Advancing Health

Food insecurity affects far more than hunger. It influences physical health, mental well-being, academic performance, and long-term outcomes for children and families. In this episode, Stormee Williams, M.D., senior vice president and chief health equity officer at Children's Health, shares how her team is identifying food insecurity, why access to healthy food matters just as much as access to food itself, and how partnerships with schools and food banks are helping create healthier futures for children across North Texas.

What does it take to make hospitals safer for healthcare workers? In recognition of #HAVHope Day, Sarah Hunter, president of Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, explores the innovative approaches her team is using to reduce workplace violence. From a simple but effective buddy system to stronger partnerships with public safety agencies and community leaders, hear real-world solutions that help healthcare workers focus on what they do best — caring for patients.

As demand for behavioral health services continues to grow, hospitals are searching for ways to expand both care and the care teams themselves. In this Leadership Dialogue conversation, Marc Boom, M.D., president and CEO of Houston Methodist and the 2026 AHA board chair, speaks with John Santopietro, M.D., senior vice president at Hartford HealthCare and physician-in-chief of its Behavioral Health Network. They discuss the exciting programs that are strengthening the organization's behavioral health workforce, the new social worker mentorship models that foster education and teamwork, and the efforts to increase access while tackling staffing shortages across psychiatry, nursing and therapy services.

The future of healthcare will be shaped not only by artificial intelligence, but by how thoughtfully organizations choose to implement it. In this conversation, Daniel Daly, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Theology and Ethics in Catholic Health at the Catholic Health Association, explores the ethical future of AI in medicine, why all efficiency should serve compassion, and what healthcare leaders must do to ensure AI strengthens person-centered care instead of replacing it.

Teen mental health crises are rising — but what if providers could intervene before symptoms fully take hold? In this conversation, Duke University School of Medicine's Jonathan Posner, M.D., professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, and Matthew Engelhard, M.D., P.h.D., assistant professor of the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, break down the "Duke PMA" — an AI-powered predictive model designed to identify adolescents at high risk for psychiatric illness. They explore how sleep, device use, and a myriad of other factors shape mental health risk, and how this technology could transform prevention, especially in underserved communities.