
Health care professionals in academic medicine are on the front lines of the coronavirus, besieged with an influx of patients, personal protective equipment shortages, and shifting care guidance. While worried for their safety and that of their families, they are still inspired to serve the patients who need them. On this inaugural season of the "Beyond the White Coat" podcast, listeners will hear from providers and researchers in academic medicine about how they are responding to the crisis while examining the ongoing, difficult conversations around clinical care and research.
In this two-part episode, David Skorton, MD, AAMC president and CEO, talks with Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.) about how health care policy will change for patients, the research community, and the workforce in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic.
Listen now via the following streaming services or access wherever you normally listen to podcasts:
- Apple Podcasts
- Google Play and Google Podcasts
- Simplecast (Episode 5, Episode 6)
- Spotify
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SEASON 1, EPISODE 5
In the first of this two-part episode, David Skorton, MD, talks with Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) to discuss how the coronavirus has forced us to look at health care policy in different ways. It has exposed the weaknesses in our current health care system and opened up new opportunities for us to create a system that works even better for everyone.
Episode Guest:

Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)Â serves as Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. He also chairs the Senate Rules Committee and serves on the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, among other committee assignments. Sen. Blunt has supported the Paycheck Protection Program and the Health Care Enhancement Act.Â
Credits:
Hosted by David Skorton, MD, president and CEO of the AAMC
Produced by Stephanie Weiner, AAMC manager of digital strategy; Erica Froyd, AAMC senior director of advocacy and engagement; and Kathy Gambrell, AAMC senior digital content strategist
Edited by Laura Zelaya, AAMC production manager
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SEASON 1, EPISODE 6
In the second of this two-part episode, David Skorton, MD, talks with Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.) to discuss how health care policy will change for patients, the research community, and the workforce in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Â

Episode Guest:
Rep. Donna Shalala (D-Fla.) is an advocate for women’s rights, civil rights, increased access to health care, better education and public schools, and a clean and sustainable environment. She is the longest-serving secretary of health and human services in U.S. history, and in April, Rep. Shalala was appointed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve on the five-member COVID-19 Congressional Oversight Commission. The commission was created by the CARES Act to provide oversight of the law’s spending and financial programs. Â
Credits:
Hosted by David Skorton, MD, president and CEO of the AAMC
Produced by Stephanie Weiner, AAMC manager of digital strategy; Erica Froyd, AAMC senior director of advocacy and engagement; and Kathy Gambrell, AAMC senior digital content strategist
Edited by Laura Zelaya, AAMC production manager
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In Case You're Interested:
- Podcast: Season 1, Episode 1:Â Who Gets That Ventilator? Bioethics in the Era of COVID
- Podcast: Season 1, Episode 2:Â Accelerating Transformation in Times of Crisis
- Podcast: Season 1, Episode 3:Â A Pivotal Moment for Science: A Conversation with Dr. Francis Collins
- Podcast: Season 1, Episode 4:Â Preserving Well-being in a Pandemic