# A Healthy Conversation

> Maine's public-affairs radio program, airing Sundays at 11am and 9pm on Newsradio WGAN AM 560 / FM 98.5. Co-hosted by physicians Dr. Jeff Barkin and Dr. Lisa Belisle. Long-form, non-partisan conversations with the people shaping health, policy, and life in Maine.

## What the show is

A Healthy Conversation is a long-form public-affairs radio program produced by Newsradio WGAN in Portland, Maine. Each Sunday at 11am and 9pm ET, two physicians sit down with a guest — typically a candidate for office, a policymaker, a clinician, an educator, or a Maine leader — for a substantive, non-partisan conversation. The show emphasizes civil discourse, evidence-based discussion, and the willingness to engage complex issues with curiosity rather than confrontation.

Listeners reach the show across Maine, across the United States, and internationally via the live radio broadcast, the WGAN podcast feed, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and TuneIn.

## Hosts

- **Dr. Jeffrey S. Barkin** — Portland-based forensic and clinical psychiatrist, physician leader, and award-winning multimedia journalist. Past president of the Maine Medical Association. Bio: https://ahealthyconversation.com/jeff-barkin
- **Dr. Lisa Belisle** — Board-certified family physician with a practice in integrative medicine. MD, MPH, MBA, and a PhD in leadership focused on leading through change. More than thirty years in medicine, practiced across hospitals, teaching settings, private offices, and her own business. Taught in residency and graduate medical education for more than a decade; served on the executive team of one of Maine's largest health systems and on the leadership team of a virtual healthcare startup. Host of Radio Maine (in partnership with Portland Art Gallery), author of The Bountiful Path on Substack, memoir *Daughter, Doctor, Mom* in progress. Speaker formats include featured talks, fireside conversations, workshops, retreats, and panel moderation. Lives on the coast of Maine. Joined AHC as co-host in March 2026, succeeding Steve Woods. Bio: https://ahealthyconversation.com/lisa-belisle. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlisabelisle/. Doximity: https://www.doximity.com/cv/drlisabelisle.

## What it stands for

- Encouraging respectful dialogue across political and professional differences.
- Exploring how health policy intersects with economics, education, and community life.
- Elevating Maine voices and Maine solutions.
- Providing listeners with substantive, balanced conversations that inform public understanding.

## Topics covered

Public health and policy, Maine politics and government, mental health and trauma, healthcare cost and access, medical education, integrative and preventive care, aging and long-term care, Maine entrepreneurship, emerging technology and AI in medicine, environment and community health, sleep and lifestyle medicine, education and the next generation.

## Recent guests (2026)

- George Matelich — Building a Tech Company in Maine (Aug 16, 2026)
- Liam Sullivan — Building Maine's Tech Economy (Aug 9, 2026)
- Kim Block — From the Anchor Desk to Life After Brain Injury (Aug 2, 2026)
- Rabbi Gary Berenson — Antisemitism, Jewish Life, and the Work of Understanding (Jul 26, 2026)
- Phil Hirschkorn — Maine's Senate Race in Turmoil (Jul 19, 2026)
- Dr. Lisa Belisle & Dr. Jeff Barkin — Digital Detox and the Rewiring of Childhood (Jul 12, 2026)
- Drs Garrett Fontaine and Patrick Connolly — The Primary Care Shortage and What Maine Can Do About It (Jul 5, 2026)
- Dr. Christopher Murry — Sleep Medicine, Breathing and the Brain (Jun 28, 2026)
- Maulian Bryant — Executive Director, Wabanaki Alliance (Jun 21, 2026)
- Dr. Jonathan Fellers & Nicole Proctor — Portland Recovery Community Center (Jun 14, 2026)
- Bobby Charles — Former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State (Jun 7, 2026)
- Graham Platner — Marine Veteran & Oyster Farmer (May 31, 2026)

## Where to listen

- Live: Sundays at 11am and 9pm ET on Newsradio WGAN AM 560 / FM 98.5 — https://wgan.com
- Stream live: https://tunein.com/radio/Newsradio-560-WGAN-s28943/
- Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/newsradio-wgan/id1735309318
- Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3lbOFfhViVG83L1N62KD3s
- WGAN archive: https://wgan.com/podcasts/categories/podcasts-healthy-conversation/

## Contact

- Website contact form: https://ahealthyconversation.com/#contact
- Email: healthyconversation@wgan.com

## Production

A Healthy Conversation is a production of Newsradio WGAN. Producer: Joan Belsky Barkin (artist trained in painting and photography; MFA, Washington University in St. Louis). Audio engineer: Jeremy Mixer.