S5 Ep2: Author & Physician Abraham Verghese on Family, Medicine, and Writing “The Covenant of Water”

Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes Meena Seshamani, MD, PhD, director of the federal Center for Medicare at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, for a conversation about supporting holistic health care through the country’s government insurance program for seniors. They discuss Medicare’s role in advancing prescription drug affordability and the importance of family caregivers and community workers in helping seniors attain their optimal health. They also explore practical approaches Medicare has deployed to advance health equity, and discuss what needs to be done to ensure the program’s financial strength and viability for generations to come.

Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes Michael Pfeffer, MD, chief information and digital officer at Stanford Health Care, and Nigam Shah, MBBS, PhD, the health system’s chief data scientist, for a conversation about how AI is being used to augment health care. They explore how AI is helping clinicians access troves of data to inform patient care and how it’s helping ease their clerical burden, allowing more time for meaningful interactions with patients. They also discuss the guardrails in place to protect privacy and ensure reliability, as well as what is needed to scale AI tools to benefit as many patients as possible.

Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes John Torous, MD, director of digital psychiatry at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, for a conversation about AI’s potential to expand access to mental health care and enhance diagnosis and treatment. They discuss how AI can help detect mental distress from an individual’s digital footprint and how it can use data to inform personalized care plans. They also explore the promise and pitfalls of chatbots, how consumers can assess digital health tools, and how the mental health field is evolving to integrate digital health with in-person care — to the benefit of more patients. 

Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes Dr. Brian Anderson, co-founder and CEO of the Coalition for Health AI, for a conversation about guiding the responsible development and use of AI in health care. They discuss how government, technology companies, health systems, and patient groups are working together through CHAI to create standards for safe and effective AI tools. They also explore CHAI’s work to build a national network of quality assurance labs to test new AI technologies, and they discuss ways that medical education can prepare physicians of the future to leverage AI’s potential for the benefit of patients around the world.

Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes legendary musician Paul Simon for a conversation about his latest album “Seven Psalms,” and what it was like to lose hearing in his left ear as he was writing and recording it. In addition to Simon’s musical influences and songwriting process, they discuss his advocacy and involvement with the Stanford Institute to Cure Hearing Loss; and they explore Simon’s views on leadership and hopes for future medical advancements.

Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes Anne Wojcicki, CEO and co-founder of 23andMe, for a conversation about how personal genetics can empower consumers to drive healthier futures. They discuss how 23andMe has evolved over nearly two decades, including pioneering direct-to-consumer genetic testing. They also explore challenges and opportunities of partnering with health care providers, the potential for genetic data to elevate preventive health care, and how AI could accelerate innovation in medicine.

Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes violin virtuoso Itzhak Perlman for a conversation about the joy of performing, the importance of practice, and how musicians hone their unique sound. They discuss the nuances of teaching music, the connection between audience and performer, and how Perlman’s musical expression has changed over a career spanning six decades. They also explore some of Perlman’s most memorable performances, including at Barack Obama’s inauguration and performing Igor Stravinsky’s Concerto in D for the legendary composer.

Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes Carolyn Bertozzi, PhD, 2022 Nobel laureate in chemistry, professor of chemistry and director of Sarafan ChEM-H at Stanford University, for a conversation about her journey breaking barriers in scientific research. They discuss how her early passion for organic chemistry laid the foundation for her prize-winning work, and how the new field that she founded, bioorthogonal chemistry, has led to the development of better diagnostic testing and targeting for medical treatments. They also explore obstacles historically faced by women and LGBTQ scientists, the importance of fostering diversity in research labs, and how curiosity-driven discoveries can change lives for the better. 

Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes veteran journalist Tonya Mosley, co-host of the National Public Radio program “Fresh Air,” for a conversation about the power of stories to connect people across communities. They discuss her experiences reporting around the country, the importance of addressing implicit bias in journalism, and her approach to conducting meaningful long-form interviews. They also explore why news literacy is essential for the youngest generation, and how her family and roots in Detroit inspired her latest podcast, “She Has a Name,” along with other personally significant works. 

Dean Lloyd Minor welcomes physician Vanessa Kerry, World Health Organization Director-General Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health and CEO of Seed Global Health, for a conversation about the broad-reaching impact of climate change on human health. They discuss global priorities for addressing the climate crisis, strategies for supporting health care workers in developing countries, and why a historic moment at the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference presents an opportunity for international momentum. They also explore the origins of Seed Global Health, lessons to be gleaned from its model of training and investment, and the importance of leading by example.