Health Care Heart to Heart with Dr. Jeff Gold

Prescription Drug Takeback and Pharmacy Insights

With National Prescription Drug Takeback Day set for April 27. “Health Care Heart to Heart” podcast host Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, chancellor of UNMC, speaks with Ally Dering-Anderson, PharmD, clinical associate professor of pharmacy practice and science in the UNMC College of Pharmacy, in the latest episode of the podcast, which now is streaming. Dr. Dering-Anderson and Dr. Gold’s wide-ranging discussion include a discussion of how Dr. Dering-Anderson decided to become a pharmacist, which involved a student teaching experience. Dr. Dering-Anderson also explains why no-longer-in-use prescription drugs from the home is important, how pharmacists can help people who may have questions about their medication, and how in Nebraska, every day is drug takeback day. “Several years ago, the Nebraska Pharmacists Association created Nebraska Meds, which took the help of the unicameral, and the governor and the Department of Health,” she said. “Together, pharmacies in Nebraska accept the return -- we don't resell them, we make sure that they're destroyed correctly -- of drugs that you don't want in your home any longer. And we do that all the time.”

Exploring DNA and Forensics with Mellissa Helligso

UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, speaks with Mellissa Helligso, manager and the technical lead of the Human DNA Identification Lab at UNMC. Helligso, who shares that she became interested in DNA and laboratory work as a new mother watching “CSI; Las Vegas” reruns, also speaks to Dr. Gold about her work and the recent accreditation the lab received to perform forensic investigative genetic genealogy as part of its work with law enforcement. She also spoke with the chancellor about testifying at criminal trials. “At first it was very intimidating, and it made me very nervous,” she said. “But I would say over time, it's become kind of one of the more challenging aspects, and it's enjoyable just because you have to stay on your toes.”

The Importance of Cancer Screenings

In his latest “Health Care Heart to Heart” podcast, now streaming, UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, speaks with Shinobu Watanabe-Galloway, PhD, professor, and the Tim Hawk's Chair in Cancer Prevention and Population Science at the UNMC College of Public Health, as well as the associate director of community engagement for the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center. As Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month ends, Drs. Gold and Watanbe-Galloway discuss the importance of screening, the impact of the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center and the impact of UNMC’s new Rural Health Education Complex at the University of Nebraska at Kearney in terms of statewide cancer care. Dr. Watanabe-Galloway discussed the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center’s role as a National Cancer Institute Designated Cancer Centers. “NCI decided several years ago that each cancer center needed to decide on its catchment area,” she said. “The entire state of Nebraska is our catchment area, which means we cover central and western parts of Nebraska, which are primarily rural, and then there are many other important, underrepresented populations included.” Dr. Gold praised the work of the cancer center, “not just, of course, in this month where we're talking about colorectal cancer awareness, but all the time in looking out for rural and urban communities and trying to reduce the instance of cancer in our state.”

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

In his latest “Health Care Heart to Heart” podcast, now streaming, UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, speaks with Sydney Norton, a speech language pathologist at the Munroe-Meyer Institute’s RiteCare Clinic in Hastings, Nebraska. As Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month continues, Norton and Dr. Gold discuss the role of a speech language pathologist and the effect therapies can have on her young patients and their families. “We always say we have the best job in the world, because we get to play all day,” Norton said. “And if we're doing our job really well, that's what it looks like -- and the kids really don't know any different. We get the joy of meeting kids where they're at and going through the journey with parents, of getting a diagnosis and getting intervention. “It is a really exciting job. It's a really joyful job.”

Talking Cancer Awareness and Prevention

In his latest “Health Care Heart to Heart” podcast, now streaming, UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey P. Gold, MD, speaks with Joann Sweasy, PhD, director of the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center and the Eppley Institute for Research in Cancer and Allied Diseases here UNMC and Nebraska Medicine. Dr. Sweasy speaks about the origin of her desire to fight cancer, her goals for the Fred & Pamela Buffett Cancer Center and the Eppley Institute and what convinced her that Omaha was a place where she could make a difference in the battle against the disease. “The first thing I noticed was the energy, and everyone is all in,” Dr. Sweasy said. “There's commitment at every single level from the scientists, the clinicians, the institution. This is one of the few institutions where cancer is actually in the strategic plan. The science is impactful, cutting-edge clinical research. It's just an incredible place. Community support and state support for cancer research. I don't think there's a better place in the United States, maybe the world, to do cancer research.” They also discuss the importance of screening as a cancer prevention tool. “It is very important to keep up with cancer screening, to be screened, to have your annual mammography, to be screened for colonoscopies, to visit your primary care physician and make sure that all of your cancer screenings are up-to-date and your vaccinations are up to date,” she says. “We can treat cancer. And the good news is, there are so many cancer survivors now.” “Health Care Heart to Heart” posts new podcasts every other week, as Dr. Gold speaks to national, regional and local health care leaders on issues of importance. On each new episode, Dr. Gold and his guests will share information, explore health care challenges and opportunities and leave listeners thinking about how they, too, can make a difference.