Podcasts

Dr. Pat Robinson & John McIlwain interview Dr. Melissa Merrick, the CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America. Dr. Merrick explains how our childhood stays with us well into our adult lives. Experiences we have as children can… dramatically affect our growth and development, even to the point of altering our DNA.

John McIlwain & Dr. Summer Dewdney discuss healing with Dr. Brandi Jackson, Co-Founder of the Institute for Racial & Cultural Healing. Dr. Jackson speaks passionately about the need for “self-care” in caring for others.

On this first episode of Season 2 for Disrupting Privilege: Conversations on Race & Health, John McIlwain and Dr. Robin Jones talk to Lisa Harries & Adam Kohlrus from the Illinois Health & Hospital Association about their new focus on… health equity. How does a hospital association, as an association of hospitals across a diverse state such as Illinois, elevate and prioritize health equity as a primary driver of its business priorities? Lisa and Adam will share insights on how IHA refocused its efforts to address this pressing societal issue.

Ken Kaufman, one of the founders and current Chairman of Kaufman Hall Healthcare Consultancy firm discuss the public health system across the country. Have you ever wondered if the healthcare system can learn anything from the… NFL? Well, Ken discusses a sports analogy that demonstrates we can all learn from one another.

John McIlwain and Mary Richardson Lowry discuss Chicago’s response to the pandemic and its impact on Chicago’s public health infrastructure with Chicago’s Mayor Lori Lightfoot. In the wake of the most significant health crisis in recent… memory, perhaps in our lifetime, Chicago has fared considerably better than many peer municipalities across the country when it comes to identifying vulnerable populations and getting people vaccinated and protected. Mayor Lightfoot discusses the steps that helped Chicago perform much better than many of our peers.

John McIlwain & Mary Richardson Lowry interview Dr. Pamela Khosla, who is the Chair of Sinai Chicago’s Cancer Committee and the Chief Hematologist at Chicago’s largest safety net hospital. Dr. Khosla reveals how important it is to… bond with her patients as she builds trust. The insights she has gained being a female doctor in a male dominated industry, and a women of color serving an under-invested communities of Chicago’s South & West Sides reveal many of the barriers Equal Hope was established to address.

John McIlwain and Dr. Patricia Robinson talk to Gayla Brockman, the President & CEO of the Michael Reese Health Trust. Gayla has overseen some transformational changes to the private conversion trust to make the Foundation a Public… Foundation. Taking advantage of the public platform, the Michael Reese Health Trust became a key player in coordinating Chicago’s collective response to COVID-19 establishing a collaborative effort of nearly 85 Community Based Organizations working to ensure an equitable rollout of the COVID-19 vaccinations across Chicago. One of the reasons why Chicago has been so successful at getting hard to reach residents vaccinated.

Dr. Summer Dewdney and John McIlwain interview Ed Stellon, Executive Director of Heartland Alliance Health. Ed brings a particularly unique perspective to Chicago’s Health Equity debate. As a healthcare service provider primarily serving the health needs… of people experiencing homelessness, Ed brings a powerful perspective on the inequities confront Chicago’s healthcare delivery system. The stories he shares of people whose lives have been shaped by trauma and mental health issues are powerful.

Dr. Summer Dewdney, an Obstetrics & Gynecological doctor from Rush University Medical Center and John McIlwain from Equal Hope interview Dr. Nita Lee from UChicago Medicine about efforts in Chicago to reduce cervical cancer diagnoses and deaths... Correction: John McIlwain correctly mentioned that Rwanda has achieved a very high level of HPV vaccinations across the country but incorrectly suggested that Rwanda has removed cervical cancer as a public health crisis.  The high HPV vaccination rates has lead to a significant drop in the death rate but has not eliminated cervical cancer.

John McIlwain and Mary Richardson Lowry talk to Shelley Davis, the new President & CEO of the Coleman Foundation about healthcare in Chicago.  Shelley shares several personal stories where loved ones died unnecessarily at an early age… because the healthcare system failed them.  Listen to Shelley share her personal stories and how the Coleman Foundation is seeking to address health disparities and deficits in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities care through their giving strategies.

Dr. David Ansell & John McIlwain talk to the AMITA Health’s CEO Keith Parrott and Chief Advocacy Officer Cristal Gary about AMITA Health’s recent announcement that the merger between Ascension Healthcare and Adventist Midwest Health is separating… after seven years.  The move to become more nimble and market driven is important to the two faith-based healthcare providers and partially driven by the desire to keep community based health decisions at the community level.  Keith and Cristal provided a fascinating dialogue on the role of community based initiatives and the larger healthcare delivery discussion.

As a healthcare provider that spans across Illinois and Wisconsin, serving over 3 million patients per year and 75,000 employees, Advocate Aurora Health has a unique and broad perspective on the Social Determinants of Health  and on health… equity.  Dr. Jackie Rouse explains how Advocate Aurora Health defines its sense of “community” by looking at its footprint to define patient service areas that fall into regions.  With its nine Illinois hospitals, Advocate Aurora Health empowers its local regions to address the direct needs of their community by addressing local food insecurities, to hiring practices and employment advancement opportunities.