Defining Moments Podcast: Conversations about Health and Healing
Medical
Humans tell stories to make sense of birthing and dying and everything in between. Defining Moments Podcast showcases stories about living well in the midst of inescapable illness, suffering, and hardship. Episodes feature an eclectic group of guests who share moments of uncertainty, innovation, and resilience. Co-hosts Dr. Lynn Harter and Dr. Joe Bianco draw on twenty years of experience in health contexts to spark conversations that move between personal anecdotes and societal health challenges. Each segment is accompanied by articles published in Health Communication and other online resources. Defining Moments Podcast disrupts the silence that too often surrounds vulnerability, and allows narrators and audiences to imagine new normals.
Location:
United States
Description:
Humans tell stories to make sense of birthing and dying and everything in between. Defining Moments Podcast showcases stories about living well in the midst of inescapable illness, suffering, and hardship. Episodes feature an eclectic group of guests who share moments of uncertainty, innovation, and resilience. Co-hosts Dr. Lynn Harter and Dr. Joe Bianco draw on twenty years of experience in health contexts to spark conversations that move between personal anecdotes and societal health challenges. Each segment is accompanied by articles published in Health Communication and other online resources. Defining Moments Podcast disrupts the silence that too often surrounds vulnerability, and allows narrators and audiences to imagine new normals.
Language:
English
Episodes
Milk Banking: On Family, Fieldwork, and Liquid Gold
4/4/2022
Each year, thousands of premature and vulnerable infants receive the life-sustaining gift of donor breast milk. On this episode of Defining Moments, Dr. Sarah Jones shares how her discovery of human milk banks catalyzed a surprising personal and scholarly journey that continues to this day. Dr. Jones is an Assistant Professor of Organizational Communication in the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University.
You can read Dr. Jones’ article published in Health Communication at...
Duration:01:08:06
Stroke, Recovery, and the Moments in Between
3/24/2022
When patient safety scholar Dr. Annegret Hannawa suffers a massive stroke at age 39, her life becomes a case study from her own books. Her journey toward recovery is as surprising as the stroke itself, taking her from the despair of hospital rehabilitation units to joining helicopter rescue missions in the Swiss Alps. On this episode of Defining Moments podcast, Hannawa reflects on stroke recovery and the profound healing capacity of simple acts of communication. Dr. Hannawa is an Associate...
Duration:00:53:49
Cottage Industry Employment and the Healing Potentials of Collaborative Art
3/18/2022
Patty Mitchell, Susan Dlouhy, and Tad Semsel of Passion Works Studio join co-host Dr. Lynn Harter to explore the healing potentials of collaborative art and cottage industry employment. The mission of the studio is to inspire and liberate the human spirit through the arts. In living out this mission, the studio has revolutionized societal perceptions of developmental differences, fostered more inclusive communities, and created employment opportunities through a cottage industry model.
You...
Duration:01:03:55
Disrupting the Spiral of Silence: Loud Healing for Strong Black Women
3/11/2022
Asha Winfield, Assistant Professor in the Manship School of Mass Communication at Louisiana State University, joins guest host Dr. Jill Yamasaki to explore her journey as a Black woman scholar with uterine fibroids. Asha gets personal as she reflects on silences in Black families, the myth of the Strong Black Woman, and the importance of representation for envisioning otherwise. She calls for loud healing in scholarship, healthcare, and communities to diversify how we care for and write...
Duration:00:55:53
Racism, Health Inequities, and Healing through Words
3/7/2022
Tiandra Finch, Founder and CEO of Spirit Over Flesh, joins co-hosts Dr. Lynn Harter and Dr. Joe Bianco to explore her journey to heal through words. Spirit Over Flesh prioritizes and supports black women on their wellness journeys. Tiandra gets personal as she reflects on health inequities connected to race, systemic biases amplified during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the role of storytelling and narrative medicine in imagining healthier futures.
You can read the article by Tiandra Finch in...
Duration:01:10:31
Always a Surge: Managing Public Health Operations in the COVID-19 Pandemic
2/25/2022
As we enter year three of the COVID-19 pandemic, cases are starting to decline in the U.S. For front-line health care professionals, this is a welcome reprieve from the back-to-back surges caused by Delta and Omicron variants. For the public health workforce, however, there is no respite from the pandemic’s demands; the pace of their work is as relentless between surges as during.
In this episode of Defining Moments, Dr. Gillian Ice joins co-host Dr. Joe Bianco to talk about her experiences...
Duration:00:55:20
Environmental Determinants of Health: Supporting Local Agricultural Systems and Housing Security
2/21/2022
Hylie Voss, President of Sugar Bush Foundation Board of Directors, joins co-host Dr. Lynn Harter to explore campus and community partnerships that seek to improve quality of life in Southeastern Appalachian Ohio. Voss highlights projects supporting local agricultural systems and housing security, both of which reveal how the environment and human health are connected.
Duration:01:03:00
Storytelling and Well-Being Amidst Hardship
2/5/2022
How does storytelling foster resilience amidst inescapable suffering, trauma, and vulnerability? In this episode, new co-host and co-producer Dr. Joe Bianco joins Dr. Lynn Harter to explore this question and kick-off Season 3 of the Defining Moments Podcast. Listen as two narrative enthusiasts share the role that storytelling plays in their personal and professional lives and enjoy a preview of some of the speakers and topics slated for Season 3. Lynn is a Professor in the School of...
Duration:00:59:30
Legacy Leaving and Memoir Writing: Narrating the Life-Limiting Experience of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
10/12/2020
How do you reframe a terminal disease as a life-limiting experience? In this episode of Defining Moments, guest host Dr. Erika Kirby speaks with Dr. Chad McBride and Dr. Kathy Miller on how they’ve been co-narrating Chad’s life in the wake of his diagnosis with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease. In raw and honest form, Chad reflects on the diagnosis and its impact. Together, Chad and Kathy describe their joint efforts of legacy leaving and...
Duration:00:53:15
Birthing Practices in the U.S. Across Time
8/7/2020
Childbirth is a biological and cultural experience. Birthing practices and women’s experiences of childbirth are shaped by ever-shifting medical practices and societal values and preferences. On this episode of Defining Moments, Dr. Jackie Wolf talks about the intersections between her personal experiences with social birthing and her scholarly work on the history of birthing and breastfeeding practices in the U.S. Dr. Jackie Wolf is Professor in the Department of Social Medicine at the Ohio...
Duration:00:57:09
Communicating about Food Allergies: Moving Between Personal Stories and Public Advocacy
7/31/2020
Managing food allergies is a communicative process. In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Bute reflects on her family’s personal experiences with food allergies, and how her personal experiences led her to become a public advocate. She discusses her work with Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE), the largest private funder of food allergy research in the U.S. Dr. Bute is an Associate Professor of Communication at IUPUI.
You can read Dr. Bute’s work published in Health Communication at:...
Duration:00:54:00
Chicana Feminism and Border Studies: Reproductive Healthcare at the Mexico-U.S. Border
7/24/2020
On this episode of Defining Moments Podcast, Guest Host Dr. Jill Yamasaki talks with Dr. Leandra Hernandez and Dr. Sarah De Los Santos-Upton on how they live out the values of Chicana Feminism in their work as health communication scholars and activists. Leandra and Sarah share reflections on their work on reproductive healthcare at the Mexico-U.S. Border. They challenge listeners to join with Latinx communication scholars and border studies scholars to translate research into practices that...
Duration:00:46:16
Stares and Prayers: Rethinking Masculinity, Disability, and Spirituality
7/17/2020
On this episode of Defining Moments Podcast, Guest Host Dr. Laura Ellingson talks with Dr. Leland Spencer about the vulnerability of storytelling and its emancipatory potential. Spencer challenges systemic barriers that limit opportunities for individuals based on gender and sexual identities, disabilities, and spirituality. The conversation offers a hopeful vision of inclusion and respect in settings that range from coffee shops to college classrooms. Dr. Spencer is an Associate Professor...
Duration:00:39:45
Compassion Fatigue and Resilience in the Trauma-Filled World of Animal Rescue
7/11/2020
Every year over 3 million dogs enter rescue shelters in the U.S. alone. Rescue organizations are short on resources and rely heavily on volunteers. On this episode of Defining Moments, Dr. Jill Yamasaki invites listeners into the trauma-filled world of animal rescue. She reflects on her own journey characterized by both compassion fatigue and resilience. Dr. Yamasaki is an Associate Professor in the Valenti School of Communication at the University of Houston.
You can read her story about...
Duration:00:35:43
Theatrical and Documentary Film Translations of Cancer Communication Research
7/3/2020
Communicating about cancer across the natural progression of the disease is challenging and complicated. In this episode, Dr. Wayne Beach reflects on his research about family communication and patient-oncologist communication and the translation of his findings in the form of theatre productions and documentary films. Beach’s work illustrates the power of moving between personal stories and the public expression of those experiences. Dr. Beach is a Professor of Communication at San Diego...
Duration:01:09:51
Family Storytelling, Mental Illness, and Well-Being: Fostering Healing Through Narrative Interventions
6/26/2020
Families play a pivotal role in helping members make sense of mental illness and other health challenges. In this episode, Dr. Kellas invites listeners to consider how the process of family storytelling and the types of stories told can foster and/or disrupt stigma and healing. She offers suggestions for research-informed and narrative-based interventions for individuals, families, and groups. Dr. Kellas is a Professor and Chair of Communication Studies at the University of...
Duration:01:01:27
Fostering Food Access and Food Justice in Rural Contexts
6/19/2020
Defining Moments Podcast is hosting multiple episodes about how food communicates and how we communicate about food. On this episode, host Dr. Lynn Harter talks with Dr. Kristen Okamoto and Sonia Ivancic about the unique challenges and possibilities of addressing hunger in rural contexts characterized by high rates of poverty. They discuss their research with justice-oriented organizations that seek to go beyond providing access to food. They offer lessons learned about disrupting narratives...
Duration:01:16:52
Re-Imagining Food Pantries as Activist Spaces
6/15/2020
Defining Moments Podcast is hosting multiple episodes about how food communicates and how we communicate about food. In this episode, Dr. Rebecca de Souza discusses her research on communication processes at food pantries, a primary form of access for those who are food insecure. de Souza invites listeners to consider the limits of charitable organizing as a response to hunger. She urges us to re-imagine food pantries as activist spaces that challenge systemic racism, privilege, and stigma....
Duration:01:30:44
Childhood Cancer and Cancer Care: Fostering a Communal Approach to Healing
6/5/2020
Childhood cancer is the number 1 disease killer among children in the U.S. Worldwide, a child is diagnosed with cancer every 3 minutes. Behind every statistic are stories. On this episode of Defining Moments, Dr. Joe Bianco talks about his family’s experience with childhood cancer. His professional world collided with his personal one when his 11 year-old son Andrew was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma. Joe reflects on the importance of understanding cancer and its care from a communal...
Duration:01:09:42