-
Marian Hollingsworth: “Beware of ‘Black Box’ Medications”
On Monday, we invited your stories around the Patient Voice Principle that patients deserve “treatment that is appropriate, with disclosure of risk and discussion of less-invasive alternatives.” Marian Hollingsworth The story that Marian Hollingsworth sent us about her father broke our hearts. We know that most medical harm is unintentional, careless at worst. However every…
-
Heather Von St. James’ Story: “We won’t stop until HOPE is a reality.”
Heather (right) with her husband, Cam (left) and daughter, Lily (center). The attention of much of the nation will be drawn tonight to the much-anticipated first presidential debate. But for Heather Von St. James and thousands like her, September 26th is anticipated as a day to celebrate another year of her death-defying victory over a…
-
Jack, Geri and Allison: Defiant Patients
“I’m sorry, there’s no easy way to tell you this.” Jack Whelan’s doctor followed up those words with a diagnosis of a rare, incurable blood cancer and a five-year prognosis. That was eight years ago. As he says in his blog, “Friends and family and many audiences have heard my “success story” beating that poor…
-
10 Ways The Patient Voice Institute is Shaking Things Up
At the HxRefactored conference in NYC last month, I was given an opportunity to get up on stage and introduce the Patient Voice Institute. Though I’d been in front of cameras for years as a news anchor, my stomach was in knots. For months, our small operations team had invested our time, heart and soul…
-
Rachel Weissburg’s Story: Medicine & Compassion
In 2008, Rachel was diagnosed with severe chronic migraines. To improve her experience as patient, Rachel needs more than just medicine, she also needs compassion. She wants to be treated with kindness and respected as a person. Through expressing the value and importance of seeing a patient as a person, and not just a diagnosis or a…
-
Nancy Clarkson’s Story: Tragic Loss Due to Medical Error
Nancy’s call to action came in 2012 when she lost her husband, Glenn, as a result of a series of medical errors. Nancy is not a medical professional. So, when she entered the ER with her husband, she trusted the doctors to help her husband, and expected that he would be given the best care.…
