The Health Advocates
The Health Advocates
A podcast that breaks down major health news of the week to help you make sense of it all. Our goal is to help you understand what’s happening in the healthcare world to help you make informed decisions to live your best life. The podcast is part of the Global Healthy Living Foundation Podcast Network and hosted by Steven Newmark, Chief of Policy at GHLF, and Zoe Rothblatt, Director of Community O…Social links:
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S8, Ep 41- Building Trust in Health: A Texas Lawmaker’s View on Prevention, Access, and Equity
How can lawmakers rebuild public trust in health, and make prevention a shared priority? In this episode of The Health Advocates, Steven Newmark speaks with Texas State Representative Nicole Collier, a leading voice on health equity, women’s health, and preventive care. From her work on the Select…
13:31
S8, Ep 40- Turkey Day Conversations: How to Talk About Vaccines With Your Family
In this special Thanksgiving episode, Steven helps our community prepare for the conversations that matter most. Every year, GHLF shares its “Turkey Day Talking Points” to support people living with chronic illness or who are immunocompromised as they navigate discussions about vaccines with family…
05:02
S8, Ep 39- Government Shutdowns & IgG4-RD: What Patients Need to Know
In this episode of The Health Advocates, host Steven Newmark breaks down what the recent federal government shutdown means for health care access and vulnerable patients. Then, he’s joined by Mahsa Pazokifard, a passionate patient advocate living with IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), a rare and ofte…
20:10
S8, Ep 38- What Pandemics Reveal: Dr. Tyler Evans on Poverty, Politics, and Public Health
Pandemics aren’t only about pathogens, they’re about people, politics, and the deep inequities in our health systems. In this episode of The Health Advocates, Steven Newmark speaks with Dr. Tyler Evans, an infectious disease and public health leader whose career has spanned the front lines of globa…
18:07
S8, Ep 37- Open Enrollment 2026: What Patients Need to Know
Open enrollment for 2026 is underway — and for millions of Americans managing chronic or rare diseases, understanding your health insurance options is essential. In this episode of The Health Advocates, Steven Newmark breaks down what open enrollment is, what’s new this year, and how to navigate ch…
06:32
S8, Ep 36- Raising Awareness on GCA Awareness Day: Kathi Lopez's Story
In this special episode of The Health Advocates, Steven Newmark speaks with Kathi Lopez, who shares her journey of being diagnosed with Giant Cell Arteritis (GCA). Kathi talks about the challenges of getting a proper diagnosis, navigating treatment, and managing life with a rare autoimmune conditio…
11:35
S8, Ep 35- How Nobel-Winning Science is Bringing Hope to People With Autoimmune Diseases
The 2025 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recognized groundbreaking advances in understanding immune regulation — but what do they mean for people living with autoimmune disease? In this episode, Dr. Shilpa Venkatachalam, Chief Patient-Centered Research and Ethical Oversight Officer at GHLF, j…
08:58
S8, Ep 34- When the Lights Go Off — Public Health in a Shutdown
What happens to America’s health when Washington grinds to a halt? In this episode of The Health Advocates, we break down the latest federal government shutdown and what it means for public health agencies across the country. We explain what a shutdown actually is, drawing from past shutdowns over …
10:09
S8, Ep 33- Turning Data Into Impact: RJ Kedziora's Approach to Improving Health Outcomes
In this episode of The Health Advocates, Steven Newmark sits down with Richard (RJ) Kedziora, co-founder of Estenda Solutions, to explore the intersection of technology, data, and patient advocacy. With decades of experience in healthcare technology, RJ shares how he and his team design digital too…
15:54
S8, Ep 32- ACIP's COVID-19 Vote and Trump's Tylenol Claim: Another Wild Week!
In this episode of The Health Advocates, we unpack a turbulent week in public health. The CDC’s Vaccine Advisory Committee (ACIP), now reshaped under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., met to debate changes to the COVID-19, MMRV, and Hepatitis B vaccine recommendations. Despite heated rhetoric…
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