The Regional Roundup – May 23, 2022

Chef Peter Serpico on his new cookbook, Learning Korean. WHYY's Sophia Schmidt on benzene levels at the PES refinery site. And, a Jefferson expert on the future of telehealth.

Air Date: May 23, 2022 10:00 am

This photo from June 21, 2019 shows flames and smoke emerging from the Philadelphia Energy Solutions Refining Complex in Philadelphia. The blaze and a series of explosions shook homes and caused extensive damage at the refinery, the largest on the East Coast. The company shuttered the 150-year-old site and laid off workers. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

Almost three years after the devastating explosions and fire the led to the closure of the PES refinery in South Philadelphia, high levels of a cancer-causing chemical have been detected at the site’s perimeter, worrying residents and community activists. We’ll talk with WHYY environmental justice reporter Sophia Schmidt. (@tough_schmidt_)

When stay-home orders began at the start of the pandemic in the U.S., Medicare and private insurers began to support telemedicine with little restriction to patients in need. Virtual appointments helped close the racial gap in completed doctor visits and offered easier access to therapy for people struggling with mental illness. Now that we’ve adjusted to hybrid healthcare, we discuss the future of telemedicine with Judd Hollander, Senior Vice President of healthcare delivery innovation and emergency medicine physician at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. (@Judd Hollander)

Peter Serpico, Executive Chef at KPOD restaurant, joins us to discuss his journey from Momofuku in New York to “kinda Korean” cuisine in West Philly, and how traditional foods and flavors helped him finally connect with his Korean heritage. His new cookbook is Learning Korean: Recipes for Home Cooking.

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