business of Healthcare Fraud and Corruption, with Professor Graham Brooks
Healthcare fraud and corruption are not limited to one type of country or healthcare system. It exists in low income, middle income, and wealthy nations alike. What differs is how it shows up, how visible it is, and who ends up paying the price.
In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with Professor Graham Brooks, an international expert on healthcare corruption and criminal justice, about how fraud and corruption operate across healthcare systems worldwide. Rather than treating corruption as a problem of “elsewhere,” this conversation focuses on the shared vulnerabilities that allow it to persist in both resource limited settings and highly regulated, well funded systems, like the US.
We discuss:
- What healthcare corruption looks like in low and middle income countries compared with wealthy countries, and why both are vulnerable in different ways
- Real world examples of healthcare corruption that illustrate how these schemes operate across contexts
- Who ultimately pays for corruption, including taxpayers, patients, and people at the pharmacy counter, regardless of national income level
- How much money is lost globally to healthcare fraud and corruption, and why those estimates almost certainly underestimate the true cost
- Why healthcare systems filled with trained professionals, regulations, and oversight remain surprisingly easy to exploit
- How conflicts of interest and financial incentives can quietly shape care, guidelines, and clinical decisions across countries
- Where major corruption schemes tend to concentrate today, from billing and procurement to referrals and pricing practices
- Whether data and AI can help detect corruption earlier without turning healthcare into a surveillance system
- What patients and clinicians can realistically do to reduce their risk of exploitation
About the Guest
Professor Graham Brooks is an international expert on corruption in healthcare and criminal justice. He has advised governments, law enforcement bodies, and international organizations on counter fraud and anti corruption efforts, and has been a keynote speaker at major conferences across Europe.
He has participated in United Kingdom Cabinet Office round table discussions on anti corruption, worked with the Royal United Services Institute on money laundering and online business risks, and currently serves as a member of the Group of Experts for the European Healthcare Fraud and Corruption Network.
Professor Brooks has published extensively with international collaborators and is the author of Healthcare Corruption: Causes, Costs, Consequences and Criminal Justice.
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