What if the questions women have been asking for decades are finally getting answers?

In this special crossover episode of The Vitals and HERology, Vitals host Leslie Schlachter sits down with Drs. Joanne Stone, Anna Barbieri, and Leslee Shaw to celebrate the opening of Mount Sinai's Carolyn Rowan Center for Women's Health and Wellness—and to explore how it's reshaping women's healthcare.

From puberty through pregnancy, perimenopause, menopause, and healthy aging, the conversation tackles the hormonal transitions that affect every stage of a woman's life. The panel separates fact from fiction on hormone therapy, GLP-1 medications, peptides, compounded drugs, and the flood of wellness advice dominating social media, while explaining why prevention, education, and personalized care matter more than ever.

Whether you're in your 30s, 40s, 60s—or simply want to better understand women's health—this episode offers practical, evidence-based guidance from leading experts who are changing the conversation.

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

What if every child received comprehensive healthcare simply by going to school?

In this episode of The Vitals, host Leslie Schlachter sits down with two esteemed guests—Dr. Rachel Vreeman, Director of the Arnhold Institute for Global Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Mount Sinai, and Dr. Ertenisa Hamilton, Director of Primary Health Care Services for Guyana's Ministry of Health—to discuss one of the world's most ambitious school-based health initiatives.

Together, Mount Sinai and the Government of Guyana are bringing comprehensive annual health screenings directly into classrooms—identifying vision, hearing, dental, developmental, mental health, and other concerns before they become lifelong challenges. The program has already screened more than 90,000 children and is helping reshape healthcare policy for an entire nation.

The conversation explores why prevention matters, how early intervention improves lifelong health, the logistical challenges of reaching remote communities, and what health care systems around the world—including here in the United States—can learn from this innovative model of care.

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

Can we protect our brains as we age—and even reduce the risk of dementia?

In Episode 2 of The Vitals Health Span miniseries, guest host Dr. Shruti Naik explores the science of Brain Span with neurologist Dr. Fanny Elahi, neuroscientist Dr. Joseph Castellano, and geneticist Dr. Alison Goate.

Together, they discuss what distinguishes normal brain aging from the earliest signs of cognitive decline, how genetics and lifestyle work together to shape brain health, and why resilience—not just disease—is becoming one of the biggest frontiers in neuroscience. The conversation also explores Alzheimer's biomarkers, cognitive reserve, environmental influences, and how the XPRIZE Healthspan Challenge is helping researchers measure brain health decades before symptoms appear.

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

In this episode of The Vitals, guest host Raja Flores, MD, joins New York State Senator Michael Gianaris and Mount Sinai Queens President and COO Cameron Hernandez, MD, to celebrate the opening of a new advanced ICU at Mount Sinai Queens in Astoria.

The panel discusses how critical care has grown more complex over the last decade—including expanded services like cardiac catheterization and care for higher-acuity patients—requiring specialized nursing and new technologies.

Sen. Gianaris explains why improving ICU access in Western Queens was a priority and how he secured $6 million in state funding after shifting focus from a proposed bridge project to the ICU.

Dr. Hernandez outlines how the ICU expands capacity from 8 to 21 beds, can surge during future pandemics, adds a procedure room, and improves patient and family experience with single rooms, bathrooms, and sleep space for families.

They also discuss reducing transfers to Manhattan, easing ED boarding, and building trust in local, high-quality care.

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

What if the goal isn't simply to live longer—but to live better, for longer?

In this special kickoff episode of The Vitals Healthspan Miniseries, guest host Shruti Naik sits down with Mount Sinai experts Fiorina Kyritsi, MD, Miriam Merad, MD, PhD, and Zahi Fayad, PhD to explore the science of aging—and why the future of medicine may be less about extending lifespan and more about expanding health span.

The panel breaks down:

• what aging actually is
• why scientists still don't fully understand "healthy aging"
• how emerging research is helping identify the biomarkers that may one day predict—and potentially improve—our aging trajectories.

The panel also separates evidence from hype, tackling supplements, social-media longevity trends, personalized medicine, and the promise of large-scale research initiatives like the XPRIZE Healthspan competition.

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

How did ketamine evolve from an anesthetic to one of the most important mental health treatment breakthroughs in decades?

In this episode of The Vitals, guest host Dennis Charney, MD sits down with specialists James Murrough , MD, PhD, and Adriana Feder, MD, to explore the science behind ketamine treatment for depression and PTSD—and why it may offer hope for patients who have not responded to traditional therapies.

The conversation traces the origins of ketamine research to the pioneering clinical work conducted at Mount Sinai. The doctors explain how ketamine differs from standard antidepressants, why it can work within hours instead of weeks, and how it is helping patients with treatment-resistant depression and suicidal thinking.

The panel also discusses:

• How ketamine became the FDA-approved treatment Spravato
• Why researchers believe ketamine increases neuroplasticity in the brain
• The growing evidence for ketamine in treating PTSD
• How psychotherapy may enhance ketamine’s long-term effects
• Why patients should not lose hope, even after years of severe symptoms

To learn more about Mount Sinai’s Depression and Anxiety Center or to book an appointment with a Mount Sinai expert, visit the Mount Sinai Health System’s website: https://icahn.mssm.edu/research/depression-anxiety-center

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

Colorectal cancer is no longer just a disease of older adults—and the data is raising alarm bells.

On this episode of The Vitals, host Leslie Schlachter sits down with the Mount Sinai Health System’s leading experts

To unpack why rates are rising, especially among younger populations, and what you need to know right now.

Joining the conversation are gastroenterologists Dr. David Greenwald and Dr. Pascale White, along with medical oncologist Dr. Deirdre Cohen. Together, they explore the latest research, evolving screening guidelines, and breakthrough treatments that are changing outcomes for patients.

From early warning signts to cutting-edge therapies, this episode delivers practical, evidence-based insights that could change lives:

• The likely reasons why colorectal cancer is increasing in adults under 50;
• Common symptoms you should never ignore;
• Screening options—from stool tests to colonoscopy—and when to start;
• The role of lifestyle, diet, and the microbiome;
• Advances in treatment, including immunotherapy and personalized medicine;
• How early detection dramatically improves survival.

Colorectal cancer is one of the most preventable—and treatable—cancers when caught early. Whether you’re approaching screening age or simply want to stay informed, this conversation is essential listening.

📞For more information on Mount Sinai’s colorectal cancer treatments or to schedule an appointment with a Mount Sinai physician, click here: https://www.mountsinai.org/care/gastroenterology/services/endoscopy-colonoscopy/colonoscopy/colorectal-screening

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

In this episode of The Vitals, we explore a question that sits at the intersection of medicine and the future of the planet: Can health care truly become sustainable?

Host and Neurosurgery Physician Assistant Leslie Schlachter is joined by a multidisciplinary team of Mount Sinai experts working across clinical care, energy and infrastructure, and supply chain operations. Together, they unpack how sustainability efforts are being integrated into one of the most resource-intensive industries in the world—healthcare.

From ambitious emissions reduction targets and energy-efficient hospital systems to waste management, procurement practices, and sustainable food programs, this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at how large health systems are rethinking their environmental impact.

Whether you’re in health care, policy, simply interested in climate solutions, this episode sheds light on how systemic change is happening—and what it will take to push it further.

Learn more about Mount Sinai’s sustainability practices here: https://www.mountsinai.org/about/sustain

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt