The evrē Podcast
UCHealth presents The evrē Podcast series. We’re taking our signature health and wellness event celebrating all women and breaking it down into episodes where we’ll speak with special guests and top experts on issues including insomnia, stress, relationships, life changes and how to balance it all. Hosted by acclaimed former anchor and reporter and current Denver Director of Public Affairs Gloria Neal, we’re here to help you live your best life physically and emotionally.
Where to listen
Episode 1
Sleep Well
Want to know how much sleep you actually need? Need tips on how to get a better night’s sleep? Host Gloria Neal talks with sleep specialist Dr. Katherine Green, a CU Medicine provider, about all things sleep related. Join them for evrē’s first podcast episode.
Episode 2
Strength in Numbers
Humans are social beings. We thrive when we are together and suffer when we’re not. This year has really put that fact into focus. Host Gloria Neal talks with clinical psychologist, Dr. Carrie Landin, about how to survive isolation due to COVID-19, dealing with challenging relationships, building a relationship with yourself and more.
Episode 3
Find Your Calm
Some of us experience stress and anxiety more acutely than others, but they are both a normal part of life. In this episode, Gloria dives in to how to identify feelings of stress and anxiety, how to deal with them productively and how to know when it’s time to get professional help.
Episode 4
Do Hard Things
Resilience is the ability to get through tough times. While some people are taught resilience at a young age, others build it through challenging experiences. Either way, learning how to be resilient in the face of things we can’t control is relevant to everyone. Life is full of challenges, both big and small. This episode discusses the ways we can learn and grow from difficult experiences instead of letting them overwhelm us.
Episode 5
Debunking Health Myths
Knowing what information sources to trust can be tricky. As a result, health myths spread easily. However, when we know the facts, we can be proactive about our health and can make choices that are not just healthy but can be life-saving. In this episode, we explore where to find reliable information online and we debunk a bunch of health myths that affect women.
Episode 6
Make a U-turn
Life is full of unexpected events. As we’ve seen with COVID-19, some events are more unforeseen than others. How can we get through challenging times and find ways of turning them into positive experiences? Dr. Margarita Sevilla discusses her amazing life and shares how she has grown from her own life’s challenges.
Episode 7
Attitude of Gratitude
Practicing gratitude may seem cliché, but there is scientific evidence that remembering what we are grateful for can positively impact both our physical and mental health. This episode discusses the ways you can start a gratitude practice and how to overcome the times you feel you have nothing to be grateful for.
Episode 8
Believe and Achieve
We all have things we want to accomplish, big and small. The key to our success is knowing how to set realistic goals and overcome obstacles along the way. In this episode, we talk to the highly accomplished Dr. Kathleen Flarity, brigadier general, who discusses her experience with goal setting and shares some unexpected advice.
Episode 9
Love Yourself
We all struggle with loving ourself, whether it’s our body, appearance, or what we can or can’t do as women. But we are stuck with ourself our whole life, so we have to find a way to come to terms with who we are or we risk always feeling bad. There are many ways to combat negative thoughts and to find self-acceptance and self-love. In this episode, we explore common negative self-talk and ways to change our negative habits so we can learn to love ourself.
Episode 10
Hormones and Your Health
Our hormones make us who we are and are essential to good health. But when they’re out of balance, they can be extremely disruptive to our well-being. For women, there are many times throughout life that our hormones naturally change, starting with puberty, then around pregnancy, and again during perimenopause and menopause. In this episode, Dr. Laura Borgelt talks all about these changes and the other ways hormones can affect us over the course of our lives.
Episode 11
Meditation: The New Superpower
Mindfulness is the practice of grounding yourself in the present moment and there are many ways of practicing it. Meditation, yoga and mantras are just some examples of ways to be mindful. The practice, which has been around for centuries, is now being used by doctors and therapists to help people deal with stress, anxiety, depression, pain management, finding happiness and so much more. Find out how mindfulness works on your brain and learn ways to fit it into your life.
Gloria Neal
Having served as a TV news anchor, reporter, radio talk show host, columnist and, now, Director of Public Affairs in Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock’s administration, Gloria Neal’s versatile career has made her a sought-after talent for speaking engagements across the nation.
With more than 30 years of combined experience working with public- and private-sector entities, Gloria brings her passion for understanding challenging, complex issues and problem-solving to everything she touches. Her drive has ensured her success in both traditional and non-traditional environments.
Gloria is a strong believer in community involvement. She has served philanthropic and community-driven causes not only in Denver, but in cities across the country. She currently sits on the board of the American Red Cross-Denver/Wyoming Chapter and Warren Village nonprofit organization, and on the advisory board of Delta Dental of Colorado, and serves as an advisor and mentor for numerous other organizations. Gloria is also a past board member of the Metro Denver Leadership Foundation and the past president of the Colorado Association of Black Journalists (CABJ). She was a member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women of Metro Atlanta and an honorary member of the Atlanta Business League—one of the oldest black business organizations in the nation.
Podcast Guests
Episode 11: Dr. Meredith Shefferman
Meditation: The New Superpower
Dr. Shefferman is a licensed psychologist at the UCHealth Center for Integrative Medicine where she provides individual and group psychotherapy. She works in numerous clinical settings, including eating disorder treatment centers, university counseling centers, outpatient hospital clinics, and in private practice. Dr. Shefferman uses a mindfulness-based approach to help women during pregnancy and postpartum and has co-facilitated general mindfulness groups and a Mindful Eating and Healthy Nutrition Group.
Prior to her work at UCHealth, Dr. Shefferman was the Assistant Director and Training Director of the University of Northern Colorado Counseling Center. She completed her PhD in counseling psychology at Colorado State University in 2006.
When she’s not working, Dr. Shefferman enjoys hiking, skiing, bike riding, yoga, meditation and reading. She loves spending time with her family, including her two daughters, husband and her goldendoodle puppy.
Episode 10: Dr. Laura Borgelt
Hormones and Your Health
For 20 years, Dr. Laura Borgelt has been a faculty member at the CU Anshutz Medical Campus with an emphasis in women’s health. She is a published author of more than 100 articles and a textbook titled “Women’s Health Across the Lifespan” and has presented to more than 75,000 women across the globe. Dr. Borgelt works closely with women, helping them navigate health issues from contraception and menopause to life in general. She is passionate about empowering women and giving them the knowledge to advocate for their own health and well-being.
In addition to working as an educator and clinician, she recently became Associate Dean of Administration and Operations and Professor at the CU Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. She is also a prolific researcher and board-certified pharmacotherapy specialist. Dr. Borgelt regularly gives talks on women’s health and patient safety, cannabis science and medicine, and leadership.
Beyond teaching, scholarly activities and professional service, she is a mother of three boys and an energetic triathlete and swimmer. Some of her major accomplishments including successful swim crossings of the English Channel, Maui Channel, and the length of Tampa Bay!
Episode 9: Dr. Vanessa Rollins
Love Yourself
Vanessa Rollins is a psychologist who cares for patients at UCHealth Family Medicine in Boulder. Dr. Rollins works with primary care providers to help patients achieve greater well-being by providing mental health and counseling services to people of all ages.
She specializes in mood and anxiety disorders, chronic health conditions, interpersonal relationship difficulties and more. She is also an Assistant Professor in Family Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine on the Anschutz Medical Campus.
Rollins has been a strong ally for patients in the Colorado area, helping them cope with the stresses of pandemic-related trauma and distress affecting their lives. When she is not in academia or offering her professional services, she enjoys walking, hiking, traveling, listening to podcasts and trying new recipes. She and her husband spend most of their time running after their adventurous toddler daughter and counting the resultant grey hairs.
Episode 8: Dr. Kathleen Flarity
Believe and Achieve
Dr. Kathleen Flarity is nothing if not motivated. She is a highly decorated and well-respected brigadier general in the Air Force Medical Service with a lot of letters after her name (DNP, PhD, CEN, CFRN and FAEN). She began as an army combat medic in 1980 and received a commission in the U.S. Army Reserve in 1988. She deployed to Saudi Arabia before transferring to the Air Force Reserve. She held numerous positions there, including serving as Director of Air Force Nursing Services and Mobilization Assistant to the Command Surgeon, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. Currently, she is a UCHealth research nurse scientist and recently became the first woman appointed as mobilization assistant to the Command Surgeon of the Air Mobility Command in the U.S. Air Force.
Navigating the stresses of being a COVID-19 health care provider reminds Kathleen of practicing medicine in a war zone. Serving as deputy director of the CU Anschutz Center for COMBAT Research in the Department of Emergency Medicine and in the U.S. Air Force as Brigadier General, Kathleen knows a thing or two about supporting individuals during difficult times.
Kathleen has significantly helped civilian health care workers during the pandemic by using her knowledge and expertise of medical care in the military. Kathleen is an incredible resource and ally to have on the healthcare team in the fight against COVID-19.
Episode 7: Rachel Slick, LCSW
Attitude of Gratitude
Using a holistic approach of focusing on mental health and physical well-being is how Rachel Slick approaches patient care. Rachel is a passionate licensed clinical social worker who believes her patients are the experts of their own stories. She supports her patients by encouraging them to focus on their positive qualities and strengths, thereby empowering them to take control of their health. Her own positivity and gratitude allow her to share her personal experience with her patients and connect more deeply, thereby helping them navigate their stress.
Rachel possesses a deep knowledge of the integrated care model and has years of experience in pediatrics, school-based health clinics, family practice clinics, internal medicine, and medication-assisted treatment. She graduated from Southern Illinois University before receiving a Master of Social Work at the University of Illinois. Rachel is fluent in Spanish and experienced in providing bicultural services to underserved and vulnerable populations. When she’s not working with patients, she enjoys camping during the summer months and snowboarding during the winter. She is passionate about fitness and competes in power lifting and enjoys traveling to visit her supportive friends and family around the country.
Episode 6: Dr. Margarita Sevilla
Make a U-turn
Dr. Sevilla specializes in Family Medicine and Sports Medicine at UCHealth – Highlands Ranch. Her focus is helping patients live their best lives through preventative care such as nutrition, weight loss and helping them lead healthy lifestyles.
Like many women, Dr. Sevilla struggles with balance. As she strives to find her own, she also helps her patients find theirs too. She tries to get to know the patient as a person, working with them to help find the solutions that work best for their unique lives.
Dr. Sevilla finds her passion and empathy help her treat female patients, as she truly wants to make a difference in their lives and help them get back to being active after injury. With the current pandemic, she sees that women are struggling. Through listening and giving women tools to empower themselves, she helps them see that they have the strength within them to get through this time.
Dr. Sevilla, who grew up in Ecuador and England, is also an accomplished triathlete who enjoys hiking, biking, skiing and spending time with her two Labrador retrievers.
Episode 5: Dr. Lisa Wynn
Debunking Health Myths
Dr. Lisa Wynn specializes in Obstetrics and Gynecology at UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital as the Service Line Chief for Women’s Services and serves as a Senior Clinical Instructor at the University Colorado School of Medicine. Attending UCLA for her OB/GYN residency, her passion for women and children’s health allows her to take care of patients from adolescence through menopause and beyond. She loves being able to bring babies into the world and also has a growing interest in robotic surgery.
As a non-frontline health care worker and a woman of color, she felt it was important to do her part in the fight against COVID-19 by enlisting in the Moderna vaccine trial to help see how the vaccine affected diverse populations.
Born and raised in Denver, Dr. Wynn continues to love living in Colorado with her husband Charles, their two daughters, Addison and Isla, and two fur babies, Nala and Apollo. The whole family is looking forward to traveling again (hopefully soon). Dr. Wynn is committed to civic engagement, serving on the Board of the Children’s Museum Marisco Campus and was a Governor’s Fellow.
Episode 4: Dr. Michelle Barron
Do Hard Things
Dr. Michelle Barron is the senior medical director of infection prevention and control for UCHealth. After graduating from Yale in 1992, she returned to her home state of Texas for medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. While there, Dr. Barron found her calling in infectious disease while treating people affected by AIDS. She then completed her internship and residency program in Internal Medicine at Creighton University before coming to Colorado in 1999 to begin her fellowship in Infectious Diseases at the University of Colorado.
For much of her career at University of Colorado Hospital, Dr. Barron has served as medical director of infection prevention and control. She is board certified in infectious disease and internal medicine. She’s also a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Barron has led the charge against infectious diseases including the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009 and Ebola in 2015.
Since January 2020 and the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, she has worked around the clock with fellow leaders to protect patients, staff and providers across UCHealth. Dr. Barron is also a member of the Colorado Governor’s Expert Emergency Epidemic Response Committee (GEEERC).
When Dr. Barron isn’t tackling infectious diseases and pandemics, you can find her traveling the globe with her husband Greg, playing with her dog Chase and inspiring others with her trademark positivity and strength.
Episode 3: Dr. Kristin Orlowski
Find Your Calm
Dr. Kristin Orlowski is a licensed psychologist at UCHealth Family Medicine in Littleton. She works in Integrated Primary Care providing collaborative, team-based care and a “whole health” approach. This means she is able to work directly with primary care doctors to ensure her patients are both assessed and treated from an emotional, psychological, physical and environmental perspective. Dr. Orlowski is also a strong proponent of mindfulness for helping her patients, specifically in its’ ability to reduce stress and anxiety.
Dr. Orlowski also works with community advocacy groups like the Colorado Psychological Association, where she leads the effort in developing plans for diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
When she is not at work, Dr. Orlowski enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters. She tries to maintain balance in her life by engaging in hobbies like exercise, enjoying the outdoors and traveling.
Episode 2: Dr. Carrie Landin
Strength in Numbers
Taking a holistic approach to mental health is Dr. Carrie Landin’s specialty. As an Integrative Medicine psychologist, Dr. Landin strives to help her patients achieve their best mental health through mind-body therapy. Unlike regular therapy, this approach looks at a wide range of issues that affect a person’s health, including the physical, emotional, social and environmental factors that contribute to well-being.
She starts by using cognitive behavioral and relational techniques to help her patients. She then also works with people to change their lifestyle by, for example, helping them implement regular exercise routines, improving their diet, advising on relationship dynamics, adhering to health care plans and engaging in self-care.
She has been at the UCHealth Integrative Medicine Center in Denver for 11 years and loves her work. When not working, Dr. Landin loves spending time with her husband, two children, friends and family and 82-pound golden retriever, Reggie. She also enjoys running, yoga and producing her podcast about influential women in history.
Episode 1: Dr. Katherine Green
Sleep Well
If anyone knows how to get a good night’s sleep, it’s Dr. Katherine Green. Not only is she Medical Director of the Sleep Center at University of Colorado Hospital, she is also a professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.
She is one of very few otolaryngologists (ear, nose and throat specialists) in the country who have gone through formal fellowship training in both sleep medicine and sleep surgery, and she was the first surgeon in Denver to offer Inspire therapy—an alternative to the traditional CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machine and the newest FDA-approved device for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) being offered by a select group of surgeons around the country.
Dr. Green is passionate about treating sleep disorders and educating patients about the role that sleep plays as a foundation for wellness, quality of life and good health. When she’s not working (or sleeping), Dr. Green enjoys spending time with her husband and 7- and 3-year-old daughters. Most of her time outside of work these days is spent at home playing pretend or doing puzzles and crafts with her kids, but hobbies also include travel, fine food, wine and beer, and reading.
© 2021 UCHealth
In this final episode of the season, Gloria recaps some of the episodes and shares what she has learned. We hear highlights from the experts on sleep, health myths, hormones, gratitude, meditation and mindfulness, self-love, and goal setting.