“Father of Aerobics” at 94: Dr. Cooper’s Unrelenting Health Advocacy

America’s Mental Health Crisis: Philanthropy’s Bold Action Plan

Food is Medicine Advocate Urges Evidence-Based Solutions Amid SNAP Cutbacks

Experts who believe in the “food is medicine” concept say recent decisions made in Washington could have a devastating effect. Dr. Hilary Seligman, a nationally recognized expert on food insecurity and health outcomes at the University of California San Francisco, spoke to “Conversations on Health Care.” The interview highlighted that cutbacks to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) are projected to reduce federal spending by $186 billion over the next decade. She believes this could result in more people getting sicker and then ending up in emergency departments with severe conditions.

Yet Dr. Seligman also sees some rays of optimism. “This administration has done a really deep dive into chronic disease. There is a desire to help make the population of the U.S. healthier again. And there is an interest in supporting better dietary intake. The challenge is to amplify those efforts in a way that is based in science, that is based in evidence and that will support everyone in the U.S. equally. That really is the opportunity that we have,” she told hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter.

 Click to hear this conversation, recorded during the Aspen Ideas: Health conference.  

60 Years of Medicaid & Medicare: Health Care Challenges & Opportunities

NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow: Curing Addiction a Real Possibility

“I would have never, ever in my whole life have said, ‘we’re going to cure addiction.’ I think we now have knowledge and tools that could potentially, definitely lead us to a cure for addiction.”

—  Dr. Nora Volkow, Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse

Dr. Volkow shared her attention-getting belief with “Conversations on Health” at Aspen Ideas: Health. Healthcare providers and society at large have spent decades dealing with substance use disorders and the loss of life has been staggering. Dr. Volkow leads NIDA, the world’s largest funder of biomedical research on addiction, and she explains why she’s so confident with her assessment:

The wider availability of naloxone and knowledge about how to quickly use it when needed;

Neuroplasticity as a pathway to recovery; and

Perhaps surprisingly, smartphones and video games are so distracting to some young people that they no longer need to seek other forms of escape.

Join hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter as Dr. Volkow also explains the challenges and opportunities for NIDA within the National Institutes of Health. 

Pretend You Have Millions to Fix Health Care: What Would You Do? A Doctor Gives His Answer

If you ran a healthcare foundation worth nearly $1 billion, where would you invest those dollars? That a question Dr. Joseph Betancourt, his colleagues and board members get to tackle every day.

Dr. Oz’s Second-in-Command Explains Need for Medicaid Reimbursement Cuts as “Big Beautiful Bill” Passes

President Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” into law on July 4 and now leaders such as Stephanie Carlton are in charge of implementing it. She’s the deputy administrator and chief of staff at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Carlton and the administration see the law’s benefits because Medicaid reimbursement rates “were allowed to go up to commercial rates and states are at varying levels towards that cap. But as we sat back and looked at it and said well, ‘these are providers who are committing to society to vulnerable Americans that they’re going to help with their healthcare needs’…. but paying up to commercial rates kind of changes the focus of the program, where it becomes more about facilities profiting more than making sure patients are taken good care of.” 

Carlton also answered questions from hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter shortly before Congress passed the bill. In addition, she discussed how they believe modern technology can help with new Medicaid work requirements, concerns about the National Health Service Corps and the administration’s plans to lower prescription drug costs.

How Realistic is Super Aging? Research-Based Answers (Encore)

There’s a lot of attention right now around “super agers.” Yet the facts are that current life expectancy at birth is 74.8 years for males and for females it’s 80.2 years in the U.S.

Does it catch your eye when you hear about predictions we’ll be able to live to 100 and beyond?

Some researchers are throwing cold water on those notions. 

“We’ll be lucky if 5% of the age cohort makes it to 100,” says S. Jay Olshansky, Ph.D., Professor, University of Illinois at Chicago. He and his colleagues made headlines when they presented data that humans are approaching a biologically-based limit to life. 

Hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter ask Olshansky about the implications of this research — for each of us personally and for policymakers — after decades of hearing predictions that life expectancy would continue to go up. Olshanky explains why we should celebrate longer life that has resulted from healthier diets and medical advances but now focus on improving quality of life in later years.

Unlocking Long COVID Mysteries: Dementia-Like Symptoms & Pre-Existing Conditions

Millions are still living with the effects of Long COVID and new research shows that for older adults, the consequences may be profound and lasting.

In part one of a special two-part series on “Conversations on Health Care,” Dr. Gabriel de Erausquin, a neurologist and leading Long COVID researcher at the University of Texas Health San Antonio, shares groundbreaking findings from his global study of over 3,500 patients. His work reveals a troubling connection: many Long COVID patients over 60 show cognitive decline that mirrors early signs of dementia.

“The parts of the brain that are affected by COVID overlap significantly with those that are affected early in the course of Alzheimer’s….the changes overlap, but they are not identical.”

His team is now studying brain imaging and biomarkers to understand the link between COVID-related cognitive decline and traditional neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. de Erausquin also explains how persistent loss of smell — a hallmark COVID symptom — may be the strongest predictor of ongoing cognitive issues, and how genetic sequencing is helping uncover inherited risk.

He highlights a dual reality: while many Long COVID patients show biological changes, others had prior diagnoses of depression, anxiety, or chronic fatigue — a nuance often missing from public conversations.

Click to hear the full conversation with hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter.

“Originally aired on May 15, 2025”

Youth Mental Health Crisis: Can a New Corps Create a Solution?

It’s a troubling situation: Nearly one in three high school students report persistent feelings of hopelessness. 

At the same time, many communities have a lack of mental health professionals to counsel and help young people.

Leaders from philanthropy, public health, and private sectors think they have a path to a solution: Youth Mental Health Corps. 

This program, which launched a year ago, places young adults as mental health navigators in schools and community organizations. These navigators provide peer-to-peer support, connect young people and families to resources, and serve as trusted guides who understand firsthand the challenges faced by today’s youth.

Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter, hosts of “Conversations on Healthcare,” bring their extensive experience to the conversation. They speak to Corps funders Marie Groark, the managing director of the Schultz Family Foundation, and Alise Marshall, the senior global lead for public affairs at Pinterest.

Groark shares early findings from the Youth Mental Health Corps. “What they found is that when you have a Youth Mental Health Corps member in your school, especially, you see improved attendance, fewer behavioral incidents, and increased student awareness of mental health and help-seeking behavior.”

Focusing on prevention and early intervention, Marshall highlights the power of peer connection. “It is difficult for young people to trust educators and parents when navigating adolescence. Having someone very recently been there, who has navigated the same issues, can make a very big difference.”

400 Million+ People Globally With Long COVID: A Top Researcher Seeks Solutions

Description: Dr. Igor Koralnik, the co-director of Northwestern Medicine’s Comprehensive COVID-19 Center, is one of the world’s leading Long COVID researchers. For instance, he’s been involved in a first-of its-kind study that’s giving experts an idea of how Long COVID affects the body by looking through the eyes.

Patients at his center receive coordinated care across 14 different specialties to address the many ways Long COVID affects the body.

In the second part of our two-part series on Long COVID, Dr. Koralnik explains how patients who have experienced more episodes of COVID are at a higher risk of developing Long COVID.

Dr. Koralnik tells hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter that his work includes investigating potential causes such as viral persistence, autoimmune responses, and microvascular changes. His clinic also supports patients through regular virtual support groups that provide education and emotional care.

Dr. Leana Wen Grades RFK Jr. on Health Care: What Does She Say?

Dr. Leana Wen, a health news commentator for The Washington Post and CNN, is known for trying to have an open view toward untraditional opinions. For instance, she tells “Conversations on Health Care” that the new National Institutes of Health and Food and Drug Administration directors are both “qualified individuals who have credentials from major medical institutions, who have worked in those fields.”

She says her hope is that “behind the scenes they will act as tempering force… against the worse excesses around …Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and vaccine policy.”

But she also tells hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter that “Of course, this is an extremely worrisome time… many of the changes we’re seeing are even more extreme than may have been anticipated.”

In addition, Dr. Wen urges nuance in evaluating public health claims. “It’s important for us to evaluate each of these claims separately… and not have a knee-jerk reaction to everything [Kennedy] says.”

This episode dives into the politics of vaccines, the measles outbreak, food additives, artificial intelligence in medicine, and the evolving role of trust in public health.

Breaking News: House Budget Hawks Victorious Over Medicaid Defenders

Very early this morning the U.S. House passed a bill that would result in more than 7 million people losing Medicaid coverage if it became law; that estimate is from the Congressional Budget Office.

As the bill was coming together, the chief Washington correspondent for KFF Health News shared her analysis. Julie Rovner highlighted that to get a bill across the finish line was going to require overcoming the skepticism of some politicians. “There’s a growing group of Republicans who are unhappy with how many reductions there are to the Medicaid program… including people who voted for the Republican [Party] and President Trump,” she said.

Rovner also reviewed the Trump administration’s efforts to ignore congressional appropriations and other laws. “As I say, this administration… is not following the law” and Rovner explained how that threatens the country’s public health.

From the future of Medicaid and food assistance to questions about accountability and health infrastructure, this conversation offers crucial insights into the latest health policy flashpoints with hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter.

Unlocking Long COVID Mysteries: Dementia-Like Symptoms & Pre-Existing Conditions

Millions are still living with the effects of Long COVID and new research shows that for older adults, the consequences may be profound and lasting.

In part one of a special two-part series on “Conversations on Health Care,” Dr. Gabriel de Erausquin, a neurologist and leading Long COVID researcher at the University of Texas Health San Antonio, shares groundbreaking findings from his global study of over 3,500 patients. His work reveals a troubling connection: many Long COVID patients over 60 show cognitive decline that mirrors early signs of dementia.

“The parts of the brain that are affected by COVID overlap significantly with those that are affected early in the course of Alzheimer’s….the changes overlap, but they are not identical.”

His team is now studying brain imaging and biomarkers to understand the link between COVID-related cognitive decline and traditional neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease.

Dr. de Erausquin also explains how persistent loss of smell — a hallmark COVID symptom — may be the strongest predictor of ongoing cognitive issues, and how genetic sequencing is helping uncover inherited risk.

He highlights a dual reality: while many Long COVID patients show biological changes, others had prior diagnoses of depression, anxiety, or chronic fatigue — a nuance often missing from public conversations.

Click to hear the full conversation with hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter.

Menacing Melanoma: Marc Hulbert, PhD on How You Can Fight Back

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States, and melanoma is its deadliest form. Cases have tripled in the past 30 years, particularly among younger people — even as rates for other common cancers have gone down.

Healthcare Disability Advocate, Fueled by Personal Experience: Megan Morris

Breaking News: Food Dye Ban: Support But More Needed, Says Dr. Marion Nestle

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced that the U.S. will phase out the remaining eight artificial food dyes from America’s food supply within two years. This is a move that leading nutritionist and author Marion Nestle, Ph.D., has long advocated for.

“Conversations on Health Care” hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter spoke to her before today’s news conference. She says, “I’m all for getting bad chemicals out of the food supply, or questionable chemicals…but I don’t think that goes nearly far enough. If he’s going to be serious about making America healthy again from a food standpoint, he’s going to have to do something about changing the food system to one that focuses on public health rather than corporate health. And he’s going to have to do something about the food industry’s inappropriate marketing, especially to children.”

Click now to view the entire interview, including Dr. Nestle’s reactions to the food industry’s pushback to her concerns.  

“ChatGPT, MD”: Author Says AI-Empowered Patients, Doctors Take Control

The U.S. healthcare system could save up to 500,000 lives and $1.5 trillion a year by embracing the right technology, says Dr. Robert Pearl, a Stanford University professor and a noted healthcare influencer.

Pearl, who co-authored his new book “ChatGPT, MD” with the help of generative AI, says the tech’s strength lies in its access to the entirety of medical knowledge. “We shouldn't think of [generative AI] as just another AI tool. This is as … different from what's come before as the iPhone was from the telephone that was in most people's kitchens attached to the wall.”

For clinicians and patients alike, that access can be transformative. Parents might use it to uncover what’s wrong with their child when traditional medicine is still searching for answers. A doctor might identify rare diagnoses in minutes, work that would have taken days in a library.

Hospitals already collect massive data — about a terabyte per facility annually — but 97% of it is never reviewed, Pearl says. The key is narrowing it to specific diseases or trends.

Pearl tells “Conversations on Health Care” hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter that Gen AI will gain widespread medical acceptance when studies compare outcomes with and without the technology

“We're going to find that the technology is 10% better than the average clinician … or the average nurse in a chronic disease management program…or, for that matter, potentially even the average physician doing inpatient care when there are five or six different doctors taking care of the same patient and they're not effectively communicating.”

Click now to hear his take on the technology’s other benefits.

Mystery No More: Howard Hughes’ Legacy Advances Science

Eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes founded his eponymous Medical Institute over 70 years ago devoted to “unlocking the fundamentals of biology and building an open, inclusive future for science.”

Some say Howard Hughes Medical Institute is bringing its founder’s vision into the future with its one-of-a-kind Janelia Research Campus in Ashburn, Virginia. On this 281-acre parcel of land, integrated teams of lab scientists and tool-builders pursue a small number of scientific questions with potential for transformative impact. To drive science forward, they share their methods, results, and tools with the scientific community.

'If Ryan Reynolds doesn’t get you to do it…’: Colorectal Cancer Alliance CEO talks screening

Roughly 85% of respondents to a survey cited by Michael Sapienza, CEO of the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, say they would rather do their taxes than get a colonoscopy.

“We need to do a better job of talking to the public about the barriers,” Sapienza tells "Conversations on Health Care" hosts Mark Masselli and Margaret Flinter.

Sapienza, whose mother died of the disease at age 58, says people may be less than excited to do the preparation, or colon cleanout, necessary for a screening. Or that they don’t want the hassle of taking time off from work. But he emphasized that 45 is the recommended age that people begin getting regular screenings for polyps that, at some point, could develop into cancer.

“45 is the new 50," says Sapienza, whose alliance was instrumental in lowering the recommended screening age and, in 2022, recruited actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to have their colon screenings filmed.