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The Doctors’ Lounge

The Doctor's Lounge
Medicaid
Medicare
Affordable Care Act
FDA
Physician-Owned Hospitals
Direct Primary Care
Covid-19
340B Program
Artificial Intelligence In Medicine
No Surprises Act
Insurance
United States
RUC
Neurosurgery
TAVR
Electronic Medical Record
Health Insurance
DRG
Hospitals
Vaccine Schedule

Where scalpels meet systems — and physicians say what they really think.

Co-hosted by Anish Koka, MD & Anthony DiGiorgio, DO. Candid talks on healthcare policy, reform, physician autonomy & patient care.

PublishesTwice weeklyEpisodes73Foundeda year ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EntrepreneurshipBusinessHealth & FitnessMedicine

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Latest Episodes

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Episode Summary

In a special Tuesday episode, Anish Koka and Anthony DiGiorgio sit down with Heather Tereshko, a Principal at Post & Schell in Philadelphia and a 25-year veteran of medical malpractice defense, to break down the lar... more

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Episode Summary

Anish Koka and Anthony DiGiorgio sit down with Niklas Anzinger, a venture capitalist and founder of Infinita VC, to unpack Montana SB535 — a new law that lets doctors administer treatments to patients that have only... more

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Anthony DiGiorgio and Anish Koka sit down with Dr. Dan Donoho, an NIH-funded neurosurgeon-scientist at Children's National Hospital and George Washington University, and founder of the Surgical Data Science Collecti... more

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Episode Summary

Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. George Tolis, chief of cardiothoracic surgery in Boston, returns to The Doctors Lounge with hosts Dr. Anish Koka and Dr. Anthony DiGiorgio for a wide-ranging conversation that opens with t... more

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Recent Guests

Dan Donoho
Neurosurgeon scientist, NIH-funded, founder of The Surgical Data Science Collective
Children's National Hospital; George Washington University
Episode: Dan Donoho on Surgical Data Science, Regulation, and the Humanoid OR
Scott Becker
Founder and publisher of Becker's Healthcare; partner at McGuireWoods
Becker's Healthcare / McGuireWoods
Episode: Scott Becker on Building Becker's Healthcare, Physician Supply, and Private Enterprise
Martin Shkreli
Pharmaceutical executive and former CEO involved in biotech/drug pricing narratives
Retrophin / Turing Pharmaceuticals (historical)
Episode: Martin Shkreli on Drug Pricing, Prison, and the Fraud That Shook Pharma
Stanley Goldfarb
Nephrologist and founder of Do No Harm
Do No Harm
Episode: Do No Harm: Inside the Fight to Get Identity Politics Out of Medicine
Tracy Beth Høeg
Cardiologist; former head of CDER at FDA
FDA / CDER (former)
Episode: The Myocarditis Double Standard: COVID, the Vaccine, and the Pediatric Deaths That Went Unreported
Venk Murthy
Cardiologist; academic researcher
University of Michigan
Episode: The Myocarditis Double Standard: COVID, the Vaccine, and the Pediatric Deaths That Went Unreported
David Zweig
Investigative journalist and author of An Abundance of Caution
New York Times, Atlantic, NY Magazine, The Free Press, Wired
Episode: David Zweig on Schools, Science, and the Media's COVID Failure
Ryan Long
Former senior policy advisor to speaker Kevin McCarthy; USC Schaefer Institute scholar
USC Schaefer Institute
Episode: Drug Pricing, Broken Incentives, and the 340b program Fixes Washington Won't Touch
Sanjay Dhall
Chief of the division of neurosurgery at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center; professor of neurosurgery
Harbor-UCLA Medical Center / UCLA
Episode: Dr. Sanjay Dhall on Trauma, Medical Training, and the County Hospital That Doesn’t Bill

Hosts

Dutch Rojas
Host of The Doctor's Lounge; long-time clinician and policy-forward commentator.
Anthony DiGiorgio
Co-host; MD with focus on physician autonomy and healthcare policy.
Anish Koka
Co-host; MD, PhD with interest in medical topics and policy debates.
Dan Choi
Co-host; MD clinician with policy and systems focus.
Sanat Dixit
Co-host; MD with emphasis on policy, ethics, and healthcare systems.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 53 ratings
  • Misinformation from MAGA sycophants

    Right wing MAGA disinformation doctors promote their antivaxx agenda and similar nonsense. They primarily center their feelings and victimhood. Waste of time.

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    joho19
    United States2 months ago
  • Breath of Fresh Air

    Excellent podcast that doesn’t follow the orthodoxy in medicine, healthcare, and public health

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    rabidmoderate
    United States3 months ago
  • Expert neurosurgeons who think they are also experts in everything else

    Listened for business pointers as I own my own small practice, was not able to glean any helpful practice tips, left because I got tired of non stop “expert opinion” on public health, childhood vaccine schedules, infectious disease, and now your having a journalist on to talk about monkeypox? Would definitely recommend using your clout to bring on real experts in their fields before discussing, would make for much better conversations not dripping in anecdotal experience and feelings.

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    Caleb Murph
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

High-profile policy and industry angles are appealing to many.
Some feel policy talk overwhelms clinical takeaways.
A few listeners want more depth from recognized medical experts instead of anecdotes.
Listeners crave practical practice tips rather than broad opinions.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Scott Becker on Building Becker's Healthcare, Physician Supply, and Private Enterprise
Q: What are Becker's views on private enterprise versus government intervention in healthcare?
Becker argues that private enterprise has been a major driver of innovation and efficiency in healthcare, citing examples like nursing education and private sector solutions (e.g., GLPs). He is skeptical of heavy government consolidation or top-down price controls, believing private market mechanisms and entrepreneurial approaches deliver many benefits, though he acknowledges complexity and the need for careful policy designs to avoid inflation and supply constraints.
Scott Becker on Building Becker's Healthcare, Physician Supply, and Private Enterprise
Q: What is the origin of Becker's Healthcare and how did it evolve into a dominant media platform in healthcare?
Becker explains that the business started as a rudimentary newsletter and small conference built alongside his legal practice, gradually expanding by hiring staff and extending into hospital/health system content and orthopedics. Over decades, it grew into a comprehensive media company with conferences and publications that targeted healthcare executives, physicians, and administrators, becoming a central hub for industry information and networking.
38% of Doctors Gone in 5 Years? Inside the Battle for Independence
Q: What are your closing thoughts on the future of physician-owned hospitals?
Physician-owned hospitals can be a viable path forward in a fragmented system, especially when focused on spine, orthopedics, or trauma; success hinges on local, bottom-up collaboration with payers and regulators, and on balancing regulation with flexibility to maintain quality and cost effectiveness.
Why Physicians Need a Voice in Healthcare Policy
Q: What do you think are two or three structural policy changes that could benefit patients and physician-led care?
The group highlights rolling back restrictive regulations like certificate-of-need laws, promoting physician ownership of hospitals, reexamining Medicare fee schedules to move toward market-based physician payments, and reducing excessive consolidation as tangible starting points that could realign incentives and improve patient care.
Physician Shortage, Visas, and Why Doctors Are Leaving Medicine
Q: Do we need more HP1 visas to support the physician shortage?
The panelists discuss the potential role of foreign-trained physicians and visa policy as a short-term lever, while noting long-term solutions must include expanding U.S.-trained capacity and improving residency and training pipelines.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Doctors’ Lounge

What is The Doctors’ Lounge about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A sharp, policy-forward discussion space where physicians and medical leaders unpack how healthcare systems shape patient care, physician autonomy, and innovation. Recent episodes skew toward medical education, reimbursement, governance, and the economics of care, with topics ranging from physician workforce dynamics and residency bottlenecks to AI in radiology, physician-owned centers, and hospital policy. The format blends data-driven critique with provocative takes from clinicians, researchers, and industry insiders, making it a likely hotspot for listeners who want to understand how policy, markets, and technology influence day-to-day medicine. A notable strength is its willingness to challenge conventional wisdom with concrete case stu... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Doctors’ Lounge?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Doctors’ Lounge:

1. Marketplace
2. Plenary Session
3. Freakonomics Radio
4. White Coat Investor Podcast
5. EconTalk

How many episodes of The Doctors’ Lounge are there?

The Doctors’ Lounge launched a year ago and published 73 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Doctors’ Lounge?

Recent guests on The Doctors’ Lounge include:

1. Dan Donoho
2. Scott Becker
3. Martin Shkreli
4. Stanley Goldfarb
5. Tracy Beth Høeg
6. Venk Murthy
7. David Zweig
8. Ryan Long

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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