Healthy You: Recent Episodes

The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health

Healthy You explores the public health landscape and how it impacts your personal health and wellbeing. In each episode we tackle some of the most pressing health concerns of today. Whether you’re looking to start a career in public health, make a change in your life, or just learn something new, this podcast is for you.

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There is a threat to America’s public health that is as insidious as the spread of COVID. It runs through social media.  It surfaces in cable news, podcasts, newspapers - and even in the public statements of elected officials and health professionals.

In this concluding episode of the series, we hear from the experts about tangible, workable, scalable solutions to our disease of disinformation..

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There is a threat to America’s public health that is as insidious as the spread of COVID. It runs through social media.  It surfaces in cable news, podcasts, newspapers - and even in the public statements of elected officials and health professionals.

In this episode we consider the impact of mis and disinformation. We talk to a woman whose father got Covid after hearing that it was safe to go out. And we discuss the rapid erosion of trust in science, medicine, and public health.

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In this special podcast series we hear from people whose lives have been forever changed by Covid disinformation. And we look at what can be done to turn the tide. In this episode - who is responsible for spreading the lies?  And how can they be held accountable?  

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There is a threat to America’s public health that is as insidious as the spread of COVID. It runs through social media.  It surfaces in cable news, podcasts, newspapers - and even in the public statements of elected officials and some health professionals. This disease of disinformation causes confusion, sickness, even death.  And no one seems to be able to stop it.  It is a pandemic in its own right.

Today we are going to look at what disinformation is, where it's coming from and how to hold those responsible accountable.

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Many states are relaxing mask mandates and rethinking pandemic era restrictions. Today on the podcast we recalibrate for the new normal: relaxed workplace rules, and changes to masking in schools, airports and restaurants. What do public health officials make of all this? We check in with Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of  the American Public Health Association and Dr. Lynn Goldman, Dean of the Milken Institute of the GWU School of Public Health.

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If there’s one thing we’ve learned about the pandemic it’s that,  just when we think when we’re out of the woods, it throws us for or a loop. Today we talk to Dr. Catherine Troisi, an epidemiologist and professor at the University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston.  Professor Troisi shares with us her perspective on the Omicron surge in Texas and its effects on hospitals, schools and health workers across the state.  

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As the pandemic enters its third year, we consider the possibility that we will be living with the Covid-19 virus indefinitely. Today on the podcast host Frank Sesno talks to Dr. David Michaels, an epidemiologist and professor at  George Washington University’s Milken School of Public Health. He is also one of the longest serving heads of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Michaels and five other experts who advised Biden’s transition team, have called on President Biden to adopt an entirely new domestic pandemic strategy geared to better prepare us for what comes next.

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“Public health saved your life today, you just don’t know it,” That was the original title Dr. Leana Wen gave the book she wrote about her career as the Health Commissioner in Baltimore, Maryland. But when Covid 19 hit, Wen rewrote it and turned it into a personal story about public health, visible only when it is underfunded, ignored and laid bare by the devastation of Covid 19. On the next Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic host Frank Sesno talks to Dr. Leana Wen about her book, “Lifelines: A Doctor’s Journey in the Fight for Public Health.”

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We’ve seen so many important advances in our fight against Covid in 2021. And yet it is impossible to forget the struggle and the anguish over so many lives lost. In this episode of Healthy You – Surviving a Pandemic, host Frank Sesno talks to Lauren Weber, Midwest Correspondent for Kaiser Health News. Lauren shares her perspective on the pandemic from Missouri, a state she describes as having some of the worst public health infrastructure in the nation.

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There’s a dedicated group of health professionals that are exhausted and overwhelmed and working harder than ever before: school nurses. Since Covid hit they have been dealing with an array of new issues, from contact tracing, to administering virus tests to helping children who are suffering the stress of the Pandemic. In this episode of Healthy You we meet Gloria Barrera.  She is a certified school nurse for a public high school in Illinois and President of the Illinois Nurses Association.  She has also recently been honored with a 40 under 40 award from the de Beaumont foundation.

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Parents have been waiting for this moment. To send their children to school in the morning without worrying that they will come back with Covid at the end of the day. The FDA has authorized the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11.  On this episode of Healthy You - Surviving a Pandemic, we’re going talk about the Covid vaccine for young children with pediatrician Dr. Paul Offit. Offit sits on the FDA vaccine advisory board and is the Director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending physician in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. 

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There is one profession that we trust more than any other. We trust nurses. And during the pandemic they have become our lifeline. But what about the lives and well-being of the nurses who take care of us? On this episode of Healthy You - Surviving a Pandemic we talk to Ernest Grant the Director of the American Nurses Association – and Lucas Pieper, an ICU nurse who works with Covid patients in Indianapolis, Indiana.

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Dr. Thomas Dobbs has one mission in life right now. And that’s to try and help people survive the Covid Pandemic. He is responsible for public health in Mississippi – a state with one of the highest Covid death rates in the country.  He struggles with low vaccination rates, rampant misinformation, and hospitals that have overflowed their capacity.  On the next Healthy You we talk to Dr. Dobbs about his struggles fighting Covid and learn why he is thankful for a handful of important victories.

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The pandemic has made Sven Lindblad, founder of Lindblad Expeditions, think lot about the safety of the passengers traveling on his fleet of small ships.  So the pushback against vaccine mandates in the cruise industry is to him, non sensical. Host Frank Sesno talks to Sven about new Covid protocols - and the joy of travel after lockdown.

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The speed with which the news about Covid-19 changes is truly astounding.  And now – we’re trying to make sense of conflicting information about boosters.  Does everyone need boosters?  And when should we get them? On the next Healthy You – Surviving a Pandemic host Frank Sesno is joined by Dr. Georges Benjamin the Executive Director of the American Public Health Association and Dr. Lynn Goldman Dean of the Milken Institute School of Public Health at George Washington University to help us take some of the confusion out of booster shots.

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Today we talk to Dr. Christopher Mores – a global health professor at George Washington University and the director of GW’s new infectious diseases lab.  Mores talks to host Frank Sesno about the risks and extreme transmissibility of the delta variant, the rising incidences of breakthrough infections and his work developing therapeutic treatments with monoclonal antibodies.

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Day in and day out, public health workers are fighting Covid-19 on the front lines of their local communities.  And who is there to tell their stories?  Journalists.  Today we talk to Lauren Weber, Midwest correspondent for Kaiser Health News in St. Louis, Missouri and Michelle Smith, a correspondent for the Associated Press in Providence, Rhode Island, about their award winning series “Underfunded and Under Threat” which features in-depth stories of public health workers battling the pandemic across the U.S.

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Hospitalizations and deaths due to Covid-19 are on the rise again in the U.S. On the next Healthy You – Surviving a Pandemic, we talk to Dr. Alice Chen about her efforts this summer to promote vaccination with her organization Made to Save, a national grassroots effort to ensure communities hardest hit by the pandemic have access to the Covid-19 vaccines and accurate timely information. Dr. Chen is also a practicing physician and has served as the executive director of the organization “Doctor’s for America” - a movement that mobilizes thousands of physicians and medical students in all fifty states to work toward access to affordable, high-quality health care for everyone

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There will be a next pandemic. Right now we are in the position to ask what can we do to better prepare for it. Healthy You – Surviving a Pandemic host Frank Sesno talks to Tara Kirk Sell, assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering and a Senior Associate at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security about communicating more effectively going forward, and ways to mitigate public health disinformation.

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If Covid infection rates are going down, do we risk becoming complacent?  Host Frank Sesno joins Dr. Leana Wen for an engaging discussion about the possible resurgence of Covid in unvaccinated sections of the country, the urgency of getting our kids vaccinated, and the increasing polarization of news coverage about the pandemic.

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The city that was once the epicenter of the pandemic is back.  New York City has reopened. Dr. Oxiris Barbot, the New York City health commissioner who led the city at the onset of Covid-19 joins us to share a cautionary tale of the city she knows and loves. 

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On today's Healthy You Podcast, we celebrate the start of summer with some timely information about vaccinating your kids against Covid-19.  Today we ask is it possible to travel this summer when your kids are too young to be vaccinated?  Can you send your kids to summer camp? Today we find some answers with Dr. Peter Hotez, the dean of the National School of  Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, and the Co-Director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development. 

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The pandemic has shined a spotlight on so many disparities in public health, but few more so than in maternal and infant mortality. This week, Frank speaks to William Moore, lactation expert and the first certified male doula in the state of Minnesota, about how the pandemic has affected the birthing process and what steps we can take to bridge the gap and create a more equitable health system.  

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In March of 2020, we couldn't imagine how serious the pandemic would be, and over a year later, we reflect on the toll it's had - in terms of experiences, jobs, and most importantly, lives lost. In dedication to those who have lost their lives to the coronavirus, this episode features the very personal story of Amber and her mom, Marilyn – a story of loss, resilience, and remembrance. 

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When it comes to vaccine hesitancy among Trump voters, can minds be changed? In this episode, Dr. Brian Castrucci, CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, and Frank Luntz, renowned political pollster and communicator, discuss how messaging around the pandemic has contributed to the polarization of the COVID vaccine, and how changing how we communicate can change the minds of those who refuse to get the vaccine to unbelievable effect.

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Marking the one-year anniversary of the podcast, we are excited to announce new partnerships with the American Public Health Association (APHA) and the de Beaumont Foundation. In this episode, Frank speaks with Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of APHA, sharing reflections on this past year of the pandemic and what is in store for the future of the podcast.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs in association with the American Public Health Association and the de Beaumont Foundation.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has the United States emergency healthcare workforce underwater. An average ICU physician will normally see eight patients per shift, but because of the pandemic, we are seeing doctors having to care for over twenty. In this episode, Dr. Patricia Pittman, the Fitzhugh Mullan Professor of Health Workforce Equity at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University, joins Frank to discuss her research into the dire shortages of healthcare workers and how those shortages have pushed hospitals and workers to the limit. 

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With states reopening and lifting mask mandates, workers are at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19. Is it too soon to lift the mask mandates and how do workers protect themselves when employers won't? In this episode, Frank speaks with Dr. David Michaels, professor at GWSPH and former assistant secretary of OSHA, about actions the government and employers can take to protect workers and help turn the tide of the pandemic.  

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People are going to great lengths to get the COVID-19 vaccine shot. They are going online the instant a website opens, waiting outside pharmacies for hours, and even making appointments in other states. But while national attention is on the COVID vaccine, the use of other vaccines is dropping in the US and around the world, posing new threats to public health. In this episode, Frank speaks with pediatrician and vaccine expert Dr. William Moss about the different COVID-19 vaccines and how the neglect of other vaccines could lead to the next big public health crisis. 

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New variant strains of the COVID-19 virus threaten to undermine vaccination efforts and herd immunity. In response, public health experts have been sounding the alarm that COVID anywhere is COVID everywhere, and to beat the virus in the US, we need to beat the virus around the world. In this episode, Frank speaks with epidemiologist and vaccinologist Dr. Jon Andrus about the challenges in dealing with the new COVID variants and how vaccine diplomacy can help or spell disaster for global vaccination efforts. 

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COVID-19 is everywhere in the media, but how do journalists decide how to cover it and can all media sources be trusted to report the facts? Having covered pandemics and emerging diseases for over 20 years, Maggie Fox, a Senior Editor at CNN, shares invaluable insights into how other potential pandemics such as swine flu, SARS, and bird flu were covered in the media, and how increasing political polarization in the US has impacted coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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West Virginia is winning the COVID arms race - that is, the race to get vaccines for the virus into arms. In this episode, Frank speaks with Krista Capehart, Director of Regulatory Affairs for West Virginia's Board of Pharmacy and one of the architects of the state's vaccine distribution plan about the strategy behind West Virginia's success and how lessons learned can be replicated to increase vaccination rates across the country.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has been a challenging time for all of us, but for none more than people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. In this week's episode, Heather LaTorra, President and CEO of Marrakech Inc., joins Frank in an intimate discussion about how the pandemic has affected people with disabilities and how frontline workers have stepped up to help them get through it. 

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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With the rollout of the vaccine, we are at an inflection point within the COVID pandemic. If people get vaccinated and we reach herd immunity, we can beat it. If not, we won't. In this week's episode, we speak with Dr. Brian Castrucci, president and CEO of the de Beaumont Foundation, about how the language we use around the vaccine can impact people's willingness to get vaccinated, and ultimately, save lives. 

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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The approval and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine mark a potential turning point in the pandemic, but according to polls, much of the public is still hesitant to get vaccinated. Dr. David Broniatowski, Associate Professor at the George Washington University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Associate Director of the George Washington University Institute for Data, Democracy & Politics, shares his research on the misinformation and disinformation around COVID and discusses how bad information can sew public distrust in the vaccine and the country’s larger public health response to the pandemic.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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While COVID-19 dominates national headlines, the opioid crisis continues to ravage communities throughout the US and is getting worse. In this episode, we speak to Dr. Anika Alvanzo, an addiction medicine physician and Eastern Medical Director of Pyramid Health Care, about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting the opioid epidemic, and more importantly, what needs to be done to address it.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs. 

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A COVID-19 vaccine is on the horizon and a new Administration is on the way. With a wave of COVID-19 infections plaguing the country, questions on what needs to be done in the coming months to save lives are at the forefront of national conversations. Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director of the American Public Health Association and Professorial Lecturer at the George Washington University, discusses the critical next steps our country needs to make to conquer this pandemic. 

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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COVID-19 is surging in the United States. States are setting single-day COVID records and hospitals in some places are at capacity, bordering on record admittances. In this episode, we have a follow-up appointment with Dr. Leana Wen, who served as the Health Commissioner for the City of Baltimore and is a visiting professor of health policy and management at GWSPH, to discuss the current state of affairs of the COVID crisis and how we, as a nation, can move forward and save lives. 

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs. 

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During this pandemic, sitting at home and watching tv can be considered good public health practice, but is it really healthy? Many experts have voiced concern about weight gain and loss of activity during this time of quarantine. Dr. Loretta DiPietro, a professor in the Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at the GWSPH, discusses current trends in physical activity during this pandemic and how the need for people to move more and sit less. 

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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Professor and the Maternal and Child Health Program director Amita Vyas joins Frank to discuss how COVID-19 is affecting the dynamic of families and parents across the nation. She also shares what it was like to work with Mother Theresa in Calcutta, India early in her career.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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As we have witnessed this year, vulnerable populations have been disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Research has also shown that these same populations are targeted by industries that promote products that are fundamentally detrimental to their health, such as alcohol, tobacco, and guns. Director and Associate Director of the GWSPH Center for Commercial Determinants of Health Dr. Adnan Hyder and Dr. Nino Paichadze discuss this newer field of research and how they plan to hold these industries accountable.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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Will our work environments ever return to “normal”? Dr. Melissa Perry, professor and chair of the department of environmental and occupational health discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has created higher demands during the workday, increased feelings of isolation in work settings, and why people are feeling more anxious and depressed than ever before.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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In live conversation during Research! America’s 2020 Virtual National Health Research Forum Frank is joined by CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield to talk about pressing community health threats such as COVID-19, vaccine confidence, the opioid crisis, and more.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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Many are anxiously awaiting a COVID-19 vaccine so that our lives can return to normal. Jon Andrus, adjunct professor in global health and expert in vaccinology, shares when we can expect a vaccine, how leaders will determine who gets the vaccine first, and why our lives will never “go back to normal” even after the vaccine is distributed nationwide.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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One of the leading and most important voices of the coronavirus pandemic is Dr. Anthony Fauci. As the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Fauci has faced many viral diseases in his career including HIV/AIDS, SARS, Ebola, and now the deadly coronavirus. During this special live episode of “Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic,” Dr. Fauci shares his thoughts on opening schools safely, vaccine availability and effectiveness, and how he maintains his ethics and values during this trying time.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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Hospitals around the United States have been impacted financially for many reasons including a decrease in elective surgeries during the COVID-19 pandemic. Rick Pollack, President, and CEO of the American Hospital Association projects a 20 billion dollar monthly revenue loss in hospitals across the country from now through the end of the year. He shares which hospitals he thinks are most at risk of shutting down why it is important to “follow the science” to prevent the virus from further spreading.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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COVID-19 is creating a financial crisis for families including the inability to pay basic bills like mortgage and car payments and utility bills. Ellen Lawton, lead research scientist at George Washington University and co-leader of the National Center for Medical Legal Partnership discusses the impending eviction tsunami that will burden millions and how this will only add to the global health emergency. 

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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COVID-19 is impacting both black and brown communities disproportionately. This pandemic has brought attention to health disparities, specifically in the Latino population. Carlos Rodriguez-Diaz director of the Community Oriented Primary Care Program at GWSPH discusses his upcoming study on the Latino community and coronavirus and why infections and deaths are so high among this minority group. 

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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Amid the COIVD-19 global pandemic and social unrest, we are seeing people around the world be more sensitive and understanding to one another. Today we’re joined by Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of The Empathy Effect Helen Riess. As someone who studies and coaches empathy, she shares what role empathy is playing in today’s society.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, protests against racism and police brutality have swept through cities and towns across the country following the death of George Floyd. Wendy Ellis, director of the Building Community Resilience Collaborative shares how the impact of certain policies in America were designed to have the wealthy succeed and people of color and those economically disadvantaged get further and further behind. For more information about the Center for Community Resilience visit go.gwu.edu/ccr.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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As COVID-19 cases continue to increase in the United States many people are anxiously waiting for a vaccine to help stop the spread of the disease. On the contrary, many are condemning the vaccine and spreading false information. Professor of Physics at George Washington University Neil Johnson joins us to discuss the online landscape between anti-vaccine and pro-vaccine groups. Learn why anti-vaccine groups often smaller in size tend to engage and reach those with undecided views more.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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Today we get a local view of COVID-19 by talking with Dr. LaQuandra Nesbitt, Director of the D.C. Department of Health. As one of the key decision-makers in reopening the District she shares what metrics the D.C. government is basing this decision on. She also shares why the location of Washington, D.C. makes the decision of reopening more complex than other jurisdictions around the country.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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Fear and uncertainty surround COVID-19. One of the world’s leading experts on online misinformation and media editor for Buzzfeed News Craig Silverman shares how one e-commerce millionaire profited from selling fake face masks. He also shares tips for how we can avoid being taken advantage of and find credible sources.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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Dr. James Phillips, chief of disaster and operational medicine at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences joins us to discuss the reality of reopening the country without widespread testing available. As an emergency physician and CNN analyst, he also shares his thoughts on how he believes government leaders are handling this global pandemic.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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In our third episode of Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic in collaboration with the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs, guest host Frank Sesno speaks with orthopedic surgeon and long-time friend John “Bull” Durham. Dr. Durham details what it’s like to work as a doctor during this pandemic in Tuba City, Arizona with the underserved community of the Navajo Nation. He also talks about the reusable cloth gown program that some of the hospitals on the Navajo Reservation have started due to the lack of personal protective equipment.

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Continuing our limited series Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic, we talk with George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health Dean Lynn Goldman. As an environmental epidemiologist and pediatrician, she shares the potential effects of COVID-19 on children, the importance of maintaining your mental and physical health during the pandemic, and advice for parents during social distancing.

Hosted by Frank Sesno, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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In partnership with the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs, we bring you the first episode of the COVID-19 series, Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic.

In this episode we speak with emergency physician Dr. Leana Wen who served as the Health Commissioner for the City of Baltimore and is a visiting professor of health policy and management at GWSPH. 

Only days away from giving birth to her second child Dr. Wen details what it’s like being an expectant mother during a global pandemic, the importance of having a daily routine, and what resources we need nationwide to end the lock-down.

Healthy You: Surviving a Pandemic hosted by Frank Sesno is a co-production of the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and the School of Media and Public Affairs.

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Every year at the Milken Institute School of Public Health the Department of Alumni Relations hosts the Gibbs Oration, an all day networking event for national public health leaders, alumni and students to discuss the future of health care. Today on Healthy You we share part of Dr. Leana Wen’s lecture from the event. She shares her thoughts on the future of healthcare in America and what she believes it takes to ensure health equity in the future.

Music from https://filmmusic.io "Fearless First" & "Dirt Rhodes" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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For GWSPH Associate Professor Sabrina McCormick, filmmaking and public health has always been something that has interested her. On today’s episode of Healthy You we sit down with Sabrina to learn about her recent film, "Sequestrada" and her role as the producer. The movie, inspired by true events, is about the construction of the fourth largest dam in the world and the negative impacts it has on the indigenous people living in the Brazilian Amazon. Download the film on iTunes, Google Play and other online platforms starting December 17.

"Over Under" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons:By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Have you considered joining a public health organization but don’t know which one to join? Today on Healthy You we speak with leaders of three GWSPH organizations Kafui Doe, MPH ‘09, Pierre Cartier, MPH ‘14, and William Montgomery, MPH ’20. They share what it’s like leading their respective organizations and why they think all students should join one. Music from https://filmmusic.io "Fearless First" & "Dirt Rhodes" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Today we talk with GWSPH associate professor Monica Ruiz about her recent study on the benefits of syringe exchange programs. Over ten years Monica analyzed HIV cases in Philadelphia and Baltimore and found that syringe exchange programs prevented over 12,000 new cases of HIV. Monica shares why these programs need to be implemented nationwide and what we can do to help make that happen. To read more about Monica’s study visit go.gwu.edu/syringeexchange. Music from https://filmmusic.io "Fearless First" & "Dirt Rhodes" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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On today’s episode of Healthy You, we chat with Laura Venner a 2017 graduate of the Public Health Microbiology and Emerging Infectious Disease Masters Program at GWSPH. She tells us about her experience in the program and how the skills she learned helped her at veterinary school. Music from https://filmmusic.io "Fearless First" & "Dirt Rhodes" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Last month we had the opportunity to attend the 950 Awards ceremony, an event that highlights the accomplishments of GWSPH alumni. In today’s episode of Healthy You, we chat with two of the 2019 awardees, Dr. Joneigh Khaldun MPH’13 and Elliot Cohen MBA’70, who share their current career paths and how their time at GWSPH helped them get there. Music from https://filmmusic.io "Fearless First" & "Dirt Rhodes" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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This summer we showcased all of the amazing things the GWSPH community did during their three month break from classes on our Instagram campaign titled #ThePlacesYoullGo. By the end of the campaign we had a wide range of submissions from students, faculty and staff all who shared their unique summer experiences with us. Today on #HealthyYou we speak with two campaign participants Tammy Barlet, MPH '19 and Talia Shapiro, BS '22 to learn more about what they did over the summer and how their time at GWSPH led them there. To read more about #ThePlacesYoullGo campaign, visit our instagram at instagram.com/gwpublichealth. Music from https://filmmusic.io "Fearless First" & "Dirt Rhodes" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Today we talk with GWSPH Associate Professor David Huebner about his recent study on parents of LGB youth. We also talk with a participant of his study, Evette Lewis. She shares the tumultuous day her son came out to her and how the resources Dr. Huebner created has helped her have difficult conversations with her son. For more information on the resources mentioned on this episode, visit www.leadwithlovefilm.com.

Music from https://filmmusic.io "Fearless First" & "Dirt Rhodes" by Kevin MacLeod (https://incompetech.com) License: CC BY (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

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Today we sit down with two faculty members from GWSPH to answer big picture questions recent graduates asked in the realm of public health. Some of the questions asked were what are the biggest barriers in creating affordable access to care and what does the future of women’s healthcare in America looks like.

Readers! Do You Read? by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, work edited for use as background music.

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Happy Summer everyone! And welcome to our “director's cut” bonus episode, Healthy Highlights. Today we take a look back at some of our favorite episodes we have put together over the past two seasons of Healthy You. Stay tuned for start of season 3 in the Fall!

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After Hurricane Maria hit Puerto Rico, the Governor of Puerto Rico commissioned a study from GWSPH. Through the study, the team hoped to provide an estimate of excess mortality and evaluate the government’s communication efforts to the public before, during, and after the storm. We talk with two members of the team, Dean Lynn Goldman and Professor Carlos Santos-Burgoa.

Readers! Do You Read? by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ work edited for use as background music.

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In honor of Earth Day, we had a conversation with Susan Anenberg, associate professor and Ploy Achakulwisut, postdoctoral scientist, both who work at the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. Through our conversation they shared why air pollution should be considered an immediate threat to our society and why this is something that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later.

Readers! Do You Read? by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, work edited for use as background music. "Over Under" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons:By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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Although there are many different topics within the realm of public health, as public health professionals we all have the same mission -- advance the public’s health and wellbeing. In celebration of National Public Health Week, we speak with faculty members, students and staff within the GW Public Health community and ask them what lead to their interest in public health and what public health means to them.

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On today’s episode of Healthy You we speak with the lead of integrated product design at Truth Initiative and GWSPH alumna, Megan Jacobs, MPH'10. She shares more on how vaping is affecting young people across the United States and what she and her team are doing to help stop this public health epidemic. "Over Under" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons:By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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On today’s episode of Healthy You, we speak with Sameera Qureshi director of sexuality education and training at Heart Women and Girls about the correlation between healthy relationships and mental health. She also provides insight into the value of education and information for healthy relationships. "Over Under" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons:By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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"If we can understand emergence and transmission, then we can look for clues as to when the next emerging disease might pop up.” Today on Healthy You, we speak with Amira Roess, assistant professor of global health at the George Washington University School of Public Health, about the emergence of zoonotic diseases and the need for research to better understand these epidemics.

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Your everyday commute is affected by the way people interact with the road. Today on Healthy You, we speak with Adnan Hyder, senior associate dean for research and professor at GWSPH, about the impact of traffic, bikes, pedestrians, and electric scooters on people’s behavior on the road. He also tells us what people and governments can do to improve road safety. "Over Under" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons:By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

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New year, new me. For many, the new year provides a perfect opportunity to start over or incorporate something new into your life.  New Year’s resolutions can run the gamut, whether it’s shedding a couple pounds, exercising more or improving your finances. But do New Year’s resolutions work?

On today’s episode of Healthy You, we speak with Todd Miller, director of the Weight Management and Human Performance Laboratory at GW’s Virginia Science and Technology Center, and Stephanie Mull, a dietician at the lab, whose advice on setting resolutions may surprise you. They also share tips for taking a more realistic and big-picture approach to weight loss that may lead to better results.

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For many soon to be graduates, choosing a career path is a difficult, oftentimes stressful, decision. Today we talk with two GWSPH alumni Nancy Edwards, MHA '18 and Madiha Tariq, MPH '11 about why they decided to attend the Milken Institute School of Public Health and how their experiences at GWSPH led them to their careers in the public health industry.

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More and more studies are showing the negative effects climate change has on our planet. But how will climate change directly impact the public’s health and well-being? Sociologist and George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health Associate Professor, Sabrina McCormick shares what role public health plays in climate change cases and why we must look at climate change from a sociological perspective in order to find real solutions to the global crisis.

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With drug resistant bacteria becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society, just how worried should we be about these deadly bacteria? Director of the Antibiotic Resistant Action Center, Lance Price at George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health shares how we have ended up in this devastating position and what our world will look like if we don’t change the way we use antibiotics.

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Recently, there has been an overload of news and information about U.S. immigration policies in the media. But how have these new policies directly affected immigrants and their families? George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health Associate Professor, Kathleen Roche shares the specific adverse effects these new immigration policies have on U.S. Latino families and what we can do as a country to ease some of their fears.

"Over Under" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Did you know that plastics are often found in the foods that we eat every day? Ami Zota, Assistant Professor at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University shares what specific food sources increase our exposures to these harmful chemicals and what we can do in our own lives to reduce the widespread problem of contamination in our food supply.

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We are all guilty of watching too many episodes of our favorite tv show or sitting too many hours at our desk at work. But have you ever thought about what specific negative effects these habits have on your body? George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health epidemiologist, Loretta DiPietro shares just how detrimental these unhealthy habits are for us and how we can combat some of these negative consequences before it's too late.

"Over Under" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
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Have you ever felt out of place in a social situation or like you didn't belong? This feeling is a lot more common than you may think. George Washington University Professor of Global Health and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry, Eliot Sorel joins us to discuss why the feeling of belonging is so important to humans and what we can do in our own lives to help combat feelings of not belonging. Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to Healthy You so you never miss an episode!

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Healthy You explores the public health landscape and how it impacts your personal health and wellbeing. Whether you’re looking to start a career in public health, make a change in your life, or just learn something new, this is the perfect podcast for you.

Be sure to join us every other week as we tackle some of the most pressing health concerns of today. Don’t miss a single episode by subscribing today on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.