Y Health

In this classroom edition of the Y Health Podcast, Josh West explores the powerful concept of social capital and its impact on health and community well-being. Drawing on ideas popularized by Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone, this episode explains how relationships, trust, and community engagement influence mental, social, and physical health outcomes. Listeners will learn the difference between bonding social capital—the close connec...

Public health isn’t just community clinics and county programs — it’s shaping the future of healthcare from the inside out. In this episode of Y Health, BYU Public Health alum Sarah Harward shares how she’s redefining population health as a Business Operations Coordinator for Intermountain’s Children’s Health Network, Utah’s largest healthcare system. 

Sarah reveals how value-based care and proactive care models are transforming pat...

Does height really matter? In this classroom edition, Ben Crookston explains how child malnutrition and stunting are more than physical measurements—they are powerful indicators of long-term health, cognitive development, and economic opportunity. Learn why the first 1,000 days—from conception to age two—represent a critical window for intervention, and how nutrition, maternal health, breastfeeding, and dietary diversity can shape ...

In this episode of the Y Health Podcast we welcome Theron Hall, he is a chiropractor with nearly 30 years of experience helping patients prevent and recover from common musculoskeletal injuries. In this episode, he shares practical, prevention-focused strategies for avoiding low back pain, headaches, disc injuries, and posture-related issues caused by today’s sedentary, screen-heavy lifestyles.

In this conversation, Theron emphasize...

In this episode of the Y Health Podcast, we welcome Dr. Evan Thacker, BYU epidemiologist and dedicated mentor, to discuss brain health, metabolism, and the power of student-driven research.

Dr. Thacker shares his journey from neuroscience at BYU to graduate training at Harvard and the University of Washington, and how mentorship shaped his path. Now, with nine publications in 2025, he’s helping students take real research projects—f...

 Join host Dr. Cougar Hall as he sits down with Alan Pruhs, Executive Director of the Association for Utah Community Health, for a powerful and heartfelt conversation about what it really means to make healthcare accessible for all. 

From the rural clinics of Bicknell to the streets of Salt Lake City, Alan shares inspiring stories from Utah’s community and migrant health centers—where compassion, cultural humility, and collaboration...

 In this inspiring episode of Y Health, host Dr. Cougar Hall sits down with Ayugi Ntambwe-Kalala — public health professional, educator, and mother of three — to discuss her remarkable journey from a small fishing town in Kenya to her current role as Student Experience Coordinator in BYU’s Department of Public Health. 

Ayugi shares how her boldness and vision helped her build a global career spanning 31 countries, launch a menstrual...

 As part of BYU’s Homecoming Week, we’re spotlighting alum Christine Frandsen—a journalist turned public health professional—who shares how media literacy can help us recognize bias and misinformation in health news. From understanding journalism structures to questioning social media sources, Christine and Dr. Cougar Hall explore what it really means to “know your sources” in today’s world of public health communication. 

Keywords:...

Professor Cougar Hall sits down with Greg Hooke, a senior in Public Health and member of the College of Life Sciences Student Belonging Council, to explore what “belonging” really means at BYU—and how simple acts of connection can change campus culture. Greg shares how a Johns Hopkins internship studying bias in long-COVID care opened his eyes to everyday experiences of being unseen, and how that sparked student-led efforts at BYU:...

What can public health learn from the Freedom Riders? In this deeply moving conversation, Dr. Cougar Hall is joined by Georgia Calhoun, Trudy Munford, and Dr. Anthony Bates to discuss the intersection of faith, forgiveness, and social justice. From the burning buses of 1961 to the heritage festivals of today, this episode shows how communities endure trauma, create spaces for healing, and build legacies of peace. 

Recorded, Edited &...

In this episode of the Y Health Podcast, Dr. Cougar Hall welcomes back one of BYU Public Health’s most dynamic voices, Dr. Lori Spruance, to share insights from her recent Fulbright Fellowship in Australia, her groundbreaking work on nutrition policy, and her run for public office. 

Dr. Spruance dives into what it was like living in Rockhampton, the beef capital of Australia, complete with kangaroos on campus, sunburns from extreme ...

 In this episode of the Y Health Podcast, Dr. Cougar Hall announces two exciting new formats being added to the show: 

1. Y Health Classroom Edition – Faculty members will highlight key concepts from their courses at BYU, providing educational content that is both informative and accessible to a broad audience.
2. Public Service Announcements (PSAs) – Short, timely episodes meant to benefit listeners, sometimes shared by Dr. Hall and o...

In this episode of the Y Health Podcast, host Dr. Cougar Hall interviews Rachel Higginson, the Director of Sports Nutrition for BYU Athletics, about the evolving role of nutrition in athletic performance and everyday health. Rachel shares her journey from clinical dietetics to sports nutrition, highlighting the growth of the nutrition program at BYU, particularly after joining the Big 12. 

Key topics discussed include: 

• Intuitive...

Public health isn’t just about policies—it’s about people. Leiema Hunt, MPH, talks about her work in American Samoa, the unique health challenges her community faces, and the role of cultural traditions in promoting well-being. From leading COVID-19 response efforts to tackling non-communicable diseases, Leiema shares her insights on public health, leadership, and the importance of staying connected to one’s roots. 

Recorded, Edited...

In this episode of the Y Health Podcast, host Cougar Hall sits down with Dr. Randy Page, a recently retired professor from BYU’s Department of Public Health, to reflect on his 40-year career in academia and global health. From his early days as a researcher to pioneering BYU’s Global Health Internship Program, Dr. Page shares insights on professional pivots, the impact of international experiences, and the power of letting the worl...

 Summary: In this episode, Dr. Jim Johnston shares his powerful experiences researching occupational health in Nepal’s brick kilns, where workers face constant exposure to hazardous dust and air pollution. Beyond the health risks, his research uncovered an unexpected but urgent need—access to education for workers and their children. Dr. Johnston discusses how interdisciplinary collaboration is shaping solutions, from improving air...

In this episode of the Y Health podcast, Dr. Cougar Hall, alongside Dr. Alisha Redelfs and Dr. Julianne Grose, explores the intersection of public health and the creation of a sense of belonging within academic communities. The conversation delves into BYU’s Office of Belonging, established in 2021, and its unique gospel-centered approach to fostering inclusion and connection across campus. Through research, programs, and individua...

 Summary:

In this episode, Dr. Ricardo Noriega, a physician turned public health professional, shares his journey from medical school in Ecuador to BYU’s Public Health program. He discusses how the realization of the disparities between different regions and people shifted his focus to Public Health. Noriega also reflects on his fieldwork over the summer, where he connected patient information at Paso Del Norte Health Info...

 Summary:
In this episode, Dr. Marco Verdeja, a physician turned public health advocate, shares his journey from working in rural Mexican communities to his current role in Utah with Intermountain Health. He discusses how witnessing preventable health issues, such as malnutrition and limited healthcare access, motivated him to shift focus toward community health. Now, he addresses health disparities in underserved populations, ...