Ever think about the social determinants of health? At the top of the list: zip codes. Neighborhoods can differ dramatically in terms of safety, education, housing, green space, grocery stores, etc. When you lack these things—a world where options are limited—stress sets in, and the sole focus is just getting through each day; there’s no planning for the future. It shouldn’t be a surprise that good things happen when inner-city single moms and their children are given assistance in relocating to affluent suburbs. Listen to the conversation we have with Amy Klaben, president of Families Flourish, and Dr. Howard Levitin.

The U.S. Supreme Court has been in the news lately and not because of its popularity. The court’s recent decisions reflect more ideology than neutral analysis and a disregard for the ramifications of those decisions. Certain decisions are not supported by the text of the Constitution, even though some of the justices regard themselves as “textualists.” Some justices display an arrogance that is disquieting. How did we get here? Let’s remember, the justices were confirmed by a senate that is largely dysfunctional because of its own partisanship. Listen to what Jack and Gonzo have to say.

Patriotic Millionaires is a group of high-net-worth Americans who are committed to making all Americans, including themselves, better off by building a more prosperous, stable, and inclusive nation. The group focuses on promoting public policy solutions that encourage political equality, guarantee a sustaining wage for working Americans, and ensure that millionaires, billionaires, and corporations pay their fair share of taxes.

Listen to our conversation with Morris Pearl, former managing director of the investment firm BlackRock, who serves as the chair of Patriotic Millionaires.

Dr. James, an OB/GYN and pediatrician, has spent his professional life trying to achieve equality in birth outcomes. Everyone should receive equal medical care, but that’snot the case in America. According to the Centers for Disease Control’s latest report on infant mortallity, babies born to Black women have teh hightest mortality rate. In addition, Black mothers report they aren’t treated as well as white women by medical professionals.

Dr. James explains that achieving equity will require at least three things: (1) respecting all individuals and populations the same, (2) recognizing and rectifying past historical injustices, and (3) taking a targeted or proportionate universal approach; providing the most assistance to the groups experiencing the worst outcomes. A race-neutral approach will not result in achieving equity. This means we must improve the maternal and infant mortality rates for Blacks and other minorities at a faster pace while working to improve those rates for other groups, without slowing down our efforts to achieve the best birth outcomes for everyone. Listen to our conversation with Dr. James.

Everyone regards humility as a virtue, but how many of us appreciate its importance or, more importantly, how the absence of humility impedes societal discourse and hurts personal relationships. When we allow overconfidence bias and the Dunning-Kruger effect to control us, we are far too quick to offer opinions, no matter how little we might know, and refuse to listen. It’s as if we’re spring-loaded to spouting an opinion and defending it, not matter how little we might know.

The result: we spend much time arguing about things that may not be true and trying to convince others how wrong they are. Instead of seeking to learn from the other and figuring out a solution, we focus on suppressing the other person’s point of view. And with this comes resentment, distance, a breakdown in personal and professional relationships and ineffective government.

Richard Rohr said it best: “Those who know, know they don’t know.” Listen to what Jack and Gonzo have to say.

Where do teens in Central Ohio turn when they are scared and feel alone? A teen might have been booted from home after disclosing he’s gay. Sometimes parents are evicted and want a safe place for their daughter to stay. Anger, depression, mood disorders and myriad other problems drive teens to a dark place where they feel alone.

Huckleberry House provides safety for teens in crisis. No matter the issue, teens receive shelter, counseling, compassion and hope. Listen to our conversation with Sonya Thesing, executive director of Huckleberry House.

Imagine life in Vinton County, Ohio—13,000 people spread across 450 square miles, with little in the way of resources. No Kroger, Giant Eagle or other big box stores, only Family Dollar and Dollar General stores. No emergency medical center. Just one health center with a single dentist who’s booked six to nine months out, and one or two primary care physicians. No behavioral care physician, no obstetrician, no optometrist. Why not solve the problem with telemedicine? Because much of the county doesn’t have sufficient internet, and many people can’t afford a laptop. The residents earn just enough to not qualify for Medicaid but not enough to be self-sufficient.

Somehow, these people—endowed with resilience and grit—get by and largely because of a county health department that advocates for them. Margaret Demko, the county’s Family & Children First Coordinator and Help Me Grow program manager talks with us about how she identifies needs and then finds ways to provide the means to address those needs. It’s not easy work. Listen to what it takes to provide public health care in a county that has little.

There’s a little-known truth: public health saved your life today and you probably don't even know it. Public health makes our lives safer and helps us live longer, but its many successes largely go unrecognized. No small wonder it’s called “the invisibleshield” in a PBS documentary that aired last month. Former Director of the Ohio Department of Health, Amy Acton, M.D., discusses the important role Public Health plays in our lives. But underfunding and lack of public awareness are constant challenges. With Dr. Acton’s foresight, Ohio got through the Covid-19 pandemic, while politicians wanted to deny what science called for, which heightened the dangers brought by the disease. The question is, will we be ready for the next challenge?