When a hospital replaces an established physician team, the beds can stay open while the care behind them quietly erodes. Shelly Haug Monti is a neonatologist, palliative care physician, and bioethicist, and a cofounder of Babies First Southern Oregon. This episode is based on her KevinMD article "Why physician outsourcing is a warning sign for hospitals [https://kevinmd.com/2026/09/why-physician-outsourcing-is-a-warning-sign-for-hospitals.html]." You will hear how her entire group of neonatologists at a community NICU was terminated and replaced by locum tenens physicians and nurse practitioners, why she compares a NICU team to a philharmonic orchestra, and why she rejects the idea that financial survival and clinical excellence are competing interests. She describes how her group built an advocacy movement with families, nurses, community members, and state legislators, and why advocacy is a skill set few physicians learn. She also explains how to recognize a deteriorating health care system, from clinical infrastructure to hospital governance and staff bylaws. Press play to hear how physicians can spot the warning signs before their own team disappears.

Partner with me on the KevinMD platform [https://kevinmd.com/kevinmd-influencer-opportunities]. With more than 100 million impressions a year and nearly 750,000 followers, subscribers and email recipients across my channels, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story.

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Doctors can spot a failing patient. Can they spot a failing hospital?

Two Alzheimer's drugs now slow the disease, and they work best when symptoms are still mild. Emer MacSweeney is a neuroradiologist and the cofounder and CEO of Re:Cognition Health. This episode is based on her article "Early Alzheimer's detection is now a treatment decision [https://kevinmd.com/2026/06/early-alzheimers-detection-is-now-a-treatment-decision.html]," published on KevinMD. She explains why she calls this a new era, how a simple blood test can start the workup, and why clearing amyloid early matters for the tau protein that tracks symptoms. You will hear what the trials showed: The mildest patients had no decline over the first year, and treatment slows the move from one stage to the next by about half. She makes the case that staying in the mild stage keeps patients eligible for the next medications in the pipeline. She also takes on the cost question, since these drugs slow decline rather than cure it, drawing on patients she treats who are fit, active, and often still working. Press play to hear why she says the biggest risk is not getting treated.

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Partner with me on the KevinMD platform [https://kevinmd.com/kevinmd-influencer-opportunities]. With more than 100 million impressions a year and nearly 750,000 followers, subscribers and email recipients across my channels, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story.

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Alzheimer's treatment works best early, so why are patients waiting?

No one ever ran a blinded trial on handwashing. It became standard practice around the world anyway. Narinder Singh Parhar, an internal medicine, hospital medicine, and critical care physician, calls evidence-based medicine one of the field's great achievements and credits it with saving millions of lives. This episode is based on his article "Evidence-based medicine needs a broader view of evidence [https://kevinmd.com/2026/06/evidence-based-medicine-needs-a-broader-view-of-evidence.html]," published on KevinMD. He also believes medicine has begun to confuse one research method with science itself, and names the questions a blinded drug trial was never built to answer. You will hear why elderly patients carrying several diagnoses and several medications so often fall outside the study group. He makes the case for pragmatic trials, prospective cohorts, pilot programs, and functional outcomes when the question is not a single drug. You will also hear why he wants physicians running their own research and what to ask when a new guideline arrives attached to a product. Press play to hear why he says evidence-based medicine must be protected and should never become methodology-based medicine.

If this episode helped, follow The Podcast by KevinMD on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a rating.

Partner with me on the KevinMD platform [https://kevinmd.com/kevinmd-influencer-opportunities]. With more than 100 million impressions a year and nearly 750,000 followers, subscribers and email recipients across my channels, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story.

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Clinical trials answer drug questions. Health questions need other tools.

Doctors are adopting tools that answer clinical questions, and some give inconsistent answers or invented patient data. Neil Panchal, an emergency physician and cofounder and chief medical officer of Longevitix, a clinical AI decision support company, wrote a quick screen for colleagues asking which tools to trust. This episode is based on his article "4 questions to ask before you trust clinical AI tools [https://kevinmd.com/2026/08/4-questions-to-ask-before-you-trust-clinical-ai-tools.html]," published on KevinMD. You will hear whether a tool shows its sources, gives the same output for the same input, admits what it does not know, and reaches the right person without alarm fatigue. He explains how a lab panel from overseas shows the danger of a tool that quietly converts units. You will also hear why benchmarks can mislead, why he treats these tools like a first-year resident, and why they need monitoring after deployment. Press play to hear why he says physicians should help shape clinical AI instead of waiting for technology companies, and why an impressive demo is not a safe clinical system.

If this episode helped, follow The Podcast by KevinMD on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a rating.

Partner with me on the KevinMD platform [https://kevinmd.com/kevinmd-influencer-opportunities]. With more than 100 million impressions a year and nearly 750,000 followers, subscribers and email recipients across my channels, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story.

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Is your clinical AI tool safe? 4 questions to ask first

Many companies pay for their workers' health care directly, and the fees buried in those plans have been hard to see. Paul Pender, an ophthalmologist, explains why new transparency and fiduciary rules taking hold in January 2027 will force these self-insured employers to ask for that data. This episode is based on his article "Self-insured employer health plans face a new reckoning [https://kevinmd.com/2026/07/self-insured-employer-health-plans-face-a-new-reckoning.html]," published on KevinMD. You will hear why the executives who sign off on these plans can be held personally liable, and how class action lawsuits argue that hidden fees cost employees money. He describes how brokers may shift from retention bonuses paid by insurers to fees paid by the employers they serve, and why employees could see better benefits and fewer surprise bills. He also outlines Our Town Healthcare, a physician-centered plan model set to be tested in two Georgia cities by a company he advises and invests in. Press play to hear why he expects the big players to resist, and why he says employers should have a compliance plan ready.

If this episode helped, follow The Podcast by KevinMD on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a rating.

Partner with me on the KevinMD platform [https://kevinmd.com/kevinmd-influencer-opportunities]. With more than 100 million impressions a year and nearly 750,000 followers, subscribers and email recipients across my channels, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story.

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Hidden fees in employer health plans are about to come out

Hospitals send new families home with a medically stable baby and instructions for feeding, sleeping, and car seats. What many parents do not get is guidance on newborn brain development and how babies take in the world through their senses. Cynthia Parente, an early childhood educator, spent more than 30 years running music, play, and art programs for young children and their families. This episode is based on her article "Newborn brain development starts at discharge [https://kevinmd.com/2026/07/newborn-brain-development-starts-at-discharge.html]," published on KevinMD. You will hear how rocking, singing, eye contact, and talking support your baby's development, and how tummy time can begin with your newborn on your chest. She explains why she wants every family, whether at a rural hospital or a major medical center, to leave with the same information, ideally through a QR code at discharge. She also urges stressed new parents to build a village, assign clear roles, trust their instincts, and make time. Press play to hear how she translates the science into guidance families can use from the first day home.

If this episode helped, follow The Podcast by KevinMD on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a rating.

Partner with me on the KevinMD platform [https://kevinmd.com/kevinmd-influencer-opportunities]. With more than 100 million impressions a year and nearly 750,000 followers, subscribers and email recipients across my channels, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story.

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Bringing a newborn home? What hospitals don't tell new parents

Many physicians are told their pay follows a standard plan that cannot change for one person. Jon Appino, a physician contract and compensation consultant at Contract Diagnostics [https://contractdiagnostics.com/], says administrators are often telling the truth. His firm is a central resource for physicians and their families, offering consulting and coaching on employment contracts, compensation, schedules, and benefits. This episode is based on his article "Negotiating physician compensation works better in groups [https://kevinmd.com/2026/09/negotiating-physician-compensation-works-better-in-groups.html]," published on KevinMD. You will hear why hospital systems revisit pay plans every two or three years, and why waiting for the new addendum often means it has already cleared finance. He explains how your group can get involved twelve months ahead, bring its own data, and raise staffing, equipment, and call, not just salary. He shares how three and a half general surgeons gained about $140,000 per physician per year after their plan went five years without review. For new physicians handed a non-negotiable contract, he lays out the clarifying questions to ask, and why asking for more after hearing "standard" can sound bad. Press play to hear when a group voice works best and how to be proactive before your next pay plan arrives.

If this episode helped, follow The Podcast by KevinMD on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a rating.

Partner with me on the KevinMD platform [https://kevinmd.com/kevinmd-influencer-opportunities]. With more than 100 million impressions a year and nearly 750,000 followers, subscribers and email recipients across my channels, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story.

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Physician pay won't budge for one doctor. Negotiate as a group.

She never saw herself as a leader, and she was quiet and shy, yet she became a chief medical officer. Vidhya Prakash is an internal medicine physician and chief medical officer at SIU Medicine. This episode is based on her article "What becoming a chief medical officer taught a shy doctor [https://kevinmd.com/2026/07/what-becoming-a-chief-medical-officer-taught-a-shy-doctor.html]," published on KevinMD. You will hear how mentors tapping her on the shoulder led her into leadership, and why she stopped equating leaders with loud, commanding personalities. She describes the imposter syndrome and self-doubt that tell many budding women physician leaders they are not worthy unless they check every box. She explains why a physician's problem-solving training is a strong base, and where more development is needed: engaging a team, navigating conflict, and the business side. She shares how she learned budgets by sitting with finance leaders, and why mentors and sponsors make leadership less lonely. Press play to hear why she says it is never too early or too late to pursue leadership, and how to invest in your own.

If this episode helped, follow The Podcast by KevinMD on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a rating.

Partner with me on the KevinMD platform [https://kevinmd.com/kevinmd-influencer-opportunities]. With more than 100 million impressions a year and nearly 750,000 followers, subscribers and email recipients across my channels, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story.

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Shy doctors can lead: imposter syndrome and the path to physician leadership

On a Hulu comedy, a man hides his shellfish allergy from a coworker. When the reaction starts, he takes Benadryl. Lianne Mandelbaum is a food allergy advocate, president of the No Nut Traveler, and airline correspondent for Allergic Living. This episode is based on her article "Why a Hulu comedy's food allergy myths are dangerous [https://kevinmd.com/2026/06/why-a-hulu-comedys-food-allergy-myths-are-dangerous.html]," published on KevinMD. You will hear why she says every beat of that plot is a myth, starting with the idea that Benadryl treats anaphylaxis and ending with the show's diagnosis of adrenaline poisoning. She cites a global survey of 4,704 people in which 31 percent said they hid a food allergy to avoid getting in trouble or being mocked. Lianne then traces what that silence costs, including a college student who treated himself, told no one, drove to the hospital alone, and died in the parking lot. She also explains what changed in the latest airline rulemaking, and what she is asking clinicians to do about it.

This episode is brought to you by ModMed [https://www.modmed.com/].

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Patients hide their food allergy, and few doctors speak up

Almost 50 years into practice, a cardiologist says American health care is getting worse by the day. Peter R. Kowey specializes in heart rhythm disorders and ran a cardiology division for 25 years. This episode is based on his article "Why a broken health care system keeps getting worse [https://kevinmd.com/2026/09/why-a-broken-health-care-system-keeps-getting-worse.html]," published on KevinMD. You'll hear how the lack of universal health care puts cost into almost every exam room decision, from tests to prescriptions. He describes administrators setting 15- to 20-minute visits to generate revenue, and why he says physicians ceded that control themselves. You'll also hear why he doubts more medical schools will fix the doctor shortage, and how hard it is for foreign-trained specialists to practice here. His fixes start with basics: cheaper drugs, care for everyone, more use of nurse practitioners and physician assistants for high blood pressure and diabetes, and bipartisan pressure on lawmakers. Hear why he warns even his wealthy neighbors that no one is immune.

If this episode helped, follow The Podcast by KevinMD on Apple Podcasts or Spotify, and leave a rating.

Partner with me on the KevinMD platform [https://kevinmd.com/kevinmd-influencer-opportunities]. With more than 100 million impressions a year and nearly 750,000 followers, subscribers and email recipients across my channels, I give you direct access to the doctors and patients who matter most. Whether you need a sponsored article, email campaign, video interview, or a spot right here on the podcast, I offer the trusted space your brand deserves to be heard. Let's work together to tell your story.

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U.S. health care won't be fixed until everyone can see a doctor

Kevin Pho (@kevinmd) · Zencastr

Kevin Pho (@kevinmd)

Social media's leading physician voice, Kevin Pho, MD, shares the stories of the
many who intersect with our health care system but are rarely heard from. 15
minutes a day. 7 days a week. Welcome to The Podcast by KevinMD.