Healthy Skeptic, MD Dr. Michael Hochman, MD

We often think of homelessness as a problem of the young. But recent projections suggest that the number of unhoused older adults will triple over the next decade. Today's guest is Ms. Jean Galiana, the Coordinator for Older Adult Services with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority. Jean discusses creative approaches for increasing housing options for the geriatric population. Jean also describes her recent book, Aging Well. Solutions to the most Pressing Global Challenges of Aging. Mak...

In the Healthy Skeptic, MD we've covered the harms of overuse of medical services in adults. But what about children? According to Dr. Samantha House, unnecessary care is a problem in Pediatrics too. In today's episode, she describes a recent JAMA analysis she authored showing that overuse of medical services in children is both common and costly.

Until recently -- and to the surprise of many -- there were no diabetes treatments definitively proven to lower cardiovascular risk. Over the last 5 years, that has changed. There are now two new classes of medications that not only prevent heart attacks and strokes for patients with diabetes, but they also help with weight loss, and may have other benefits. Still, as with any new treatment, caution is in order as we are just starting to understand the full benefits and risks. To help us brea...

Plastic surgery is often associated with high end cosmetic procedures, but it is much more than this, as we discuss today with Dr. Elliot Hirsch, the Chairman of the Division of Plastic Surgery at the Providence Cedars-Sinai Tarzana Medical Center. Plastic surgeons are among the most versatile of all surgeons, doing everything from wound care, to tissue reconstruction, to breast augmentation. In today's episode, Dr. Hirsch provides an overview of the field and offers practical tips for patients.

If you've done any work in the fields of Geriatrics Medicine or Healthy Aging, you've almost certainly come across Jennie Chin Hansen, my guest on today's episode. Jennie is the former President of AARP, the former CEO of the American Geriatrics Society and currently a Board Member of the SCAN Health Plan (which funds the Healthy Skeptic, MD Podcast). Jennie also spent 25 years as a nurse leader at the San Francisco-based On Lok program developing creative care models for older adults, includ...

Since the last Covid-19 surge, many things are different. More Americans are vaccinated; there's an important new pill to prevent Covid-19 complications; and there are new public health guidelines recommending a shortened isolation period after an infection. To help us break it all down, my guest today is Dr. Pieter Cohen, an internist at the Cambridge Health Alliance and the lead author of the chapter on outpatient care of Covid-19 in a prominent medical textbook.See Dr. Cohen's latest YouTu...