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In this episode Erica & Stefan welcome Jennifer Cain Birkmose, a global healthcare leader whose career spans patient advocacy, rare disease, pharmaceutical development, health systems design, and community-based care.

Together, we explore what it truly means to put patients at the center of healthcare, and why simply saying “patient-centric” isn’t enough. Jennifer shares how ethnographic research and deep patient engagement can transform clinical trial design, improve access to medicines, and lead to better health outcomes.

The conversation dives into the persistent challenges facing healthcare today: delayed diagnoses, barriers to access, siloed decision-making, and the disconnect between what patient’s need and what healthcare systems often deliver. The trio examines how incentives shape healthcare, why patient voices must be embedded at every critical decision point, and how emerging technologies like AI can either perpetuate existing biases or help create more equitable solutions.

From rare disease innovation to women’s health, payer perspectives, and the enduring power of grassroots advocacy, this episode is a compelling reminder that meaningful change begins when patients are not merely consulted, but become true partners in designing the future of healthcare.

#PatientToPurpose #PatientCenteredCare #HealthcareInnovation #PatientAdvocacy #RareDiseaseAdvocacy

Carlota and Gemma share how Patient Innovation recognizes the unique expertise that comes from lived experience, and how patients around the world are creating solutions to improve quality of life, from practical tools to groundbreaking technologies.

The conversation explores why healthcare systems must move beyond simply “including” patients and instead partner with them from the very beginning of the innovation process. From rare disease communities to digital health solutions like Be My Eyes, this episode highlights how patient-led ideas can reshape healthcare when the right support, collaboration, and opportunities exist.

And if you haven’t already listened to episode 12 with Gal Hostnik, please do. Gal is a patient innovator who has participated in the Patient Innovation boot camp and he’s doing amazing things for people on dialysis.

Resources:

Patient Innovation platform

Unlocking Innovation in Healthcare: The Case of the Patient Innovation Platform

Patient innovation under rare diseases and chronic needs

Learn more about our show and submit ideas

#PatientInnovation #PatientsAsPartners #LivedExperienceMatters #HealthcareInnovation #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

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What happens when a patient becomes an innovator? In this inspiring episode of Patient to Purpose Erica & Stefan welcome Gal Hostnik, entrepreneur and dialysis patient advocate who turned a personal challenge into a life-changing medical device. Gal shares his journey from living with kidney disease to developing a personalized IV fistula protector, building a patient-led business, strengthening kidney patient organizations across Europe, and creating travel opportunities that empower people on dialysis to explore the world with confidence. This conversation highlights the power of lived experience, patient innovation, and community to improve healthcare.

Resources:

• Fistula Project
• Institute for Patient Innovation

Dialysis Adventures

• https://www.youtube.com/@dialysisadventures
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/dialysisadventures

#PatientToPurpose #PatientInnovation #KidneyHealth #Dialysis #PatientAdvocacy

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In this episode of Patient to Purpose Erica & Stefan chat about separating fact from fear, exploring what emerging viruses really mean for people, healthcare systems, and public health. We discuss why science evolves, how misinformation shapes public perception, the lasting impact of COVID, and why access to vaccines and healthcare remains critical. Tune in for a thoughtful conversation on staying informed, not alarmed. in a rapidly changing health landscape.

Resources:

• World Health Organization
• University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy
• Johns Hopkins Schoolf of Public Health
• Gavi

#PatientToPurpose #PublicHealth #Healthcare #Vaccines #HealthPodcast

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In this episode of Patient to Purpose, Erica & Stefan speak with Dee Burrell, a 19-year breast cancer survivor, mentor, and advocate, about turning diagnosis into purpose.

Dee shares the emotional reality of hearing “you have cancer,” the importance of compassionate care teams, and why patients deserve to be heard, supported, and treated as more than a diagnosis. The conversation also explores healthcare access, financial toxicity, survivorship, and the power of storytelling in advocacy.

Dee offers practical advice for patients and caregivers alike: bring support to appointments, ask questions, trust your instincts, and never underestimate the value of community.

This is an honest and inspiring conversation about resilience, empathy, and using lived experience to help others navigate their own healthcare journeys.

Resources:

• NMQF Home | Data to Action to Advance Health Equity - National Minority Quality Forum
• Brushes with Cancer
• Cancer | Support Groups, Counseling, Education & Financial Assistance
• Home | Families USA

#PatientToPurpose #PatientAdvocacy #LivedExperience #BreastCancerAwareness #Survivorship

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In this episode of Patient to Purpose Erica & Stefan talk with digital health strategist Craig DeLarge, MPH about AI, ethics, and mental health. Drawing on decades in the life sciences and mental health advocacy, Craig explores the promises of digital technologies, from AI companionship and mental health chatbots, to the urgent need for literacy, regulation, and guardrails. The episode connects individual well-being with community resilience, highlighting how local action, ethnical leadership, and human connection can help protect mental health in an increasingly digital, and uncertain, world.

Resources:

• Center for Humane Tech AI Briefings
• StressTech Insights Newsletter

#PatientEngagement #PatientAdvocacy #MedicalAdvocacy #Pharma #HealthcareInnovation #HealthcareDecisions

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Healthcare is the only place where the consumer is not in the middle of the decision-making. In this episode of Patient to Purpose, Erica & Stefan are joined by Sabrina Hanna, b.sc (@CancerCollab) to talk about the reality of navigating the healthcare system as a patient advocate. From the “checkbox” culture of medical meetings to the wait lists for drug listings.

Coverage ≠ Access

Patient experience IS data

We need a 21st not 20th century lens

Resources:

• The Cancer Collaborative
• Rethinking how we define value in healthcare
• Rethinking Health Technology Assessments

#PatientToPurpose #HTA #PatientAdvocacy #LivedExperience

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In this episode of Patient to Purpose, Erica & Stefan dive into the vaccine debate, misinformation, and the tension between science, politics, and public opinion. From the history of immunization to the lessons of COVID-19, they unpack why public health works best when it’s trusted, and what happens when evidence gets drowned out by emotion, algorithms, and ideology. A candid conversation about prevention, access to care, and the collective responsibility behind better health outcomes.

Resources:

• Smallpox vaccine U.S.
• History of mRNA
• About the 1918 flu

#PatientToPurpose #HealthPolicy #TrustScience #VaccinesWork #HealthcareForAll

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In this episode of Patient to Purpose Erica & Stefan speak with Tim Cage and John Capecci who have been partners for 20 years in Living Proof Advocacy. Tim & John unpack the emotional, psychological, and identity shifts involved in deciding to go public with a lived health experience, especially in the context of invisible illness and stigma. The discussion also highlights cultural differences in advocacy across countries, the importance of patient-centric approaches in healthcare and pharma, and how individual stories bring clinical data and outcomes to life.

What’s your why? Six words to articulate why advocacy is for you.

Resources:

• Living Proof Advocacy (Patient to Purpose listeners receive 10% off use code P2P10)
• Writing to Change the World by Mary Pipher

#PatientToPurpose #LivingProofAdvocacy #PatientAdvocacy #LivedExperience #StoryTellingForChange

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In this episode of Patient to Purpose Erica & Stefan break down the “mind-boggling” complexities of the U.S. health insurance system, where employer-sponsored plans often “handcuff” people to their jobs. We explore the frustrations of navigating “in-network” providers, the hurdles of prior authorization, and the common misconceptions regarding Medicare premiums and income. Drawing from her own experiences after 30 years of working in healthcare, 17 of those living with multiple sclerosis, and being a board-certified patient advocate, Erica emphasizes the importance of staying informed and using grassroots involvement to demand a system that works with patients, rather than just for them.

Resources:

• Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy
• American Academy of Pediatrics
• American Medical Association
• Dr. Jessica Knurick
• Dr. Paul Offit
• Defend Public Health

Your (or a nearby) state / city department of health and / or healthcare provider

#PatientEngagement #PatientAdvocacy #MedicalAdvocacy #Pharma #HealthcareInnovation #HealthcareDecisions #MultipleSclerosis #MS #HealthInsurance #Patients

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In this episode of Patient to Purpose Erica & Stefan talk to Lauren Walrath about the Japanese concept of Wa (和) in patient access and care. Wa focuses on group harmony over individual expression, maintaining smooth relationships, consensus-based decision-making, emphasis on social order, and mutual obligation.

#PatientEngagement #PatientAdvocacy #MedicalAdvocacy #Pharma #HealthcareInnovation #HealthcareDecisions

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In this episode of Patient to Purpose, Erica & Stefan tackle the alarming resurgence of measles and the declining vaccination rates threatening public health in the U.S., UK, and beyond. We explore how healthcare is inherently political and why wealthy nations are beginning to lose our long-held “measles elimination” status. Beyond the political debate, we discuss the severe, life-altering impacts of the disease, from deafness to blindness, and why collective herd immunity remains our strongest defense.

Post production edit: California, New York, and other states have joined the World Health Organization's Global Outbreak Alert & Response Network (GOARN)

Resources:

• American Academy of Pediatrics
• Pan American Health Organization
• American Medical Association
• World Health Organization
• European Centre for Disease Prevention & Control

#PatientToPurpose #PublicHealth #Measles #VaccinesCauseAdults #HealthPolicy #VaccineAwareness #GlobalHealth

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In this episode Erica & Stefan hear from access and engagement expert Keri McDonough, MA to unpack what “access” really means beyond cost. Drawing on powerful patient stories and more than 20 years of experience, Keri explores the hidden barriers to clinical trials, the importance of peer connection, and why embedding patient insights across the healthcare lifecycle is essential. The conversation highlights how sustained relationships, better communication, and truly patient-centered design can transform healthcare from the inside out.

Resources:

• Equitable Access to Clinical Trials Project
• National Health Council: Capturing & Including the Patient Voice
• Multi-Regional Clinical Trials Center Health Literacy in Clinical Research Glossary
• Patient Focused Medicines Development
• Society for Public Health Information-Health Literacy

#PatientEngagement #PatientAdvocacy #MedicalAdvocacy #Pharma #HealthcareInnovation #HealthcareDecisions

If you appreciate what you hear, please smash those like and follow buttons, subscribe to the show on your favorite listening app, and feel free to share.

In our premiere episode, hosts Erica Bersin, BCPA & Stefan Walzer, Ph.D. dive into the frustrating, confusing, and often invisible barriers patients face when trying to access the treatments they need. Erica shares her personal journey with multiple sclerosis, from being diagnosed in Switzerland to managing care in the U.S. system, and reveals how drastically access can differ depending on where you live.

Resources:

• National MS Society (U.S.)
• MS Views & News (U.S.)
• European Multiple Sclerosis Program (Europe)

#PatientEngagement #PatientAdvocacy #MedicalAdvocacy #Pharma #HealthcareInnovation #HealthcareDecisions