In The Moment ... March 15, 2017 Show 050 Hour 1
The Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act (HR1313) passed quietly out of a U.S. Congressional House committee last week before raising a stir in the forum of public opinion. The legislation essentially strips privacy protections from the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (GINA). In short, it means employers could demand employees undergo genetic testing and share the results with the company’s employee wellness program or face stiff financial penalties. Before we unpack the politics, however, we wanted to know more about what’s possible (and what’s at stake) with genetic testing.
We begin this hour with an extended conversation about genetic testing, medical research, and privacy. First we welcome Cornelius F. Boerkoel, MD, PhD. He’s executive director of Sanford Imagenetics Research Center on Genomic & Molecular Medicine and Executive Clinical Director of Sanford Genetics Laboratories. Then we welcome Joseph Yracheta, with Missouri Breaks Industries Research, Inc. to continue the conversation with special focus on genetic testing and medical research as it applies to indigenous people.
Next, In the Moment producer Chris Laughery brings you a conversation with Brandon Kandolin, head girls basketball coach at St. Thomas More high school. He joins the show to talk about his program’s success.
Chris Nilsen won a national title in pole vault when he cleared 18 feet 8 ¼ inches at the NCAA Indoor Championship. Nilsen currently holds the American Under-20 indoor record. Derek Miles is his coach. Coach and athlete join In the Moment to talk about the journey and what it takes to win a national title.
