Healthy Rounds With Dr. Anthony Alessi
Healthy Rounds covers a wide range of health topics, including new medical technologies, treatments, and research, as well as disease prevention. Host Dr. Anthony Alessi, a neurologist at UConn Health, shares insights on current developments in health care policy. The podcast emphasizes the importance of being an informed patient, understanding preventive measures, and taking control of your health through proactive choices. Listeners also gain awareness of new medical guidelines and practical steps for maintaining well-being.
Episodes
The Breast Cancer Breakdown
How much of a factor is genetics when it comes to breast cancer, and how does that inform the best treatment approach? As Dr. Daniel Morgenstern, who specializes in breast cancer and genetics at UConn Health, explains, there's quite a spectrum when it comes to types of breast cancer, and immunotherapy, while promising, is not effective with a majority of them. Dr. Morgenstern also discusses the ev
Progress With ALS and Other Neuromuscular Disorders
ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease) is a devastating motor neuron disease that effects movement, speech, swallowing, and breathing. Dr. Cristina Viguera, who practices neuromuscular medicine at UConn Health, joins Dr. Alessi to discuss some potentially promising research findings in ALS, as well as some progress in treating the genetic condition spinal muscu
Great Strides in Cancer Treatment
The idea of using cells from your own tumor to develop a personalized vaccine that guides your immune system to fight your cancer goes back several decades. Today, we are on the verge of using messenger RNA to bring this concept to a new level, one that could change how we treat melanoma and other cancers. Dr. Margaret Callahan, chief of UConn Health’s Division of Hematology and Oncology and medic
Concussions and Sports Neurology
As we get ready for football season, Dr. Alessi brings on a fellow expert in sports neurology, Dr. Stephanie Aless-LaRosa, program director of the UConn Health Sports Neurology Fellowship. They discuss not only concussions (which is more than just a football issue) but also other conditions they see in the sports context, how more folks seem be active for longer, the perspective of a team physicia
Wide World of Western Sports
The term “Western sports” refers to events like roping, steer wrestling, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, and bull riding — some of the most dangerous forms of competition. Applying his expertise in neurology and sports medicine to care for these athletes over the last several years, Dr. Anthony Alessi has developed a unique perspective on this world. Professional bull riders have been flying
The Brain and Spine Frontier
Neurosurgery is a relatively young discipline in medicine, one that began with a focus on survival. Today the focus goes beyond survival to restoring personalities, memories, limb function, even the ability to walk. Dr. Ketan Bulsara, chair of UConn Health’s Department of Neurosurgery, joins Dr. Alessi to discuss restorative neurosurgery, as well as UConn Health’s elite position when it comes to i
Keeping Women Active and Healthy
You don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from the expertise of sports medicine physicians. While Dr. Allison Schafer and Dr. Katherine Coyner are team physicians for UConn athletics, they also run the Women’s Center for Motion and Performance at UConn Health, a collection of coordinated services to keep women of all ages active and healthy, athlete or not. They join Dr. Alessi to discuss the adv
Retraining the Brain With Advanced Neurosurgery
Already on the leading edge of electronic stimulation for new applications like stroke recovery, UConn Health's Dr. Christopher Conner, who specializes in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery, is on the verge of another one! He joins Dr. Anthony Alessi to explain how Vivistim has been opening new doors to regaining function after stroke, who the best candidates are, and how a similar concept f
Kids on a Pitch Count
In 1974, a 31-year-old pitcher for the Los Angeles Dodgers underwent a new procedure to repair the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his left elbow. His name was Tommy John, and so would become the name of the surgery. Today, it’s not unheard of for baseball players to get Tommy John surgery before they turn 20. One factor is, it’s become the norm for many child athletes to specialize, for exampl
Hantavirus: How Worried Should We Be?
An outbreak of an uncommon but not unheard-of illness is responsible for the deaths of at least three people who were on an international cruise ship. With the rest of the passengers and crew under observation in their home countries — including 18 Americans who went to a quarantine facility at the University of Nebraska — how worried do we need to be about hantavirus? Dr. David Banach, UConn Heal
Stroke Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery
Gone are the days of stroke having only two outcomes — death or disability — now that we have a window of time to treat what still is very much a medical emergency. For Stroke Awareness Month, Dr. Priya Narwal, medical director of UConn Health’s stroke program, joins to discuss how stroke care, recovery, and even prevention have evolved over the years, how the UConn Health Stroke Center harness th
Tony’s Take: Acetaminophen Myths, Messenger RNA
In between studio guests, Dr. Alessi brings new information to earlier conversations about messenger RNA and how it’s showing promise in treating pancreatic cancer, a study further debunking the Trump Administration’s assertions about the safety of Tylenol, and whether reasonable solutions to physician licensing challenges could improve access to care.
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The Silent Success of Public Health
It’s impossible to definitively measure how many lives were saved or prolonged, or how much illness or disease prevented or made less severe, as a direct result of public health initiatives. Douglas Brugge, chair of the UConn School of Medicine’s Department of Public Health Sciences, explains the “invisible” benefits of things like policies that regulate toxins in our water or pollution in our air
Bonus Episode: Quality, Patient Safety
This week we revisit the conversation with Dr. Scott Allen, UConn Health’s chief medical officer. Dr. Alessi digs deeper into what we mean by the terms “quality” and “patient safety,” exploring the patient experience as well as how to measure quality and how the increasing complexity of medicine makes safety such a priority. He also differentiates between internists and family medicine practitione
Inquiring About Quality and Patient Safety
We hear a lot in health care about patient safety and quality. While those terms would seem like a given, when it comes to patient care, they in fact are very strategic and measured. As Dr. Scott Allen, UConn Health’s chief medical officer, explains, much has to do with acknowledging the possibility of human error and how to mitigate its impacts, with practices such as daily safety huddles, checkl
Bonus Episode: Dementia Deep Dive
Dr. Alessi goes more in-depth on the topic of dementia in follow-up to his earlier conversation with Dr. Kristina Zdanys, geriatric psychiatrist at UConn Health and co-director of the James E. C. Walker Memory Assessment Program in the UConn Center on Aging.
He takes a closer look at the multifaceted nature of an effective memory assessment program, the role of imaging and monoclonal antibodies in
Dealing With Dementia
There are many disorders that can cause memory problems, which fall under the category of “dementia” when those memory problems interfere with daily living. The most common dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, which afflicts more than seven million people in the U.S. As Dr. Kristina Zdanys, geriatric psychiatrist at UConn Health, explains, we can’t cure dementia; our best bet is to try to slow its pro
Bonus Episode: Remarkable Advances in Spine Surgery
A glimpse into the future of surgery came last year, when a surgeon in Orlando operated on a patient 7,000 miles away! Yet diagnosing a painful disc still comes with a number of challenges. Could figuring that out lead to better decisions on surgery versus conservative management? Dr. Alessi revisits his conversation with Dr. Moss, chair of UConn Health’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, particu
Spine Surgery’s Advances and Promising Future
More than eight in 10 of us have had or will have back pain, but far fewer will have surgery for it. Those who do have surgery enter a realm of innovation like few other areas of medicine. That’s what drew Dr. Isaac Moss into the specialty, yet he says there’s still so much we don’t know. Dr. Moss, renowned spine surgeon and the chair of UConn Health’s Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, discusses
Bonus Episode: Social Services Deep Dive
Dr. Alessi drills down on a number of topics discussed with Connecticut's Social Services Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves, including Medicaid truths, social determinants of health, and how the ACEs survey fits into overall health.
Submit questions for Healthy Rounds:
HealthyRounds@uchc.edu
DSS Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves:
https://portal.ct.gov/dss/knowledge-base/articles/home/dss-commissio
Medicaid Myths, Keeping CT Families Healthy
Recognizing and addressing social determinants of health can have a great impact on our overall well-being. That also goes for the people who are responsible for the care of others, be it their children or an aging or sick relative. Connecticut has a number of services and programs available to help, and Department of Social Services Commissioner Andrea Barton Reeves joins Dr. Alessi to explain th
Bonus Episode: Heart Month Deep Dive
Dr. Alessi revisits his American Heart Month conversation with UConn Health cardiologist Dr. Peter Schulman, drilling down on advances in prevention, treatment, and management of heart disease, heart attack, and heart failure, how they've changed over the years, and further changes potentially on the horizon.
The Healthy Rounds Podcast at UConn Health:
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Our Great Strides in Cardiology Care
Heart disease and heart attack are much more treatable, manageable, and preventable today than they were 40 or 50 years ago. For American Heart Month, Dr. Alessi speaks with Dr. Peter Schulman, UConn Health cardiologist, about the evolution of care for and prevention of cardiovascular disease, from medications to procedures to lifestyle changes.
Still, some things haven’t changed, including the cr
Bonus Episode: Deep Dive on Public Health
Dr. Alessi dives further into the discussion he recently discussed with Connecticut Public Health Commissioner Manisha Juthani. Topics include how Connecticut stacks up against other states in terms of citizens' health, confusion over health recommendations and waning confidence in the federal government, the continued importance of vaccines, and potential lost ground on research as a result of a
The Impact of Public Health
Despite what’s coming out of Washington, Connecticut’s public health commissioner says the state has not changed its recommended vaccine schedule. Dr. Manisha Juthani joins Dr. Alessi to discuss the state of public health, beyond the confusion over current government recommendations. Topics include Connecticut’s standing among the most vaccinated states, the challenges of public health policy, acc
Bonus Episode: Deep Dive on Dr. Agwunobi Interview
In our first “bonus episode,” Dr. Alessi further explores some of the relevant topics from his conversation with Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, UConn Health CEO and executive VP for health affairs, such as patient safety, the per-capita cost of health care in the U.S. compared to other parts of the world, how aligned incentives might address that, and electronic medical records.
Watch for periodic “deep div
Premiere: Dr. Andy Agwunobi, UConn Health CEO
In our debut podcast, Dr. Alessi starts at the top, with “Dr. Andy” — Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, UConn Health CEO and executive VP for health affairs. Dr. Andy shares his thoughts on the state of health care delivery, what he learned from his experience in the private sector, and the big things on the verge of happening with the upcoming partnership between UConn Health and Waterbury HEALTH.
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Introducing "Healthy Rounds With Dr. Anthony Alessi" at UConn Health
Coming January 2026
Healthy Rounds covers a range of topics, including new medical technologies and treatments, research, disease prevention. Its host, Dr. Anthony Alessi, also shares insights on current developments in health care policy, emphasizing the importance of being an informed patient, understanding preventive measures, and taking control of your health through proactive choices and awar
