War Related Illness and Injury Study Center
Veterans' Health Matters Podcast Series
Veterans’ Health Matters is a new podcast series sponsored by the War Related Illness and Injury Study Center (WRIISC), a part of Post Deployment Health Services at the Veterans Health Administration. This series focuses on issues that are important to the healthcare community, Veterans, and their caregivers. This is your source on Veterans health because we know the importance of post-deployment health and that every Veterans’ health matters!
Ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, as well as historic deployments in multiple eras, have resulted in Veterans with a range of post deployment health concerns and the need for providers to understand these concerns and utilize best practices in the identification, assessment, management, and communication of Veteran care. Veterans with complex medical conditions may benefit from a patient centered approach that is rooted in whole health and functional and integrative medicine.
Hear the WRIISC’s subject matter experts provide up to date information ranging from effective communication, to information on nutrition, and much more, that can impact a Veteran’s health. For providers, you’ll get tips and information on improving care for our Nation’s Veterans. For Veterans and their families, we hope you’ll be inspired to work with your healthcare team and take charge of your own health!
Search for Veterans Health Matters and subscribe via Spreaker, Apple Podcast (iTunes), Spotify, Castbox, Deezer, Podcast Addict, Google Podcasts or another preferred streaming platform.
Tune in for biweekly new episodes.*
Click here for Spreaker Platform
- Episode 1 - Difficult Patient/Provider Conversation (July 28, 2020)
Improving Communication Between Patients and Providers around Difficult or Sensitive Topics The inaugural episode of Veteran Health Matters, WRIISC’s Dr. Susan Santos, Director of Education & Risk Communication, and Dr. Lisa McAndrew, Director of Research address known difficulties in Communicating with Patients when there is no easy answer for their complex medical or exposure concerns.
- Episode 2 - Improving Patient Provider Communication (August 11, 2020)
What’s Wrong with me? Creating a Shared Understanding to Improve Communication Dr. Susan Santos and Dr. Lisa McAndrew discuss how to improve communication by develop a shared understanding and treatment plan with Patients when there is no easy answer for their complex medical or exposure concerns.
- Episode 3 - Toxic Exposures and Gut Health (August 25, 2020)
Environmental Exposures & Gastrointestinal Health of Veterans
Dr. Omowunmi Osinubi, Clinical Director of the NJ WRIISC sits down with our moderator Paulette Brower, at the WRIISC, to highlight common types of health conditions experienced by Veterans of the recent wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and its environmental exposures impacts upon gastrointestinal health. - Episode 4 - Tackling Chronic Inflammation (September 8, 2020)
VA Whole Health and Functional Medicine Approaches for Managing Chronic Inflammation
Dr. Serena Satcher, Integrative and Functional Medicine physician with the NJ WRIISC, examines how Chronic Inflammation - a consequence of military exposures and lifestyle factors - may manifest as disease and impact overall health. This discussion is moderated by Paulette Brower. - Episode 5 - Gut Function and Health (September 22, 2020)
Gut Function and Health
We welcome back Dr. Omowunmi Osinubi, Dr. Serena Satcher, and Paulette Brower, as they explore how increased intestinal permeability also known as leaky gut syndrome negatively affects Veterans’ health by promoting chronic inflammation, compromising immunity, and resulting in other medical issues. They explore how utilizing what is referred to as the 4 R’s may be helpful in decreasing intestinal permeability and its associated problems. - Episode 6 - Rebalancing for Wellness(October 6, 2020)
Nutritional Rebalancing-Beyond Diets
For this episode, Dr. Serena Satcher, Integrative and Functional Medicine physician in conversation with Paulette Brower, examines functional nutrition plans, their ability to improve overall health and a vast array of Veteran’s symptoms, and how Intermittent fasting is used with them to achieve detoxification and apoptosis [cell death]. - Episode 7 - Eliminating Unhealthy Foods ( October 20, 2020)
The Elimination Nutritional Food Plan
Dr. Serena Satcher sits down for a conversation with Steven Greer, Veteran and Exercise Physiologist with the NJ WRIISC, and Paulette Brower. In it, she Introduces the Elimination Diet and its usefulness as a functional nutrition tool in supporting post deployment Veterans with weakened immune systems which may manifest in CMI (Chronic Multi-symptom Illness). - Episode 8 - Detoxifying: A Nutritional Body Cleanse (November 3, 2020)
The Detoxification
Dr. Serena Satcher discusses how required nutrients and others optimize the body’s natural detoxification process in the liver, kidney and skin. This podcast is moderated by Paulette Brower. - Episode 9 - Mighty Mitochondria (November 17, 2020)
The Role and Importance of Mitochondria
In this episode, we welcome Dr. Serena Satcher once again to have a discussion on the role and importance of mitochondria with Paulette Brower. Hear Dr. Satcher examine how functional nutrition plans impact and support optimal mitochondrial function. - Episode 10 - Essential Food Nutrients (December 1, 2020)
Essential Food Nutrients, Vitamins and Supplements
Dr. Serena Satcher, Integrative and Functional Nutrition physician ends our Functional Nutrition segment by exploring with moderator Paulette Brower, proven essential phytonutrients in food and drink known to provide health benefits. How the VHA Whole Health model supports “food and drink” as a resource to stay healthy and fight disease is also addressed. - Episode 11 - Wearable Technology Trends (December 15, 2020)
Wearable Technology Trends: What Gets Measured, Might Get Improved
In this episode, Dr. Michael Falvo, Scientific Director of the Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence, and Matthew Watson, Clinical Exercise Physiologist, discuss how to measure or monitor personal exercise and physical activity, some advantages and disadvantages of doing so, and its importance to Veterans and clinical providers. - Episode 12 - War Related Injury & Illness Study Center (December 29, 2020)
An Introduction to the (WRIISC) War Related Illness and Injury Study Center
In this episode, we welcome Dr. Helena Chandler, Acting Director of the NJ WRIISC, and welcome back Dr. Susan Santos, Director of Education and Risk Communication at the WRIISC, as they discuss the WRIISC including its nearly 20-year history and how WRIISC can best serve Veterans and their healthcare teams.
