News
Meritus president and CEO launches podcast to connect community, share information
HAGERSTOWN, Md. – Meritus Health’s president and CEO has launched a new podcast series, “Close to Home.”
The 10-to-15 minute episodes are available on Apple Podcasts, Amazon and BuzzSprout. The goal is to take the hospital and health system’s promise of delivering “Expert Care, Close to Home” a bit further, by sharing candid conversations about the health-related topics that are relevant in the community.
“We know that a person’s health and wellness is determined by so much more than just their medical appointments,” Joshi said. “We live in an era of information, but I still continue to find that many of our community members aren’t aware of some of the topics or issues that really matter when it comes to their health and the health of our community, nor are they aware of some of the inspiring partnerships or opportunities to get involved that are happening right down the street,” he said.
Joshi, who holds a doctorate in public health, said this trend became very apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic, when conflicting sources of information created confusion. Combine that with a changing media landscape, and Joshi identified an opportunity to better connect community members with candid conversations about topics that are relevant to the community and hold high importance in a format that is relatable and understandable.
“‘Close to Home’ is one-part small talk, all parts important talk,” Joshi said. “We feature important topics but ‘Close to Home’ is fun. It’s a great format to engage our community with our leaders and community partners, and to make topics – such as physician shortage or health epidemics like obesity – more relatable.”
The first episode, “Doctors and Potatoes” features Dr. Aaron George, chief medical officer, Meritus Health.
Dr. George shares insights on how Meritus is preparing for a growing physician shortage and his take on the worst food to feed kids.
The second episode, “Shedding Light on Shedding Pounds,” provides a personal story from local radio personality, Lou Scally, who details his wife’s health scare that inspired him to lose more than 50 pounds on a pathway to a healthier life.
The series is open to all podcast listeners, globally.
In a culture where health issues and information can be hard to understand and confusing, “Close to Home” is just what the doctor ordered. Episodes can be accessed by visiting MeritusHealth.com/ClosetoHome.
