Raise the Line

• Overcoming Misconceptions About Geriatrics: Dr. Julia Hiner, Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Program Director at McGovern Medical School

  "Older adults have this special clarity about who they are and what they want, which is incredibly inspiring," says Dr. Julia Hiner, explaining, in part, why she loves her work as a geriatrician in Houston, Texas. She also enjoys the challenge of the medical complexity these patients present and the opportunity it creates to see the patient as a whole person. In fact, as you’ll hear in this upbeat conversation with Raise the Line host Lindsey Smith, there’s almost nothing about geriatrics that Dr. Hiner does not enjoy, which explains her passion for teaching the subject at McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston and trying to convince more students to pursue it as their specialty.  The need is great, given that there are only 8,000 geriatricians in the US despite a rapidly growing senior population. Tune in to learn why Dr. Hiner thinks clinicians avoid the field and the steps that can be taken to improve the situation, including requiring courses in geriatrics. You’ll also learn about the importance of capacity assessments, the troubling, and under-reported, problem of elder mistreatment, ageism among health professionals and much more in this super informative episode. Mentioned in this episode:University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston McGovern Medical School  If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/raisethelinepodcast

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• The Importance of Seeing Rare Disease Patients Holistically: Eric & Kristi Levine, Parents of a Child with CACNA1A

  "It was pretty apparent to me that something was going on with him," says Kristi Levine, describing the realization that, based on her experience as a Montessori teacher, her infant son, Trey, was missing developmental milestones. Unfortunately, Kristi’s hunch turned out to be correct and Trey was later diagnosed with a rare genetic mutation called CACNA1A which is impacting his motor skills, balance, coordination and speech. Kristi and her husband, Eric, join host Michael Carrese on this installment in our Year of the Zebraseries to help us understand the disorder and its implications for Trey and their family, which includes Trey’s older sister Stella.  “There's a lot of guilt involved in being a parent of a child who has a disability because you never feel like you're doing enough,” shares Eric, even though they both work full time and have becoming experts at juggling work, caregiving, advocating, and volunteering with the CACNA1A Foundation. In this candid interview, Eric and Kristi discuss the challenges of parenting a child with complex medical needs, the importance of community support, the ongoing search for treatment options, and share some advice for clinicians caring for patients and families living with rare disorders. “We just want medical professionals to respect and understand what we're dealing with on a day-to-day basis and to see our kids holistically, and not just try to fix the problem medically. Understand that for us, the biggest thing that we want for our kids is just their quality of life.”Mentioned in this episode:CACNA1A Foundation If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/raisethelinepodcast

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• How Providers Can Join the Battle Against Misinformation: Dr. Raven Baxter, Director of Science Communication at the Cohen Center for Recovery from Complex Chronic Illness

  We have a special guest on today's episode whose voice will be familiar to regular listeners. Last year at this time, Dr. Raven Baxter occupied the Raise the Line host chair for a special ten-part series we produced in collaboration with the Cohen Center for Recovery from Complex Chronic Illness (CoRe) at Mount Sinai in New York City, where she serves as the Director of Science Communication. The series explored the latest understandings of post-acute infection syndromes -- such as Chronic Lyme and Long COVID -- with an array of experts from the Center and other researchers and providers. In this episode, we check-in with Dr. Baxter to get an update on the work of the Cohen Center, especially with regard to its mission to educate providers. “We're building programs so that clinicians can earn credit for learning about chronic illnesses that are infection associated, and we've also developed a 200-page provider manual. I really think that we will be able to shift the narrative that currently exists,” Dr. Baxter tells host Michael Carrese. That narrative includes lingering skepticism among providers of some infection-associated illnesses, which Dr. Baxter witnessed herself as a Long COVID patient, an experience that has added meaningful perspective to her work. Dr. Baxter is also working on her own time to advance knowledge and combat misinformation through a robust social media presence as “The Science Maven” and helps other scientists and clinicians to do the same. "If we're not there to fill in that void, other people will fill it for us and the narrative may not be consistent with the truth or facts." This is a great opportunity to learn about the art and science of communications that can reach clinicians and patients alike.Mentioned in this episode:Cohen Center for Recovery from Complex Chronic IllnessThe Science Maven If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/raisethelinepodcast

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• Advocating for Black Nurses In An Anti-DEI Environment: Dr. Sheldon Fields, President of the National Black Nurses Association

  On this episode of “Raise the Line” we welcome Dr. Sheldon Fields, a trailblazer in the nursing field and the president of the National Black Nurses Association. In a candid conversation, Dr. Fields shares his inspiring journey from the bedside to becoming a prominent figure in nursing, HIV/AIDS prevention and academia and also shares the challenges he faced as a Black man in a predominantly white and female field. "I fell in love with a profession that has not always loved me back," he tells host Kelsey Lafayette. Dr. Fields brings over thirty years of experience as an educator, researcher, clinician, administrator, consultant, health policy specialist, and entrepreneur to his current role at NBNA, and as the inaugural associate dean for equity and inclusion at the College of Nursing at Penn State University, where he also serves as a research professor. Listeners will find Dr. Fields' insights on navigating a career in healthcare particularly valuable, as he stresses the importance of resilience, continuing education, and mentorship. It's a compelling listen for anyone interested in the intersection of health, policy, and social justice.Mentioned in this episode:National Black Nurses AssociationClinicalKey AI Free Trial If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/raisethelinepodcast

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• Equipping Today’s Medical Students to Manage Uncertainty: Professor Katarzyna Taran, Medical University of Łódź

  We’re honored to continue our global tour of medical education today with Professor Katarzyna Taran, MD, PhD, a pioneering interdisciplinary researcher of tumor cell biology, an award winning educator noted for her focus on student engagement, and -- in a first for a Raise the Line guest -- a shooting sports certified coach and referee. As Professor Taran explains to host Michael Carrese, these seemingly disparate professional activities require the same underlying attributes: patience, the ability to overcome barriers, openness and adaptation. She believes those last qualities are especially important for today’s medical students to acquire given the accelerated pace of change in healthcare. “They need to be equipped with the ability for critical thinking, to analyze and synthesize, and to search for unconventional solutions.” Professor Taran tries to impart these skills, in addition to the medical and scientific knowledge students must know, through a high level of engagement. “Teaching is relational, so try to be familiar with students' concerns. Talk to them, listen to them and you will become someone they trust.” In this wide-ranging and engaging conversation, Professor Taran also discusses her work as the head of the Laboratory of Isotopic Fractionation in Pathological Processes in Chair of Oncology, the use of neurodidactics in teaching, and the connection between the science of pathology and the future of humans in space. Mentioned in this episode:Medical University of LodzClinicalKey AI Free Trial If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/raisethelinepodcast

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