If I Could Change One Thing

If I Could Change One Thing

The health policy podcast of San Diego State University's School of Public Health.

Episodes

April 29, 2026 58 mins
On this episode of If I Could Change One Thing, our host Dr. Brittnie Bloom and student co-hosts Yucef Bouzina and Sophia Valdez welcome Dr. Tomás Aragón to discuss leadership and innovation in the field of public health. Dr. Aragón reflects on his experience serving as the Director of the California Department of Public Health and his efforts in transforming the department into a learning and impactful organization. This conversat...
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On this episode of If I Could Change One Thing, our host Dr. Brittnie Bloom takes a step back and lets the students take over! Our talented co-hosts are Lesly Lopez and Katherine Campion, graduating undergraduates in SDSU's School of Public Health who are joined by SDSU Masters of Public Health and Masters of Science students Kitiara Cox, Chris Cellini, and Olivia Pugsley. Our panel of public health peers discuss their various acad...
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In this episode of If I Could Change One Thing, Dr. Brittnie Bloom and co-host Grana Safi speak with Dr. Amanda Miller, a tenure-track professor at San Diego State University and recipient of a prestigious NIH career development award, to explore what it really means to do global health research with integrity and intention. Dr. Miller reflects on a career that didn't follow a straight path. From studying anthropology and nannying ...
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In this episode of If I Could Change One Thing, Dr. Brittnie Bloom and podcast team member Alexis Greenfield sit down with Cara Mears, Director of Corporate & Foundation Relations at the San Diego Rescue Mission (SDRM), to explore innovative and compassionate approaches to addressing homelessness. Cara shares her powerful career journey, from decades in sales to answering a personal calling sparked by a life-changing encounter with...
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If I Could Change One Thing host Dr. Brittnie Bloom and co-host Lesley Lopez welcome Robert Browning and Sheva Carr to the podcast for a conversation on heart intelligence, healing, and human caring. As Co-Directors of Healthcare and Senior Master Trainers at HeartMath, Robert and Sheva bring more than three decades of experience working in healthcare, education, public policy, and global peacebuilding. Their work spans major healt...
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If I Could Change One Thing host Dr. Brittnie Bloom and co-host Yucef Bouzina speak with Chrissy Cmorik, Senior Director of Education for Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, SDSU Adjunct Professor, and SART Advocate with the Center for Community Solutions, about sexual health, education, and reproductive justice. Chrissy takes us from her start as a SART advocate, sitting with survivors in their most vulnerable hours, to h...
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On this episode of the If I Could Change One Thing Podcast, Dr. Brittnie Bloom and student co-host Karsen Caroll welcome Darbi Berry, Director of the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative Nonprofit and Professor at San Diego State University. In this episode, we learn how social structures within our environmental systems can perpetuate climate change and environmental vulnerability. Darbi offers us ways to adapt and create an "...
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In this episode of the If I Could Change One Thing podcast, Dr. Brittnie Bloom and her cohost Sophia Valdez speak with scholar, filmmaker, and public health advocate Dr. Megan Ebor to explore her work in the intersection of race, aging, and sexual health. Dr. Ebor shares her own creative journey from her beginnings in the music industry to academia and filmmaking as a tool for advocacy and change. Together, they discuss taboos arou...
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On this episode of If I Could Change One Thing, host Dr. Brittnie Bloom welcomes Dr. Shunling Tsang—Family Medicine Chair and Deputy Public Health Officer for Riverside County—to explore how upstream, community-driven strategies can power better health. Dr. Tsang shares her winding path from event planning to public health and medicine, and why blending clinical care with prevention matters. We dive into Riverside County's Blue Zon...
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In this episode, Dr. Brittnie Bloom speaks with Brynn Carrigan, Director of Public Health for Kern County, California. Carrigan, who stepped into the Director role in 2021 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, has spearheaded community-driven initiatives to address Kern County's most pressing health challenges, which include education attainment, diabetes and other chronic health conditions, and access to care. Tune in to hea...
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In this episode of If I Could Change One Thing, our guest speaker Huy Tran is interviewed by Dr. Brittnie Bloom and two members of the SDSU podcast team, Serena Payne and Jaeden Howard. Together, they explore the power of lived experience in shaping public health and policy. Huy shares his personal journey from working in accounting to advocacy, a move that was fueled by the death of his brother and the unmet needs he has seen with...
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On this episode of If I Could Change One Thing, Dr. Michael Grillo joins Dr. Brittnie Bloom and co-host Chris Sanchez to explore HIV prevention, education, policy, and partnerships in the U.S. and abroad. They discuss the value of cultural humility, flexibility in the field, and people-first strategies when addressing deeply personal public health issues like HIV/AIDS. Dr. Grillo shares insights from his research and military servi...
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In this episode of If I Could Change One Thing, Dr. Kari Sant and Dr. Brittnie Bloom dive into the intersection of environmental justice, public health, and personal responsibility. From the impact of air pollution in Southern California to water quality concerns in scarce regions like the Tijuana River, they discuss how small, everyday changes—like using air purifiers and water filters—can contribute to a healthier environment. Dr...
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In today's episode we welcome our new host, Dr. Brittnie Bloom, who is joined by Matthew Martinez: a powerhouse in public health emergency preparedness and response at the American Red Cross! From managing disaster response across six states to teaching life-saving skills, Matthew shares his journey and insights on how we can all be better prepared for crises - starting with the community in which we live. Tune in for an engaging a...
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Dr. Michael Stein is chair and professor of Health Law, Policy, & Management at Boston University. As a physician, Dr. Stein has worked at the intersection of behavioral medicine and primary care. His research has focused on substance use disorders, HIV/AIDS, sleep and pain, mental health disorders, and the determinants of risk-taking. He is the award-winning author of six novels and eight books of non-fiction, and his writings hav...
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In this episode, James Romine speaks with Alzheimer's prevention advocate Dr. Phyllis Ferrell about her work with the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative—a global health organization dedicated to transforming Alzheimer's research, prevention, and care worldwide. Tune-in to hear about why Alzheimer's preparedness is so important and the many connections between Alzheimer's and Public Health policy, on this episode of If I Could Change O...
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Dr. Paula Stigler Granados, environmental health expert and Associate Professor at SDSU's School of Public Health, discusses her research on Chagas disease—an emerging public health threat in the United States that is typically transmitted by blood-sucking insects nicknamed kissing bugs. Additionally, Dr. Granados shares her expertise about the Tijuana River contamination crisis near the Mexico-US border.
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In this episode, Jonathan Vasquez Ramirez and Roberto Santana, two recent graduates of the School of Public Health undergraduate program, talk about their current public health fellowships and how SDSU prepared them for success. Jonathan's fellowship is with the California academic health department residency program, placed at the San Diego County Public Health Services Administration; and Roberto's fellowship is with the CDC's Cu...
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After serving as a US Army Officer for 14 years and completing 4 combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Rich has worked as both a defense contractor for Northrop Grumman; as well as an Air Force Federal employee with the US Space Command's Academic Engagement Enterprise. On November 19, 2022, Rich and his family were at the scene of the Club Q mass shooting, where Rich was credited with helping subdue the gunman. For his efforts he'...
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