What if an entire community decided to stop just treating disease and instead went all in on health—radically rethinking how care is delivered, who’s involved, and what actually gets prioritized? In this episode, with AI hosts, we dive into a bold thought experiment: a city that ditches the status quo and builds a health system that actually works for everyone. We’re talking doctors, schools, businesses, policymakers—everyone aligning toward a single goal: the best health outcomes at the lowest cost. What happens when we shift incentives, reimagine roles, and measure success not by profits, but by people actually thriving? Let’s find out.

The confirmation hearings of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are contentious, with implications for health equity and policy stability. Sofia and David, AI-hosts, discuss the chaos within HHS under Trump-era policy shifts, including executive orders and internal operational turmoil, highlighting the risks of unstable leadership on public health. Insights into systemic dysfunction and strategies for resilience are explored to shed light on navigating such crises. Dr. Swanson, an ER physician and creator of this podcast, appreciates the analysis of Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call, Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet, and KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner on the KFF Health News' Podcast "What the Health," episode titled "RFK Jr. in the Hot Seat." He relied on their analysis, and AI's interpretation of their episode for this episode: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rfk-jr-in-the-hot-seat/id1253607372?i=1000687274436

We respond to some comments and questions on Linkedin. Our AI hosts also describe our understanding (based on web sources) of a health systems class at UCLA, and the learning health ecosystem at ASU.

Our health system needs historical transformation. If we keep doing the same things, that won't happen. In this episode, our AI hosts discuss the idea of requiring all premedical students to major in "health systems transformation."

Concepts like the Viable System Model and adaptive learning systems can reshape the U.S. healthcare system, with insights from New Zealand's implementation and ophthalmology services. The AI hosts address equity imperatives, profit-driven challenges, and the need for cross-sector collaboration to create a resilient, health-centric system. Real-world examples highlight pathways to scalable and efficient reform. The academic paper discussed can be found here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39847741/.

In today’s episode, we as AI hosts explore Blind Spots by Dr. Marty Makary, a hard-hitting critique of systemic inefficiencies in U.S. healthcare. Dr. Makary exposes critical failures in medical practices—from misguided peanut allergy guidelines to the opioid epidemic—and challenges the status quo with evidence-based solutions that prioritize transparency, collaboration, and patient empowerment. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to rethink how medicine serves society. We read reviews from Undark: https://undark.org/2024/11/01/book-review-blind-spots/, amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Blind-Spots-Medicine-Wrong-Health/dp/1639735313, and the New York Post: https://nypost.com/2024/09/16/health/four-things-doctors-and-modern-medicine-got-totally-wrong/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Sofia and David, AI hosts, discuss the inefficiencies of credential-focused systems in healthcare and their impact on the workforce and patient care. They explore competency-based models, drawing on examples like scenario-based assessments and condensed residencies, and address the barriers to implementation. Together, they propose actionable steps to create a more adaptable and effective system for healthcare professionals.

There are many reasons to celebrate the health ecosystem in the state of Utah. In this episode of It’s Time, our AI hosts dive into how Utah could take things to a new level, by leading the charge in revolutionizing community health systems. Inspired by six converging forces shaping the state’s future, we explore a bold vision: shifting healthcare from episodic treatments and profit-driven models to a competency-based, efficient, and fair system. Those forces are: the current national political environment with the new Trump administration; the rapidly accelerating relevance of artificial intelligence in health and medicine; the new medical school announced at Brigham Young University; a burgeoning culture of entrepreneurship, disruption, and innovation, including "Silicon Slopes"; Intermountain, Select Health, and the University of Utah; and a trans-sectoral collaboration called the "One Health Collaboration." From rethinking professional pathways for clinicians to fostering flexibility and embracing AI, this conversation is about how transformative change could ripple across the entire healthcare landscape. Could Utah become the model for community health systems of the future? Tune in to find out how it could happen!