May 13, 2025 • 38 mins
8PM: Joe Salvo – Brain Tumor Survivor & Author on Life After Suffering a Brain Tumor…His Inspirational Recovery
8:15PM: Amanda Rotondo on her book: Place Names in Boston & Beyond (Tongue-Twisted Town Tales)! A local woman writes about a comical look at long forgotten MA stories and characters.
8:30PM: Paul Peters - Workplace Expert & Owner of Covenant Case Management Services on why are so many Gen Z employees electing not to climb the corporate ladder? Gen Z's 'conscious unbossing'…
8:45PM: Dr. Bill Hennessey on Pres. Trump to sign executive order to cut prescription drug prices by 30% to 80% — he says to match other countries.
8:15PM: Amanda Rotondo on her book: Place Names in Boston & Beyond (Tongue-Twisted Town Tales)! A local woman writes about a comical look at long forgotten MA stories and characters.
8:30PM: Paul Peters - Workplace Expert & Owner of Covenant Case Management Services on why are so many Gen Z employees electing not to climb the corporate ladder? Gen Z's 'conscious unbossing'…
8:45PM: Dr. Bill Hennessey on Pres. Trump to sign executive order to cut prescription drug prices by 30% to 80% — he says to match other countries.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's nice eyes, Dan Ray, I'm showing you crazy Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Oh it's always a great thank you mess. It's always
a great idea to go to night set with Dan Ray.
Noah is back in the control room tonight. Rob Brooks
has another night off. I don't know, No, I don't
know if Rob's ever coming back at this point. Noah's
doing a fine job, but we'll have to see what
happens tomorrow night. I don't know, No. Check your schedule anyway,
(00:26):
Good evening, everybody, Welcome on end to a Monday night.
For those of you who are keeping us track, and
I know many of you inside prison walls, check off
your calendar. It's now May twelfth, so that's one more
day down to freedom. So for folks, if you're in
there tonight and you're listening to Night Side, you know
we're thinking about you. That's for sure. Get your time
(00:47):
done and you'll be all set. Get out and get
right with everyone. We have some interesting topics coming up tonight.
I guarantee you that we're going to look at the
Karen Retrout. I think it's going better for the prosecution
this time than it did the first time. We'll talk
with Boston defense attorney Phil Tracy. Then we're going to
(01:08):
bring back one of our guests from last week, Adam
viv Gunten. He's recovered drug outcut, attic overdose survivor, ted
talk speaker and founder of Recovered on Purpose and Behavioral
Health Partners. I'm going to talk about that, and then
we're going to talk about a very interesting day on
Wall Street today. Certainly anyone who had money in the
(01:30):
market did okay today, all as a result of the
Trump administration in China having a ninety day ceasefire, if
you will, in the trade war, and hopefully the trade
war will not be resumed. But before we get to
those topics, we have four interesting guests this hour, and
I want to start off with Joe Salvo. Joe has
(01:52):
written a book, I Wiggled My Toes Hallelujah. Well, you know,
most of us can wiggle our toes, but this was
an unforeseen journey of recovery from brain surgery. Joe Salville,
Welcome to Nightside. You were a high school teacher and
you had a couple of stumbles, and you went to
your doctor back in nineteen ninety nine, and you got
(02:15):
some pretty frightening news. Tell us about it. First of all,
welcome nightside, thanks for being here, and tell us about
this journey which ends well, but well, you had some
rough rough days back in nineteen ninety nine.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
I did. Thank you for having me on Dan Ray.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
You're welcome.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
It was over twenty six years ago. It was Mach eleventh,
nineteen ninety nine. I was a computer teacher at Kennedy
Middle School in Wallbam and just walking down the hall,
I tripped, but I looked down and there was nothing
to trip over. Later in the day, I was reaching
for a book in the top shelf of the closet
and it felt as if something was squeezing my arm.
(02:55):
I left school it was a little concerned. The next
day I came back and I was walking up the
stairs and I fell. I said, there's something wrong, So
I called my primary care doctor. He had me come
into his office the next day and he ran some
neurological tests. He then said, you have to get an MRI.
So the following day I went and I got an MRI,
(03:16):
and the radiologist after the MRI showed me this skin
and he said, do you see that big black thing there?
He said, that's a tumor. I had a massive brain
tumor which had to be surgically removed. I said, can
we dissolve it is that's the only thing we can do.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
I had no idea. Yeah, well, you were lucky in
that you found a great surgeon. It wasn't easy. It
isn't easy, and I know there's a little bit of
a story there, but I but I just want to
go to the surgery. You were warned by this great
surgeon that nothing was guaranteed.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Right, Yeah, yeah, nothing tell us about that. Well, the
neurology just told me that I had to have major,
major surgery first off, But he said he had the
best neurosurgeon in the world, doctor Peter Black. He was
actually the neurosurgeon in chief of Brigham and Women's Dana
Fiber and the Children's Hospital. The radiologist had called him,
(04:14):
but unfortunately he was out of the country.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
And I don't want to go into all of those
specifics because there was there was some good fortune here.
But you eventually found your way back. You were your
own best advocate, and that's part of the story. You
found your way back to doctor Peter Black, who, by
the way, is no longer doing this surgery. He's in
(04:36):
he's retire, Yeah, retired. So but she got to doctor
Black did the surgery, And what did they tell you
when it was over.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Well, it was a nerve damage. It was a twelve
hour surgery. It started on March twenty fourth at four
o'clock at night and it ended at four o'clock in
the morning on twenty on Match twenty fifth.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Survived the surgery, which is great, but there was a complication.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Yes, he removed an orange sized tumor, which fortunately was
encapsulated with minimal cancer. But because of the operation, the
severity of the operation, there was nerve damage. So I
was totally paralyzed on my left side and partially paralyzed
on my right side. I spent five days at the
(05:26):
Brigham Women's Hospital and then was transferred to Wingate at
Brighton Rehab.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Okay, So while you were there, and this is where
the title of the book comes, I wriggled my toes hallelujah,
and I'd just seen journey of recovery from brain surgery.
So it took you three and a half weeks to
regain some movement. How long before you then were able
to walk without aid of a cane or a walk
(05:55):
or how long did that struggle continue?
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Joe, Well, it was just three and a half weeks.
I am wow.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
That's that's what is miraculous about it, because you would think, okay,
so now you went back to teaching school, as I
understand it, and you spent another ten years as a
school teacher, and you're retired. And the point of the story,
(06:21):
which which I think is so inspirational, is that here
you are, twenty six years later, you're still upright. You know,
if it's an amazing story, someone was looking out for
you here. I don't know what you'd believe in or
don't believe in, but you had someone in your corner.
(06:43):
And you've gone on to live the second half I guess,
second half of your life, your adult life, and you're
you're doing fine, which is which is why I'm sure
anybody who is facing a serious surgical procedure, particularly something
of the magnitude that you underwent, would probably do well
(07:09):
to get your book and read it. Because I don't
want to say it was a miracle. You had a
great doctor what you had, but you advocated for yourself.
So I assume one of the lessons is to self advocate.
Matter of fact, the doctor. The doctor wrote the forward
for the book, right, yep, so you developed out of
(07:32):
this horrific diagnosis and horrific experience of friendship as well.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Yes, And he also told me that I was a miracle,
he said, you know what, you really are, a miracle,
he said, even though I did everything I could. He said,
you shouldn't be walking like this, he said, And they
told me that at the rehab home. Every person at
the rehab home said that I will be in a
wheelchair for the rest of my life.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Well, you're not.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
And I proved them wrong.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
You did prove them wrong. And I think it's important
to say you're not superman. You're not someone with extraordinary
physical powers. But you did what you had to do.
You know, I have no idea how, and I'm sure
I wouldn't because I'm not a surgeon. But did they
(08:25):
ever say to you how this tumor had grown that large?
And the first times that you had any sort of
inkling of it that when you went to the doctor
it was it had gotten to be that large.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Doctor Black said, it probably was there for ten years,
he said, But when it sits in your head. You
don't notice it until you have an MRI, he said.
But once it hit the nerve on which you controlled
the left side of my body, he said, that's what
caused all the problems, and that's when we were aware
that something was wrong.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Well, the book is I Wiggled My Toes Hallelujah. An
Unforeseen Journey of Recovery from Brain Surgery by Joseph C. Salvo. Joe,
how can what's the easiest way for people to get
a copy of the book if they're so inclined.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Well, it's on a number of websites. It's on Amazon,
It's on Bonds and Noble Westbow Press. You can get
a signed copy if you go on eBay. I signed
a copy and send it out to you. Mail it
out to you. Regular Women's also has it listed on
their website under Neurosurgery because they said this will help
(09:32):
people so exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
But that's exactly the point I'm that, I'm that I'm
trying to make Joe Salvo, I would say good luck
to you, but you've had great luck, so continued good luck.
Let's put it like that, continue good fortune. Appreciate you
joining us tonight, and do say hello and congratulate. Doctor.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Can I just give out my website and it'll be
easy if you.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Got to be quick, that'll be quick joke as a
run out of time.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Go ahead, Joseph csalvo dot com.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Perfect, Joseph C. Salvo s dot com. Get a sign book. Okay, great,
thanks Joe Salvo. Congratulations.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
All right, thank you, Dan, very welcome.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
We get back when we talk about places and names
in Boston and beyond, very interesting. A woman who has
it just shows you the ideas that people have that
they can turn into books. We'll be back on Nightside.
My name is Dan Ray. This is WBZ in Boston.
Bond to the iHeart App, and you can get the
new and improved iHeart App, which we invite you to
(10:30):
do and make WBZ your number one presets so you
will always be just a finger tip away wherever you
are on God's good green Earth, anywhere in the world,
you can have us there a finger tip away. Get
the new iHeart App. We'll be back on Nightside right
after these messages.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
It's night Side with Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Well we all know I guess that New England and
certainly Massachusetts has some funny names and funny stories. And
with us is Amanda Rotundo. She's an author and former
social scientist, and she has written about place names in
Boston and beyond, a local woman writing with a little
(11:21):
bit of I guess, a comical look at long forgotten
Massachusetts and stories and characters. Amanda, I haven't heard the
book yet. I apologize for that, but you're from writing,
as I understand it. So let's start off with a
couple of stories and let's get into this good evening.
Welcome to night, sid.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
How are you hi there, I'm great, Thank you for
having me on.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
So tell us, tell us about the book, tell us
about some of the stories intrigue us on this one.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Okay, sure.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
So the great thing about living in Massachusetts is we
have so much amazing history. And what I learned writing
this book is that the history I thought I knew
there's actually a lot more to it. Everything from you know,
we have a story out of Quinsey about John and
Abigail Adams their journals from seventeen sixty four, which is
(12:11):
the year they got married. They're writing in their journals
and letters to each other, And it's the way you
would think, you know, two twenty somethings of love would
write back and forth to each other. Now you know,
they're being kind of flirty and funny, and it's just
so much fun to think about, you know, founding father
types that way.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Sure. Well, you know the funny thing about it is,
when you think about it, they didn't have radio to
listen to, there was no night side to listen to,
there were no TV programs to watch, there were no
professional sports that they could go to. So they had
a lot of time in their hands. That's why they
wrote so much, not just the adams Is, but everybody
from that that era, if you will. So it's there's
(12:49):
a lot of stuff that I'm sure you've been able
to work into the book. So I understand that there's
a whole bunch of stories. How did you did you
just start out and put these together or did you somehow,
you know, compile them over the years?
Speaker 5 (13:06):
Tell us?
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Tell us how you get to the idea of the book.
Speaker 4 (13:10):
Yeah, you know, I find the best things in life
for me kind of come about in the weirdest ways,
and this book is one of those.
Speaker 5 (13:17):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
It started out a friend and I, you know, just
talking about how ridiculous some of the some of the
names are around here, and how you know, there's no
but there's no way you can know how to pronounce
them unless you are from here. And so I put
together this little book that was just a little funny
cartoons with mnemonics about how to pronounce some of the
(13:37):
more difficult town names. And I ended up speaking to
a publisher who really liked the idea about these, you know,
these these hard to pronounce town names and how it
was such a Massachusetts thing and they but they wanted
a full book out of it, and I said, uh, yeah, okay,
what's what's in this book? So it's it just give
(13:57):
us a couple.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Of the names that you find funny. But obviously we
listened to all of the the radio commercials where people
are mispronouncing names. Uh, that's sort of a sport around here.
What were some of the names that you found funny?
Speaker 4 (14:12):
Well, I mean there's you know the classics Lemonster, Gloucester, Worcester.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
How else would you pronounce it? Way? How is it?
How else would you pronounce lemonster? That's pretty pretty obvious,
you know, Leo, Minster Ah.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
And then of course, you know, situate and and more
of the Native American UH based names are really tough
for people.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
One that really surprised me because I never I'd never
occurred to me that it was hard to pronounce was Lowell.
I was driving with my daughter and and she looked
up at a sign she said, Mom, are we going
towards Lowell? And I, you know, screeched on the brakes.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
What did you say?
Speaker 5 (14:57):
And uh?
Speaker 4 (14:58):
And no, But you know, it's looks like two syllables
and it's not.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Yeah. Well, I guess, like I think that probably is
any part of the country. What what is the toughest
name do you think for people? You grew up in Connecticut,
so you you have a little little bit of not
a complete home court advantage, but you didn't move in
here from Utah. Uh. What what's the weirdest of all
(15:23):
the names in terms of pronunciation. I know people look
at Worcester and they say, oh, Worcester and all of that,
and they make fun about that. What's the time? What's
the one that you think we really might should change
the spelling off.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
The one that's the hardest for me is Coituate. I
have to I really have to think about it every
time I say it.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Cochituate, Yeah, Okay, lake contituate, Okaly, you holy tase. You
give us just some because I want people to the
name of the book and his place names in Boston
and beyond, tongue twisted town tales. I like a literation, Amanda,
(16:07):
that's very clever. Give us the names you mentioned the Adams.
Is that there's something we would learn about the Adams,
is their their romantic side. Give us a couple of
other people we would recognize besides the names of the
towns that we would also learn learn about in your book.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
Sure, so, I think there's there's people that you would
that you would recognize. For example, everyone knows the legend
of Robin Hood, which is decidedly an English legend.
Speaker 5 (16:38):
Right not.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Robin Hood's too easy to pronounce. He wouldn't live around here.
Go ahead, He's in Sherwood Forrest.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
Go ahead, exactly.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
But it turns out the story of Robin Hood, when
it came about in the fifteen hundreds in England, was
about Robin Hood was just a plain old murderer. He
just went around and killed aristocrats. And then there was
this story about a guy named Tom Cook out of Marlborough, Matchusetts,
and this story about him outsmarting the devil and then
(17:06):
going on to steal from the rich and give to
the poor. And he was born in seventeen thirty eight.
So this story was started kicking around in like the
late seventeen hundreds, and what ended up happening was as
that was happening here in America, shortly after, the legend
of Robin Hood in England started to shift where he
(17:26):
instead of just going around and killing aristocrats, stole from
the rich and gave to the poor. So the legend
of Tom Cook from Marlborough actually influenced the legend of
Robin Hood from England, which I think is really fascinating.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Softened it a little bit, I guess, is that exactly? Yeah,
The people who steal from the rich and give to
the poor, guys like Bernie Sanders now only kidding. I
don't know if you're Bernie Sanders fan of just having
a little bit of fun with you, Amanda Rotando, where
is the book available? I assume you can get it
about it anywhere, but give what's the easiest way for
(18:01):
people to get your book?
Speaker 5 (18:03):
Sure?
Speaker 4 (18:04):
So I mean It is available on all the biggies,
Barz and Noble, Amazon, although I'm a huge fan of
independently owned bookstores, so if you probably have one in
your in your town, that's a great place to go
get it. And if you go to my website, which
is Amanda Rotundo dot com, you can buy it there
and I can sign it for you. Or it makes
a great gift. Father's Dave's coming up. It's a great
(18:25):
dad book. I can I can sign it and send
it out.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Sounds great, Amanda Rotundo and everybody in there's not a
spell Amanda, but rotundo R ro t O, d O,
r O t o and d o Amanda Rotundo pronounced
as spelled. And thank you so much. Dot com. We
got to put the dot com in there as well.
Thanks Amanda, appreciate it very much.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Take care, You're very welcome.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
All right, and we get back. We're going to talk
about these darn gen Z employees. We've done this, these
switts of stories a lot. I'm going to talk with
a workplace expert and owner Paul Peters about why jen
Z employees and some of them, by the way, I
don't even well, they were only working because they're about
twelve years old. These are the youngest. These are the
people who were born somewhere around the time of I
(19:16):
don't know, anywhere from nineteen ninety six to two twelve.
So the oldest ones at this point are like twenty eight.
They're the youngins, they're the tweens and the twenty somethings,
and they apparently are not climbing the corporate ladder. We'll
find out why right after the news at the bottom
of the hour.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio.
It's night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
All right, we're going to introduce you now to Paul Peters.
Paul Peters to welcome to Nightside. How are you, sir?
Speaker 6 (19:54):
You're doing great, damn thank you.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Paul is a workplace expert and owner of a company
called Covenant Case Management Services. We're going to try to
answer the question I don't know if we can. If
anybody can, it will be Paul. Why are so many
gen Z employees electing not to climb the corporate ladder.
It's called gen Z's conscious unbossing. Let me be very
(20:19):
clear for our audience. The first gen Zer was born
in nineteen ninety six, so the oldest gen Zer now
is about twenty eight, the youngest gen Zers twenty twelve.
They're only like twelve years old. So maybe there's some
hope for the young gen z Heres. I don't know
(20:40):
what's going on. Paul Peters, Well, I think.
Speaker 6 (20:44):
A lot of it, and thank you for letting me
be on your show. I think a lot of it
is I have three gen Zs my kids, so I
kind of grew up in it. A lot of it
is they have basically observed what it looks like to
be in a boss mentality or a management management position,
and they're like, it's really not worth the money that
you're going to pay me for me to work extra
(21:05):
to climb the corporate ladder with that from their standpoint,
doesn't really reach what they're wanting, and so I think
it's just they're basically rebellion, say that's not what I
value in my life. I don't want that kind of success.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
So if hypothetically they were a minor league baseball player
or a really good college football player and one of
the coaches said to gen Zs, you know you could
get better if you spend a little bit more time
in the batting cage, or maybe you do work a
little bit more in the weight room. These kids, these
these kids are gonna say, nah, I don't need that.
I mean, everybody has to work a little harder when
(21:39):
they're young. I guess I'm a boomer. I've done nothing
but work in my life. I don't understand that mentality.
I truly don't. Is there a way to understand it.
Speaker 6 (21:52):
There is actually a boomer myself, So I totally understand.
We grew up with a mentality. You know, if you
want to succeed in life, you climb the corporate ladder,
or you climb the ladder for leadership so that you
can make more and more successful. They view success a
little differently. Yes, they want the same amount of money
that we all want, but they have a more creative approach.
You know, most of these kids grew up in a
(22:13):
very technological and then they can use their skills and
technology to climb quote unquote the corporate leader without having
to submit to the restrictions on an outdated management managerial style.
So I think they've chosen I don't want to do that.
It's not going to bring me the same sense of
value and success that it brought to the baby winners
or gen X.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
So okay, so the question then is where are they
going to be twenty years from now.
Speaker 6 (22:43):
Well, to be honest with you, I think from a
as an employer myself, I'm looking for people who fall
in line with the culture that I have created. I
think we need to be very creative in what we're
offering to gen zs. If we can offer something that
has the work life balance that they're looking for and
provide a culture that is enticing for them, I think
(23:03):
we can entice them to climb that ladder as long
as it's within the what they're what they consider valuable.
But I think they're going to be fine. I think
they're they're basically trying to find their own way, and
we have such a vast array of different types of
work people can fit into that, you know, working remotely,
coming out of the COVID environment. We have so many
(23:23):
different opportunities for gen zs to be successful, you know,
on entrepreneurial, in typical other jobs that are available out
there as well.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
So it sounds to me that I'm as two boomers here.
I'm sort of scoffing at them and say go for it,
you know, do your own thing, you know, contemplate your
navel or whatever, and and it'll all work out. It
won't work out. I mean, you gotta now again. If
you're not interested in climbing the corporate ladder, that's that's,
(23:56):
I guess, a lifestyle, you know, And maybe I don't know.
I don't understand it at all, To be honest with you,
when I was in college, I work one summer cleaning toilets. Okay,
it wasn't the most glamorous job that anyone had in
that particular summer, but it's one of the jobs that
I'm the proudest of, to be really honest with you,
(24:18):
you know, no one, you know, gave me a summer
internship where I could, you know, wear a suit and
tie or a jacket and tie and and think great thoughts.
You took whatever jobs were available if if you grew
up in you know, I didn't have a better opportunity,
to be really honest with you. I wasn't in any way,
(24:38):
shape or form connected anyone. And when I think about
what it just to me, it's it's a strange posture
to have during that period of your life. When you
don't have a lot of responsibility. Most of those kids
are not married at that point. You know, this is
(25:00):
the time when you should be able to work a
couple of jobs and have a side hustle and all
of that. But I guess they just they don't want that.
They don't want that lifestyle. So it'll be interesting to
see how it works out. Do you think you do
think it's going to work out? Okay for that because
some of them have technical expertise that maybe US boomers
(25:22):
don't have, and we have to rely upon them more
than that.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
I mean, and.
Speaker 6 (25:28):
Pret generation goes through the same challenge as the next
one moves into a position of leadership. And like I said,
I have three kids that I'm extremely proud of. Gen
zs have done very well. You know, I think it
really has every day too. And I'm I'm an advocate frementory.
So if someone like myself, then like yourself, can take
a gen Z mentor them and give a sense of revalue,
(25:51):
give a sense of respect, but hold a higher standard.
They're going to want to eventually. I don't want to
say they're going to embrace everything we do as ady boomers,
but they're going to embrace when they feel respected, valued
and you appreciate what they're bringing to the table. Just
because they're young, just because they don't think the way
we do, doesn't necessarily mean that they don't have something
valuable to contribute. And I think when they feel valued,
(26:13):
they will provide the necessary input that's going to make
them successful and you, me, myself as an employer, will
be successful as well. I think it's just it's just
giving a little to get some, but never compromise in
your standard. And that's something I've never done with my company,
as I've raised the standard, but I've made We brought
in some cultural experts to really help us think in
(26:34):
regards to the gen zs and the younger generation, how
they think differently in the work environment. You know, like
I said, we came off to COVID where work life
balance was integrated and so whereas before, like you and I,
we were just so used to going to work a
certain time frames, clocking and clocking out. That is not
today's world anymore. And so I think they're looking for
(26:54):
I can do a lot more in less time, and
if I'm doing it properly, what's wrong with that?
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Yeah? I got to tell you. You know, as a dad,
I coached hockey, I coached a little league baseball, so
I made time, and I was a TV reporter at
the time, so I had a pretty full schedule. I
like to think back to the you know, to what
we call the Greatest generation, when most of them were
(27:21):
eighteen and nineteen years old. Many of them were in
a a in a ship off the coast of Normandy
in June of nineteen forty four. I just don't I
don't get it. I got to be honest with you this.
I'm I'm old school man. I'm sorry, and I'm glad
that there are good people like you around who are
(27:41):
more open to their to their predilections. I guess that
would be the word I would use here. I hope
it works for gen Z.
Speaker 6 (27:50):
Some of it, it's out of necessity. You know, the
younger generation are eventually going to be taken care of us,
So if we don't pour into them a little bit
so that they can make sure that we're taking care
of and I think that's important. We just have to understand,
like the previous generation has to understand a little bit
about that next generation, we have to do the same
and I think you're going to find there's a little
(28:10):
bit more commonality than we think.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
I sure hope you're right. I sure hope I'm wrong,
but I'm not convinced yet. Paul Peters, thanks very much.
How could folks get in touch with you for any advice, guidance, support,
give us, give us a website.
Speaker 6 (28:27):
Thank Yeah, they can find me on Paul Peters dot online.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Paul Peters Dot online online. That I've never heard that
that connection. Okay, that's pretty cool. Thanks, Paul, appreciate it
very much. All right, thank you, Well, we get back.
We will wrap it up. Some good news today. I
think President Trump is about to sign or has signed,
an executive order to cut prescription drug prices by thirty
to eighty percent. We're going to talk with doctor Bill Hennessy.
(28:54):
He's a billing integrity officer with a company called care Guide,
a company that fiercely negotiates outrageous medical bills on behalf
of patients. I like that. I think I'm going to
like doctor Hennessy too. We'll be back on Nightside with
this information right after this.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news Radio.
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on w BZ,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Like to welcome doctor Bill Hennessy. He is a medical doctor.
He is also the billing integrity Officer with care Guide,
a company that fiercely negotiates outrageous medical bills on behalf
of patients. Doctor Bill Hennessy, Welcome to nightside, Sir, how
are you deceiving?
Speaker 5 (29:35):
Oh good evening, just here excited to talk to you
about saving America money on healthcare.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Well, I think that's a good idea, no matter what
party does it, whether it's Donald Trump, Joe Biden, or
anyone else. So has the President signed this executive order
or is it to be signed? Let me get that,
Claire first.
Speaker 5 (29:53):
He signed it at nine a m. This morning, is
my understanding?
Speaker 2 (29:57):
Okay? And according to the story, cut prescription drug prices
by thirty to eighty percent. Explain to me how a
president can do that unilatterally. I'm happy he can, But
what he I assume he is cutting prices for Medicaid
(30:17):
and Medicare, as the bulk purchaser of these products. Am
I correct on that?
Speaker 5 (30:23):
Yes, he is part of the government. The single largest
payer of healthcare in the US is Medicare. So if he,
being the leader in the United States, is going to
be looking out for our taxpayer dollar, he's to get
best deal for our taxpayer dollar. There are drugs, especially
(30:45):
for cancer, where we're being held as financial hostage, where
they could be twenty thousand to a couple hundred thousand
dollars a dose at major hospitals. But then if someone
like me who knows where to go get them and
go get them for ten thousand, fifteen thousand dollars, he
wants to be able to do that for everybody. Okay,
(31:07):
So when you.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Say you're gonna when you say you're gonna go get
them somewhere else, you're not talking about going to Mexico
or Canada, I assume.
Speaker 5 (31:14):
All right, No, there's there's other ways to do it.
But they're international sourcing is an industry term. This is
an international sourcing. Okay.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
So what I want to understand, and again doctor, I
mean to interrupt you, but you know so much more
about this than I do. It's just important for me
to to understand that and to help my audience understand it.
If these drug companies were to say to the government,
you know, look, we're not going to cut them thirty
to eighty percent. It's great. I'm happy about it, don't
(31:47):
get me wrong. But if they said we're only going
to cut them, you know, fifty percent or whatever. Is
this simply that our purchasing power is so great that
we have the ability, through the office of the President,
this particular president, to impose on the drug suppliers. Our
(32:09):
determination is what these drugs should actually cost.
Speaker 5 (32:12):
I want you to look at it completely different. You're
you're trying to use logic. You got to remember this
is healthcare purchasing.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
And I do appreciate the compliment that I think it's
a little bit. I want to listen carefully to what
you say, proving that you know more about this idea.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
Go ahead.
Speaker 5 (32:29):
The United States, we have over three thousand I'm going
to repeat over three thousand healthcare lobbyists. The health insurance industry, hospitals,
and drug companies use these three thousand lobbyists to their advantage.
That's case. They want to keep it the same, they
want to keep the pricing fixed in the same And
(32:51):
so where don't you have the three thousand US lobbyists?
The answer is in other countries. So the excuse being given,
Let's say that you know that a drug that costs
ten thousand dollars a dose in the United States for cancer,
you could get for five hundred dollars in England. It's
(33:12):
the same drug made by the same company. I got it,
I got you want, you want five hundred dollars. Now,
why hasn't that drug for five hundred dollars? Why can't
then England give it to the US? Okay, thus far
the best to my understanding, in past administrations on both
sides of the al but for decades FDA, the Food
(33:35):
and Drug Administration, has been bought off in prior administrations
with lobbying money. Excuse has been we are not going
to let this happen. We're going to say that the
quality of the drugs made in other countries, even if
it's approved by the big US drug makers, is not
(33:56):
of the same quality as if it was made here. Now,
that's a bunch of BLARKI got so. Now, when the
President of the United States today that would be Trump,
signs an executive order that's a directive to other departments
and agencies, including HHS, Health and Human Services, FDA, Food
and Drug Administration to follow his directive, that now means
(34:21):
doctor Martin McCarry of the Director of Health and of FDA.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
We have had doctor McCurry on this program, so I
know exactly who he is.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
He's got he's got the two seeds, doesn't He's got
care and common sense.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
He's a good guy, so smart. He ting to.
Speaker 5 (34:40):
Harvard first for undergrad I do believe, and then Hopkins
for his residency, so he knows his multiple choice questions
inside out and go to those kind of places and
get those degrees. So so I do believe he is
going to be in favor of affordable drugs for America.
So instead of the FDA being a blocker, with doctor
(35:00):
Marty leading the way, they're gonna say, yeah, let's go
source these drugs. Buy the same companies from other countries,
and if they get a better negotiated deal than we
do in the United States, we're going to use their
deal and bring them in here. Okay, that's all international sourcing.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Okay, let me let me ask you a question. I
want you to know I do. I probably know a
little bit more about this than maybe I've led on. Uh.
Late in the Biden administration, UH, there was a big
announcement in which then President Biden said that his administration
had negotiated the deal which was going to cut drug
(35:37):
prices across the board substantially, and as a matter of fact,
he lamented after the November election that the presidential candidate
Democratic Party Vice President Harris did not emphasize that step
taken by the Biden administration more emphatically. I'm assuming that
(35:59):
this step by the Trump administration is a better step
in terms of substance than what the Biden administration. This
is a this is an improvement on what the Biden
administration has done. Is that is that a fair conclusion
for me to arrive at. Yeah?
Speaker 5 (36:14):
Yeah, let's I want to give the Biden administration a
couple kudos here too, because that's what I'm doing as well.
Let's say, affordable access to care is not a political issue,
it's a humankind issue. So there are about ten drugs,
insulin being at the top where the Biden administration wanted
(36:36):
better pricing and secured better pricing. The good news is
they were common drugs and there's better pricing. The only
thing I wish is it was for all drugs instead
of picking on five or ten of them. Okay, but
at least they're common drugs. The other great thing the
Biden administration did in January this year before leaving was
(36:58):
medical debt no longer adversely affects your credit, and whether
you have fifty dollars in debt or five million dollars
in debt, you can still go out and buy or
release a car or something else.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Let me if I could, Doctor, I just I have
to be cognizant of our time. I got about thirty
seconds left. What I'm just trying to understand is what
the president, this president today, President Trump has signed that
is a furtherance of what the Biden administration did. I
just want to make sure that it's that I'm clear
on that.
Speaker 5 (37:33):
I think it can be construed as that is taking
a second step to making even more drugs more affordable.
Good to America.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
Yeah, excellent, well summarized, doctor Bill Hennessy. If folks want
to get in touch with you, how can they do that?
Speaker 5 (37:49):
Our website is CGA Saves dot com. Care guide advocates
will save your money beforecare or aftercare.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
I'm going to write that down. I hope some of
our listeners A Guide the Kids, c g A Saves.
Speaker 5 (38:02):
Saves dot Com and at the top. We have an
I says, get care guide. We have our partners in
the way that you can purchase us as, and we're
partner with some drug savings companies so we can erase
your hospital bills and your drug bills.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
Sounds great, We'll have you back. I enjoyed the conversation.
It was it was fun. We'll talk to you.
Speaker 5 (38:22):
I agree, thank you for I'm invigorated, so I appreciate
your interest.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Right back at you.
It's nice eyes, Dan Ray, I'm showing you crazy Boston's
news radio.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Oh it's always a great thank you mess. It's always
a great idea to go to night set with Dan Ray.
Noah is back in the control room tonight. Rob Brooks
has another night off. I don't know, No, I don't
know if Rob's ever coming back at this point. Noah's
doing a fine job, but we'll have to see what
happens tomorrow night. I don't know, No. Check your schedule anyway,
(00:26):
Good evening, everybody, Welcome on end to a Monday night.
For those of you who are keeping us track, and
I know many of you inside prison walls, check off
your calendar. It's now May twelfth, so that's one more
day down to freedom. So for folks, if you're in
there tonight and you're listening to Night Side, you know
we're thinking about you. That's for sure. Get your time
(00:47):
done and you'll be all set. Get out and get
right with everyone. We have some interesting topics coming up tonight.
I guarantee you that we're going to look at the
Karen Retrout. I think it's going better for the prosecution
this time than it did the first time. We'll talk
with Boston defense attorney Phil Tracy. Then we're going to
(01:08):
bring back one of our guests from last week, Adam
viv Gunten. He's recovered drug outcut, attic overdose survivor, ted
talk speaker and founder of Recovered on Purpose and Behavioral
Health Partners. I'm going to talk about that, and then
we're going to talk about a very interesting day on
Wall Street today. Certainly anyone who had money in the
(01:30):
market did okay today, all as a result of the
Trump administration in China having a ninety day ceasefire, if
you will, in the trade war, and hopefully the trade
war will not be resumed. But before we get to
those topics, we have four interesting guests this hour, and
I want to start off with Joe Salvo. Joe has
(01:52):
written a book, I Wiggled My Toes Hallelujah. Well, you know,
most of us can wiggle our toes, but this was
an unforeseen journey of recovery from brain surgery. Joe Salville,
Welcome to Nightside. You were a high school teacher and
you had a couple of stumbles, and you went to
your doctor back in nineteen ninety nine, and you got
(02:15):
some pretty frightening news. Tell us about it. First of all,
welcome nightside, thanks for being here, and tell us about
this journey which ends well, but well, you had some
rough rough days back in nineteen ninety nine.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
I did. Thank you for having me on Dan Ray.
Speaker 2 (02:33):
You're welcome.
Speaker 3 (02:34):
It was over twenty six years ago. It was Mach eleventh,
nineteen ninety nine. I was a computer teacher at Kennedy
Middle School in Wallbam and just walking down the hall,
I tripped, but I looked down and there was nothing
to trip over. Later in the day, I was reaching
for a book in the top shelf of the closet
and it felt as if something was squeezing my arm.
(02:55):
I left school it was a little concerned. The next
day I came back and I was walking up the
stairs and I fell. I said, there's something wrong, So
I called my primary care doctor. He had me come
into his office the next day and he ran some
neurological tests. He then said, you have to get an MRI.
So the following day I went and I got an MRI,
(03:16):
and the radiologist after the MRI showed me this skin
and he said, do you see that big black thing there?
He said, that's a tumor. I had a massive brain
tumor which had to be surgically removed. I said, can
we dissolve it is that's the only thing we can do.
Speaker 2 (03:32):
I had no idea. Yeah, well, you were lucky in
that you found a great surgeon. It wasn't easy. It
isn't easy, and I know there's a little bit of
a story there, but I but I just want to
go to the surgery. You were warned by this great
surgeon that nothing was guaranteed.
Speaker 3 (03:51):
Right, Yeah, yeah, nothing tell us about that. Well, the
neurology just told me that I had to have major,
major surgery first off, But he said he had the
best neurosurgeon in the world, doctor Peter Black. He was
actually the neurosurgeon in chief of Brigham and Women's Dana
Fiber and the Children's Hospital. The radiologist had called him,
(04:14):
but unfortunately he was out of the country.
Speaker 2 (04:16):
And I don't want to go into all of those
specifics because there was there was some good fortune here.
But you eventually found your way back. You were your
own best advocate, and that's part of the story. You
found your way back to doctor Peter Black, who, by
the way, is no longer doing this surgery. He's in
(04:36):
he's retire, Yeah, retired. So but she got to doctor
Black did the surgery, And what did they tell you
when it was over.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
Well, it was a nerve damage. It was a twelve
hour surgery. It started on March twenty fourth at four
o'clock at night and it ended at four o'clock in
the morning on twenty on Match twenty fifth.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
Survived the surgery, which is great, but there was a complication.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
Yes, he removed an orange sized tumor, which fortunately was
encapsulated with minimal cancer. But because of the operation, the
severity of the operation, there was nerve damage. So I
was totally paralyzed on my left side and partially paralyzed
on my right side. I spent five days at the
(05:26):
Brigham Women's Hospital and then was transferred to Wingate at
Brighton Rehab.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
Okay, So while you were there, and this is where
the title of the book comes, I wriggled my toes hallelujah,
and I'd just seen journey of recovery from brain surgery.
So it took you three and a half weeks to
regain some movement. How long before you then were able
to walk without aid of a cane or a walk
(05:55):
or how long did that struggle continue?
Speaker 3 (05:57):
Joe, Well, it was just three and a half weeks.
I am wow.
Speaker 2 (06:01):
That's that's what is miraculous about it, because you would think, okay,
so now you went back to teaching school, as I
understand it, and you spent another ten years as a
school teacher, and you're retired. And the point of the story,
(06:21):
which which I think is so inspirational, is that here
you are, twenty six years later, you're still upright. You know,
if it's an amazing story, someone was looking out for
you here. I don't know what you'd believe in or
don't believe in, but you had someone in your corner.
(06:43):
And you've gone on to live the second half I guess,
second half of your life, your adult life, and you're
you're doing fine, which is which is why I'm sure
anybody who is facing a serious surgical procedure, particularly something
of the magnitude that you underwent, would probably do well
(07:09):
to get your book and read it. Because I don't
want to say it was a miracle. You had a
great doctor what you had, but you advocated for yourself.
So I assume one of the lessons is to self advocate.
Matter of fact, the doctor. The doctor wrote the forward
for the book, right, yep, so you developed out of
(07:32):
this horrific diagnosis and horrific experience of friendship as well.
Speaker 3 (07:39):
Yes, And he also told me that I was a miracle,
he said, you know what, you really are, a miracle,
he said, even though I did everything I could. He said,
you shouldn't be walking like this, he said, And they
told me that at the rehab home. Every person at
the rehab home said that I will be in a
wheelchair for the rest of my life.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
Well, you're not.
Speaker 3 (08:03):
And I proved them wrong.
Speaker 2 (08:04):
You did prove them wrong. And I think it's important
to say you're not superman. You're not someone with extraordinary
physical powers. But you did what you had to do.
You know, I have no idea how, and I'm sure
I wouldn't because I'm not a surgeon. But did they
(08:25):
ever say to you how this tumor had grown that large?
And the first times that you had any sort of
inkling of it that when you went to the doctor
it was it had gotten to be that large.
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Doctor Black said, it probably was there for ten years,
he said, But when it sits in your head. You
don't notice it until you have an MRI, he said.
But once it hit the nerve on which you controlled
the left side of my body, he said, that's what
caused all the problems, and that's when we were aware
that something was wrong.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
Well, the book is I Wiggled My Toes Hallelujah. An
Unforeseen Journey of Recovery from Brain Surgery by Joseph C. Salvo. Joe,
how can what's the easiest way for people to get
a copy of the book if they're so inclined.
Speaker 3 (09:11):
Well, it's on a number of websites. It's on Amazon,
It's on Bonds and Noble Westbow Press. You can get
a signed copy if you go on eBay. I signed
a copy and send it out to you. Mail it
out to you. Regular Women's also has it listed on
their website under Neurosurgery because they said this will help
(09:32):
people so exactly.
Speaker 2 (09:34):
But that's exactly the point I'm that, I'm that I'm
trying to make Joe Salvo, I would say good luck
to you, but you've had great luck, so continued good luck.
Let's put it like that, continue good fortune. Appreciate you
joining us tonight, and do say hello and congratulate. Doctor.
Speaker 3 (09:50):
Can I just give out my website and it'll be
easy if you.
Speaker 2 (09:52):
Got to be quick, that'll be quick joke as a
run out of time.
Speaker 3 (09:54):
Go ahead, Joseph csalvo dot com.
Speaker 2 (09:57):
Perfect, Joseph C. Salvo s dot com. Get a sign book. Okay, great,
thanks Joe Salvo. Congratulations.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
All right, thank you, Dan, very welcome.
Speaker 2 (10:07):
We get back when we talk about places and names
in Boston and beyond, very interesting. A woman who has
it just shows you the ideas that people have that
they can turn into books. We'll be back on Nightside.
My name is Dan Ray. This is WBZ in Boston.
Bond to the iHeart App, and you can get the
new and improved iHeart App, which we invite you to
(10:30):
do and make WBZ your number one presets so you
will always be just a finger tip away wherever you
are on God's good green Earth, anywhere in the world,
you can have us there a finger tip away. Get
the new iHeart App. We'll be back on Nightside right
after these messages.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ, Boston's news radio.
It's night Side with Ray on Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (11:01):
Well we all know I guess that New England and
certainly Massachusetts has some funny names and funny stories. And
with us is Amanda Rotundo. She's an author and former
social scientist, and she has written about place names in
Boston and beyond, a local woman writing with a little
(11:21):
bit of I guess, a comical look at long forgotten
Massachusetts and stories and characters. Amanda, I haven't heard the
book yet. I apologize for that, but you're from writing,
as I understand it. So let's start off with a
couple of stories and let's get into this good evening.
Welcome to night, sid.
Speaker 4 (11:38):
How are you hi there, I'm great, Thank you for
having me on.
Speaker 2 (11:42):
So tell us, tell us about the book, tell us
about some of the stories intrigue us on this one.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
Okay, sure.
Speaker 4 (11:49):
So the great thing about living in Massachusetts is we
have so much amazing history. And what I learned writing
this book is that the history I thought I knew
there's actually a lot more to it. Everything from you know,
we have a story out of Quinsey about John and
Abigail Adams their journals from seventeen sixty four, which is
(12:11):
the year they got married. They're writing in their journals
and letters to each other, And it's the way you
would think, you know, two twenty somethings of love would
write back and forth to each other. Now you know,
they're being kind of flirty and funny, and it's just
so much fun to think about, you know, founding father
types that way.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Sure. Well, you know the funny thing about it is,
when you think about it, they didn't have radio to
listen to, there was no night side to listen to,
there were no TV programs to watch, there were no
professional sports that they could go to. So they had
a lot of time in their hands. That's why they
wrote so much, not just the adams Is, but everybody
from that that era, if you will. So it's there's
(12:49):
a lot of stuff that I'm sure you've been able
to work into the book. So I understand that there's
a whole bunch of stories. How did you did you
just start out and put these together or did you somehow,
you know, compile them over the years?
Speaker 5 (13:06):
Tell us?
Speaker 2 (13:07):
Tell us how you get to the idea of the book.
Speaker 4 (13:10):
Yeah, you know, I find the best things in life
for me kind of come about in the weirdest ways,
and this book is one of those.
Speaker 5 (13:17):
Uh.
Speaker 4 (13:17):
It started out a friend and I, you know, just
talking about how ridiculous some of the some of the
names are around here, and how you know, there's no
but there's no way you can know how to pronounce
them unless you are from here. And so I put
together this little book that was just a little funny
cartoons with mnemonics about how to pronounce some of the
(13:37):
more difficult town names. And I ended up speaking to
a publisher who really liked the idea about these, you know,
these these hard to pronounce town names and how it
was such a Massachusetts thing and they but they wanted
a full book out of it, and I said, uh, yeah, okay,
what's what's in this book? So it's it just give
(13:57):
us a couple.
Speaker 2 (13:58):
Of the names that you find funny. But obviously we
listened to all of the the radio commercials where people
are mispronouncing names. Uh, that's sort of a sport around here.
What were some of the names that you found funny?
Speaker 4 (14:12):
Well, I mean there's you know the classics Lemonster, Gloucester, Worcester.
Speaker 2 (14:17):
How else would you pronounce it? Way? How is it?
How else would you pronounce lemonster? That's pretty pretty obvious,
you know, Leo, Minster Ah.
Speaker 4 (14:32):
And then of course, you know, situate and and more
of the Native American UH based names are really tough
for people.
Speaker 2 (14:40):
Oh yeah.
Speaker 4 (14:41):
One that really surprised me because I never I'd never
occurred to me that it was hard to pronounce was Lowell.
I was driving with my daughter and and she looked
up at a sign she said, Mom, are we going
towards Lowell? And I, you know, screeched on the brakes.
Speaker 3 (14:55):
What did you say?
Speaker 5 (14:57):
And uh?
Speaker 4 (14:58):
And no, But you know, it's looks like two syllables
and it's not.
Speaker 2 (15:02):
Yeah. Well, I guess, like I think that probably is
any part of the country. What what is the toughest
name do you think for people? You grew up in Connecticut,
so you you have a little little bit of not
a complete home court advantage, but you didn't move in
here from Utah. Uh. What what's the weirdest of all
(15:23):
the names in terms of pronunciation. I know people look
at Worcester and they say, oh, Worcester and all of that,
and they make fun about that. What's the time? What's
the one that you think we really might should change
the spelling off.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
The one that's the hardest for me is Coituate. I
have to I really have to think about it every
time I say it.
Speaker 2 (15:45):
Cochituate, Yeah, Okay, lake contituate, Okaly, you holy tase. You
give us just some because I want people to the
name of the book and his place names in Boston
and beyond, tongue twisted town tales. I like a literation, Amanda,
(16:07):
that's very clever. Give us the names you mentioned the Adams.
Is that there's something we would learn about the Adams,
is their their romantic side. Give us a couple of
other people we would recognize besides the names of the
towns that we would also learn learn about in your book.
Speaker 4 (16:26):
Sure, so, I think there's there's people that you would
that you would recognize. For example, everyone knows the legend
of Robin Hood, which is decidedly an English legend.
Speaker 5 (16:38):
Right not.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
Robin Hood's too easy to pronounce. He wouldn't live around here.
Go ahead, He's in Sherwood Forrest.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
Go ahead, exactly.
Speaker 4 (16:46):
But it turns out the story of Robin Hood, when
it came about in the fifteen hundreds in England, was
about Robin Hood was just a plain old murderer. He
just went around and killed aristocrats. And then there was
this story about a guy named Tom Cook out of Marlborough, Matchusetts,
and this story about him outsmarting the devil and then
(17:06):
going on to steal from the rich and give to
the poor. And he was born in seventeen thirty eight.
So this story was started kicking around in like the
late seventeen hundreds, and what ended up happening was as
that was happening here in America, shortly after, the legend
of Robin Hood in England started to shift where he
(17:26):
instead of just going around and killing aristocrats, stole from
the rich and gave to the poor. So the legend
of Tom Cook from Marlborough actually influenced the legend of
Robin Hood from England, which I think is really fascinating.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Softened it a little bit, I guess, is that exactly? Yeah,
The people who steal from the rich and give to
the poor, guys like Bernie Sanders now only kidding. I
don't know if you're Bernie Sanders fan of just having
a little bit of fun with you, Amanda Rotando, where
is the book available? I assume you can get it
about it anywhere, but give what's the easiest way for
(18:01):
people to get your book?
Speaker 5 (18:03):
Sure?
Speaker 4 (18:04):
So I mean It is available on all the biggies,
Barz and Noble, Amazon, although I'm a huge fan of
independently owned bookstores, so if you probably have one in
your in your town, that's a great place to go
get it. And if you go to my website, which
is Amanda Rotundo dot com, you can buy it there
and I can sign it for you. Or it makes
a great gift. Father's Dave's coming up. It's a great
(18:25):
dad book. I can I can sign it and send
it out.
Speaker 2 (18:29):
Sounds great, Amanda Rotundo and everybody in there's not a
spell Amanda, but rotundo R ro t O, d O,
r O t o and d o Amanda Rotundo pronounced
as spelled. And thank you so much. Dot com. We
got to put the dot com in there as well.
Thanks Amanda, appreciate it very much.
Speaker 3 (18:49):
Take care, You're very welcome.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
All right, and we get back. We're going to talk
about these darn gen Z employees. We've done this, these
switts of stories a lot. I'm going to talk with
a workplace expert and owner Paul Peters about why jen
Z employees and some of them, by the way, I
don't even well, they were only working because they're about
twelve years old. These are the youngest. These are the
people who were born somewhere around the time of I
(19:16):
don't know, anywhere from nineteen ninety six to two twelve.
So the oldest ones at this point are like twenty eight.
They're the youngins, they're the tweens and the twenty somethings,
and they apparently are not climbing the corporate ladder. We'll
find out why right after the news at the bottom
of the hour.
Speaker 1 (19:34):
Night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio.
It's night Side with Dan Ray on WBZ Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (19:46):
All right, we're going to introduce you now to Paul Peters.
Paul Peters to welcome to Nightside. How are you, sir?
Speaker 6 (19:54):
You're doing great, damn thank you.
Speaker 2 (19:55):
Paul is a workplace expert and owner of a company
called Covenant Case Management Services. We're going to try to
answer the question I don't know if we can. If
anybody can, it will be Paul. Why are so many
gen Z employees electing not to climb the corporate ladder.
It's called gen Z's conscious unbossing. Let me be very
(20:19):
clear for our audience. The first gen Zer was born
in nineteen ninety six, so the oldest gen Zer now
is about twenty eight, the youngest gen Zers twenty twelve.
They're only like twelve years old. So maybe there's some
hope for the young gen z Heres. I don't know
(20:40):
what's going on. Paul Peters, Well, I think.
Speaker 6 (20:44):
A lot of it, and thank you for letting me
be on your show. I think a lot of it
is I have three gen Zs my kids, so I
kind of grew up in it. A lot of it
is they have basically observed what it looks like to
be in a boss mentality or a management management position,
and they're like, it's really not worth the money that
you're going to pay me for me to work extra
(21:05):
to climb the corporate ladder with that from their standpoint,
doesn't really reach what they're wanting, and so I think
it's just they're basically rebellion, say that's not what I
value in my life. I don't want that kind of success.
Speaker 2 (21:18):
So if hypothetically they were a minor league baseball player
or a really good college football player and one of
the coaches said to gen Zs, you know you could
get better if you spend a little bit more time
in the batting cage, or maybe you do work a
little bit more in the weight room. These kids, these
these kids are gonna say, nah, I don't need that.
I mean, everybody has to work a little harder when
(21:39):
they're young. I guess I'm a boomer. I've done nothing
but work in my life. I don't understand that mentality.
I truly don't. Is there a way to understand it.
Speaker 6 (21:52):
There is actually a boomer myself, So I totally understand.
We grew up with a mentality. You know, if you
want to succeed in life, you climb the corporate ladder,
or you climb the ladder for leadership so that you
can make more and more successful. They view success a
little differently. Yes, they want the same amount of money
that we all want, but they have a more creative approach.
You know, most of these kids grew up in a
(22:13):
very technological and then they can use their skills and
technology to climb quote unquote the corporate leader without having
to submit to the restrictions on an outdated management managerial style.
So I think they've chosen I don't want to do that.
It's not going to bring me the same sense of
value and success that it brought to the baby winners
or gen X.
Speaker 2 (22:35):
So okay, so the question then is where are they
going to be twenty years from now.
Speaker 6 (22:43):
Well, to be honest with you, I think from a
as an employer myself, I'm looking for people who fall
in line with the culture that I have created. I
think we need to be very creative in what we're
offering to gen zs. If we can offer something that
has the work life balance that they're looking for and
provide a culture that is enticing for them, I think
(23:03):
we can entice them to climb that ladder as long
as it's within the what they're what they consider valuable.
But I think they're going to be fine. I think
they're they're basically trying to find their own way, and
we have such a vast array of different types of
work people can fit into that, you know, working remotely,
coming out of the COVID environment. We have so many
(23:23):
different opportunities for gen zs to be successful, you know,
on entrepreneurial, in typical other jobs that are available out
there as well.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
So it sounds to me that I'm as two boomers here.
I'm sort of scoffing at them and say go for it,
you know, do your own thing, you know, contemplate your
navel or whatever, and and it'll all work out. It
won't work out. I mean, you gotta now again. If
you're not interested in climbing the corporate ladder, that's that's,
(23:56):
I guess, a lifestyle, you know, And maybe I don't know.
I don't understand it at all, To be honest with you,
when I was in college, I work one summer cleaning toilets. Okay,
it wasn't the most glamorous job that anyone had in
that particular summer, but it's one of the jobs that
I'm the proudest of, to be really honest with you,
(24:18):
you know, no one, you know, gave me a summer
internship where I could, you know, wear a suit and
tie or a jacket and tie and and think great thoughts.
You took whatever jobs were available if if you grew
up in you know, I didn't have a better opportunity,
to be really honest with you. I wasn't in any way,
(24:38):
shape or form connected anyone. And when I think about
what it just to me, it's it's a strange posture
to have during that period of your life. When you
don't have a lot of responsibility. Most of those kids
are not married at that point. You know, this is
(25:00):
the time when you should be able to work a
couple of jobs and have a side hustle and all
of that. But I guess they just they don't want that.
They don't want that lifestyle. So it'll be interesting to
see how it works out. Do you think you do
think it's going to work out? Okay for that because
some of them have technical expertise that maybe US boomers
(25:22):
don't have, and we have to rely upon them more
than that.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
I mean, and.
Speaker 6 (25:28):
Pret generation goes through the same challenge as the next
one moves into a position of leadership. And like I said,
I have three kids that I'm extremely proud of. Gen
zs have done very well. You know, I think it
really has every day too. And I'm I'm an advocate frementory.
So if someone like myself, then like yourself, can take
a gen Z mentor them and give a sense of revalue,
(25:51):
give a sense of respect, but hold a higher standard.
They're going to want to eventually. I don't want to
say they're going to embrace everything we do as ady boomers,
but they're going to embrace when they feel respected, valued
and you appreciate what they're bringing to the table. Just
because they're young, just because they don't think the way
we do, doesn't necessarily mean that they don't have something
valuable to contribute. And I think when they feel valued,
(26:13):
they will provide the necessary input that's going to make
them successful and you, me, myself as an employer, will
be successful as well. I think it's just it's just
giving a little to get some, but never compromise in
your standard. And that's something I've never done with my company,
as I've raised the standard, but I've made We brought
in some cultural experts to really help us think in
(26:34):
regards to the gen zs and the younger generation, how
they think differently in the work environment. You know, like
I said, we came off to COVID where work life
balance was integrated and so whereas before, like you and I,
we were just so used to going to work a
certain time frames, clocking and clocking out. That is not
today's world anymore. And so I think they're looking for
(26:54):
I can do a lot more in less time, and
if I'm doing it properly, what's wrong with that?
Speaker 2 (27:00):
Yeah? I got to tell you. You know, as a dad,
I coached hockey, I coached a little league baseball, so
I made time, and I was a TV reporter at
the time, so I had a pretty full schedule. I
like to think back to the you know, to what
we call the Greatest generation, when most of them were
(27:21):
eighteen and nineteen years old. Many of them were in
a a in a ship off the coast of Normandy
in June of nineteen forty four. I just don't I
don't get it. I got to be honest with you this.
I'm I'm old school man. I'm sorry, and I'm glad
that there are good people like you around who are
(27:41):
more open to their to their predilections. I guess that
would be the word I would use here. I hope
it works for gen Z.
Speaker 6 (27:50):
Some of it, it's out of necessity. You know, the
younger generation are eventually going to be taken care of us,
So if we don't pour into them a little bit
so that they can make sure that we're taking care
of and I think that's important. We just have to understand,
like the previous generation has to understand a little bit
about that next generation, we have to do the same
and I think you're going to find there's a little
(28:10):
bit more commonality than we think.
Speaker 2 (28:12):
I sure hope you're right. I sure hope I'm wrong,
but I'm not convinced yet. Paul Peters, thanks very much.
How could folks get in touch with you for any advice, guidance, support,
give us, give us a website.
Speaker 6 (28:27):
Thank Yeah, they can find me on Paul Peters dot online.
Speaker 2 (28:31):
Paul Peters Dot online online. That I've never heard that
that connection. Okay, that's pretty cool. Thanks, Paul, appreciate it
very much. All right, thank you, Well, we get back.
We will wrap it up. Some good news today. I
think President Trump is about to sign or has signed,
an executive order to cut prescription drug prices by thirty
to eighty percent. We're going to talk with doctor Bill Hennessy.
(28:54):
He's a billing integrity officer with a company called care Guide,
a company that fiercely negotiates outrageous medical bills on behalf
of patients. I like that. I think I'm going to
like doctor Hennessy too. We'll be back on Nightside with
this information right after this.
Speaker 1 (29:09):
It's Night Side with Dan Ray on Boston's news Radio.
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on w BZ,
Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Like to welcome doctor Bill Hennessy. He is a medical doctor.
He is also the billing integrity Officer with care Guide,
a company that fiercely negotiates outrageous medical bills on behalf
of patients. Doctor Bill Hennessy, Welcome to nightside, Sir, how
are you deceiving?
Speaker 5 (29:35):
Oh good evening, just here excited to talk to you
about saving America money on healthcare.
Speaker 2 (29:41):
Well, I think that's a good idea, no matter what
party does it, whether it's Donald Trump, Joe Biden, or
anyone else. So has the President signed this executive order
or is it to be signed? Let me get that,
Claire first.
Speaker 5 (29:53):
He signed it at nine a m. This morning, is
my understanding?
Speaker 2 (29:57):
Okay? And according to the story, cut prescription drug prices
by thirty to eighty percent. Explain to me how a
president can do that unilatterally. I'm happy he can, But
what he I assume he is cutting prices for Medicaid
(30:17):
and Medicare, as the bulk purchaser of these products. Am
I correct on that?
Speaker 5 (30:23):
Yes, he is part of the government. The single largest
payer of healthcare in the US is Medicare. So if he,
being the leader in the United States, is going to
be looking out for our taxpayer dollar, he's to get
best deal for our taxpayer dollar. There are drugs, especially
(30:45):
for cancer, where we're being held as financial hostage, where
they could be twenty thousand to a couple hundred thousand
dollars a dose at major hospitals. But then if someone
like me who knows where to go get them and
go get them for ten thousand, fifteen thousand dollars, he
wants to be able to do that for everybody. Okay,
(31:07):
So when you.
Speaker 2 (31:08):
Say you're gonna when you say you're gonna go get
them somewhere else, you're not talking about going to Mexico
or Canada, I assume.
Speaker 5 (31:14):
All right, No, there's there's other ways to do it.
But they're international sourcing is an industry term. This is
an international sourcing. Okay.
Speaker 2 (31:25):
So what I want to understand, and again doctor, I
mean to interrupt you, but you know so much more
about this than I do. It's just important for me
to to understand that and to help my audience understand it.
If these drug companies were to say to the government,
you know, look, we're not going to cut them thirty
to eighty percent. It's great. I'm happy about it, don't
(31:47):
get me wrong. But if they said we're only going
to cut them, you know, fifty percent or whatever. Is
this simply that our purchasing power is so great that
we have the ability, through the office of the President,
this particular president, to impose on the drug suppliers. Our
(32:09):
determination is what these drugs should actually cost.
Speaker 5 (32:12):
I want you to look at it completely different. You're
you're trying to use logic. You got to remember this
is healthcare purchasing.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
And I do appreciate the compliment that I think it's
a little bit. I want to listen carefully to what
you say, proving that you know more about this idea.
Speaker 3 (32:28):
Go ahead.
Speaker 5 (32:29):
The United States, we have over three thousand I'm going
to repeat over three thousand healthcare lobbyists. The health insurance industry, hospitals,
and drug companies use these three thousand lobbyists to their advantage.
That's case. They want to keep it the same, they
want to keep the pricing fixed in the same And
(32:51):
so where don't you have the three thousand US lobbyists?
The answer is in other countries. So the excuse being given,
Let's say that you know that a drug that costs
ten thousand dollars a dose in the United States for cancer,
you could get for five hundred dollars in England. It's
(33:12):
the same drug made by the same company. I got it,
I got you want, you want five hundred dollars. Now,
why hasn't that drug for five hundred dollars? Why can't
then England give it to the US? Okay, thus far
the best to my understanding, in past administrations on both
sides of the al but for decades FDA, the Food
(33:35):
and Drug Administration, has been bought off in prior administrations
with lobbying money. Excuse has been we are not going
to let this happen. We're going to say that the
quality of the drugs made in other countries, even if
it's approved by the big US drug makers, is not
(33:56):
of the same quality as if it was made here. Now,
that's a bunch of BLARKI got so. Now, when the
President of the United States today that would be Trump,
signs an executive order that's a directive to other departments
and agencies, including HHS, Health and Human Services, FDA, Food
and Drug Administration to follow his directive, that now means
(34:21):
doctor Martin McCarry of the Director of Health and of FDA.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
We have had doctor McCurry on this program, so I
know exactly who he is.
Speaker 5 (34:32):
He's got he's got the two seeds, doesn't He's got
care and common sense.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
He's a good guy, so smart. He ting to.
Speaker 5 (34:40):
Harvard first for undergrad I do believe, and then Hopkins
for his residency, so he knows his multiple choice questions
inside out and go to those kind of places and
get those degrees. So so I do believe he is
going to be in favor of affordable drugs for America.
So instead of the FDA being a blocker, with doctor
(35:00):
Marty leading the way, they're gonna say, yeah, let's go
source these drugs. Buy the same companies from other countries,
and if they get a better negotiated deal than we
do in the United States, we're going to use their
deal and bring them in here. Okay, that's all international sourcing.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
Okay, let me let me ask you a question. I
want you to know I do. I probably know a
little bit more about this than maybe I've led on. Uh.
Late in the Biden administration, UH, there was a big
announcement in which then President Biden said that his administration
had negotiated the deal which was going to cut drug
(35:37):
prices across the board substantially, and as a matter of fact,
he lamented after the November election that the presidential candidate
Democratic Party Vice President Harris did not emphasize that step
taken by the Biden administration more emphatically. I'm assuming that
(35:59):
this step by the Trump administration is a better step
in terms of substance than what the Biden administration. This
is a this is an improvement on what the Biden
administration has done. Is that is that a fair conclusion
for me to arrive at. Yeah?
Speaker 5 (36:14):
Yeah, let's I want to give the Biden administration a
couple kudos here too, because that's what I'm doing as well.
Let's say, affordable access to care is not a political issue,
it's a humankind issue. So there are about ten drugs,
insulin being at the top where the Biden administration wanted
(36:36):
better pricing and secured better pricing. The good news is
they were common drugs and there's better pricing. The only
thing I wish is it was for all drugs instead
of picking on five or ten of them. Okay, but
at least they're common drugs. The other great thing the
Biden administration did in January this year before leaving was
(36:58):
medical debt no longer adversely affects your credit, and whether
you have fifty dollars in debt or five million dollars
in debt, you can still go out and buy or
release a car or something else.
Speaker 2 (37:12):
Let me if I could, Doctor, I just I have
to be cognizant of our time. I got about thirty
seconds left. What I'm just trying to understand is what
the president, this president today, President Trump has signed that
is a furtherance of what the Biden administration did. I
just want to make sure that it's that I'm clear
on that.
Speaker 5 (37:33):
I think it can be construed as that is taking
a second step to making even more drugs more affordable.
Good to America.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
Yeah, excellent, well summarized, doctor Bill Hennessy. If folks want
to get in touch with you, how can they do that?
Speaker 5 (37:49):
Our website is CGA Saves dot com. Care guide advocates
will save your money beforecare or aftercare.
Speaker 2 (37:57):
I'm going to write that down. I hope some of
our listeners A Guide the Kids, c g A Saves.
Speaker 5 (38:02):
Saves dot Com and at the top. We have an
I says, get care guide. We have our partners in
the way that you can purchase us as, and we're
partner with some drug savings companies so we can erase
your hospital bills and your drug bills.
Speaker 2 (38:16):
Sounds great, We'll have you back. I enjoyed the conversation.
It was it was fun. We'll talk to you.
Speaker 5 (38:22):
I agree, thank you for I'm invigorated, so I appreciate
your interest.
Speaker 2 (38:27):
Right back at you.
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Therapy Gecko
An unlicensed lizard psychologist travels the universe talking to strangers about absolutely nothing. TO CALL THE GECKO: follow me on https://www.twitch.tv/lyleforever to get a notification for when I am taking calls. I am usually live Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays but lately a lot of other times too. I am a gecko.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.