West Nile Virus Comes to America...and Stays!

CDC's Early Investigations into HIV-AIDS in New York City: Defining the Pandemic

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Pauline "Polly" Thomas, who began her career with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in New York City in 1981—the exact year the HIV/AIDS crisis first surfaced in public health reports.  As one of the world's first medical field investigators, Dr. Thomas worked on the front lines to identify how the virus spread. Her evaluations were instrumental in proving that HIV was transmitted via blood and body fluids rather than casual contact.  She was in the field for critical early investigations identifying transmission by intravenous (IV) drug use, heterosexual contact, mother-to-infant transmission, and blood transfusions. She also evaluated a possible link to alkyl nitrites ("poppers") and the controversial classification of Haitian nationality as a risk factor.  Most importantly, Dr. Thomas's persistent research proved that HIV could not be transmitted through casual contact, a discovery that fundamentally protected human rights and combated global stigma.  While the world has seen tremendous progress in HIV prevention and treatment, these life-saving advancements now face threats, from underutilized pre-exposure prophylaxis to the withdrawal from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the program launched by President George W. Bush in 2003 that has saved millions of lives worldwide. Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform. Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website.

ER Toxicology: Poisonous Pleasures—Rat Poison & Pufferfish

Dr. Steven Aks led the Toxicology Division and served as a physician in the legendary Emergency Department at Cook County Hospital—the real-life Pitt. As the frontline expert for life-threatening poisonings, he managed fentanyl overdoses, rat poison laced synthetic cannabinoids, and accidental ingestion of puffer-fish (Fugu). Human curiosity, thrill-seeking, and desperation continually fueled new threats, many of which uncovered larger outbreaks solved through investigations by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Illinois Department of Health. Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform. Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website.

An Epidemiologist Gives Back to His Pancreatic Cancer Team

What happens when an epidemiologist becomes a patient? Dr. Juan Alonso-Echanove spent most of his career in public health, including using epidemiologic principles to prevent firearm-related deaths in Puerto Rico.  After Juan was treated for pancreatic cancer, he chose to give back. Through lending his research skills and his public health mantra "information for action” to clinical oncology, he is helping his care team study the outcomes of cancer patients and how best to refine the healthcare journey for future patients. In this episode, he describes his public health career, his experience being treated for pancreatic cancer, and what he thinks the United States healthcare system should import from Spain.  Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform. Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website.

From Patient-Centered Care to Community-Centered Public Health

Dr. Bill Burman was foremost a clinician and researcher, providing patient-centered clinical care to patients infected by HIV or tuberculosis. After a surprise request to direct Denver’s public health department, he realized that his clinical care practice paradigm could translate into successful public health initiatives, where his impact could be magnified to the community. In this episode, Dr. Burman highlights that HIV care—through Ryan White funding—has long bridged the gap between clinical settings and community resources, and his attitude that “it’s the patients we don’t see in the waiting room” that are critical to reach, informed his successful public health career. He reflects on the gaps that exist between public health, social services, and medical care and how these connections are formed through time, trust, and deferring to the expertise of all partners.  Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform. Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website.

Community Informed Informatics

Numbers tell a story, but they rarely tell the whole story. Claire Dillavou, PhD, has made a career out of building and revising public health surveillance systems informed by the most critical variable: Community Context. The community revealed the story behind the numbers, one of the many lessons she learned that informed her successful public health informatics career at the LA County Department of Health, CDC, and ARPA-H.  A public health informatics visionary, she describes her work in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Los Angeles County Jail, and in partnership with Uber to advance corporate-public health partnerships.  Intro and Outro music composed by Kevin MacLeod and downloaded at https://incompetech.com/  Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net.  Please like and follow us on your favorite platform. Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website.