We join Lori Merkel in a fact filled episode that takes us from a lego replica of Baby Yoda (yes, we know it's not really a baby), to her days beginning in psychology, first job as a high risk neonatal nurse and eventual job as a quality specialist. She then describes some very neat areas of nursing that are often unexplored including a job in Population Health Sciences. We explore many topics including health economics, care delivery models, health equity, implementation research and so much more. She even interviews myself at the end!Lori obtained her BA in Psychology, minor in Biology from Rutgers University then pursued her nursing degree (BSN) at Drexel University. She has obtained her Masters of Science in Public Health from Pennsylvania State University. Lori has held a certification in High Risk Neonatal Nursing and presently is a Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality. She most recently has completed her PhD at Jefferson University in Population Health Sciences with a concentration in Healthcare Quality and Safety. In her current role, she is a nurse and population health analyst in an academic primary care network as well as an adjunct professor at Jefferson University.