Two pivotal moments shaped American healthcare: the creation of Medicaid in 1965 and the signing of the Affordable Care Act in 2010. While the ACA slashed the uninsured rate by nearly half, the system remains fragile. In this episode “Insuring America’s Poor”, George Washington University Professor Sara Rosenbaum—a key architect of Medicaid expansion, CHIP, and the Vaccines for Children program—reflects on her career and issues a stark warning. She joins me to discuss the catastrophic implications of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 and how it threatens to destabilize healthcare for millions of millions of middle- and low-income Americans.

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In the 1980s, pediatricians often were called to evaluate febrile children for meningitis—a disease that could mean lifelong disability, or death. Today, that scene is dramatically less common, thanks to public health interventions championed by the CDC and lifesaving vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Dr. Anne Schuchat paused her clinical career to join CDC’s Epidemic Intelligence Service, which turned into decades of leadership at the CDC, including serving as Principal Deputy Director and twice as Acting Director. From solving outbreaks to leading astoundingly successful efforts to reduce bacterial meningitis in infants through vaccination and coordinated clinical care, Dr. Schuchat’s work reflects the power of sustained, collaborative, evidence-based public health action.

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Dr. Sharon Balter, physician and poet, reflects on her career leading outbreak responses at the CDC and the public health departments of New York City and Los Angeles. Drawing on her experiences at the Federal level and in the United States’ two largest local public health jurisdictions, she offers a rare insider perspective on the strengths and complexities of the U.S. federated public health system.

Amid unprecedented challenges facing the field, she also delivers an optimistic message about careers in public health, offering perspective, reassurance—a much-needed balm for a frustrated workforce.

Additional guest information & links to podcast platforms are available at www.inspiredtoheal.net. Please like and follow us on your favorite platform.

Contact us with feedback and suggestions through the website.