Behind the Podcast | Podcast

In this special episode of “Off the Charts,” co-hosts Steven Jackson, MD, and Kari Haley, MD, and producer Jimmy Bellamy reflect on the year of episodes since the podcast launched. They share the conversations they’re still thinking about, the quotes that have stuck with them and feedback from listeners that inspires them to keep going.

Listen to the episode or read the transcript.

Off the Charts’ origin story

May 2020 was a turning point in American history. With the murder of George Floyd came stark realization that the United States, to say nothing of the Twin Cities where the murder took place, had a long way to go in terms of healing from racism.

Regions EMS responded by assembling a community roundtable to discuss the situation and try to find a way forward. It was posted on YouTube.

“I was enthralled,” says Off the Charts producer Jimmy Bellamy. He remembers thinking it was a minor miracle that they got all those people in the same room. He was also impressed with the quality tech Regions EMS was able to produce.

Bellamy emailed Dr. Kari Haley, who hosted the roundtable, to ask if HealthPartners could share the video on its communications channels.

Dr. Haley replied, cc’d Dr. Steven Jackson and said they should start a podcast.

Hitting the airwaves

Bellamy recalls having seen Dr. Jackson speak and finding him to be hilarious and great at riffing.

At first, Bellamy admits that he thought a podcast was going to be too much work. But then, he says he thought more about it and how cool it would be if they could do it.

They pitched the idea for a HealthPartners DEI podcast and found instant support at every turn.
The first episode of Off the Charts was published Jan. 3, 2022.

Memorable guests and evergreen content

As of this conversation, “Off the Charts” had posted 22 episodes. The impact it’s had has been its biggest accomplishment, says Bellamy. People say they listened to an episode and now think about a DEI issue differently. They commit to approaching topics from a new angle and treating others more thoughtfully. One listener chose their new nurse practitioner based on hearing her on the podcast.

These types of things, says Bellamy, are the true ROI of the podcast. He recalls an early guest of the podcast, Toweya Brown-Ochs, telling listeners to leverage their privilege. That’s what he aims to do, he says.

“Off the Charts” exists, in part, to help people see that it’s okay to take in new information and have your mind changed. Bellamy, Dr. Jackson and Dr. Haley will hopefully be helping people do that for years to come.

To hear more reflections from Dr. Jackson, Dr. Haley and Jimmy Bellamy, listen to this episode of Off the Charts.