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Health Disparities
Public Health
Maternal Health
Midwifery Care
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Colorectal Cancer
Maternal Health Crisis
Sickle Cell Disease
Healthcare Disparities
Mental Health
Covid-19
Birth Equity Initiative
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The Dose is the Commonwealth Fund's podcast that presents fresh ideas, new perspectives, and compelling conversations about where health care is headed. Join host Joel Bervell this season for conversations with leading and emerging experts in health care and health policy. Get the Dose in your inbox: thedose.show/signup

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes100Founded8 years ago
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Non-ProfitBusinessHealth & Fitness

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Artwork for The Dose

Latest Episodes

When people receive a medical diagnosis or experience a new symptom, the first thing many of us do is reach for our phone. If a doctor isn't available to provide an answer, someone else is.

On The Dose podcast, host Dr. Joel Bervell talks with Dr. ... more

Dr. Kaytura Felix didn't set out to document the Black maternal health crisis. She set out to find the people who are already doing something about it.

On this episode of The Dose podcast, Dr. Joel Bervell talks with Felix, founder of the Black Bir... more

Four in 10 Americans have medical debt. Most don't know there's a federal law that could eliminate it.

On this episode of The Dose podcast, host Joel Bervell talks with Jared Walker about his nonprofit, Dollar For, which has helped Americans erase ... more

Seventy billion dollars is flowing into health care AI, but the people building it and the patients who need it most are rarely in the same room.

On this episode, host Dr. Joel Bervell talks with pediatrician, researcher, and tech optimist Dr. Ivor... more

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Recent Guests

Dr. Mike Varshavski
Physician and prominent online medical educator
Dr. Mike/Online health presence
Episode: Doctor Mike on Why Ceding the Internet Is a Public Health Threat
Dr. Kaytura Felix
Maternal health expert, physician, and health justice scholar; leads the Black Birthing Futures Project
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Episode: In "Deep Care," the Family Is the Sun Midwives Orbit Around (feat. Dr. Kaytura Felix)
Jared Walker
Founder of Dollar For, advocate for medical-debt relief
Dollar For
Episode: Fighting Medical Debt? There's an App for That (feat. Jared Walker)
Ivor Horn
Tech optimist, pediatrician, professor, tech executive, advisor
Boston Children's Hospital; former Chief Health Equity Advisor at Google
Episode: The Missing Ingredient in Health Care AI? Community Voices
Lupita Nyong'o
Actress and public advocate for fibroids awareness
Foundation for Women's Health (Make Fibroids Count campaign)
Episode: Lupita Nyong'o Is Done Accepting Fibroids as Normal
Omare Jimmerson
Executive Director of the Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative
Oklahoma Birth Equity Initiative
Episode: A Doula Network That's Saving Lives (feat. Omare Jimmerson)
Dr. Kevin Simon
Chief Behavioral Health Officer of Boston, triple board certified psychiatrist
Boston Children's Hospital
Episode: A New Approach to Youth Mental Health (feat. Dr. Kevin Simon)
Dr. Francis Collins
Physician scientist, former director of the US National Institutes of Health
Episode: In an Era of Misinformation, Does Science Stand a Chance? (feat. Dr. Francis Collins)
Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford
One of the leading voices in obesity medicine.
Episode: The Dose Returns on October 10th

Host

Joel Bervell
Host of The Dose

Reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars from 82 ratings
  • A perspective in color

    Having people pay attention to a perspective in color improves our health and combats and destroys misnomers that costs the lives of many.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    pot of neckbones
    United Statesa year ago
  • Ok

    Interesting content but the delivery is really rigid - would be much more engaging as a fluid conversation. As it is, feels like a Q&A that follows a strict question list and doesn’t adapt based on responses. Also agree with other reviewers that anyone choosing to listen to a podcast like this probably has a basic knowledge of health care/policy so basic terms and concepts don’t need to be explained.

    Apple Podcasts
    3
    SarahL022
    United States7 years ago
  • Pretty Good

    I work in healthcare management and was pleased to see a podcast dedicated to policy and management. The content is good, timely, and knowledgeably covered. I would say that the interviews feel choppy, as if the questions and answers were prerecorded separately, then later cut together. I am not sure the control you can have on this, but I also found this podcast to be much quieter than others - I am in my 30s, turn my phone and car volume to max, and can still have trouble hearing some part... more

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Dan41119
    United States7 years ago
  • Ok intro to UHC

    I was thrilled to see a podcast from The Commonwealth Fund, but find that this series seems to be aimed at those which minimal knowledge of other healthcare systems. These episodes are quite basic introductions to other countries’ systems, without much direction or differentiation from episode to episode. I love Pulsecheck (from Politico) and was hoping this new Pod would strike a similar balance of educating newbies and wonks alike!

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    stripedwater
    United States8 years ago
  • Insightful and helpful

    Well-produced and insightful analysis with global perspectives on health policy.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Wjohnson27
    United States8 years ago

Listeners Say

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

Praises timely, well-produced policy discussions; some report audio could be louder or more cohesive.
A perspective in color—health perspective drives important conversations.
Some say delivery could feel more conversational and less Q&A oriented.

Top Health & Fitness Podcasts

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

In "Deep Care," the Family Is the Sun Midwives Orbit Around (feat. Dr. Kaytura Felix)
Q: Were you motivated by particular gaps in research or data, and where did you go to find the data that you wanted?
Dr. Felix describes starting from the question of what Black communities were doing about the Black maternal health crisis, conducting interviews with about 70 people, shadowing a midwife, and using a multi-method qualitative approach to understand what community midwives do and how they impact families.
Fighting Medical Debt? There's an App for That (feat. Jared Walker)
Q: What was the experience like presenting to the Texas State Legislature?
Walker explains it was a tough fight against powerful hospital associations, with pushback due to perceived administrative burden, but stresses the potential for policy change through persistent advocacy and patient stories.
Fighting Medical Debt? There's an App for That (feat. Jared Walker)
Q: How does your calculator determine if someone is eligible for charity care?
The calculator uses data from about 8,000 hospitals' policies, applying household size, income, hospital, and bill age to determine eligibility, then guides the user through a digital application process.
Fighting Medical Debt? There's an App for That (feat. Jared Walker)
Q: Can you tell us what hospital financial assistance actually is?
Hospital financial assistance, or charity care, is a program tied to federal law that requires non-profit hospitals to reduce or waive bills in exchange for their tax-exempt status; it involves policies that determine eligibility and how much care is provided.
Lupita Nyong'o Is Done Accepting Fibroids as Normal
Q: What has surprised you most about the response to speaking publicly about fibroids?
Nyong'o notes that many women were surprised to learn about the prevalence and the rate at which hysterectomies were proposed as a first option, highlighting a need for alternative treatments and better care strategies.

Audience Metrics

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

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Dose

What is The Dose about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A thoughtful health policy podcast that brings in policymakers, clinicians, researchers, and nonprofit leaders to unpack how health care systems, access, and equity are evolving. Episodes consistently center on maternal health, health equity, funding and policy reform, and innovations in care delivery, from midwifery and doula programs to AI-driven health solutions. Noteworthy is the blend of intimate, experience-driven storytelling with data-backed policy analysis, plus a recurring emphasis on real-world impact and community voices. Listeners are likely professionals and policymakers seeking practical insights, evidence, and thoughtful commentary on how health care can be more equitable and effective for diverse populations.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Dose?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Dose. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Dose and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Dose get?

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What are the audience demographics for The Dose?

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How many subscribers and views does The Dose have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Dose has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Dose?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Dose:

1. Tradeoffs
2. What the Health? From KFF Health News
3. Up First from NPR
4. The Happiness Lab with Dr. Laurie Santos
5. The Daily

How many episodes of The Dose are there?

The Dose launched 8 years ago and published 100 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Dose?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Dose?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Dose from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for The Dose?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of The Dose. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on The Dose?

Recent guests on The Dose include:

1. Dr. Mike Varshavski
2. Dr. Kaytura Felix
3. Jared Walker
4. Ivor Horn
5. Lupita Nyong'o
6. Omare Jimmerson
7. Dr. Kevin Simon
8. Dr. Francis Collins

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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