Health Talks
From topics of the day in healthcare, to educational insights, mindfulness practices, and inspirational stories, welcome to Health Talks with host Raj Savalia. I’m joined by people who advance community healthcare, advocacy, and public health, while striving to improve patient care. Launching in Season 3, Health Talks now has four new areas of focus: Wellness Watch – Learn about wellness tips, nutrition programs, community garden programs, and more. Educational Insights – Perhaps you’re more interested in insights about leading health care topics of the day. If so, tune in! The Sidebar – How about feature stories about community health care? Then, this one is for you! The Bold Podcast – Or maybe you’re mostly interested in the unique experiences of providers boldly providing care to vulnerable communities? The topics are endless, so tune in every Thursday for a new episode!
Episodes
September 19, 2024 • 20 mins
We chat with Adrian Cardenas from Loft at 8 Corners, a first-of-its-kind teen-focused mental health center in Chicago’s western suburbs. In partnership with NAMI Metro Suburban and Pillars Community Health, The Loft offers free, year-round support for teens and families. Adrian shares heartwarming stories of how the program has touched lives through group support, family services, and one-on-one care, helping teens find the service...
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August 29, 2024 • 12 mins
This is part two of our VOICES miniseries with the American Cancer Society, and we're joined by Shanita Akintonde. She’s an enthusiastic participant of the VOICES study and daughter of a cancer survivor. Shanita shares why she joined VOICES, weaving her experiences into a tapestry of positive change that improves cancer research and awareness. She discusses the disproportionate health impacts of cancer on Black women and the univer...
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August 22, 2024 • 18 mins
In today's episode, we’re excited to have Dr. Lauren McCullough and Dr. Alpa Patel from the American Cancer Society as our special guests. They’ll be discussing VOICES of Black Women, a transformative long-term study, which aims to enroll at least 100,000 Black women across the U.S. over the coming years. This groundbreaking initiative seeks to gain a deeper understanding of health conditions like cancer and improve overall health ...
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July 25, 2024 • 18 mins
This is part 2 of a mini-series with Veronica Clarke, CEO of TCA Health, Inc. in Chicago. Veronica is back to talk about a new nutrition center breaking ground this August to address urban food deserts. Our guest shares their vision of the trailblazing nutrition center, that will provide fresh and healthy food options through a grab-and-go café, a choice food pantry, and community gardens. This center will not only cater to nutriti...
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July 18, 2024 • 23 mins
Veronica Clarke, CEO of TCA Health, Inc. in Illinois, talks about her inspiring journey from dietician to CEO and her impactful efforts to champion community healthcare. We'll explore the rich history of TCA, including the legacy of its late founder, and how the organization has evolved over the years, achieving significant milestones along the way. Veronica also discusses her role on the National Association of Community Health Ce...
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July 11, 2024 • 19 mins
In this episode, we welcome Illinois Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton for an inspiring conversation on her efforts to raise underrepresented voices and enhance community healthcare. Juliana serves as the 48th Lieutenant Governor of Illinois, and is the first Black woman to hold the office and one of eight Black women in history to hold the title across the nation. We dive into her passionate advocacy for birth equity, a vital a...
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July 10, 2024 • 25 mins
We're welcoming back Tiffany Tahata and Bryce de Venecia for part 2 of an educational series that explores basic treatments for opioid and alcohol use disorder. Tiffany and Bryce are both Addiction Medicine fellows at Rush University Medical Center. Today, they focus on buprenorphine, precipitated withdrawal, and innovations in treatment with long acting injectable buprenorphine. The goal of this three-part podcast series is to edu...
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July 9, 2024 • 28 mins
In this episode, Dr. Lisa Kearney from Erie Family Health Centers joins us to address the widespread shortage of dentists, dental hygienists, and dental assistants. We dive into the essence of high quality dental care by exploring the importance of training Dental Assistants within a community health center. We also tackle challenges and share best practices of on-the-job training. Discover the essential role of Public Health Denta...
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June 27, 2024 • 16 mins
Today, Tiffany Tahata and Bryce de Venecia join us for an educational series that explores basic treatments for opioid and alcohol use disorder. Tiffany and Bryce are both Addiction Medicine fellows at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois. This goal of their three-part series is to educate non-addiction medicine specialists on the various treatments available for their patients with opioid and alcohol use disorder. T...
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June 25, 2024 • 14 mins
In part two of our hypertension discussion with the American Heart Association (AHA), Tim Nikolai, Senior Rural Health Director of the Midwest Region, joins us to discuss challenges that rural communities face with regards to hypertension control and chronic disease management. Tim also speaks about resources available for rural communities and how they can connect with the AHA.
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June 25, 2024 • 24 mins
In this episode, we are joined by American Heart Association’s Lyzeth Mondragon, who is Vice President of Community Impact and works in the Chicago region. Lyzeth discusses various initiatives and resources available to health centers looking to improve hypertension rates in vulnerable communities, and addresses some of the barriers patients face in managing chronic conditions.
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June 20, 2024 • 29 mins
Happy Pride Month! It's part 2 of our Pride series, and David Sgarbossa and Maria De los Santos from Esperanza Health Centers are back to chat about HIV prevention services and their center's injectable PrEP workflow. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is a medicine that can prevent HIV infection in people who may be exposed to it through sex or injection drug use. Hear about the seamless coordination between different members of the ...
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June 18, 2024 • 38 mins
We spoke with Tyra Jones from the SIU School of Medicine about the importance of community health workers (CHWs). Tyra shares uplifting, poignant, and sometimes funny stories about working with patients and educating with empathy. Then we get into the ways health centers can improve CHW training programs, and how CHWs provide one-on-one help for patients who get a new diagnosis and have a lot of questions. We end with a detour into...
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June 12, 2024 • 24 mins
We explore pharmacy expansion and equitable health services access with our guests, Tina Plett-Kalainoff and Sarah Brondyke from Community Health Care, Inc. Discover how their collaborative efforts streamline pharmaceutical needs within healthcare systems to improve patient outcomes. We also chat about the vital role of vaccine and medication inventory management, and discuss strategies that enhance operations. Our conversation als...
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June 6, 2024 • 29 mins
Happy Pride Month! In this three part special, we’re joined by David Sgarbossa and Maria De los Santos from Esperanza Health Centers to discuss their outreach efforts with the LGBTQ+ community. We interview David and Maria about the unique needs of LGBTQ+ individuals and how these are met through inclusive and affirming services. Discover how Esperanza collaborates with local LGBTQ+ organizations to address specific health concerns...
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May 30, 2024 • 24 mins
Ann Gillespie, the Acting Director of the Illinois Department of Insurance, and Ollie Idowu, CEO of IPHCA discuss the important world of mental health parity laws, which require that coverage for mental health conditions be no more restrictive than coverage for physical health conditions. Director Ann Gillespie, recently appointed by Governor JB Pritzker, is a former Illinois State Senator, bringing her extensive experience in mana...
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May 29, 2024 • 26 mins
In part 2 of our “Mental Health Parity” series, we sit down with inspiring health care advocates Jen McGowan from NAMI Chicago and Cheri Hoots from IPHCA. They explore the importance of mental health parity in Illinois, ensuring vulnerable populations have access to mental health care. Jen and Cheri share stories about how their organizations improve mental health services, discuss the impact of social factors like poverty and educ...
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In part 1 of our “Mental Health Parity” series, we spoke with Lisa M. Gomez, the Assistant Secretary of the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), appointed by President Joe Biden, to discuss mental health parity, which is the equal treatment of mental health conditions and substance use disorders in insurance plans. Lisa champions mental health parity in the United States. She shares her passion for mental health advoca...
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May 23, 2024 • 17 mins
Can only one minute of mindfulness transform your whole day? Today, Raj Savalia sat down with providers from Tapestry 360 Health center in Chicago to discuss the importance of mindfulness and mental health care. Discover how the health center uses mindfulness, shares resources, and educates teams to improve community health. We also dive into integrative medicine, holistic care, inspirational stories, and practical tips for integra...
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May 21, 2024 • 17 mins
How does fresh produce improve patient care? Our guests Nana Tsuladze and Rihanna Cheek joined us last week to discuss their health center’s community garden. We explore how that garden transforms the way patients in recovery eat and think about food. Then you’ll hear fun stories about patients getting creative with zucchini bread recipes and pesto made with fresh produce. We hope the community garden inspires conversations about n...
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