© 2024 Iowa Public Radio
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

To help those with addiction, health care providers must confront their own biases

River to River, hosted by Ben Kieffer

People with substance use disorders often encounter biases in the medical community.

On this episode of River to River host Ben Kieffer meets with healthcare professionals to discuss the harm that can come from stigma and what the medical community is doing to combat it — including an innovative storytelling project intended to help medical students. In addition, Iowans share their experiences with addiction and discuss how stigma affected their recovery.

Guests:

  • Dylan, Iowa Harm Reduction Coalition volunteer
  • Alison Lynch, MD and clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Iowa
  • Cate Dicharry, director of creative writing at the Carver College of Medicine
  • Eric Epping, clinical associate professor of psychiatry

Those looking for help or treatment for themselves or others may find these resources helpful:

Ben Kieffer is the host of IPR's River to River
Caitlin Troutman is a talk show producer at Iowa Public Radio
Dani Gehr is a producer for River to River and Talk of Iowa. Dani came to Iowa from her hometown in the northwest suburbs of Chicago to attend Iowa State University, where she received a bachelor’s degree in journalism, international studies and French. Before coming to IPR, Dani covered local government in Story County for the Ames Tribune and Des Moines Register.