A patient who didn’t have to die: why Dr. Shannon Dowler worked so hard on expanding Medicaid, fixing rural care, and why sex education after 60 matters. Dr. Shannon Dowler is a rural family physician from the Appalachian Mountains, former Chief Medical Officer of North Carolina Medicaid, author of Never Too Late: Your Guide to Safer Sex After 60, and a musician who makes STI education catchy because “STDs Never Get Old.” We discuss how personal stories drive policy, what Medicaid expansion really changed, and why creative, stigma-free sexual health education saves lives. We also cover dating apps, rising STIs in older adults, and why physician leaders should keep one foot in the clinic. Topics we cover: – The preventable deaths that shaped her mission – Medicaid in North Carolina: expansion, outcomes, and new work requirements – Rural medicine realities: distance, disasters, and access – Sex after 60: practical STI prevention and talking about testing – How humor, rap videos, and a book make important topics approachable Tune in for a candid, hopeful conversation at the intersection of medicine, policy, and public health—told by someone who’s led at the state level and still shows up for patients. 💡 Help shape the future of Medical Portraits! Tell me what you liked, what to change, and who to invite next. Email me directly at medicalportraits@gmail.com — I read everything. 📲 Follow for updates & clips: 🟡 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/medicalportraits/ 🟡 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MedicalPortraits 🟡 Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/de/podcast/medical-portraits/id1759320078?l=en-GB 🟡 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/37OesLF98yhUY8AUrGZMv1?si=c5c1c85524d74ca3