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WJCT Public Media Announces Third Season of “What’s Health Got to Do With It?”
Popular health program, hosted by Dr. Joe Sirven, returns September 23
Jacksonville, Fla. — Sept. 22, 2023 — WJCT Public Media today announced the third season of “What’s Health Got To Do With It?” will begin on September 23.
The weekly, hour-long program examines where healthcare intersects with daily life, and guides listeners through an increasingly convoluted medical bureaucracy. Dr. Joe Sirven, a physician and journalist who serves as a professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic’s Florida campus, has cultivated an engaged and loyal audience of listeners who turn to “What’s Health Got To Do With It” week after week. The program enjoys a national audience in podcast form in addition to its audience on WJCT News 89.9 in Jacksonville.
WJCT News 89.9 in Jacksonville will continue to broadcast the program every Saturday at 4 p.m., re-airing Sundays at 9 p.m. New episodes are available each Saturday for on-demand listening at news.wjct.org/programs/whats-health-got-do-it, through the WJCT app, as a podcast on wjct.org/podcasts and on most podcast listening platforms like Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Deezer, Pockets Casts, Podbean, Listen Notes and RSS.
“Seeing a consistent listener base join us from season one to season two, and continue to grow throughout 2023, reinforced that we’ve tapped into a topic that affects us all in a deeply personal, yet universal, way: our health,” said David McGowan, President and CEO of WJCT Public Media. “The national interest in this topic is evident in our listenership’s diverse geography. Dr. Sirven and the production team have continued to make the healthcare space approachable to our listeners — which is a tremendous accomplishment in the medical field.”
Each episode features interviews with leading medical researchers and public figures. Guest highlights from the second season included Dr. Syed Asad, a Jacksonville-based neurologist, for a detailed discussion of concussions, and medical anthropologist and writer Theresa MasPhail who discussed the ever-increasing number of allergy cases in the United States. Other key topics covered included postpartum depression, the challenges of getting healthcare as a transgender person and Alzheimer’s treatment and vaccines. The third season of the program will explore topics such as:
- Obesity with guests Dr. Isaac Motamarry, Dr. Gustavo Villanova and Dr. Beverly Tchang (September 23)
- Monthly Media Roundtable with leading ladies Dr. Tina Ardon, Dr. Melissa Swenson and Dr. Sarah Bodin (September 30)
- Diversity in Medical Workforce: Elevate MED with Dr. Alyx Porter
“Last season was a testimony to our mission of shared learning leading to educational growth,” said Dr. Sirven. “Not only have we been able to discuss and demystify the field of physical health, but we’ve also been able to bring conversations about mental health to our listeners. It’s been a pleasure to share updates on the latest advances in the medical field, and I look forward to reaching a broader audience throughout season three.”
“What’s Health Got to Do with It?” is sponsored in part by Eli Lilly and Company, the American Brain Foundation, Neurelis and Rethreaded Inc.
For more information, visit news.wjct.org/programs/whats-health-got-do-it. Listeners can join the conversation by calling 904-358-6362 (6DOC), emailing questions and comments to health@wjct.org or engaging with the show on social media (@jsirven on Twitter, and WJCTJax on Facebook).
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About WJCT Public Media:WJCT is the community-owned and operated public media organization serving Jacksonville and the First Coast since 1958, using television, radio, digital media, and live events to help community members learn, share, and grow. For more information on WJCT’s in-depth programming content, log on to WJCT Online at wjct.org. Like WJCT on Facebook (facebook.com/wjctjax) and follow WJCT on Twitter (@WJCTJax) and Instagram (@WJCTJax).