It’s time to get to grips with sepsis.The statistics are stark: sepsis is killing 250,000 people in our country every year - and yet we’re still only getting to grips with why it happens, how we can identify it, and how we ensure effective treatment.On a mission to better our understanding is Dr. Robert Scoggins, a leading figure in pulmonary and critical care medicine who serves as Chief Medical Officer of Cytovale, a private company building cutting-edge technology to identify sepsis.He takes us through its medical definition, the huge importance of catching it early, the SEP-1 protocol, and how Cytovale’s tech holds promise for the future.Screening systems are in place for heart attack and stroke - it’s time we have the same for sepsis.Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

“In the United States we don’t ration medicine, we ration people.”We are honored this week to welcome an esteemed author, pediatrician, educator and co-founder of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Dr. Don Berwick.Dr. Berwick has dedicated his career to reigniting our healthcare system, to ensure it can meet the needs of disadvantaged people, and limit the excess profits being hoarded as wealth by the powers that be.Formerly serving as the former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under Barack Obama, he knows the details of our system inside out - challenging misinformation and calling out partisan refusals to collaborate for the good of everyone, not just the stakeholders.In our discussion, he shares his story, his experiences in government, common misconceptions about his philosophies, his worry at the corporatization of our system, and some seeds of hope amidst a climate of greed.“Anybody that says we can't meet the needs of the American public isn't reading the information. What they mean is, we can't meet the needs of the American public and satisfy all the greed that we've unleashed in the current system.”Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

We need to transition our industry from being about sickness, to being about wellness.Imagine a system that rewarded providers for keeping patients well; that reimbursed practices for patients with better metrics.That’s the type of system dreamt of by this week’s guest, Dr. Andrea J. Boudreaux, Executive Director of Children’s School Services team in Washington, D.C.Having come face to face with the structural issues plaguing healthcare, she chooses action: making fundamental differences for children and families in low-income neighborhoods by bringing healthcare to schools, shelters and in virtual checkups.From throwing community health fairs, to holding policy makers and stakeholders to account in finance-focused meetings, Dr. Boudreaux is creating tangible change, upholding a focus on diversity and inclusion, and incentivizing equitable access for everyone!Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

It’s time to talk about rural healthcare.Enter this week’s guest, Dr. David Schreiner, PhD, who is fresh off the press with his new book Be The Best Part of Their Day.As President and CEO of Katherine Shaw Bethea Hospital in Dixon, Illinois, David knows the intricacies of delivering healthcare in rural communities with compassion and efficacy.And it shows, with his hospital boasting some of the best stats for quality in the country - priding themselves on a system that forefronts the doctor-patient relationship, values each member of staff that makes the hospital tick and emphasizes gratitude every step of the way.A passionate community advocate, David shares openly on the daily administrative challenges, the wider reform needed to our system and the vulnerability of the rural population in our country.Join us!My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Use your voice.This is the key take-home message for physicians, medical students and residents, from Keshia Bradford.As Project Manager of Doctors for America, Keshia is on the frontline, witnessing the current state of our healthcare system in unflinching detail.In giving us a history of our healthcare and health insurance system in the U.S., Dr. Bradford reveals the urgent need to depoliticize healthcare policy, bring the patient's voice to the table, and ensure equitable access for all.A proactive, passionate, tireless educator, today’s conversation is a call for advocacy.Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Knowledge is power.So how can we ensure our healthcare system is empowering patients?This episode is a brilliant chat with ‘e-Patient Dave’ deBronkart, a legendary advocate of participatory medicine who came into the spotlight during a battle with cancer in 2007.Dave is the living embodiment of participatory medicine, and reflects passionately on numerous inspiring examples of patient-led change: Long Covid, Parkinson’s Disease, Marfan Syndrome… the list goes on.Sharing candidly on his own health battle and the preventable death of his mother due to staff shortages at a care home, it’s clear Dave has always been dedicated to giving as much to life as he can. Our healthcare system is broken, the establishment is stubborn to change, but patient power will never let up - we can always take matters into our own hands!Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

This week’s episode is a special retrospective: almost two years on, our guests Martha Lopez-Anderson, Melinda Murray-Nyack and Karen Acompora reconvene to reflect on the progress made over the past few years and the remaining obstacles to achieving their goal of eliminating Sudden Cardiac Arrest and Death in our Youth by 2030.Sitting down at the 19th Annual National Parent Heart Watch Heart-to-Heart Conference, our guests first reflect on what they are proud of: screening numbers reaching amazing levels, legislation drafted up, mandated AEDs in New York State… real change is being enacted.Acknowledging the national focus incited by the Damar Hamlin incident just over a year ago and the extent to which it has catalyzed progress, the conversation evolves into a look into the future.Hurdles remain, SCA perception needs to change and measures must be upheld - but as Martha Lopez-Anderson says, 2024 is set to be a year to remember regarding legislation for the prevention of sudden cardiac arrest and death in the young.Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Welcome back to The Pursuit of Health Podcast. This week, we sit down with Stacy Cortechine, Rachel Moyer and Dr. Mitani from Japan to discuss the cultural differences between Japan and the US in approaching primary and secondary prevention of SCA/SCD in youth.As shared in our discussion, Stacy and Rachel both lost their sons to sudden cardiac arrest, and now dedicate their efforts to raising awareness, lobbying lawmakers and screening young people through their respective work for Who We Play For and Greg Moyer AED Fund.Their work is helping to save lives, and yet so many hurdles persist: slow legislation, reluctance to purchase AEDs, misinformation and denial about the necessity of measures - the list goes on.Dr. Mitani reveals the simplicity of Japan’s approach - compulsory screening, AED programs, educating primary care physicians - and their numbers show that it is working.The blueprint exists. It’s time for our healthcare system to adopt it in full. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Welcome back to the Pursuit of Health Podcast.We return today with a pertinent discussion on a topic that affects each and every one of us in the United States: the issue of gun violence.Joining host Dr. Eric Fethke is fellow pediatrician and Founder/Director of Child Health Solutions Dr. Nina Agrawal, who is dedicating her voice to advocating for change.Dr. Agrawal is shocked that gun violence is affecting, and killing children in our country - and she chose to become an educator, advocate and changemaker to ensure it can never happen again.Taking us through a timeline that touches on the CDC, NRA and the role of medical research, Dr. Agrawal presents the best possible course of action: normalizing discussion. As the number one killer of children in our country, this is a public health crisis. We must strive for change.Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Pediatric cardiac surgery has an incredible history, and an incredible future ahead too.Joining to share his experiences training, educating and delivering results as a heart surgeon is Dr Sameh Said from Westchester Medical Center.Dr Said uncovers his journey from Egypt to the US, drawn by a fascination with the practice - a dedication to pursuing a career that saves lives.Revealing the still relatively recent history of the field - Dr Said goes on to share how he approaches his practice, the importance of the whole surgical team and some words of advice for aspiring students.Engrossed with the ‘beauty’ of his career, Dr Said is perfectly placed to share the global legacy of heart healthcare.Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

We need to create frameworks for culturally-competent care.Joining me today to share a discussion on the need to improve diversity awareness in our American healthcare system is Medical Student Simal Ali.Currently in her third year at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, Simal is passionate about educating - using her experiences as a Muslim doctor to deliver lectures and share the tenets of her faith with the world.She reveals practical steps that we can all implement to develop more mindful care that listens to our patients’ religious beliefs and ensures trust.This episode is all about reconnecting with our fundamental lesson from medical school: patient-centered care!You can follow Dr. Eric Fethke on Facebook and Instagram @drfethkemd(This episode will also available in video format on Youtube @drfethkemd).Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

Our host, Dr. Fethke, dedicates this episode to a remarkable college classmate and friend at a time when she needs everyone’s support. This person is none other than Maria Ressa, the recipient of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize, recognized for her tireless efforts over the past three decades to champion Freedom of the Press in the face of overwhelming obstacles. In the words of the Nobel Committee, Maria Ressa received the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with Russia’s Dmitry Muratov for "their efforts to safeguard freedom of expression, which is a precondition for democracy and lasting peace."In order to do justice to Ressa’s cause, Dr. Fethke has invited a very special and highly knowledgeable guest, Professor Kathy Kiely. She is the Lee Hills Chair in Free Press Studies at the Missouri School of Journalism. She has worked more than four decades as a reporter and editor for regional and national newspapers as well as online and multimedia publications. She has been recognized for her passionate support of  transparency, free speech and education. After a long career covering politics in Washington, Kiely moved into the classroom full-time because, she says, universities are the laboratories that will discover the formula for making fact-based journalism viable again. Kiely has covered regional and national politics for a number of news outlets, including USA TODAY, the New York Daily News, the Houston Post, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette and the Pittsburgh Press. She served as an editor for WAMU, Bill Moyers, the Sunlight Foundation, Bloomberg Politics and helped coordinate the National Journal's campaign coverage with CBS News. She also served on the Congressional Standing Committee of Correspondents and on the boards of the National Press Club Journalism Institute and the Daily Princetonian. She holds a master's degree from American University and a bachelor's degree from Princeton University. She is the inaugural Press Freedom Fellow for the National Press Club‘s nonprofit Journalism Institute.Prof. Kiely is a well recognized advocate of Journalistic Freedom who believes that Maria Ressa’s voice is at an extremely high risk of being silenced by those in power in the Philippines who are threatened by the integrity and truth of her work. Kiely has commented that the Nobel Peace Prize given to journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov is a warning that across the globe, “forces of darkness and intolerance are on the march… Journalists are the canaries in the mine shaft.In this episode, Prof. Kiely teaches us why Freedom of Speech and Health are intrinsically linked. Dr. Fethke and Prof. Kiely review the rationale behind the U.S. Consititution’s 1st Amendment protecting free speech and a free press. She then clearly reviews the evolution of digital and social media, with its pros and cons. She defines the concepts of Misinformation and Disinformation, clarifying why the latter is so dangerous to us all. She explains that the Nobel Committee has specifically recognized Maria Ressa because she has led the way for us all to understand the impact of Disinformation and is actively working on solutions to regain the integrity of facts and bring the truth back to journalism. Kiely stresses that the battles that Maria Ressa and her journalist team at Rappler are fighting in the Philippines are critically relevant to the Global pursuit of democracy. As Kiely reminds us, “My father fought in WW2 to defend and help establish a free Philippines. We must never forget that Maria Ressa’s defense of Freedom of the Press is a part of our fathers’ legacies. To do so would be a dishonor to their cause and memory.”LINKS:House: https://www.house.gov/Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

This episode is dedicated to Dr. Fethke’s father, Walter P. Fethke, in remembrance of the honorable struggle he underwent along with his loving family in the last years and days of his remarkable life.In Episode 30 of The Pursuit of Health Podcast, our host, Dr. Fethke, once again reaches across artificial boundaries to a colleague in the legal profession. His guest, Louis Pierro is an esteemed lawyer based in New York State with over 40 years experience in the field of Elder Law.  After attending college at Lehigh University and obtaining his law degree at Albany Law School, Mr. Pierro went on to become one of the pioneers in the field of Elder Law.  He shares his own personal motivations for shifting his focus from the court rooms to working with people to help make their lives better. With his colleagues, he founded Pierro, Connnor & Strauss, a law firm dedicated to estate planning and elder law. Over the years his team has extended their services beyond the New York Capital region to now encompass New York City, Florida, New Jersey and Massachusetts. Along the way he has joined policymakers and other stakeholders in addressing the issues of aging that have overwhelmed our nation and that we all will inevitably face. This has included his founding the Elder Counsel, a national membership organization of Elder Law and Special Needs law firms that supports the efforts of over 1400 firms amongst all 50 states.He also founded ApolloCare, LLC, a business venture that combines home-based Elder Care (EverHome Care Advisors) with high technology centered in peoples’ homes (VivaLynx). During this episode, beginning with the mission set by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965, Mr. Pierro takes us through the history of America’s struggle to provide humane and high quality care services for our senior citizens. He takes us through the many forms that this journey has assumed including a clear explanation of nursing home, assisted living and home-based care models. He pulls no punches in identifying the past and current hurdles that have hindered America’s progress and left us with an overwhelmingly complex and often daunting  system to deal with the ever increasing issues facing a growing population of elderly.Despite the challenges, we are so fortunate that Mr. Pierro and his colleagues continue to fight the good fight and take an offensive approach to addressing Aging in America. Through regular education, advocacy and creative business models, they have clearly begun to break through the dark clouds and let some much needed light into this vital issue that involves us all. He stresses that the task at hand is too complex and important for any one profession to deal with. Any effective effort must be a team approach with the patient truly at the center and caretakers, including, but not exclusively involving, the physicians. He adds, “Hopefully, one household at a time, we will build a consensus that will change and improve the way we care for each other as we get older.”We look forward to your feedback and comments regarding this and any other episodes of The Pursuit of Health Podcast.  We look forward to inviting back guests such as Mr. Pierro to keep up with his progress. We can be reached at drfethkemd on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, as well as our website at drfethkemd.com.Resources:Pierro, Connor & Strauss, LLC - www.pierrolaw.comEverCare - Everhomecareadvisors.comVivaLynx - Vivalynx.comFollow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

On this episode of the Pursuit of Health Podcast we return to the issue of healthcare economics with our guest, Ms. Andrea Zalusky. She brings over a decade of experience in the field of healthcare administration, with a particular focus as of late on the transition from a “Fee-for-Service” (FFS) to a “Value-based care” (VBC) approach to the financing of medical care. She explains that, like doctors, she has engaged in this work because she wanted to help as many people as possible become and stay healthy. With a Masters Degree in Public Health from Columbia after studying Global and Health Policy at Johns Hopkins University, Ms. Zalusky has worked in the northeast from New York to New Jersey to establish a consistent approach to healthcare. Through her work she remains intent on improving the health and well-being of the populations that live in these areas.Ms. Zalusky is  currently leading value-based care operations for Optum Care in the New York and New Jersey region, focused on supporting physicians, hospitals, and post-acute care facilities be successful in these programs.  Prior to Optum, she worked at CareMount Health Solutions where she managed operational programs focused on reducing readmissions in partnership with major hospital systems. Prior to these operations focused roles, she also had time with both Evolent Health and other consulting firms, where she  gained experience with population health program implementation and Value-based care models all across the US - working with physician groups, hospitals and Accountable Care Organizations to help them be successful in this new model of care.  Ms. Zalusky takes our audience through some of the details behind the concepts of Population Health and Value-based payment systems in a way that is enlightening and reassuring. She explains some of the hurdles and successes along the way and shares her ultimate goal of finding a balance that allows for the achievement of 4 crucial elements to a well functioning healthcare system in the U.S.. Along the way she emphasizes the sentiment that  “Our system is indeed broken and the people deserve better.” Ms. Zalusky explains that this venture towards Value-based payments has been in the works for years. It has required persistence, legislation and time to finally get off the ground. Though she is honest that we have a long way to go, she contends that there is no turning back to a Fee-for-Service system. She reassures us that the key to a successful transition from FFS to VBC over the next several years is to work in partnership with clinicians so that they can best implement their evidence-based knowledge to the betterment of everyone.We look forward to your feedback on this and any prior episodes. Dr. Fethke and the POH team can be reached on Facebook and Instagram @drfethkemd and our website at drfethkemd.comFollow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

On today's episode of The Pursuit of Health Podcast, Dr. Fethke is joined by a pediatrician leader and educator who has practiced for over half a century, Dr. Gilbert Simon. Dr. Simon started his pediatric career at Columbia University’s Babies & Children’s Hospital during the same era as many of Dr. Fethke’s most esteemed mentors. After years of working in the metropolitan northeast in a prestigious academic center, Dr. Simon made a life-changing career move to the west coast where he ultimately founded and served as the Medical Director and CEO of the Sacramento Family Medical Clinics. It was here that all his experience, including his military service in the 1960’s working for a branch of the U.S. Center for Disease Control, came in handy.He ultimately ran the clinics for low income families in Sacramento California with virtually 100% Medicaid fixed resources which “lasted 26 years longer than anyone believed I could,” by identifying and decreasing wasteful healthcare expenses. In 2019 Dr Simon gathered all of his experience and lessons learned while running the California clinic and serving as a subcommittee member of California Medical Association’s Medi-Cal to write an amazing and must read book - RIPPED OFF! Overtested and Overcharged, the American Healthcare Mess.During our discussion with Dr. Simon from his California home office, he shared some of the highlights from his book, including the overuse of Unnecessary Services, Inflated Prices, Fraud, Excess Administrative Costs, and the Lack of Coordination and Fragmentation. Along the way he provides some very clear and practical examples of each of these problems that combined have created the “Mess” that U.S. Healthcare finds itself in today.As with many of the wonderful clinician leaders and visionary guests on our podcast, Dr. Simon provides solutions to the myriad problems he has identified and so clearly revealed in his book for lay people, policymakers and healthcare professionals alike. Most importantly, he can back up his vision and recommendations by years of his own success facing many of these issues in his pioneering career. Dr. Simon gives us a sense of sober hope that our healthcare system can be salvaged and benefit from the exceptional work of those who have come before us and will follow in the future. We would all do well to heed his advice before it is too late. As always, we at The Pursuit of Health Podcast look forward to our audience response to this and any of our episodes. We can be reached at drfeethkemd on Facebook and Instagram and our website-drfethkemd.com.Book References:RIPPED OFF! Overtested, Overtreated and Overcharged, the American Healthcare Mess. Paper Raven Books. March 3 2020.www.gilbertsimonmd.comFollow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

On this intensely thought-proving episode of the Pursuit of Health Podcast our host, Dr. Eric Fethke, is joined by two pioneers and community advocates - Shirley Raman and Bongani Ngomane - from the Gauteng Province of South Africa. Shirley Raman has been a social worker, leader and community advocate for almost 4 decades. She has dedicated her life to helping to uplift others, and in turn, her beloved nation. She has carried out a labor of love through the era of Apartheid, HIV/AIDS pandemic and now in addressing Gender Violence. Her tireless and inspiring efforts have brought her to a collaboration with our second guest on this episode - Mr. Ngomane. He has been viewed as a visionary in the field for his focus on the role of men in Domestic and Gender Violence. Our discussion leaves no doubt that this characterization is well-deserved.Our guests begin by introducing us to some of the issues in Gender Violence that are both unique to South Africa as well as those that are shared by other countries, including our own. They explain their individual and combined contributions to this work over the years. Our audience is brought into the many complex issues they face in addressing such a difficult problem, including socio-cultural, gender role, and economic factors. As a nation reborn out of Apartheid, they are facing a many challenges, but their efforts are farsighted and their focus on future generations is inspiring.Several eye-opening paradigm shifts are brought to the forefront of this conversation including the concept of “Peace Education” and Mens forums. We invite you to be a part of what should prove to be a series of ongoing sessions with our guests as we follow their work over the coming years.We look forward to your ideas and contributions regarding this current and prior episodes as well as for future topics. We can be reached at drfethkemd in Facebook and Instagram, and on our website at drfethkemd.com.Resources: https://ecarefoundation.com/ https://www.saferspaces.org.za/understand/entry/gender-based-violence-in-south-africa https://www.saferspaces.org.za/understand/entry/positive-parenting-in-south-africa#Supportingfamiliesiskeytodevelopmentandviolenceprevention https://www.saferspaces.org.za/understand/entry/toxic-masculinity-and-violence-in-south-africa#Towardsaframeworkofpositivemasculinity https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/sa-has-a-serious-gender-violence-problem-and-alcohol-is-the-main-culprit-20201113 https://www.thehotline.org/stakeholders/domestic-violence-statistics/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7195322/ Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

On this episode of The Pursuit of Health Podcast Dr. Fethke is joined by a remarkable frontline colleague from the medical field of Obstetrics, Dr. Daniel Perkes. Dr. Perkes takes us through two decades of change and turmoil during which he remarkably remained focused on maintaining strong professional relationships with his patients. He emphasizes that such alliances with his patients were the backbone to his career that allowed him to navigate through all the shifts in healthcare from a private practice to corporate medicine. He shares some pearls of wisdom with us on how he was able to sustain such a remarkable following from his patients through his entire over two decades of practicing. Despite many of the initial challenges, Dr Perkes gives us some hope that larger medical practices can still maintain a patient focus if their leadership ensures open communications with their frontline physicians and seeks regular patient feedback. In a timely manner, Dr. Perkes addresses his concerns regarding the potential effects of legislative changes should Roe v. Wade be overturned. In a field already experiencing significant strains and cutbacks in access throughout many parts of the country, he worries that the situation will only get worse for women unless people advocate for women’s rights and their ability to seek medical advice from the doctors that they trust. He stresses that he is not a “Pro Choice” or a “Pro Life” physician, but rather has always been a “Pro Patient” doctor. This has allowed him to tailor his medical care to the specifics of each patient, rather than taking a blanket one-size-fits-all approach. Dr. Perkes finishes this valuable discussion with advice and hope for future obstetricians. Though it has not always been easy, he emphasizes, “Knowing the challenges facing young obstetricians today, I would still  do it all over again”. We look forward to your feedback on this and any of our episodes on The Pursuit of Health Podcast. We can be reached at drfethkemd in Facebook and Instagram, and our website- drfethkemd.com.Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

In this our fourth Take A Step Back episode we take the opportunity to look back over and comment upon Episodes 14 thru 16.  Our host, Dr. Fethke, is joined by two guests - a third year medical student, Leizer Steppa, and an experienced practicing primary care internist, Dr. Tracy Williams. Together they reflect on the lessons gleaned from these three episodes including;Ep 14 (Parts 1&2)  International Medicine and Earthquake relief in Haiti - Dr. Ronald IsraelskiInfrastructure - Resiliency and Sustainability as a goal Know the people you serve and focus on their needs, not your perceptions of their needsEp 15 (Parts 1-3)  Building a Healthcare System in South Africa: Lessons from the HIV and Covid-19 Pandemics - Sagie PillayHealthcare is a fundamental and critical factor in forming a new nationHIV experience highlighted inequities in healthcareCovid-19 - should have learned from past experiences and need to understand why we did notPolitics can support of interfere with national healthcare Ep 16 (Parts 1&2)  The Experience of a Black Physician in the U.S. - Dr. Tyree WinterStructural Racism in US creates inequities in racial distribution of physiciansPeople do better when their physician is someone they can identify withOutreach to under represented races is necessary and effective in improving the number and distribution of non-white physiciansWhen we all do better - everyone wins.This hour-long review of our prior guests foray into International Healthcare and The Racial Inequities of Healthcare at home and abroad proved to be very insightful and expanded upon these very important issues. The vantage point of combining students and practicing physicians once again has bourne fruit for our journey into several of the very relevant factors that are limiting our Global Healthcare Teams from being as effective as possible when delivering care to people. The Take-A-Step-Back format continues to move us along our journey of empowerment through knowledge and enhances our engagement in open discussion.  In the end, if we truly care about the quality of the healthcare we deliver, it boils down to some basic principles -  we must learn from our past and from each other.  In our next few episodes, the Pursuit of Health podcast will be returning to South Africa, addressing the healthcare impact of the potential overturning of Roe v. Wade with our obstetric and neonatal colleagues, and investigating the role of Universal Healthcare in addressing areas of waste in our healthcare system.Our team at The Pursuit of Health Podcast can be reached for your feedback and suggestions for future topics of interest through Facebook and Instagram @drfethkemd on our website at drfethkemd.com. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

On this episode of The Pursuit of Health Podcast we return to our Case Studies From the Heart format. Our host, Dr, Eric Fethke, begins by sharing the stories of two patients - one lost tragically and the other who survived against the odds.  Using these stories as a backdrop, he dives into the often frustrating issue of Health and Healthcare Disparities in the United States. This topic has been a common theme and concern of many of our podcast guests, and we thought that it deserved attention in its own right. Dr. Fethke addresses the many facets of these disparities including their manifestations, causes, consequences and ultimately some possible solutions. Dr. Fethke stresses that “In a nation with such an abundance of material and human resources we should be able to address Healthcare Disparities much more effectively than we have done so far. It all comes down to whether our Values as a people allow us to Care Enough to do so.”We hope this discussion provides a moment to reflect on this aspect of American healthcare, made so more urgent by the Covid-19 pandemic. Moving forward on the podcast we will continue to address this and many more important topics with our guests and audience.  Together we can narrow the chasm of Healthcare Disparities and create a much healthier nation.We look forward to your input on this and any other of our podcast episodes and invite your suggestions for future topics of concern. We can be reached on facebook and Instagram at drfethkemd and on our website at drfethkemd.com.Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

On this episode of the Pursuit of Health Podcast we continue our investigation into the topic of Physician Burnout with Dr. Laura Vater.  Dr. Vater has gained a much deserved recognition for her approach to this issue by focusing on Humanism in Medicine. She received her Bachelor of Science and minor in Poverty Studies at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. She then went on to complement her skill set with a master of Public Health degree at the University of Pittsburgh where she focused on Behavioral and Community Health.  She returned to Indiana to complete her residency in Internal medicine and this Spring will complete a rigorous fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at the Indiana University School of Medicine.She is the recipient of many accolades including being selected as 1 of every 1000 residents to be a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. Though early in her career, she has already penned several research and narrative essay publications, is a regularly invited public speaker, and has a growing online platform addressing Humanism in Healthcare. She is also the creator of a very useful tool - the SMILE scale -  providers can use to help prioritize their own health.During our discussion, Dr Vater shares the origin of her decision to become a physician and oncologist. This very personal story revolved around her mother as a role model who entered medical school later in adulthood when Dr Vater was already a teenager. Her interest in medicine was further heightened by the experience of a close family friend who lived through the challenges of cancer. Ultimately, confronting her mother’s sudden life threatening illness during Dr. Vater’s first year of medical school led her in the direction of Humanism in Medicine.Dr. Vater reveals the current challenges in healthcare that take the Humanity out of Medicine and how she has been working diligently to reconnect with her true self and her patients and maintain the joy in her work through Humanism. She explains that Humanism stresses the importance of physicians establishing a connection with patients and caring for physicians as humans too.Dr. Vater opens the door for our listeners into the concept of Compassion Fatigue and the associated  risk of clinicians losing empathy in training and practice. She believes that it is important for everyone involved in healthcare to continue talking about Compassion Fatigue in order to get it out in the open - thus restoring our vital human interconnections and preventing physician burnout. Dr. Vater and Dr. Fethke share their love of teaching medicine to enthusiastic students as a way to find rejuvenation and remind us all why we entered medicine in the first place.  In so doing, they also warn about the risks of mentors modeling bad behaviors that lead the students towards being hardened and less empathetic.Our guest and host find that they also both share a passion for writing about their experiences as physicians and the stories of those that have taught them the most about being a doctor - their patients.  They hope that this comes through not only in their  narrative publications, but in the medical records of their patients. These are human beings and we are honored and humbled to be invited into their lives and tell their stories. The discussion with Dr. Vater finished with her introduction and explanation of the SMILE scale she established. Listen closely as she takes us through this simple yet powerful tool to help maintain Humanism in Healthcare.Dr. Eric Fethke and the team at The Pursuit of Health Podcast look forward to your comments on this and any of our prior episodes.  We can be reached on FFollow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4