The Heart of Healthcare Celebrates Asian Pacific American Heritage (AAPI) Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) Heritage Month. Asian Americans represents only 6.8% of the US, yet make up a significant portion of the medical profession, comprising 22% of medical school graduates and 17% of active physicians. This month, and all year, we honor their voices and contributions to making healthcare better for all.
Here are some of our favorite podcast episodes featuring healthcare leaders of the AAPI community:
Anti-Asian Racism in Healthcare with Dr. Esther Choo
While Americans of Asian and Pacific Island descent have made many contributions to our healthcare system, they are facing increased discrimination at work and in their communities. In this episode, Dr. Esther Choo discusses the racism faced by AAPI healthcare workers, and what we can do about it.
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The Tyranny of Faux Self-Care with Dr. Pooja Lakshmin
In 2008, disillusioned by the medical system, Dr. Lakshmin left her residency to join an extreme wellness commune that turned out to be a cult. She was seeking something outside of mainstream medicine that could help with the anguish she was feeling. She yearned for community, and for something outside of the hierarchical structure of medicine. But what she found was that the industrial wellness complex is just as flawed.
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The Sexual Abuse to Prison Pipeline with Dr. HaeSung Han
In this episode, Dr. HaeSung Han, founder of POETIC, explains how vulnerable youth are at risk of exploitation like sexual abuse and sex trafficking. POETIC builds a pipeline out of the juvenile justice system and into intensive aftercare for girls who have been exploited and trafficked.
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How E-Cigarette Makers Target Youth with Dr. Susan Walley
Decades of public health efforts to curb teen smoking have unraveled since Juul and other e-cigarette brands came on the market in 2015. With sketchy ads targeting youth and flavor names like “gummy bear” and “cool cucumber”, vaping has skyrocketed amongst youth. In fact, 10%-24% of high school students are now addicted to nicotine. In this episode, Dr. Susan Walley, Chief of the Division of Hospital Medicine at Children's National Hospital, discusses her work developing effective healthcare and school-based interventions to reduce youth tobacco use.
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How Generic Drugs Became a National Security Threat with Hitha Palepu
Generic medications, which represent 90% of the prescriptions filled in the US, are largely manufactured overseas. Some leaders are questioning our over-reliance on pharmaceuticals produced abroad, saying it creates vulnerable supply chains that pose serious risks to national security. In this episode, scientist and entrepreneur Hitha Palepu explains the problem with generic drugs and what we can do about it.
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Coming of Age in 2022 with Dr. Hina Talib
We love to hate on them, but right now teenagers need our help. In fact, American Academy of Pediatrics declared the mental health crisis facing children and teens a national emergency. In this episode, Dr. Hina Talib discusses the challenges adolescents are facing today. Dr. Talib is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and an OBGYN at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She is a spokesperson with the American Academy of Pediatrics and serves on the executive board of the North American Society of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology.
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The Work That Makes All Other Work Possible
Caregiving is the work that makes all other work possible, but it doesn’t always get the respect it deserves -— whether it’s done by an employee or a family member. Ai Jen Poo believes that we should make care policies like family leave, child care, and child tax credits part of our public infrastructure. As investments in the future of the economy. Ai-Jen Poo is a next-generation labor leader, award-winning organizer, author, and a leading voice in the women’s movement. She is the President of the National Domestic Workers Alliance, Director of Caring Across Generations, Co-Founder of SuperMajority, and Trustee of the Ford Foundation.
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