"We know in public health that if you're not counting, there's no way to develop prevention programs or policies.” That understanding explains why forensic pathologist Dr. Roger Mitchell is working to change how the United States tracks people who die while in the custody of police, jails and prisons. "There is no single federal database that identifies who is dying and how they are dying at the hands of the criminal justice system," says Dr. Mitchell, co-author of the book Death in Custody: How America Ignores the Truth and What We Can Do About It, published by Johns Hopkins University Press.

In this Raise the Line conversation with host Michael Carrese, Dr. Mitchell draws on what he’s learned in his varied career path – which includes being one of the first Black scientists in the FBI's laboratories, chief medical examiner of Washington, D.C., president of Howard University Hospital and president of the National Medical Association – to offer solutions to this data gap and also weigh in on:

· Why communities exposed to violence may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder;

· The risk to safety net hospitals from recent Medicaid cuts;

· The history and mission of the National Medical Association, the largest and oldest organization representing the interests of Black physicians and their patients.

Mentioned in this episode:

National Medical Association
Death In Custody book

If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

On today’s episode, we kick-off a series of conversations with winners of the 2026 Raise the Line Faculty Awards from Elsevier Health, who were selected from more than 1,000 nominations submitted by students and colleagues at over 300 institutions worldwide.

First up is Professor David Tanner, Director of Nursing Programs at Guildford Technical Community College in North Carolina, winner of the Registered Nurse and Nurse Practitioner category. “I don't have your traditional university students that are 19 or 20 years old. I have older students who are working jobs, have families, and are more serious in their studies.” As someone who started his own nursing career at 35, Professor Tanner can relate to the challenges they face, which spurs him to make sure they are getting the best possible learning experience from the precious time they are spending in the program.

In his conversation with Raise the Line from Elsevier host Lindsey Smith, Professor Tanner also reflects on the mentors who shaped him and makes the case for why more nurses should consider teaching, even though they may have to take a pay cut to do so. “I find it just as rewarding as when I worked on the floor.”

In this on-the-ground look at nursing education, you’ll also hear about:

• The looming nursing shortage in North Carolina, and the unexpected upside it's creating for new graduates;
• A low-risk way to test the waters of teaching;
• Why he believes pediatrics is where the fight against adult chronic disease should start.

Mentioned in this episode:
Guilford Technical Community College Nursing Programs
2026 Raise the Line Faculty Awards

If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast

"Throw a dinner party. It's the best wellness thing you can do." That surprising prescription comes from Dr. Zeke Emanuel, whose book, Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules For a Long and Healthy Life, offers a refreshing counterpoint to the elaborate fitness regimens and proliferation of products pushed by wellness influencers in their quest for longevity.

An oncologist, prominent bioethicist, and one of the key figures behind the Affordable Care Act, Dr. Emanuel was motivated to write the book by a need to respond to a bestselling longevity guide that all but ignored what he considers the most important factor in a long, healthy life: social interaction. “Not having friends is about the equivalent of smoking fifteen cigarettes a day, but when you ask doctors to rate the most important wellness and longevity intervention, social interaction is very close to the bottom of the list.”

In this special 600th episode of Raise the Line from Elsevier, Dr. Emanuel also makes the case that the race to add years misses the point. "A meaningful life isn't just about living a long time. It's about what you do with your life.”

This lively and provocative conversation with host Lindsey Smith also offers insights on:

• Why AI may soon outperform physicians in key tasks;
• A vaccine whose benefits reach well beyond what it was designed to prevent;
• What his oncology patients taught him about the hidden toll of uncertainty.

Mentioned in this episode:

"Eat Your Ice Cream" book

If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast