Created and hosted by a seasoned San Francisco psychiatrist and author, Paul R. Linde, MD, the trailblazing podcast "Hippie Docs 2.0: Re-Humanizing Medicine” seeks to examine the good work that’s already happening in medicine while simultaneously exploring ways to re-imagine our healthcare system. Many of our episodes discuss the power of progressive medicine and how a return to a more mindful and heart-based medical practice makes for a more humane and effective model. We look closely at how master clinicians make connections with their patients in our current era of the doctor-patient relationship under siege.

 Hippie Docs investigates a wide variety of topics — from healthcare inequalities to pioneering treatments such as the use of psychedelics for PTSD and depression, advances in healthcare education, the unintended effects of electronic medical records, the crisis in nursing, homeless healthcare, human rights medicine, and surf therapy for combat veterans. Join Paul and the Hippie Docs team for an enlightening deep dive into the immediate realities of our current healthcare crisis, including its systemic challenges, all the while asking this question of the listener: "What part can you play in re-humanizing medicine?

Dr. Claire Unis is a writer, pediatrician and mom living and working in Auburn, California. The author of the recent memoir Balance Pedal Breathe: A Journey Through Medical School, Claire embraces and blends both facets of herself, and uses her passions and skills as a pediatrician, memoirist and practitioner of narrative medicine in concert, to work with her young patients and forge a new path for herself and her colleagues. There is a huge overlap with writing and medicine, involving the power of observation; not to mention the need for doctors to engage in other activities to remain sane and healthy. Claire finds this union of disciplines particularly helpful and satisfying with adolescents, as well as helping healthcare workers process tragedy and trauma. Join Paul and Claire for a fertile conversation about the power of journaling for both patient and doctor and how regular emotional check-ins can create a path forward for patient treatment and healing the healer.

Medicine is more of a team sport than we might like to admit, and yet the romance of one-on-one care glorified in TV shows like Marcus Welby, M.D. continue to be mythologized. Airing from 1969-1976, the show starred Robert Young as the title character, a family practitioner with a kind bedside manner, who was on a first-name basis with many of his patients (and who also made house calls). 

There have been tectonic shifts in medicine both in terms of treatments and the delivery of care since the 1970’s and our balkanized healthcare system was struggling before Covid. In the last 30-40 years, the escalating costs and dizzying systemic gyrations—from HMOs structures to the ACA overhaul—have left many patients confused, underserved and overcharged. Despite heroic efforts from practitioners there will most certainly be lasting structural and care delivery effects from the pandemic, so it is a good time to take a look at this pivotal role in our healthcare system. Primary Care Medicine is supposed to serve as the patient's entry point into the health care system and as the continuing focal point for all needed health care services. A primary care physician is a specialist in family medicine, general internal medicine or general pediatrics who provides patient care and takes continuing responsibility for providing the patient's comprehensive care. Healthcare delivery and structure is ever morphing in our for profit system, and we are once again seeing a big shift. Join Paul for a lively conversation with Dr. John Mendelson, an addiction researcher and physician, startup co-founder and primary care physician for more than 30 years. John recently gave up his primary care practice, but has tremendous insight into the past, present and future of Primary Care Medicine.