Dan talks with Emily Campbell, who recently began her service as President and CEO of the Center for Community Solutions. Dan and Emily talk through the 88 (one for each Ohio county) fact sheets CCS recently released with data about the status of women in Ohio. Topics include economic barriers such as pay inequity, maternity deserts, policy hurdles to making Ohio an attractive state for aging in place, and more.

Smoking not only remains the #1 cause of death in Cleveland, but is a function of years of inequitable and racist policy, with devastating consequences for communities of color. Dan talks with Dr. David Margolius, Director of Public Health for the City of Cleveland, about efforts to get Cleveland’s horrendous smoking rates under control, especially by addressing flavored tobacco.

Rick Neal is a well-known progressive advocate in Central Ohio, but his political conscience has long been driven by his passion for and professional experience in humanitarian relief, especially in Asia and Africa. On Episode 137,, Dan Skinner talks with Rick about his experience as a humanitarian relief worker with Peace Corps, Oxfam, and Refugees International. Topics include the challenges of securing adequate funding, geopolitical complexities, and how to raise consciousness about the serious crises that exist around the world.

The latest installation of our collaboration with the Ohio Journal of Public Health, Dan Skinner talks with Dr. Ayaz Hyder of Ohio State University’s College of Public Health and Gavin French of Columbus Public Health about their article, “Real-time Monitoring and Evaluation of the Vax Cash Program: A Case Study from Columbus, Ohio.” Dan, Ayaz, and Gavin discuss the idea behind programs such as Vax Cash, which provided money for individuals who got vaccinated in the early months when COVID-19 vaccinations became available.

Dan talks with Marcela Azevedo, MD, Co-Founder of Ohio Physicians for Reproductive Rights (OPRR) about the state of the “Yes on Issue 1” movement. Topics include whether OPRR and issue 1 supporters have been able to cut through the noise and misinformation that have clouded voters’ understanding of what Issue 1 will do; the health stakes of Issue 1, including what we learned from the 82 days after Dobbs when abortion was illegal in Ohio; the significance of physician leadership on the issue of reproductive freedom; and more.

Dan talks with Washington Post reporters Lauren Weber and Dan Diamond about their must-read reporting on life expectancy in Ohio. Topics: reactions to the piece so far; the relationship between public health and perceptions of liberty; Ohio’s place within larger national conversations; the lack of democratic responsiveness in Ohio politics; and other issues that show the dire health consequences of Ohio’s failure to prioritize public health and safety.

On episode 132, Dan talks with John Corlett of the Center for Community Solutions about the need for a human service chamber in Northeast Ohio, the state of poverty in Ohio, the vulnerabilities of Ohio’s aging population, and the political consensus that has emerged around Medicaid. John also reflects on his distinguished career serving Ohio in a range of ways.

Dan talks with innovative leaders at Yuvo Health and My Community Health Center in Canton, Ohio, about the future of value-based healthcare in Ohio’s community health centers.

Dan talks with Danielle Bessett and Morgan Mitchell about the state of changing abortion access in Ohio, and especially medication abortion. Topics include pending legal cases that stand to increase health disparities, two consequential elections designed to ignore the will of a majority of Ohioans who support basic abortion rights, and the reaction of the medical community to this incursion into patient-provider decision-making.

Dan talks with Dr. Ean Bett, a family medicine physician in Columbus, about Medicare for All and national healthcare insurance, generally, as well as shorter term options to patch up the ailing American health care system.

Dan talks with Randy Leite and Patrick Caniglia from the Appalachian Children Coalition about the behavioral health workforce and mental health needs of children in Appalachian Ohio

On episode 127, Dan talks with Sherri Kovach and Jodi Keller with COTS Ohio about mass casualty preparedness in Ohio. Topics include planning for worst case scenarios, coordinating the EMS response, fostering collaboration, and training with hospitals for such events.

On episode 126, Dan talks with Dr. Rosie Bauder about suicide and suicide prevention, as well as the findings of her co-authored paper, Examining Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Ohio Youth with Oppressed Identities Using the 2019 Ohio Youth Risk Behavior Survey, published in the Ohio Journal of Public Health.

Dan talks with obstetrician-gynecologist and State Rep. Anita Somani about reproductive rights, the impact anti-transgender legislation is poised to have on Ohio patients; and balancing life as a physician-legislator.

Dan talks with Columbus Dispatch reporters Max Filby and Jennifer Smola Shaffer about their investigative series, Preying on Patients. Topics include possible reforms for the medical board, and the role journalism plays in bringing these stories about sexual misconduct to light.

Dan talks with State Rep. and House Assistant Minority Leader Dontavius Jarrells about his life experience shapes his work as a legislator, bills he has introduced and supported, and his health priorities in the Ohio Statehouse. 

Dan talks with Emily Wright of River Valley Organizing and Melanie Houston of the Ohio Environmental Council about the situation in East Palestine in the wake of the Norfolk Southern train derailment. Topics include what residents are reporting; predatory entities; water, ground and air testing; and what policy changes we'll need to pursue to ensure this never happens again.

Dan talks with Tara Britton and Kelsey Bergfeld about the state budget and their organizations’ policy priorities. Topics include SNAP benefits, Medicaid, harm reduction, doula services, and the workplace.

Dan talks with genetic counselor Paul Hudson about current issues in the field. Topics include the Dobbs decision and abortion, diversity efforts in genetic counseling, and preventing discrimination from the misuse of genetic information.