Real Talk Podcast Launches – Storytelling From the Front Lines of Medicine

Alicia Mikolaycik Kurtz, MD, Vituity emergency physician recognized in EMRA 45 Under 45 list, launches new podcast

EMERYVILLE, Calif. (Oct. 9, 2019) — Vituity, a physician-led and -owned multispecialty partnership, is pleased to support the launch of a new provider-focused storytelling podcast hosted by Alicia Mikolaycik Kurtz, MD. Dr. Kurtz created the Real Talk podcast to share real stories from the front lines of medicine and empower doctors, nurses, and advanced providers to honor their experiences in life and at work.

“The experiences of people working in medicine are not typically well understood by others because of the truly unique situations we deal with every day. Facing a gamut of emotions — from joy, pride, and elation to sadness, fear, and disappointment — we hold a lot in to be able to put patient care before ourselves,” said Dr. Kurtz. “The goal of Real Talk is to create a space for our peers to share their stories that recognize our more human experiences working in medicine. We’re trying to build that ‘culture of wellness’ that has traditionally been missing for professionals working in healthcare.”

Dr. Kurtz is an emergency physician with Vituity and the assistant medical director in the emergency department at Mercy San Juan Medical Center in Sacramento, California. She began hosting Real Talk as a guided discussion during her medical residency at UCSF Fresno. The program has since expanded to multiple residencies, clinical departments, national and regional conferences, and provider groups across the country. It is now available as an audio podcast across multiple streaming platforms.

Dr. Kurtz was also named as one of the 45 Under 45 honorees of the Emergency Medicine Resident’s Association (EMRA) in 2019. The 45 Under 45 list recognizes outstanding young physicians whose contributions embody the spirit of emergency medicine. Dr. Kurtz previously served as EMRA President from 2016 to 2017, where she became known for her ability to reimagine previously accepted norms, working to improve culture in both clinical and administrative healthcare circles.

“Empathy and compassion are two of the most important skills to practice medicine, but providers too often forget to apply that to ourselves,” said Gregg Miller, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Vituity. “It is so important that we take time for self-care by sharing and processing our emotions. We are proud to support the Real Talk podcast and Dr. Kurtz’s work to shift the culture of medicine.”

Live Real Talk sessions are also available at practice locations. Setting up an in-person session for departments and collaborative groups to share their stories in guided discussions helps teams combat burnout and compassion fatigue and refocuses them on the joy in medicine.

Real Talk is available to listen, subscribe, and download on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, YouTube, and Spotify. Connect with the podcast on Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram.

To suggest a story for the podcast or to learn more about setting up a Real Talk program for your practice, drop us a line at [email protected].

About Vituity

As a physician-led and -owned multispecialty partnership, Vituity has proactively driven positive change in the business and practice of healthcare for nearly 50 years. Our more than 3,500 doctors and clinicians provide a wide range of integrated acute care expertise. Serving over 6.4 million patients annually at more than 300 practice locations, our footprint continues to rapidly expand across the country as we partner with and support hospitals, health systems, clinics, payers, and employers. Vituity’s acute focus and compassionate care are the driving forces that have placed us at the heart of better care.

Our services span the entire Acute Care Continuum, including emergency medicine, acute psychiatry, acute neurology, hospital medicine, critical care, anesthesiology, acute care surgery, telehealth, post-acute care, and outpatient medicine.

Partnering to improve patient lives

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