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WJCT Public Media Announces Fifth Season of Award-Winning “What’s Health Got To Do With It?” With Additional Florida Stations
New Season Launches September 27th
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Sept. 23, 2025 — WJCT Public Media is proud to announce the return of its flagship health program and podcast “What’s Health Got To Do With It?” for its fifth season, premiering September 27, 2025. This season marks a major milestone for the program as it expands to air on five additional Florida public radio broadcast stations, including:
- WMFE and WMFV (Orlando, The Villages)
- WGCU (Fort Myers and Naples)
- WUFT (Gainesville)
- WQCS (Treasure Coast)
Hosted by Dr. Joe Sirven, the weekly, hour-long talk show explores the critical intersections between healthcare and everyday life, offering listeners valuable insights as they navigate an increasingly complex medical information landscape.
The new season will kick off with compelling topics and guests, including:
September 27 – “When Every Second Counts”
- Exploring sudden cardiac arrest, survivorship and the lifesaving power of hands-only CPR with Dr. Dale Mueller (HCA Florida Memorial Hospital), Reed Hammond (HCA Florida Memorial Hospital, First Coast American Heart Walk), and Caitlin Brunell (American Heart Association, Jacksonville).
- Plus, a conversation with pioneering neurologist Dr. Anne Young, author of “Disorderly Movements: A Neurologist’s Adventures in the Lab and Life,” reflecting on her groundbreaking career and personal journey.
October 4 – “Medical Roundtable”
- The show’s monthly panel of medical experts breaks down the latest healthcare headlines, including vaccines in Florida.
- Guests include Dr. Donna G. Ivery, OB/GYN and author of Not Your Granny’s Menopause; Chad Neilsen, director of infection prevention and control at Nemours Children’s Health; and Dr. Tina Ardon, family physician at Mayo Clinic in Florida.
October 11 – “Beating the Odds in Brain Emergencies”
- The story of rodeo legend Stran Smith, who survived a stroke caused by a heart defect, and his work with the NFL on the Heartmates initiative.
- Spotlight on Florida’s Health Heroes, beginning with neurosurgeon Dr. Ricardo Hanel of Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Florida.
October 18 – “From Data to Diagnosis”
- Katelyn Jetelina, epidemiologist and creator of “Your Local Epidemiologist,” the wildly popular newsletter on translating complex public health data into plain language.
- Coping with cancer in early adulthood, with Dr. Cristina Pozo-Kaderman of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
With Dr. Joseph Sirven as host — a renowned physician and journalist — the program has built a dedicated following, featuring voices from 25 states and some of the world’s most respected medical institutions. Dr. Sirven is a Cuban American neurologist, professor and medical communicator. He is Emeritus Professor and the first Latino to serve as Chair of any neurology department at Mayo Clinic, where he continues to practice in Arizona. He also serves as editor for the Spanish-language content of “Brain & Life.” An internationally recognized epilepsy specialist, Dr. Sirven has published extensively and authored seven medical textbooks.
Dr. Sirven and the show team were recently honored by the Duval County Medical Society as the Winner of the 2025 Excellence in Healthcare Reporting: DCMS Print & Broadcast Journalism Award, which recognizes outstanding and accurate reporting of healthcare issues in the Northeast Florida region.
“What’s Health Got To Do With It?” airs every Saturday at 4 p.m. on WJCT News 89.9 in Jacksonville, with a repeat broadcast on Sundays at 9 p.m. New episodes are also available on-demand each Saturday through the WJCT Public Media app and all major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio and more. “What’s Health Got to Do with It?” is provided in part by the American Brain Foundation, Neurelis and Rethreaded Inc.
“This expansion means even more Floridians will have access to trusted conversations about health,” said Dr. Sirven. “Whether it’s breakthroughs, personal stories or navigating our healthcare system, we want to empower listeners across the state to feel informed and supported.”
“We’re energized to see ‘What’s Health Got To Do With It?’ continue its growth beyond Jacksonville and reach new audiences across the State of Florida,” said David McGowan, President and CEO of WJCT Public Media. “At a time when knowing who to trust for medical information is increasingly difficult, Dr. Sirven’s expertise and passion for making healthcare understandable is exactly what public media should deliver — service that informs, connects and strengthens communities.”
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 X, and WJCTJax on Facebook). Coming this fall, WJCT will also launch “Health News Explained,” a newsletter that highlights timely health news topics with clarity and context for the Northeast Florida community.
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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 X (@WJCTJax) and Instagram (@WJCTJax).