Today's episode is made possible in part by The American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN,) the nation's leading cancer advocacy organization that is working every day to make cancer issues a national priority. Today I am joined live in-studio by Pam Traxel (ACS CAN Senior Vice President for Alliance Development and Philanthropy), Kate Weissman, a young adult cervical cancer survivor, and Ian Locke, a Ph.D. student in molecular cancer biology at Duke University.Kate is a state lead ambassador for ACS CAN in Massachusetts, and Ian is a congressional district member for ACS CAN in North Carolina. Together with Pam, we talk about channeling anger into action, what lobbying the federal government looks like, and how getting legislation passed across the aisle can help millions of Americans at a clip.What's more, we invite you — the listener — to join the thousands of cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and advocates fighting every day on Capitol Hill to make healthcare suck less for Americans. Why complain when you can do something tangible right now? How would you like to help reduce drug costs, improve access to care, and motivate the FDA to approve new life-saving treatments?Visit https://fightcancer.org/pod and see how you can take an active role in influencing the government to do the right thing and help cancer patients around the country.That's https://www.fightcancer.org/podNow go and be a badass cancer advocate.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As a college senior, I was diagnosed with what doctors thought could be terminal brain cancer. That was 27 years ago TODAY: January 10th, 2023. No guests. Just me. Reflecting on what was, what is, and what may be. If life were easy, we'd all do it. How the hell am I still here? I have no idea. But I am still here. And I thank each and every one of you for supporting me, my work, this show, and the fundamental belief that advocacy matters. Enjoy the show. Oh, and I also relaunched my website, https://www.matthewzachary.com, to commemorate this special occasion. Happy New Year!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Returning champion to Out of Patients, advocacy badass Carly Flumer flips the script on Matthew Zachary as she takes the reins for an AMA (Ask Matt Anything) reverse interview. Hilarity ensues as we take a trip down memory lane as to how the sausage was made, the very origins of Stupid Cancer and the young adult cancer movement, and how we've arrived at today's "better problems to have." 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.

Chaitenya Razdan "Chat" is the Founder and CEO at Care+Wear, an innovative healthwear fashion brand offering more medically appropriate clothing to cancer patients and medical professionals. Having first met Chat in 2015 at Stupid Cancer conference in Denver, his idea has gone international, reaching millions of patients on our mission to bridge fashion and function for a more human healthcare experience. Passion to purpose takes patience and Chat is a true innovator in the space. For more information, visit https://www.careandwear.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Charlie Coltman is the Founder and CEO of Cancerlife, an innovative free mobile app designed to improve quality-of-life for cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers. Cancerlife is first cancer app-validated Randomized control trial to raise QoL. A varsity soccer athlete and pre-internet digital healthcare entrepreneur, Charlie's world came crumbling down with the death of his best friend from cancer. His passion for helping others facing cancer is self-evident. He's been at this game for a long time, having, in 2013, implemented one of the first Remote Patient Monitoring Pilots in the oncology sector. He is a man on a mission. 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.

Jonah Comstock is the Editor in Chief of pharmaphorum, and a veteran healthcare journalist and reporter. He's been covering this topic even before this topic was a thing to be covered. Throughout his career, he has helped to shape significant narratives about the sector, what matters today, and where he sees progress in the future. Learning from his grandmother, who worked in the printing industry, Jonah's trajectory from copy editing Intern to today is an inspiring human time capsule into how the sausage is made. 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.

An economist turned diagnostician, Mette Dhyrberg took matters into her own hands, hacked her own health, and soon began helping others do the same. Mette is the Founder and CEO of MyMee, a digital health platform that identifies the unique dietary and environmental factors that drive mild, moderate, or severe symptoms for people living with chronic conditions and rare disease. So without further ado, we present the tale of when the software engineer becomes the accidental patient advocate. 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.

While America has a complicated history worth acknowledging, Thanksgiving, at least for my family and me, is a holiday dedicated to gratitude and tolerance. On today's special bonus minisode, I'm joined once again by my miracle twins, Koby and Hannah, to talk about what we are thankful for this year, especially through the lens of what's going on inside the minds of 12-year 7th graders in NYC these days. Thank you so much to my loyal listeners for tuning in each week and supporting our shared mission. Enjoy the show, and Happy Thanksgiving.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 quirky show, I welcome Jen Palumbo, an epic human Energizer Bunny who takes a licking and keeps on ticking. Jen is a freelance writer, Forbes contributor, and women's health advocate, specifically for reproductive rights. In a spirited coincidence, it turns out we both went to the same college at the same time, were both Theater people, and have dozens of friends in common. We are ships in the night for sure. As fellow parents of IVF children, we bonded over the current state of the state. And as fellow Binghamton graduates, we bonded over Wegmans, being Theater nerds, and 1990s dorm life in the southern tier. Jen is a true Long Island: loud and proud. Let the hilarity, dark humor, and GenX Therapy begin. 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 am joined by Ariel Nachmann and Joey Brenneman, co-producers from the offscrip network and also the hype team behind the all-new Before We Die podcast from OffScrip Health! Although the title sounds a bit macabre, this show is all about saving lives with emerging technology. We’re here to fuel your anger and get you riled up to demand access to new medical technologies that are often faster, better, and cheaper than the standard of care. The process of getting these products to patients must be accelerated Before We Die! This “clip show” gives you a peek into this full season and introduces you to the  Before We  Die creators and panel of experts, Sandra Miller, John MacMahon, and Craig Ullman.  Subscribe to OffScrip Health's Before We Die on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy listening to your podcasts.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 bonus episode of Out of Patients, I welcome back to the studio returning champion Gail Zahtz. We recently attended a super wonky, jargon-filled trade show, and we're here to break it all down for you—the listener— in ordinary human lay speak. The Association for Value-Based Cancer Care (AVBCC) is a behind-the-scenes organization deep in the subbasement of healthcare. Their purpose is to ensure that the "right patients" get prescribed the "right medicine" at the "right time," hopefully with minimal drama, while avoiding anyone going bankrupt. That's the gist. So strap in as we attempt to de-wonkify a bunch of acronyms in corporate bingo land, and maybe—we hope— you learn something along the way that can make your healthcare experiences suck a little less. 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.

Welcome to the series finale of The Cancer Mavericks. In this final episode, we reflect on the first seven episodes through the lens of history and progress with a series of insightful conversations featuring some of healthcare's most influential and visionary voices across the past four decades. If history is a teacher, we have learned that change can happen, albeit slowly. But it is only when the people stand up, organize and activate their voices demanding change, that the culture will shift, the institutions will pivot, and the very system itself will be forced by the will of the citizens to bend towards the arc of justice. Thank you for joining us for this groundbreaking series. If you like this series, please leave a review and a rating on your favorite podcast app. To learn more about The Cancer Mavericks, visit https://CancerMavericks.com. To learn more about OffScrip Health, visit https://OffScrip.com.FEATURED VOICESGil BasheChair Global Health and Purpose, FINN PartnersJohn D. Carpten, Ph.D.President's Cancer Panel (Emeritus)Director, Institute of Translational GenomicsKeck School of Medicine at USCDeanna DarlingtonPresident at Links2EquityKenny KaneYoung Adult Cancer Advocacy PioneerCo-Founder/CEO, Stupid Cancer (Former)Margaret LawsPresident and CEO, Hope LabLisa C. Richardson, MD, MPHDivision Director, Cancer Prevention and Control at The CDCCatharine Young, Ph.D.Assistant Director of Cancer Moonshot Engagement and PolicyThe White HouseSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today, I proudly welcome my cancer survivor comrade at arms, Jen Singer. Jen's got the trifecta of "shit happens," having survived cancer, heart failure, and "COVID Classic" back in February of 2020 when no one had any idea what the hell was going on. She is the creator of "How To Be Sick," patient-friendly ebooks called "The Just Diagnosed Guides" to provide the newly diagnosed with the information they really need to know now. Because who actually knows what they need to know when they never knew they needed to know it? She's an outspoken professional despiser of Dr. Google, which I think we could all agree is the worst place to go when bad things happen. And as fellow cancer survivors, we bonded over how the hell we're both still alive all these years later through humor, empathy, and virtual cocktails. 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.

I was privileged to welcome Dr. Danielle Carnival, White House Cancer Moonshot Coordinator, to the studio. We talked about the President's priorities, principal directives, and legislative strategies, as well as what Americans can look forward to in the coming months and years through this ambitious and transformational National initiative. Carnival, who has a Ph.D. in neuroscience, served as chief of staff and senior policy director for the 2016-2017 White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force. Subsequently, she served as vice president of the Biden Cancer Initiative. She's also a friend of Wegman's. So there's that, too. To learn more about the Whitehouse Cancer Moonshot initiative, visit https://www.whitehouse.gov/cancermoonshot. 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 on the show, I welcome Vikram Bhaskaran, and Dr. Rohan Ramakrishna (Chief of Neurological Surgery at New York Presbyterian) live in-studio to talk about Roon, their intriguing new cancer navigation platform for patients and caregivers. Roon is personal to Vikram as his whole career shifted from Pinterest executive to caring for his Father when he was diagnosed with ALS. Roon claims to be "the most supportive place online for people navigating complex health conditions, starting with Glioblastoma." so we power-test how that holds up against unmet patient needs. Rohan is only the second neurosurgeon I've had on the show, so, as a brain cancer survivor, I naturally asked him all sorts of pointed questions like, "What's it like to touch someone's brain?" These guys are the real deal with core compassion for empathy in medicine and helping patients in need access what they never knew they needed. 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 we’re dropping a very special throwback to an early episode of Out of Patients.Too often, patients are blatantly taken advantage of by Industry who profit off of our stories and our experience dealing with a disease we didn't ask to have. If our experience is so critical to Industry's bottom line, there should exist fundamental compensation standards under which which they operate. Period.Matthew Zachary welcomes OffScrip Media Senior Producers Andrew MacDowell (Co-Founder and COO,) Jen Horonjeff (Founder/CEO of Savvy Coop) and Sandy Vassos (Nonprofit Executive and OffScrip Media Advisor for Strategic Relationships)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The amazing Victoria Fenton joins me today from across the pond in England to share one of the greatest British accents I've ever welcomed to the program. Well, that and the fabulous feeling when you know something is wrong with your body, and no medical professional will take you seriously while regurgitating back to you that it's all in your head. Victoria was misdiagnosed for over a decade as a teenager while suffering from all sorts of life-threatening symptoms. Consistently greeted with "You have mental health issues. Get over it." she was finally diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), a group of hereditary disorders of connective tissue. She realized that when you have no control over something, it helps you take control of it. She chose to immerse herself in natural language processing and cognitive behavioral therapy. She soon realized the obvious: Our minds and our bodies can control the way we interact with the universe around us. Not heal. Not sure. But help manage the way we deal with stressors. 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 we’re dropping a very special throwback to a bonus episode of Out of Patients. 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.

My guest today is Dr. Selin Kurnaz, Founder and CEO of Massive Bio, a company that is as impressive as it sounds. Its mission is to solve one of the single most critical scathing holes in healthcare: the "last mile" of clinical trial enrollment. What does that mean? You'll find out during our conversation, and rightfully so; the explanation will further deepen your pre-existing disdain for "the system." Selin is a no-BS serial entrepreneur who defines herself as a "non-status-quo businesswoman." whose sole purpose is to ensure every cancer patient gets access to a clinical trial; because only 20% of all patients that qualify for a clinical trial never actually fully enroll in that trial. And that is not OK. All that and more on the show today, let's get started.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Mat The W and Elura Thou Nanos talk about celebrity musician forays into mental health advocacy, doctors doing really bad things and recent SCOTUS arguments on California's pork regulations. Oink!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the show today, Matthew is joined live in-studio by Larry Reines, a young adult rare disease advocate and Founding Member of the Aaron Myer Consulting Group. From humble beginnings as a 12-year-old paperboy learning the ropes of supply chain, customer service, and accounting, his life took a nasty turn when he was diagnosed with an extremely rare condition known as Progressive Myeloproliferative Disorder. 27 years later, he's still here and is thriving as USA Swimming certified coach, and master of his own domain as a business leader, philanthropist and patient advocate for young adults and the rare disease community.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Elura and Matthew are joined by PrEP advocate and Tub Talks host Damon Jacobs, LMFT to give a monkeypox update and discuss two stories relating to the Affordable Care Act. Damon also tells his own story of trying to access the monkeypox vaccine in New York earlier this summer.Here are the three extra headlines you don't want to miss:Your dog's nose knows if you’re feeling stressed out via NBCRecord numbers of nurses are quitting the NHS in England, figures show via BBCBiden Vaccine Mandate for Health Workers Survives Supreme Court Appeal via BloombergSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In today's special bonus episode, Matthew welcomes the venerable Dr. Mitzi Krockover to the show. Mitzy is a board-certified internist, former VP of Women's health at Humana, and the Founding Medical Director of the Iris Cantor-UCLA Women's Health Center. What makes this episode even more remarkable is that Mitzi's acclaimed podcast, Beyond The Paper Gown, has joined the OffScrip Health podcast network as one of our flagship programs. Beyond The Paper Gown—available wherever you listen to your podcasts—is committed to engaging, educating, and inspiring a community of women to achieve optimal health and well-being and to effect meaningful change on the systems that impact women's health. Her guests have included some of the most influential and inspirational entrepreneurs leaning into today's age of digital health, diagnostics technology, and appreciation for how social media has transformed how patients engage with—and trust—medicine. Today's conversation focuses on a recent episode of her show entitled "Aftershocks: Unexpected Consequences Of The Roe v. Wade Decision." See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Dr. David Fajgenbaum is many things, but for the purposes of this episode, let's just say he went from an all-star college athlete to being read his last rites in a matter of weeks. In addition to his tenure as an Assistant Professor of Medicine at UPenn's Perelman School of Medicine, David is the author of Chasing My Cure: A Doctor's Race To Turn Hope Into Action. Why? Well, because he experimented on himself to discover the very medicine that would save his life and others. Born of his condition, David then co-founded the Castleman Disease Collaborative Network, a global initiative dedicated to accelerating research and treatment for Castleman disease (CD) to improve survival for all patients with CD. He's young. He's smart. He's funny. And he's someone you're definitely going to want to be friends with. 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.

Matthew Zachary and Elura Nanos discuss an uptick in longterm birth control use by teens, how the CDC is subtly changing its COVID messaging in plain sight, and how one hospital in Virginia deserves lots of attention for the fuckery it's caused its patients.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Welcome to "Dear Cancer," a takeover episode of Out of Patients with special guest hosts Dr. Mark Lewis, an oncologist from Intermountain Medical Center, and Stephanie Elsea, a volunteer patient advocate from The Lustgarten Foundation. Together with Matthew Zachary, Mark and Stephanie break down the latest cancer research medical jargon into human terms, especially with the help of another special guest, Matt's daughter, Hannah. With grace, humor, and passion, the three share personal stories that connect them deeply to this cause. They wish only to help patients strike that balancing act between hope and hope by banishing pessimism and embracing reality about their prognoses. Throughout the episode, the team covers everything from understanding different types of tumors, what biomarkers are (and their importance), and clinical trials can sound less, um.. "clinical." They also discuss the latest findings and some extremely positive results from the Crestone Research Study.See if biomarker testing is right for you, and sign up today at http://dearcancer.health/findout.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

My guest today is Dr. Richard Parker, Chief Medical Officer at Arcadia, an exciting venture focused on using "big data" to ensure the right information about care is delivered to the right patient when needed. What a concept! For the math nerds out there, they harness millions of data points—like your diagnosis, medications, zip code, etc.—to create a sort of flowchart and navigation tool. Rich tells me it's not Skynet, and we are not at the dawn of a robot apocalypse. What's even more interesting is how Rich got started in his career in Chinese linguistics and how that enabled him to his role as Chief Medical Officer for Beth Israel Deaconess in Massachusetts. Oh, and we rifle through the 1980s and compare notes on how dangerous playgrounds used to be. 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.

Elura Nanos and Matthew Zachary discuss Ryan Reynolds and his colonoscopy campaign, how J&J is dodging cancer patients through the Texas-two-step and why healthcare workers are striking around the country.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A recent study showed that it takes a doctor 11 seconds to interrupt a patient. My guest today is Kistein Monkhouse, a public health expert and patient advocate advocating for health equity. She is the CEO and founder of Patient Orator, a HIPAA-compliant digital health mobile app that improves how people talk to doctors and how doctors talk to people. Kistein speaks softly but carries a big stick and, with her immigrant backstory, demonstrates the power of perseverance, empathy, and entrepreneurship to make a dent in the universe for the patient community. Please enjoy this extraordinarily authentic conversation.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What do cancer survivors, free speech and license plates have in common? A legal case happening in Delaware! Join Elura Nanos and Matthew Zachary as they dissect the latest healthcare news including: what’s happening with the CDC reorg, monkeypox and a story on a breast cancer survivor’s legal battle to make the Delaware DMV allow her “FCANCER” license plate on the road. Welcome to the first episode of Health Careless, formerly known as Vax On.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Fran Drescher once said, "Stage 1 is the cure." Not any longer. Medical technology and genetics have come so far these days that it's now possible never to get cancer in the first place. At least some cancers that is. No, we're not talking about "prevention" in the traditional sense. My in-studio guest Dr. Lishan Aklog and I talk about "pre-cancer," a condition where cells in your body that are at risk of becoming cancer can now be detected and treated before any actual malignancy begins. How unbelievably insane is that? Lishan is an acclaimed thoracic surgeon and entrepreneur who once fled political violence in Ethiopia as a child and now helms PAVMed, a truly next-gen enterprise bringing to market these miraculous tests that can detect pre-cancer. Deservedly so, Lishan was recently named a Top 50 Healthcare/Technology CEO of 2021 and speaks to such essential issues as empathy in medicine, fighting with the FDA, and boiling down complex medical jargon so the average human can understand it. How novel. 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.

18 months, 72 episodes, countless Uncrustables references, and one global pandemic later, it’s time to retire the VAX ON segment and transform it into an even bigger segment on the Out of Patients podcast feed. There’s a whole world of opportunity outside of COVID fuckery waiting to be lauded, chastised, berated, heralded, castigated, and brazenly deconstructed. So join us as Matthew and Elura hop in the Wayback machine and reflect on how it all began, what they did to stay alive, and where we’ve landed across these pandemic years.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

I learned a lot from my guest today, and I mean A LOT. For example, I had no idea that humans have something called the "Adaptive Immune System." Nor did I know — although I had my suspicions — why it seems that everyone is allergic to everything these days, yet, growing up in the 70s and 80s, no one was allergic to anything. My guest, Meenal Lele, host of the fantastic podcast "Fixing Sick," received two back-to-back Science degrees from Wharton and UPenn in the same year. That background came in extremely handy when her newborn nearly died from an undiagnosed food allergy. She went into advocacy beast mode, taking on the food allergy ecosystem. The result is years of research, data, and new facts that blew my mind and will hopefully blow yours. Did you know that no one is born with food allergies? And that, through shitty US-only ingredients in our food and the hyper-sanitization and "Over-Purell-ification" of society, we've completely eroded our natural immunity to ordinary things that our species has historically never had to worry about for thousands of years? Necessity is the mother of invention, and Meenal's ingenuity has resulted in her founding Lil Mixins, purveyors of solutions to help stop food allergies in infants before they start. Yes, you heard right. 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.

Original Air Date 3/16/2022 — 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 the GYN/ONC research community and sharing with Matthew the many new challenges and opportunities industry is tackling head-on to put the patient more at the center of care. Also, what role can women take in getting ahead of these diseases, and how can we collaborate to help patients survive and thrive? Also, what does she see as the most revolutionary biotech innovations on the horizon for women living with cancer? Medical progress can only do so much if patients have trouble accessing care, and Covid-19 has made us painfully aware of the racial and socioeconomic gaps in healthcare access. How do we break down those access barriers and help underserved communities get the services they need?For more information, visit https://OffScrip.com and follow @MatthewZachary, and @OffScripHealth on Twitter.This ad-free episode of Out of Patients is made possible by our partner, GlaxoSmithKline(GSK), a science-led global healthcare company with a special purpose to improve the quality of human life by helping people do more, feel better, live longer. For more information, please visit https://www.gsk.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Original Air Date 3/15/2022 — On the show today, I talk to Zach Fink, CEO, and Co-Founder at VyTrac, a telehealth company. Zach started his career 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, 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.

Original Air Date 03/31/2022 — FDA, No effing way!Visit offscrip.com/shows for more podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Original Air Date 1/1/2022 — I had the absolute privilege of welcoming the late Kasey Altman to OffScrip Health Studios in NYC earlier this year for an interview on my show. While it's nearly impossible to put into words all that she was, is, and will forever be, Kasey is the rare exception to the metaphoric rule of having to "pick your favorite kid". Her charm, charisma, and creative intellect alone would have been enough to put her on a Mount Rushmore of cancer advocates, but her no-BS precociousness that led this Google exec to launch a hackathon to help develop a cure for her type of cancer (fusion-positive alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma) blew the doors off any perception of what I thought advocacy meant. Kasey lit up every room brighter than possible with her very being, and her podcast, The Reroute, was appointment listening for me and for thousands of listeners around the world. After road-tripping across the U.S. and enrolling in different clinical trials for months, tragic inevitability caught up with her. Kasey was wise beyond her years with an infectious laugh and lust for life way beyond anything a cat poster has to offer. She will be missed but her footprint will live on in us. Our conversation will be cherished for all time.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.

Original Air Date 02/10/2022 — Got orange sauce?Visit offscrip.com/shows for more podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Original Air Date 12/28/2021 — Today I talk to writer, influencer, and breast cancer survivor extraordinaire, Megan-Claire Chase. When Megan-Claire got her cancer diagnosis in 2015, her life took a big left turn. Her health and her future were suddenly thrown off course. But Megan-Claire also learned new things about herself. She discovered her knack for writing when she began documenting her cancer journey. Her blog, Life on the Cancer Train, became a runaway success, and Warrior Megsie, Megan-Claire’s online persona, was born! She has since written for Cancer Health magazine, co-authored an academic paper, and has been featured in The New York Times and People magazine. What’s next, a one-woman show? 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.

In today's whirlwind bonus episode, I proudly welcome Dr. Robyn Schlicher, mental health advocate and Vice President of Business Development at Pear Bio. Robyn's backstory is profoundly personal and evocative of a young person trying to make sense of their life living on the autism spectrum and coping with the fundamentals of mania, euphoria, depression, and entrepreneurialism. Her role in the healthcare universe is that of a sherpa assisting pharma and providers in ensuring the drugs actually work first before getting to patients. She's a passionate, no-BS advocate who talks fast, so prepare for an invigorating rollercoaster ride of wry wit and frenetic authenticity.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Original Air Date 01/20/2022 — Find out why you shouldn't kiss your chinchillas.Visit offscrip.com/shows for more podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Original Air Date 11/09/2021 — Ritesh Patel is Senior Partner, Global Digital Health at FINN Partners. He is a digital evangelist and has been evangelizing digital since the early days of the dot com boom in the late 1990s. As a young man, he joined Agency.com and quickly began to consult with major fortune 500 companies to evangelize the merits of the World Wide Web. (Remember that term, kids?) He's recently taken his mission on the road to speak at a wide variety of digital and healthcare-centered events worldwide, focusing primarily on digital strategy, tools, platforms, and ecosystems in Healthcare and Health Systems.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.

Original Air Date 01/13/2022 — In this episode of Vax On, Matthew Zachary and Elura Nanos discuss the Supreme Court’s COVID-19 precautions during Tuesday’s oral arguments. They also discuss a nationwide COVID-19 testing shortage and NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ questionable remarks about the city’s workforce.Visit offscrip.com/shows for more podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Original Air Date 7/13/2021 — On the show today, it's a spotlight on NAMAPA (National Association of Medication Access & Patient Advocacy) with Co-Founders Elizabeth Johnson LPN and Melissa Paige, CPhT. Liz started her career in immunology and moved into the world of "medication access," which is healthcare between the patient and the doctor, where issues of access, pricing, prescriptions, and navigating the complexities of the system are all managed on behalf of the patient. As a certified Pharmacy Tech, Melissa lives in a world of reimbursement and access challenges in her previous roles, which is also code for "how medicine gets to the patient." NAMAPA is the presenting sponsor of the inaugural Healthcare Advocate Summit for Advocates by Advocates held on September 8-10 in Galveston Island, Texas. This conference is slated to be the premier event for anyone involved in patient access, navigation, and reimbursement. Learn more at https://www.healthcareadvocatesummit.com.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.

Matthew Zachary and Elura Nanos nerd out over a COVID-19 liability case, eradicating raisins and a Polio surprise...Visit offscrip.com/shows for more podcasts.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the show today, I welcome Claire O'Bryan, certified nurse practitioner, rabble-rouser, wellness warrior, host of the DabbleCo Podcast, and Co-Founder of The Skin Clique. The DabbleCo Podcast is the latest addition to the OffScrip Health Podcast Network, and, I promise you, it's well worth your time to subscribe to this show wherever you already listen to your podcasts. Claire joined me in studio for a fabulous discussion about the trials, tribulations, and modern-day challenges facing nurses and NPs against the backdrop of burnout and mental health. We also dive into the ridiculous jargon and artificial language woven into consumer consciousness that tricks us into thinking everyday foods and health/beauty products are good for us—words like "All natural," "Organic," "Homemade," and so on. Twas a great chat with an incredibly talented and inspiring human. 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.

Space cancer vs monkeypox, self-cleaning iguanas, and David Schwimmer.Visit offscrip.com/shows for more podcasts.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 proudly welcome New York Times bestselling author Dr. Theresa Brown, RN. Her new book, "Healing: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient," is now available in hardcover, and what read it is. Theresa has a phenomenal sense of humor and an inherently advantageous perspective on the inner workings of healthcare. Yet, when the coin flipped, she found herself a fish out of water while still swimming in the fishbowl. So, brace yourself for the usual 80s nostalgia train combined with some horrible Dad jokes, a smidgen of survivor guilt, and a wild ride through the "cancer is a contest" theater of the absurd. Fun fact: This episode may be the first show I've ever done that channels Fast times at Ridgemont High and Ferris Bueller through the lens of nursing while throwing tons of shade at Grey's Anatomy. Oh, one last thing. We had a couple of sound glitches during the show, and my editor Kyle did his best to compensate for it. So please forgive any blips, bleeps, and weird stuff. So without further ado, I present Theresa Brown. 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.