Aspen Ideas: Spotlight Health

Good afternoon, you’re listening to Spotlight Health on Aspen Public Radio. This is the final episode in our series on critical health issues.

Today we’ll hear about something called Doctor in a Box.

“It’s telemedicine that you can have in the privacy of your own home, or you can actually take the kit with you while you’re traveling and have consistent access to health care.”

The idea comes from a firm who also came up with a bike you probably saw on facebook or twitter last year. Yes, we’ll hear where the Denny Bike is now.

Good afternoon, you’re listening to Spotlight Health on Aspen Public Radio. This is the fifth episode in our series on critical health issues.

Today, we sit down with a recently retired FDA commissioner.

As part of her tenure, Dr. Margaret Hamburg focused on how the U.S. can make sure food and medicine coming from other countries is safe.

Later in the program we’ll hear the argument in favor of hospital mergers and some of the results from one in New York City.

That’s coming up, here on Spotlight Health.

Good afternoon you’re listening to Spotlight Health on Aspen Public Radio. This is the fourth episode in our series on critical health issues.

Today we’ll hear from a health expert who noticed patients spend a lot of time in hospitals without much to do and how that changes when there is art and music in the building.

“I witnessed moments where patients would listen to the concert, and that could be the last beautiful thing they’ve heard.”

Good afternoon, you’re listening to Spotlight Health on Aspen Public Radio. This is the third episode in our series on critical health issues.

Today we hear from the doctor who keeps an eye on infectious diseases for the National Institutes of Health. With the measles outbreak in December, he’s tackling the vaccine controversy head on by getting the word out to parents who have not already vaccinated their kids.

“I would try and convince them by, first of all, not attacking them.”

Good afternoon, you’re listening to Spotlight Health, on Aspen Public Radio.

This is the second episode in our series on critical health issues.

Today, we’ll find out what living longer can mean both emotionally and logistically.

“I ask people on a regular basis, if you have an extra 30 years, where would you put them. And no one has ever said, ‘I’d want to make old age longer.’ ”

We’ll also hear about one way of becoming younger by using blood. That’s right, blood.

This is Spotlight Health on Aspen Public Radio.

This is the first episode in our series on critical health issues.

Today we’ll check in with the world of prosthetics and light therapy, and how medical technology is changing.

We’ll also examine why healthcare is so expensive in the United States, even though the quality of care isn’t always that great.

That’s this hour on Spotlight Health.

Guests: Krista Donaldson, CEO D-Rev & Elizabeth Bradley, Director of the Yale Global Health Initiative.

Good afternoon, you’re listening to Spotlight Health, on Aspen Public Radio.

This is our final episode in our series on critical health issues.

Today we’ll hear about a program to get more humanities students to become doctors, even if they major in, say philosophy.

“And then come to medical school without having had to take many of the traditional science requirements, and without having to take the MCAT.”

That’s the Medical College Admission Test, for all of you who’ve avoided the rigors usually required to become a doctor.

And those more well-rounded physicians could end up working in what Doctor Kenneth Davis calls the hospital of the future

“The providers of health care have no choice but to change. What we have to ask ourselves is with those changes, will we be improving access, and will we be improving quality.”

That’s this hour, on Spotlight Health.

Good afternoon, you’re listening to Spotlight Health, on Aspen Public Radio. This is the fifth episode in our series on key health issues.

Today we’ll hear about ways technology is making it easier for people to live their lives. That includes prosthetics and robotics. Think of one of those really cool science terms you learned back in grade school or middle school. Exosekelton! A Roaring Fork Valley resident is using one to start moving again.

And the ever expanding field of 3-D printing could make that even more effective.

That’s this hour on Spotlight Health.

Good afternoon, you’re listening to Spotlight Health, on Aspen Public Radio.

I’m Elise Thatcher, and this is the fourth in our series on critical health issues.

We’re going to explore the state of health and sports these days especially kids’ athletics.

“We put kids in uniform at age three, we got adults screaming on the sidelines at age six, and we create the travel teams at seven and eight…”

We’ll also get the details on research about staying young… using younger blood. You may have already heard about it.

“This research, may suggest that Bram Stoker had ideas ahead of his time.

That was a medical professor named Andrew Randall commenting on the shocking news on what may make us all live forever. Drinking blood?

It doesn’t actually involve children’s blood… but we’ll let our guest explain.

That’s this hour on Spotlight Health.

Good afternoon, this is Spotlight Health, on Aspen Public Radio. This is the third of six episodes in our series on key health issues.

Today we’ll untangle why seeing a doctor can be so confusing...

“Despite all the medical advances, there seems to be increasing controversy about what is the right thing to do, even about your most common conditions.”

We’ll hear one solution for making that whole treatment experience cheaper and more effective, too.

“We estimate that we’re taking at least $400 million per year out of Intermountain’s cost of operation, through better care.

Coming up today on Spotlight Health.

Episode 3 of 6 in a series to explore key health issues with guests also participating in the Aspen Ideas Festival Spotlight: Health programming this summer.

Good afternoon, this is Spotlight Health, on Aspen Public Radio. I’m Elise Thatcher, and this is the second episode in our series on critical health issues.

Today we’ll find out how gender plays a role in treating drug addicts…our guest has personal experience with tackling inner demons.

“At 26 was a director at an S & P five firm, but I’d never done anything with my recovery, that was separate.”

We’ll also hear from a former Pepsi Executive about why he believes we should feel empowered to choose exercise or fresh fruit over other unhealthy foods and behaviors.

“What I learned in the food industry, is that many of those tobacco prescriptions don’t apply as easily to food.”

That’s coming up... on Spotlight Health.

Episode 2 of 6 in a series to explore key health issues, with guests also participating in the Aspen Ideas Festival Spotlight: Health programming this summer.

Exploring critical health issues in partnership with Aspen Ideas Festival.

Alzheimer’s Disease and global health are the topics in this episode. APR's Elise Thatcher talks with Dr. Huntington Potter, Researcher and Professor of Neurology with the University of Colorado School of Medicine, and Peggy Clark, Executive Director of Aspen Global Health and Development of the Aspen Institute.

Episode 1 of 6 in a series to explore key health issues, with guests also participating in the Aspen Ideas Festival Spotlight: Health programming this summer.