Inspired To Heal

What happens when an epidemiologist becomes a patient? Dr. Juan Alonso-Echanove spent most of his career in public health, including using epidemiologic principles to prevent firearm-related deaths in Puerto Rico.  After Juan was treated for pancreatic cancer, he chose to give back. Through lending his research skills and his public health mantra "information for action” to clinical oncology, he is helping his care team study the outcomes of cancer patients and how best to refine the healthcare journey for future patients. In this episode, he describes his public health career, his experience being treated for pancreatic cancer, and what he thinks the United States healthcare system should import from Spain. Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Dr. Bill Burman was foremost a clinician and researcher, providing patient-centered clinical care to patients infected by HIV or tuberculosis. After a surprise request to direct Denver’s public health department, he realized that his clinical care practice paradigm could translate into successful public health initiatives, where his impact could be magnified to the community. In this episode, Dr. Burman highlights that HIV care—through Ryan White funding—has long bridged the gap between clinical settings and community resources, and his attitude that “it’s the patients we don’t see in the waiting room” that are critical to reach, informed his successful public health career. He reflects on the gaps that exist between public health, social services, and medical care and how these connections are formed through time, trust, and deferring to the expertise of all partners. Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Numbers tell a story, but they rarely tell the whole story. Claire Dillavou, PhD, has made a career out of building and revising public health surveillance systems informed by the most critical variable: Community Context. The community revealed the story behind the numbers, one of the many lessons she learned that informed her successful public health informatics career at the LA County Department of Health, CDC, and ARPA-H. A public health informatics visionary, she describes her work in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Los Angeles County Jail, and in partnership with Uber to advance corporate-public health partnerships. Intro and Outro music composed by Kevin MacLeod and downloaded at https://incompetech.com/ Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

When CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service Officers get the call, they go wherever an outbreak leads. For pediatrician Jim Marks, that meant three weeks investigating a rubella outbreak with a source that inspired a memorable manuscript title. While Jim’s career began with infectious diseases detective work, ultimately, he devoted his public health care on preventing and managing chronic diseases, and tackling the deep-rooted health disparities tied to race and socioeconomic status. Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

What happens when an aspiring nurse is turned off by healthcare in college?  For Catherine Dentinger, a Peace Corps stint in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a chance meeting with public health legend Jonathan Mann, changed her career. After attending nursing school of nursing at UCSF, she contributed to polio eradication in India, Ebola control in Guinea, and malaria prevention in Madagascar. Catherine’s CDC career is an interesting exploration of diseases and continents. Join her as she shares her stories from ‘beyond the bedside', exploring what it means to be a public health nurse on the global stage. Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Fungal infections are commonly associated with irksome, but relatively benign infections, such as athlete’s foot. However, when fungi (molds and yeasts) get into our blood or cerebrospinal fluid, the infections can be difficult to treat and lethal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s mycotics team serves as a national and sometimes international resource to detect, intervene, and prevent fungal infections. Dr. Tom Chiller was leading this team when an outbreak causing catastrophic spinal fluid infections was reported. Although there were many deaths, and chronic disabilities due to this outbreak, CDC mobilized hundreds of personnel through their command center, quickly identified the source, notified scores of patients about possible life-threatening infection of the spine and brain, removed the contaminated medication supply, and prevented an untold number of deaths. This story highlights how an astute clinician, Dr. Pettit at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, activated the state and federal public health system, eventually leading to legislation that improved the safety of the nation’s drug supply. Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

What prepares a physician for the pace of Cook County Hospital? For Jay Shannon, it started with growing up among 11 siblings. After training at Parkland Hospital, Dr. Shannon began his career at Cook County Hospital, fulfilling a scholarship commitment to work in a medically underserved community. He developed a deep connection to Cook County Hospital, appreciating its extraordinary diversity—patients, colleagues, housestaff, and clinical cases. Dr. Shannon transitioned from primary care physician to lung specialist to CEO, navigating intense political and operational challenges for an uncommonly long six-year tenure. He spearheaded a critical transformation: shifting Cook County from a system centered on charity care to one designed to serve the newly insured under the Affordable Care Act. Under his leadership, the institution built the region’s largest Medicaid Managed Care Organization and embraced innovative programs that addressed the root causes of poor health that arise far beyond the hospital’s walls. This episode explores what it takes to drive systemic change in one of the nation’s largest governmental safety-net health systems.  Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Two pivotal moments shaped American healthcare: the creation of Medicaid in 1965 and the signing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. While the ACA slashed the uninsured rate by nearly half, the system remains fragile. In this episode “Insuring America’s Poor”, George Washington University Professor Sara Rosenbaum—a key architect of Medicaid expansion, CHIP, and the Vaccines for Children program—reflects on her career and issues a stark warning. She joins me to discuss the catastrophic implications of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 and how it threatens to destabilize healthcare for millions of millions of middle- and low-income Americans. Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

In the 1980s, pediatricians often were called to evaluate febrile children for meningitis—a disease that could mean lifelong disability, or death. Today, that scene is dramatically less common, thanks to public health interventions championed by the CDC and lifesaving vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Dr. Anne Schuchat paused her clinical career to join CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, which turned into decades of leadership at the CDC, including serving as Principal Deputy Director and twice as Acting Director. From solving outbreaks to leading astoundingly successful efforts to reduce bacterial meningitis in infants through vaccination and coordinated clinical care, Dr. Schuchat’s work reflects the power of sustained, collaborative, evidence-based public health action.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Dr. Sharon Balter, physician and poet, reflects on her career leading outbreak responses at the CDC and the public health departments of New York City and Los Angeles. Drawing on her experiences at the Federal level and in the United States’ two largest local public health jurisdictions, she offers a rare insider perspective on the strengths and complexities of the U.S. federated public health system. Amid unprecedented challenges facing the field, she also delivers an optimistic message about careers in public health, offering perspective, reassurance—a much-needed balm for a frustrated workforce. Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

After attaining zoology and medical degrees, Dr. Jay Butler’s medical career took an unexpected turn when he discovered the world of public health through the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service. That discovery set him on a path that led to impactful roles with the Alaska Department of Health, the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. In every position, Jay sought out the latest crisis and in the spirit of the CDC’s mission, “ran to the fire.” His long and diverse career has given him a unique perspective on how public health agencies can collaborate with each other and with communities to advance health. Now preparing to begin a new chapter as Dean of the University of Alaska College of Health, Jay reflects on the lessons, challenges, and motivations that have shaped his public health journey—and his drive for personal growth that keeps him motivated and continuously learning. Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

In the early 1990s, a devastating outbreak of contaminated beef led to kidney damage and death among children, sparking a call to action on food safety. In response, the CDC, USDA, FDA, and several state health departments launched FoodNet in 1995—a surveillance system designed to monitor the incidence and severity of foodborne illnesses across the United States. Dr. Kirk Smith, an epidemiologist, veterinarian, and director of Minnesota’s FoodNet site, he shares his insights from decades of work protecting the nation's food supply. Dr. Smith discusses how FoodNet works, best practices in food safety,  and a particularly unusual and interesting Salmonella outbreak in an elementary school.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Dr. Tom Frieden has led public health institutions through some of the most defining moments of our time—from his stewardship of New York City’s Department of Health to his leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In his new book, The Formula for Better Health: How to Save Millions of Lives—Including Your Own, he distills decades of experience into a powerful approach: See·Believe·Create. Dr. Frieden explains how rigorous surveillance and data serve as public health’s superpower, allowing leaders to identify urgent needs, design effective programs, and measure life-saving impact. As President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, he works on a global scale, advancing efforts to prevent millions of premature deaths by treating hypertension and promoting healthy eating. Through his optimistic and action-oriented perspective, we are reminded that—even amid today’s challenges—public health can transform and thrive.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

For over two decades, Dr. Sara Cody devoted her career to protecting the health of her community as the Public Health Director for Santa Clara County. Her leadership was tested in early 2020, when COVID-19 arrived in her county—one of the first in the United States to detect community spread. As the virus spread rapidly, Dr. Cody faced the daunting task of making life-altering decisions with limited information, uncertainty, and intense scrutiny. Drawing from her formative years as a member of the CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, Dr. Cody shares how investigating outbreaks of contaminated apple juice and raw milk taught her the fundamentals of field epidemiology, including collaboration between government agencies and communities. Dr. Cody’s story is one of a deep sense of duty to community and an inside look at what it means to lead in local public health when decisions have enormous consequences. Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

In the shadow of the HIV epidemic, Drs. Bill Clapp and Jim McAuley faced a growing tuberculosis crisis in the United States as frontline clinicians and public health experts. In this episode, they discuss the science behind TB control, the values that guided their mission-driven work in government health systems, and the faith that sustained their commitment to service.  Bill, a pulmonologist, cared for patients in one of Chicago’s impoverished neighborhoods before transitioning to public health and eventually returning to clinical medicine at Cook County Hospital. Jim, an infectious diseases physician, trained at the CDC, helped build TB control programs in Chicago and Africa, and now serves as Clinical Director at the Whiteriver Indian Hospital in Arizona. They share how medicine, public health, and faith intertwined in shaping lives devoted to healing and service.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Public health expert Mike Osterholm discusses outbreak investigations, pandemics, and the risky path the United States is taking on vaccine recommendations and abandoning innovative technology. Mike’s motivation to leave his small town in Iowa to become a disease detective was driven by reading a steady diet of “The Medical Detectives” by Berton Roueche, journalist for the New Yorker. Mike helped solve hamburger-associated thyrotoxicosis, tampon-related epidemic of toxic-shock in 1980, and a decades-old cluster of mysterious pneumonia cases “Austin pneumonia”. Recently, he directed his energy toward filling the gap created when CDC’s science-backed Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was dismantled and replaced with political appointees. He is the author of a new book "The Big One: How We Must Prepare for Future Deadly Pandemics".Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Using molecular methods and shoe-leather epidemiology, Don Weiss and Kim Musser teamed up to resolve a Legionnaires’ outbreak in the Bronx in 2015.  It’s a classic tale of combining surveillance and field investigations with advanced molecular methods to pinpoint and eradicate the lethal source of infections. Future deaths were prevented when the New York City Department of Health, the New York State Department of Health, and the CDC worked together to realize this public health success story.  You can read about this and other cases in Don’s new book Disease Detectives: True Stories of NYC Outbreaks.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Chief Communications Officer, Caryn Stancik, and General Counsel, Elizabeth Reidy, recognized the value of a functional government healthcare system to care for the medically underserved population of Cook County.  They devoted their careers to guiding Cook County Hospital through transitions: the Affordable Care Act; an independent health system board; and a series of CEOs. How did they maintain their motivation in a “no frills” work environment? Mission of course—and humor. Epilogue by Glady Lopez, former Chief of Human Resources. Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Professor Laura Bix, the Director of the School of Packaging at Michigan State University, is a national leaders in designing solutions for drug packaging that improves medication safety.  Two catastrophic events, young children dying of aspirin toxicity during the 1940s and 1950s, and deaths due to intentional contamination of Tylenol with cyanide in the 1980s, prompted Federal agencies, industry, and academic partners to design child-resistant and tamper-evident drug packaging. The slogan for Professor Bix's department speaks to their work, “It's the industry that no one thinks about, but saves lives”.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

When asked, "What is the one item, literal or figurative, that you would put in your medical bag?", seventeen former Cook County Hospital healthcare workers provided responses that sustained them during challenging but fulfilling, mission-oriented careers. Collectively, they distill hundreds of years of patient care into advice that is critical to pack with you during a career in healthcare.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Dr. Denise Cardo and David Henderson are infectious diseases physicians and leaders in healthcare epidemiology—the medical discipline that studies the causes and solutions to prevent infections, use antibiotics wisely, and prevent the spread of "superbugs" in healthcare settings. Dr. Cardo led the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and Dr. Henderson was the Associate Director of NIH's Clinical Center.  They pioneered the practice of providing post-exposure prophylaxis to prevent HIV infection among healthcare workers exposed to blood through puncture wounds. Their research and collaboration saved the lives of countless healthcare workers. Epilogue by Dr. Julie Gerberding, who worked with Drs. Henderson and Cardo on post-exposure prophylaxis for healthcare workers.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Pediatrician Kyran Quinlan and occupational therapist Marla Robinson witnessed severe scald burns among young children in their hospital's burn unit. They embarked on an epidemiologic evaluation that turned into a near two-decades odyssey to improve microwave safety.  They partnered with Underwriters Laboratory, the Consumer Products Safety Commission, impacted families, engineering and design students from Northwestern and University of Michigan to child-proof future microwave ovens.  They describe the challenges and the thrill of eventually seeing safer ovens on store shelves.  Epilogue provided by Joe Musso, former Standards Program Manager at Underwriters Laboratory who was responsible for microwave standards.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net. Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Dr. Jeff Schaider thrived in his career as an emergency medicine physician in Cook County Hospital's storied Emergency Department.  From the "routine" chaos of a Friday night in the ER to the stress of resuscitating a dying patient, he enjoyed having his brain activated by the rapid pace of medical care and his hand on the pulse of the city.  Jeff reflects on his career, the patients, the hospital, and Hollywood's adaptation of the original "ER".  Epilogue provided by Dr. Steve Aks, toxicologist and emergency department colleague.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Legendary leaders of Cook County Hospital's internal medicine program for trainees and medical students, and expert clinicians, Peter Clarke and Chris Smith, share their wisdom.  They discuss caring for patients, educating the next generation of physicians, and their evolution as healers.  Epilogue by former internal medicine training program director, Dr. Christine Acob.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Dr. Robert (Bob) A. Weinstein, former Chair of Medicine at Cook County Hospital, describes a career formed early as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer investigating hospital outbreaks at the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.  A single investigation led to decades of research & inquiry, and international leadership. With characteristic humor, he provides advice on life and leadership. Epilogue by Denise Cardo, former Director of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion at CDC. Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Medical crises often require time to recuperate in a clean and safe environment—but what happens when someone leaves the hospital with no place to recover?  Without access to basic hygiene, secure medication storage, or protection for wounds, recovery can be nearly impossible.  In this episode, Christine Haley and Keiki Hinami share how they successfully developed a low-barrier medical respite center during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how that initiative evolved into a more permanent solution.  Epilogue provided by Ed Stellon of the Illinois Public Health Institute.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

With roots across continents and religions, inclusion comes natural to Dr. Benjamin Mba. He shares insights on why inclusion is the requisite factor for meaningful DEI efforts, for success of organizations beyond healthcare.  Ben explores the challenges faced by healthcare workers when guiding families through illness—and the healing role of kindness. With so many options, Ben reveals his preferred destination for a family reunion.  Epilogue provided by former Cook County Hospital Chief Resident Farah Ciftci.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Dr. Benjamin Mba is a nationally renowned clinical educator of internal medicine trainees and medical students.  Effortless?? No!  Ben shares insights he learned observing mentors and through decades of honing the craft teaching medical trainees during rounds and morning reports—presentations and discussions of challenging diagnostic cases.  Now at @Yale School of Medicine, Ben reflects fondly on his career at Cook County Hospital.Epilogue by Dr. Sanjay Saint, Professor at University of Michigan Medical School and author of “Teaching Inpatient Medicine: What Every Physician Needs to Know”.   Sanjay observed Ben as part of a nation-wide evaluation of exemplary teachers.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

We hear the inspiring story of Mary Driscoll, who repurposed the skills she acquired during community organizing for peace and civil rights to Cook County Hospital and the Illinois Department of Public Health.  Through tireless advocacy and relationship-building, she built bridges between neighborhoods and public health systems—recognizing that sustainable healing begins with community connections.  Epilogue by Dr. Ellen Mason, who, in the words of John Lewis, recognized Mary’s penchant for “Good Trouble”.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

After medical school and training, Doctor Jen Smith knew how to treat the medical complications from harmful use of alcohol and drugs but not how to help people avoid those risks through treatment of their addiction.  Through resolute dedication to self-education, listening to patients in the depths of their struggle, and guiding the evolution of Cook County Hospital’s treatment approach, she made a difference.Epilogue provided by Peter Clarke, former colleague, esteemed educator, and primary care “doc” at Cook County Hospital. Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

At a time when many were reluctant to provide care for people with AIDS, staff at Cook County Hospital rose to the challenge.  With support from a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant, the Midwest’s largest provider of HIV services emerged with a welcoming and nurturing clinical center for women & children living with HIV.  Mildred & Toyin share the perspectives of a social worker and physician on compassionate patient-centered care.Epilogue provided by John Peller, CEO & President at the @AIDS Foundation of Chicago. Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

With the looming cutbacks to Medicaid, safety net health systems are vital.  After three-decades at County, Dr. David Schwartz explores its tumultuous history—one filled with challenge and progress.  As a young doctor, he grappled with the frustrations of witnessing sometimes indifferent medical care, which improved under strong leadership and reduced political interference.  Join us for stories of clinical care and our nation’s first blood “bank”.  Epilogue provided by Scott Fridkin, former Cook County Hospital fellow and CDC epidemiologist. Visit major podcast platforms or www.inspiredtoheal.net to listen and for relevant links to information about this episode and prior episodes.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

While  working in Guatemala, Dr. Jack Raba is recruited back to Cook County Hospital to be the medical director for Cook County Jail.  He negotiates and spearheads the transformation of healthcare at the jail, and champions public health initiatives to combat tuberculosis, smoking, and sexually transmitted infections. He courageously works to reduce the use of excessive force within the walls of the jail and pre-arrival by Chicago Police.Epilogue provided by Doctors Jane Leonardson and Connie Mennella, two Northwestern Medical Students who made correctional healthcare a career after hearing Dr. Raba’s guest lecture.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

In Part 1, Dr. Jack Raba recounts his transformative high-school volunteer experience at Cook County Hospital, his return to Cook County as a student at Northwestern Medical School.  Seeking to build clinical confidence, he took a year off to work in hospitals in Mexico and Guatemala.  As a physician-in-training at Cook County Hospital, he and his colleagues grappled with the ethical dilemma of physicians going on strike.  Hear about the brief incarceration of the strike organizers and Jack’s accidental escape from Cook County Jail.  Epilogue provided by Ken Brucks, longtime friend and sometimes rival on Christ the King basketball courts.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Dr. Christine Acob trained at Cook County Hospital and ended her 30-year career as the Chair of the Internal Medicine Residency Program.  She provided calm and compassionate leadership before, during, and after the COVID pandemic.  But, perhaps, she is best remembered as the drummer for resident rock bands.  Commentary provided by former vocalist, Dr. Paula Eryacizi.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

In Chicago to Chinle: A Journey from Urban to Tribal Health Justice, Dr. David Goldberg discusses his over 30-year career spanning Cook County & the Indian Health Service with characteristic humility and thoughtfulness. Join this deep thinker as he describes how his dreams of being a physicist evolved into a career addressing health disparities—as a frontline clinician, preventive medicine champion, and social justice advocate.  Commentary provided by Dr. Jen Smith.The book referenced by David is Family Properties by Beryl Satter.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

In Episode #2 "Academics Advance Mission", Dr. Brian Lucas discusses his experience as a clinician, educator, & researcher at Cook County Hospital. A serial innovator, he founded the hospital medicine program, bedside ultrasound and procedure services, and short-stay unit for rapid assessment & treatment of patients. A national expert in bedside ultrasound, he now works at the Dartmouth Institute of Health Policy & Clinical Practice. Brian discusses the value of academic excellence for patient care, and reveals an unconventional hobby!  Commentary provided by Dr. Stefan Tchernodrinski.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website. 

Dr. Cathy Deamant was drawn to the mission of Cook County Hospital as a medical student and during her residency training.  After providing care as a general internist and caring for patients hospitalized with HIV/AIDS, she was motivated to improve the care of patients with terminal illnesses.  This included hospice care for dying patients, and when requested, facilitating a return to their country of origin for immigrant patients at the end of their life. She built a nationally recognized program.  Commentary is provided by Dr. Josh Baru.Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website.