In this episode, we speak with Suzette Bianchi, RN. Suzette is a Charge RN in the Medical Intensive Care Unit at Boston Medical Center and has been at the bedside for over 30 years. She has been on the front lines of medical crises from the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s to the COVID-19 pandemic. She holds a permanent Charge RN role and also serves as an instructor for continuous dialysis, or continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT). She joins us today to talk about her experiences as an RN, how the field has changed, and how she has managed to remain at the bedside in the ICU without succumbing to burnout or becoming jaded. We are grateful to have Suzette with us for this Nurses Week episode!

In this episode, we are joined by Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) COO, April Ramsey, to discuss the incredible—and often overlooked—care provided to people experiencing homelessness in Boston. We explore how, over the past 40 years, the program has evolved to not only deliver care on the streets but also offer several unique and life-saving services, including adult and pediatric medical and dental care, as well as programs focused on mental health and addiction.

In addition, BHCHP operates facilities that provide 120 respite beds for individuals who are ready to leave the hospital but not yet ready to return to the streets. This is a truly unique and inspiring program that serves those most in need.

BHCHP COO April Ramsey joined the organization in 2011 as a clinic staff nurse at shelter partner Pine Street Inn, and later served as a respite staff nurse at The Barbara McInnis House. In 2013, April began coverage as the respite nursing supervisor and subsequently served as interim respite director of case management. She then helped develop the Care Management Program with the Commonwealth Care Alliance One Care Program, where she served as one of the first nurse care managers on that team.

In 2016, April was named site director of the Pine Street Inn clinics, and after two years, she became associate director of clinical operations for the program. In August 2024, she was appointed as BHCHP’s chief operating officer.

April began her nursing career at CAB Health and Recovery Services in Danvers and Boston. From 2014 to 2022, she also served as a public health clinical instructor for the Northeastern University School of Nursing. April holds a BS in Nursing from Northeastern University, having completed clinical roles at the children’s hospitals in Boston and Philadelphia.

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Adam Yala to explore his groundbreaking research on using A.I. to predict breast cancer with his deep learning model, Mirai. We dive into the potential of A.I. in healthcare, the challenges it faces, and what the future may hold—including whether A.I. could one day take on the roles of nurses and practitioners. This is a fascinating and eye-opening look at how A.I. is transforming medicine today and what’s next on the horizon.

Dr. Yala is an assistant professor of Computational Precision Health at UC Berkeley and UCSF. His research focuses on developing machine learning methods for personalized medicine and translating them into clinical care.

His previous research has focused on two areas: 1) predicting future cancer risk, and 2) designing personalized screening policies. His breast cancer tool, Mirai, has been tested at 43 hospitals from 14 countries.

Adam's tools now underly prospective trials, and his research has been featured in the Washington Post, New York Times, and the Boston Globe. Prof Yala obtained his BS, MEng and PhD in Computer Science from MIT where he was a member of MIT Jameel Clinic and MIT CSAIL.

In this episode we are joined by special guest Taylor Rogerson NP. Taylor works as an Acute Care Nurse Practitioner in the Medical ICU at Boston Medical Center. Taylor joins us to discuss her very unique role as an NP in an ICU setting and how this differs from most NP roles.. Taylor's ability to perform many of the same interventions typically only granted to physicians makes her position extremely unique, and with the projected shortage of physicians in the coming years, may be a glimpse of the future with regard to ICU providers. From placing centralized IV catheters, to lumbar punctures, to managing multiple complex ICU patients, Taylor helps to explain how the NP in the ICU is utilized, and her experiences in this very busy and challenging environment.

In this episode we are joined by Pastor Abby Henrich to discuss the issue of food insecurity. We discuss what food insecurity is, who it is most likely to effect, why it can be so detrimental to overall health, and how to help those in need, especially at this time of year when so many benefit from the kindness of others. .

Abby is a Dual Pastor and Co-Founder of Grace Community in Boston MA as well as Pastor at Stratford Street United Church in West Roxbury MA. She is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary and Colgate University, Abby is also the cohost of “The Progressive Sacred Podcast” where she and her fellow hosts discuss topics ranging from science and religion to women in the clergy to progressive takes on Christianity.

Abby has been at the forefront of promoting progressive christianity which is characterized by a willingness to question tradition, accept human diversity, including religious diversity, seeking social justice, care for the poor and oppressed, tending to the environment, and gathering as a community in new ways. Her efforts at Grace Community have helped to feed the homeless, host gun buy backs, allocated goods to help undeserved communities here and abroad, and promote the spirit of inclusion, kindness, love and joy.

Abby is also the pastor at Stratford Street United Church, a progressive Protestant church which is home to Rose’s Bounty, a food pantry located in the West Roxbury area of Boston. She is here today to discuss the topic of food insecurity, who it affects, why is it a growing concern, and how we can help to provide nutritious food to those in need, especially at this time of year.

In this episode we are joined by Bacteriophage scientist and researcher Atif Khan, we discuss his research in using phages to fight biofouling, biofilms and MRSA. We also discuss the current state of phage therapy in India compared to the United States as well as the possible use of phages in helping to treat SARS CoV2 infections. We also discuss some of the advantages and benefits that phages possess when compared to traditional antibiotics. This is a truly viral episode that you won't want to miss.

Atif Khan is currently working as a scientist at the Bhabah Atomic Research Center in Chennai India, He is also pursuing his doctorate degree and has a passion for the use of bacteriophages and their applications in reducing biofilms, biofouling and with regard to treating MDROs.

Atif has been awarded multiple grants and fellowships and is a member of several national and international microorganisms societies

Atif Has also been involved as a reviewer for several International scientific journals and has been published in multiple educational texts as well as the academic journal “Current Research in Microbial Sciences”,

Atif has also been involved in several conference publications and is currently working on a multitude of mini phage projects.

In this episode we are joined by Scientist and Researcher Dr. Brian Wang to discuss the work he and his colleagues are pursuing at Panoplia Laboratories in Cambridge MA. Dr. Wang and his team are in pursuit of Broad Spectrum Antivirals that can be available on day zero of the next pandemic. We discuss the methods of bioengineering that Panoplia Labs will be using, including the use of synthetic biology to aid the body's own immune system against viruses. We also discuss the possible routes of administration, as well as the barriers and timelines associated with this innovative and remarkable biotechnology. You won't want to miss this fascinating and informative episode.

Our guest Dr. Brian Wang is the co founder and executive director of Panoplia Laboratories in Cambridge MA. Brian was also the prior head of research and development at the biotech company Alvea, Dr. Wang completed his postdoctoral education at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and completed his graduate studies at UC Berkley and received his undergraduate degree from Cornell University. Brian has been published in Nature Communications, The Journal of the American Chemical Society, and Angewandte Chemie International Edition. He is the owner if multiple patents and has been the recipient of the Emergent Ventures Fellowship from The Mercatus Center as well as the National Science Foundation Fellowship from the National Science Foundation.

In this episode we are joined by David Duest, David is the Director of the Deer Island Wastewater Treatment Plant in Boston MA. DIWTP is the 2nd largest wastewater treatment plant in the United States servicing over 2.3 million people and 43 different communities. It boasts several innovative technologies that are used as models around the world and here in the US. In this episode we discuss the amazing capabilities of the plant including innovative methods of waste removal and using the byproducts to create clean energy to fuel the plant and improve the environment. We also discuss the utility of wastewater surveillance, how and when it was introduced to the treatment plant, and current monitoring. From stool to fuel and beyond, you won't want to miss this very informative episode!