Monica Bharel's guest appearances

Monica Bharel

The Codcast

Relational Rounds

Public Health On Call

Jake Auchincloss

Marin Alsop

Emily Oster

Erin Sullivan

Leana Wen

Johns Hopkins

Steve Walsh

Michael Mina

Jonathan Cohn

Michael Curry

Kitty Hawk

Tito Jackson

Chris Fussell

Keith O'Brien

Georges Benjamin

OwlTail

States are rolling out COVID-19 vaccines to “high risk groups” but there’s a lot of nuance in how “high risk” is defined. Dr. Monica Bharel, health commissioner of Massachusetts, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the state’s unique approach, which includes prioritizing communities impacted by institutional racism and those with disproportionately high numbers of COVID infections. Dr. Bharel also talks about what the state is doing to go beyond just making the vaccine available to support high uptake of vaccination among people who can benefit the most.

States are rolling out COVID-19 vaccines to “high risk groups” but there’s a lot of nuance in how “high risk” is defined. Dr. Monica Bharel, health commissioner of Massachusetts, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the state’s unique approach, which includes prioritizing communities impacted by institutional racism and those with disproportionately high numbers of COVID infections. Dr. Bharel also talks about what the state is doing to go beyond just making the vaccine available to support high uptake of vaccination among people who can benefit the most.

228 - Health Commissioner Dr. Monica Bharel on Massachusetts’ Unique Approach to COVID-19 Vaccine Rollouts

Monica Bharel, the state’s public health commissioner, is definitely a glass-half-full type of person.On the Health or Consequences edition of the Codcast with Paul Hattis of Tufts University Medical School and John McDonough of Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Bharel went through a series of major challenges facing her agency and in each instance ended her discussion on an optimistic note.

Monica Bharel, the state’s public health commissioner, is definitely a glass-half-full type of person. On the Health or Consequences edition of the Codcast with Paul Hattis of Tufts University Medical School and John McDonough of Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Bharel went through a series of major challenges facing her agency and in each instance ended her discussion on an optimistic note.

Monica Bharel, realistic optimist

Monica Bharel, M.D., MPH, is the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, appointed in February of 2015. She is responsible for spearheading the state’s response to the opioid crisis, implementation of health care cost containment legislation, reducing health disparities, finding public health solutions for health care reform, finding innovative solutions using data and evidence-based practices, and other health care quality improvement initiatives. Dr. Monica served as the Chief Medical Officer of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, the largest nonprofit health care organization for homeless individuals in the country. In this episode, Dr. Monica explains the origins of the opium epidemic, as well as the program that is being implemented in Massachusetts after a rapid increase in the number of deaths by overdose. Prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery — the plan to face an addiction that has risen exponentially and needs an integral approach to stop threatening the lives of Americans.   Key Takeaways: [:40] Dr. Monica Bharel career briefing. [1:50] What else does Dr. Monica want to accomplish in healthcare? [2:50] Thoughts only days away from the health care reform. [4:23] Health in all policies. [5:30] The opium epidemic. [6:44] Plan in Massachusett against the opium epidemic: Prevention, Intervention, Treatment, and Recovery. [8:25] The Opium epidemic took everyone by surprise, how did it happen? [9:16] Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more powerful (and deadly) than heroin. [11:33] Recently more attention has been paid to pain. [13:06] Doctors are not been trained to treat addiction properly. [15:50] Pain is subjective and doctors are being trained to help people screen that pain. [17:33] In a society that wants instant gratification, pain is treated the same way. [19:34] The role of interventions. [20:16] The use of methadone. [22:44] Individuals with a non-fatal overdose when treated with methadone, decreased the chances of death by overdose in 50%. [24:47] Opium used disorder is political. [26:05] Highlighted attention to addiction nowadays. [28:26] Recovery and treatment. [28:55] The other crisis: the Me Too Movement. [30:30] Being a woman in healthcare. [32:41] Best advice Dr. Monica received in her career: You can have more than one mentor. [34:15] The artificial division between public health and the traditional medical space. [37:41] Use your strength to help individuals that do not always have a voice.   Mentioned in this episode: Relational Rounds at Primary Care Progress Primary Care Progress on Twitter Elizabeth Metraux on Twitter Massachusetts Department of Public Health Massachusetts Department of Public Health on Twitter.

Monica Bharel, M.D., MPH, is the Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, appointed in February of 2015. She is responsible for spearheading the state’s response to the opioid crisis, implementation of health care cost containment legislation, reducing health disparities, finding public health solutions for health care reform, finding innovative solutions using data and evidence-based practices, and other health care quality improvement initiatives. Dr. Monica served as the Chief Medical Officer of the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program, the largest nonprofit health care organization for homeless individuals in the country. In this episode, Dr. Monica explains the origins of the opium epidemic, as well as the program that is being implemented in Massachusetts after a rapid increase in the number of deaths by overdose. Prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery — the plan to face an addiction that has risen exponentially and needs an integral approach to stop threatening the lives of Americans. Key Takeaways: [:40] Dr. Monica Bharel career briefing. [1:50] What else does Dr. Monica want to accomplish in healthcare? [2:50] Thoughts only days away from the health care reform. [4:23] Health in all policies. [5:30] The opium epidemic. [6:44] Plan in Massachusett against the opium epidemic: Prevention, Intervention, Treatment, and Recovery. [8:25] The Opium epidemic took everyone by surprise, how did it happen? [9:16] Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more powerful (and deadly) than heroin. [11:33] Recently more attention has been paid to pain. [13:06] Doctors are not been trained to treat addiction properly. [15:50] Pain is subjective and doctors are being trained to help people screen that pain. [17:33] In a society that wants instant gratification, pain is treated the same way. [19:34] The role of interventions. [20:16] The use of methadone. [22:44] Individuals with a non-fatal overdose when treated with methadone, decreased the chances of death by overdose in 50%. [24:47] Opium used disorder is political. [26:05] Highlighted attention to addiction nowadays. [28:26] Recovery and treatment. [28:55] The other crisis: the Me Too Movement. [30:30] Being a woman in healthcare. [32:41] Best advice Dr. Monica received in her career: You can have more than one mentor. [34:15] The artificial division between public health and the traditional medical space. [37:41] Use your strength to help individuals that do not always have a voice. Mentioned in this episode: <a href="https://www.primarycareprogress.org/relational-rounds" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Relational Rounds at Primary Care Progress</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PCareProgress/status/950475931726090245" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Primary Care Progress on Twitter</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/elizabeth_pcp?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Elizabeth Metraux on Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.mass.gov/orgs/department-of-public-health" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Massachusetts Department of Public Health</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/massdph?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Massachusetts Department of Public Health on Twitter.</a>

Health in All Policies with Dr. Monica Bharel