Mapping Healthcare is a radio show and podcast where a medic with a map explores ways in which people around the globe improve the world of healthcare and what we can learn from them. The host is a physician, medical educator, and researcher who leads programs that help health systems deliver high-quality healthcare. All past episodes are archived below. Find Mapping Healthcare on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Mapping Healthcare was awarded the 2025 Peter and Marion London Global Learning Expansion Grant. The grant aims to foster a robust global learning environment by supporting innovative, globally engaged teaching that aligns with the University of California Davis Global Learning Outcomes.
Podcast
44. Beyond Projects: Scaling Improvement Across England's NHS from East LondonFri, 10/23/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhA hospital team launches a promising healthcare quality improvement project, achieves great short-term wins, but as soon as the pilot ends or the champion leaves, momentum vanishes. Why do so many healthcare quality improvement projects stall after initial success? In this episode, Amar Shah helps us explore how health systems can move beyond isolated projects to build continuous improvement systems at scale. We trace the evolution of healthcare quality, from early inspection models, the Theory of Bad Apples, and the trap of projectitis, to building learning health systems across complex health networks. |
43. Beyond a Seal of Approval: Modernizing Healthcare Accreditation from TennesseeFri, 10/09/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhFrom the midnight burning of substandard survey records in 1919 to today’s digital health revolution, healthcare accreditation has shaped patient safety for a century. In this episode, we explore how rigid, box-checking audits are transforming into continuous, technology-driven quality improvement systems. Ken Grubbs and I break down why modernizing accreditation matters, how real-time data cuts administrative burnout, and what the future holds for patient-centered care. Tune in to discover how evolving clinical standards are improving healthcare from the bedside to the boardroom. |
42. I-PASS Explained: Improving Clinical Handoffs from PhiladelphiaFri, 09/25/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhWhat happens when a patient’s care is transferred from one clinician to another? In this episode, UC Davis medical students Ian Marquez, Nicholas Le, and Marco Oliveras explore I-PASS, a structured approach to safer, clearer clinical handoffs. They speak with Daniel West who explains how I-PASS helps healthcare teams build a shared mental model and communicate reliably under pressure. Their conversation examines communication failures, culture change, and the future of safer, more reliable healthcare. Discover how better clinical handoffs are a critical patient safety intervention. |
41. Less is More: Preventing Medical Overuse from Salt Lake CityThu, 09/17/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhHealthcare bills in the United States contribute to over half of all personal bankruptcies, and unneeded care is a major driver. In low- and middle-income countries, the impact is even more severe. More healthcare isn’t always better medicine. In this episode, we look at the diagnostic cascade and the problem of medical overuse. Brent James helps us explore how overtesting and overdiagnosis compromise patient safety and drive healthcare waste, and how innovative systems pioneer clinical stewardship. Discover why less is more through shared decision-making and learn how we can start choosing wisely. |
40. Narrative Medicine and the Power of Story from Northern CaliforniaFri, 08/28/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhScience tells us what the disease is, but the story tells us what the illness means to the person living it. We explore the field of narrative medicine, where healthcare meets humanity. This episode reveals how storytelling isn’t just an art. It’s a biological necessity that releases oxytocin and fosters deep empathy. Rebecca George and I discuss how narrative medicine evolved and provide practical tools to build resilience and combat burnout. Whether you're a clinician or a patient, learn how embracing “data with a soul” can bridge divides and transform clinical care into a collaborative journey of healing. |
39. A Labor of Love: Delivering Free Maternity Care in KenyaFri, 08/14/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhExplore the transformative journey of Kenya’s free maternity care policy. We trace the policy’s evolution from the historic 2013 presidential directive to the modern Linda Jamii program. Why did hospital deliveries surge by nearly 100% while frontline clinicians and healthcare staff faced near collapse conditions? From delays in hospital reimbursements to the hard reality of bed-sharing, Lydia Okutoyi and I discuss the implementation gaps behind the well-meaning promise. Our look at maternal health and Universal Health Coverage has lessons for policymakers, healthcare leaders, and the public. |
38. The Words We Wear: Clarifying Professional Identity in Healthcare from VermontFri, 07/24/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhIs your job title just a label or a signal of trust? In this episode, we go beyond the word "provider" to explore the ethics of naming in modern medicine. From the 1965 Medicare origins of the "P-word" to the complex journey of Professional Identity Formation, we discuss how titles like Physician, Nurse Practitioner, and Physician Assistant shape team-based care and the therapeutic relationship. Jan Carney tells us how the ethics of names and labels can change healthcare from a commercial transaction back into a human calling. Discover why clarity is a form of kindness for patients and why reclaiming professional identities is vital for clinician wellbeing and resilience. |
37. Minding the Leadership Communication Gap in Healthcare from São PauloFri, 07/10/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhWe invest millions in health technology, redesign workflows, and publish protocols grounded in the best available evidence. Yet many healthcare improvement efforts stall or never fully take hold. Not because the idea was wrong, but because the message didn’t land. Camilla Covello shares how somewhere between the boardroom and the bedside, communication breaks down and frontline teams are left to interpret change on their own. We explore communication gaps in healthcare leadership, what the evidence tells us about why healthcare improvement fails, and how we can get it right. |
36. The Cost of Caring: Keeping Healthcare Workers Safe in ThailandFri, 06/26/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhRemember those clanging pots for healthcare heroes? The gratitude has faded but the dangers are louder than ever. In this episode, we explore five hazards - biological, sharps, ergonomic, violent, and psychological - threatening those who care for us. There are two million needle stick injuries each year and 60% of healthcare staff face workplace violence. Piyawan Limpanyalert and I look at solutions from motorized lifts to save backs to streamlining paperwork to save minds. We move beyond resilience to see what health systems can do to ensure healthcare worker safety. |
35. Healthcare in the Air: Retrieval Medicine in Remote AustraliaFri, 06/12/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhHow would you survive a critical emergency hundreds of miles from civilization? Retrieval medicine is a high-stakes flying ICU that brings medical expertise directly to a patient’s side. In this episode we trace the evolution of care in the air, from 1870s mail balloons to modern jets that fight the laws of physics. Shannon Nott from the Royal Flying Doctor Service tells us about delivering lifesaving care across vast distances in the Australian Outback. From the hidden danger of expanding gases at altitude and how aviation-style safety checklists keep teams and patients alive, we hear why your geography shouldn't be your destiny. |
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