Mapping Healthcare is a radio show and podcast where a medic with a map explores ways in which people around the globe make the world of healthcare better and what we can learn from them. The host is a physician, medical educator, and researcher who leads programs to help people access high-quality healthcare and stay healthy. 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
31. A Voice from the Village – Primary Care in Rural IrelandFri, 04/10/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhToday we’re in a place where everybody knows your name, but also where the nearest specialist may be a three hour drive away. In a city, your physician is someone you may see a couple of times a year. In a rural area you see them in the grocery store or at the Friday night football game. This creates a whole new level of social connection. John Brennan tells us about his experience providing primary care to people in County Kilkenny, Ireland. Join us as we explore the rugged landscape of rural healthcare and hear why this lifeline that depends heavily on committed primary care physicians, is becoming increasingly fragile. |
30. Smart Risks in High-Stakes Health Systems from the NetherlandsTue, 03/31/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhHealthcare faces urgent challenges. Rising complexity, widening inequities, burned-out clinical teams, and health systems stretched to their limits. But what if the biggest risk is playing it safe? Behind every breakthrough in healthcare, there is a moment when someone chose to take a thoughtful, informed risk. Ellen Joan van Vliet tells us how to question the status quo, experiment responsibly, and push forward when it matters most. Hear what it really takes to make smart bets that improve patient care, strengthen communities, and accelerate meaningful change – one intelligent risk at a time. |
29. Improving Clinical Environments for Nurses from South AfricaFri, 03/13/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhAbout 40% of nurses say they plan to leave nursing in the next five years because of unmanageable stress, workload, and understaffing. There are scales to measure the health of a workplace that look at staffing, leadership support, nurse-physician relationships, participation in hospital affairs, and the quality of care delivered. Sabelile Tenza tells us about her research on the relationship between nurses' practice environments and the quality and safety of healthcare. Hear how we can create clinical environments where nurses don’t just survive their 12-hour shifts, but where they are empowered to thrive. |
28. Pharmacists preventing medication mix‑ups from MelbourneFri, 02/27/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhTransitions of care from hospital to home are some of the riskiest moments in a person’s healthcare journey. Medication lists change, high‑risk medications require careful monitoring, and patients often deal with overwhelming amounts of instructions. Linda Graudins tells us how pharmacists help people on complex medication regimens navigate these challenges safely. We’ll look at a process called medication reconciliation which is a bit like medication detective work and helps pharmacists keep those potentially dangerous transitions from home to hospital and back to your home, smooth and safe. |
27. Bringing the Hospital to Your Home in AustraliaFri, 02/13/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhEver wish you could skip noisy hospitals and heal in your own bed? We explore Hospital at Home, a game-changing model that brings acute care—from IV meds to 24/7 monitoring—directly to your living room. We trace how this 1990s pilot became a global trend, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and new government payment models. Michael Montalto shares how Hospital at Home prevents unnecessary hospital admissions and emergency department visits and reduces healthcare costs in Australia. We also weigh the downsides, such as caregiver stress and lack of integration with primary care. |
26. Spelling Out Who's Who in the Hospital from South CarolinaFri, 01/30/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhYou're in a hospital. There’s a whirlwind of people in scrubs and white coats. It can be confusing trying to figure out who's who. Is that person a nurse, a respiratory therapist, a resident physician, a senior doctor? Who's actually in charge? It sounds simple but can be quite complicated – knowing who is actually treating you in a hospital. It is a real problem because while those in the medical field understand the hierarchy, for patients these roles are often totally opaque. This is not just an identity crisis. Helen Haskell tells us why this is a serious patient safety concern and what we can do about it. |
25. Bridging Culture and Mental Health from BergenFri, 01/16/2026 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhHow much of our inner world is shaped by the world around us? And does depression in Oslo feel the same as depression in Oklahoma City? The language we use to talk about our pain and even the pain itself can be deeply cultural. For a long time the approach to mental health was to stick on a label and treat the symptoms. That's evolving from a one-size-fits-all approach to viewing mental health through a cultural lens. Ingunn Marie Engebretsen tells us how culture shapes how we perceive and express symptoms, our willingness to seek help, stigma around mental health, and family and community support. |
24. Resistance is Real – Safer and Smarter Antibiotic Use in ArgentinaFri, 12/26/2025 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhAntibiotic resistance is when bacteria evolve to withstand the medicines designed to kill them. About half the time that we use an antibiotic, it's not actually needed or is the wrong one for the job. That misuse is what's driving antibiotic resistance. Resistant infections lead to longer illnesses, hospital stays, higher costs, disabilities, and deaths. Facundo Jorro-Baron tells us about how a group of public hospitals he worked with changed their antibiotic prescription practices. Hear why the fight against antibiotic resistance deals with some resistance of its own. And like most resistance, it too is local. |
23. Caring for Children with Medical Complexity – Navigating Choppy Waters Across the AtlanticFri, 12/12/2025 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhBehind so many children with complex medical needs there is an often invisible support system. The people we're talking about are family members of children with medical complexity. Pediatric neurodisability specialist Helen Leonard shares her experience navigating the healthcare system with her son, Matthew. We hear why health systems are generally better at handling heart attacks or injuries, but fall short for people with complex needs. If we want to truly deliver coordinated and integrated care, we have to support the entire family, because caring for the caregiver is caring for the child. |
22. Changing Health Systems Through Clinician Advocacy from ChicagoFri, 11/21/2025 - 5:30pm | Dr. ShaikhWhen we think of healthcare professionals we usually picture them treating illnesses. But the reality is that major health gaps aren't usually caused by clinical failures – they are the result of social, political, economic, or educational factors. Advocacy in healthcare involves using your voice and expertise to influence not only individual health, but the health of our society. Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, tells us how healthcare professionals can step up to make big changes, not just for the person right in front of them, but for whole communities. |
Post new comment