This episode of Difficult Conversations features Dr. Jessica Daigle, a board-certified pediatrician, NICU and pediatric hospitalist, and founder and CEO of Mom & Me, MD, joining Dr. Anthony Orsini and Liz Poret-Christ for a conversation about what families remember most in healthcare, not perfect outcomes, but how clinicians show up in the hardest moments. Jess opens with a core theme, medicine’s discomfort with silence, uncertainty, and pain, and how the pressure to “fix” everything can ...

Difficult Conversations with Dr. Anthony Orsini- Episode 93 Difficult Conversations is back with one of its most personal, emotional episodes yet. Dr. Anthony Orsini and Liz Poret-Christ return to talk with guest Dr. Stephanie Tan, a physician and clinical trial specialist whose career has spanned surgery, dermatology, pharma, academia, and regulation across Asia and Australia. Stephanie shares how her own health redirected her from surgery into research, giving her a rare 360-degree view of ...

In this podcast episode, Dr. Anthony Orsini discusses the value of difficult conversations in the medical field, reflecting on how his podcast has allowed him to connect with incredible people over the years. He reintroduces Dr. Robert Pearl, a former CEO of Kaiser Permanente, who first appeared on the podcast in 2021. Dr. Orsini highlights Dr. Pearl’s work and his new book, "ChatGPTMD: How AI-Empowered Patients & Doctors Can Take Back Control of American Medicine," which explores the rol...

On this episode, Dr. Anthony Orsini and Liz Poret-Christ introduce guest, Laura Diaz-Freeland, whose twin daughters were born at the very limits of viability at just 23 weeks gestation. Laura’s memoir, “Not What I Had in Mind,” is discussed, highlighting the emotional journey and the deep empathy found in motherhood that she experienced following the birth of her extremely premature daughters. Dr. Orsini was part of the team who cared for her twins and they discuss the bond that Laura f...

In this episode, Dr. Orsini and Liz Poret-Christ are joined by guest, Dr. Samantha Winemaker, an associate clinical professor in the Department of Family Medicine, Division of Palliative Care at McMaster University in Ontario, and co-author of the book, Hope for the Best, Plan for the Rest: 7 keys for navigating a life changing diagnosis. Dr. Winemaker, an advocate for open communication, emphasizes the importance of patients expressing their need for honesty in their healthcare interactions,...

Welcome to another episode of Difficult Conversations-Lessons I Learned as an ICU Physician. In this episode, get ready to explore the journey of Jon Brandt, a remarkable entrepreneur whose journey is not just about business, but about purpose and change, especially in the realm of mental health in educational settings. Liz Poret-Christ and Dr. Anthony Orsini dive into Jon’s recent sale of the Thrive Alliance Group, and his vision for integrating mental wellness into the fabric of our school ...

Welcome to Difficult Conversations. You may have heard the story of Dr. Lorna Breen, who was an accomplished physician that tragically took her own life during the spring of 2020. Today, Dr. Orsini and Liz Poret-Christ are honored to introduce guest, Corey Feist, who is the co-founder, and President of the Dr. Lorna Breen Heroes’ Foundation. Corey dives into his personal journey, driven by the tragic suicide of his sister-in-law, Dr. Lorna Breen, and his mission to transform the healthc...

Difficult Conversations with Dr. Anthony Orsini- Episode 88In this episode, host Liz Poret-Christ along with Dr. Orsini, welcome guest Gina Jacobson, who discusses the Working with Cancer initiative. The initiative, born out of a heartfelt response to the need for better workplace support for employees facing cancer and chronic illnesses, aims to create a safe and positive environment for disclosing health conditions at the workplace. Gina, a survivor of stage four colon cancer, shares her pa...

Welcome to Difficult Conversations with Dr. Anthony Orsini. Today, I have the distinct honor to have another incredible guest and that is Dr. Bruce B.J. Miller, who is a longtime hospice and palliative care medicine physician as well as an author, TEDx presenter, and keynote speaker. He has given over one hundred talks on the topics of death, dying, palliative care, and the intersection of healthcare with design. Led by his own experiences as a patient, Dr. Miller advocates ...

In this episode of Difficult Conversations, Dr. Orsini is joined by Chris Newlin, Executive Director of the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC) in Alabama, where he’s responsible for providing leadership and management, as well as participating in national and international training programs for the protection of children. He has more than 25 years of experience working as a Forensic Interviewer, Victim Advocate, Therapist, and other leadership roles in child advocacy. Toda...

Hello and welcome to Difficult Conversations with Dr. Anthony Orsini. Today, we are excited and honored to have as our guest, Julie McFadden, otherwise known as “Hospice nurse Julie,” on social media, where she has almost a million viewers between TikTok and Instagram. Her warm and insightful ability to normalize and explain the death and dying process has made her a cultural icon. Julie has been a nurse for fifteen years, ten in the ICU, and five taking care of hospice patients. Her gi...

Replay on Demand! Welcome to Difficult Conversations with Dr. Anthony Orsini. Today, my guest is the incredible Cy Wakeman, who is a drama researcher, a global thought leader, and New York Times best-selling author. She has been deemed “the secret weapon to restoring sanity to the workplace” and has helped companies such as Google, Facebook, NBC Universal, Johns Hopkins, and countless others how to navigate our rapidly changing world using good mental processes to harness energy wasted in wor...

Welcome to Difficult Conversations -Lessons I Learned as an ICU Physician. Liz Poret-Christ is our host and she’s joined by guest Molly Mattocks who is a writer, and end-of-life coach. Molly was an associate pastor before becoming a full-time caregiver for her daughter Izzy, who had neuroblastoma for nearly a decade before passing away in 2021. She is now dedicated to helping shift the cultural narrative around death because she believes our ability to embrace death is intricately woven...

Today, you’re in for a real treat because Dr. Orsini and Liz Poret-Christ are having a superstar loaded episode! This episode is about kidney donation. Liz shares a personal story about her daughter’s unlikely friendship with Frank Mara, Vice President of Community Relations for the New York Giants, and how he’s in need of a kidney transplant, which he’ll talk about with us. Also, on the list of superstars joining us is Matt Cavanaugh, an active duty US Army Strategist and Preside...

Welcome to Difficult Conversations with Dr. Anthony Orsini. On this episode, Dr. Orsini is Co-hosting with Liz Poret-Christ. Today, they’re having a great conversation with Chuck Saia, who’s a Senior Partner at Deloitte and Member of the Quinnipiac University Board of Trustee’s, where he's the Chair of the Student and Academic Affairs Committee. In his thirty year career, Chuck has held various leadership positions at Deloitte, he’s a CPA, and holds an MBA from Quinnipiac University. He...

Welcome to Difficult Conversations with Dr. Anthony Orsini. Today, I have two amazing women joining me that are doing extraordinary work. My guests are Noa Ries and Kim Havens. They are Founders of Kahilla, which is an innovative digital platform to scale access to personal and professional development for underrepresented minorities in the corporate world. They had a vision in 2018, to transform the culture of the corporate world and see more equity in positions of senior leadership. T...

Welcome to Difficult Conversations with Dr. Anthony Orsini. Today our guest is Mr. Ryan Estis, who is a globally recognized sales and leadership expert, speaker and author. Ryan has been advising clients on navigating change, improving performance, influencing culture, and accelerating growth. He’s a Founding Partner of ImpactEleven, where he’s helping define and shape a community that’s influencing culture and shaping the future of both personal and professional growth. In this episod...

Welcome to Difficult Conversations. Today, we have Liz Poret-Christ hosting along with Dr. Orsini. A few weeks ago, when Liz was scrolling through Facebook, she came across the PELOTON Cancer Warriors page and saw a post by Gina Jacobson. Her thoughts about battling cancer, mixed with a bit of dark humor, and a lot of honesty made Liz realize that she would be a great guest on this podcast. So, joining us today is Gina Jacobson. For the past twenty-seven years, Gina has worked in ...

Welcome to Difficult Conversations with Dr. Anthony Orsini. My guest today, is Mindy Spigel. Mindy has dedicated her career to improving healthcare and helping patients get over their fears of the system. She has a master’s degree in nursing, has worked in both inpatient and outpatient settings, and has taught in both academic and clinical fields. Her passion is helping people create meaningful connections as a leader and team member while providing the best care.&nbs...

Welcome to Difficult Conversations with Dr. Anthony Orsini. Today, I have a wonderful guest who’s been doing great things in the healthcare field and has some wonderful stories to share. My guest today is Jeff Atwood. Jeff is a healthcare leader, author, and speaker who has more than twenty-five years of healthcare leadership, marketing, and storytelling experience. He consults with healthcare and community groups nationally, sharing insights and encouragement found at the crossro...