Author: William Trick

After graduating from Wake Forest Medical School, pediatrician Jennie McLaurin spent her career serving migrant farmworker families, Native Hawaiian communities on Molokai, and the Lummi Nation in Washington State. In this conversation with host William Trick, she discusses the hidden dangers facing child farmworkers, why “talk story” builds trust, the importance of family care in these communities, how she navigated vaccine hesitancy without judgment, and the ideas behind her book Designed to Heal, which draws a parallel between the biology of wound healing and healing societal traumas. A tender look at what it means to practice medicine as a companion to patients and their families, and the professional and personal rewards of policy advocacy to impact populations.   

Music composed by Kevin MacLeod .

play_arrow

replay_10

play_arrow

forward_10

close

In this episode of Inspired to Heal, host Bill Trick sits down with Dan Hawkins, former Senior Vice President for Public Policy and Research at the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC), to trace the 60-year history of the community health center movement. Hawkins shares stories from the program’s 1965 War on Poverty origins in Boston and Mound Bayou, Mississippi, through the rise of migrant health centers, rural health clinics, and Community Health Centers, often also Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). Hear how the Affordable Care Act expanded teaching health centers and physician training, and why access to comprehensive primary care remains critical for underserved populations. Essential listening for public health students, safety-net providers, and healthcare policy professionals interested in the history of health equity in America. 

Music composed by Kevin MacLeod .

play_arrow

replay_10

play_arrow

forward_10

close

What literal or figurative tool is essential for a long, fulfilling career in medicine? In this episode, healthcare veterans from Chicago’s legendary Cook County Hospital—including doctors, nurses, social workers, legal counsel, and a communications executive—reveal the items you should carry with you in your medical bag to survive and thrive. 

Together, these frontline experts distill hundreds of years of collective healthcare experience into advice for working in mission-oriented health systems. Whether you are looking for medical career longevity tips or seeking inspiration to fuel your passion for patient care, this episode delivers the blueprint for a deeply rewarding medical career

Intro music composed by Kevin MacLeod and downloaded at https://incompetech.com/.

play_arrow

replay_10

play_arrow

forward_10

close

In this episode, veteran disease detective Dr. Udo Buchholz from Germany’s Robert Koch Institute (RKI) unpacks five outbreak investigations spanning Los Angeles to Germany. 

Dr. Buchholz reveals the twists of tracking intentional poisoning cases in the workplace—including toxic dynamics of both boss and employee malfeasance. Discover how intentional food poisoning in a restaurant led to a unique methodology for tracking foodborne illnesses. An approach that helped health officials solve an international E. coli outbreak linked to contaminated fenugreek sprouts. 

Finally, we go inside the science of airborne transmission. Dr. Buchholz breaks down his detailed epidemiological study on how SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) spread rapidly among members of the famous Berlin Cathedral Choir (Berliner Domkantorei). 

Listen in to hear how solving complex health crises requires a massive network of experts—ranging from Berlin engineers, CDC scientists, to a health official in Thailand. 

Intro music composed by Kevin MacLeod and downloaded at https://incompetech.com/.

play_arrow

replay_10

play_arrow

forward_10

close

How do lessons from combating Ebola and MERS stop opioid overdoses? Former Chicago Department of Public Health Commissioner and CDC official, Dr. Allison Arwady reveals how applied public health methods can defeat the deadliest drug epidemic in U.S. history. 

The illicit drug trade changed forever with the increased introduction of synthetic opioids. Opioid overdoses quickly became the leading cause of death among young adults, eventually claiming over 100,000 American lives per year. Discover how Dr. Arwady treats the opioid overdose crisis like a lethal infectious disease outbreak, using frontline epidemiology and data-driven pandemic response tactics to save lives.

Intro music composed by Kevin MacLeod and downloaded at https://incompetech.com/. Outro music performed by Duo Yumeno, https://duoyumeno.com/

play_arrow

replay_10

play_arrow

forward_10

close

How do global public health leaders stop the spread of bloodborne viruses? In this episode of the Inspired To Heal podcast, Dr. William Trick interviews Dr. Yvan Hutin from the World Health Organization (WHO) to expose how unsafe injection practices—like reusing syringes and sharing contaminated medication vials—drive global Hepatitis B and C transmission. Discover how strategic public health campaigns, insights from agencies like WHO and the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), and a massive immunization program led by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization impacted hepatitis B in China, preventing liver cirrhosis and cancer. 

Intro music composed by Kevin MacLeod and downloaded at https://incompetech.com/

play_arrow

replay_10

play_arrow

forward_10

close

Dr. Pauline “Polly” Thomas began her career with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in New York City in 1981—the exact year the HIV/AIDS crisis first surfaced in public health reports. 
As one of the world’s first medical field investigators, Dr. Thomas worked on the front lines to identify how the virus spread. Her evaluations were instrumental in proving that HIV was transmitted via blood and body fluids rather than casual contact.  She was in the field for critical early investigations identifying transmission by intravenous (IV) drug use, heterosexual contact, mother-to-infant transmission, and blood transfusions. She also evaluated a possible link to alkyl nitrites (“poppers”) and the controversial classification of Haitian nationality as a risk factor. Most importantly, Dr. Thomas’s persistent research proved that HIV could not be transmitted through casual contact, a discovery that fundamentally protected human rights and combated global stigma. 
While the world has seen tremendous progress in HIV prevention and treatment, these life-saving advancements now face threats, from underutilized pre-exposure prophylaxis to the withdrawal from the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the program launched by President George W. Bush in 2003 that has saved millions of lives worldwide.

Intro music composed by Kevin MacLeod and downloaded at https://incompetech.com/

play_arrow

replay_10

play_arrow

forward_10

close

Dr. Steven Aks led the Toxicology Division and served as a physician in the legendary Emergency Department at Cook County Hospital—the real-life Pitt. As the frontline expert for life-threatening poisonings, he managed fentanyl overdoses, rat poison laced synthetic cannabinoids “fake weed” that went by the name Spice, and accidental ingestion of puffer-fish (Fugu). Steve describes the risks of drug smuggling or evasion through body stuffing and body packing, as shown in Season 3 of Euphoria. Human curiosity, thrill-seeking, and desperation continually fueled new threats, many of which uncovered larger outbreaks solved through investigations by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Illinois Department of Health. What would an emergency room toxicologist have in their doctor’s bag?

Intro music composed by Kevin MacLeod and downloaded at https://incompetech.com/

play_arrow

replay_10

play_arrow

forward_10

close

Dr. Juan Alonso-Echanove spent most of his career in public health, including using epidemiologic principles to prevent firearm-related deaths in Puerto Rico.  What happens when an epidemiologist becomes a patient? After Juan was treated for pancreatic cancer, he chose to give back. Through lending his research skills and his public health mantra “information for action” to clinical oncology, he is helping his care team study the outcomes of cancer patients and how best to refine the healthcare journey for future patients. In this episode, he describes his public health career, his experience being treated for pancreatic cancer, and what he thinks the United States healthcare system should import from Spain.

Intro music composed by Kevin MacLeod and downloaded at https://incompetech.com/

play_arrow

replay_10

play_arrow

forward_10

close