The Dose is a podcast from the Commonwealth Fund that explores fresh ideas, new perspectives, and compelling conversations about the future of health care. Host Joel Bervell speaks with leading and emerging experts in health care and health policy across each season. Episodes examine the forces shaping American health care and the policy choices ahead. Listeners can also subscribe to receive the show's content by email.
Episodes
With the Midterms Ahead, What's at Stake for Health Care? (feat. Julie Rovner)
"Everybody who gets health care has been caught in the maw of our dysfunctional system, and I think there's an increasing demand to change it." The midterm elections are next week, and surveys show Americans remain deeply concerned about several health care issues as they head to the polls. In California, voters will consider a tax on billionaires that could help fund Medicaid in the state. In Ida
She Was in the Operating Room When UnitedHealthcare Called (feat. Dr. Elisabeth Potter)
Dr. Elisabeth Potter was in the middle of operating on a patient with breast cancer when a nurse delivered an urgent message: UnitedHealthcare was on the line. She stepped outside the OR and took the call. It was the insurer asking why the patient, who was on the operating table, needed to stay overnight. "It felt like they had invaded a very sacred space where the priorities should be really clea
Food Is Medicine, Let's Treat It That Way (feat. Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian)
Eighty-five percent of all U.S. health care spending goes toward managing chronic diseases connected to poor diet and nutrition. Yet most doctors receive little to no meaningful training in nutrition. As a result, food and nutrition remain absent from doctor–patient conversations, with medications the default option for most ailments. On the new episode of The Dose podcast, Dr. Joel Bervell talks
New York City's Health Commissioner Has a Plan to Protect Medicaid (feat. Dr. Alister Martin)
The prospect of 900,000 New York City residents losing Medicaid coverage under H.R. 1, the tax and spending law passed by Republicans last year, amounts to "bureaucratic violence," says Dr. Alister Martin. In response, he's devised a plan that starts on the streets of Queens and builds out from there with strategically placed community health workers and people assisting with insurance enrollment.
AI Has More to Offer Health Care (feat. Dr. Toyin Ajayi)
Much of the AI used in health care today is tied up in helping the industry manage its revenue streams — think billing and coding assistance. But Dr. Toyin Ajayi knows there's more AI can do to help manage the health of patients. On the new episode of The Dose, Dr. Joel Bervell talks with Dr. Ajayi, a board-certified family physician and CEO of the primary care provider Cityblock Health, about the
Doctor Mike on Why Ceding the Internet Is a Public Health Threat
When people receive a medical diagnosis or experience a new symptom, the first thing many of us do is reach for our phone. If a doctor isn't available to provide an answer, someone else is. On The Dose podcast, host Dr. Joel Bervell talks with Dr. Mike Varshavski, a primary care physician with more than 30 million social media followers, about what it takes to fight health misinformation at scale,
In "Deep Care," the Family Is the Sun Midwives Orbit Around (feat. Dr. Kaytura Felix)
Dr. Kaytura Felix didn't set out to document the Black maternal health crisis. She set out to find the people who are already doing something about it. On this episode of The Dose podcast, Dr. Joel Bervell talks with Felix, founder of the Black Birthing Futures project, about what she discovered: a constellation of Black community midwives providing "deep care" — clinical, emotional, social, and s
Fighting Medical Debt? There's an App for That (feat. Jared Walker)
Four in 10 Americans have medical debt. Most don't know there's a federal law that could eliminate it. On this episode of The Dose podcast, host Joel Bervell talks with Jared Walker about his nonprofit, Dollar For, which has helped Americans erase more than $100 million in medical debt by connecting them to the charity care programs that hospitals are legally required to offer but rarely publicize
The Missing Ingredient in Health Care AI? Community Voices
Seventy billion dollars is flowing into health care AI, but the people building it and the patients who need it most are rarely in the same room. On this episode, host Dr. Joel Bervell talks with pediatrician, researcher, and tech optimist Dr. Ivor Horn about what responsible AI innovation in health care requires. Drawing on her work building open-access datasets and equity frameworks for machine
Lupita Nyong'o Is Done Accepting Fibroids as Normal
Uterine fibroids may affect up to 80 percent of women in their lifetime, but they remain under-researched, underfunded, and routinely dismissed. Lupita Nyong'o is working to change that. "I could not believe that women were partially or wholly losing their reproductive organs because of this noncancerous tumor situation." On this episode, Dr. Joel Bervell talks with Academy Award–winning actor and
Reimagining Birth, Restoring Trust (feat. Elaine Welteroth)
A new movement in the United States is taking shape in maternal care, one that seeks to restore trust, center women, and protect lives. On this episode of The Dose podcast, Dr. Joel Bervell talks with author and advocate Elaine Welteroth about her own struggle finding patient-centered care during pregnancy and how the organization she founded, birthFUND, is funding midwifery care, supporting new m
A Doula Network That's Saving Lives (feat. Omare Jimmerson)
Across Oklahoma, a community-powered doula network is reshaping what equitable maternal care looks like. On this episode of The Dose, Dr. Joel Bervell talks with Omare Jimmerson of the Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative about how culturally rooted doulas, smart policies, and practical supports—from rides to diapers—are helping hundreds of families thrive each year.
A New Approach to Youth Mental Health (feat. Dr. Kevin Simon)
AI therapy for children with anxiety, mental health training for staff at nonprofits that work with young people, and an "art pharmacy" that prescribes free museum tickets to kids — these are just some of the things Dr. Kevin Simon and his team are doing to help meet the mental health care needs of Boston's children. Simon, the city's first chief behavioral health officer, talks to host Dr. Joel B
Fixing How We Pay for Care (feat. Dr. Mai Pham)
"The proportion of energy and resources that goes into getting paid instead of taking care of patients is out of whack." That's Dr. Mai Pham's assessment of how we pay for health care in the United States — where all too often the imperative is volume over value, and billing over better care. In the latest episode of The Dose podcast, host Dr. Joel Bervell talks with Dr. Pham about how we can do b
Obesity Medicine in the Age of GLP-1s (feat. Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford)
Medical care for people with obesity is changing rapidly. Body mass index, or BMI, was once considered the gold standard for diagnosis but has proven to be less accurate than once thought. Meanwhile, the advent of GLP-1 drugs has provided patients with treatment options that were unimaginable just a decade ago. Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity medicine physician, joins host Dr. Joel Bervell on
In an Era of Misinformation, Does Science Stand a Chance? (feat. Dr. Francis Collins)
"If people stop trusting science, they stop trusting each other. That has huge implications for everything, not just medicine." Science, and medical science in particular, is under attack in today's world. Many of our nation's leaders are choosing politics over facts, and prioritizing profit over public health. Online, misinformation about vaccines and medications is spreading at an alarming rate.
The Dose Returns on October 10th
Look forward to a new season of The Dose, featuring your host Dr. Joel Bervell, launching this Friday.
In Rural America, a Weak Signal Can Mean Worse Health
What happens when your zip code threatens your health? Broadband access is often framed as a tech issue, but in some rural communities it's a matter of health equity. Broadband internet is so limited in some areas that patients can't use remote monitoring devices, hospitals can't support telehealth, and electronic health records slow down care instead of streamlining it. On this week's episode of
In the Age of AI, Health Innovation Requires Human Stories
Data is the engine of health innovation, but too often it can't tell the full story. On this week's episode of The Dose, Dr. Sema Sgaier joins host Joel Bervell to talk about the future of equitable health care: how we collect data, who's included, and what it means for clinical trials, mental health, and the role of AI. Tune in to hear Dr. Sgaier explain why solving health care's toughest challen
"Data Silence" Holds High Stakes for People's Health
We're in a pivotal moment for health care equity and public health. Systems for tracking data on maternal mortality and chronic disease are being dismantled, with consequences that could last generations. On this week's episode of The Dose, Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith joins host Joel Bervell to talk about who's represented in the health data we collect, and who isn't, and why it's so important for "p
How Private Equity Deals Are Reshaping Your Health Care
When private equity firms buy your local hospital, your primary care doctor's office, or your local nursing home, they profit. But what happens to those health care institutions, the patients they serve, and the people who work there? On The Dose this week, Dr. Zirui Song, a renowned expert on private equity in health care, talks with host Joel Bervell about the ways private equity maximizes profi
Charting a Path Through a Troubled Legacy
As the American Medical Association's first chief equity officer, Dr. Aletha Maybank guided the legacy medical institution through a difficult reckoning with its past exclusion of Black and women physicians. In a new episode of The Dose, host Joel Bervell talks to Dr. Maybank about how she did it, what lessons the AMA holds for our current moment, and why she has hope that American institutions ca
Climate Change Is Already Disrupting Health Care in the U.S.
Yes, the planet is getting hotter, tropical storms are becoming ever more fierce, and the Arctic is melting — but what's that got to do with health care? This week on The Dose podcast, host Joel Bervell explores the intersection of climate change and public health with Admiral Rachel L. Levine, M.D., the U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health. Levine, who oversees the federal Office of Climate Chang
Climate Change as a Public Health Issue
As climate change intensifies and New Yorkers face record-breaking heat, the city is taking new measures to protect residents' health. Landlords will soon have to provide air conditioning to tenants, school bus fleets are going electric, and efforts are underway to make housing more affordable. Cameron Clarke of WE ACT for Environmental Justice is on the front lines of the push to build a healthi
Reforming Mental Health Support for Students and Health Care Workers
Evidence of a mental health crisis is everywhere — from the recent surgeon general advisory about social media's effects on our youth to the pandemic's documented impact on medical professionals. To whom does a college student turn for help so far from home? And who cares for the mental health of those caring for us? Enter Dr. Jessi Gold, a psychiatrist and the University of Tennessee's first chie
Advancing Health Equity Through Disruptive Innovation
Moving the needle on health care access and health disparities is no easy task. Inequities for people of color are embedded in the U.S. health system, shaping their health care journeys and often leading to outcomes worse than those experienced by white Americans. That's where Dr. Chris Pernell, director of NAACP's Center for Health Equity, comes in. "Sometimes you got to make those systems bend,
More Conversations from Aspen Ideas: Health
In this special two-part edition of The Dose, we're bringing listeners along to an exhilarating gathering of health care's most innovative thinkers and changemakers — Aspen Ideas: Health. In part 2, host Joel Bervell talks to two people who are reshaping how we think about community health: Mary Oxendine, a Lumbee and Tuscarora woman and the former North Carolina Food Security Coordinator at Durha
Conversations from Aspen Ideas: Health
In this special, two-part edition of The Dose, we're bringing listeners along to an exhilarating gathering of health care's most innovative thinkers and changemakers—Aspen Ideas: Health. In part 1, host Joel Bervell speaks with two people dedicated to supporting communities that have been excluded from our health care system: Lola Adedokun, executive director of the Aspen Global Innovative Group a
A New Day for Sickle Cell Patients
This month, a 12-year-old boy in Washington, D.C., became the first person in the world to undergo a grueling gene therapy treatment that could cure his sickle cell disease. It is a game-changer for a disease whose history has been plagued by the racism baked into our health care system. On The Dose podcast, host Joel Bervell sits down with Dr. Cece Calhoun, a leading adolescent sickle cell s
Dr. Betancourt's Blueprint for an Equitable Health Care System
In Dr. Joseph Betancourt's vision for the future of U.S. health care, "any patient who goes to any health care system around the country should get the highest quality of care, no matter who they are or where they're from." As the Commonwealth Fund's new president, he's tackling some of the biggest challenges facing the U.S. health system while trying to ensure equity is embedded in health care po
Lived Experience Is a Key to Health Equity
As a physician, researcher, and educator, Dr. Cheryl R. Clark wants her students to understand what vision, love, and equity can bring to health care if we prioritize them — and why she believes doing so is critical to advancing health equity. In the latest episode of The Dose podcast, host Joel Bervell talks with Clark about how she brings health equity to life, taking medical residents to
On the Need for Diversity in Medical Illustrations
In medical school, students learning about illness, pathology, and disease are trained almost exclusively on images of white patients. Even materials on illnesses that predominantly affect Black people, like sickle cell disease, and textbooks used in medical schools in countries where most people are Black, are filled with illustrations of white bodies and white skin. This leaves doctors underprep
On the Need to Reclaim Gynecology's Troubled Legacy
Montgomery, Alabama's capital, is known as the birthplace of gynecology. It's a brutal history, as the field's "founding father," J. Marion Sims, advanced his work through the experimentation on enslaved women and babies. Artist and health care activist Michelle Browder has forced a reckoning with this legacy with one clear goal — we need to talk about the mothers. On the newest episode of The D
How to Improve Cancer Screening Among Young Adults
This year in the United States, an estimated 2 million people will receive a new cancer diagnosis, and a growing proportion will be younger adults and people of color. Many of these cases could be prevented — nearly 60 percent of colorectal cancers, for example, could be avoided with early detection. Physician and UCLA researcher Dr. Folasade May is trying to understand why cancer screening rate
Tackling Overtreatment and Overspending in U.S. Health Care
Overtreatment is a big problem in American health care. The proliferation of unnecessary medical tests and procedures not only harms patients but costs the United States billions of dollars every year. Between 2019 and 2021, Medicare spent as much as $2.4 billion on unnecessary coronary stents alone. At some hospitals, it's estimated that more than half of all stents are unwarranted. For this week
Private Equity Promised to Revolutionize Health Care. Is It Making Things Worse?
Health care is a $4.3 trillion business in the United States, accounting for 18 percent of the nation's economy. It should come as no surprise then that the industry has become attractive to private investors, who promise cost savings, expanded use of technology, and streamlined operations. But according to Yale University's Howard Forman, M.D., "most private equity money does seem to be making ma
How Medical Debt Makes People Sicker — and What We Can Do About It
Nearly one in five Americans has medical debt. Black households are disproportionately affected, carrying higher amounts of debt at higher rates. Berneta Haynes, senior attorney with the National Consumer Law Center, describes Black Americans' medical debt burden as a continual cycle fed by higher rates of chronic illness and lower rates of wealth. As a result, many are left without savings or fa
To Improve Cardiac Outcomes for Women, Increase Their Representation
Forty-four percent of U.S. women now live with some form of heart disease, a number that's been climbing steadily over the past decade. And although it's the leading cause of death among women, just 14 percent of cardiologists are women. This week on The Dose podcast, host Joel Bervell interviews cardiologist Martha Gulati, M.D., associate director of the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at
What Support for Women and Families Really Looks Like
Even though the U.S. has the highest maternal mortality rate of any developed country, federal programs that have been proven to improve maternal health outcomes are often the target of budget cuts. This week on The Dose podcast, guest host Rachel Bervell speaks with Dr. Jamila Taylor, president and CEO of the National WIC Association, the nonprofit voice of the federal program that provides nu
Why Culturally Competent Care for Women of Color Matters
Research shows that Black women and other women of color experience the worst health outcomes of any group in the United States — regardless of income level. On The Dose podcast this week, host Joel Bervell talks to public health innovator Ashlee Wisdom, founder of a digital platform that connects women of color to culturally competent health care providers. Black people make up 13 percent of the
Fighting NYC's Ongoing Public Health Crisis — Racism
This week on The Dose podcast, host Joel Bervell talks to Michelle Morse, New York City's first-ever chief medical officer. Starting in her role at the height of the COVID pandemic, Dr. Morse quickly understood the importance of establishing strong connections between the health department and the city's health care providers to help close gaps in equity, choose where to focus resources, and coord
Understanding Obesity as a Disease
On this week's episode of The Dose, host Joel Bervell talks with Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford about obesity: its history, including the racist origins of the body mass index (BMI), as well as the flawed science, misperceptions, and stigma that people with obesity encounter. Stanford, who's based at Massachusetts General Hospital, calls obesity "a really complex, multifactorial, relapsing, remitting ch
Can AI Improve Health Without Perpetuating Bias?
On this week's episode of The Dose, host Joel Bervell speaks with Dr. Ziad Obermeyer, from the University of California Berkeley's School of Public Health, about the potential of AI in informing health outcomes — for better and for worse. Obermeyer is the author of groundbreaking research on algorithms, which are used on a massive scale in health care systems — for instance, to predict who is like
Diagnosing Racism: How One Med Student Sparked a Big Change
On this special season of The Dose, guest host Joel Bervell is hosting a series of conversations with experts and leaders in health equity. In examining how we can uproot racism in our healthcare system, we are starting at the beginning of many healthcare careers: medical school. Naomi Nkinsi was one of the few Black students in her cohort at University of Washington School of Medicine. She notice
The Dose Returns on April 7th with Joel Bervell
Joel Bervell joins The Dose to host a special season examining equity in health care. Joel has garnered hundreds of thousands of followers on TikTok and Instagram debunking medical myths and dissecting racism in health care. This season, he'll host a series of compelling conversations with emerging and established leaders working to transform the health care system's approach to equity. The first
Uncared For: America the Outlier
The maternal mortality rate in the United States is more than double that of our peers – and it's especially high among Black birthing people. Why? The Commonwealth Fund collaborated with Lemonada Media to create Uncared For, a six-part podcast series, hosted by award-winning journalist SuChin Pak (Add to Cart, MTV News) to take a personal and wide-ranging look at maternal health care around the g
Health Care's Increasing Focus on the Drivers of Health
What people eat, where they live, and how much they earn can impact their overall health more than the medical care they receive — sometimes much more. Now, for the first time, federal policymakers are trying to measure and screen for what are known as the drivers of health. On this week's episode of The Dose, Shanoor Seervai talks with Alice Chen, M.D., chief medical officer at Covered Californi
U.S. Women Struggle to Get Abortions in a Post-Roe World
In post-Roe America, many women seeking abortions are treading on landmines, particularly in states where access is banned or severely restricted. On the latest episode of The Dose, host Shanoor Seervai talks to Raegan McDonald-Mosley, M.D., about a tool that makes it easier for people to determine what the laws are in their state and where they can get care. Mosley, the CEO of Power to Decide, ta
Why the Midterm Elections Matter for Health Care
The midterm elections are around the corner, and health care is likely to be a major factor in how Americans vote. Abortion and reproductive health access will motivate many people, as will inflation (which impacts the cost of care). On the latest episode of The Dose, host Shanoor Seervai talks about the most pressing health care battles to watch with Katie Keith, director of the Health Policy and
Improving Health Care for Trans Youth
Bills targeting the rights of LGBTQ+ people are under consideration in state legislatures across the country. Many aim to make it more difficult for transgender people to get health care — something that's already a challenge for many, particularly trans youth. On the latest episode of The Dose, host Shanoor Seervai interviews Austin Johnson, an assistant professor of sociology at Kenyon College a
Who Gets to Decide When the Pandemic Is Over?
Earlier this week, President Biden declared the pandemic over. This tracks with public opinion: most Americans have long abandoned their masks, and federal funds may soon dry up for testing, treatment, and even vaccines. Of course, this doesn't mean the virus has disappeared. In fact, hundreds of Americans are still dying each day from COVID-19, and thousands more are suffering from long COVID, a
What the Inflation Reduction Act Really Means for Health Care
Among other things, the Inflation Reduction Act is being hailed as a potential breakthrough in making health care more affordable. But what does this landmark legislation, enacted last month, really mean for Americans – now and in the future? To open the new season of The Dose, host Shanoor Seervai interviews Stacie Dusetzina, an associate professor in health policy and cancer research at Vanderbi
ENCORE | Race Matters — Arriving at More Equitable Health Policy
Social programs like Medicaid are supposed to help people, but often they reproduce racial inequities — and sometimes actually create them. That's because even well-intentioned policymakers can't always see the disproportionate impact their decisions have on people of color. But what if there were a tool to help legislators and government officials identify when and how they should be thinking abo
ENCORE | Getting to Net Zero: One Health System Fights Climate Change
Climate change can have a devastating impact on our health. When people are injured or exposed to disease related to floods or fires, it's up to health systems to pick up the pieces. But health care itself is one of the world's most carbon-intensive industries, responsible for 4.5 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. What can health systems do to address climate change? In the United Kingdom,
Insights, Impacts, and an Invitation from The Dose
The Dose will be taking a short summer break while our team works on brand-new episodes for the next season. Listen to our season finale, in which we highlight some of the accomplishments of our guests. Join us in the fall, for new conversations with health policy experts as they share ideas about how the U.S. can improve health care for everyone. Episodes Mentioned: Priti Krishtel on "For Global
A Strong Public Health System Depends on Making the Invisible Visible
A well-functioning public health system is vital to keeping individuals, and the population at large, safe and healthy. Except that success is often invisible when it comes to public health—we don't notice it until the system breaks down. The U.S. public health system has taken a drubbing from COVID-19. But the pandemic has also driven home just how critical it is to invest in this key component o
A Prescription for Reducing Bias in Medical Care
Racial bias in medical care extends all the way to the prescription pad. Research shows that people of color are less likely to receive the most effective treatments for life-threatening conditions, including cancer and heart disease. One way to address this is by aiming for "pharmacoequity" — where all patients, regardless of race, socioeconomic status, disability, or other characteristics, have
How the U.S. Could Fix Its Nursing Crisis
Nurses in the United States are experiencing burnout at unprecedented rates. More than two years into the pandemic, they are still processing the trauma of what they witnessed in the early days. Staffing shortages, meanwhile, are creating unmanageable workloads. On the latest episode of The Dose podcast, host Shanoor Seervai interviews Rebecca Love, a nurse and president of SONSIEL, the Society of
The Pandemic Won't End Until We Strengthen Our Safety Net
When a federal judge lifted the national mask mandate on airplanes, trains, and other public transportation, some Americans broke out the champagne. Others wrung their hands, dreading the removal of a relatively simple public health tool at a time when COVID-19 cases are rising across the U.S. On the latest The Dose podcast, Celine Gounder, M.D., Senior Fellow and Editor-at-Large for Public Health
Health Behind Bars — How the U.S. Could Improve Care for Incarcerated People
Access to health care is a constitutional right for the 2 million Americans in our criminal justice system. For some of those incarcerated – overwhelmingly people with low income and people of color – the first time they receive care is behind bars. But when individuals transition back into their communities, this care often vanishes. On the latest episode of The Dose, Emily Wang, M.D., director o
Closing the Mental Health Care Gap for Black Teens
In the face of overwhelming demand for behavioral health services, the unmet needs of one group stands out: Black and brown teenagers. One reason they're not getting the care they need is the shortage of child and adolescent mental health providers in the U.S. — particularly providers of color. Making matters worse are the racial stereotypes that play out in how Black and brown teens are p
Closing the Mental Health Care Gap for Black Teens
In the face of overwhelming demand for behavioral health services, the unmet needs of one group stands out: Black and brown teenagers. One reason they're not getting the care they need is the shortage of child and adolescent mental health providers in the U.S. — particularly providers of color. Making matters worse are the racial stereotypes that play out in how Black and brown teens are p
The Case for Investing in Primary Care
Although primary care is the lifeline of a health care system, the United States spends less on it, and more on specialty care, than other high-income countries. This sends a message to our primary care workforce: we don't value what you do. The result? Burnout, high turnover, physician shortages—all of which were dire crises before the pandemic but are even worse now. On the latest episode of The
It's the Patents, Stupid — Why Drugs Cost So Much in the U.S.
Americans pay more for prescription drugs than people in other countries do. As medicines become increasingly unaffordable — particularly for people with low incomes — policymakers in both parties are feeling the urgency to address the problem. But what could they do? On the latest episode of The Dose podcast, Robin Feldman, a professor at the UC Hastings College of Law and an expert on intellectu
Race Matters — Arriving at More Equitable Health Policy
Social programs like Medicaid are supposed to help people, but often they reproduce racial inequities — and sometimes actually create them. That's because even well-intentioned policymakers can't always see the disproportionate impact their decisions have on people of color. But what if there were a tool to help legislators and government officials identify when and how they should be thinking ab
Getting to Net Zero: One Health System Fights Climate Change
Climate change can have a devastating impact on our health. When people are injured or exposed to disease related to floods or fires, it's up to health systems to pick up the pieces. But health care itself is one of the world's most carbon-intensive industries, responsible for 4.5 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions. What can health systems do to address climate change? In the United Kingdom,
Boosters, Omicron, and What's Next in the Pandemic
The Omicron variant is sweeping across the United States and the rest of the world, breaking previous records of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. While it may cause milder illness, its transmissibility and ability to evade vaccines make this surge particularly challenging to navigate. On the latest episode of The Dose podcast, host Shanoor Seervai asks Alison Galvani, founding director of the
Why Aren't More Kids Getting COVID Vaccines?
A year after adults in the U.S. began getting vaccinated against COVID-19, children ages 5 and up are now eligible for the shot. So far, uptake has been slow – in part because of parents' concerns over vaccine safety. On the latest episode of The Dose, pediatrician and American Academy of Pediatrics board member Michelle Fiscus, M.D., and the Commonwealth Fund's Rachel Nuzum shed light on challeng
The Quest for Equity in Reproductive Health
The U.S. maternal health crisis has been well documented. Black Americans are three times as likely as white Americans to die from pregnancy-related causes. Why do these disparities persist? And what would it take to dismantle structural racism in reproductive health care? On the latest episode of The Dose, Rachel Hardeman, tenured associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Publi
COVID Vaccines Save Lives, But We're Chasing a Moving Target
Vaccines have saved thousands of lives and are an incredible tool in the seemingly endless battle against the coronavirus. But even with COVID surging anew in Europe as winter approaches, the rate at which Americans are getting vaccinated has plateaued. On the latest episode of The Dose, Alison Galvani, founding director of the Yale Center for Infectious Disease Modeling and Analysis, and Eric S
Meeting The Health Care Needs of Transgender People Without Housing
The U.S. housing crisis and health care are inextricably linked. Compared to the general population, people experiencing homelessness have higher rates of illness and mortality. These struggles are even more acute for transgender people, who often face discrimination when they seek both housing and health care. On the latest episode of The Dose, Pam Klein, Manager of Transgender Services at the Bo
Online Therapy Works. Will It Stick Around?
When the pandemic hit last March, mental health care, which was typically delivered in face-to-face sessions, rapidly moved online. At a time when the need for support was greater than ever, this was a welcome shift. But as we glance – with cautious optimism – toward a return to "normal," will telehealth be the dominant mode of delivering mental health services? On the latest episode, Latoya Thoma
For Global Vaccine Access, Overhaul the Patent System
While rich countries are doling out booster shots of the COVID-19 vaccine, many poor countries have vaccinated less than five percent of their population. And, while many leaders agree that vaccinating the world is the only way out of the pandemic, vaccines are still not moving around the globe in a rapid and equitable manner. This is because "we live in a hierarchy of health," says Priti Krishtel
Want People to Take the COVID-19 Vaccine? Confront Racism in Health Care
Even as the Delta variant rages through the U.S., many Americans have not received a COVID-19 vaccine. The reasons are complex, but for Black and Latinx communities, a long history of poor access to health care has been a tall barrier. On the first episode of our brand-new season of The Dose podcast, host Shanoor Seervai talks to Rhea Boyd, M.D., a pediatrician and public health advocate, about wh
The Dose: New Season Alert!
The Dose is the Commonwealth Fund's podcast that asks, What can the U.S. do differently when it comes to health care? Join host Shanoor Seervai every other Friday for conversations with leading and emerging experts. This season we're focusing on new ideas that could strengthen and improve health care for everyone. Get the Dose in your inbox: https://thedose.show/signup Music by Blue Dot Sessions.
Beyond Vaccines: How Can We Prevent the Next Pandemic?
Many Americans have started to behave as if the pandemic is over, but large numbers of people remain unvaccinated. At the same time, other parts of the world are experiencing their worst COVID-19 surges yet. On the season finale of The Dose, Sandro Galea, physician, epidemiologist, and dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, talks about what it will take to vaccinate the entire worl
"It's Really, Truly Everywhere": How the Opioid Crisis Worsened with COVID-19
When the pandemic hit last March, the U.S. was still facing another major public health crisis —the opioid epidemic. Between COVID-19 lockdowns and economic devastation, overdose deaths soared. Experts estimate that around 90,000 people died of a drug overdose in 2020. That's the highest number of overdose deaths ever, and it represents the largest one-year increase. On the latest episode of The D
"They're Not Going to Say They're Hungry": Designing Health Care for Trauma Survivors
Many of us can recall a time we felt nervous about seeing a doctor. Maybe it was because we were wary about how much the visit would cost, or what a diagnosis would mean for our health. Now, imagine how much more stress you would feel if you had experienced trauma — from domestic violence or human trafficking, for example. Trauma survivors are the people family medicine physician Anita Ravi, M.D.,
Sick in the Shadows: Why Immigrants Should Have Health Care
Migrants are crossing the southern border in record numbers this year, many of them unaccompanied children. What happens to them once they make it into the U.S., or if they've been here for a long time, when they need health care? On the latest episode of The Dose podcast, Carrie Byington, executive vice president of University of California Health explains, drawing on her expertise as a pediatric
What Will the Biden Administration Do for Women's Health?
The Biden-Harris administration has taken several measures in its first three months to strengthen the nation's social safety net. Many of these policies will have an outsized impact on women — particularly women of color, who often struggle to access health care and now are bearing the brunt of the COVID-induced economic crisis. From mandating paid sick leave and shoring up childcare to addressin
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