Controversial Conversations are podcasts exploring the sticky areas in healthcare that may often be viewed as sensitive, controversial, or polarized. We hope these conversations add information and perspective into the conversation in a way that prompts new questions and promotes a wider appreciation of the complexity in healthcare that is around us every day.

At the end of nearly every episode of Season 1: Opiate Safety, guests provided their thoughts for improving healthcare. In this episode, we've sought out balancing perspectives to answer the same question, and discover where the true direction of patient care may lie.

Christian Heinz, co-host from the Making the Argument podcast (https://podcast.nickforva.com/), joins to provide a perspective grounded in history and familiarity with the Virginia legislative process to broaden our questions and ways we think of common issues.

Resources referenced in this podcast episode include:

Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA): https://www.cms.gov/files/document/qso-22-22-hospitals.pdf

CMS Stats for Coverage and Payments: https://data.cms.gov/sites/default/files/2023-03/CMSFastFactsMar2023.pdf

Government Healthcare Values: https://www.cms.gov/Medicare/Quality-Initiatives-Patient-Assessment-Instruments/Value-Based-Programs/CMS-Quality-Strategy

COVID-19 Vaccination among Healthcare Personnel (HCP) measure: https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/fy-2024-hospital-inpatient-prospective-payment-system-ipps-and-long-term-care-hospital-prospective

List of Largest Private Insurers: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/health-insurance/largest-health-insurance-companies/

Disclaimer: The first person narration of safety events is done to preserve the learning power of stories. The safety events discussed are fictional though the risks and safety concerns are very real. They are created from over decades from multiple home care, acute care, and long-term care institutions; and gathered from discussion with peers around the world who shared their stories to help others. In no way do these fictional safety events reflect the patient experience at my current employer. This podcast is purely a personal and private endeavor to enhance patient safety in some small way.

Hosted by Michael Van Ornum RPh, RN, BCPS, CPPS with over 30 years experience in the medical field and more than 10 years with medication safety.