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"We know in public health that if you're not counting, there's no way to develop prevention programs or policies.” That understanding explains why forensic pathologist Dr. Roger Mitchell is working to change how the United States tracks people who die while in the custody of police, jails and prisons. "There is no single federal database that identifies who is dying and how they are dying at the hands of the criminal justice system," says Dr. Mitchell, co-author of the book Death in Custody: How America Ignores the Truth and What We Can Do About It, published by Johns Hopkins University Press. In this Raise the Line conversation with host Michael Carrese, Dr. Mitchell draws on what he’s learned in his varied career path – which includes being one of the first Black scientists in the FBI's laboratories, chief medical examiner of Washington, D.C., president of Howard University Hospital and president of the National Medical Association – to offer solutions to this data gap and also weigh in on: ·       Why communities exposed to violence may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder; ·       The risk to safety net hospitals from recent Medicaid cuts;  ·       The history and mission of the National Medical Association, the largest and oldest organization representing the interests of Black physicians and their patients. Mentioned in this episode: National Medical AssociationDeath In Custody book If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

On today’s episode, we kick-off a series of conversations with winners of the 2026 Raise the Line Faculty Awards from Elsevier Health, who were selected from more than 1,000 nominations submitted by students and colleagues at over 300 institutions worldwide.  First up is Professor David Tanner, Director of Nursing Programs at Guildford Technical Community College in North Carolina, winner of the Registered Nurse and Nurse Practitioner category.  “I don't have your traditional university students that are 19 or 20 years old. I have older students who are working jobs, have families, and are more serious in their studies.” As someone who started his own nursing career at 35, Professor Tanner can relate to the challenges they face, which spurs him to make sure they are getting the best possible learning experience from the precious time they are spending in the program. In his conversation with Raise the Line from Elsevier host Lindsey Smith, Professor Tanner also reflects on the mentors who shaped him and makes the case for why more nurses should consider teaching, even though they may have to take a pay cut to do so. “I find it just as rewarding as when I worked on the floor.” In this on-the-ground look at nursing education, you’ll also hear about: The looming nursing shortage in North Carolina, and the unexpected upside it's creating for new graduates;A low-risk way to test the waters of teaching;Why he believes pediatrics is where the fight against adult chronic disease should start.Mentioned in this episode:Guilford Technical Community College Nursing Programs2026 Raise the Line Faculty Awards If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

"Throw a dinner party. It's the best wellness thing you can do." That surprising prescription comes from Dr. Zeke Emanuel, whose book, Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules For a Long and Healthy Life, offers a refreshing counterpoint to the elaborate fitness regimens and proliferation of products pushed by wellness influencers in their quest for longevity. An oncologist, prominent bioethicist, and one of the key figures behind the Affordable Care Act, Dr. Emanuel was motivated to write the book by a need to respond to a bestselling longevity guide that all but ignored what he considers the most important factor in a long, healthy life: social interaction. “Not having friends is about the equivalent of smoking fifteen cigarettes a day, but when you ask doctors to rate the most important wellness and longevity intervention, social interaction is very close to the bottom of the list.” In this special 600th episode of Raise the Line from Elsevier, Dr. Emanuel also makes the case that the race to add years misses the point. "A meaningful life isn't just about living a long time. It's about what you do with your life.” This lively and provocative conversation with host Lindsey Smith also offers insights on: Why AI may soon outperform physicians in key tasks;A vaccine whose benefits reach well beyond what it was designed to prevent;What his oncology patients taught him about the hidden toll of uncertainty.Mentioned in this episode: "Eat Your Ice Cream" book If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

As we've noted on Raise the Line from Elsevier before, the system Americans rely on to keep vaccine recommendations grounded in science has changed in ways that many in the medical community find alarming. Our guest today, Dr. Jason Goldman, has watched this shift unfold from a closer vantage point than most in his role as liaison from the American College of Physicians (ACP) to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. “The vaccine guidelines must be based on science and evidence and that doesn't change because of someone's political beliefs. We have to keep politics out of healthcare,” says Dr. Goldman, who has been a prominent voice responding to the risks resulting from these changes as well as other public health issues. This candid conversation with host Lindsey Smith also explores: Why Dr. Goldman calls himself a "dinosaur";The Medicare quirk that pits doctors against each other;His advice to students when choosing a specialty.Mentioned in this episode:American College of Physicians If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

As many of our listeners know from news reports, emergency departments have been under enormous strain in recent years trying to manage overcrowding, the opioid addiction crisis, the consequences of an under-resourced mental health system, and rising rates of violence against staff, among many other challenges. But our guest today guest thinks there’s something else that should top that list. "I think hands down the most important issue is the reimbursement model," says Dr. Ryan Stanton, president-elect of the American College of Emergency Physicians.   Dr. Stanton’s uniquely-informed view is built on his work leading a physician-owned group staffing two Kentucky emergency departments, serving as EMS medical director for Lexington-Fayette County, and overseeing on-track medical response crews for auto racing series such as NASCAR.  In this candid conversation with Raise the Line from Elsevier host Lindsey Smith, Dr. Stanton traces how underpayment from insurers is squeezing physicians and warping the incentives of emergency care, and why he believes the profession's ability to advocate collectively, not individually, is what will move the needle.  This informative episode also explores:  Why he thinks physician autonomy is the antidote to burnout; His approach to communicating medical information as a TV commentator; What it’s like providing care at a NASCAR race when the “car is still smoking.”  Mentioned in this episode:  American College of Emergency Physicians  If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

Limiting the side effects of cancer treatments has been an animating force in the field of oncology for many years, and there’s been progress to report on that front, but what if you could target cancer tumors without using radiation or chemotherapy and instead generate heat from inside the tumor to kill cells?  That’s the quest of our guest today, Dr. Hadiyah-Nicole Green, whose promising research using lasers and nanoparticles to eliminate tumors received Breakthrough Device Designation from the FDA earlier this year. “The laser beam that we're using is low power like a laser pointer, and without activation by the laser, the nanoparticles are harmless. Both are targeted just at the site of the tumor so because we don’t use systemic delivery, we avoid all of the systemic side effects,” she explains. Dr. Green is also the founder and president of the Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation, named for an aunt who raised her and who died of cancer without pursuing curative treatment because of her fear of the side effects.  Shortly after, her aunt’s husband also died of cancer, opting for treatments that took a heavy toll on his body.  “At 22 years old, I saw the horrors of cancer and the horrors of cancer treatment and just felt in my heart that there has to be something better than this,” she tells host Michael Carrese. On this fascinating episode of Raise the Line from Elsevier, we'll explore the science behind Dr. Green's approach, the challenges of raising the millions of dollars needed for human clinical trials, and rethinking the current funding landscape for cancer treatments. Mentioned in this episode:Ora Lee Smith Cancer Research Foundation If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

"It's really hard to justify a test that has any complications if there isn't any reasonable expectation of benefit," says Dr. Rita Redberg, who has spent her career trying to help fellow clinicians consider the actual value of routine screenings and diagnostic testing in asymptomatic patients. Dr. Redberg -- a cardiologist and professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco for more than three decades -- is one of the leading voices advocating for a “high-value care” approach, an uphill fight in a healthcare system that tends to reward action over restraint. Her highest profile effort was launching the instructive “Less is More” series in JAMA Internal Medicine when she served as its editor-in-chief for 14 years.  On a related track, her research on the assessment of the safety and effectiveness of medical technology, specifically high-risk cardiovascular devices, has yielded a troubling picture. "We found only 1% of devices enter the market through the FDA's most rigorous approval process. The high-quality evidence to support benefit for these devices that I had assumed was present, wasn't actually there.”  Join Raise the Line host Lindsey Smith for an eye-opening exploration of what Dr. Redberg considers to be the overlooked risks and false reassurance of common tests and procedures, and her efforts to put the “do no harm” principle of medicine at the forefront of everyday practice. Mentioned in this episode: UCSF School of Medicine JAMA Internal Medicine's Less is More Series If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

For millions of young women and girls, often the first place they turn with questions about their bodies isn't a doctor's office, it's social media which can lead to encountering many misconceptions and outright misinformation. Or, if the right voices show up, it can mean something else entirely. Our guest today, Dr. Charis Chambers, is one of those voices. She’s a board-certified OB/GYN with specialty certification in Pediatric & Adolescent Gynecology, and Chief Medical Officer at Clue, a leading period and cycle-tracking app. She's also the founder of The Period Doctor, a platform she launched in 2019 to provide medically accurate reproductive health information and to place more minority physicians in the spaces where patients are already looking for answers.  As she tells Raise the Line from Elsevier host Lindsey Smith, Dr. Chambers embraces the role of being a bridge between generations: "I can serve as a medical mediator where I advocate for the child and then educate the parent so that the child’s concerns are met." Stay tuned to this important conversation to also learn about: Her new book, The Period and Puberty Parenting Revolution, which tackles many of the same myths she encounters every day in her clinic; Why stubborn myths around periods rarely hold up once you ask where they come from; How she thinks about the responsibility, and limits, of being a trusted medical voice on social media. Mentioned in this episode: Clue The Period Doctor The Period and Puberty Parenting Revolution If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

"I'd already finished my cardiovascular unit. I'd finished my pulmonary unit. I had never heard about this in any of my classes." That was Dr. Joel Bervell's reaction to discovering that a device used every day in hospitals -- the pulse oximeter -- reads less accurately on darker skin tones. He posted a 30-second video about this consequential discrepancy that, to his utter surprise, gained over 500,000 views by the next morning. That video launched Dr. Bervell into orbit as a social media presence and created his identity as The Medical Mythbuster. In just a few years, he’s built a following of two million people, earned a Peabody Award and was named to the inaugural Time 100 Creators list, all while finishing his residency.  On this episode of Raise the Line, host Lindsey Smith welcomes Dr. Bervell to explore the roots of this kind of bias and the real world impact of drawing attention to it. “The most impactful biases in medicine exist because no one stops to ask who was included in the original data and who was left out,” Dr. Bervell explains. Stay tuned to also learn about: His YouTube animated series The Doctor is In which helps kids understand how their bodies work, as well as providing medical role models; How to build trust with marginalized communities; His forthcoming book, The Default Body which examines who medicine was actually designed for. Mentioned in this episode:Dr. Bervell on InstagramTikTok ChannelFacebook"The Doctor Is In" Show If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

Despite gains in recent years, Black, Hispanic, and Asian communities are still under-represented in the U.S. nursing workforce. We’re going to explore that gap and how to close it on this episode of Raise the Line from Elsevier with Dr. Ernest Grant, Vice Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging at the Duke University School of Nursing. "You get a patient who is more compliant when they see someone who looks like them, who is from their culture and who can advocate on their behalf," he tells host Lindsey Smith.  Dr. Grant bases that and other insights on a rich professional background that includes 50 years in nursing, being a leading advocate for his profession and breaking down barriers himself as a male nurse of color and the first man elected president of the American Nurses Association.  In this thoughtful conversation, Dr. Grant reflects on what it took to earn credibility in leadership roles, how he’s navigating the political climate on DEI initiatives, and the causes and solutions to the persistent shortage in nursing faculty, among other pressing issues. Tune in for a uniquely-informed look at what it will take to build a stronger, more representative nursing profession. Mentioned in this episode: Duke University School of Nursing American Nurses Association If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

What does it take to compete on the world's biggest stage and then pivot to one of the most demanding training paths in professional life? Today's guest, Samantha "Sammy" Kolowrat, has done both, and she has some fascinating insights into the commonalities of those two worlds on this episode of Raise the Line. “Something that really drew me to medicine is the team atmosphere that’s there as you work towards a common goal, and there's this level of intensity that’s very reminiscent of the experiences I had as a professional athlete.” Originally from Prague, Kolowrat represented Czechia at six IIHF Women's World Championships and the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and also captained the Division I women's hockey team at the University of Vermont while earning degrees in biology and pharmacology.  As she starts an anesthesiology residency at Vanderbilt University, she credits her athletic career with shaping how she handles pressure, feedback, and teamwork in medicine. "The more I improve, the more knowledge I acquire, the more skills I hone, the better care my patients get," she tells host Lindsey Smith, describing what drew her to a field that rewards the same relentless fine-tuning as elite sports. This engaging conversation also explores: How crippling performance anxiety as a Division I athlete ended up preparing Kolowrat for the operating room; Why she was drawn to anesthesiology's "well-oiled machine" atmosphere; The mentorship gap she's working to close for the next generation of athlete-physicians. Mentioned in this episode: Vanderbilt University Anesthesiology Residency Program If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

An 11-year-old boy in rural Zambia once told Dr. Genesis Mwamba that he was about to attend school wearing shoes for the first time in his life. That moment, Dr. Mwamba says, crystallized why he started the Lead Me Back Foundation to provide school supplies and other support to marginalized communities in his native country.   As you’ll learn in this inspiring installment in our NextGen Journeys series, Dr. Mwamba started the foundation in 2021while still a medical student because he had experienced the power of education as an “equalizer” in his own life, taking him from humble roots to a career in medicine. He and his colleagues have grown the bootstrapped organization to a point where it now provides hundreds of thousands of people across the country with educational access, climate education and community health clinics. “I've always been drawn to opportunities and initiatives that bring help to humankind,” he tells Raise the Line host Dr. Parsa Mohri. This episode also explores: What building "with" a community rather than "for" it looks like in practice; The storytelling strategy that attracted donors and partners; How his mother’s untimely death inspired his commitment to preventive medicine.   Mentioned in this episode: Lead Me Back Foundation If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

"We have an untapped army of 200,000 PAs that really could step up and drive some change in the healthcare system if we weren’t restricted,” says Dr. Jennifer Kolb, capturing her motivation for pushing to update practice regulations for physician associates that date back more than 50 years.  As Chief Medical Officer and Senior Vice President of Clinical Affairs at the American Academy of Physician Associates, Dr. Kolb has been in the middle of the fight at the state and federal level to grant PAs more independence from physicians, full billing rights, and the increased ability to practice across state lines, among other changes.  In this pertinent conversation with Raise the Line host Lindsey Smith, Dr. Kolb explains how these updates could help close huge gaps in access to healthcare, better manage the fight against chronic diseases and improve patient outcomes.   Dr. Kolb also addresses:  Why the name shift from "assistant" to "associate" took her years to fully appreciate; How a 10-year gap in life expectancy across Chicago zip codes shapes her view of health equity; Why PA’s shouldn’t wait for permission to start making change in their communities. Mentioned in this episode:American Academy of Physician Associates   If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

Most adults who smoke want to quit, and about half try to do so in any given year, yet fewer than one in ten succeed. That persistent gap between intention and outcome is one of the central challenges in public health, and it's exactly the kind of problem that calls for new thinking about how to communicate with people to support behavior change.  Dr. Amanda Graham has been a leading force in doing just that in her role as chief health officer at Truth Initiative, the nation's largest non-profit public health organization dedicated to preventing addiction among young people and helping people of all ages to quit tobacco. On this episode of Raise the Line from Elsevier, Dr. Graham, who holds a PhD in clinical health psychology and has done 25 years of NIH-funded research focused on technology-based cessation interventions, helps us understand the interplay between behavioral science and digital communications in the field. "A well-timed message can really be powerful in interrupting what for many people is kind of an automatic behavior, especially via text, which data tell us is an extraordinarily powerful modality,” she explains to host Lindsey Smith.  Tune-in to understand where the field is heading, and to learn about: Why "push" technology may work better than apps and websites when it comes to breaking automatic behaviors; How the rise of e-cigarettes, nicotine pouches, and heated tobacco has scrambled decades of public health messaging; How highschool smoking rates plunged from over 30% to less than 2%. Mentioned in this episode: Truth Initiative Program with Mayo Clinic If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

"I always remember feeling like I was part of the clean plate club," says Dr. Christle Guevarra, recalling a childhood spent quietly convinced that her weight was a matter of willpower. That belief followed her through a competitive powerlifting career and medical practice until she finally tried a GLP-1 medication herself and, as she describes it, the constant mental noise around food quieted down. Now a board-certified family and sports medicine physician, traveling team doctor for U.S. Figure Skating, and author of The Beginner's Guide to GLP-1s, Dr. Guevarra brings a rare combination of clinical authority and lived experience to the conversation around obesity medicine.  In this episode of Raise the Line from Elsevier, host Lindsey Smith talks with her about what's actually changed in how physicians understand the issue and what it means for patients. "The biggest thing is reframing how we approach weight loss. It's not just a willpower problem, it is a neurobiological problem." Tune in to learn about: Why she said no to a GLP-1 prescription for two years and what finally changed her mind; The real story behind concerns about muscle loss on these medications; What happens when the “food noise" goes silent and a new set of challenges takes its place.   Mentioned in this episode:  Dr. Christle's website If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast