There’s a lot of talk these days about the benefits of being mindful. But a recently published study led by Brown University researchers suggests mindfulness isn’t just good for one’s mental and emotional well-being. It’s also beneficial for our physical health. In this episode of Public Health Out Loud Dr. Philip Chan is joined by Dr. Eric Loucks, director of the Mindfulness Center at Brown University, to explain how being mindful - about what we eat - can help dramatically lower blood...

WIC - which is short for the Special Supplemental Nutrition Education Program for Women, Infants, and Children - is celebrating its 50th anniversary this month. In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan is joined by RIDOH’s own Ann Barone, Chief for the Office of Women, Infants, and Children to talk about the program’s history and the positive impact it has had on so many families over the years. 

The CDC recently released data showing that nationally, there has been a sharp rise in congenital syphilis. Cases have more than tripled in recent years in the US, with 3,700 cases reported in 2022 alone. Here in Rhode Island we’ve seen several cases of congenital syphilis after over a decade of having none.  What is causing this increase and what can be done to prevent it from happening? On this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan is joined  Dr. Erica Hardy, Director for the...

Tooth decay is the most common chronic disease among children but it is also completely preventable. In honor of National Children’s Dental Health Month, Dr. Philip Chan sat down with Katherine Linwood, communications manager at TeethFirst!, a group that provides educational resources on the importance of early dental care. Download and listen in as she touches on the importance of dental care from a very young age and what parents, healthcare, and dental professionals can do to help ensure...

In public health, the term “emergency preparedness” has become linked to the COVID-19 pandemic. But public health emergency preparedness encompasses so much more. In fact, Rhode Islanders all over the State come into contact with people who work in public health emergency preparedness, they just may not know it. In this episode Alysia Mihalakos from the Rhode Island Department of Health’s Center for Emergency Preparedness and Response talks with Dr. Philip Chan about public health emergency...

A blood transfusion occurs in the US every two seconds. Some examples of those in need include cancer patients; accident, burn, or trauma victims; newborn babies and their mothers; transplant recipients; or surgery patients. Despite blood being critical to saving lives, only 4% of Rhode Island's eligible population actually donates blood. In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan talks with Caitlin Grimaldi-Flick, marketing and communications manager at the Rhode Island Blood...

In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, RIDOH's Dr. Philip Chan sits down with colleagues Nathaniel Fuchs and Sarah Edwards.  Nathaniel is an epidemiologist who works with data about non-fatal opioid overdoses. Sarah Edwards is from RIDOH’s Drug Overdose Prevention Program, and her focus is on working with communities. Together, they explain how the Department’s enhanced data tracking system identifies upticks in drug overdoses that allow Rhode Island communities to respond in real time.  

In 2022, 75% of overdose deaths involved illicit fentanyl, a highly potent opioid. In this episode, Dr. Philip Chan is joined by Bryan Volpe, a Drug Intelligence Officer at The New England High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and Dr. Louis Marchetti, Chief of Operations at the Center for Clinical Toxicology and Laboratory Support, at the Rhode Island State Health Laboratories for a  look at what's being done to keep Rhode Islanders safe from a deadly drug supply.  

Dr. Jan Carney, Associate Dean for Public Health and Health Policy and Professor of Medicine at the University of Vermont  and author of the book Public Health: From Past to Present  joins Dr. Philip Chan for a candid conversation on the topic of public health.  With workforce shortages and professional burnout, what does the future look like for the field? What are some of the biggest lessons learned from past events? What challenges lie ahead? Check it out on this episode of Public Health...

In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, the Rhode Island Department of Health's Dr. Philip Chan is joined by Dr. Jeffrey Borkan to explore  a problem that affects everyone – a shortage of primary care physicians in RI.  It’s causing long waits for appointments and the inability, in many cases, for doctors to take on new patients. What's causing the shortage, why should we care, and can anything be done to remedy this issue? Download this latest episode to find out. 

As unusual weather patterns, heat waves, floods, and other catastrophic events in unlikely places seem to be on the rise, climate change continues to be a hot topic.  In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan is joined by climate scientists Dr. Gaurab Basu, Director of Education and Policy at the Harvard School of Public Health’s Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment and Rachel Calabro, Climate Policy Specialist with the Rhode Island Department of...

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Krista Cunningham and Dr. Cynthia Roberts from the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence sat down with the Rhode Island Department of Health's Dr. Philip Chan for a serious look at the causes of domestic and intimate partner violence, how they can be addressed for prevention, and the work that still needs to be done, both in Rhode Island and nationally. 

In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Chan discusses the importance of oral health with local dentists, Dr. Sam Zwetchkenbaum and Dr. Jeff Dodge and their role in the Rhode Island Mission of Mercy. This two-day, annual event, has provided thousands of Rhode Islanders, who may not have regular access, with free dental care. Download and listen in as the conversation also explores the need for more oral health professionals in Rhode Island,  and how young people interested in going...

Seventy five percent of mental illness begins before the age of 25 and 50% before the age of 14. In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan sits down with Erik Ewers, a documentary filmmaker whose recent film "Hiding in Plain Sight: Youth Mental Illness” sheds light on these startling mental health statistics through the lens of 23 young people growing up in America. They bravely shared their deeply personal stories with the goal of helping others. Download and listen in for...

In this episode, Dr. Philip Chan sits down with Johnson and Wales University's Korina Ramsland Short and Roger Williams University's Dr. Jen Stanley to discuss a serious topic before the start of the fall semester. It can be difficult and uncomfortable to discuss, but it is important to talk about it openly and honestly. The topic? Sexual violence prevention. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), every 68 seconds an American is sexually assaulted.  What...

In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan takes a deep dive into the world of acupuncture with Providence Community Acupuncture's Cris Monteiro. What is the science behind acupuncture? What's being done to make this centuries-old practice more available to everyone? Download this latest episode for the answers to these questions and many more.  

After a mild winter, more ticks than usual survived into the spring. Because of this, the Rhode Island Department of Health and the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management have warned Rhode Islanders that this year could be a bad year for the transmission of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases. On this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan sits down with infectious disease expert Dr. Jerome Larkin to discuss how tick-borne diseases can impact human health, some...

One in every three cancers diagnosed is a skin cancer and one in every five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. Are you playing it safe this summer?  Dr. Philip Chan explores the best ways to protect yourself with local skin cancer expert Dr. Abrar Qureshi, Chair of the Department of Dermatology at the Warren Alpert Medical School and Professor of Dermatology and Epidemiology at Brown University. What should you look for in an effective sun block? Does a hat with a wide brim...

Have things returned to normal in Rhode Island's capitol city since the pandemic? What are the public health priorities-and challenges facing Providence moving forward? Dr. Philip Chan sits down with Providence Mayor Brett Smiley to get the skinny on all this, what it's like to be Mayor, where the city is at now, and much more in this episode of Public Health Out Loud. 

During the Public Health Emergency (or PHE), the federal government paused annual renewals for the Medicaid Program to ensure no one lost access to  health insurance coverage during the pandemic. Now that the PHE has ended, the Medicaid recertification process began again in Rhode Island on April 1.  In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan is joined by Kristin Sousa, Director of the Medicaid Program, at the Rhode Island Executive Office of Health and Human Services to share...

The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the already significant rise in depression and anxiety, for everyone, but especially for youth. In this episode of Public Health Out Loud, Dr. Philip Chan is joined by Dr. Joseph Trunzo, practicing psychologist, incoming president of the Rhode Island Psychological Association, and chair of the Department of Psychology at Bryant University. What factors contribute to a person’s mental well-being and how does physical health play a role? How did the COVID-19...

It’s been a couple months since the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, but many people still have questions about its environmental and health impacts. What do we know about the chemicals that were being transported on that train? What can we learn about crisis communications from this event? How concerned do we need to be about chemical exposure in general and how do we evaluate our risk? Download the latest episode of Public Health Out Loud to get answers from our local experts Dr....

In this week’s episode of the Public Health Out Loud podcast, Dr. Philip Chan is joined by Dr. Kara Cucinotta and Mallory Sullivan from Johnson and Wales University. They’re talking about all things diet and nutrition. How does what we eat and drink impact our health? How can we improve education about healthy eating habits?  What role has social media played in promoting harmful diet culture? Download this week’s episode to find out.   

With national and local headlines about overdoses, fentanyl, and xylazine, it’s important to know about the risks of substance use and the local drug supply. In this week’s Public Health Out Loud podcast, Dr. Philip Chan is joined by Dr. Alexandra Collins and Dr. Rachel Wightman, who are leading a new research study at the Brown University School of Public Health and Warren Alpert Medical School called testRI. The research team tests drug residue samples from used paraphernalia collected at...