Meg welcomes Dr. Kelly LeBlanc, Chief of Anesthesia and President of the Medical Staff at Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital. Dr. LeBlanc is also a physician partner with U.S. Anesthesia Partners (USAP), a physician-owned, clinician-led organization providing anesthesia services in more than 700 inpatient and outpatient facilities across the country, serving more than 2 million patients annually.

At USAP, Dr. LeBlanc is part of the Clinical Operations Committee, focusing on enabling great patient outcomes, developing exceptional clinical leaders, and creating a positive clinical culture, which includes a healthy work-life balance.

Meg and Dr. LeBlanc discuss USAP’s role in addressing staffing shortages within health systems. Dr. LeBlanc highlights the importance of creating a positive clinical culture and improving the employee experience. She shares how USAP is implementing innovative strategies, such as a culture committee and surveys, to listen to and address the needs of their team members. Dr. LeBlanc reflects on her journey into medicine and anesthesia, emphasizing the importance of mentorship and caring for patients. The importance of representation and mentorship in attracting and retaining more women, especially minorities, in medicine is highlighted as well. Dr. LeBlanc’s experiences overcoming barriers speak to the the importance of creating a supportive and inclusive culture within the healthcare industry.

Further Reading:

• USAP
• Houston Methodist
• DEI and Anesthesiology Residents
• Inspirational Black Men and Women in Medicine: Dr Kelly LeBlanc of Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital On 5 Things You Need To Create A Successful Career In Medicine
• Health: Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital taking patient care to new levels

Episode Credits:

The Game-Changing Women of Healthcare is a production of The Krinsky Company.

Hosted by Meg Escobosa.

Produced by Meg Escobosa, Calvin Marty, Chelsea Ho, Markala Comfort, and Wendy Nielsen.

Edited, engineered, and mixed by Calvin Marty.

All music composed and performed by Calvin Marty.

©2024 The Krinsky Company

Meg welcomes Dr. Amy Hauck Newman, the Scientific Director and the Chief of Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch and Medicinal Chemistry Section of the National Institute on Drug Abuse’s Intramural Research Program also known as “NIDA” IRP. It is one of the 27 institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and it is dedicated to understanding the causes, consequences and treatment of substance use disorders.

On today’s show, Dr. Amy Hauck Newman discusses her work in developing novel medications to treat substance use disorders. She explains the lengthy process of drug development and the importance of intellectual property and partnerships. Dr. Newman also highlights the role of AI and machine learning in healthcare and drug design.

Amy shares her journey into chemistry and the challenges and rewards of starting and leading her own laboratory. The use of drugs like Ozempic is touched on as well as various aspects of substance use disorder and the challenges associated with its treatment. Amy talks about the challenges in treating cocaine and methamphetamine use disorder and the emotional weight of working in this field. Finally, the conversation gets into the challenges in engaging the pharmaceutical industry when it comes to fighting substance use disorders.

Further Reading:

Molecular Targets and Medications Discovery Branch at NIDA

Presynaptic and Postsynaptic Mesolimbic Dopamine D3 Receptors Play Distinct Roles in Cocaine Versus Opioid Reward in Mice

NIH Postbac Program

NIH Summer Internship Program (SIP)

Episode Credits:

The Game-Changing Women of Healthcare is a production of The Krinsky Company.

Hosted by Meg Escobosa.

Produced by Meg Escobosa, Calvin Marty, Chelsea Ho, Medina Sabic, Markala Comfort, and Wendy Nielsen.

Edited, engineered, and mixed by Calvin Marty.

All music composed and performed by Calvin Marty.

©2024 The Krinsky Company

Meg welcomes Kathryn Bowsher, managing director of ActOne Healthcare, a consulting firm focused on commercializing healthcare innovations. Kathryn developed this expertise by launching more than 40 products and initiatives across a wide range of therapeutic areas, sites of care, and business models over the course of 25 years.

Kathryn is the co-founder, advisor to, and previous Chair of the Board of Pocket Naloxone, an over-the-counter opioid overdose treatment.

In this episode, Meg and Kathryn discuss the challenges of getting Pocket Naloxone to market and the innovative delivery mechanism they developed. Kathryn emphasizes the importance of improving access, lowering cost, and reducing stigma associated with naloxone. She digs into the need to put patients at the center of healthcare by reducing complexity and cost for healthcare providers, and Meg asks Kathryn to share her extensive experience raising capital across her storied career.

Also discussed are many of Kathryn’s insights on healthcare challenges and opportunities such as issues with appointment scheduling and workflow, patient-centric approaches, information-sharing, telehealth, medication access, the persistence of old models of care, and educating stakeholders to further positive change.

Further Reading:

• Consumer Meets Healthcare: Ted Talk
• Critical Questions for Rethinking Healthcare

Episode Credits:

The Game-Changing Women of Healthcare is a production of The Krinsky Company.

Hosted by Meg Escobosa.

Produced by Meg Escobosa, Calvin Marty, Chelsea Ho, Medina Sabic, Markala Comfort, and Wendy Nielsen.

Edited, engineered, and mixed by Calvin Marty.

All music composed and performed by Calvin Marty.

©2024 The Krinsky Company