Ask The Expert Presents Hemophilia on Balance

Imagine doing your due diligence for an upcoming medical procedure by double checking your facility and providers are in-network with your insurance plan, only to later find out that a provider treating you (e.g., an anesthesiologist or radiologist) does not participate in your health plan's network after you receive a huge out-of-network bill out of nowhere. This is one example of a healthcare is...

As a member of the rare disease community, bleeding disorder patients and their families are used to taking surveys, signing up for clinical trials, and/or sharing our thoughts about what it is like living with a bleeding disorder. So what makes this new initiative from the National Hemophilia Foundation (NHF) different? Join us for a conversation with NHF Head of Research, Michelle Witkop and Res...

Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan's Camp Bold Eagle is turning 50 this year! Camp Bold Eagle is the longest running summer camp for kids and teens with bleeding disorders in the United States and to celebrate this incredible accomplishment and to relish in the joy of summer camp, Ask the Expert invited staff of the Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan to join us as they reminisce about the history of...

  Is a healthy joint an active joint or a stagnant joint? How many bleeds does it take to create damage? How does treatment adherence compliment our activity levels and joint health? Join us for the latest episode of Ask the Expert where nationally recognized physical therapist, Cindy Bailey, Ph. D, gives us the 101 on joint health, physical activity, and treatment adherence. Cindy is the director...

Did you know that women are twice as likely as men to be diagnosed with a mental health condition when presenting cardiovascular symptoms? Or that, on average, it takes women ten years to be diagnosed with endometriosis? On the latest episode of Ask the Expert, we dive into this topic and the long history of women feeling dismissed or ignored when it comes to their health. We are joined by Christi...

The latest episode of Ask the Expert features a conversation with Danna Merritt, a chronic disease social worker with over 50 years experience counseling parents of a child with a serious medical condition. Danna is creator and founder of Parents Empowering Parents (PEP), a decades long parenting program for the bleeding disorder community and Energizing and Empowering Minds , a non-profit with th...

Are you considering board service with your local chapter or a national organization? Maybe you are currently serving on a board and know the unique struggle this volunteer position can face. Join us for a special Ask the Expert episode as we sit down with Jorge de la Riva, former board chair of The National Hemophilia Foundation. Jorge shares his personal views of the role of a board member and h...

Ever wonder what happens after you meet with a legislator and their staff? Ever wonder what they do with your courageous, compelling stories? Can you actually affect policy changes by advocating? Do your stories even matter? Join us for a special episode of Ask the Expert as we pull back the curtain on the legislative process! This month our guest is Bruce Barnum, a former staffer to Senator Al Fr...

  Do you use copay cards to access your clotting factor? What if those cards were used by your insurance company but didn't go towards your deductible or out-of-pocket max so you end up with a huge bill for your factor? This is called Copay Accumulator Adjustment Programs and they are the latest insurance tactic to control overall healthcare costs and could mean surprise bills for bleeding disorde...

New Ask the Expert host, Amy Board, sits down with previous ATE host Chris Bombardier! We ask Chris about his next adventure as the executive director of Save One Life and the future of the organization. Save One Life is a global non-profit founded by Laurie Kelley serving individuals and families affected by bleeding disorders in the developing world. Join us for a conversation with Chris as he e...

This month on Ask the Expert, community advocate Donnie Akers joins Chris to discuss the in's and out's of traveling with your bleeding disorder, such as navigating the airport with your medication, what rights you have as a person with mobility challenges and where to go if you run into trouble while on a trip. All that, plus- MASAC's new guidelines that are incredibly important for you to know,...

In this episode of the Ask The Expert podcast, we interview Justin Levesque about the influence his bleeding disorder has had on his work as an artist, discuss how art can be used to express the challenges we face living with a bleeding disorder and how that unique experience can lead to powerful artwork. Justin also discusses his program "Blood Work", an art exhibition of pieces created by indivi...

Imagine having all the symptoms, and even the diagnosis of hemophilia, but you constantly hear that it's impossible for you to have the condition. You undergo surgery without having factor available, suffer from bleeds and are placed in life-threatening situations, despite the fact that your factor levels have consistently shown that you have hemophilia. While this sounds like an outrageous scenar...

Non-profit organizations couldn't function without the critical work of VOLUNTEERS. Whether on the national or local level, volunteers help communities CONNECT. Volunteers serve on boards of directors, chair committees to organize fundraisers and events, stuff mailers to potential donors, and even set up tables and chairs for events. They do it all! That's why the mighty VOLUNTEER is the focus of...

Summer is already coming to a close and for many families that means their kids are heading back to school or off to college. It's an exciting time, but what if you aren't ready for college or you don't feel like that's the right path for you? How do you go about finding a career that fits your life with a bleeding disorder and how do you approach the challenges of applying and interviewing for th...

Mental illness in the bleeding disorders community is a challenging topic to discuss, but given that approximately one-third of people with a chronic illness experience symptoms of depression, it's clearly a topic in need of more attention. This month's guest is Debbie de le Riva, community advocate and social worker. She joins host Chris Bombardier and guest co-host Patrick James Lynch for an ope...

One of the easiest ways to keep our bodies healthy on a day to day basis is by eating well, but it's also one of the hardest commitments to make. After a long hard day of work or school, it's so easy to swing into a fast food restaurant or pop in a frozen pizza, even when we know we should go for something healthier. On today's podcast we will be exploring some of the myths around nutrition, tips...

In many developing countries, children that are born with chronic medical conditions are placed in orphanages. With limited hope for care in these situations one of the best hopes for these children is to be adopted. In this month's Ask The Expert episode, we visit with Shari Luckey, the Adoption Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator for the Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan. Shari not only has person...

There are many different healthcare providers that make up the the comprehensive care model at hemophilia treatment centers around the United States and much of the developed world. Physicians, nurses, social workers, physical therapists and many other healthcare professionals are all crucial team members in this model and can help individuals throughout their lifetime. Today for 'Ask the Expert',...

The concept of gene therapy has been floating around the hemophilia community for decades, but with recent success in clinical trials, we appear to be getting closer to having an FDA approved treatment. In this episode, we focus on understanding terminology and types of gene therapy, potential benefits and pitfalls, and the role of factor in a gene therapy world. Our expert for this month's episod...

Advocacy has long been a hot topic in the bleeding disorders community, but beyond office visits with state and federal legislators, what does it actually entail?  If you have ever wondered about how you can become or grow as an advocate, this episode is for you! In this month's episode of  the Ask The Expert Podcast we catch up with Rich Pezzillo, Executive Director of the New England Hemophilia...

The management of inhibitors continues to be one of the greatest challenges facing researchers, clinicians, and patients with hemophilia. Thankfully we seem to have taken a giant step forward vis-a-vie the introduction of Hemlibra, the first and only subcutaneous treatment option for patients of all ages who have severe hemophilia A and inhibitors. But what exactly is this form of non-factor repla...

For the last 27 years, Laurie Kelley has dedicated herself to educating and improving the lives of families impacted by hemophilia, hemophilia and inhibitors, and von willebrand disease, both here in the United States and internationally throughout the developing world. So as we say goodbye to 2017 and hello to 2018, what are some of the major considerations for our community both domestically and...

"I can't do that." "That's not for me." "I'm not able to do that."  Thinking about the outdoors and outdoor activities can be intimidating for people living with a bleeding disorder.  But should they be? Are the outdoors and experiential education in the outdoors really off-limits to people with bleeding disorders? That's what we're here discuss with this month's guest, GutMonkey Founder and CEO,...

Food, family, food, travel, more food, money, more food still- the holidays can be a really stressful time! On this episode, social worker Eric Iglewski from the Mary M. Gooley Hemophilia Center in Rochester, New York joins Ask The Expert to talk through important considerations for people with bleeding disorders to keep in mind as we rapidly approach the wonderful chaos that is the holiday season...