Episodes

Today, I speak with board-certified patient advocate and thyroid cancer survivor Vanessa Steil. In 2014, Vanessa founded her company Living in Steil to help coach people through health crises and share what she learned during her experience with thyroid cancer at age 26. She also shares her perspective as a caregiver to someone living with cancer. Vanessa talks about the need to change how we talk about cancer, scan-xiety, antithyroglobulin levels, and other syllables.For more information, visit https://OffScrip.com and follow @MatthewZachary and @OffScripHealth on Twitter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pardon me for interrupting today's regularly scheduled episode of VAX ON here on the Out of Patients podcast feed. I promise it's for a good reason, namely, a rebroadcast — for those who may have missed it — of Episode One of The Cancer Mavericks: A History of Survivorship, our acclaimed 8-part narrative history series from 2021. Over 300,000 listeners can't be wrong, and it'd be a disservice not to ensure all of my incredible listeners were made aware of this highly ambitious passion project. 2021 was the 50th Anniversary of The National Cancer Act of 1971, passed by President Richard Nixon, that kicked off "The War on Cancer." What you're going to hear in this inaugural episode lays the fundamental groundwork for what has become the very idea of cancer advocacy in the modern era. This series has made a huge dent in society and culture, further demonstrating a most important key takeaway: Advocacy matters. Your voice matters, for it is the only thing that's ever changed anything. Enj…

Today I talk to Dr. Mark Lewis and Dr. Jean Luc Neptune, two brilliant physicians and hosts of the new Offscrip Health podcast, Is It Serious? Mark is also a patient living with a hereditary tumor syndrome and brings his unique point of view from both sides of the exam table. JL is an entrepreneur and practices addiction medicine at his own company Suntra Modern Recovery. Through their conversations, they pull back the curtain on the American Healthcare system and share their doctor knowledge without all the complex doctor talk. Today, JL and I realize that we may or may not have been on the same flight that had to make an emergency landing in Salt Lake City and Mark breaks into his Scottish brogue and recreates the opening scene from the movie Trainspotting. They’re smart. They’re funny. They’re passionate and they are coming to you weekly through their podcast, Is It Serious? on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priv…

Testing kit murals, boosters, and PPE.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, I speak with Clare Matschullat, a self-described cancer sherpa. As someone who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia as a young person, Clare knows the emotional rollercoaster and logistical nightmares that come with a cancer diagnosis. That’s why she started her own business — Clare the Cancer Sherpa — to help guide patients through treatment, advocate on their behalf with providers, and walk them through the messy business of insurance reimbursements and other challenges. She wishes there wasn’t a need for her services, but until the broken healthcare system gets fixed, she’s here to help you navigate it. For more information, visit https://OffScrip.com and follow @MatthewZachary, @VaxOnPod, and @OffScripHealth on Twitter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pandemic storytelling, China's constant lockdowns, and traveling sans masks.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, I speak with Dr. Ashani Weeraratna. She’s a leading cancer researcher at Johns Hopkins. Ashani was recently appointed by President Biden to the National Cancer Advisory Board. She's also a researcher at the National Cancer Institute AND the author of a new book called Is Cancer Inevitable? Her book takes us inside her research lab and reveals how new insights are leading to major breakthroughs, even for patients with Stage IV cancer. We talk about those breakthroughs, what it was like growing up in South Africa, and seeing Van Gogh in virtual reality, among other things. For more information, visit https://OffScrip.com and follow @MatthewZachary, @VaxOnPod, and @OffScripHealth on Twitter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Gail Zahtz is many things. Quiet isn't one of them. A fellow alum of 1990s SUNY Binghamton, her early career started in traditional old-school print, radio, and TV journalism. Basically, all things pre-Internet. And life went on its merry way for years, as it should, until a multi-year comedy of terrors befell her with a much-delayed diagnosis of Stage IV breast cancer. Hilarity definitely did not ensue as she faced innumerable and endless rabbit holes of shitness navigating her disease. Learn how she went to literal "cancer jail" and fought her way out, among other blitheringly insane experiences no one asks for. Now five years cancer-free, Gail's hill to die on is "value-based care," which is jargon for actually making healthcare suck less for millions. Enjoy the show.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, I talk to the brain trust behind Frunutta, a company that’s disrupting the vitamin market. Their dissolvable vitamins are ultra-absorbent and get nutrients into your bloodstream more efficiently than vitamins that go through your digestive system. Plus, Frunutta is made from simple, all-natural ingredients, so you aren’t consuming any bad stuff along with the good.Dr. Ali Alavi is a medical doctor who founded the company in order to help his son, who has major nutrient deficiencies related to autism. Joining him is Tonya Skurzynski, Frunutta's Chief Revenue Officer, to answer questions like do multivitamins work? (the answer will surprise you), why do most vitamins have cancer-causing ingredients?, and how do I find out if I'm vitamin deficient?///For more information on us, visit https://OffScrip.com and follow @MatthewZachary, @VaxOnPod, and @OffScripHealth on Twitter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com…

Dexellent, masks, and better ventilation...See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today I talk to Gene Gurkoff, the founder and CEO of Charity Miles. It’s a fitness app that helps people raise money for their favorite charities through corporate sponsorships. Gene started running marathons to raise funds for Parkinson’s research after his grandfather was diagnosed with the disease, and he helped to found the Fox Foundation with Michael J. Fox. Later Gene founded Charity Miles to help employees convert their steps into money for places like the Fox Foundation and other charitable groups. Gene gives his tips for healthy living: eat right, exercise, and don’t make an app. He also recommends two of his favorite books: Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things by William McDonough and Once a Runner by John Parker.For more information about us, visit https://OffScrip.com and follow @MatthewZachary, @VaxOnPod, and @OffScripHealth on Twitter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sel…

Baby variants and Scottish plays.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today I talk to global citizen, digital diplomat, and health entrepreneur Sehreen Noor Ali. Sehreen left her job as a technology executive to become a caretaker for her daughter, who was diagnosed with a serious pediatric illness. Seeing the pitfalls of healthcare up close, Sehreen was compelled to launch Sleuth, a database that crowdsources the experiences of parents of sick children. She worked for Obama. She speaks five languages. Her EQ score is off the charts. She’s an award-winning tech innovator. And she’s a fierce mama bear, which is why she named her company Sleuth (sleuth is the name of a group of bears). Between healthcare topics, we talk about the blunders of Crystal Pepsi, Die Hard, and startup culture.For more information, visit https://OffScrip.com and follow @MatthewZachary, @VaxOnPod, and @OffScripHealth on Twitter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

FDA, No effing way!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today I speak with Anne Marie Mercurio, a firebrand patient research advocate. She comes to her line of work with lots of personal experience as both a patient and a patient caregiver. She survived her Stage-3 cancer diagnosis, but she watched both of her parents die from the disease. And that’s why Anne is so committed to making sure patients come first in all medical decision-making. She’s funny, she’s fiery, and she’s highly effective in her deployment of F-bombs. Follow her on Twitter at chemobrainfog.For more information, visit https://OffScrip.com and follow @MatthewZachary, @VaxOnPod, and @OffScripHealth on Twitter.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this special episode of Vax On, Matthew Zachary and Elura Nanos talk with Ms. Information and Krishna Stone from Gay Men's Health Crisis, the world's first HIV/AIDS service organization. They Discuss Ms. Information's unique approach to busting myths and how the LGBTQ community has been affected by COVID-19.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on the show, I talk to Effie Parks, a fierce podcaster raising a child with a rare disease. After giving birth to her first child, Ford, Effie was dismissed by the medical community over concerns she had about her son's health. Almost a year later, Ford was diagnosed with a rare genetic disorder called CTNNB1 syndrome, which impairs speech and neurodevelopment. Effie had no handbook and no one to turn to, so she picked up a microphone and sounded the rallying cry for parents of disabled children and other caregivers. Her podcast, Once Upon a Gene, won the 2021 WEGO Health Award Winner for Best in Show: Podcast. Effie's here to talk about growing up in Montana, why language matters, and all of life's unexpected pivots.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Obama has Covid, China has Covid, and school HVACs have Covid.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. Tania Small is the Vice President and Global Medical Oncology Head at GSK . She started her career as a pediatric oncologist and realized that her passion for helping patients would drastically accelerate by transitioning to the R&D side of healthcare. She did just that, as you'll hear in this episode when she describes how it felt to see her first FDA-approved medication prescribed to treat thousands more patients than she could have ever helped individually. Her latest passion is serving t...

On the show today, I talk to Zach Fink, CEO and Co-Founder at VyTrac, a telehealth company. Zach started his career out as an EMT before using his emergency medical skills as a disaster relief worker. Deeply passionate about healthcare access, he founded VyTrac to use remote technology to bring medical services to underserved populations. Zach is ALSO passionate about ’90s pop culture so we go deep on everything millennial from the proto-Internet to Olive Garden breadsticks and boy bands before we seamlessly transition to a discussion on the dark underbelly of our health care system, NBD.For more information, visit https://OffScrip.com and follow @MatthewZachary, @VaxOnPod, and @OffScripHealth on Twitter. Follow Zach on Twitter @FinkingOutLoud1.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today we’re dropping a very special bonus episode. Out of Patients is just one of many shows on the OffScrip Health network – and we want to make sure all of our excellent podcasts are on your radar!The Heart of Healthcare is a show that explores the social determinants of health, including our food system, housing, climate change, and more. It’s hosted by long-time healthcare advocate Halle Tecco. Halle recently had the opportunity to welcome Mark Cuban to the show. The two hit it off and talked about the soaring costs of prescription drugs and his new venture – Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The return of Queen Elizabeth, the importance of curmudgeon filters, and our incredible shrinking brains.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today I talk to Carly Flumer, two-time thyroid cancer survivor, Director of Medical Engagement at MMG, and Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer torch bearer. Carly was diagnosed with stage I, metastatic papillary thyroid cancer in January 2017 at the age of 27. She went through treatment, got her masters degree in health communication, and has been blowing up the twitterverse and blogosphere with her story and advice on how to manage a cancer diagnosis. For information on us, visit https://OffScrip.com and follow @MatthewZachary, @VaxOnPod, and @OffScripHealth on Twitter. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ukraine is going through a lot right now…See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.