Faith in Healthcare: The CMDA Matters Podcast

Join CMDA CEO Dr. Mike Chupp and Vice President of Stewardship George Courtney in this special New Year’s episode of Faith in Healthcare: The CMDA Matters Podcast. Recorded as a launch into 2026, they reflect on God’s blessings throughout 2025, highlight inspiring stories of faithful leaders in missions and community ministries, discuss overcoming challenges, and share exciting visions for the year ahead—including the Saline Process Witness Training, campus growth, advocacy efforts, and the upcoming National Convention.

In this special Christmas episode of Faith in Healthcare, Dr. Mike Chupp reflects on God’s faithfulness as CMDA nears its 100th year, before we listen to a message from former CMDA CEO Dr. Dave Stevens. He shares how a small group of praying medical students grew into CMDA and a global ministry through seasons of obedience, challenge, and God’s unmistakable guidance. More than a history lesson, this episode is a reminder that God delights in using ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary purposes for His Kingdom. As we celebrate the birth of Christ, we’re invited to remember that the same God who has been at work through CMDA for decades is still at work today in healthcare and in each of our lives.

Dr. Abby Johnson, former Planned Parenthood clinic director and now founder of And Then There Were None and ProLove Ministries, joins Faith in Healthcare host Dr. Mike Chupp and guest co-host Dr. Brick Lantz to share behind-the-scenes of the abortion industry. Abby reflects on the moment that shook her to the core – a 13-week-old baby struggling for life on an ultrasound screen – and how it opened her eyes to the pressures, secrecy, quotas, and profound emotional and spiritual burdens carried by workers in the abortion industry. She also shares about her upcoming documentary Unthinkable and explains why she believes the most effective outreach to women in crisis is shifting to the digital “sidewalks” of social media. With more than 700 abortion workers helped to leave the industry and a journey that inspired the book and film Unplanned, Abby brings a difficult but ultimately hope-filled testimony of redemption and calling.

Dr. David Thompson joins host, Dr. Mike Chupp, for a powerful conversation tracing his journey from war-torn Cambodia to the remote jungles of Gabon, where a simple conviction that Africa needed its own surgeons grew into one of the most transformative medical mission movements of our time. In this episode, Dr. Thompson shares how God’s faithfulness carried him through danger, loss, and the unknown, ultimately leading to a vision that is reshaping surgical training across the continent. His story is a compelling reminder of what courageous obedience can accomplish and an encouragement to all who serve in healthcare and on missions.

Dr. Andre Mickel joins host Dr. Mike Chupp and co-host Dr. Bill Griffin for a conversation about what it means to boldly follow Jesus in one of the most secular corners of healthcare: academia. Dr. Mickel shares how God turned his residency program at Case Western into a mission field, where students from multiple continents hear the gospel, anxious patients are prayed with, and servant leadership shapes every day of training. He opens up about the Holy Spirit’s prompting in conversations with residents, the moment his boldness nearly cost him a promotion, and why compassion and courage matter in healthcare. This episode will fire you up to see your own workplace as a place to spread Christ’s hope and to further the Kingdom – one prayer, one student, one patient at a time.

Guest Dr. Ewan Goligher, an Associate Professor of Medicine and Physiology at the University of Toronto and a critical care physician at the University Health Network, joins host Dr. Mike Chupp and co-host Dr. Brick Lantz for a candid conversation about the rapid rise of assisted death and the ethical crossroads facing modern medicine. Drawing from years at the bedside, leading research, and insights from his book How Shall We Then Die?, Dr. Goligher unpacks the cultural ideas reshaping our understanding of autonomy, suffering, and compassion. They explore what often lies beneath requests for assisted death, how euphemisms cloud moral clarity, and what truly distinguishes faithful end-of-life care from physician-caused death. It’s a conversation every Christian healthcare professional needs to hear.

Dr. Mark Topazian joins host Dr. Mike Chupp and co-host Dr. Bill Griffin for a conversation on finding joy, faith, and fulfillment in medicine. A world-class gastroenterologist who has taught and practiced at Yale University and the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Topazian now serves with his wife, Janet, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, as missionaries with SIM. Drawing from his new book, Healing Purpose: Finding Satisfaction in a Healthcare Career, Dr. Topazian explores what happens when our calling to help others meets the realities of exhaustion and spiritual fatigue, and how God’s presence transforms even the hardest days of clinical work. Through stories from academic medicine and mission service, he reveals how faith and science form one unified story of healing, and how practicing whole-person care renews both the patient and the provider. Whether you’re a student, a practitioner, or a weary soul in need of renewal, this episode will remind you that your daily work is sacred and filled with purpose.

Dr. Scott Southard joins Dr. Mike Chupp to share the remarkable story behind In Jesus’ Name Medical Ministry – a church-based model that unites physicians, nurses, and churches to provide free, faith-filled care to those in need. What began with a single prayer and a donated mobile coach has grown into a thriving network of clinics where healthcare professionals serve together in Christ’s name. Dr. Southard recounts powerful moments of healing – from a child walking after surgery to a deaf grandmother regaining her ability to sign – showing how compassionate care in Jesus’ name opens hearts to hope and spiritual healing.

This week’s episode is a special cross-over with CMDA’s Voice of Advocacy podcast, hosted by Dr. Brick Lantz, CMDA’s Vice President of Advocacy and Bioethics. Joined by Dr. Gary Ott, a renowned cardiac transplant surgeon at Providence Heart and Vascular Clinic, they explore the ethical boundaries of life, death, and medical innovation – examining how we define death in the ICU era, the differences between brain death and donation after circulatory death (DCD), and how emerging technologies like “heart-in-a-box” systems and normothermic regional perfusion (NRP) are reshaping transplant medicine. With decades of experience and deep faith, Dr. Ott challenges us to uphold the sanctity of life and reflects on the Gospel image at the heart of transplantation – one life given so another may live.

Fresh from his return from Cairo, host Dr. Mike Chupp shares reflections from his time at the Doctors with a Mission Conference and the powerful ways God is moving among healthcare professionals in Egypt. While in Cairo, Dr. Chupp sat down with Dr. Greta Gamal, a pediatric specialist and Director of Operations for the Christian Medical Fellowship in Egypt, who is leading teams that bring physical, emotional, and spiritual care to underserved communities across Egypt and the Gulf. Dr. Gamal shares how calling and courage intersect in the daily work of Christian clinicians serving in challenging settings. Also joining the episode is medical student Dara Love from Texas, who reflects on how public examples of Christian courage – like Charlie Kirk’s – have inspired her to stand firm in faith while still in training and to speak truth with conviction and grace. Together, these conversations remind us that no matter where we serve, God’s kingdom work in healthcare spans cultures and generations.

In this episode, we’re joined by two leaders from AdventHealth who have spent decades thinking deeply about the well-being of healthcare professionals: Dr. Ted Hamilton, family physician, longtime mission executive, and national voice on clinician well-being; and Dr. Carla Park, Vice President of Whole-Person Care, Education & Integration. Together, they led a new peer-reviewed study of CMDA members published in the journal, Religions 2025, that revealed something striking: Christian healthcare professionals reported significantly lower burnout than the broader healthcare population, and three factors tended to rise and fall together in those who were thriving: belonging, calling, and virtue. Through practical insights and personal stories, Drs. Hamilton and Park highlight how faith not only sustains healthcare professionals but also equips them to lead and care more deeply for their patients, colleagues, and themselves.

In this episode of Faith in Healthcare, Grant Hewitt, CMDA’s Southern Director, unpacks the powerful metaphor of “cut flower medicine”—a picture of modern healthcare severed from its Christian roots. From the influence of early Christians who pioneered hospitals, to chilling lessons from Nazi doctors, Grant challenges us to consider: What happens when medicine loses its moral foundation? Joined by Rev. Bill Reichert and host Dr. Mike Chupp, this conversation explores: • The Christian origins of hospitals and compassionate care • Why secular healthcare struggles to sustain true human dignity • Disturbing parallels between Nazi medical ideology and today’s ethical debates • How Christian students and professionals can stand firm in a spiritually dark culture • The importance of community chapters and mentoring for lasting impact Whether you’re a student, professional, or simply care about faith and medicine, this discussion will inspire you to reclaim the roots of healthcare that honor Christ and uphold the value of every human life. #FaithInHealthcare #ChristianDoctors #MedicalEthics #CutFlowerMedicine #CMDA

Dr. Trish Burgess, CMDA’s Director of Global Health Outreach, and Dr. Andy Lamb, an internist, Army veteran, and longtime GHO team leader who recently reached the milestone of 50 mission trips, join host Dr. Mike Chupp. Andy shares how one trip to Guatemala reoriented his motives for serving, how praying with patients became part of his daily practice, and how years of overseas ministry softened a soldier-turned-internist into a more tender dad and mentor. Trish reflects on how GHO has matured over the years, strengthening logistics, pharmacy systems, and team leader preparation, so that healthcare professionals can focus on discipling teams and caring for patients. Whether you’re considering your first mission trip or wondering how to serve more effectively, this episode offers encouragement and practical next steps.

Dr. James Tour, one of the world’s leading nanotechnologists and a bold follower of Christ, joins Faith in Healthcare host Dr. Mike Chupp for a fascinating conversation at the intersection of faith and science. A renowned synthetic organic chemist at Rice University, Dr. Tour has authored more than 800 publications, holds over 140 patents, and launched multiple startups. His pioneering work stretches from “flash graphene” that converts trash into valuable carbon and hydrogen fuel, to groundbreaking approaches in cancer treatment and guiding nerve regrowth after spinal cord injury. Yet beyond the lab, Dr. Tour’s daily rhythm of Scripture and prayer over the past 47 years has fueled both his creativity and courage. In this episode, he shares how his walk with Christ shapes discovery, why the resurrection remains central to his witness, and his challenge to the next generation of academics and healthcare professionals to live and speak for Christ, even in environments that resist it, and even when it costs.

Dr. Amy Adamczyk joins host Dr. Mike Chupp and CMDA’s Vice President of Advocacy and Bioethics, Dr. Brick Lantz, to explore why views on abortion vary so widely across nations. A sociology professor at John Jay College and author of Fetal Positions, Dr. Adamczyk draws on decades of global research to show how culture, religion, economics, and policy shape public opinion. CMDA holds firmly to the biblical conviction that every life is made in God’s image and worthy of protection, and this conversation seeks perspective on eye-opening global data, offering insights that can sharpen our convictions and encourage Christian healthcare professionals in our witness.

In this episode of Faith in Healthcare, Dr. Steve Willing joins host Dr. Mike Chupp to explore the neuroscience behind what is often described as transgender identity. Drawing from his decades of experience in pediatric neuroradiology, as well as his work in apologetics and scholarship, Dr. Willing examines brain imaging research, neuroplasticity, and the impact of puberty blockers. He challenges healthcare professionals to seek truth in a field clouded by controversy, while reminding us to respond with courage, compassion, and conviction as followers of Christ.

Dr. Omari Hodge, CMDA’s new president, joins host Dr. Mike Chupp for an important conversation about faith, healthcare, and leadership. A board-certified family physician and the founding program director of AdventHealth’s Family Medicine Residency in Wesley Chapel, Florida, Dr. Hodge has served CMDA for years, leading Global Health Outreach teams with his wife, Kiera, and guiding committees with wisdom and grace. As CMDA’s first African American president, Dr. Hodge shares his inspiring journey of faith and calling into healthcare, his conviction that medicine is ministry, and his vision for equipping the next generation of Christian healthcare professionals. Together with Dr. Chupp, he explores the importance of diversity, the future of CMDA, and how healthcare professionals can live boldly for Christ in their daily work.

This week’s episode is a special tribute to Dr. James Dobson, whose recent passing marks the loss of a man who shaped generations of families and believers. A child psychologist by training, Dr. Dobson rose to national influence through bestselling books, Focus on the Family, and later Family Talk and the Dr. James Dobson Family Institute. His legacy in Christian radio, cultural engagement, and defense of the family continues to endure. In honor of his impact, we’re returning to our very first podcast episode from January 2020 under the name CMDA Matters, where Dr. Dobson joined us as the inaugural guest. In this conversation, he speaks with honesty and conviction about family, faith, cultural pressures, and the courage needed to uphold biblical values in the public square. His words remain just as timely today, offering encouragement to live boldly for Christ and to raise the next generation with truth and love.

In this episode, Dr. Nigel Cameron – theologian, bioethicist, and author of Dr. Koop: The Many Lives of the Surgeon General – joins Faith in Healthcare host Dr. Mike Chupp to share the remarkable story of C. Everett Koop. From revolutionizing pediatric surgery and pioneering the NICU to serving as Surgeon General during the AIDS crisis, Koop united medical innovation with moral conviction, championing the value of every life. Drawing on years of research and interviews, Cameron highlights Koop’s bold leadership, deep faith, and lasting impact on American medicine, public health, and the pro-life movement.

In this compelling episode of Faith in Healthcare, host Dr. Mike Chupp and guest co-host Dr. Amy Givler sit down with Dr. Paul Offit—world-renowned vaccinologist, co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine, and director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. To help us navigate these questions with both clarity and compassion, guest co-host Dr. Amy Givler, a longtime CMDA member, current CMDA Trustee and family physician who has written and spoken extensively on vaccine ethics. Together, they address pressing issues at the intersection of faith and medicine: vaccine hesitancy, public trust, COVID-19 lessons, misinformation in the church, and how Christian healthcare professionals can navigate these challenging conversations with compassion and clarity. From personal stories to global perspectives, Dr. Offit offers science-based insights while honoring the role of faith in patient care. Whether you’re a healthcare professional, church leader, or simply seeking truth in a divided culture, this conversation will challenge and encourage you.