Episodios

  • Why Your Zip Code Might Be Killing You — Iowa's Cancer Crisis Explained

    Why Your Zip Code Might Be Killing You — Iowa's Cancer Crisis Explained
    Mar 23 2026
    Some things are true whether we talk about them or not. Iowa has one of the highest cancer rates in the country. The people most affected by it are often the last ones to hear about it. And the systems that were supposed to catch it early — the clinics, the screenings, the outreach programs — are losing funding right now, quietly, in ways most people won't notice until it's too late. This episode is about all of that. But more than anything, it's about people.About This ConversationCorey sits down with Jason Semprini — a public health economist, a lifelong Iowan, and somebody who has spent his career translating complex data into something that can actually change how communities live. What started as a conversation about economics turned into one of the most honest, grounded discussions about health, place, and power that The Healthy Project Podcast has ever had.This one isn't for researchers. It's for anyone who has ever wondered why their community looks the way it does — and whether anybody in power is paying attention.What We Get IntoThe cancer rate nobody's talking about: Iowa ranks among the highest states in the nation for cancer. It's not a fluke. It's not a bad data year. It's consistent, it's climbing, and it's being driven by a specific set of cancers shaped by where people live and what surrounds them. Jason breaks down what the numbers are actually showing — and why the story is more complicated than any headline has captured.Agriculture, jobs, and the health trade-off nobody wants to say out loud. Iowa's ag economy is the backbone of this state. It provides livelihoods, identity, and community for generations of Iowa families. It is also, according to clear and compelling research, contributing to adverse health outcomes, including cancer. Jason doesn't flinch from that tension. Neither does Corey. Because pretending it doesn't exist isn't protecting anybody.What happens when the money disappears? Pop-up mammography clinics. Free screenings. Community health workers are going door to door. These programs exist because some people don't have a regular doctor — and for them, a pop-up clinic isn't a backup plan, it's the only plan. When federal funding gets cut, these are the first programs that feel it. Jason shares what colleagues on the ground are experiencing right now. It's not abstract. It's hitting real people in real communities today.Prostate cancer, Black men, and what the system keeps missing. This part of the conversation hits close to home for Corey — founder of Save the Homies, a prostate cancer awareness initiative through My City My Health. It's not always that Black men in Iowa are getting prostate cancer at higher rates. It's that they're getting diagnosed later. The navigation to quality care is broken. The trust isn't there. The access isn't there. Jason connects this to a framework about biology and health systems colliding — and why fixing it requires more than a screening event.The real cost of data we're not using. One of the most practical takeaways in the whole conversation: collecting health data you're not acting on isn't neutral. It costs money, it burdens patients, and it pulls resources away from interventions that would actually move the needle. If your organization is drowning in surveys nobody reads, this part is for you.What a job well done actually looks like. For Jason, success isn't a published paper. It's a policy change. An updated screening guideline. An insurance expansion that took twenty years to become the Affordable Care Act. The work is long. The patience required is real. But the outcomes are lives — and that's the only metric that matters.About Jason SempriniJason Semprini is a public health economist and researcher whose work focuses on cancer, health policy, and the systems shaping health outcomes across Iowa. A lifelong Iowan, Jason's path to this work ran through AmeriCorps, the Peace Corps, and the University of Chicago — where he developed the research and economic skills he now applies to the most pressing health challenges facing this state. His work sits at the intersection of data, policy, and real community impact.Find Jason on LinkedIn explore his research.If This Episode Hit For You — Here's What To Do NextShare it. Send this episode to somebody in your life who needs to hear it. A friend, a coworker, someone at your church, your health department, or your organization. The more people who hear this conversation, the more it can do.Subscribe to the Live. Work. Play. Pray. Newsletter This is where Corey goes deeper every week — health equity, the social determinants shaping our communities, and the stories that don't always make the headlines but absolutely should. Written for real people, not just professionals. Free to subscribe. 👉 https://substack.com/@coreydionlewisWork With Healthy Project Media. If you're a health organization, nonprofit, community health center, foundation, or health plan doing ...
    Más Menos
    29 m
  • Youth, Homelessness, Mental Health & Showing Up: A Conversation with Community Advocate Royce Wright

    Youth, Homelessness, Mental Health & Showing Up: A Conversation with Community Advocate Royce Wright
    Mar 16 2026

    Quad Cities advocate Royce Wright gets real about youth mental health, the homelessness crisis, and what it means to show up consistently for kids and communities that the system keeps overlooking.

    SHOW NOTES:

    Some of the most important public health work doesn't happen in clinics or conference rooms. It happens on street corners, in shelters, and in honest conversations with kids who just need somebody to show up.

    This week on The Healthy Project Podcast, Corey Dion Lewis sits down with his cousin Royce Wright — a community advocate based in the Quad Cities who has built a reputation for doing exactly that. Royce works with at-risk youth navigating mental health challenges, behavioral issues, and identity crises, while simultaneously raising his voice about the growing homelessness crisis in his community. His approach is rooted in lived experience, patience, and an unshakeable belief that trust is the foundation of everything.

    In this conversation, Royce shares what it's really like to work with kids who are struggling, why the family unit matters just as much as the child, and how a chance encounter while filming a TikTok video led to a viral moment — and a GoFundMe — aimed at opening emergency overflow shelters and youth spaces across the Quad Cities.

    What We Cover:

    Youth Mental Health & Advocacy

    • Why are so many at-risk kids caught in an identity crisis and performing toughness they don't actually feel
    • How adverse childhood trauma shapes behavior — and why patience is the most underrated tool in youth work
    • What it means to be authentic with young people who can read you in seconds
    • The importance of modeling behavior, not just preaching it
    • How to advocate for youth mental health even if you're not on the frontline

    Homelessness in the Quad Cities

    • How policy changes around shelter placement have pushed the unhoused out of safe spaces
    • Why people become homeless faster than most of us realize — and why warm weather doesn't solve the problem
    • The viral TikTok moment where Royce connected with a young man who had just become homeless and didn't even know a local shelter was open
    • Why abandoned buildings in the Quad Cities are at the center of this conversation

    Royce's Mission & How You Can Help

    • How Royce went from passing out coats from his storage unit to becoming a community voice
    • The GoFundMe campaign: Creating Safe Spaces for the Unhoused and At-Risk Youth
    • A $100,000 goal to fund emergency overflow shelters and additional youth spaces in the Quad Cities

    Resources & Links:

    🔗 Royce Wright's GoFundMe — Creating Safe Spaces for the Unhoused and At-Risk Youth

    Follow Royce Wright:

    • Facebook
    • TikTok
    • Instagram
    • YouTube
    • LinkedIn

    About The Healthy Project Podcast The Healthy Project Podcast is hosted by public health storyteller Corey Dion Lewis. Each week, Corey brings honest, community-first conversations about health equity, mental health, social determinants of health, and the people doing the real work in underserved communities across the country.

    🎙️ Subscribe, leave a review, and share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.

    ★ Support this podcast ★
    Más Menos
    32 m
  • When the CDC Dies, Who Actually Dies?

    When the CDC Dies, Who Actually Dies?
    Mar 9 2026

    The CDC is being cut by more than 50%. Over 100 public health programs are being eliminated. And the communities that will feel it first — and hardest — are the same ones who've always been at the back of the line. In this solo episode, Corey breaks down what's actually being dismantled, why the framing of "cutting DEI" is designed to make you look away, and what it means for Black and Brown communities when the safety net has a hole cut through the middle of it.

    ★ Support this podcast ★
    Más Menos
    14 m
  • Building Community Trust in Public Health: 30 Years of Equity-Focused Communication Strategies with Darolyn Davis

    Building Community Trust in Public Health: 30 Years of Equity-Focused Communication Strategies with Darolyn Davis
    Feb 9 2026
    After 30 years bridging the gap between public policy and communities, Darolyn Davis knows why most public health engagement efforts fail—and more importantly, how to fix them. In this episode of The Healthy Project Podcast, host Corey Dion Lewis speaks with Darolyn Davis, founder of D&A Communications, about the critical disconnect between well-intentioned public health initiatives and the communities they aim to serve. This conversation goes beyond surface-level community engagement to explore what it really takes to build institutional trust.Darolyn shares the pivotal moment in her career when she realized that policymakers were making decisions for communities without including the voices of those most affected. Working in the California State Legislature, she witnessed firsthand how missing perspectives—particularly women and people of color—led to unintended harmful consequences in public policy. This realization launched three decades of work focused on equity-first communication strategies, where community voices aren't just heard, but actively shape outcomes.Key Discussion Points:Why Traditional Outreach Fails Darolyn explains why treating outreach as a distribution problem rather than a relationship problem dooms most initiatives from the start. Sending mailers, holding meetings, and posting information online doesn't equal meaningful engagement—and communities see right through it.The Trust Gap in Healthcare. The conversation addresses uncomfortable truths about why communities, particularly communities of color, distrust healthcare institutions. With Black women facing maternal mortality rates 3-4 times higher than white women, and Black Americans comprising only 5-7 percent of clinical trial participants despite representing 14 percent of the population, historical and ongoing systemic failures shape present-day healthcare decisions.Measuring What Actually Matters Most agencies measure engagement success by counting meetings held or materials distributed. Darolyn argues for a completely different approach: measuring sentiment, behavioral change, and whether you've actually moved people from one understanding to another. She reveals why superficial metrics waste resources and erode trust further.Real-World Case Study: Six Years to Build Trust Darolyn shares the remarkable story of working with the Bayview Hunters Point community in San Francisco. When a public agency wanted to build a new 62 million dollar community facility, residents initially refused—they didn't trust that promises would be kept. It took six years of consistent relationship-building, honest dialogue, and demonstrating follow-through before the community agreed. The result: a state-of-the-art Southeast Community Facility that now serves as a healthcare, education, workforce training, and community hub.This case study illustrates a critical truth: meaningful change takes time, and there are no shortcuts to building trust.Institutional Responsibility vs. Personal Choice One of the most important reframings in this episode is shifting from "Why don't communities trust us?" to "What are we doing that earns trust?" When trust is treated as an institutional responsibility rather than a personal choice, the burden shifts from communities to the organizations that serve them.What Keeps Failing After 30 Years Darolyn identifies recurring problems: communities brought in too late in the decision-making process, equity treated as a checkbox, budgets too small for genuine engagement, organizations moving faster than relationships allow, and failure to acknowledge historical harms that shape current perceptions.The Question Every Public Health Leader Should Ask Before launching any campaign or initiative, Darolyn advises asking: "Who is not at the table?" This simple but profound question forces organizations to identify missing voices and perspectives before making decisions that will impact those very communities.About This Episode's Guest:Darolyn Davis is the founder of D&A Communications, an equity-first communications agency that has spent three decades specializing in public health, education, transportation, and workforce development. Her work focuses on authentic community engagement that doesn't just inform communities about decisions already made, but involves them in shaping outcomes. She built her agency on the principle that all people deserve a voice in policies that affect their lives.Why This Conversation Matters:Public health professionals, healthcare administrators, policy makers, and community organizers face increasing challenges in building trust and achieving meaningful health outcomes. Misinformation spreads rapidly, historical harms create justified skepticism, and communities increasingly push back against initiatives designed "for them" without "with them."This episode provides both diagnosis and treatment for broken engagement systems. Whether you're launching a vaccination campaign, developing ...
    Más Menos
    34 m
  • Housing as Medicine: Why Homelessness is a Housing Crisis with Dr. Margot Kushel, UCSF

    Housing as Medicine: Why Homelessness is a Housing Crisis with Dr. Margot Kushel, UCSF
    Feb 2 2026
    Corey Dion Lewis sits down with Dr. Margot Kushel, a practicing general internist with over 30 years of experience at San Francisco General Hospital and Director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, to explore why homelessness is fundamentally a housing problem—not a healthcare problem—and what this means for medical professionals and communities.Dr. Kushel shares compelling insights from her three decades of clinical practice and research, revealing how the lack of affordable housing creates impossible situations for healthcare providers trying to treat patients experiencing homelessness. From managing diabetes in a tent to storing insulin without refrigeration, she illustrates why "there is no medicine as powerful as housing."What You'll Learn:Why regions with high homelessness rates are defined by housing affordability, not mental health prevalenceHow structural racism and redlining created the current crisis, with Black Americans 4-5 times overrepresented in homeless populationsThe stark reality: only 36 affordable housing units exist for every 100 extremely low-income households in AmericaWhy Housing First policies work better than Treatment First approaches, backed by evidence from veteran homelessness reductionThe hidden homeless population: workers living in cars, college students couch-surfing, and older adults losing housing for the first timeHow the politicization of Housing First policies threatens progress and patient outcomesPractical ways healthcare providers can advocate for housing as a health interventionKey Clinical Insights:Dr. Kushel explains why treating chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and mental health disorders becomes nearly impossible when patients lack stable housing. She shares real stories from her practice, including a 63-year-old patient who hadn't eaten in four days while fighting eviction, and discusses how readmission penalties unfairly penalize hospitals serving homeless populations.The Evidence for Housing First:Learn about the dramatic 85% housing retention rate of Housing First approaches compared to 5-10% success rates of traditional Treatment First models, and why the George W. Bush administration adopted this evidence-based policy. Dr. Kushel also shares findings from California's comprehensive statewide homelessness study, debunking myths about people traveling from other states.For Medical Professionals:This episode is essential listening for physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, medical students, residents, community health workers, social workers, case managers, and anyone in healthcare who treats patients experiencing housing instability. Dr. Kushel provides a framework for understanding how to advocate beyond the clinic walls.About Dr. Margot Kushel:Dr. Kushel is a physician and researcher who has dedicated her career to understanding and ending homelessness. She directs the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative and the Action Research Center for Health at the University of California, San Francisco. Her research informs policy at local, state, and federal levels.Resources Mentioned:UCSF Benioff Homelessness Initiative: homelessness.ucsf.eduCalifornia Statewide Study of People Experiencing Homelessness"There Is No Place" by Brian GoldstoneEpisode Takeaway: "There is no medicine as powerful as housing. Homelessness is a housing problem."Whether you're a healthcare provider frustrated by social determinants of health, a medical student learning about population health, or a community advocate, this conversation will change how you think about the intersection of housing and health.SHOW NOTESEpisode: Housing as Medicine: Why Homelessness is a Housing Crisis Guest: Dr. Margot Kushel, MD Host: Corey Dion Lewis Category: Medicine Duration: ~49 minutesABOUT THIS EPISODEDr. Margot Kushel, Director of the UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing Initiative, explains why homelessness is fundamentally a housing crisis and how this understanding transforms medical practice and healthcare advocacy.GUEST BIODr. Margot Kushel, MDPracticing General Internist, San Francisco General Hospital (30+ years)Director, UCSF Benioff Homelessness and Housing InitiativeDirector, Action Research Center for Health, UCSFLeading researcher on homelessness and health outcomesPolicy advisor at local, state, and federal levelsKEY TOPICS & TIMESTAMPS[00:00] Introduction: The Housing-Health Connection[02:00] Homelessness is a Housing ProblemWhy mental health and substance use don't explain geographic variationsThe role of affordable housing shortagesComparing high vs. low homelessness regions[05:00] The Clinical Reality: Hands Tied Behind Our BacksTreating diabetes in patients living in tentsWhy standard medical care fails without stable housingThe frustration of healthcare providers[08:17] The Numbers: America's Affordable Housing Crisis36 units per 100 extremely low-income households nationallySan Francisco: 24 units ...
    Más Menos
    51 m
  • ICE Killings in Minnesota: Why Silence Is a Choice | The Healthy Project

    ICE Killings in Minnesota: Why Silence Is a Choice | The Healthy Project
    Jan 26 2026

    Today’s episode is not the one I planned to release. I was supposed to share an interview I was excited about, but it didn’t feel right to move forward after the tragic killings by ICE agents in Minnesota. Families are grieving. Communities are scared. And pretending everything is normal felt like the wrong move.

    In this solo emergency episode, I speak honestly about not having the right words, but choosing to not stay silent. The Healthy Project was created to shine a light on the systems that harm people, and what happened in Minnesota is not just a headline. It is state violence. It is the predictable result of a system built on fear and enforcement.

    This episode is about sitting with discomfort, naming what’s happening, and turning awareness into action. I share why immigration enforcement has always been violent, why no human being deserves to die because of documentation status, and what you can do right now to support impacted communities.

    We talk about:

    • The ICE killings in Minnesota and why this matters to all of us
    • How silence protects harmful systems
    • The human cost behind immigration enforcement
    • Ways you can take action through education, mutual aid, and community support

    This is a heavy episode. But it’s a necessary one. You don’t need perfect words to show up. You just need to refuse to look away.

    ★ Support this podcast ★
    Más Menos
    8 m
  • Healthcare at the Coverage Cliff: Sr. Mary Haddad on Medicaid Cuts and ACA Subsidy Expiration

    Healthcare at the Coverage Cliff: Sr. Mary Haddad on Medicaid Cuts and ACA Subsidy Expiration
    Nov 24 2025

    Sister Mary Haddad, President and CEO of the Catholic Health Association, returns to The Healthy Project as 2025 ends with a major coverage threat ahead.

    In July 2025, Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act with major Medicaid changes that analysts warn will reduce access for millions.
    American Medical Association+1 At the same time, enhanced ACA premium tax credits are set to expire on December 31, 2025, which could raise premiums sharply and leave roughly 4 to 5 million more people uninsured in 2026 without an extension.
    KFF+2
    Thomson Reuters Tax+2

    Sister Mary explains what this means for working families, rural hospitals, emergency departments, and telehealth access. Many Medicare telehealth flexibilities are extended only through January 30, 2026, adding pressure for rural patients and health systems.
    telehealth.hhs.gov+1

    You will hear:

    • How Medicaid cuts and expiring ACA subsidies collide
    • Why rural communities face higher risk
    • What happens to EDs when coverage drops
    • Why telehealth policy still feels temporary
    • What Congress must do now
    • How you can take action beyond awareness

    Show Notes
    0:00 – Welcome and why this episode matters right now
    2:10 – What changed with Medicaid in July 2025
    American Medical Association+1
    6:30 – The ACA subsidy deadline and what families are seeing in open enrollment
    KFF+1
    11:20 – The size of the coverage risk for 2026
    Thomson Reuters Tax+1
    16:10 – Why rural markets and lower incomes create a sharper cliff
    20:40 – Hospital strain, closures, and service reductions
    25:15 – Emergency departments as the fallback system
    29:50 – Telehealth lessons from COVID and what the January 30, 2026 deadline means
    telehealth.hhs.gov+1
    34:10 – Healthcare as dignity and economic justice
    38:25 – What Congress can do immediately
    41:30 – What you can do as a citizen and advocate
    45:00 – Closing and where to learn more

    Guest
    Sister Mary Haddad, RSM
    President & CEO, Catholic Health Association of the United States

    Resources

    Catholic Health Association: chausa.org

    Related Episode
    June 2025 – Medicaid at a Crossroads: A Conversation with Sr. Mary Haddad (Part 1)

    Call to action
    Follow The Healthy Project Podcast on Apple Podcasts.
    Share this episode with one person who cares about coverage, rural health, and health equity.

    ★ Support this podcast ★
    Más Menos
    30 m
  • How AI Tools Like Keikku Are Reshaping Clinical Work and Patient Care

    How AI Tools Like Keikku Are Reshaping Clinical Work and Patient Care
    Nov 3 2025

    This episode explores how technology and healthcare intersect. We talk with Jhonatan Bringas Dimitriades, MD, CEO of Lapsi Health, about Keikku, the first FDA-cleared smart stethoscope with an AI scribe. You will hear how this tool impacts clinical workflows, patient communication, and the broader healthcare system.

    Key points covered
    • How clinicians use AI during real-world visits
    • Measurable time savings in documentation
    • Data privacy and HIPAA/GDPR compliance
    • Effects on clinician burnout and emotional fatigue
    • Future applications of AI in public health and care settings
    • Skills health professionals need as tech advances


    Why it matters
    • You see how AI tools shape medical decision-making and patient engagement
    • You get insight into how tech adoption fits into social systems and workplace culture
    • You hear practical examples that support ongoing conversations in public health and social science


    Think about this
    • How does technology influence trust in the patient-provider relationship?
    • What skills will workers need as AI expands in healthcare?
    • What policies should protect patients and providers as these tools grow?

    Listen and reflect on how innovation, behavior, culture, and care systems interact.


    Resources Mentioned:

    • Website: https://www.keikku.health/
    • Connect with Jhonatan: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter/X
    • Physician burnout research

    Stay Connected & Support the Show:
    Want to keep up with conversations like this that challenge the status quo and center community voices? Sign up for The Healthy Project newsletter at www.healthyproject.co for exclusive insights, resources, and updates you won't want to miss.

    Love what you're hearing? Support independent podcasting that prioritizes truth over trends. Join THP+ for just $5/month and get bonus content, early access to episodes, and the satisfaction of knowing you're fueling more conversations that matter.
    Visit www.healthyproject.co to subscribe and support today.

    ★ Support this podcast ★
    Más Menos
    21 m