Robert Califf
@robcaliff.bsky.social
Robert McKinnon Califf is an American cardiologist who served as the 25th commissioner of food and drugs from 2016 to 2017 and again from 2022 to 2025.
Source: Wikipedia
Medicine
47%
Economics
27%
How Did DOGE Disrupt So Much While Saving So Little?
www.nytimes.com
It took a lot of imagination to maximize the human suffering while not saving any money when the dust settled. Hope this is wisely read.
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/u...
www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/u...
New York Giants team doctor: Clinics offering ‘miracle injections,' ‘next generation cell therapies’ are selling false hope
“As head team physician for the New York Giants, I routinely have athletes asking about supposed ‘breakthrough’ stem cell treatments,” writes Scott Rodeo.
www.statnews.com
So glad to see this article. Needs to be said over and over. Nice graphic also!
www.statnews.com/2025/12/18/r...
www.statnews.com/2025/12/18/r...
A Challenge for Our Nation’s Academic Institutions & Healthcare Systems: Part 3
One Path Forward
robcaliff272993.substack.com
I hope health systems and AMC's will embrace primary care--CMS is moving in that direction, but leaders of our systems could be a lot more aggressive and it would make a difference (in my humble opinion-realizing I'm a cardiologist!).
robcaliff272993.substack.com/p/a-challeng...
robcaliff272993.substack.com/p/a-challeng...
I was lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, surviving on a waiter's salary. My diet was basically wine, baguettes, and goat cheese.
Turns out that might've been good for my brain?
A new study says high-fat cheese prevents dementia. Let's talk about it. 🧀🧵
(1/10)
Turns out that might've been good for my brain?
A new study says high-fat cheese prevents dementia. Let's talk about it. 🧀🧵
(1/10)
This is an excellent post.
So I expect that AI, while reducing administrative jobs, will shine a light on our willful ignorance of the unmet medical need. Then we'll have to decide--do we ADD to the clinician workforce or somehow try to ignore the obvious?
But I do think there is another factor-as of now we're only dealing with a fraction of people's health problems (probably more than needed for the wealthy, but much, much less than needed for those with less money--think assisted living and nursing homes).
Will The AI Jobpocalypse Hit Healthcare?
It Depends on Which Jobs You’re Talking About
substack.com
As usual, I agree with Dr. Wachter's analysis-always learn from his work.
substack.com/home/post/p-...
substack.com/home/post/p-...
Two mass shootings, two countries, two futures.
In response to tragedy, Australia is already moving to act. In the US, the data show firearm mortality isn’t inevitable—but only where policy keeps up with reality.
open.substack.com
Passionate and well written note. The gap in longevity and functional status as a product of social policies is increasingly striking.
open.substack.com/pub/insideme...
open.substack.com/pub/insideme...
Reposted by Robert M. Califf
I was lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, surviving on a waiter's salary. My diet was basically wine, baguettes, and goat cheese.
Turns out that might've been good for my brain?
A new study says high-fat cheese prevents dementia. Let's talk about it. 🧀🧵
(1/10)
Turns out that might've been good for my brain?
A new study says high-fat cheese prevents dementia. Let's talk about it. 🧀🧵
(1/10)
TBC I can’t even remember to post my writing on LNKD and have “Make reel” on the top of my to do list every time I write something and do it Iike 1 out of every 5 times.
carnegieendowment.org/research/202...
carnegieendowment.org/research/202...
For Expertise to Matter, Nonpartisan Institutions Need New Communications Strategies
To avoid irrelevance when they are needed most, experts and nonpartisan analysts must rethink not just their channels of communication but also their theory of influence.
carnegieendowment.org
I hope a lot of people read this report from the DiResta for the Carnegie Endowment.
Debating Science: No Thanks
Anti-vaccine activists RFK Jr., Aaron Siri, and Steve Kirsch have asked that I debate them on vaccine safety. One of them offered me $1 million to do it. Here’s why I declined.
open.substack.com
I agree with Dr Offit on the debate issue--this is not a matter for performative displays. But we need to keep working on ways to communicate outside of the scienctists/clinicians bubble.
open.substack.com/pub/pauloffi...
open.substack.com/pub/pauloffi...
Reposted by Robert M. Califf
For Expertise to Matter, Nonpartisan Institutions Need New Communications Strategies
To avoid irrelevance when they are needed most, experts and nonpartisan analysts must rethink not just their channels of communication but also their theory of influence.
carnegieendowment.org
TBC I can’t even remember to post my writing on LNKD and have “Make reel” on the top of my to do list every time I write something and do it Iike 1 out of every 5 times.
carnegieendowment.org/research/202...
carnegieendowment.org/research/202...
Industry-funded conflict of the week: eggs and cognitive function - Food Politics by Marion Nestle
The egg industry sponsored a study to review the literature on whether eggs improve cognitive function; they don't, but "might."
www.foodpolitics.com
I enjoy my eggs and as a teenager delivered eggs door to door. Common sense advice from a real expert.
www.foodpolitics.com/2025/12/http...
www.foodpolitics.com/2025/12/http...
After a CDC panel voted to end the universal U.S. recommendation for the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, clinicians and epidemiologists worry the move could reverse decades of progress against a disease that still kills tens of thousands each year.
@celinegounder.com reports ⤵️
@celinegounder.com reports ⤵️
Vaccine Panel’s Hepatitis B Vote Signals Further Turbulence for Immunization Policy, Public Trust - KFF Health News
Clinicians and epidemiologists warn the decision to no longer recommend the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine could unravel decades of progress and expose newborns to a deadly, preventable disease...
kffhealthnews.org
“We don’t get to choose what we inherit,” Wang said. “But we do get to choose what we pass on.”
Reposted by Robert M. Califf
Vaccine Panel’s Hepatitis B Vote Signals Further Turbulence for Immunization Policy, Public Trust - KFF Health News
Clinicians and epidemiologists warn the decision to no longer recommend the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine could unravel decades of progress and expose newborns to a deadly, preventable disease...
kffhealthnews.org
After a CDC panel voted to end the universal U.S. recommendation for the birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine, clinicians and epidemiologists worry the move could reverse decades of progress against a disease that still kills tens of thousands each year.
@celinegounder.com reports ⤵️
@celinegounder.com reports ⤵️
A Challenge for Our Nation’s Academic Institutions & Health Care Systems, Part 2
Factors Driving Disparities in Health and Healthcare
robcaliff272993.substack.com
Part 2 of a 3 part series on hopes for our health systems to have more impact on health.
robcaliff272993.substack.com/p/a-challeng...
robcaliff272993.substack.com/p/a-challeng...
Why Kennedy’s Message on Parental Rights, HIPAA, and Kids’ Medical Records Misses the Point
Parents have rights under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), but so do kids.
open.substack.com
This will be a substack worth following. Points here about the complexity of messaging (or lack thereof) from HHS are so important.
open.substack.com/pub/bruceles...
open.substack.com/pub/bruceles...
Fall vaccination rates are down, flu takes off, the U.S. is not Denmark, ICE’s negative impact on health, and more.
The Dose (December 8)
open.substack.com
YLE covers a lot here--most of it concerning, but no reason to give up. A winner is a loser who kept on trying.
open.substack.com/pub/yourloca...
open.substack.com/pub/yourloca...
Real-World Evidence for Medicare Drug Price Negotiations
This Viewpoint discusses how real-world evidence studies could help the US Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services align spending with value in their drug price negotiations.
jamanetwork.com
I agree with this. Of course, its all about the methods. I'd go one step further--we need a post-market evidence generation system that incldudes pragmatic RCTs as part of this RWE paradigm.
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...
A Challenge for our Nation’s Academic Institutions & Health Care Systems, Part 1
The Gap in Prevention and Primary Care
substack.com
First of a 3 part series unloading my views about prevention and primary care, including my hope that AMCs and health systems will change course.
substack.com/@robcaliff27...
substack.com/@robcaliff27...
