Episode
Housing Is Medicine: Dr. Megan Srinivas on Health, Policy & Community Power
- Podcast
- Move the City FWD Podcast
- Published
- Aug 31, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2126
- Processing state
not_requested- Canonical source
- https://mycitymyhealth.transistor.fm/32
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Summary
What happens when the problems affecting your patients cannot be solved with a prescription? Corey Dion Lewis sits down with Dr. Megan Srinivas, physician, Chief Medical Officer at Primary Health Care, and Iowa legislator, to talk about the connection between medicine, policy, housing, and community health. Dr. Srinivas shares how her experiences caring for patients pushed her toward policymaking. She explains why housing can shape nearly every part of a person’s health, from safety and medication access to transportation, insurance coverage, and the ability to focus on anything beyond immediate survival. They also discuss the role of nurses, community health workers, case managers, and social workers in extending care beyond a short clinical visit, the challenges created by Medicaid redetermination, and why you do not have to hold elected office to influence policy. The conversation closes with a reminder that advocacy can start anywhere, including with young people willing to ask one simple question: “What can I do?” Show Notes In this episode: 02:40 — Dr. Srinivas’ path through internal medicine, infectious disease, global health, and health equity 04:01 — Why she realized there was only so much she could accomplish with a prescription pad 07:25 — What medicine taught her about listening, disagreement, and meeting people where they are 08:59 — Why “housing is medicine” 10:54 — What clinicians can do when a patient is experiencing housing instability 13:46 — How nurse-led visits and team-based care can strengthen patient trust and understanding 16:08 — Medicaid work requirements, redetermination, and the problem of not having a stable address 18:33 — How Primary Health Care is preparing patients who may be at risk of losing coverage 21:23 — Managing the emotional wei…