"I don't feel seen when I'm here."

When a Native Hawaiian elder says this during a diabetes appointment, it exposes what data alone can never capture. In this episode, Kandis Draw, Nina Lopez, and Dr. Augustina Mensa-Kwao challenge the textbook version of public health. From end-of-life planning in Chicago to community-led research in Hawai'i and youth mental health in Baltimore, they show what happens when we stop leading with programs and start leading with listening.

This conversation is about trust before interventions, dignity alongside outcomes, and recognizing that communities have always practiced public health even when systems failed to acknowledge it. If you're ready to rethink what public health really looks like, this episode is for you.

Resources

▶️ Join the PHEC Podcast Community

▶️ Visit the PHEC Podcast Show Notes

▶️ DrCHHuntley, Public Health & Epidemiology Consulting

What if we've been getting peanut allergies wrong all along?

For years, parents were told to avoid peanuts. Schools banned them. Fear shaped policy. What if one of the most common childhood allergies could actually be prevented, with the right timing?

In this powerful episode, Markita Lewis, registered dietitian and leader at the National Peanut Board, reveals the surprising science behind early peanut introduction and why most families still haven't heard the message. Despite strong evidence that introducing peanuts around four to six months can dramatically reduce allergy risk, the gap between research and real-world practice remains wide.

We also unpack a controversial question: Do peanut bans in schools actually make kids safer, or do they create a false sense of security?

This episode challenges long-held assumptions, connects agriculture to public health innovation, and may completely change how you think about prevention.

If you work in public health, pediatrics, policy or you simply care about evidence-based prevention, this is a conversation you won't want to miss.

Resources

▶️ Join the PHEC Podcast Community

▶️ Visit the PHEC Podcast Show Notes

▶️ DrCHHuntley, Public Health & Epidemiology Consulting

What if grief isn't just personal, but a public health crisis hiding in plain sight?
In this episode, Laura Vargas makes a powerful case for treating grief as a core public health priority. Drawing from her work supporting thousands of people navigating loss, especially substance-related deaths, she reveals how unaddressed grief fuels chronic disease complications, substance use, isolation, and burnout among both communities and care providers.

Rather than pathologizing loss, Laura highlights the transformative power of culturally grounded peer support and community-designed spaces that help people feel seen, heard, and supported. This conversation challenges how we think about prevention, healing, and resilience and asks what becomes possible when we move grief out of silence and into community.

Resources

▶️ Join the PHEC Podcast Community

▶️ Visit the PHEC Podcast Show Notes

▶️ DrCHHuntley, Public Health & Epidemiology Consulting