RACmonitor readers have been listening to Monitor Mondays for years, since 2010 in fact. And listeners are very familiar with the host of the show, Chuck Buck. But how well do they know him? As we approach the 500th episode, we thought it might be fun to get to know more about the show’s most recognizable voice.
First thing you should know is that Chuck is a Southern California dude through and through. He loves the West coast’s jazz scene. As a kid he wanted to be an actor. He spent his youth at the beach or cruising Hollywood Boulevard. To this day he loves fast cars and lives just a few blocks from the ocean. The sunny climate of California, beach culture, fine dining, and excellent wines the state offers are among his favorite things in life (OK, the author, also a California native, is showing bias here. Chuck actually said his preference is for French wine. But hey, he didn’t say he doesn’t like California wines).
Aside from having the saltwater of the Pacific in his blood, he’s also got a lifelong obsession with the news. That should come as a surprise to no one. His first job was delivering newspapers, in fact. Chuck’s father worked as a radio producer for NBC, and Chuck remembers watching him running live radio shows. His parents often entertained radio personalities and other industry folks, so Chuck’s love of the news and radio goes all the way back. In college he majored in broadcasting and worked for an FM station as well as on-camera for KFMB-TV, a CBS affiliate. Chuck also worked at an advertising agency, where he would often hire Clark Anthony—whose voice you hear at the beginning of every Monitor Monday and Talk Ten Tuesday episode—for voice work. Over the years, the two became great friends.
His fondness for radio broadcasts is what led Chuck to create the shows as if they were radio programs. This is among the traits that makes them distinct from other medical industry news outlets, which rely primarily on written articles. Even podcasts don’t have the news radio feeling that Chuck and his guests create.
During RACmonitor and Monitor Monday’s run, Chuck and his guest have broken some big stories, including reports on GAO investigation into RACs, the Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act, stories on CMS proposed and final rules, and a lot more. Looking ahead, Chuck feels the big stories to watch out for are changes in the often ambiguous and confusing rules regarding telehealth, and the ongoing movement toward a single-payer healthcare plan.
One subject that comes up a lot in his shows is the burnout crisis among medical professionals on all levels of the industry. One person you don’t need to worry about burning out, though, is Chuck Buck. Because of his love of the news, he’s got an ongoing adrenalin rush that keeps him engaged. Or as he put it, “I’m too busy to burn out.”
Register to listen to the 500th episode of Monitor Mondays that aired May 9th at 9 a.m. CT, sponsored by the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
