Healthy Communities Online

Dr. Leana Wen, a health news commentator for The Washington Post and CNN, is known for trying to have an open view toward untraditional opinions. For instance, she tells “Conversations on Health Care” that the new National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration directors are both “qualified individuals who have credentials from major medical institutions, who have worked in those fields.” She says her hope is that “behind the scenes they will act as tempering force… against the…

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Very early this morning the U.S. House passed a bill that would result in more than 7 million people losing Medicaid coverage if it became law; that estimate is from the Congressional Budget Office. As the bill was coming together, the chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News shared her analysis. Julie Rovner highlighted that to get a bill across the finish line was going to require overcoming the skepticism of some politicians. “There’s a growing group of Republicans who…

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Originally broadcast May 15, 2025 Millions are still living with the effects of Long COVID and new research shows that for older adults, the consequences may be profound and lasting. In part one of a special two-part series on “Conversations on Health Care,” Dr. Gabriel de Erausquin, a neurologist and leading Long COVID researcher at the University of Texas Health San Antonio, shares groundbreaking findings from his global study of over 3,500 patients. His work reveals a troubling connection: many…

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Originally broadcast May 8, 2025 Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and melanoma is its deadliest form. Cases have tripled in the past 30 years, particularly among younger people — even as rates for other common cancers have gone down. Marc Hurlbert, Ph.D., CEO of the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA), joins “Conversations on Health Care” hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter to talk about the urgent need for more research, the role of philanthropy, and…

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A recent survey surprisingly found only 41% of physicians were “very confident” about their ability to provide equal quality care to patients with a disability. Megan Morris, Ph.D., and her allies are trying to figure out why and how to boost that percentage. STAT News’ STATUS List recently added Morris to its prestigious collection of influencers because of her role as founder of the Disability Equity Collaborative. In an interview with “Conversations on Health Care” hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret…

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Originally broadcast April 22, 2025 Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the U.S. will phase out the remaining eight artificial food dyes from America’s food supply within two years. This is a move that leading nutritionist and author Marion Nestle, Ph.D., has long advocated for. “Conversations on Health Care” hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter spoke to her before today’s news conference. She says, “I’m all for getting bad chemicals out of the food supply,…

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