Talk! With Audrey

Older adults (age 65 and over) often shoulder a significant portion of healthcare costs but may not always receive the care they prefer. This month, FAIR Health, with generous support from The John A. Hartford Foundation, launched FAIRHealthOlderAdults.org, a free website that offers tools, educational content and resources to help older adults and family caregivers plan for care relevant to older adults. FAIR Health Executive Director of Grants and Consumer Education,  Nicole Iny joins me to tell us more about the new website and how patients can have a voice in what happens as their health needs grow.  

Dr. Joanne Mortimer, a medical oncologist at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center and Jessica, who was diagnosed with breast cancer join me to talk about the importance of BRCA mutation testing, and how knowing her BRCA mutation status led to routine cancer screenings that Jessica says saved her life.

From cash stuffing to loud budgeting, when there’s a new personal finance trend every month, it can be challenging to decipher the best way to keep your finances in shape. Rising costs haven’t made it easier, especially as consumers navigate building up their savings amidst higher costs of living.  America Saves Week is a time for people at all stages of their financial journey to reevaluate their finances, identify smart saving strategies and take control of their financial futures. Robin Growley, Bank of America’s Savings and Budgeting Guru, joins me to discuss strategies for conducting a financial wellness check.

What would make Tamim Hamid, a former NASA biomedical engineer working at the Kennedy Space Center invent a device that regrows hair and write a book about it? Well, today we're going to find out; he's the author of Grow It Back, How Laser Phototherapy Stops Hair Loss and Regrows Your Hair.

Registered nurse and psychotherapist Laurie Elizabeth Murphy draws on her own experience working in the field to create a uniquely intellectual and entertaining mystery in her new book, Dream Me  Home. It's a chilling mystery, a story of betrayal, infidelity, and love.

Genealogist and health educator Bernice Bennett, host of Alnylam’s  Family Health History Road Trip program, traveled and visited families affected by an inherited condition called hereditary ATTR amyloidosis – She is joined by Giselle, whose father’s diagnosis solved her own health puzzle and why it’s so important for families to discuss their health history with each other, and with their doctors. 

Did you know? That Black Americans are up to 50 percent more likely to have high blood pressure when compared to other racial and ethnic groups, and Black/African American men have the highest rate of uncontrolled blood pressure?  Joining me to talk about the importance of controlling blood pressure in midlife (particularly for Black men ages 28 to 45 who are most at risk) to help reduce the risk of having a stroke and developing dementia and Mind Your Risks® campaign, Dr. Richard T. Benson, Ph.D. – Director, Office of Global Health and Health Disparities at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Despite representing a large proportion of the general population with a high disease burden, racial and ethnic minority populations have been consistently underrepresented in clinical trials. Dr. Elizabeth Ofili, professor of medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine and a practicing cardiologist with Morehouse Healthcare in Atlanta has information about a collaboration between Amgen, the Association of Black Cardiologists (ABC) and the Morehouse School of Medicine.

According to PETA, a Harvard Medical School experimenter is permanently removing newborn monkeys from their mothers and depriving them of normal visual input, and students, faculty, and scientists—Including Dr. Jane Goodall— are demanding an end to outdated, curiosity-driven experiments. Katherine Roe, Ph.D., former NIH neuroscientist and chief scientist with the Laboratory Investigations Department at PETA, joins me to talk about the Harvard experiments and what PETA is doing to stop them.

33 Million Americans suffer from bothersome over-active bladder symptoms  or OAB,  a highly stigmatized condition, and many patients may feel embarrassed to talk about it or assume it is a normal part of aging. You don’t have to suffer unnecessarily, actor Holly Robinson Peete started having OAB symptoms several years ago and she joins me today to share her story. 

There are over 4,000 Medicare Advantage plans to choose from this year. It can be overwhelming, and confusing trying to understand if you need Parts A, B, C, or D. With the deadline looming it’s easy to make hasty decisions but that can all be avoided with careful planning. Medicare expert Fran Soistman, CEO of eHealth, joins me with tips to help you  beat the clock and make smart coverage selections. 

In California, the largest use of all urban water happens outdoors while watering landscapes.  Master Gardener and Community Restoration Ecologist, Cris Sarabia has tips to help you  transform your yard and outdoor space with beautiful native, water wise plants this fall.

Even though it affects nearly two-thirds of U.S. women, talking about bladder leaks, incontinence has always been taboo. Something to be embarrassed about. Well it’s time to talk about this very common condition and take control. Laura Gimbert is a certified doula, understands female biology, the challenges woman can face, and what they can do to help themselves. 

At 31-years-old, Meghan McKee was the picture of health. She worked as a physical therapist, ran, biked and did yoga, often exercising twice a day. She also ate a healthy diet filled with raw, unprocessed foods. Unfortunately, her healthy lifestyle wasn’t enough to stop a stroke. Meghan McKee, Stroke Survivor and Dr. Sheryl Martin-Schild, Stroke Medical Director at Touro Infirmary join me to talk about why everyone needs to learn the signs of a stroke.   

Dr. Ken Mask is a diagnostic radiologist and a true Renaissance man, with deep ties to New Orleans. He has written suspense novels inspired by New Orleans and produced a feature film, entitled "The Opera Game" set against the backdrop of 1850s New Orleans when child prodigy Paul Morphy rose to world chess champion stature.  Recently, Dr. Mask co-produced and directed the short film "Building Minds With Chess" a documentary focusing on the brain-building impact of chess and the value the game could have to children.  "Building Minds With Chess" is an official selection of the 2023 Diversity in Cannes Short Film Showcase.

An estimated one in 23 men and one in 25 women will develop colon cancer in their lifetime and with colorectal cancer, now the second most common cancer death in the US, it's vital that all adults get regular screenings for the disease. My guest today is Dr. Brian Caveney, Chief Medical Officer and president of LabCorp Diagnostics. We're going to talk about Labcorp's Count On You campaign and why early detection of colorectal cancer is vital, and an at-home test collection screening option.

A new survey from IBM reveals a variety of misconceptions about STEM skills. Joining me, Justina Nixon-Saintil, IBM Chief Impact Officer. We talk about how IBM is helping underrepresented communities access STEM skills training and digital credentials, the impact of this work, how IBM SkillsBuild is helping learners worldwide, and how people can get involved.