The Pursuit of Health Podcast

Dr. Eric Fethke
  • 4.8 (19)
  • MEDICINE
  • UPDATED MONTHLY

The Pursuit of Health is a weekly podcast dedicated to a thorough exploration of the American Healthcare System at a critical time in our nation’s history. The podcast’s creator and host, Dr. Eric Fethke, is a pediatric cardiologist and educator trained at Columbia University, with over 25 years of experience practicing medicine. Students, professionals, and everyday people alike are invited to learn from guest experts who are pursuing groundbreaking work to improve America's health. Join us on our journey towards a better healthcare!

  1. 6D AGO

    Ep100: For Lil Roopie: Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a Mother's Fight and Keeping Matthew's Legacy Alive w/ Carol Roopchandsingh

    A conversation with Carol Roopchandsingh He never stopped fighting. Neither will she. Matthew Roopchandsingh - known to many as Lil Roopie - lived for nearly thirty years with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. He built a YouTube channel, designed his own logo, and spent his life reaching out to others with disabilities, telling them never to give up hope.  He passed away on November 14th, 2024. His mother, Carol Roopchandsingh, was his caregiver, his advocate, and his guardian. She worked three jobs. She slept in hospital chairs. She fought insurance companies, dismissive doctors, and a system that too often asked: why provide care to someone who will never get better? Today, on our milestone 100th episode, Carol bravely sat with Dr. Fethke to bring Matthew's story out of the shadows - and to make sure his legacy is just beginning. I am honored to introduce Carol Roopchandsingh. — We spoke about the long and painful road to Matthew's Duchenne diagnosis, the systemic failures that denied him the equipment, therapy, and support he needed, the emotional and physical toll of caregiving with no safety net, how Matthew channelled his condition into a platform of advocacy and joy, and Carol's vision for a foundation in his memory - to fight for every person who lives with disability, that the system forgets. Lil Roopie’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lilroopie/featured Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

    25 min

  2. MAR 20

    Ep99: From the Secretary's Office to the Front Lines of the Fight for Medicaid w/ Kody Kinsley

    A conversation with Kody Kinsley “Leadership starts with each of us.” Kody Kinsley is the former Secretary of North Carolina's Department of Health and Human Services, who currently serves as a Senior Policy Advisor at Johns Hopkins University and the Milken Institute. His impact on North Carolina policymaking saw Medicaid expansion to 600,000 residents, $835 million secured in behavioral health funding, and $4 billion brokered in medical debt relief. In other words, Kody is a public health champion. He joins us today to give the inside scoop on the looming impact of the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’, outlining the daunting road ahead - but carrying hope each step of the way. — We spoke about his personal journey and commitment to healthcare reform, the need for better policy changes over simply cutting costs, why we need a healthcare system that prioritizes affordability, reduces patient burden, and leverages value-based care, and why public sentiment and community input are crucial for developing effective healthcare policies. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

    50 min

  3. FEB 19

    Ep98: From Tragedy to Innovation: Patient-Led Data Systems and ALS w/ Indu Navar

    A conversation with Indu Navar We have to care to cure! Indu Navar is the founder of EverythingALS and a leading voice in patient-driven ALS research. After losing her husband to ALS following a long and exhausting diagnostic process, Indu turned her background in technology and data systems toward fixing what she saw as a broken approach to ALS care and research. She takes us through the history of the disease, before highlighting how her company is spearheading a patient-led data revolution - updating decades-old medical research on ALS with information direct from our patients' lived experiences. — We spoke about what has changed in ALS research in 2026 and why it matters for patients, how a lack of traditional biological biomarkers and a reliance on elimination-based testing has meant both diagnosis efficacy and treatment options have stalled, and how patient-driven research is reshaping discovery, trials, and treatment pathways. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

    46 min

  4. FEB 12

    Ep97: When Doctors Organize: Non-Partisan Advocacy and the Future of Healthcare w/Dr. Christine Petrin: in collaboration with Doctors For America

    A conversation with Dr. Christine Petrin Healthcare is not a partisan issue. No better organization demonstrates this fact than Doctors for America, a national collective of 40,000 members: doctors, medical students, healthcare workers, patients, and retired physicians. And who better to talk us through their mission, than Past President Dr. Christine Petrin. In her own words, “Every time I join a DFA call or meeting or talk, it really energizes me. It keeps me optimistic. There's so many people out there that are facing the same fight as you.” —  We spoke about the history, structure, and advocacy efforts of Doctors for America (DFA), how they transitioned from advocating for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to broader healthcare issues, their non-partisan nature and inclusive structure, and the importance of collective action amid widespread policy changes. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

    47 min

  5. JAN 29

    Ep96: Transparency, Prevention, and The Battle For Affordable Healthcare w/Dr. Erica Urquhart

    We don’t need to hide. Our guest this week shares this message loud and clear: as providers, we have nothing to hide from our patients. Dr. Erica Urquhart knows a thing or two about our healthcare system - having trained at Harvard as a biomedical engineer, she received a MD-PhD in Molecular and Neuroscience from Johns Hopkins and is now a practising orthopedic surgeon. She joins today to talk through her outlook on a broken system, as told in her upcoming book ‘Invisible Hand Wielding the Scalpel: Paying the Price in America’s Fractured Healthcare System’. — We spoke about the value of transparency in healthcare, her constant battle with massive insurance companies, the capitalist emphasis in the system, the influence of commercial insurers in driving the cost and accessibility of care, and the fundamental importance of sickness prevention. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

    52 min

  6. JAN 19

    Ep95: The Vaccination Crisis, Eroding Public Trust and Safeguarding Children's Health w/Dr. Paul Offit

    A conversation with Dr. Paul Offit We didn’t just eradicate measles through vaccines, we eradicated all memory of it - that’s why vaccine hesitancy is on the rise. Today’s guest Dr. Paul Offit is angry. He’s an undisputed authority in the vaccination field, professor of vaccinology at the University of Pennsylvania, co-inventor of life-saving vaccine RotaTeq, author… in short, Offit has been in the room for the creation of policies that affected hundreds of millions of people. That’s why he stands in disbelief as health secretary RFK Jr. continues to share disinformation, shred the CDC of its ability to monitor the population, and cause real-world health crises in our communities. In defiance, he’s sharing his message loud and clear, and this episode shines as our most comprehensive guide yet on the vaccination crisis.  It’s time to make a collective effort, to safeguard our children's health. — We spoke about RFK Jr.'s long-standing anti-vaccine stance, historical perspectives on vaccination's successes and controversies, the evolution and impacts of vaccines on diseases like polio, measles, and hepatitis B, and the erosion of public trust in vaccines. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

    49 min

  7. JAN 6

    Ep94: The Broken Incentives of Primary Care - Past, Present and Future w/ Dr. Troyen Brennan

    A conversation with Dr. Troyen Brennan Our primary care sector is dysfunctional. Enter Dr. Troyen Brennan: author, adjunct professor at Harvard, former CMO for CVS Health and Aetna, and a national voice on the issues facing our healthcare system. He explains how the primary care/specialty care balance led America to adopt a profit-driven model, highlighting the repercussions this has had for primary care access across the country. The current projections are stark, so we need to push for fundamental change. — We spoke about the contrast between the Affordable Care Act and a single-payer system, the importance of primary care as a foundation for a functional healthcare system, the viability of value-based care models, and the potential pathways to achieve equitable access to primary care in spite of current political and financial challenges. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

    52 min

  8. 12/09/2025

    Ep93: When Healthcare Is Decided in the Supreme Court: w/ Katie Keith

    A conversation with Katie Keith We need to make healthcare more resilient.  Here to guide us through the policy issues affecting modern healthcare is Katie Keith, J.D., M.P.H., director of the Health Policy and the Law Initiative at Georgetown’s O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law and Principal at Keith Policy Solutions. With an impressive resume that includes a stint at the White House under the Biden administration, Katy is an expert on federal and state healthcare priorities, with a focus on the ACA and underserved populations. In talking us through two key Supreme Court cases, Katy demystifies a fundamental problem in American healthcare, before shining a light on what individuals and communities can do to ensure healthcare is accessible for all. —— We spoke about the increasing role of courts in shaping health policy, the impact on this has on marginalized communities, the Medina vs. Planned Parenthood and Kennedy vs. Braidwood Management cases, and the importance of informed, bipartisan legislative action to make healthcare resilient against ideological and policy shifts.  Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com. My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

    53 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.8
out of 5
19 Ratings

About

The Pursuit of Health is a weekly podcast dedicated to a thorough exploration of the American Healthcare System at a critical time in our nation’s history. The podcast’s creator and host, Dr. Eric Fethke, is a pediatric cardiologist and educator trained at Columbia University, with over 25 years of experience practicing medicine. Students, professionals, and everyday people alike are invited to learn from guest experts who are pursuing groundbreaking work to improve America's health. Join us on our journey towards a better healthcare!

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Eric Fethke
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    118
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Pursuit of Health Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Pursuit of Health Podcast