Poppies & Propofol Podcast

About Poppies & Propofol Podcast

Dr. Burgart pulls the curtain aside on the House of Medicine, revealing how injustice and politics impact patients - equipping you to discuss complex issues with wit, confidence, and clarity. www.poppiesandpropofol.com (https://www.poppiesandpropofol.com?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Alyssa Burgart is an anesthesiologist and bioethicist.

Category

health & fitness · news

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

14 Jun 2025

Latest episode

26 May 2026

Latest episodes

6 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   26 May 2026

   "Consented" with Dr. Zed Zha

   Zed Zha, MD (she/her) joined me in conversation to discuss her new book Consented: A Doctor's Call to End Medical Violence and Reclaim Patient Autonomy. Consent is far more than a signature on a form. Violations of patient autonomy are frequent in medicine, causing irreparable harm to patients. Yet such violations are normalized in medical culture. Dr. Zha and I share a passion for ending violence against patients, beginning with a deep reassessment of and commitment to genuine, voluntary consent. In this interview, Dr. Zha shares her evolution in medicine from novice to attending, trying to resist the indoctrination of medicine, but after years of training, finding she must fight to re-humanize herself and her patients. With vulnerability and grace, Dr. Zha shows us that a better version of medical care is possible. You can get your copy of Consented wherever books are sold. I like to support my local book store through Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/a/101513/9798889842965 (https://bookshop.org/a/101513/9798889842965) Subscribe to Poppies & Propofol for more on ethics and culture in the house of medicine. https://www.poppiesandpropofol.com/ (https://www.poppiesandpropofol.com/) Get full access to Poppies & Propofol at www.poppiesandpropofol.com/subscribe (https://www.poppiesandpropofol.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

2. 

   14 Sept 2025

   Replacing Body Parts with Mary Roach!

   I had the most fun talking to Mary Roach (https://substack.com/profile/11945647-mary-roach) about her new book Replaceable You: Adventures in Anatomy (https://bookshop.org/a/101513/9781324050629). Mary does a fabulous job of describing the weird and wonderful science of the human body with her wry humor and attention to detail. She takes us on a journey through the many creative ways humans have tried and are trying to upgrade our bodies. While some of the techniques used today are novel (xenotransplant, anyone?), I was struck by the long history of a few procedures still being done every day in operating rooms around the world (rotational skin flaps and free flaps). *Unfortunately, my internet was a bit buggy (thanks, Silicon Valley!), so the video quality on my end is a bit sus. Mary is on tour with this fabulous book, and you can see her in a city near you (https://maryroach.net/replaceable-booktour.html)! If you can make it to any of these, I highly recommend it. Mary is funny and fun, interested and interesting! Thank you Elizabeth Austin (https://substack.com/profile/7894628-elizabeth-austin), BookfulBlockhead (https://substack.com/profile/5966237-bookfulblockhead), and many others for tuning into my live video with Mary Roach (https://substack.com/profile/11945647-mary-roach)! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Poppies & Propofol at www.poppiesandpropofol.com/subscribe (https://www.poppiesandpropofol.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

3. 

   22 Aug 2025

   Artist’s Way for Healthcare Workers

   “Creativity is not frivolous; it’s the muscle that lets us imagine a different future when the system tells us there’s no alternative.” I’m so excited to share this conversation with the founders of Introspective Spaces (https://www.introspectivespaces.com/), pediatrician Anu Gorukanti and public health nurse Laura Holford. In this episode, they share information and insights about their program, Artist’s Way for Healthcare Workers (https://www.introspectivespaces.com/artistswaysforhealthcareworkers), as much as I did. Introspective Spaces’ mission is to create contemplative community spaces to support healthcare workers with: * Deconstructing and processing moral distress as spiritual injury * Creating space for healthcare workers to reconnect with themselves and each other * Reimagining a new way in healthcare Laura and Anu’s program uses Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity (https://bookshop.org/a/101513/9780143129257) to build cohorts of healthcare workers for a 12-week program to rediscover their connection to creativity. We have a lot of agency as individuals, but healing most often happens in community. Anu and Laura are helping build those connections across professions and time zones through these supportive, private groups. Who is this Artist’s Way program for? This program is open to all healthcare workers and mental health professionals who engage directly or indirectly with our health system and are looking to build community. This season, they are also offering both a national drop-in option and a cohort focused on healthcare workers who are pregnant, postpartum, or new parents. “What if humanizing healthcare starts by humanising one another?” - Laura Holfold from Introspective Spaces How can you sign up? What supplies do you need? Sign up for the Artist’s Way for Healthcare Workers (https://www.introspectivespaces.com/artistswaysforhealthcareworkers) at the Introspective Spaces website. Pricing is on a sliding scale and includes continuing education credits. Scholarships are available. Sign-ups for this cohort close on Monday, August 25, 2025, and cohorts begin in early September! You can get Julia Cameron’s book here: Artist’s Way for Healthcare Workers (https://www.introspectivespaces.com/artistswaysforhealthcareworkers) How can you learn more about Introspective Spaces? In addition to their community programming, they have a beautiful Substack newsletter, also called Introspective Spaces (https://substack.com/profile/110619578-introspective-spaces). Here’s one of their recent publications: Thank you to those who joined us live! Thank you Ellen (https://substack.com/profile/9053077-ellen), Jill C Obremskey (https://substack.com/profile/76165047-jill-c-obremskey), Jenny Schiff (https://substack.com/profile/287552006-jenny-schiff), William Buchanan (https://substack.com/profile/35359084-william-buchanan), and many others for tuning into this live video with Anu G (https://substack.com/profile/3954396-anu-g) and Laura H from Introspective Spaces (https://substack.com/profile/110619578-introspective-spaces)! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Poppies & Propofol at www.poppiesandpropofol.com/subscribe (https://www.poppiesandpropofol.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

4. 

   6 Aug 2025

   Comply with Fear or Stand Up for Patients?

   In this episode of Poppies & Propofol, Alyssa Burgart, MD, MA (https://substack.com/profile/12165426-alyssa-burgart-md-ma) speaks with Mark Kuczewski (https://substack.com/profile/290903053-mark-kuczewski), PhD, Professor of Bioethics and Health Policy (https://www.luc.edu/stritch/bioethics/aboutus/facultydirectory/profiles/kuczewskimark.shtml) at Loyola University Chicago and Director of the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics. Kuczewski has been a national leader in advocating for immigrant health access and creating the framework for “Sanctuary Doctoring”—an approach that ensures undocumented and mixed-status patients receive care without fear. He shares the pivotal stories that inspired his work, including helping launch Loyola as the first U.S. medical school to openly admit DACA students. Together, Alyssa and Mark tackle the current climate of immigration enforcement, hospital overcompliance with ICE, and the moral obligations of healthcare professionals to protect vulnerable patients. If you’ve ever wondered what healthcare can and should do to shield patients from fear and injustice, this episode is for you. I encourage you to check out and share these resources: * The Loyola University Chicago Sanctuary Doctoring Toolkit (https://www.luc.edu/stritch/bioethics/medicaleducation/sanctuarydoctor/), available in Spanish (https://www.luc.edu/stritch/bioethics/medicaleducation/sanctuarydoctorspanish/) and English. * Good Sanctuary Doctoring for Undocumented Patients (https://journalofethics.ama-assn.org/article/good-sanctuary-doctoring-undocumented-patients/2019-01) by Drs. Kuczewski, Johana Mejias-Beck, and Amy Blair. Additional Resources and References Department of Homeland Security Sensitive Locations Memo (https://www.dhs.gov/publication/enforcement-actions-or-near-protected-areas) * DHS rescinded protections in sensitive areas: churches, schools, and hospitals. American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) (https://www.aila.org/) * Immigrants are at risk of being scammed for fake legal services. This organization pairs people with vetted immigration attorneys (https://ailalawyer.com/). National Immigration Law Center * Factsheet: Trump’s Rescission of Protected Areas Policies Undermines Safety for All (https://www.nilc.org/resources/factsheet-trumps-rescission-of-protected-areas-policies-undermines-safety-for-all/) American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) * AAP calls for end of family detention (https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/31703/AAP-leading-health-groups-call-for-end-of-family) * AAP Guide to Immigrant Child Health (https://www.aap.org/en/patient-care/immigrant-child-health/) * Detention of Immigrant Children (https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/139/5/e20170483/38727/Detention-of-Immigrant-Children) Catholic organizations, including Catholic Health Association of the U.S., U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Catholic Charities speak out against ICE in hospitals * Noted for being one of the only organizations to speak out after the rescinding of the Sensitive Locations Memo. You can read the organization’s letter to the House and Senate here (https://www.chausa.org/docs/default-source/advocacy/021025-cha-supports-the-protecting-sensitive-locations-act.pdf?sfvrsn=f4f2c27a_3). * CCUSA, USCCB, CHA emphasize need for protected areas for immigration enforcement (https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/2025/01/23/ccusa-usccb-cha-emphasize-need-for-protected-areas-for-immigration-enforcement/) Reagan’s 1986 Amnesty Act - Immigration Reform and Control Act (https://immigrationhistory.org/item/1986-immigration-reform-and-control-act/) (IRCA) DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) * Stritch pioneers the education of DACA physicians-in-training (https://www.luc.edu/stritch/admissions/daca/) AMA Code of Ethics (https://code-medical-ethics.ama-assn.org/principles) * Principle III of the code states: “III. A physician shall respect the law and also recognize a responsibility to seek changes in those requirements which are contrary to the best interests of the patient.” * Despite the AMA speaking out against ICE patrolling in hospitals back in 2017, the organization has remained silent in 2025 (https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/02/im-a-doctor-and-im-appalled-at-the-silence-from-the-american-medical-association/). UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child) * Part 1, Article 9: “States Parties shall ensure that a child shall not be separated from his or her parents against their will, except” in rare circumstances where “such separation is necessary for the best interests of the child.” Low Crime Rates Among Immigrants * Debunking the Myth of the ‘Migrant Crime Wave’ (https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/analysis-opinion/debunking-myth-migrant-crime-wave) Child Labor Law Rollbacks * Despite hazardous working conditions, many states are rolling back child labor laws (https://abcnews.go.com/US/despite-hazardous-working-conditions-states-rolling-back-child/story?id=107209273) * 2022 US Department of Labor statement (https://www.dol.gov/newsroom/releases/whd/whd20220729) on child labor protections * Economic Policy Institute: Child labor laws are under attack in states across the country (https://www.epi.org/publication/child-labor-laws-under-attack/) Healthcare workers as a source of patient criminalization * A 2022 study by If/How/When (https://www.ifwhenhow.org/) indicated that healthcare workers were the most likely to report patients (https://www.poppiesandpropofol.com/i/107206299/who-is-turning-in-the-most-patients-to-the-cops-its-healthcare-providers) after self-managed abortions. Disease Outbreaks in Detention Facilities * Mass incarceration leads to serious individual and public health consequences. * Seven suspected tuberculosis cases at Tacoma ICE processing facility (https://www.king5.com/article/news/investigations/investigators/seven-suspected-tuberculosis-cases-tacoma-ice-processing-facility/281-0479f854-14c3-413d-ac54-09bc28e80fb6) * Man Held by ICE Was Jailed in Alaska for Weeks. Now He's in the Hospital Battling Tuberculosis (https://www.latintimes.com/man-held-ice-was-jailed-alaska-weeks-now-hes-hospital-battling-tuberculosis-586499) Thank you j.e. moyer, LPC (https://substack.com/profile/6212213-je-moyer-lpc), Lauren, Esq. (https://substack.com/profile/288439467-lauren-esq), Yes I care. (https://substack.com/profile/111500710-yes-i-care), Jenny Schiff (https://substack.com/profile/287552006-jenny-schiff), and many others for tuning into my live video with Mark Kuczewski (https://substack.com/profile/290903053-mark-kuczewski)! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Poppies & Propofol at www.poppiesandpropofol.com/subscribe (https://www.poppiesandpropofol.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

5. 

   2 Jul 2025

   Second Opinion: Healthism, Long COVID, and Blame in Medicine

   Fellow anesthesiologist, Dr. Zeest Khan (https://substack.com/profile/254020245-dr-zeest-khan), and I got together in late April to talk about long COVID, healthism, and blame in medicine. Zeest writes extensively about the impact of Long COVID and what it’s like to become someone with a chronic disease as a physician. I highly recommend you check her work out, if you’re not already familiar. She’s awesome! Get full access to Poppies & Propofol at www.poppiesandpropofol.com/subscribe (https://www.poppiesandpropofol.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

6. 

   14 Jun 2025

   The Bethesda Declaration with Dr. Arghavan Salles

   This week, staff across the National Institutes of Health (NIH) released an open letter to Jay Bhattacharya, the current Director of the NIH, calling for for NIH and HHS leadership to deliver on promises of academic freedom and scientific excellence. Have you read the Bethesda Declaration (https://www.standupforscience.net/bethesda-declaration)? We have! In this Substack Live, Dr. Arghavan Salles (https://substack.com/profile/76680073-arghavan-salles) and I discuss the letter in depth and share our thoughts on why this letter is so important. You can learn more about Dr. Salles’ lab and work on ending sexual harassment here (https://salleslab.stanford.edu/). Her social media game is always on point, so if you’re on the apps, follow her on Tiktok (https://www.tiktok.com/@arghavansallesmdphd?lang=en), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/arghavansallesmd/?hl=en), and BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/arghavansallesmd.medsky.social). (My absurdly small dog, Sierra Sopaipilla, also makes an appearance.) If you’re interested, you can sign Stand Up for Science’s the complementary Open Letter in Support of NIH Public Servants (https://www.standupforscience.net/bethesda-declaration). We love citations, so here are resources for you to explore: The Great Barrington Declaration (https://gbdeclaration.org/) (GBD) * The GBD is the document that catapulted Bhattacharya to the national stage as a Covid contrarian. He’s a physician-economist who never did a residency, and prioritized the economy over many other clear human harms. In 2020, The GBD called for people to ignore Covid and go about their business while simultaneously - and without any specifics on how - protecting people who are potentially high risk for serious complications. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) * Here’s how RFK Jr framed the firing of all the ACIP vaccine experts (https://www.hhs.gov/press-room/hhs-restore-public-trust-vaccines-acip.html) in a recent press release. The paywalled opinion essay in the Wall Street Journal can be found here (https://www.wsj.com/opinion/rfk-jr-hhs-moves-to-restore-public-trust-in-vaccines-45495112). * Why the Sudden Firing of ACIP Members Should Put Every Clinician on High Alert (https://blogs.jwatch.org/hiv-id-observations/index.php/why-the-sudden-firing-of-acip-members-should-put-every-clinician-on-high-alert/2025/06/12/) (NEJM Journal Watch) * It will come as no surprise that after Dr. Salles and my conversation, RFK Jr (https://www.poppiesandpropofol.com/p/conspiracy-theory-lover-rfk-jr-to) then appointed 8 people (the minimum number required) to the ACIP, several of whom are well known misinformation spreaders and anti-vaccination advocates (https://apnews.com/article/cdc-acip-vaccine-committee-9f58e1f004075b081718ff078de88d76). HIV/AIDS * This recent KFF.org review (https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/the-trump-administrations-foreign-aid-review-status-of-pepfar/) explains how cuts to The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (https://www.kff.org/global-health-policy/fact-sheet/the-u-s-presidents-emergency-plan-for-aids-relief-pepfar/) (PEPFAR) and the dissolution of USAID (https://www.kff.org/u-s-foreign-aid-freeze-dissolution-of-usaid-timeline-of-events/), places the world’s containment of HIV/AIDS at profound risk. How research cuts harm humans already enrolled in clinical trials * AAMCNews: What's at stake when clinical trials research gets cut (https://www.aamc.org/news/whats-stake-when-clinical-trials-research-gets-cut) Federal funding freezes and pauses threaten studies on critical ailments. ‘Real humans are being affected.’ Andrew Wakefield * The Doctor Who Fooled the World (https://bookshop.org/a/101513/9781421438009): Science, Deception, and the War on Vaccines - Brian Deer’s excellent book on British-born disgraced doctor and founder of the modern anti-vaccine movement, Andrew Wakefield. Attacks on Peer Review and Academic Publishing * Science.org (https://www.science.org/content/article/trump-administration-targets-academic-journals-attorney-letter-proposed-funding-cuts) reporting on recent Trump Administration attacks on academic publishing. * Back when RFK was running for presidents he said (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OMOym3-ftzk) “On day one of my Presidency I am going to call all of the heads of the medical journals and threaten them with a RICO lawsuit if they don’t stop lying to the people.” * Numerous major medical journals have received vaguely threatening letters. Here’s one of them: Bhattacharya and his GBD bestie, Martin Kulldorff, co-founded a new journal, claiming it will be better, but it’s unorthodox - and exclusive - editorial practices appear to make it super favorable to people who agree with these Covid-contrarians. * From Science.org: New journal co-founded by NIH nominee raises eyebrows, misinformation fears. (https://www.science.org/content/article/new-journal-co-founded-nih-nominee-raises-eyebrows-misinformation-fears)The Journal of the Academy of Public Health claims to open up scientific communication. But its unusual editorial policies have some scientists concerned Nutrition scientist, Kevin Hall * NYTimes: Leading Nutrition Scientist Departs N.I.H., Citing Censorship (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/16/well/kevin-hall-nutrition-retirement-nih-censorship-rfk-maha.html) Kevin Hall said his work on ultraprocessed foods has been “hobbled” under the Trump administration. Scientists have been raising such concerns for months. * This 2024 interview with Eric Topol (https://substack.com/profile/1923753-eric-topol) may interest you: * Hall’s forthcoming book with Julia Belluz is called, Food Intelligence: (https://bookshop.org/a/101513/9780593332306) The Science of How Food Both Nourishes and Harms Us Gutted NIH Funding * The HHS Fiscal Year 2026 Budget In Brief” document (https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/fy-2026-budget-in-brief.pdf), sticks with plans to cut nearly 40% of the NIH’s discretionary budget to $27.5 billion. Plus, a consolidation of the agency’s 27 institutes and centers into just eight. I’m not falling for the documents claims - or graphics - claiming that these cuts will dramatically improve American health. * ProPublica’s reporting on Science Shattered (https://projects.propublica.org/nih-cuts-research-lost-trump/) explains what these cuts will really cost Americans. * Some funding sources have been yanked around in a high-stakes toxic relationships with a Research Funding Bad Boyfriend. * NIH guts its first and largest study centered on women (https://www.science.org/content/article/nih-cancels-its-first-and-largest-study-centered-women). * See the timeline of how the NIH has yanked around the Women’s Health Initiative (https://www.whi.org/md/news/whi-funding-announcement) specifically. We covered all this and so much more in our conversation. I hope you enjoy it and get something out it. Want to learn more about any of these topics? Send me a DM. Thank you to those of you who attended Live! Thank you Anthony Bennett (https://substack.com/profile/20885422-anthony-bennett), Curtis Barnhill (https://substack.com/profile/118964778-curtis-barnhill), Erin Kass (https://substack.com/profile/45835914-erin-kass), Lauren (https://substack.com/profile/288439467-lauren), Kenneth Delay (https://substack.com/profile/31590071-kenneth-delay), and many others for tuning into my live video with Arghavan Salles (https://substack.com/profile/76680073-arghavan-salles)! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Poppies & Propofol at www.poppiesandpropofol.com/subscribe (https://www.poppiesandpropofol.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

Contact Poppies & Propofol Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.