Good Health, Better World

A woman’s health and her choices about it are linked to where she’s grown up, her access to resources, and even where she works. Often, that might mean limiting choices for some women and built-in assumptions on the part of providers. How can we create more robust standards for sexual and reproductive equity that benefit all women in the United States? 

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Sonya Borrero, professor of medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and director of CONVERGE, the Center for Innovative Research on Gender Health Equity, about how research can provide a lens to inform public policy that reflects the needs, preferences, and values of women from a myriad of backgrounds.

Breast cancer accounts for about one in three diagnoses of cancer for women each year in the United States, yet vast disparities exist: Black women have a higher likelihood of developing breast cancer before 40—and at every age, Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer than other groups. 

In this episode, we break down how screenings and vigilance can save lives among women of color, as host Ellen Beckjord talks with LaJuana Fuller, director of Women's Imaging at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, and Dr. Margaret Rosenzweig, researcher and professor of nursing at the University of Pittsburgh.

In this episode, we're joined by Carrie Whitcher, chief quality officer and vice president of quality performance at UPMC Health Plan; and Dr. Bob Edwards, chair of ob-gyn at the University of Pittsburgh, and the chief medical officer of UPMC’s Community and Ambulatory Services Division, to discuss preventive care for women. 

A woman's risk of being diagnosed with one or more chronic conditions, such as heart disease, can be influenced by her lifestyle and family history. In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Crystal Clark, chief medical officer for Community HealthChoices and senior advisor for the Center for Social Impact at UPMC Health Plan; and cardiologist Dr. Amber Johnson, to discuss chronic diseases that affect women. We also discuss how social determinants such as education, community, and career can impact health. 

Midlife can be exhilarating…and challenging! Key milestones during this time such as menopause bring on physical and emotional changes that affect women’s sense of self and identity. In this episode, we hear from Stacey Shankle, CRNP, who specializes in obstetrics and gynecology at the Midlife Health Center at UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital, about navigating changes in midlife and beyond.

How can moms care for themselves and their children? In this episode, we hear from Dr. Johanna Vidal-Phelan, a pediatrician and chief medical officer in Quality and Pediatrics at UPMC Health Plan, and Muffy Mendoza, author, speaker, and founder of Brown Mamas, about motherhood and parenting through every stage of life. 

Some individuals and their babies are at a higher risk for complications during or after pregnancy — but what works to help them? In this episode, we’ll talk with Stacy Freeman-Pistella, a senior health manager in UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital’s Pregnancy and Women’s Recovery Center; and Tica Nickson, director of prevention of BirthRoot Community Doula Alliance, about support for pregnant people and new mothers in marginalized communities.

Pregnancy can be a transformational time of hope and change. But many people are especially vulnerable during pregnancy, with factors that put them and their babies at greater risk for health complications than others.      

In this episode, we focus on solutions that can improve a person’s pregnancy, birthing experience, and recovery with two guests: Dr. Hyagriv Simhan, professor and executive vice chair of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh; and Dr. Sharee Livingston-Anderson, ob-gyn department chair at UPMC Lititz.

Women often take on roles to care for others first and may not attend enough to their own health and well-being. In this episode, we discuss the many ways that sex and gender affect a person's health with Dr. Sarah Tilstra, section chief of women’s health and internist at the General Internal Medicine Clinic at Montefiore Hospital at UPMC and the executive editor of the book, “Sex- and Gender-Based Women's Health: A Practical Guide for Primary Care.”      

Dr. Tilstra delves into the ways that women, as well as sexual and gender minorities, sometimes don't prioritize their health and ways they can advocate for their own health-related needs. 

What’s the new frontier in behavioral health? That great frontier might not always mean being in a doctor’s office. Learn more about how telehealth, new therapies, and whole person care — where you live and play — affect well-being. 

Hear from Dr. Matthew Hurford and Dr. Geoffrey Neimark of Community Care Behavioral Health, a not-for-profit behavioral health managed care organization. Says Dr. Hurford, president and CEO: “We cannot get to whole person care without thinking about whole community care.” 

The views and opinions expressed by the participants of this podcast are not necessarily those of UPMC Health Plan, Inc. or its affiliates.

As we age, mental and physical changes can leave some people feeling left behind — perhaps even more isolated as a result of the pandemic, and other life changes. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Listen in for a discussion about special considerations affecting the mental health of older adults, and how to recognize signs of depression. 

In this episode we hear from Angela Perri, vice president and chief Medicare officer for UPMC’s Insurance Services Division and Dr. Shannah Tharp-Gilliam, deputy director for the Area Agency on Aging within the Allegheny County Department of Human Services in Western Pennsylvania.

The views and opinions expressed by the participants of this podcast are not necessarily those of UPMC Health Plan, Inc. or its affiliates.

Integrated care helps bring together care for the body and mind. In this episode, our guests discuss this body-mind approach and how doctors are implementing this model. How could it benefit you or a loved one? Hear insights from Dr. Alin Severance, medical director of Behavioral Health Services at UPMC Health Plan and University of Pittsburgh professor Dr. Charles Jonassaint, whose work focuses on reducing health disparities.

The views and opinions expressed by the participants of this podcast are not necessarily those of UPMC Health Plan, Inc. or its affiliates.

Healthy, happy employees mean a better workplace. What can employers do? Guests James Kinville and Nancy Mckee of UPMC Health Plan’s LifeSolutions discuss why behavioral health care should be an important area of focus for employers and how an employee assistance program can support resilience and a culture of wellness.

The views and opinions expressed by the participants of this podcast are not necessarily those of UPMC Health Plan, Inc. or its affiliates.

In this episode, we hear from behavioral health experts who discuss different types of addictions, the impact, and how to get support on a path to recovery.

Hear insights from Dr. Michael Lynch, associate professor of Emergency Medicine, Toxicology, Pediatrics, and Addiction Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and Dr. Antoine Douaihy, who specializes in psychiatry and practices at University of Pittsburgh Physicians, Department of Psychiatry. 

The views and opinions expressed by the participants of this podcast are not necessarily those of UPMC Health Plan, Inc. or its affiliates.

The pandemic disrupted childhood routines in ways that experts are still seeking to understand.

In this episode, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh pediatrician Dr. Johanna Vidal-Phelan and psychiatrist Dr. Abigail Schlesinger talk about common behavioral health issues children and teens can have and what adults can do to support the health and well-being of their whole family.

For show notes and more resources, click here.

The views and opinions expressed by the participants of this podcast are not necessarily those of UPMC Health Plan, Inc. or its affiliates.

In this episode, Dr. Kimberly Blair, a psychologist at Western Psychiatric Hospital, and Dr. Lyndra Bills, senior medical director at Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, discuss the ways that trauma and anxiety have affected people as our lives shifted as a result of the pandemic.

How can trauma-informed care and trauma-informed systems of care help to build resilience? 

Listen in! 

In this season’s inaugural episode, our guests discuss what behavioral health means and share resources to help us get back on track as we move forward from COVID-19.

We hear from Diane Holder, president and CEO of UPMC Health Plan, and Dr. James Schuster, chief medical officer of the UPMC Insurance Services Division. Listen in!

For show notes and other resources, click here.

The views and opinions expressed by the participants of this podcast are not necessarily those of UPMC Health Plan, Inc. or its affiliates.

Employers large and small in Pennsylvania may be wrestling with questions as COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift and more people are eligible for vaccinations. In this episode, hear from Dr. Joon Lee, senior vice president, UPMC, and president, UPMC Physician Services, UPMC Health Services Division. Dr. Lee, formerly chief medical officer of UPMC Health Plan, addresses questions of equity in distribution, how companies can support employees to get a greater number of people vaccinated, and more. 

Also, hear from Dr. Alfred L’Altrelli, who is leading vaccination efforts at UPMC Mercy’s clinic in Pittsburgh. There, health care workers are focused on helping underserved groups get access to COVID-19 vaccinations.

What role can health insurers play to help improve a person's health, outside the doctor's office?

Many factors influence the choices a person makes regarding their health. Addressing these social factors often seems insurmountable. But organizations are beginning to make inroads. This includes insurers, like UPMC Health Plan.

In this episode, we hear from Diane Holder, CEO of UPMC Health Plan and executive vice president at UPMC. We also hear from Kate Berry, senior vice president of clinical innovation with America’s Health Insurance Plans, based in Washington, D.C.

Researchers, insurers, and health care experts continue to try to tackle improving maternal health care — and by extension, the health of children.

In this episode, we hear from Dr. Johanna Vidal-Phelan, senior medical director, pediatrics at UPMC Health Plan, where she manages children’s services in the Children's Health Insurance Program, among other initiatives. We also hear from Katie Domalakes, a licensed social worker and director of clinical programs at UPMC Health Plan who focuses on population health efforts for maternal, child, and special needs populations.

Host Ellen Beckjord also speaks with Congresswoman Robin Kelly, an Illinois Democrat, who is advocating for measures to extend Medicaid coverage to women for up to one year after they give birth.