A Moment in Health with Dr. Ashish Jha

• What Will It Take to Rebuild Gaza’s Health System?

  In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha spotlights a sobering data point: 40,000 estimated hepatitis A cases in Gaza since the start of the war in October 2023. He reviews a JAMA Network Open study on chronic disease care in war-torn Tigray, Ethiopia, which found a dramatic decrease in the number of patients with conditions like diabetes who had access to treatment. Dr. Michael VanRooyen, Chair of Emergency Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and founding director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative, joins to outline what it takes to rebuild Gaza’s health system—beginning with stability and governance, clearing unsafe areas, sustaining emergency care, and gradually restoring long-term health infrastructure and workforce capacity.Dr. Jha discusses:War and Health Care Services Utilization for Chronic Diseases in Rural and Semiurban Areas of Tigray, Ethiopia — JAMA Network OpenAbout the GuestDr. Michael VanRooyen is the founding director of the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI), an interfaculty initiative at Harvard University dedicated to advancing evidence and professional development in humanitarian assistance. He has led complex humanitarian operations with numerous relief organizations in more than thirty countries affected by conflict and disaster, including Somalia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Rwanda, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan–Darfur, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Palestine, and Ukraine. Dr. VanRooyen is the Chair of Emergency Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital and at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, as well as the Enterprise Chief of Emergency Medicine for the Mass General Brigham health system.About the HostDr. Ashish K. Jha is the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.Music by Katherine Beggs, additional music by Lulu West and Maya Polsky

  --------  

  13:11

  --------

  13:11
• How Do We Meaningfully Lower Healthcare Spending in the Next Decade?

  In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights that 51% of U.S. adults—about 125 million people—are overweight or obese with one or more chronic conditions. He reviews a new study examining the lifetime health effects and cost-effectiveness of GLP-1 drugs tirzepatide (Zepbound) and semaglutide (Ozempic). Dr. Andy Ryan, Professor of Health Services, Policy, and Practice, joins to discuss how to meaningfully reduce U.S. healthcare spending, emphasizing the need for a national strategy that aligns coverage and pricing with value and ensures that Americans get the greatest health benefit for the dollars spent.Dr. Jha discusses:Lifetime Health Effects and Cost-Effectiveness of Tirzepatide and Semaglutide in US Adults — JAMA Health ForumAbout the GuestDr. Andrew Ryan is a professor in the Department of Health Services, Policy, and Practice at Brown University and Director of the Center for Advancing Health Policy through Research. His research focuses on understanding and evaluating the effects of health care payment reform.About the HostDr. Ashish K. Jha is the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.Music by Katherine Beggs, additional music by Lulu West and Maya Polsky

  --------  

  15:46

  --------

  15:46
• How Do We Curb the Harms of Private Equity in Healthcare?

  In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights that private equity firms have invested an estimated $1 trillion into U.S. healthcare acquisitions over the past decade. He then reviews a new Annals of Internal Medicine study showing that private equity hospital buyouts are linked to staffing cuts in ICUs and emergency departments, with a 13% rise in mortality among Medicare patients. Dr. Yashaswini Singh joins to outline policy strategies to curb harmful effects of private equity in healthcare — calling for stronger transparency, updated guardrails for patients and workers and targeted antitrust enforcement.Dr. Jha discusses:Hospital Staffing and Patient Outcomes After Private Equity Acquisition — Annals of Internal MedicineAbout the GuestDr. Yashaswini Singh is a health care economist and Assistant Professor of Health Services, Policy, and Practice at Brown University. Her areas of interest and expertise include health care consolidation and corporatization, including by private equity firms, and the downstream effects on health care spending, access, quality, and the clinical workforce.About the HostDr. Ashish K. Jha is the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.Music by Katherine Beggs, additional music by Lulu West and Maya Polsky

  --------  

  13:28

  --------

  13:28
• What Do Data and Science Tell Us About Advising Women on Tylenol and Pregnancy?

  In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights that about two-thirds of pregnant women report taking Tylenol during pregnancy, reviewing a large 2024 JAMA study from Sweden which found no meaningful association between acetaminophen use in pregnancy and autism, ADHD, or intellectual disability. Dr. Elizabeth Langen, professor of obstetrics at the University of Michigan, joins to share a practical framework for advising patients in pregnancy: weighing the risks of uncontrolled disease against the potential risks of medication and emphasizing the need for stronger, prospective research before considering changes to clinical guidance.Dr. Jha discusses:Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children’s Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability — JAMAAbout the GuestDr. Elizabeth Langen is an Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan. She is the Obstetrics Director of the Cardio-Obstetrics Program and Director for the Maternal-Fetal Medicine Fellowship at the University of Michigan. Dr. Langen specializes in cardiovascular disease in women, cardio-obstetrics, maternal congenital heart conditions and pregnancy, premature onset of labor, premature rupture of membranes, cervical shortening, and high risk pregnancies.About the HostDr. Ashish K. Jha is the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.Music by Katherine Beggs, additional music by Lulu West and Maya Polsky

  --------  

  15:11

  --------

  15:11
• What’s Different About Covering Health Policy in a Second Trump Term?

  In this episode of A Moment in Health, Dr. Ashish Jha highlights a sobering figure: 91,000 premature deaths in the U.S. each year are tied to air pollution from burning oil and gas—roughly 3% of all annual deaths. He then revisits a 2019 study that followed seniors with diabetes after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, finding a 40% spike in mortality in the month after the storms and lingering risk for years due to disrupted care. New York Times health policy correspondent Margot Sanger-Katz joins to reflect on what feels different about covering health policy under the second Trump administration: an unprecedented volume and pace of policy shifts, the challenge of helping readers navigate overwhelming change and the role of journalism as both analyst and explainer.Dr. Jha discusses:The health burden and racial-ethnic disparities of air pollution from the major oil and gas lifecycle stages in the United States — Science AdvancesLong-term Effects of Disasters on Seniors With Diabetes: Evidence From Hurricanes Katrina and Rita — Diabetes CareAbout the GuestMargot Sanger-Katz is a Domestic Correspondent for the New York Times who writes for The Upshot on how government influences the American health care system. Her reporting focuses on health care policy and public health, as well as the federal budget and efforts to change it.About the HostDr. Ashish K. Jha is the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.Music by Katherine Beggs, additional music by Lulu West and Maya Polsky

  --------  

  17:55

  --------

  17:55

More News podcasts

Trending News podcasts

About A Moment in Health with Dr. Ashish Jha

A Moment in Health with Dr. Ashish Jha: Podcasts in Family