Dr. Patient

Date: 5/28/24Name of podcast: Dr. PatientEpisode title and number: 20 Short Stories on Being a PatientEpisode summary: I have this never-ending quest to help doctors and patients understand each other better. This collection of short stories on what it's like to be a patient are meant to do just that. These are a few years old - I wrote them when I had breast cancer in 2020-2021 an

Date: 5/21/24Name of podcast: Dr. PatientEpisode title and number: 19 US Drug Costs Are Insane, Part 2Episode summary: Part 2 follows the last episode, where I reviewed how we got to where we are with insane drug costs in the US and a bit on how the Pharma system works. This week I did a deep dive on how someone can save on their medication costs. I review some cost comparing websi

Date: 5/07/24Name of podcast: Dr. PatientEpisode title and number: 18 US Drug Costs Are Insane, Part 1Episode summary: Wow, drug costs in the US have skyrocket in recent years. The popularity of Ozempic and other weight loss drugs have really brought this issue into the light lately. Why do our drugs cost so much more than the same medications sold in other countries? How is the sy

Date: 4/30/24Name of podcast: Dr. PatientEpisode title and number: 17 Big Hospital Break UpEpisode summary: I’m breaking up with my hospital. I live in Chicago, with its plethora of academic medical centers. I’ve long believed that these are generally good places to receive healthcare, but I’ve become exhausted at how hard I have to work to receive the actual care. As a retir

Date: 4/23/24Name of podcast: Dr. PatientEpisode title and number: 16 Race and Healthcare: Teaching Med StudentsEpisode summary: Episode 3 of 3 of a miniseries on racial disparities in healthcare. We've heard from Linda Villarosa on how we got to where we are today and what some of the harsh realities of health disparities are, from Michael Tyler on a real life story of how his rac

Date: 4/16/24Name of podcast: Dr. PatientEpisode title and number: 15 Race and Healthcare: One Man's Story Episode summary: Last week we heard from Linda Villarosa on the impact slavery still has on our modern healthcare system and how it leads to racial health disparities in the US. Today we’ll hear from Michael Tyler, children’s author, about his specific experience with race

Date: 4/9/24Name of podcast: Dr. PatientEpisode title and number: 14 Race and Healthcare: Historical RootsEpisode summary: Many of the health inequities that we see in healthcare today stem from beliefs held in the time of slavery that have led to "myths" about black bodies and black health. Compounded by historical policy making related to socioeconomics, red lining, civil rights

Date: 4/2/24Name of podcast: Dr. PatientEpisode title and number: 13 Claim Craziness Pt 1 Episode summary: Have you ever spent hours, days or weeks trying to get money back from a health insurance claim? If you have, this episode will let you know that you're not alone. If you haven't, this will give you some insight into the process. This week's episode is just me, letting you in

Date: 3/25/24Name of podcast: Dr. PatientEpisode title and number: 12 Bosom BuddiesEpisode summary:Today's episode is a fly-on-the-wall perspective for you of how friends talk about cancer. A couple of my friends and I all had cancer within a couple of years of each other, and this is a full-length, unedited conversation that we had about it last year. Warning there's some foul lan

Season 2 is coming soon! During this break I’ve been spending more and more time on the healthcare of my friends and family lately. I continue to act as a doctor friend to whomever needs it, helping guide people through the healthcare landscape to get done what they need, whether it’s finding a doctor, figuring out how to actually have a phone conversation with your doctor, get