Turn on the Lights Podcast

The criminal justice system in the U.S. is, at its core, a healthcare issue, one that demands healing, not punishment. In this episode, Gregg Croteau, CEO of UTEC, shares how his organization helps justice-involved young adults escape cycles of violence and incarceration through education, employment, and unwavering support. Founded by young people in response to gang violence, UTEC now focuses on those aged 18–25, the group most at risk of returning to prison. Through social enterprises like mattress recycling and food services, participants are paid while also receiving therapy, childcare, coaching, and education. Gregg emphasizes the need for systemic change, including better mental health care, reentry support, and human connection, urging a more restorative approach to justice. Tune in and learn how compassion, structure, and persistence can rebuild lives and systems! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Public health is invisible when it works and only noticed when it fails. In this episode, Dr. Howard Koh reflects on the chronic underfunding, political challenges, and cultural barriers weakening America’s public health system, drawing from his leadership experience during crises like 9/11, anthrax, H1N1, and the ACA rollout. He underscores the undervaluing of prevention and the difficulty of making invisible successes visible and frames public health as a spiritual calling rooted in meaning and service. Tune in and learn how we can reignite the public health torch and carry it forward, together! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A 20- to 30-year life expectancy gap between neighborhoods just miles apart reveals the brutal reality of health inequity in the United States. In this episode, Dr. Steven Woolf, physician and public health expert, explains how U.S. health disparities are driven more by social determinants, like education, income, housing, and systemic racism, than by access to care, with COVID-19 worsening these gaps for marginalized communities. He calls for bold investments in economic and educational equity to reverse these trends, warning that without political will, systemic health inequities and poor outcomes will persist. Tune in and learn how economic policy, not just medicine, could be the key to saving lives! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The survival of professional trust in medicine depends not only on individual doctors but on the systems and institutions that shape their behavior. In this episode, Dr. Thomas Nasca discusses the evolution of physician training, the role of accreditation and certification in ensuring national standards, and the need for institutional professionalism to support clinicians in upholding their oaths. He warns that growing financial pressures, particularly from private equity, are threatening the integrity of care and introduces a new center focused on preparing future medical leaders to confront these challenges. Tune in and learn how the future of health care may hinge not only on medical knowledge, but on who gets to shape the systems that deliver it! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.S. ranks worst among developed nations for maternal and child health outcomes, highlighting a systemic failure that demands urgent attention. In this episode, Rebekah Gee examines the crisis of maternal mortality in the U.S. and how structural inequities and lack of home-based care continue to harm vulnerable families, drawing on her own life experiences and leadership in Medicaid expansion. She introduces Nest Health, a holistic, home-based model that serves entire Medicaid households, aiming to reduce ER visits, improve outcomes, and rebuild trust through empathy, data, and community-rooted care. Tune in and learn how innovation, policy, and persistence can reshape health care from the ground up! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Health care fundamentally lacks accountability to the humanity of its patients due to systemic profit-driven motives.  In this episode, Dr. Thomas Fisher, an emergency room physician, discusses his journey through emergency medicine and public policy, illustrating how health care reflects systemic societal challenges, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on personal and professional experiences, he calls for a more humane, equitable health system shaped by policy reform and collective imagination. Tune in and learn about the intersection of health care, policy, and human dignity through the lens of emergency medicine! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most overlooked but transformative tools in health care is the courage to face hard truths, especially at the end of life. In this episode, Dr. Jessica Zitter shares how burnout and a pivotal confrontation early in her ICU career led her to embrace the palliative care movement and shift toward more human-centered healing. Through her films Extremis, Caregiver: A Love Story, and The Chaplain and the Doctor, she uses storytelling to explore ethical dilemmas, systemic challenges, and the urgent need for holistic care and honest conversations about death. Tune in and learn how emotional honesty, empathy, and art can rehumanize health care, one story at a time! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The most powerful antidote to a fragmented health care system may be something deceptively simple: listening. In this episode, Maureen Bisognano shares how compassion, curiosity, and relational care can transform health care by improving communication, trust, and outcomes for patients and providers alike. Through personal stories and global initiatives like What Matters to You and Kindness in Healthcare, she highlights the power of listening, kindness, and cross-industry learning to create more humane and effective care systems. Tune in and learn how a few simple questions can spark a global transformation in care! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this enlightening discussion, Eric Wei, the President of Bellevue Hospital and a seasoned emergency room doctor, dives into the critical role public hospitals play in our healthcare system. He confronts the myth that these institutions offer lesser care, emphasizing their essential services for vulnerable populations. Topics range from Lean strategies to enhance patient care, to the urgent need for universal health access amidst challenges like Medicaid cuts. Wei shares personal stories that highlight the human cost of political decisions and the fight for healthcare equity.

Burnout among health care professionals isn't just a staffing issue; it’s a crisis rooted in systems, culture, and misaligned values. In this episode, Dr. Steve Swensen explores the growing crisis of burnout and moral injury among health care workers, highlighting its roots in emotional exhaustion, misaligned values, and lack of agency, and how it harms clinicians, patients, and organizational performance. He shares solutions, including five key leadership behaviors: understanding, recognition, belonging, transparency, and mentorship, along with better job design, removal of workflow obstacles, and a culture of kindness, which he calls “love in action” and a measurable business advantage. Tune in and learn how transforming leadership and culture can heal both caregivers and the system itself! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices