Good Health, Better World
Stronger communities begin with good health — for everyone. And good health means caring for both the body and the mind.
In Season 2 of Good Health, Better World, you’ll hear from experts about the ways we can improve our overall health when we uncover, deliver, and destigmatize the support needed to manage emotions, handle stress, and build healthy relationships.
You’ll hear independent viewpoints from community and government leaders, and from experts and clinicians from UPMC Health Plan.
The Good Health, Better World podcast, sponsored by UPMC Health Plan, brings experts together to discuss some of health care’s most important (and often challenging) topics.
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Latest Episodes
Season 2, Episode 8: Innovation in behavioral health
What’s the new frontier in behavioral health? That great frontier might not always mean being in a doctor’s office. Learn more about how telehealth, new therapies, and whole person care — where you live and play — affect well-being.
Hear from Dr. Matthew Hurford and Dr. Geoffrey Neimark of Community ...
Season 2, Episode 7: Supporting the mental health of older adults
As we age, mental and physical changes can leave some people feeling left behind — perhaps even more isolated as a result of the pandemic, and other life changes. It doesn’t have to be that way.
Listen in for a discussion about special considerations affecting the mental health of older ...
Season 2, Episode 6: What is integrated care?
Integrated care helps bring together care for the body and mind. In this episode, our guests discuss this body-mind approach and how doctors are implementing this model. How could it benefit you or a loved one? Hear insights from Dr. Alin Severance, medical director of Behavioral Health Services at UPMC ...
Season 2, Episode 5: Behavioral health and resilience in the workplace
Healthy, happy employees mean a better workplace. What can employers do? Guests James Kinville and Nancy Mckee of UPMC Health Plan’s LifeSolutions discuss why behavioral health care should be an important area of focus for employers and how an employee assistance program can support resilience and a culture of ...
Season 2, Episode 4: Opening up about addiction
In this episode, we hear from behavioral health experts who discuss different types of addictions, the impact, and how to get support on a path to recovery.
Hear insights from Dr. Michael Lynch, associate professor of Emergency Medicine, Toxicology, Pediatrics, and Addiction Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and Dr. ...
Season 2, Episode 3: Childhood, interrupted: Adolescent and pediatric behavioral health
The pandemic disrupted childhood routines in ways that experts are still seeking to understand.
In this episode, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh pediatrician Dr. Johanna Vidal-Phelan and psychiatrist Dr. Abigail Schlesinger talk about common behavioral health issues children and teens can have and what adults can do to support ...
Season 2, Episode 2: Building resilience through trauma-informed care
In this episode, Dr. Kimberly Blair, a psychologist at Western Psychiatric Hospital, and Dr. Lyndra Bills, senior medical director at Community Care Behavioral Health Organization, discuss the ways that trauma and anxiety have affected people as our lives shifted as a result of the pandemic.
How can trauma-informed care and ...
Season 2, Episode 1: Laying the Foundation for Behavioral Health
In this season’s inaugural episode, our guests discuss what behavioral health means and share resources to help us get back on track as we move forward from COVID-19.
We hear from Diane Holder, president and CEO of UPMC Health Plan, and Dr. James Schuster, chief medical officer of the ...
Season 1, Episode 9: COVID-19 Vaccinations and Your Workforce
Employers large and small in Pennsylvania may be wrestling with questions as COVID-19 restrictions begin to lift and more people are eligible for the vaccine. In this episode, hear from Dr. Joon Lee, senior vice president, UPMC, and president, UPMC Physician Services, UPMC Health Services Division. Dr. Lee, formerly chief ...
Season 1, Episode 8: What’s Next for Social Determinants?
So many factors influence the choices a person makes regarding their health. Addressing these social factors often seems insurmountable. But many organizations are beginning to make inroads. This includes health insurers, like UPMC Health Plan, who are exploring approaches that help support the “whole person” — which in theory can lead ...
Season 1, Episode 7: Better Health for Mom and Baby
Researchers, insurers, and health care experts continue to try to tackle improving maternal health care — and by extension, the health of children.
In this episode, we hear from Dr. Johanna Vidal-Phelan, senior medical director, pediatrics at UPMC Health Plan, where she manages children’s services in the Children’s Health ...
Season 1, Episode 6: Powering a more equitable future through information
How can researchers partner with community and government organizations to gain visibility into the social needs of our communities?
In Episode 6, we hear from Joan Eichner, director, operations and evaluation, UPMC Center for Social Impact in Pittsburgh. Her work supports the development of comprehensive strategies across UPMC that address social ...
Season 1, Episode 5: Access for One, Access for All
How can we create more inclusive care for the LGBTQ+ community, and what role can a health insurer play?
In this episode, we hear from Shireen Haq, a program director in UPMC Health Plan’s National Network Development & Strategic Expansion team. She works with providers that care for underserved ...
Season 1, Episode 4: How a Home Helps Your Health
Those without stable housing are more likely to suffer from chronic health conditions compared to those who have the security of a home, research shows.
In Episode 4, we hear from Everett McElveen, chief executive officer of Community Human Services in Pittsburgh, which helps people secure housing. We also hear from ...
Season 1, Episode 3: Better Jobs, Better Health
What does a job have to do with your physical health? Plenty, as it turns out. In this episode, we hear about how innovative partnerships across the commonwealth are training people and helping them to gain employment.
For example, UPMC Health Plan’s Pathways to Work program helps its members ...
Season 1, Episode 2: Connecting Individuals to the Social Safety Net
How can people get the help they need, when they need it most?
In Episode 2, we learn more about ways to connect people to social services across Pennsylvania.
We hear from Dr. Dan Swayze, vice president of Community Services for the UPMC Health Plan and the director of operations for ...
Season 1, Episode 1: Improving Health as a Community
In Episode 1, we hear from Father Paul Abernathy, who discusses the impact groundbreaking nonprofit, the Neighborhood Resilience Project, is having in Pittsburgh’s Hill District neighborhood. We also hear from Ray Prushnok, associate vice president of program development and executive director of the UPMC Center for Social Impact.
The views ...
Meet the Host
Dr. Ellen Beckjord, MPH, is host of the Good Health, Better World podcast.
Ellen is a behavioral scientist, epidemiologist, and licensed clinical psychologist working at the intersection of population and digital health.
Her work focuses on promoting health, wellness, and health behavior change. She is vice president of population health and clinical optimization for UPMC Health Plan based in Pittsburgh.
Ellen trained at the University of Vermont, where she worked with cancer survivors and their families, at Vanderbilt University, and at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
She completed post-doctoral research at the National Cancer Institute in the Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch within the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences. She spent nearly five years in academic medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and Hillman Cancer Center.
Ellen also is the co-author of “Porchtraits” in which she interviewed people in Pittsburgh during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic about what they were learning, missing, enjoying, what surprised them, and what they felt hopeful about.
Ellen’s guiding principle: “Lead with love.”
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