On today’s episode, we kick-off a series of conversations with winners of the 2026 Raise the Line Faculty Awards from Elsevier Health, who were selected from more than 1,000 nominations submitted by students and colleagues at over 300 institutions worldwide.

First up is Professor David Tanner, Director of Nursing Programs at Guildford Technical Community College in North Carolina, winner of the Registered Nurse and Nurse Practitioner category. “I don't have your traditional university students that are 19 or 20 years old. I have older students who are working jobs, have families, and are more serious in their studies.” As someone who started his own nursing career at 35, Professor Tanner can relate to the challenges they face, which spurs him to make sure they are getting the best possible learning experience from the precious time they are spending in the program.

In his conversation with Raise the Line from Elsevier host Lindsey Smith, Professor Tanner also reflects on the mentors who shaped him and makes the case for why more nurses should consider teaching, even though they may have to take a pay cut to do so. “I find it just as rewarding as when I worked on the floor.”

In this on-the-ground look at nursing education, you’ll also hear about:

• The looming nursing shortage in North Carolina, and the unexpected upside it's creating for new graduates;
• A low-risk way to test the waters of teaching;
• Why he believes pediatrics is where the fight against adult chronic disease should start.

Mentioned in this episode:
Guilford Technical Community College Nursing Programs
2026 Raise the Line Faculty Awards

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"Throw a dinner party. It's the best wellness thing you can do." That surprising prescription comes from Dr. Zeke Emanuel, whose book, Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules For a Long and Healthy Life, offers a refreshing counterpoint to the elaborate fitness regimens and proliferation of products pushed by wellness influencers in their quest for longevity.

An oncologist, prominent bioethicist, and one of the key figures behind the Affordable Care Act, Dr. Emanuel was motivated to write the book by a need to respond to a bestselling longevity guide that all but ignored what he considers the most important factor in a long, healthy life: social interaction. “Not having friends is about the equivalent of smoking fifteen cigarettes a day, but when you ask doctors to rate the most important wellness and longevity intervention, social interaction is very close to the bottom of the list.”

In this special 600th episode of Raise the Line from Elsevier, Dr. Emanuel also makes the case that the race to add years misses the point. "A meaningful life isn't just about living a long time. It's about what you do with your life.”

This lively and provocative conversation with host Lindsey Smith also offers insights on:

• Why AI may soon outperform physicians in key tasks;
• A vaccine whose benefits reach well beyond what it was designed to prevent;
• What his oncology patients taught him about the hidden toll of uncertainty.

Mentioned in this episode:

"Eat Your Ice Cream" book

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As we've noted on Raise the Line from Elsevier before, the system Americans rely on to keep vaccine recommendations grounded in science has changed in ways that many in the medical community find alarming. Our guest today, Dr. Jason Goldman, has watched this shift unfold from a closer vantage point than most in his role as liaison from the American College of Physicians (ACP) to the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

“The vaccine guidelines must be based on science and evidence and that doesn't change because of someone's political beliefs. We have to keep politics out of healthcare,” says Dr. Goldman, who has been a prominent voice responding to the risks resulting from these changes as well as other public health issues.

This candid conversation with host Lindsey Smith also explores:

• Why Dr. Goldman calls himself a "dinosaur";
• The Medicare quirk that pits doctors against each other;
• His advice to students when choosing a specialty.

Mentioned in this episode:
American College of Physicians

If you like this podcast, please share it on your social channels. You can also subscribe to the series and check out all of our episodes at www.osmosis.org/podcast