News You Can Use – September 2025

Shots, Plots, and Smelly Socks

This month’s episode of “News You Can Use” on Healthcare NOW Radio features news from the month of September 2025.

The show that gives you a quick insight into the latest news, twists, turns, and debacles going on in healthcare with my friend and co-host Craig Joseph, MD (@CraigJoseph) Chief Medical Officer at Nordic Consulting Partners and myself, where every diagnosis comes with a side of humor. We hope you stay curious, stay engaged, and keep seeking the truth in healthcare in a world that thrives on information.

Buckle up as we dive into the ER of excitement, the ICU of irrationality, and the waiting room of wacky wisdom in this months show that features a review of:

• Vaccines
• Covid and Flu Vaccines
• Acetaminophen and Pregnancy
• Epic Central
• Ig Noble Awards

Correlation, Causation, and Cosmic Comedy

September rolled in with its usual chaos, and Craig and I dove headfirst into the latest healthcare absurdities. First stop: vaccines. Once upon a time (you know, like last year), the CDC, AAP, and every other acronym agreed on who should get a COVID shot: basically, everyone over six months old. Fast-forward to now, and it’s like trying to follow IKEA instructions in the dark. Over 65? Definitely. Chronic illness? Probably. Pregnant, working at a grocery store, or just unlucky? Well, good luck figuring that one out. And let’s not forget vaccines aren’t magical shields against infection, but they do keep you out of the ICU, which is kind of a win in our book.

Of course, it’s not just COVID causing confusion. We wandered into the great acetaminophen pregnancy debate. The FDA’s message? Pregnant women should avoid unnecessary meds, which is basically what they’ve said forever. But now the internet has Opinions. Here’s the thing. Correlation isn’t causation. Just because two things happen at the same time doesn’t mean one caused the other. Otherwise, Craig waking up every morning would literally make the sun rise. Bottom line? Whether you’re pregnant or not, don’t pop Tylenol for a paper cut, but if you’ve got a roaring fever, maybe don’t martyr yourself either. Balance, people.

And then there’s Epic, the electronic health record overlord. They announced “Epic Central,” which is supposed to finally connect all those maddeningly separate portals into one magical login. As someone with 700 different usernames and passwords (no, really), I welcome our new portal overlords. Finally, maybe I won’t need a PhD in password management to see my cholesterol results.

Zebras Don’t Paint Themselves (and Other Scientific Truths)

To cap it off, we celebrated the IG Nobel Awards because nothing says science like painting cows to look like zebras or inventing UV shoe boxes for smelly sneakers. Honestly, in a world where healthcare makes less sense than stripy livestock, sometimes you just have to laugh or at least disinfect your shoes.

We hope you enjoy our take on the latest news and developments in healthcare and want to help you keep untangling the web of information, dodging the sensational pitfalls, and emerging victorious, albeit a little dizzy, on the other side. In the end, the stories we uncover, and the discussions we ignite, all shape the narrative of our shared future. We want to hear from you especially if you have topics covered or questions you’d like answered. You can reach out directly via the contact form on my website, or send a message on LinkedIn to Craig or me.

Until next month keep solving healthcare’s mysteries before they become your emergencies.

This article was originally published on the Dr. Nick – The Incrementalist blog and is republished here with permission.

News You Can Use gives you a quick insight into the latest news, twists, turns and debacles going on in healthcare with Dr. Nick and Dr. Craig and where every diagnosis comes with a side of side-splitting humor. Your hosts are Dr Nick a long-time host, innovator and healthcare wizard who can prescribe a digital dose of innovation to cure even the most ailing operational inefficiencies. And Dr. Craig Joseph is the healthcare guru who can diagnose both patient and software glitches with equal precision, making sure hospitals run smoother than a well-oiled robot doc.

So buckle up, because we’re diving into the ER of excitement, the ICU of irrationality, and the waiting room of wacky wisdom.

Stay curious, stay engaged, and keep seeking the truth in a world that thrives on information. Because in the end, the stories we uncover, and the discussions we ignite, they all shape the narrative of our shared future.

And keep laughing at the absurdity, keep rolling your eyes at the headlines, and keep spreading the news like your favorite gossip. Who knows, maybe someday you’ll be the breaking news story we’re all talking about!

Weekdays at 4:00 am, 12:00 pm, and 8:00 pm ET.

Follow the Social Hashtag at #HealthNewsYouCanUse