Advertise on podcast: Patients Come First

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Morgan McDowell, President of the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners and Director of Advanced Practice Provider Education at Centra Health. She joins us for a conversation about her career and clinical work, the important role nurse practitioners play in patient care, healthcare workforce challenges, expanding access to care in rural communities, and advocacy priorities for NPs in Virginia. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected] or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features Kevin Key, a Virginia man who received a life-saving living-donor kidney transplant at VCU Health's Hume-Lee Transplant Center. The conversation covers Kevin's history with kidney disease, a frightening health crisis that landed him on emergency dialysis, a living organ donation from his sister-in-law, National Minority Donor Awareness Month, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected] or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features Allison Held, Director of the VCU Health Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP). She joins us for a conversation about the work of the MLP at the intersection of health care and legal services to help patients navigate address legal issues that can impact health and quality of life, as well as efforts to expand the MLP framework in Virginia. Send a message to [email protected] to learn more and get involved. Visit this link to join the MLP.Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected] or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features Boryana Peeva, an intensive care unit nurse at Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center and a lifelong adventurer. She joins us to discuss a personal journey that’s taken her from her homeland in Southeastern Europe to a clinical career in America, and how a chance patient care encounter gave added meaning to her trip to Mount Everest Base Camp. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected] or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features Leora Brown, BSN, RN, CNOR, Program Manager for Product Implementation at Sentara Health. She joins us for a conversation about her work on the successful advocacy effort that resulted in a state law being passed to require surgical smoke evacuation systems in hospital operating rooms to protect healthcare professionals. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected] or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Josue Chery, Surgical Director of Heart Transplantation at the VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center, for a conversation about heart surgery, organ transplantation, and how his lifelong passion for painting informs his approach to medicine, patient care, and the artistry of cardiac surgery. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected] or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features Dr. John Muse, MD, MBA, a neurosurgeon with Mary Washington Healthcare, for a conversation about his professional journey, treatment for patients who experience a stroke, brain aneurysm, or other neurological conditions, the recent health system achievement of a successful open brain surgery procedure, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected] or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features Andre Tolleris, VHHA Director of Data Analytics, for a conversation about leveraging hospital and healthcare data to provide actionable insights that member organizations can operationalize, VHHA data tools, and the public health implications from the findings of a recent VHHA analysis showing that hospital emergency department visits among self-pay/uninsured patients are rising across Virginia. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected] or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features Nedra Moncrief-Craig, PhD, Commissioner of the Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services (DARS). She joins us for a conversation about the work of DARS in support of individuals with physical and behavioral health service needs while navigating the current shifting federal policy environment, and much more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected] or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features Dr. Richard Sterling, Chief Clinical Officer for the VCU Health Stravitz-Sanyal Institute for Liver Disease and Metabolic Health. He joins us for a conversation about the importance of liver health, the development of the FIB-4 index that transformed liver disease screening, the latest advances in the detection and treatment of fatty liver disease, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected] or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features a conversation with Dr. John Alex, an emergency physician with Riverside Health, who joins us for a conversation about his military service, his work in medicine, and simulation education. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected] or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features a conversation with David Knight, PhD, a biology and anatomy professor at Christopher Newport University, who joins us for a conversation about an unexpected cancer diagnosis, how the treatment he received at Sentara Health inspired him to pursue training as a nurse, and much more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected] or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features a conversation with Nancy Gee, PhD, Director of the VCU Center for Human-Animal Interaction. She joins us for a conversation about her work, the impact of therapy dogs in mental health, and much more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected] or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features a conversation with Melissa Little, PhD, Director of the Center for Nicotine and Tobacco Research at the UVA School of Medicine. She joins us for a conversation about her work, attitudes towards smoking among Gen Z, how those trends may inform tobacco prevention efforts, and more. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected] or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.

This episode of VHHA’s Patients Come First podcast features a conversation with Dr. Robert Hong, a physician with VHC Health, about emerging trends in rheumatologic care, advancements in treatment and diagnostics, and how evolving therapies improve outcomes for patients with chronic joint disease. Send questions, comments, feedback, or guest suggestions to [email protected] or contact us on X (Twitter) or Instagram using the #PatientsComeFirst hashtag.