2025 was loud. The headlines were heavy. But underneath the noise, public health was doing what it always does best: protecting us in ways we rarely see. In this episode, Dr. Kee Chan breaks down the biggest 2025 health stories in plain language, shares a personal milestone of finishing her textbook, and looks ahead to what to watch in 2026, including AI, medtech, healthy aging, mental health, and wellness trends.

In this episode, we cover

- The public health story underneath major 2025 headlines

- A behind the scenes look at finishing Public and Population Health Perspectives for Health Systems Management

- What’s coming in 2026: AI, regulation, equity, aging, and mental health access

- A simple holiday framework to protect your health and your peace: Me, We, World

Connect with Dr. Kee Chan
Website: keechanphd.com
Follow and connect on LinkedIn: Dr. Kee Chan

I’m your host, Dr. Kee Chan. This is What Is Public Health? Stay curious, stay well, and remember: public health is all of us, for all of us.

Burnout has become the silent epidemic within our healthcare system — draining energy, compassion, and billions of dollars every year. In this episode, Dr. Kee Chan unpacks the real cost of clinician burnout and reveals why prevention isn’t just good medicine — it’s good economics.

Drawing from her textbook Public and Population Health: Perspectives for Health Systems Management, she introduces the Social Return on Investment (SROI) model and shows how design thinking and systems thinking can reframe workforce well-being as a measurable strategy, not an afterthought.

Listeners will learn:

• Why clinician burnout is a systems failure, not a personal flaw
• How prevention yields measurable financial and human ROI
• What healthcare leaders can do to redesign workplaces for resilience and retention
• Why investing in the people who care for us is the smartest, most sustainable public-health strategy of all

“When we design systems that care for caregivers, we don’t just heal burnout — we heal healthcare itself.”

Resources:

Public and Population Health: Perspectives for Health Systems Management (American College of Healthcare Executives)

Tags / Hashtags:
#PublicHealth #HealthcareLeadership #Burnout #WorkforceWellness #HealthcareInnovation #DesignThinking #SystemsThinking #ROI #SROI #Nursing #PhysicianBurnout #Wellness #HealthcareStrategy #KeeChanPhD #WhatIsPublicHealth

In this episode, Dr. Kee Chan explores how screens are shaping childhood today—and what parents, educators, and communities can do to foster balance and well-being.
We often hear about the harms of technology, but there are also real opportunities for learning, creativity, and connection. What does the science say about early screen use, attention, and social development? How can families find balance in an age of constant connectivity?

Key Points:

• How childhood has changed in the digital era

• What research says about screen time and child development

• The mental, social, and physical impacts of excessive screen use

• The benefits of technology for learning and creativity

• Practical strategies to guide children toward healthy tech habits

Takeaway:
Raising healthy kids in a screen-filled world isn’t about eliminating technology—it’s about helping children use it with awareness, curiosity, and purpose.