The Health Design Podcast

Michelle and Tracy have been interprofessional leaders, friends and colleagues for over 30 years. They are co-hosts of a top healthcare leadership podcast, Healthcare’s MissingLogic Podcast. Michelle and Tracy have a combined experience of more than 60 years working as consultants and coaches for healthcare organizations across North America supporting healthcare leaders as they strive to create h...

Mary Donovan is the Assistant Dean for Standardized Patients (SPs) & Experiential Learning at Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC. She has served at Georgetown as administrative director and educator for the Integrated Learning and Simulation Center since 2007, providing medical students with clinical learning and assessment opportunities through SP education and simulation....

In 2018 Brad Power was a process innovation researcher and consultant with over 35 years experience and an author of over 75 articles for the Harvard Business Review when he was diagnosed with lymphoma. Brad went through a standard course of chemotherapy, which was successful, and he currently has no evidence of disease. While attending a conference on personalized medicine at Harvard Medical Scho...

Nikki Montgomery is the executive director of Madvocator Educational & Healthcare Advocacy Training and the author of the Super Safe Kids patient safety book series. Nikki is a patient advocate, a former hospital Board member, and the past president of the Patient and Family Partnership Council at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. She is also the project...

Gunnar Esiason is a cystic fibrosis and rare disease patient leader, who is passionate about early stage drug development, patient empowerment and health policy. He is a Master of Public Health candidate at the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. Gunnar holds an MBA from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth and a BA from Boston College. Gunnar worked on an enteral feed...

Jamia is an educator, a connector, an advocate, as well as a “doer”. She is also a Multiple Sclerosis patient, national speaker, and blogger; is often regarded as a healthcare innovator with a keen desire to design a truly patient centered healthcare model that includes a leveled playing field. In her new role as CEO of Families Forward Virginia, she is an innovator with a keen desire to design a...

Sneha graduated from Indiana University in May 2020 where she majored in chronic illness advocacy as well as journalism. She created the Health Advocacy Summit (HAS) and its program the Crohn’s and Colitis Young Adults Network (CCYAN) with support from foundations such as the Helmsley Charitable Trust to create support systems for adolescents and young adults with chronic medical disabilities acro...

Shazia Ahmad, Senior Director, Head of Patient & Physician Services at UBC, earned a B.S. in physiology and neurobiology from the University of Maryland and has 20+ years of experience in the therapeutic development industry. Shazia is a seasoned thought leader in the rare disease space with a passion for ensuring the patient journey and diagnostic experience is implemented in every program she de...

Elizabeth Jameson is an artist and writer who explores what it means to live in an imperfect body as part of the universal human experience. Before her diagnosis of multiple sclerosis, she served as a public interest lawyer representing incarcerated children; she later represented children living with chronic illnesses and disabilities in their attempts to receive medically necessary care. As her...

Cynthia Ryan is the Executive Director of the Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA), the leading international organization people turn to for help with vestibular (inner ear and brain) disorders. VeDA helps people with vestibular disorders by connecting them to health care specialists and support networks. VeDA promotes awareness for vestibular disorders through testimony and advocacy. Balance...

Dr Gyles Morrison is a Clinical User Experience Specialist and Digital Health Consultant, improving the usability, accessibility and satisfaction people have with healthcare technology. He uses knowledge and experience of behaviour change to improve the way technology is successfully used in healthcare. He has worked with the NHS and a variety of healthcare companies in the UK, South Africa and Am...

Johan is an extroverted, loving , family guy. When Johan turned 33 years old his world was turned upside down. Before his illness, Johan felt like he was on top of the world. He had a successful career, had just bought a house, and was planning a wedding with the love of his life. Then, on April 18th, 2019, he woke up and the world was spinning. His symptoms included head pressure, ear fullness, n...

Dr. Ankita Sagar is an Internist, Primary Care Physician. She is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. She is the Director of Ambulatory Quality for the Medicine Service Line and currently serves as the Director for the COVID Ambulatory Resource Support Program at Northwell Health. She a member of the Council of Early Career Physicians of America...

Rob Andrews is an Associate Professor at the University of Exeter, an Honorary Consultant Physician at Musgrove Park Hospital Taunton and a Danish Diabetes Academy visiting Professor. At the University Rob he leads a group that conducts clinical trials to determine how best to help people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes to improve their diets, increase their activity levels and to lose weight. Pas...

Leah Barrett is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Master’s Level Nutritionist and has been Private Practice for 25 years. She also has worked in medical settings, specifically oncology as well as consulting for nonprofits and teaching at Colorado State University’s School of Social Work. Most recently, Leah has been living with advanced breast and ovarian cancers - the biggest teachers of her...

For Rebecca Trahan, the art of communication is a subtle one. Her clean designs communicate client messages clearly, with a simple elegance. In 1994 she established her award-winning communications firm Barking Dog Design, along with her not-so-silent partner, Wilma the Weimaraner. Rebecca particularly enjoys working with clients who provide services to the community, and is stimulated by the chal...

Hillary Stires received her BS in behavioral neuroscience from Lehigh University and her PhD in endocrinology and animal biosciences from Rutgers University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in tumor biology at Georgetown University’s Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Her research focused on tumor development and drug resistance in breast cancer. During her postdoctoral fellowship, Hill...

Dr. Cooper’s bio is extensive, but can be summarized into 3 words: Mind… Body… Business The mind? He holds a PhD in Performance Psychology, was a national columnist for 20+ years, had his research published in peer reviewed journals internationally, written 5 books, and spoken professionally in all 50 states plus multiple times in Europe. The body? He earned a Masters degree from one of nation’s t...

Chris spent approximately 25 years working for himself in the lady’s garment industry. During that time, he helped create a multi-million-pound business from scratch. During 2007 Chris was diagnosed with incurable cancer. But has survived the extreme treatments and side effects, to become one of the most respected voices in the subject across the world. His website, (www.chris-cancercommunity.com)...

A 2nd generation prostate cancer survivor and advocate on proactive prostate cancer health. President and co-founder of the Prostate Cancer Awareness Alliance-DMV (PCAA-DMV) – a non-profit focused on helping men to – Get a GRIP on Prostate Cancer – through educational and informational interactive sessions highlighting prostate cancer treatment centers and cancer support services within the DMV. A...

Wenora Johnson is a 3x Cancer survivor, Research/Patient Advocate and Navy Veteran. Wenora began working closely with the organization Fight Colorectal Cancer (FightCRC) as a Research Advocate following her diagnosis of stage 3b colon cancer in 2011. As a Lynch Syndrome patient, Wenora also advocates for genetic testing and awareness. She serves on various panels and review boards to provide exten...

Claire Snyman is an author, blogger and advocate for patient and healthcare collaboration. She is passionate about inspiring people to put their health in their own hands as a result of her own lived experience as an individual with a brain tumour and other chronic health conditions. She has co-authored a scientific study between neurosurgeons and patients and has developed The “TEAM Approach” to...

Santi K.M. Bhagat, MD, MPH, is a mother of a young adult with a chronic medical condition, a physician, and the founder of a grassroots, voluntary charitable organization, Physician-Parent Caregivers (PPC). PPC’s health care and policy research and analysis uncovered a lack of systemic supports for young adults who grow up with childhood-onset health conditions. PPC seeks to advance policy change...

Dr. Ronald Wyatt is Vice President and Patient Safety Officer with MCIC Vermont, a major medical malpractice company. He was born in Selma Alabama and grew up in nearby Perry County (Heiberger) Alabama. Prior to joining MCIC Vermont, Dr. Wyatt was formerly Chief Quality and Patient Safety Officer at Cook County Health in Chicago Illinois. He served as Chief of Patient Safety and Quality for the Ha...

Dr. Veronique Mead was a family physician and assistant professor with an obstetrical practice before leaving medicine because she felt she was causing harm. Retraining as a somatic therapist provided insights through a comprehensive understanding of trauma. She has been aggregating the large bodies of evidence revealing how adversity influences health for two decades.