You may have heard about the concept of having patients shop for their doctors based on the expertise of the doctor and their fee schedule, making healthcare delivery more cash-based than insurance-based. The idea is that consumer choice based on price would lower the cost of healthcare and make access to care more affordable because doctors would be able to charge their patients less if the patient is paying the doctor with cash, check, or credit card, and not be dictated by the rules of the third-party system. Many believe that this model would simplify the delivery of healthcare. It reflects on the way medicine was practiced in the 1950’s, when most doctors owned their practices and were paid in cash by patients. Senior Anchor Shivika Nath has a conversation with Bob Kieserman about this concept as they discuss the feasibility of whether this model could possibly work.

It is estimated that 32 million Americans suffer from food allergies, including 5.6 million kids under the age of 18, and there is a lot of misinformation out there about food allergies. In this episode, Leila shares some basic facts with you.

In 2009, the World Health Organization announced its Save Lives: Clean Your Hands Campaign. It aims to promote the goal of maintaining a global profile on the importance of hand hygiene and infection prevention and control in health care. A large proportion of avoidable infections acquired during daily interactions could be prevented with hand hygiene and infection prevention and control. This initiative is not only directed at us, as individuals, but also our healthcare providers. Therefore, in this 18th year of World Hand Hygiene Day, those providing and supporting health care are called on to be extra diligent in washing their hands before and after they touch a patient.

A major hearing took place in California where the CEO’s of the major social media platforms were questioned about the impact of social media on children and teens. There has been major concern about how social media affects the mental health of people of all ages, from the very young to the old. In this episode of Healthcare Update, host Leila Kramer focuses on the impact of social media on college students. A recent study found that college students are using social media about 4.5 hours per day, and psychologists feel that social media has its benefits to the college student and it also poses some dangers. This segment looks at the issue.

If you have visited your doctor for what you thought was an infection, you might have been surprised to see the doctor’s initial hesitation to prescribe an antibiotic. Once an important part of the doctor’s toolbox for helping patients feel better when the body was experiencing an infection, doctors are rethinking the use of antibiotics because of antibiotic resistance in many patients. Antibiotic resistance has been caused by the overuse of antibiotics in both outpatient and hospital care. While respiratory infections, sore throats, and sinus infections are caused by viruses, antibiotics have been prescribed unnecessarily. This allows bacteria to adapt and survive antibiotic treatment instead of the antibiotic killing them. In this episode of Healthcare Update, host Leila Kramer explores why this has become a major issue in public health.

Welcome to the first episode of Healthcare Update with Leila Kramer. This initial episode talks about the recent judgment against the recommendations made by the Advisory Committee put together by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., concerning vaccines for children.

According to the American Camping Association, there are more than 15,000 summer camps in the United States, catering to millions of children each year. Perhaps one of the most important professional staff members is the camp doctor, who oversees the camp’s infirmary. Dr. Marci Fornari is a pediatric emergency medicine physician and Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University in Camden, New Jersey. She is also a camp doctor during the summer. She graduated from Colgate University in Hamilton, NY with a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish and received her medical degree from Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, where she was a proud member of the inaugural class. She completed her pediatric residency at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and a pediatric emergency medicine fellowship and pediatric emergency ultrasound fellowship at Children's National Hospital in Washington, DC. She is board-certified in pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine.

There are approximately 5,500 memory care centers in the United States, with many more integrated within assisted living communities. Memory care centers are specialized residential facilities for seniors with Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, or other cognitive impairments, and they are characterized by secure environments, 24/7 supervision, and tailored therapeutic activities to support residents' cognitive and emotional well-being. Naomi Goldman is a family nurse practitioner and certified assisted living administrator, and the owner and senior clinician at Havenwood Homes at Kresson Memory Care Center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, near Philadelphia. Naomi graduated from Seton Hall University with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing and then went on to their graduate program to become an FNP. Naomi has been recognized for her unique approach to memory care.

Executive Producer Leila Kramer interviews Matthew Zachary, the author of the new best-seller, We the Patients: Understanding, Navigating, and Surviving America’s Healthcare Nightmare. The book, which pulls back the curtain on how the American healthcare system really works, offers empowering guidance on how patients can protect themselves. The book is not about fixing healthcare overnight. It’s about giving patients leverage, knowledge, and agency right now. Matthew is recognized as one of this country’s leading patient advocates. He is a 30-year cancer survivor, author, and media entrepreneur. He is best known for founding Stupid Cancer, the world’s largest community dedicated to adolescents and young adults with cancer, and for leading the national movement called We the Patients. Before his advocacy career, Matthew was a classically trained concert pianist who released two solo piano albums, but then, in 1995, at age 21, he was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a type of pediatric brain cancer. His treatment was grueling, including near-fatal radiation, and he faced severe isolation due to a lack of resources for young adults with cancer at the time. This is his story and his vision.