The interview with our featured guest, Dr. Kyu Rhee, was conducted in April ’21. Data referenced during this conversation will have changed since the recording.

So, we know that inequality exists. But, do we think the government can fix it? Or can private enterprise step in to lend data, insights and financial muscle toward the problem? This week’s episode of Contakt World dives into the hot button issues of data collection, medical trends, big business, and minority populations, as well as the politics of public health – all viewed through the lens of Kyu Rhee, Senior Vice President of CVS Health, and Chief Medical Officer for Aetna, which are two of the biggest medical forces in the United States. Join our hosts Justin Beck, Catherine Delcin and Deepti Pahwa, as they speak with Rhee, and discuss the challenges faced by doctors, data collectors, private enterprises and public officials as they work together toward a better future. As always, we’ll talk about how to help our local health departments – and encourage innovation and technology integration – all while remaining empathetic, plus keeping an eye toward health equity for all.

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We’re preparing for the next threat … with lessons from the last one. But when it comes to COVID, what have we really learned? Join our hosts Justin Beck, Catherine Delcin and Deepti Pahwa, as they speak with Dr. Saskia Popescu, an infectious disease epidemiologist and senior infection preventionist at the University of Arizona. Together, they’ll discuss how health care systems can do to boost disease response, and how we can keep from being crippled by the next COVID – whatever that is. Will the best solutions be low-cost, point-of-care-testing? Eliminating data silos? Stay tuned, and stay informed. As always, we’ll talk about how to help our local health departments – and encourage innovation and technology integration – all while remaining empathetic, plus keeping an eye toward health equity for all.

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How do we improve community health, when community health statistics are completely ignored? American Indian and Alaska Natives are experiencing the disproportionate impact of COVID in their populations. Can we draw attention to this? And how can we empower people? Join our hosts Justin Beck, Catherine Delcin and Deepti Pahwa, as they speak with Abigail Echo-Hawk, Chief Research Officer at Seattle Indian Health Board and the Director of the Urban Indian Health Institute. Together, they’ll discuss “the oppression of data” – and solutions that help all people. We’ll also talk with Sarah Anderson, an American Indian working on the front lines while also experiencing first-hand the effects of COVID on her family and Native community, and as always, we’ll talk about how to help our local health departments – and encourage innovation and technology integration – all while remaining empathetic, plus keeping an eye toward health equity for all.

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What if segregation didn’t actually end? And instead, American cities have become drawn along racial lines – exacerbating economic issues AND fueling the COVID pandemic? Join our hosts Justin Beck, Catherine Delcin and Deepti Pahwa, as they speak with Dr. Lawrence T. Brown, founder and director of the Black Butterfly Project. As a group, they’ll discuss the policies, practices, systems and budgets discussed in his new book, “The Black Butterfly: The Harmful Politics of Race and Space in America”. We’ll also hear from Dr. Brian Smedley, an advocate of health equity, whose work is creating opportunities for people of color and undoing the health consequences of racism. As always, we’ll talk about how to help our local health departments – and encourage innovation and technology integration – all while remaining empathetic, plus keeping an eye toward health equity for all.

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Who’s right? And furthermore, who decides what is right? It’s the fundamental question of our times, not only in terms of ethics, but also systems of information. In this age of COVID, misinformation and social media, there’s a lot to contend with. So, how do we navigate it? Join our hosts Justin Beck, Catherine Delcin and Deepti Pahwa, as they speak with Dr. Seema Yasmin, an Emmy Award-winning journalist, poet, medical doctor and author who discusses the direct effects of Facebook on public health. We also hear from Kemoy Campbell, a retired Olympic distance runner from Jamaica, who educates athletes on the importance of heart health, and how to properly listen to your body, especially in the age of COVID. As always, we’ll talk about how to help our local health departments – and encourage innovation and technology integration – all while remaining empathetic, plus keeping an eye toward health equity for all.

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It’s undeniable at this point – we were unprepared for a pandemic. But how can we protect our most valuable assets, medical professionals, in this time of crisis? This week’s episode of Contakt World dives into the hot button issues of race, hospital capacities, pandemic plans and the determinants of public health – specifically through the lens of Dr. Paul Bajwa, an emergency physician who’s practiced in Florida and also Canada. Join our hosts Justin Beck, Catherine Delcin and Deepti Pahwa, as they speak with Bajwa, who breaks down the approach emergency physicians take toward treating the disease, and discusses larger implications of how it affects the whole healthcare system in America, Canada and beyond. We also hear from Meliza Rangel, a nurse who tragically lost her father to COVID. As always, we’ll talk about how to help our local health departments – and encourage innovation and technology integration – all while remaining empathetic, plus keeping an eye toward health equity for all.

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Did we not know that the big bug would hit? Or did we? Did our trusted officials just kick the can down the road? Or does the problem lie with the general public – and their unwillingness to listen to expert opinion and information? This week’s episode of Contakt World dives into the hot button issues of race, misinformation systems, pandemic plans and the politics of public health – specifically, through the lens of E. Oscar Alleyne, DrPH, MPH, epidemiologist and Chief of Programs and Services for NACCHO, The National Association of County and City Health Officials. Join our hosts Justin Beck, Catherine Delcin and Deepti Pahwa, as they speak with Alleyne, and discuss the challenges faced by public health organizations, epidemiologists and elected officials. As always, we’ll talk about how to help our local health departments – and encourage innovation and technology integration – all while remaining empathetic, plus keeping an eye toward health equity for all.

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Every day, cities and states are breaking records for COVID cases. Governments are scrambling to take the right measures at the right times. And the news is reporting all of it. But some of us still seem unaffected. Why is this? What will make us stop and think? Or, at the least, feel something? This week’s episode of Contakt World dives into the hot-button issues of race, privilege and the politics of health – specifically, through the lens of Fiana Tulip, a grieving daughter who lost her mother, a Latina front-line worker in Texas. As the vaccine rolls out, and we turn the page to a new year, we’ll talk about how the front line isn’t just made up of medical workers, it also comprises marginalized individuals. We’ll also discuss how we can do more to resource health agencies, help workers get proper protection (like hazard pay), and most importantly, ways we can help each other through this pandemic.

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