Episodes

Vanessa M. Rissetto, MS, RD, CDN, goes toe-to-toe with Matthew Zachary in a quick-witted battle of wry sarcasm, dark comedy, and GenX nostalgia in this throwback episode about life before the Internet when food, in general, was less horrible and how a BA in History transformed her into a Certified Dietitian Nutritionist. As the CEO and Co-Founder of Culina Health. she and her team offer personalized virtual nutrition care from experts you can trust – and it's covered by insurance, no less. They're reinventing what it means to work with a nutritionist without guilt, shame, or gimmicks. Learn more at https://culinahealth.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

[FANBOY ALERT] For most healthcare geeks, Andy Slavitt may be best known as the Former Acting Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). For millions more, he is the podcast hero we didn't know we needed and the one we so clearly deserved as the host of Lemonada Media's award-winning podcast, "In The Bubble with Andy Slavitt." Launched just before the world went to shit in early 2020, In The Bubble became a literal voice of reason while we were sanitizing our Amazon boxes and fighting for toilet paper at Costco as if they were Cabbage Patch Kids in the 1980s. A weekly vocal elixir of sorts, Andy and his storied dry wit blended healthcare policy, layman's breakdowns, and human vulnerability with a healthy splash of entertainment thanks to such early guests as Tina Fey, Al Franken, and Matthew McConaughey. Each episode brought — and still brings —a little structure and sanity to an otherwise chaotic world. Today, Andy is currently USofCare Co-Founder and…

Dr. Sejal Vyas is a Pediatric and Adult Neuropsychologist with 25 years of experience who performs neuropsychological evaluations, legal/forensic assessments, learning consultations, and cognitive remediation. Her areas of expertise include neurodevelopmental syndromes (such as ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, and other genetic conditions), neurologic syndromes (such as concussions, traumatic brain injury, and epilepsy), as well as other neuropsychiatric conditions (such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder). She has an established track record working with children, adolescents, and young adults and is set to partner with New York State on some groundbreaking research and programming later this year. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For today's special 300th episode, Matthew talks among himself, reflecting with gratitude on how it all started and how it's still a thing. No guests; just Matthew and his thoughts. (Which, while usually an alchemical recipe for disaster, turns out pretty good this time around. Thank you to everyone who has helped bring this show into existence and believes in its mission, purpose, and impact. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's episode, Matthew fanboys out a bit, visiting Central Park SOLE for an interview with Board Certified Foot Surgeon and the star of the hit TLC show, "My Feet Are Killing Me." Dr. Brad Schaeffer. Spoiler: There's a lot of talk about feet. Before Brad became a famous TV star, he began life raised in rural America and has been very open about his struggle with his sexual identity within a traditional and religious community. He found his true self and, only recently, bravely and publicly...

Mental health is an umbrella term that spans a spectrum of severity. But when it comes to treatment-resistant major depressive disorder, it's a whole other ball game. A former healthcare communications executive, Jon Nelson is a living, breathing example of hope and progress in the mental health ecosystem. Joining Jon is Dr. Helen Mayberg, a neurologist, and psychiatrist at the Nash Family Center for Advanced Circuit Therapeutics. Learn how the latest advances in Deep brain stimulation (DBS) practically cure suicidal patients like Jon, but not without a considerable asterisk around access, approval loopholes, coverage, emerging skepticism, and, of course, massive stigma. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

One might not inherently presume to put the words "Verizon" and "Healthcare" in sequential order, but that is precisely what Gary Lynch is here to talk about. The former 80s compute nerd, and professional strongman competitor is the Global Practice Lead for Verizon's Healthcare and Life Sciences Vertical. Proving that the communications giant is more than just cell phones, we talk about how the future of telehealth and rural health depends more on telecommunications infrastructure than we ever perceived. You'll also hear how Verizon implements health literacy and education initiatives nationwide with the most unlikely retail partners. That, and a healthy dose of 80s references. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This ad-free episode of Out of Patients is made possible by the Community Oncology Alliance (COA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to advocating for community oncology practices and, most importantly, the patients they serve. COA is the only organization dedicated solely to community oncology, where most Americans with cancer receive treatment. Learn more at https://timetoscreen.org. In today's episode, Matthew is joined by Debra Patt, M.D., Ph.D., MBA, a practicing oncologist and breast cancer specialist in Austin, Texas, and an executive vice president of Texas Oncology with responsibilities in healthcare policy and strategic initiatives. She is an active leader in breast cancer and research in healthcare informatics. Their conversation ranges from cancer screenings, medical burnout, and COVID's impact on society to physician self-care, rural health challenges, and the mandatory dosage of 80s pop culture references. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Californi…

What happens when the agency veteran has healthcare land in her lap? How might a decades-long marketing and healthcare communications background inform perspective, self-advocacy, decision-making, and the digestion of medical and support-related communications? Well, the answer may surprise you. KayAnn Schoeneman is the President of Curley Company and a young adult survivor of colon cancer. Her advocacy focuses heavily on prevention, testing, and screenings before recommended age. Her agency's client work evocates her belief in giving back while digging deep into purpose-driven social justice causes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When the doctor says, "go home," that isn't the end of the story, especially when you're navigating your adolescence and young adulthood against the grain when all of your cohorts go off to live their lives. Emily Parks is the founder of POP!, a growing community of patients living with rare and/or chronic illnesses who also identify as living with Medical PTSD. She is a fiercely vocal rare disease advocate and a chronically ill young adult making waves with her highly vocal activism. Today, Emi...

Among the many cool things I love about my job interviewing amazing people is when I interview amazing people who also went to my alma mater, Binghamton University. Or what, as alumni of the 80s and 90s, will always refer to as SUNY Binghamton. (Sorry, not sorry.) Amy Gittelman fits both bills and happily took the hot seat to discuss why Pharma marketing sucks. what "digital media" meant back when AOL floppy disks were filling up our landfills, and, to get real for a moment, what it's like when your sister is diagnosed with Stage 2B Ovarian Cancer. Caregiving is an art form, and, in many cases, it can make all the difference in the quality of life experienced by a cancer patient. All the more reason for driving her purpose and passion while leading the first virtual patient acquisition platform leveraging the telehealth and virtual care industry. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jessica Spangler, aka eCommJess, is a clinical pharmacist and first responder by day and a human cheat sheet for managing finances in her spare time. Health literacy is financial literacy, and even after working grueling hours in the ER and managing burnout, Jess takes to TikTok to proffer tips, tricks, shortcuts, loopholes, and sometimes basic civics to her millions of followers. Did you know you have negotiating power over your bill if your hospital is a nonprofit? Did you know that your credit score can be affected by financial toxicity? Probably not. eCommJess is the expert you never knew you needed to untangle yourself when healthcare (or anything else) comes to mess up your life. For more about Jess, visit her website and follow her on TikTok, where she does a great job talking to herself. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Christina Merrill is the Founder & CEO of the Bone Marrow & Cancer Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to support patients, their families, and caregivers every step of the way during a cancer diagnosis or bone marrow transplant. She is also the creator of Cancer Buddy, a social support network mobile app for people facing cancer. She joined Matthew in-studio to discuss, among other things, the intrinsic need to end isolation, connect with a community that knows what yo...

Dr. Sudhir Gadh is a board-certified psychiatrist and Commander in the US Navy Reserve. He is also Medical Director for the Center for Recovery and Wellness, with a core focus on low-dose Lithium, as a comprehensive approach for patients to improve brain function. Joining Matthew live in-studio, they talk about our nation is failing to address the mental health crisis, empathy in medicine, physician burnout, ongoing stigma, and, most interestingly, the history of 7-Up. You heard that right. In his words, “Psychiatry is about understanding and adjusting your life story towards progress.” 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.

Marie Wilda is an American advocate and true champion for the independent pharmacist. While not one herself, her career experience in the sector, coupled with her unbridled passion in rallying for the voice of the independent pharmacist, has put her on the map as one of the more outspoken voices in the country. Her years of military experience with the US Navy provided her with the skills and discipline needed to advocate nationally for one of the most trusted professions in healthcare. But how can Americans support their local pharmacists? 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.

Stand-up comedian Ben Freeberg is a young adult survivor of testicular cancer. In 2022, he turned his pain into purpose, leveraging his career in finance, and launched create Oncology Ventures, an early-stage, cancer-focused venture fund investing in start-ups whose purpose is to fundamentally change the way cancer care is designed and delivered at scale. As Managing Partner, Ben oversees pretty much everything while working his way into the world of cancer advocacy, start-up culture, and the sometimes dark underbelly of the role non-profits play (or don't play) in the space. I know this is a first-of-its-kind venture, so time will tell if everyone else is as intelligent as Ben hopes they are. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Bryan Cush and Brian Dragich are the co-founders of Tidal Health, an agency that focuses on healthcare and practice management. Their job is to help their practices better navigate the nonsense that patients face, like scheduling, wait times, EMR distractions, insurance nightmares, billing, overall satisfaction, and more. So, whether it's reputation management or showcasing medical expertise, their track record is fascinating, with some really interesting case studies showing how they are genuinely making healthcare suck less. For more information, visit https://www.tidalhealthgroup.com/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this solo episode, Matthew shares a heartfelt series of personal stories with listeners about his take on life, luck, love, fate, coincidence, probability, his best friend Sarah, and "A Guy Named Phil." — all thanks to Mel Brooks. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Self-proclaimed "noisy introvert" Paul Simms is the Chief Executive at Impatient Health, a platform on a Sisyphean mission to help the pharmaceutical industry be more ambitious and creative. While not only having one of the most outstanding British accents ever to grace this podcast, Paul is a true provocateur and a rabble-rouser. We want to think that everyone would appreciate the habitually conservative healthcare sector to be less risk-averse and recalcitrant and consider the possibility of making daring, experimental, creative, and ambitious changes. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

COVID-19 is the gift that keeps on giving to far too many people. While it's nice to think, "OK, we're done here," experts worldwide continue to struggle to make sense of the continuing mystery of Long COVID. On the show today, Dr. David Putrino, Director Of Rehabilitation Innovation at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, joins returning champion Mette Dyhrberg, Founder & CEO of MyMee, for a deep dive conversation to try and make sense of the madness. For example, why are only certain peopl...

Dr. Michelle May is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Arizona State University who turned her attention to helping people improve their relationship with food. As the owner of "Am I Hungry? Mindful Eating Programs and Training," she shares her struggle with food and body image with authenticity and passion with audiences worldwide. Michelle is also the author of the book series Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat, including Eat What You Love, Love What You Eat for Students. All that and a healthy dose of GenX Therapy are coming right up. Learn more about Michelle and the Am I Hungry platform at https://amihungry.com and https://michellemaymd.com. 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.

Gabe Charbonneau is a rural health Family Physician, Co-Founder of Medicine Forward, and progenitor of the viral #FightBurnout movement sweeping the country. Among the many critical issues discussed, Gabe highlights the decline in quality care against the backdrop of unrealistic demands of payers and health systems, the everyday mental health decay facing HCPs, and the relentless chokehold healthcare has on the entire medical profession. Are you angry yet? Gabe believes it's time to reclaim the soul of medicine in America. Learn more about Gabe and his social justice efforts at FightBurnout.org. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today's episode, Matthew welcomes Kristie Kuhl (Global Managing Director, Health and Wellness, Zeno Group) and Peter Pitts (Former FDA Associate Commissioner and President of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest) to share highlights and recap their panel session at the 2022 STAT Summit in Boston, MA. The STAT Summit is a prestigious annual event that welcomes global leaders to discuss healthcare's most critical topics, and Matthew, Peter, and Kristi's panel, "We The Patients," did not disappoint. With a focus on consumerism in healthcare and how direct marketing has the potential to be the new "patient engagement," attendees learned the value of thinking consumer vs. thinking patient.  Put on your thinking hat and prepare for a rollicking and highly entertaining discussion. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Beverly A. Zavaleta, MD, is a board-certified family physician, cancer survivor, and long-time advocate of patient education. The author of "Braving Chemo: What to Expect, How to Prepare, and How to Get Through It," Beverly talks about the "good problem to have" of being a medical professional and a cancer patient simultaneously. An unapologetic straight-shooter, she and Matthew hit all the nerves, especially the GenX nostalgia factor. Learn more about Beverly, her book, and her work at https://www.beverlyzavaletamd.com. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.