Atul GawandeEvery podcast appearance, updated as new ones drop

In this episode, Kate speaks with surgeon, writer, and public health leader Dr. Atul Gawande about the deeply human questions that surface when medicine meets its limits. What does it mean to be a good doctor when a cure isn’t possible? What do people really mean when they say they want “quality of life?” Together, they talk about caregiving, end-of-life decisions, and how the most honest conversations in healthcare begin—not with answers—but with better questions. For anyone living with chronic illness, caring for someone they love, or wondering what it means to live a good life with limits, this conversation won’t offer easy fixes. But it might offer something just as rare: clarity, compassion, and the courage to ask what really matters. This episode originally aired September 2025. Watch the full episode on YouTube : Kate C. Bowler on YouTube Subscribe to Kate’s Substack : katebowler.substack.com Show notes: The Aspen Ideas Festival Being Mortal by Dr. Atul Gawande The Green House Project Ari Johnson & Muso Health Organizations for further action: World Food Programme , UNICEF , American Red Cross

Atul Gawande is a surgeon, a best-selling author, and a longtime contributor to The New Yorker. He also served as the Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID under President Biden. He joins Preet to discuss new medical breakthroughs from cancer to GLP-1s, and the crisis of faith in our healthcare establishment. Then, Preet answers listener questions about whether Trump’s DOJ Anti-Weaponization Fund is really dead. He also shares his thoughts on President Trump’s acting Director of National Intelligence Bill Pulte and Hunter Biden’s newly revived X account. In the bonus for Insiders, Preet and Gawande discuss affordability and the original sin of our healthcare system. Join the Insider community for access to bonus content from Stay Tuned and weekly episodes of the Insider podcast hosted by Preet and Joyce Vance. Head to cafe.com/insider to sign up. Thank you for supporting our work. Show notes and a transcript of the episode are available on our website . You can now watch this episode! Head to CAFE’s Youtube channel and subscribe. Shop Stay Tuned merch and featured books by our guests in our Amazon storefront . Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on BlueSky, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 833-997-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kathy and Claire Ennion dive into The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande, and the unofficial subtitle of this episode says it all: why do incredibly smart people still forget the obvious things?Gawande's answer is both humbling and reassuring. It's not about intelligence. It's about complexity. Modern work has too many moving parts, too many steps, and too much cognitive load for any human brain to manage perfectly, even the very best ones. The checklist, it turns out, isn't an admission of failure. It's one of the most powerful tools ever invented. In this episode, Kathy and Claire explore how a simple five-step checklist in a Michigan hospital cut infection rates by 66% and saved over 1,500 lives. How the aviation industry turned near-disaster into safer skies. And how the WHO surgical checklist reduced deaths by 47% across eight hospitals worldwide. But this isn't just a book about medicine and planes. It's about any work that involves complexity, people, and the terrifying potential of a missed step. Client onboarding. Team processes. The junk folder no one checked. The timesheet set up wrong on day one. Kathy and Claire also get into why experts resist checklists (spoiler: it's ego), what makes a good checklist versus a useless one, and how a simple process change can actually shift the way whole teams communicate. Because sometimes the thing standing between you and a really good outcome isn't strategy or skill. It's remembering to check the obvious stuff before it goes wrong.

In this episode, Dr. Atul Gawande joins Dr. Patrick Georgoff to share his experiences as a surgeon, writer, and global health leader. From his innovative work at Ariadne Labs and Lifebox to his current role as Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID, Dr. Gawande discusses the challenges and rewards of creating large-scale impact. He reflects on balancing creativity in writing with precision in surgery, lessons learned from managing teams, and the critical importance of strengthening global health systems. Enjoy! Dr. Atul Gawande is the Assistant Administrator for Global Health at the U.S. Agency for International Development, where he oversees a bureau that manages more than $4 billion with a footprint of more than 900 staff committed to advancing equitable delivery of public health approaches around the world. The Bureau for Global Health focuses on work that improves lives everywhere--from preventing child and maternal deaths to controlling the HIV/AIDS epidemic, combating infectious diseases, and preparing for future outbreaks. Prior to joining the Biden-Harris Administration, he was a practicing surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and a professor at the Harvard Medical School and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He is the founder and was the chair of Ariadne Labs, a joint center for health systems innovation, and of Lifebox, a nonprofit making surgery safer globally. From 2018-2020, he was also the CEO of Haven (an Amazon, Berkshire Hathaway, and JP Morgan Chase healthcare venture). In addition, Atul was a longtime staff writer for The New Yorker magazine and has written four New York Times best-selling books: Complications, Better, The Checklist Manifesto, and Being Mortal. Visit https://www.usaid.gov/organization/atul-gawande to learn more about our special guest. To learn more about the Global Health Bureau, please visit https://www.usaid.gov/global-health . Please visit https://behindtheknife.org to access other high-yield surgical education podcasts, videos and more. If you liked this episode, check out our recent episodes here: https://app.behindtheknife.org/listen

Fixing Healthcare welcomes Dr. Atul Gawande , a renowned surgeon, writer and public health researcher who currently serves as the Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID. He has a rich background as both a medical professional and a compassionate individual. Ten years ago, Dr. Gawande published the bestselling book “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End,” which explored the intersection of medicine, aging, and the end-of-life journey. His father’s battle with a spinal tumor profoundly influenced the book, serving as a catalyst for Gawande to confront the limitations of medical interventions and the importance of addressing patients’ individual goals and fears as they approach the end of their lives. This episode explores: Gawande’s personal story as he reflects on his father’s battle with a spinal tumor, highlighting the complexities and emotional challenges of dealing with serious health issues within a family. His father’s journey from being a vibrant individual and a dedicated surgeon to facing the limitations imposed by his illness provides; a profound context for the discussion on end-of-life care. Difficult decisions that families and patients face when confronted with terminal illnesses, along with the nuances of choosing between aggressive treatments and palliative care. Approaches to end-of-life care that respect the patient’s wishes and focus on enhancing the quality of life rather than merely extending it. The significance of having open and honest conversations about end-of-life preferences and the limitations of medical interventions. This episode is part of the ninth season of Fixing Healthcare with cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr . Tune in for the full interview and join the conversation on social media. * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of a book about medicine’s invisible yet highly influential physician culture. Check out “ Uncaring: How Physician Culture Is Killing Doctors & Patients .” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr . Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn . The post FHC#143: Navigating life’s final chapter with Atul Gawande appeared first on Fixing Healthcare .

Fixing Healthcare welcomes Dr. Atul Gawande , a renowned surgeon, writer and public health researcher who currently serves as the Assistant Administrator for Global Health at USAID. He has a rich background as both a medical professional and a compassionate individual. Ten years ago, Dr. Gawande published the bestselling book “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End,” which explored the intersection of medicine, aging, and the end-of-life journey. His father’s battle with a spinal tumor profoundly influenced the book, serving as a catalyst for Gawande to confront the limitations of medical interventions and the importance of addressing patients’ individual goals and fears as they approach the end of their lives. This episode explores: Gawande’s personal story as he reflects on his father’s battle with a spinal tumor, highlighting the complexities and emotional challenges of dealing with serious health issues within a family. His father’s journey from being a vibrant individual and a dedicated surgeon to facing the limitations imposed by his illness provides; a profound context for the discussion on end-of-life care. Difficult decisions that families and patients face when confronted with terminal illnesses, along with the nuances of choosing between aggressive treatments and palliative care. Approaches to end-of-life care that respect the patient’s wishes and focus on enhancing the quality of life rather than merely extending it. The significance of having open and honest conversations about end-of-life preferences and the limitations of medical interventions. This episode is part of the ninth season of Fixing Healthcare with cohosts Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr . Tune in for the full interview and join the conversation on social media. * * * Dr. Robert Pearl is the author of a book about medicine’s invisible yet highly influential physician culture. Check out “ Uncaring: How Physician Culture Is Killing Doctors & Patients .” All profits from the book go to Doctors Without Borders. Fixing Healthcare is a co-production of Dr. Robert Pearl and Jeremy Corr . Subscribe to the show via Apple, Spotify, Stitcher or wherever you find podcasts. Join the conversation or suggest a guest by following the show on Twitter and LinkedIn . The post FHC #122: Navigating life’s final chapter with Atul Gawande appeared first on Fixing Healthcare .

Atul Gawande's "The Checklist Manifesto: How To Get Things Right" is a book that explores the power of checklists and how they can improve the performance of individuals and organizations in a variety of contexts. Some of the key themes of the book include: Become a member here: https://www.patreon.com/Moonshots The fallibility of human memory: Gawande argues that humans are fallible and prone to forgetfulness, especially when dealing with complex tasks. Checklists can help ensure that critical steps are not missed. The value of simplicity: Checklists must be simple, concise, and easy to use. Complex checklists can be overwhelming and lead to errors. The importance of communication: Checklists can improve communication between team members, especially in high-pressure situations with a risk of miscommunication. The need for flexibility: Checklists should be adaptable to different contexts and situations and constantly updated and refined based on feedback. The potential for checklists to improve performance in various fields: Gawande provides examples of how lists have been successfully implemented in medicine, aviation, construction, and other industries. Overall, Gawande argues that checklists can be a powerful tool for improving performance and reducing errors in various contexts and that they should be an essential part of any organization's toolkit. Thanks to our monthly supporters Mike Edwin Deitch Jamie Dorward Emily Rose Banks Malcolm Magee Natalie Ryan N. Marco-Ken Möller 孤鸿 月影 Fabian Jasper Verkaart Andy Pilara ola Austin Hammatt Zachary Phillips Mike Leigh Cooper Gayla Schiff Laura KE Roar Nikolay Ytre-Eide Stef Roger von Holdt venkata reddy Ingram Casey Ola rahul grover Ravi Govender Craig Lindsay Steve Woollard Deborah Spahr Samoela Jo Hatchard Kalman Cseh Berg De Bleecker Paul Acquaah MrBonjour Konnor Ah kuoi Marjan Modara Dietmar Baur Bob Nolley ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

On this week’s episode of Stay Tuned, “Health of a Nation,” Preet answers listener questions about the allegations against New York Governor Andew Cuomo; the For the People Act (H.R. 1); and the upcoming CAFE Live Zoom Event, which will take place today, March 11th, at 6 PM ET. (Sign up here for the event, which will feature historians Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman in conversation about the presidential administrations that changed the course of history, and the outlook for President Biden.) Then, Preet is joined by Atul Gawande, a surgeon and New Yorker staff writer who has written extensively on the politics and policy of COVID-19. In the Stay Tuned bonus, Gawande discusses his influential “The Cost Conundrum” article and tells Preet about his favorite popular medical literature. For show notes and a transcript of the episode, head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/health-of-a-nation-with-atul-gawande/ Sign up for tonight’s CAFE Live Zoom Event at 6PM ET with historians Heather Cox Richardson and Joanne Freeman. They will discuss the presidential administrations that changed the course of history & the outlook for President Biden: CAFE.com/live Listen to the entirety of Doing Justice, Preet’s new free six-part podcast based on his bestselling book of the same name. You can hear Preet’s incredible stories from his time as U.S. Attorney on Apple Podcasts (apple.co/doingjustice), Spotify (spoti.fi/3p9Xwja) or wherever you get your podcasts. To listen to Stay Tuned bonus content, become a member of CAFE Insider at: CAFE.com/Insider As always, tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #askpreet, email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 669-247-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is produced by CAFE Studios. Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Senior Editorial Producer: Adam Waller; Technical Director: David Tatasciore; Audio Producer: Matthew Billy; Editorial Producers: David Kurlander, Noa Azulai, Sam Ozer-Staton. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Bob calls up a friend – Dr. Atul Gawande – to bring clarity and empathy to some pretty complicated issues. Atul, a practicing surgeon and bestselling author, recently finished serving on the Biden transition’s COVID-19 task force. Atul discusses the work of the task force, how best to handle vaccines and the schools, and what COVID-19 has taught him about our healthcare system, our politics, and our approach to death and dying. Follow Dr. Bob on Twitter @Bob_Wachter and check out In the Bubble’s new Twitter account @inthebubblepod. Follow Atul Gawande on Twitter @Atul_Gawande. Keep up with Andy in D.C. on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt. In the Bubble is supported in part by listeners like you. Become a member, get exclusive bonus content, ask Andy questions, and get discounted merch at https://www.lemonadamedia.com/inthebubble/ Support the show by checking out our sponsors! Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1NEJFhcReE4ejw2Kw7ba8DVJ1xQLogPwA/view Check out these resources from today’s episode: Watch President Biden's full address on his COVID-19 response plan: https://youtu.be/JzA37FofhmM Read President Biden’s National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/National-Strategy-for-the-COVID-19-Response-and-Pandemic-Preparedness.pdf Watch Anthony Fauci speak at a recent White House press conference, his first under the new Biden administration: https://youtu.be/sFLxkM3xeGw Learn more about what Atul Gawande and his colleagues are up to at CIC Health: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/01/24/business/seven-months-ago-cic-health-didnt-exist-today-its-running-states-mass-vaccination-effort/ Learn more about Dr. Bob Wachter and the UCSF Department of Medicine here: https://medicine.ucsf.edu/ To follow along with a transcript and/or take notes for friends and family, go to www.lemonadamedia.com/show/in-the-bubble shortly after the air date. Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“What does a good day look like?” That question — when asked of both terminally-ill and healthy people — has transformed Atul Gawande’s practice of medicine. A citizen physician and writer, Gawande is on the frontiers of human agency and meaning in light of what modern medicine makes possible. For the millions of people who have read his book “Being Mortal,” he’s also opened new conversations about the ancient human question of death and what it might have to do with life. Atul Gawande practices general and endocrine surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He’s also Professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Samuel O. Thier Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School. He was recently named the CEO of Haven, a healthcare venture spearheaded by the leaders of Amazon, JP Morgan, and Berkshire Hathaway. He’s been a staff writer for “The New Yorker” magazine since 1998 and is the author of four books, including “The Checklist Manifesto” and “Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End.” This interview is edited and produced with music and other features in the On Being episode “Atul Gawande — What Matters in the End” Find more at onbeing.org.

What Matters In The End? Krista Tippett's Interview with Dr. Atul Gawande on the OnBeing Podcast --- This is a reproduction of my favorite podcast - On Being with Krista Tippett . She interviewed Dr. Atul Gawande & dove into the topic of What Matters In The End? https://onbeing.org/programs/atul-gawande-what-matters-in-the-end-oct2017/ What does a good day look like? This is the question that transformed Atul Gawande's practice of medicine. He's a citizen physician on the frontiers of human agency and meaning in light of what modern medicine makes possible. In his writing in The New Yorker , and in his book Being Mortal , he's opening a new conversation about what dying has to do with living.

Today’s episode of More than Meets the IRB investigates the role of ethical review in a dramatically changing scientific landscape where ineptitude, not ignorance, is becoming a focus of public health. Dr. Atul Gawande reveals a practical solution that is successfully addressing ineptitude among surgery teams across eight different locations around the world. Renowned speaker Dr. Gawande is a general and endocrine surgeon, professor at the Harvard School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School, executive director of a lab for health-systems innovation, and chairman of a nonprofit making surgery safer globally. “We’ve entered a world where ineptitude has become as big a problem as ignorance.” – Dr. Atul Gawande Ignorance and Ineptitude The major change in knowledge today is the emphasis on systems over research. There are two sources of failure in anything humans set out to do: 1. Ignorance—we have not learned how to solve all of our problems, but research has helped close our gaps in knowledge tremendously. 2. Ineptitude—knowledge may exist, but people fail to apply the knowledge correctly. Today, we may know a great deal but fail to put the pieces together in solving a problem. What is the best way to address this? The Importance of Effective Medical Systems A three-year-old girl in Austria fell into an icy pond and drowned. After not breathing for 30 minutes and having a body temperature of 30 degrees below normal, she was miraculously restored to a breathing, functional state through CPR and several machines over a period of weeks. She had multiple disabilities initially, but after two years, she regained all of her faculties and became a typical five-year-old girl. The revealing truth was that she was restored—not with cutting-edge medicines or technologies—but with a successful system that coordinated hundreds of professionals in executing standard medical procedures. The Ethics of Implementing Systems • Ethical questions to review boards such as IRBs are now posed amidst the democratization of once-elite methods of science. • The “province of professors” has become the domain of medical students, nurses, and pharmacists who interact with data and trials in research. • We are tinkering with systems that have known levels of harm, trying proven ideas but not understanding how to put the pieces together. In this setting, how can we ensure the ethics of implementing effective systems?

With Ezra and Matt on summer vacation, Sarah is left to her own devices — and decides to share a fantastic interview from the Ezra Klein Show with surgeon and writer Atul Gawande. Atul talks about the fascinating academic work he has in progress, attempting to improve end-of-life care and make hospitals safer, and how he became a writer in the first place. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

FRONTLINE filmmaker Tom Jennings and author and surgeon Atul Gawande discuss the making of their documentary, Being Mortal, about why so many doctors struggle to discuss death openly and honestly with their patients. (Original Upload Date: 04/02/2015)