It’s been almost a year and half since we launched our podcast, Wonks at Work, to demystify complex healthcare topics (unwonk them, if you will). Over the first 25 installments, ACHI Health Policy Director and host Craig Wilson has welcomed several guests from a variety of sectors to help you better understand how the system is working – or not working – for you. Here’s a look back at the five most-streamed episodes. We will return with new episodes and additional guests soon. In the meantime, be sure to catch up on any of these you might have missed:
1. All Together Now – Miranda Morris, executive director of Aledade, discusses accountable care organizations and how they bring together competitors (and sometimes adversaries) that must rely on each other to achieve effective, sustainable change in healthcare delivery.
2. Taming the Opioid Beast of Burden – Colin Jorgensen, litigation counsel for the Association of Arkansas Counties, provides an update on lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors, as well as plans for the use of settlement proceeds.
3. Come Together – Dr. Len Nichols, primary investigator for the Collaborative Approach to Public Good Investments, talks about how he develops and implements innovative funding approaches to address social risks that impact health outcomes.
4. Arresting the Illness Versus the Person – Dr. Lisa Evans, Pulaski County Crisis Stabilization Unit program director, talks about the importance of crisis intervention for people who encounter law enforcement during an acute mental crisis and the need for increased capacity to care for individuals who might otherwise be jailed.
5. Juggling Patient Care and Student Education During COVID-19 – Dr. Cam Patterson, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences chancellor, shares examples of how Arkansas has risen to the many challenges presented by the COVID-19 crisis and how UAMS has juggled patient care and student education amid the pandemic.
