Episodes

Dr. Louis Sullivan walked the halls of Congress and testified before committees when he was secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That experience, working in a bipartisan fashion in the President George H.W. Bush administration, is valuable now.

During Black History Month, we revisit our interview with Dr. Sullivan for lessons about leadership and the challenges that still exist in our healthcare system.

Dr. Sullivan advocates for more Blacks to train to become doctors and explains the challenges that remain for them joining the profession. Listen in as hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter ask him to share his insights.

Originally broadcast January, 2023.

$4.95 — that’s the record high price of a dozen of Grade A eggs in U.S. cities. Michael Osterholm, Ph.D., the director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, says expect them to go even higher.

That’s because H5N1, a form of bird flu, has affected more than 156 million commercial, backyard and wild birds in the United States in the last three years.

Osterholm, with nearly 50 years of experience investigating infectious disease outbreaks, emphasizes the urgent need for improved pandemic preparedness. “It’s not a question of if, but when the next major outbreak will happen. Whether it’s a more contagious strain of COVID-19, the bird flu or a completely new virus, we need systems in place now to protect public health and save lives.”

He joins Apoorva Mandavilli, the science and global health reporter with The New York Times, to explore the critical lessons learned from COVID-19 and what must be done to prepare for future public health threats. “Bird flu may seem like a distant problem, but the global nature of infectious diseases means we’re all connected,” Mandavilli says. She also notes that public trust plays a crucial role in mitigating future pandemics. “Without transparency and clear communication, public health measures are far less effective.”

Conversations on Health Care hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter also ask them how public health agencies must adapt, improve transparency and build global cooperation to combat future outbreaks.