HealthCetera: Recent Episodes
HealthCetera, HealthCetera podcast by Senior Producers Diana J. Mason and Barbara Glickstein
HealthCetera is a media platform providing evidence-based news, analysis, and commentary by diverse, dynamic, front-line experts discussing the latest real-world effects of healthcare and health policy. HealthCetera includes a blog, radio programming and a podcast.
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You may know someone who has had a horrible gastrointestinal illness with “explosive diarrhea” with no obvious cause. Well, it may be cyclosporiasis that is spreading throughout the country. HealthCetera producer and host Dr. Diana J. Mason, RN, talks with Dr. Luis Marcos, MD, a Professor of Medicine in the Renaissance School of Medicine at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and Director for the Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program at Stony Brook Medicine about cyclosporiasis, its
symptoms and treatment, and how to prevent it. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on July 15, 2026.
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The misinformation and disinformation about vaccines has been on the rise, particularly since the COVID pandemic and, more recently, since Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. assumed the position of U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services in the Trump Administration. KFF is a nonprofit health policy research, polling and news organization that recently conducted a national poll to look at whether the public has embraced myths about vaccines that are based on this misinformation. HealthCetera producer and host Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, discusses the poll and its findings with Alex Montero, PhD, Senior Survey Analyst for Public Opinion and Survey Research at KFF. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX radio on July 15, 2026.
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Stigma surrounding substance use disorders (SUD), including addictions, is a major barrier to people seeking treatment. Many healthcare providers can also consciously or unconsciously contribute to the stigma that people with SUDs may feel, including through the language they use, images, and how they treat their patients. Addictions are physiological states, not flaws in one’s character. While we seldom treat people with insulin-dependent diabetes with disdain, we are not as likely to try to rid ourselves of stigmatizing language or behaviors when working with people with SUDs. HealthCetera producer and host, Diana J. Mason, RN, talks with Beth Rutkowski, an Epidemiologist and Director of Training for the UCLA Integrated Substance Use and Addiction Programs, and Co-Director of the Pacific Southwest Addiction Technology Transfer Center, about the evidence confirming that stigma around SUD is prevalent and harmful, as well as how to help clinicians, family members, friends, healthcare providers, and even the people with SUDs themselves to reduce and eliminate stigma. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on July 8, 2026.
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HR.1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that Donald Trump signed into law a year ago, cuts Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) funding substantially and makes changes in the Affordable Care Act’s insurance coverage such that an estimated that over 10 million people will become uninsured and millions more becoming food insecure from cuts to or termination of their SNAP benefits. But these cuts affect all of us, as hospitals and other health care organizations will lose revenue that they need to support offering services that communities need. This is such an issue in rural communities that some of these hospitals may close. In response to this concern, Congress created the Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to bring money to health care in rural communities. HealthCetera producer and host, Dr. Diana J. Mason, RN, talked about these cuts with Dr. Leighton Ku, Professor in the Deptment of Health Policy and Management and Director of the Center for Health Policy Research at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University. He and his colleagues conducted an analysis of what the impact of HR 1 cuts would be on rural communities and whether the RHTP would offset the losses from Medicaid and insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act. The paper is titled “H.R. 1 Funding Cuts Will Overshadow Gains from the New Rural Health Transformation Program” and it was published on June 9, 2026, by The Commonwealth Fund. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on July 8, 2026.
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Whether or not one agrees with the science that unequivocally confirms that our planet is becoming warmer and more polluted, we are all seeing the negative impacts of humans on our planet, whether worsening storms, flooding and rising seas, warming of seas, extension of deserts, loss of biodiversity, plastic pollution, and more. Dr. Susan Hassmiller, PhD, RN, and Dr. Katie Huffling, DNP, CNM, RN, know that nurses and other health care workers are key to both reducing the human impact on our fragile planet and to ensuring that we are able to respond to help individuals and communities to be prepared for disasters and public health emergencies and to build resilience in our communities. They have edited a new book on how nurses and others can take action to protect health in a changing climate. It’s titled, Taking Action: Top 10 Priorities for Nurses to Protect Health in a Changing Climate but it’s relevant to all of us. Dr. Katie Huffling is a registered nurse, certified nurse midwife, and Executive Director of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments. Dr. Susan Hassmiller is Senior Advisor for Nursing Emerita at the RWJF and Co-CEO of Sulu Coaching and Consulting. HealthCetera producer and host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Huffling and Hassmiller about their new book and its implications for everyone. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on June 17, 2026.
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Health professionals often think that the public understands that high blood pressure is dangerous for their health. But many people may not even understand what a blood pressure reading represents, let alone the acute and chronic damage it can do to your body. To explore what a blood pressure reading means and the impact of high blood pressure on our health, HealthCetera producer and host, Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, talks with Dawn Aycock, PhD, RN, the Distinguished University Professor and PhD Program Director for Nursing at Georgia State University. Dr. Aycock is an expert in cardiovascular disease prevention. Along with research funding from the National Institutes for Health, she has been a Fellow in the Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators that provided support for her to develop an initiative around preventing strokes, particularly among African Americans between the ages of 20-35 years of age. She calls this initiative SCORRE and talks about its success in helping people to be proactive in addressing high blood pressure. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on July 1, 2026.
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New York now has a law for Medical Aid in Dying (MAID), providing people in this state with the option of ending their suffering from a terminal illness through medication to end their life. The law has a number of guardrails in place but there is a lawsuit that has been filed to stop its implementation. HealthCetera host Diana Mason talked about the status of the law and this lawsuit with David Leven, Executive Director Emeritus and Senior Consultant of End of Life Choices NY. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on June 17, 2026.
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As cutbacks in programs and funding for health care and social services escalate at the federal level under the Trump Administration and Congress, the need for local action to support the most vulnerable among us in the Catskills is escalating, whether it be advising people on how to maintain their enrollment in Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or helping with housing assistance. Delaware Opportunities is a lifeline organization that provides such assistance to people in Delaware County. Dr. Shelly Bartow is the Executive Director of Delaware Opportunities and talked with HealthCetera host, Diana Mason, PhD, RN, about what she is seeing in terms of the need for services and the ability to meet these needs. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on June 10, 2026.
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Keeping people out of hospitals depends, in part, on robust ambulatory services, whether primary care or specialty care. Margaretville Hospital, part of the Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley and WMCHealth, is a critical access hospital in the Catskill region of New York State that has been expanding its ambulatory care services. Vicky Misner and April Brimberry are two registered nurses who work in this part of the hospital’s services. They spoke with HealthCetera host Diana Mason, RN, about these services. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on June 10, 2026.
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The Reporter is a local newspaper that covers issues in Delaware County, NY, and Catskills towns and villages. Joan Lawrence-Bauer is a reporter for the newspaper and HealthCetera host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked with her about some of the issues and stories the paper covered in May 2026. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on May 20, 2026.
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When older adults talk with their peers of the same age group, they often talk about whether their forgetfulness is a sign of dementia. None of us wants that diagnosis for ourselves or those we love. Most of us know people who have been caregivers for people with dementia and have witnessed the emotional toll it takes on family and friends, as well as the person who has dementia. Shandaken, New York, is a rural community that aspires to be a “dementia-friendly community” and received a grant from the Mother Cabrini Health Foundation through the Pine Hill Community Center to support this work. HealthCetera host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked about this important initiative with Dr. Patricia Ruane, president of Catskill Neighbors, Inc., and Mark Wagner, a new member of the board for Catskill Neighbors whose wife suffered from dementia. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on May 20, 2026.
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HR1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, was enacted on July 4th of 2025. The law includes cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, that have already resulted in over 3 million people losing this important benefit. On June 1st, the federal government issued the regulations that operationalize the law’s requirement that people between the ages of 18 and 64 who do not live with a child under the age of 14 and who receive SNAP benefits–and/or Medicaid–either work 80 hours a month, do that time in community service or volunteer work, or be enrolled at least half time in an educational program. The law also limits eligibility for certain lawfully present immigrants. This is at a time when the cost of food is rising and is expected to continue to rise until the conflict in the Middle East has ended and the Strait of Hormuz is reopened. Approximately one in 10 households in Delaware County participates in the SNAP program. To discuss what has already unfolded with the SNAP program in the Catskill region, HealthCetera host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Commissioner of Social Services for Delaware County, Keith Weaver and local farmer and operator of Kimchi Harvest Madalyn Warren. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on June 3, 2026.
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Being a family caregiver for a loved one who is ill or frail or disabled may come from a place of love but it can also be a very stressful responsibility, sometimes jeopardizing the physical, emotional, and financial health of the caregiver. There are 53 million U.S. family caregivers who provide critical daily unpaid assistance to loved ones, including to the more than 18 million people who have cancer. They often provide what can be quite complex care with little to no support or training from health professionals. Nicholas Odom, PhD, RN, is a registered nurse and nurse scientist who is very concerned about this situation. Dr. Odom is an associate professor of nursing at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and is a Fellow in the University of California at Davis’s Betty Irene Moore Nurse Innovators and Leaders Fellowship. HealthCetera host Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Dr. Odom about his research and its implications for family caregivers. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on June 3, 2026.
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Sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, is the unexplained death of a healthy baby, usually before their first birthday, that often occurs during sleep. It’s also been called crib death, and is a leading cause of death in infants. One of the strategies that the United States has used to try to reduce these deaths is to tell new mothers not to sleep with their babies, under the assumption that the
baby could be unintentionally smothered by the mother during sleep. This has been the recommendation of the American Academy of Pediatrics for some years now, but one nurse scientist is challenging this recommendation. Dr. Lauren
Covington, PhD, RN, is an Assistant Professor at the University of Delaware School of Nursing, a sleep health equity researcher and a practicing pediatric ICU nurse with over 15 years of experience. She has received numerous national and local awards for her research on improving sleep and health outcomes in socioeconomically disadvantaged families. She spoke with HealthCetera host, Diana Mason, PhD, RN, about SIDS and her work on this important health issue. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on May 27, 2026.
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Margaretville Hospital has been a cornerstone of Eastern Delaware County for 95 years. During this time when rural hospitals are closing at an accelerating rate across the country, the hospital has new leadership and its parent organizations, Health Alliance of the Hudson Valley and WMCHealth, are standing behind this critical access hospital, expanding services and being engaged with the community. And the community remains key to the hospital’s success in various ways, including supporting its fundraising efforts. For several years, the hospital has held an art auction that has raised significant funds for special projects, this year to support 2026. HealthCetera host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Michael Hochman, Executive Director of the hospital, and Emilie Adams, a doula and Chair of the Board of Directors of the hospital, about the hospital’s expanded services and the community’s support of the hospital through a recent art auction. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on May 27, 2026.
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In 2018, NY State passed a law requiring that nurses who graduated with a diploma or associate degree in nursing get a baccalaureate degree within 10 years of becoming licensed in the state if they want to continue to practice as a registered nurse. The NYS Education Department recently issued regulations to implement this law and the regulations were approved by the Board of Regents. HealthCetera host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked about this law and the regulations with Ann Harrington, MPA, RN, the Executive Director of the New York Organization of Nurse Leaders, including why the public should care about the issue. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on May 13, 2026.
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Brian Maher is the Assemblyman for NY’s 101st Assembly district that includes parts of Orange, Ulster, Sullivan, and Delaware Counties. Assemblyman Maher is in the Navy reserves and was activated and deployed last year. He remains deployed and his chief of staff, Meghan Hurlburt, is carrying forth with representing him and his positions in the Assembly and the communities he represents. HealthCetera host Diana Mason, RN, PhD, FAAN, talked with Hurlburt about Assemblyman Maher’s positions on several issues that are before the New York State legislature in the 2026 session. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on May 6, 2026.
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The U.S. healthcare system is in crisis. COVID strained health care organizations and stressed healthcare workers; and it seems that we’ve not yet recovered from that nightmare. We’re unlikely to see the system recover in the short term and it may take a lot longer, as the Trump Administration and Congress make cuts to tax credits for health insurance, Medicaid, and other health programs. The leaders of healthcare organizations are focused on the bottom line to survive but some exceptional healthcare administrators are also focused on supporting their staff, particularly nurses who provide the bulk of care. They know that you can’t have quality healthcare with good outcomes if you don’t address employee satisfaction.
But what does this work look like? How do healthcare organizations such as hospitals ensure that nurses and other healthcare workers are provided with the support they need to be able to do their jobs well and feel joy in their practice? The American Nurses Credentialing Center has looked at this for nurses and has an initiative called Pathway to Excellence that focuses on how organizations can create positive practice environments that empower and engage staff, and recognizes the organizations that do create such environments. HealthCetera host Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, talked about this work with Christine Pabico, RN, PhD, FAAN, Senior Director of the Pathway to Excellence Program for the American Nurses Credentialing Center. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on April 29, 2026.
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Summer is upon us and, even in spring, people are enjoying the outdoors after a rough winter. But the sunny days are not
innocuous. Public health nurse and HealthCetera Correspondent Barbara Glickstein, MPH, RN, FAAN, who worked for a time in a
dermatologist’s office many years ago and continues to pay attention to issues related to skin cancer, talked with HealthCetera host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN, about this important topic, including the Trump Administration’s Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s removal of a proposal that would have banned the use of indoor tanning beds by children. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on May 13, 2026.
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Artificial intelligence (AI) is already upending our world. It’s being used in health care in a variety of ways, including for interpreting x-rays and other imaging, flagging potential concerns that a clinician may overlook, and supporting diagnostic decision-making. There have been suggestions that robots and AI could even replace nurses. Needless to say, there are a lot of concerns within the nursing community about how AI is used in health care. In recognition of these concerns, the American Academy of Nursing issued a position statement on Artificial Intelligence in Health Care. HealthCetera host Diana J. Mason, RN, PhD, FAAN, discussed this position statement with Debra Barksdale, RN, PhD, FAAN, president of the Academy and Dean of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Nursing. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOC Radio on April 15, 2026.
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Samadhi is a nonprofit organization based in Kingston, NY, that takes a mindfulness approach to preventing, treating and supporting people in recovery from SUD and addiction. But the need for these services extends beyond the city’s borders. With funding from OASAS, the NYS Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse Services, Samadhi purchased a mobile van to take its services to northern Ulster County and Delaware County. Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Jason Tompkins, a CRPA (certified recovery peer advocate) with Samadhi and Simon Abramson, LMSW, a psychotherapist and the Director of Mobile Outpatient at Samadhi. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on July 3, 2024.
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Harper Spero is a business coach, and Founder of Made Visible helping people living with an invisible illness be seen and heard.
People living with disabilities that cannot be seen, are rarely accommodated for them and are frequently shamed when they physically cannot do the things that are expected of them.
Despite the progress towards inclusion, there are still significant barriers that persist that impede people living with an invisible disease and other disabilities from participating in society fully.
Ms. Spero shares how those living with an invisible illness can better navigate their lives through the power of communication and agency.
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The COVID-19 pandemic challenged most everyone to think about their vulnerability to infectious diseases and how communities and society responded. It was an opportunity to learn about what we need to do to be better prepared for the next pandemic or epidemic, including the current spread of Avian flu that is proceeding with minimal public health tracking and interventions. In the April 2024 issue of Health Affairs, Dr. Arthur Caplan, Mitty Bioethics Professor at the New York University School of Medicine, discusses the book The Wisdom of Plagues by science journalist Donald McNeill in an article titled, “How to Endure a Pandemic and Learn Almost Nothing.” HealthCetera host Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, talks with Dr. Caplan about his conclusion that our failure to learn from the pandemic is more than a matter of misinformation. Rather, our moral compass and ethical stances as individuals and a society are barriers to being prepared for the next pandemic. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on July 3, 2024.
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Suicide rates are increasing across the country, including in Delaware County, NY. HealthCetera in the Catskills host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Doug Ellston, LCSW-R, Director of Community Services for the Delaware County Mental Health Clinic, about the factors contributing to increasing rates of suicide, how to prevent suicides, and how to respond when you think someone may be at risk for suicide. This interview first aired on WIOX Radio on June 12, 2024.
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More than 200,000 residents and staff in nursing homes died during the pandemic. Some nursing homes did better than others and nurse staffing has been found to be one reason why. But we knew before the pandemic that nurse staffing in nursing home matters. We have reams of research documenting that staffing makes a difference in the quality of care and outcomes of that care. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid recently released long-awaited final rule that would set federal minimum staffing standards for nursing homes, but there have been efforts to undo it. Diana Mason, PhD, RN, host of HealthCetera in the Catskills, talked about this rule and the pushback on it with Dr. Elizabeth Halifax, a registered nurse and Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Social & Behavioral Sciences at UCSF. Her career has been focused on care of older adults, first in the UK and now in the US, including conducting research and holding leadership positions in long term care and nursing homes. She is a consultant on training and nursing homestaffing issues and a legal expert witness on cases related to nursing home care. She is an executiveboard member of the National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care, an organization that provides national education, advocacy, and policy analysis for long-term care residents.
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The COVID-19 pandemic created unimaginable situations for patients, their families and health care workers, including nurses who put their own lives on the line to care for highly contagious patients. Why would someone do this? Nurses and most other health care workers are inculcated with what is called a “duty to care”—an obligation to do whatever is necessary to care for patients, even if it puts the worker at some risk. Nurses went from being heroes cheered in the streets during the height of the pandemic to the targets of violence. Dr. Diana Mason, registered nurse and host of HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio interviewed Drs. Jodi Sutherland and Rosemary Collier about their study on nurses’ duty to care in the May issue of the American Journal of Nursing. Drs. Sutherland and Collier are registered nurses and assistant professors at the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, State University of New York (SUNY) at Binghamton. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on May 29, 2024.
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Workplace violence is a persistent problem, including in health care. The American Academy of Nursing recently issued a report entitled, Protecting Our Caregivers: Comprehensive Strategies for Eliminating Workplace Violence.” On May 29, 2024, Diana Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN, host of HealthCetera in the Catskills, talked with Scott Hutton, PhD, RN, MBA, FAAN, about this report. Dr. Hutton is Director of Operations, Workplace Violence Prevention Program in Veterans Health Administration’s Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, where he leads a cutting edge program on violence prevention. He spoke at the meeting with the Academy expert panels that developed the report on workplace violence for the Academy. They talk about the extent of workplace violence in health care, assessing risk for violence, and how to mitigate it.
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This November, the NYS ERA is on the ballot to change the NY state constitution. Most people, including myself, didn’t know we didn’t have one already. I go through why it’s needed and what the current status doesn’t protect us from.
Banning Smartphone use in schools – will this upcoming generation move on to the return of the flip phone? Gov. Kathy Hochul is considering a ban on smartphones in New York schools, reports Chalkbeat
Governor Hochul commitment to address the mental health of NYS youth includes a tougher stance on social media.
Gov. Kathy Hochul is focused on advancing two pieces of legislation by the end of the Legislative Session, including the Stop Addictive Feeds Exploitation (SAFE) for Kids Act to restrict the addictive features of social media, and the New York Child Data Protection Act to restrict the collection of minors’ personal data by online sites.
This recording first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on June 5, 2024, on WIOX Radio.
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Accessing social services can be difficult in a large rural county such as Delaware County, NY. This is particularly so when the otherwise excellent one-stop social service organization is located 45 minutes to an hour away from those who need to explore and access social services and there is no public transportation. Robin Williams, Program Coordinator for The Hubb on Main (Main Street, Margaretville, NY) talks with HealthCetera host Diana Mason about how The Hubb is serving as a bridge to social services for those in need. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on April 24, 2024.
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Suffering from mental health problems and addictions is widespread in the U.S. and the Catskill region. In recognition of the impact of mental health problems on local communities, Delaware County (NY) has a Mental Health Department and Clinic that provides important services to individuals and families in the county. Doug Ellston is a licensed social worker and the Director of Community Service for Delaware County, which primarily oversees Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services through the State Offices of Mental Health and Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services in the county. Prior to his appointment as Director, he was a clinician for about 24 years working primarily with children and families. HealthCetera host Diana Mason talked with Mr. Ellston about mental health issues and services in the region and his vision on promoting mental health. This interview first aired on May 1, 2024, on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio.
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As many people have experienced, when your bank account is empty and you’re trying to figure out how to pay for housing and food for yourself and your family, the stress can be unbearable. The Western Catskills Community Revitalization Council is an organization that understands this stress and provides counseling to people who are struggling with finances and housing. Eileen Knott is the Housing and Financial Counselor for Western Catskills. She spoke with HealthCetera in the Catskills host Diana Mason about this issue and the support that the Council can provide residents who live in their catchment area. The interview first aired on May 1, 2024, on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio.
HealthCetera Correspondent and Public Health Nurse Barbara Glickstein talks with Diana Mason about Glickstein’s leadership as chair of the board of directors for Project Kesher, an international nonprofit organization that aims to empower women and build civil society. Glickstein talks about an e-bike initiative that Project Kesher has undertaken to support nurses and other health care workers in Ukraine, as well as a recent large grant that Project Kesher received to provide small loans to women in the region who are developing or restoring businesses. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on April 24, 2024.
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Ten states and the District of Columbia have what is called Medical Aid in Dying laws that permit people who want to end their lives because of unrelieved pain or suffering to get the help they need to die a comfortable, dignified death. New York State does not have such a law, despite a bill for Medical Aid in Dying being on the legislature’s docket for the past 10 years. On April 17, 2024, Diana Mason, PhD, RN, discussed the issue with two longtime advocates: David Leven, JD, Executive Director Emeritus and Senior Consultant for End of Life Choices New York, and Barbara Backer, RN, DSW, a retired nurse living in Rochester, NY. They talk about other states’ experiences with Medical Aid in Dying laws, the NY bill, the opposing arguments, and the political context of the bill. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio.
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Most people don’t understand what public health is and why it’s so important to our communities. On April 3, 2024, Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Heather Warner, Public Health Programs Manager, for the Delaware County Public Health Department, about public health in celebration of Public Health Week. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio.
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Jason Tompkins is a Certified Peer Recovery Advocate working with Samadhi, a mindfulness-based substance use treatment program based in Kingston, NY. He will be leading a mobile van that Samadhi is bringing to northwestern Ulster and Delaware Counties. He talked with Diana Mason, PhD, RN, about improving treatment and recovery services for people with substance use disorders and addiction. This interview was conducted live on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on March 20, 2024.
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Nasal flushing is a procedure with known benefits but carries some risks if not done properly. HealthCetera in the Catskills host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, discusses nasal flushing, its benefits, its risks, and how to do it. This information was first shared with listeners of HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on March 20, 2024.
“Parenting adult children with serious mental illness: Lessons mothers have taught me.”
Judith R Smith, Ph.D., LCSW is an NYC-based psychotherapist and professor emerita Fordham University. She’s the author of “Difficult: Mothering Challenging Adult Children Through Conflict and Change” published by Rowman & Littlefield. The paperback release was on April 2nd– 2024.
Dr. Smith returns to HealthCetera two years after the publication of the hardcover version of her book. She has been offering support groups (as well as individual counseling) for mothers with difficult adult children. She shares what she’s learned from these mothers and how this self-help book for mothers has helped them navigate their lives, seek social support, practice self-care, and stay safe.
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Many people feel intimidated by the healthcare system or by a health care worker or clinician who may be used to stripping patients and family members of any semblance of control over their own lives, whether by having you sign a host of forms in small print, or putting you a flimsy gown, or cutting you off as you try to describe your health problem, or dismissing your symptoms. Why do we feel so diminished when we’re in a health care facility or with some clinicians, and why does it matter? HealthCetera in the Catskills producer and host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talks about these questions with Dr. Milisa Manojlovich, PhD, RN, a researcher and professor of nursing at the University of Michigan; and a Senior Fellow at the Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement at the George Washington University School of Nursing. Her research has focused on patient “agency” and diagnostic errors in the ER. This program first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on January 3, 2024.
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The United Nations’ Conferences of the Parties, or “COP” for 2023 closed after two weeks of contentious discussions about the best way forward to reduce global warming and rein in climate change. HealthCetera in the Catskills host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Kasey Bellegarde, MPH, RN, a public health nurse and Design Specialist with Ariadne Labs, a health system innovation center at the Harvard School of Public Health. Bellegarde is completing her doctoral studies at the University of Minnesota School of Nursing, where her dissertation focuses on the relationship between human health and the health of the planet. She has been involved in local, national and international climate advocacy efforts including attending the annual UN climate summit as a delegate the past several years, and co-chairing the American Nurses Association Innovation Advisory Committee on Planetary and Global Health. This interview first aired on WIOX Radio on December 20, 2023.
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Dr. Simone Gill, an occupational therapist and researcher, is an Associate Professor, at Boston University School of Medicine and the Director, Motor Development Laboratory. She holds a PhD in psychology. Her focus is on post-surgical support for people undergoing bariatric surgery. She has done research on how people control their bodies before and after massive weight loss.
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Jacqueline Saltarelli is the Assistant Director for New York City Treats Tobacco. She leads a health systems approach to reduce tobacco-related disparities, morbidity, and mortality by managing partnerships with organization leaders to develop and implement tobacco-dependence treatment policies and procedures that align with evidence-based best practices. She also trains providers on tobacco dependence treatment best practices, health inequities that exist within their communities, emerging issues, and sustainable policy solutions.
Dr. Junxin Li is an Associate Professor at John Hopkins University School of Nursing. She is a nurse scientist who focuses on the health and well-being of older adults and how physical activity and sleep affect cognitive function. She addresses the myth that not all elderly people sleep worse as they age and why sleep is critical to your health.
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Last Friday the FDA approved the world’s first medicine based on CRISPR gene-editing technology, a groundbreaking treatment for sickle cell disease that delivers a potential cure for people born with the chronic and life-shortening blood disorder.
Dr. Dora Clayton- Jones is an Associate Professor, at Marquette University College of Nursing, a Board Member of the, International Association of Sickle Cell Nurses and Professional Associates, and a U C Davis Fellow, Betty Irene Moore Fellowships for Nurse Leaders and Innovators One of her areas of expertise is focusing on transitions of care for adolescents living with sickle cell disease. She is committed to eliminating sickle cell disparities among youth.
HealthCetera Correspondent and holistic nurse Eve Adler talked about the Israel-Hamas War with Dr. Norbert Goldfield, founder and executive director of the Healing Across the Divides. an organization devoted to promoting the health of marginalized people in Israel and Palestine via community interventions. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on December 6, 2023.
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Agricultural workers have long worked under challenging conditions, including heat that can lead to dehydration and heat stroke. Climate change has exacerbated the dangers of heat for farm workers and one nurse has made this the focus of her research: Roxana Chicas, PhD, RN, an Assistant Professor of Nursing at the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University. HealthCetera in the Catskills producer and host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, interviews Dr. Chicas about her work that includes promising interventions to protect the health of farm workers. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on November 22, 2023.
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Judy Doran is a school nurse leader and the proud recipient of the 2023 School Nurse of the Year award from the Maine Association of School Nurses. With a rich background in healthcare, including service with the US Public Health Service in Alaska and roles in Family Care and Pediatrics, Judy has spent the last 16 years as a dedicated school nurse in a small community in central Maine. Known for her unwavering dedication, exemplary leadership, and advocacy for her profession, Judy Doran is a beacon of excellence in school nursing. We recently spoke to Judy in the aftermath of the mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine to hear a community perspective about the impact of the predictable and preventable tragedy. As Judy explained, “Today everyone is Maine.”
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In the United States, we have viewed health as an individual matter, whether because of genetics or individual behaviors that affect health such as smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, what we eat, and so on. We spend trillions of dollars each year on a health care system that embraces this perspective. Meanwhile, we are lagging behind other peer countries on things like longevity and maternal mortality. But there is a growing movement to recognize the role of an entire community as a factor in the health of individuals, shaping even individual health behaviors. The social determinants of health are societal factors in a community that have been shown to play a greater role in shaping the health of individuals than does health care itself. For example, access to healthy foods, adequate housing, education, and even the arts have been shown to be key in creating healthy individuals, families and communities. One organization in the Catskill region of New York that exemplifies this perspective is the Pine Hill Community Center. HealthCetera in the Catskills producer and host, Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Pine Hill Community Center’s Executive Director, Colleen McMurray, about all that the Center does to promote health in the region. This interview first aired on WIOX Radio on November 15, 2023.
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In the 1970s, Diana Mason, PhD, RN, was advocating for a boycott of Nestles as part of a global movement to stop that company from unethical marketing of its infant formula to poor women who couldn’t afford the formula. They would be provided with free formula until their breast milk dried up so they would dilute the formula to be able to continue to feed their infants. Infant mortality skyrocketed as these infants died from malnutrition and infection from contaminated water. The boycott was effective at that time but now infant formula companies are back at it, marketing their products in ways that are undermining breastfeeding. One person who has been trying to bring attention to this issue is Dr. Cecília Tomori, an anthropologist, associate professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and director of its Center for Global Public Health and Community Health. She holds a joint appointment with the University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health and is the author of a Lancet book series on breastfeeding. Dr. Mason talks with Dr. Tomori about the persistence of unethical marketing of infant formula in this interview that first aired on October 18, 2023, on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio.
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In early October of 2023, the Albany Times Union reported that there had been more than 2 dozen closures of maternity services in NY State since 2008, with 7 closing or planning to close since the COVID pandemic started in 2020. And this is in the face of what is called Maternity Care Deserts, such as Delaware County, NY, where there are no labor and delivery services. When hospitals or health systems announce closure of maternity services, they often note that women can still use emergency rooms for labor and delivery. The thought of going to an emergency room when you have what is expected to be a normal labor and delivery is horrendous. HealthCetera producer and host Diana Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Whitney Hall, CNM, Legislative Director of NY Midwives about this situation. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on October 11, 2023.
Kristen Fessele, PhD, RN, ANP-BC, AOCN a senior nurse scientist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and a Betty Irene Moore School of Nursing Fellow at the University of California Davis School of Nursing. Dr. Fessele is developing an intervention to increase physical activity among older adults diagnosed with cancer to keep them active so they can maintain functional and cognitive improvements and delay frailty.
Talking about the physical symptoms of cancer is one thing. When someone is diagnosed with cancer and their life is on the line, nobody wants to talk about how much money they need to cover the costs of treatment. The impact of these costs hits adolescents and young adults particularly hard.
Dr, Lauren Ghazal, is a family nurse practitioner, nurse scientist, and Associate Professor at the University of Rochester School of Nursing.
She was just named a 2023 Wunderkind by STAT News for her innovative research on the financial impacts of cancer on adolescents and young adults.
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It’s not uncommon for pregnant people to seek the help of doula–a person who provides emotional and physical support to you during your pregnancy and childbirth. This used to be provided by nurses and midwives, but staffing issues and the medicalization of birthing has too often pushed out this important part of childbirthing. The same thing has been happening with end of life care, with death doulas–people who will stay with someone who is dying and their families–becoming more common. Emilie Adams is a birth doula who decided to move this concept into navigating health care because it has become so complex and confusing. HealthCetera producer and host, Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, talked with Adams about doulas and a service she has launched called My Health Doula that aims to guide people through what has often become a challenging experience. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on September 27, 2023.
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Public health nurse and HealthCetera Correspondent talks about two issues that she has been ruminating about: Remote work and eco-anxieties, or the mental health effects of climate emergencies. This commentary first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on
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MOMS for Liberty is a rightwing group that is opposed to public schools and now has called for removing nurses from all schools. Recognizing that not everyone may understand the connections between children’s health and their academic performance, HealthCetera host Diana Mason, RN, talked about this issue with Jane Hamilton, Director of School-based Health Centers for the Basset Health System. This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on August 23, 2023.
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Every parent looks forward to the day their baby will be discharged from the NICU, but having the baby home is going to present a new set of challenges and be stressful for parents.
Dr. Danielle Sarik is the Director of Nursing Research at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital in South Florida. She is the co-Principle Investigator of Baby Steps, a nurse-led telehealth support model that supports equitable access to the transition of care services for NICU patients and caregivers.
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School Nurse Robin Cogan returns to HealthCetera to discuss the recent action of Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s signing of two critical gun safety bills into law, why and how nurses can advocate for gun safety, and how every adult can prevent childhood deaths by instituting safe storage of firearms in homes where children are present,
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Ageism is bias against older people. You let your hair turn gray and suddenly younger people are talking to you as though you are ancient and incompetent. And it can affect health. HealthCetera Correspondent and public health nurse Barbara Glickstein, MPH, RN, FAAN, talked about this issue with Liz Seegert, a journalist who focuses on aging and is the aging content expert for the Association for Health Care Journalists. This program first aired on WIOX Radio on April 19, 2023.
The United State is one of the only high income countries to ensure that families get a healthy start through paid leave for the birth or adoption of a child. Only 23% of civilian workers get paid maternity leave, even though it’s becoming a standard benefit for full time employees in moderate to well-paying jobs, but not for hourly or low-wage workers. Only 13% of civilian workers get paid paternity leave, despite the benefits that family leave provides for families and employers. HealthCetera in the Catskills producer and host, Diana J. Mason, PhD, RN, FAAN, discusses this issue with Sherrie Flynt Wallington, PhD, associate professor in the Policy, populations and Systems Department at the George Washington University School of Nursing and the Milken Institute School of Public Health. She co-authored a paper on paternity leave that was published by the Milbank Quarterly in December 2022. This interview aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on April 5, 2023.
Health literacy is the ability to find, understand, and use health information. It’s a critical factor in our ability to manage our own health and health care, but too often, health care providers don’t fail to consider someone’s health literacy when discussing health information. HealthCetera Correspondent and Public Health Nurse Barbara Glickstein, RN, MPH, FAAN, interviewed Carla Stanley, BSN, RN, FACHE, about this important topic. This program first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on April 12, 2023.
Registered nurse Barbara Glickstein speaks with Naomi Goldberg Haas about the importance of movement and dance, and how Dances for a Variable Population (DVP) has impacted the lives of so many adults.
Barbara Glickstein, RN, discusses the connection between nature and human health with Susan Allison-Dean, RN, MS, CCAP, an Advanced Holistic Nurse, author, and founder of "The Nature Nurse".
Dr. Diana Mason, PhD, RN, host of this program, speaks with Dr. Rana Limbo, PhD, RN, CPLC, FAAN, about how Americans might shift their views of death and dying, with particular attention to how we view the deaths of young people and infants.
On the 31st anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Tyree Brown joined President Biden and Vice President Harris at the White House for a conversation about resources for people living with disabilities, and how some of these resources have impacted her life.
Dr. Diana Mason, PhD, RN, speaks with Dr. Marianne Matzo, PhD, FAAN, about her efforts to make it easier to talk about death and to care for those who are dying.
Dr. Diana Mason, RN, speaks with Dr. Blima Marcus, RN, DNP, about COVID-19 vaccine misinformation and the idea of comparative risk.
Diana Mason, PhD, RN, is joined for a discussion about "Health's Up" by its creator and host, Dr. Kristi Westphaln, MSN, RN, PNP-PC, and lead producer, Anna Huntsman, B.S.
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Primary care is comprehensive care, it’s preventive care, and it’s the care that has the potential to save the United States upwards of 65 billion dollars per year. As Louise Cohen states in this podcast episode, for every dollar the United States spends on healthcare, only 5-7 cents are put toward funding primary care. The U.S. healthcare system has long underinvested in primary care and prevention, and has instead prioritized acute care.
Several studies, such as those reviewed in Milbank Quarterly’s “Contribution of Primary Care to Health Systems and Health”, link access to primary care to premature death, with one study showing that the odds of premature death can be as much as 19% higher for adults who rely solely on specialists, rather than taking preventive measures with a primary care provider.
In this podcast, Diana Mason, registered nurse and host of this program, interviews Louise Cohen, CEO of the Primary Care Development Corporation. The Primary Care Development Corporation is the only community development financial institution dedicated to improving primary care capacity in communities and the nation, through low interest loans, technical assistance, and advocacy.
This interview was recorded on March 17th, 2021, as a part of HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio.
Survey by The Harris Poll, 6/11/21-6/13/21, via Statnews
As the American population continues to live longer by the year, more people are suffering illnesses resulting from age-related changes in the brain; Alzheimer’s disease is one of the most common of these age-associated illnesses. On June 7th, 2021, Biogen’s Aducanumab (Aduhelm) was approved by the FDA to treat all stages of Alzheimer’s, nearly eighteen years after the administration approved Namenda for the disease’s severe stages. According to The Wall Street Journal, of the 6 million Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, over 1 million can be eligible to take Aduhelm. So, why are so many healthcare providers, patients, and families steering clear of the Aduhelm infusion?
In this HealthCetera podcast, Barbara Glickstein, MPH, MS, RN, discusses the complexities of the FDA’s decision to approve Aduhelm with health reporter Liz Seegert, the Association for Health Care Journalists topic leader on aging. This interview follows the publication of “Alzheimer’s Drug Approved Monday by FDA Raises Questions for Journalists”, a co-authored two-part series on the Association for Health Care Journalists’ blog, written by Seegert and Tara Haelle, the medical studies core topic leader.
This interview was recorded on June 14, 2021, as a part of HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX radio.
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How likely are you to consider palliative care for yourself or a loved one if they had a serious illness? That’s what a 2019 study by The Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC) asked over one thousand randomly selected adults, including family caregivers and patients with serious illnesses. Overall, initial responses were fairly neutral; 40% of adults (excluding family caregivers and patients with serious illnesses) reported that they were unable to respond: they didn’t know enough about palliative care to answer. However, after hearing the CAPC’s definition of palliative care, over 80% of respondents (including family caregivers and patients with serious illnesses) were very likely to consider it for themselves and loved ones–a net increase of approximately +14 percentage points across all groups of those surveyed.
More than anything, the CAPC’s study showed, plainly, that palliative care is a branch of healthcare with which most people are still completely unfamiliar.
People battling chronic, serious illnesses often require a plethora of services to both alleviate their symptoms, and relieve the stress that comes with the management of their conditions. Additionally, families supporting and caregiving for people battling serious illnesses are often charged with playing the roles of healthcare providers while balancing the needs of their own lives. According to CAPC, the utilization of palliative care programs can “improve quality of life for both the patient and the family“, by providing counseling to everyone involved; managing emotional symptoms of the patient’s diagnosis; improving coordination of care plans between all healthcare providers involved; and much more.
On this HealthCetera podcast, Dr. Diana Mason, PhD, RN, host of this program, discusses palliative care and its benefits with Dr. William Rosa, a palliative care nurse practitioner and a postdoctoral research fellow at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.
This interview was recorded on March 24th, 2021, as a part of HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX radio.
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On March 31st, 2021, the state of New York became the fifteenth in America to legalize recreational cannabis use, with the promise of legislation that differed from that of the previous fourteen. As with any newly signed bill, the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act is still months, or possibly years, ahead of its full implementation; however, New Yorkers have reason to excitedly look forward to the effects of what champion Crystal D. Peoples-Stokes says “hasn’t really been done in any other state”. The bill allows home cultivation of cannabis, is projected to generate tax revenue that will be recycled into New York’s socioeconomic equity programs and education funding, and even offers microgrowers a seat at the table. Most importantly, the bill stands as one win in an ongoing battle for racial equality; effective immediately, those convicted of marijuana-related charges (disproportionately Black and Latinx New Yorkers) that have now been legalized will have their criminal records expunged.
On this HealthCetera podcast, Dr. Diana Mason, PhD, RN, host of this program, discusses The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act and its implications with Phillip Pantuso, Managing Editor of The River, an online regional news outlet; and Dennis Morgan, Project Director for the Catskills Addiction Coalition (CAC) and a certified recovery peer advocate.
This interview first aired on May 5, 2021, on Healthcetera in the Catskills on WIOX radio.
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During the deadliest days of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions of Americans relied solely on Telehealth to connect with their healthcare providers. Online healthcare has proven itself beneficial in important ways, including increased access to hard-to-reach communities and care without the risk of COVID transmission. However, with Telehealth also comes notable challenges, such as difficulty providing adequate mental health care services.
As we progress further way from the pandemic’s deadliest days, Telehealth’s necessity is coming into question. Will defunding TeleHealth rectify some of its negative effects? Do its shortcomings in mental health services justify its removal?
On this podcast, Diana Mason, PHD, RN, FAAN, host of HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX radio, considers the differing opinions on tele mental health care with Dr. Kathleen Delaney, PhD, APRN, PMH-NP, FAAN, a psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner and professor of nursing at Rush University in Chicago.
This interview first aired on May 12, 2021, on Healthcetera in the Catskills on WIOX radio.
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Allie is 12 years old. She hates being referred to as a transgender girl. She just wants to be called a girl. When Allie (Adam at that time) was 8 years old, she told her parents she was a girl. She has a twin brother, Jacob. Her mother, Elizabeth talks about raising her kids.
This interview first aired on March 12, 2021, on Healthcetera in the Catskills on WIOX radio.