Out of Patients with Matthew Zachary

Episode Description:

If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a Bronx-born pediatric nurse with stage 4 colon cancer survives, raises a kid, becomes a policy shark, and fights like hell for the ignored, meet Vanessa Ghigliotty. She’s not inspirational. She’s a bulldozer. We go way back—like pre-Stupid Cancer back—when there was no “young adult cancer movement,” just a handful of pissed-off survivors building something out of nothing. This episode is personal. Vanessa and I built the plane while flying it. She fought to be heard, showed up in chemo dragging her kid to IEP meetings...

Risa Arin doesn’t just talk about health literacy. She built the damn platform. As founder and CEO of XpertPatient.com (yes, expert with no E), Risa’s taking a wrecking ball to how cancer education is delivered. A Cornell alum, cancer caregiver, and ex-agency insider who once sold Doritos to teens, she now applies that same marketing muscle to helping patients actually understand the garbage fire that is our healthcare system. We talk about why she left the “complacent social safety” of agency life, how her mom unknowingly used her own site during treatment, what it’s like to pitch c...

Dr. Jamie Wells is back—and this time, she brought a book. We cover everything from biomedical design screwups to the glorified billing software known as the EHR. Jamie's new book, A Clinical Lens on Pediatric Engineering, is a masterclass in what happens when you stop treating kids like small, drunk adults and start designing medicine around actual human factors. We talk about AI in pediatric radiology, why drug repurposing might save lives faster than biotech IPOs, and the absurdity of thinking one-size-fits-all in healthcare still works.

Jamie’s a former physician, a health policy disruptor, a bioe...

Erica Campbell walked away from corporate life, took a hard left from the British Embassy, and found her calling writing checks for families nobody else sees. As Executive Director of Pinky Swear Foundation, she doesn’t waste time on fluff. Her team pays rent, fills gas tanks, and gives sick kids' parents the one thing they don’t have—time. Then, breast cancer hit her. She became the patient. Wrote a book about it. Didn’t sugarcoat a damn thing. We talk about parking fees, grief, nonprofit burnout, and how the hell you decide which families get help and which do...

Allyson with a Y. Ocean with two Ls. And zero chill when it comes to changing the face of cancer care. Dr. Allyson Ocean has been quietly—loudly—at the center of every major cancer breakthrough, nonprofit board, and science-backed gut punch you didn’t know you needed to hear. In this episode, she joins me in-studio for a conversation two decades in the making. We talk twin life, genetics, mitochondrial disease, and why she skipped the Doublemint Twins commercial but still ended up as one of the most recognizable forces in oncology. We cover her nonprofit hits, from Michae...

Sponsored by Invivyd, Inc.

Nobody wants to hear about COVID-19 anymore. Especially not cancer patients. But if you’ve got a suppressed immune system thanks to chemo, radiation, stem cell transplants—or any of the other alphabet soup in your chart—then no, it’s not over. It never was. While everyone else is getting sweaty at music festivals, you’re still dodging a virus that could knock you flat.

In this episode, Matthew Zachary and Matt Toresco say the quiet part out loud: many immunocompromised people may not even know they have options beyond vaccines...

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Lisa Shufro is the storyteller’s storyteller. A musician turned innovation strategist, TEDMed curator, and unapologetic truth-teller, Lisa doesn’t just craft narratives—she engineers constellations out of chaos. We go way back to the early TEDMed days, where she taught doctors, scientists, and technocrats how not to bore an audience to death. In this episode, we talk about how storytelling in healthcare has been weaponized, misunderstood, misused, and still holds the power to change lives—if done right. Lisa challenges the idea that storytelling should be persuasive and instead argues it should be connective. We get i...

What happens when you blend the soul of Mr. Rogers, the boldness of RuPaul, and just a pinch of Carrie Bradshaw? You get Sally Wolf.

She’s a Harvard and Stanford powerhouse who ditched corporate media to help people actually flourish at work and in life—because cancer kicked her ass and she kicked it back, with a pole dance routine on Netflix for good measure.

In this episode, we unpack what it means to live (really live) with metastatic breast cancer. We talk about the toxic PR machine behind "pink ribbon" cancer, how the heal...

Episode Description

Audra Moran is the President and CEO of OCRA—Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance—which means she spends her days doing things most of us wouldn’t survive five minutes doing: merging nonprofits, leading national patient support programs, funding lifesaving research, surviving pharma grant hell, and trying to reach every woman in America who might be slipping through the cracks. We talk about her time working with the Helen Keller National Center (yes, she knows finger spelling), her accidental journey into cancer nonprofit leadership, the weirdness of dermoid cysts, the ridiculousness of writing grants, and the absolu...

Christine Verini is a pharmacist by training, a nonprofit CEO by title, and an unapologetic empath by design. She now leads CancerCare, one of the oldest, least-known, and most impactful organizations in the country that actually helps real cancer patients deal with the practical garbage no one likes to talk about—like paying rent, affording a ride to chemo, or feeding their kids.

We talk about her career pivot from industry to impact, what it's like trying to scale empathy without losing your soul, and the daily gut-punch of knowing there are millions of people who still ha...

Jennifer Finkelstein is not here for your pity, your pinkwashed slogans, or your performative awareness campaigns. She’s a 20-year young adult breast cancer survivor who turned trauma into a blueprint for action and built 5 Under 40, a no-BS nonprofit supporting women diagnosed with breast cancer under 40.

In this episode, we go full Gen X therapy session—from SNL nostalgia and cold caps to the absurdity of finding out you have cancer while looking for the remote. Jen drops real talk about founding a nonprofit when nothing existed for her age group, why mental health support isn’t option...

What happens when a black belt, sword-slinging fitness icon gets cancer—twice? She picks up a camera and dares the universe to test her again.

Ilaria Montagnani is not your average anything. She’s been building strong bodies (and stronger minds) for over 30 years as the founder of Powerstrike. She’s part Jane Fonda, part Uma Thurman, and very much the action hero you wish was your personal trainer.

In this episode, we talk about what happens when everything you built your life on—movement, strength, purpose—gets sideswiped by disease. Twice. Ilaria opens up about diag...

Helene M. Epstein is not here to make friends with the healthcare system. She's here to dismantle the bullshit, one catastrophic medical error at a time. An ad agency veteran turned patient safety firebrand, Helene’s journey from business development to writer to “badass queen of patient safety,” is one hell of a ride.

We talk about how her son was misdiagnosed over 15 times (yes, really), why some doctors should come with warning labels, and how American healthcare gaslights patients like it's a competitive sport. She also explains why she’s giving away her new book for free, on...

Jonathan and Jennifer Wall didn’t choose this path, but they’re walking it with purpose. After losing their son, Zach, they turned their grief into action, founding Zach’s Bridge, a lifeline for families navigating pediatric cancer. This episode isn’t about platitudes or silver linings—it’s about the raw, unfiltered reality of love and loss, the relentless unfairness of childhood cancer, and how the Walls are refusing to let their son’s memory fade into the void.

Jon and Jenn open up about what Zach taught them, how they’ve reshaped their lives in his honor, and w...

Sarah Armstrong—forever Sarah Oakden to me, no matter what the legal documents say—isn't just my best friend. 

She's my first college friend, my musical theater soulmate, and the first person who truly saw me as an artist. She was there when I walked onto Binghamton’s campus, and she was there when I walked into cancer hell. And, because we’re nothing if not in sync, a few decades later, she got her own cancer badge of honor, and I was right there with her every step of the way.

This episode is a love le...

Food for Thought: Cancer, Calories, and Kicking Ass

Vanessa Rissetto is back, and she’s bringing the same energy, wit, and unapologetic realness that made her a fan favorite. Last time, we talked nutrition and the rise of Culina Health. This time, life threw her a plot twist—breast cancer. Because, you know, irony.

Vanessa was busy building a nutrition empire when she got diagnosed. So, naturally, she texted, “WTF do I do now?” to her closest cancer Sherpas—yours truly included. Spoiler alert: She powered through, beat cancer, and kept scaling Culina Health to new height...

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Lillian Kreppel doesn’t hold back. A seven-year anal cancer survivor and co-founder of the HPV Cancers Alliance, she has made it her mission to challenge stigma, fight misinformation, and push for better awareness of HPV-related cancers. In this episode, she sits down with Matthew Zachary to talk about her journey from high-powered sales to full-time advocacy, the absurd misconceptions surrounding HPV, and why more doctors should be doing rectal exams—but aren’t. With her signature humor and relentless drive, Lillian shares how she turned her diagnosis into a movement, what it takes to make p...

Grace Charrier—a powerhouse advocate, author, and cancer survivor—whose journey from a Stage 3 triple-negative breast cancer diagnosis to global advocacy is nothing short of extraordinary. Originally from Nigeria, Grace's life was upended when she was diagnosed following an unexpected health scare. Instead of retreating, she turned her experience into action, launching Cancer Convos with Grace B, writing the memoir IMPOSSICANT!, and becoming a voice for patients navigating the complexities of cancer care worldwide.

Matthew and Grace dive into the realities of living with cancer, from the absurdities of the U.S. healthcare system to the deeply ingr...

Buckle up, because Amy Gittelman is back, and this episode is one for the ages. A fellow SUNY Binghamton (yes, we still call it that) alum, Amy joins me for a hilarious and brutally honest deep dive into the absurdities of healthcare, insurance fuckery, and the general nonsense that plagues the system. From dodging medical debt landmines to battling insurance companies that seem hellbent on denying care, we go all in.

But wait—there's more! We reminisce about our Binghamton days, debate the superiority of Wegmans over every downstate grocery store, and expose the dark art of he...

Welcome to another episode of Out of Patients, where we get real about the absolute circus that is the American healthcare system. If you've ever been trapped in a medical billing nightmare, gaslit by insurance reps, or just generally felt like healthcare is an elaborate game designed to screw you—this one’s for you.

Joining me is the indomitable Deb Gordon, a relentless champion for healthcare consumers, co-founder of Umbra Health Advocacy, and co-director of the Alliance of Professional Health Advocates. She literally wrote the book (The Healthcare Consumer’s Manifesto) on navigating this broken system—and she’...

You know how some people enter your life with a knock, a bang, or maybe even a LinkedIn request? Not Rebecca Batterman, returning champion to Out of Patients, making her dramatic second appearance,

Back in 2019, she karmically appeared like a plot twist in a film noir—unexpected, inevitable, and full of surprises. 

An AI strategist, an optimist (yes, those exist), and a young adult cancer survivor, Rebecca is here to school us on everything from the future of AI in healthcare to why nostalgia is a coping mechanism we all need.  

In this no-B...

Tricia Brouk isn’t just a storyteller—she’s a story architect, crafting narratives that connect humanity. A former ballet dancer turned award-winning director, choreographer, and transformational speaker coach, Tricia brings her unique journey to the mic in this captivating conversation. From dancing in iconic opera houses to choreographing Hollywood blockbusters, she has mastered the art of turning moments into movements.

In this episode, Tricia and I dive deep into the magic of storytelling as a service, the difference between telling a story and truly captivating an audience, and how vulnerability can transform lives. Whether you’re looking...

Get ready for a wild ride with Matt Lewis, the Tony Stark-meets-Jerry Seinfeld of the mental health AI world. As a multi-degreed polymath, Matt has been ahead of the curve on AI since MySpace was a thing. In this episode, we dive into everything from neuroethics and AI-powered mental health solutions to existential fears of Skynet ruining your day. Matt shares the real scoop on how AI can revolutionize diagnosis, therapy, and even the very definition of sanity—while hilariously lamenting the difficulty of spelling “rhythm.” If you’ve ever wondered whether AI is here to save the world or just...

What happens when you give a 14-year-old the mic and let her fly solo without her twin brother? Magic, that’s what. This episode of Out of Patients features my daughter, Hannah, on her seventh (yes, seventh) appearance on the show, but this time she’s stealing the spotlight solo. From reminiscing about slushy Christmas Eves and rare baby illnesses to deep dives into the hexagonal perfection of honeycombs, this mini-episode is packed with wit, banter, and a healthy dose of dad jokes. We touch on everything from gaming nostalgia to family quirks, proving once again that sometimes the best...

Prepare for a whirlwind of brilliance with Dr. Natanya Wachtel—a self-proclaimed "failed therapist" turned media maven, behavioral strategist, and all-around badass. In this episode, we dive into her transformative journey from navigating personal loss to spearheading innovative mental health initiatives and reimagining her own identity in a world that loves labels. From her esoteric love of theater and eclectic career in Big Pharma to candid insights about obesity, Ozempic, and the not-so-great healthcare system, Natanya delivers an unfiltered look at life’s complexities with humor and heart.

Expect laughs, life lessons, and a few "did-they-really-just-say-that" moments as w...

Back for Round 2 and wielding her wit like a machete, Jen Singer returns to Out of Patients with Matthew Zachary. Cancer survivor, heart failure "graduate," and creator of the 'Just Diagnosed Guides,' Jen has seen it all — and she's here to help YOU see it all more clearly. From dismantling medical jargon to calling BS on "Stay Strong" toxic positivity, this conversation is a masterclass in how to survive, thrive, and laugh in the face of life's curveballs. Need a guide on what to do the day sh*t hits the fan? Jen wrote it. Need permission to be...

Prepare to be inspired and entertained as Sean Wachter returns to Out of Patients! Sean, aka "The Cancer Fighter," is a two-time melanoma survivor, professional wrestler, coffee shop entrepreneur, and self-proclaimed 'f**ked up Forrest Gump.' With a resume that includes Madison Square Garden, WWE dreams, and a 'We Got This' People's Champion belt, Sean's journey of triumph over cancer (and doctors who didn’t believe him) is nothing short of extraordinary. This episode dives into Sean’s fight against misdiagnosis, his wrestling odyssey, and his hilarious philosophy of not having “time for why.” Get ready for a rollerco...

In this lively and insightful episode of Out of Patients, host Matthew Zachary sits down with Mariana Arnaut, Founder and CEO of The After Cancer, a groundbreaking platform helping cancer survivors navigate the uncharted waters of life post-treatment. Joined by his sharp and witty Chief of Staff, Jen Ramprasad, the trio dives into the gaps in survivorship care, the rise of "cancer retail," and the moral dilemmas of monetizing support services for the cancer community. Mariana also shares the story behind Cards Against Cancer, a clever spin on the popular party game that has sparked meaningful—and sometimes hilarious—conv...

What happens when two fresh-faced Gen Zers—Matthew Zachary Worldwide Chief of Staff Jenisa Ramprasad and Marketing Intern Lauren Woodring—sit down with a cranky, nostalgia-fueled Gen Xer (ahem, Matthew Zachary)? Chaos, hilarity, and surprisingly deep insights.

This is not your typical Out of Patients episode.

What started as a casual, unscripted chat turned into a generational therapy session touching on everything from floppy disks, cassette tapes, and AOL chat rooms to TikTok-induced existential crises and frenetic media consumption with no "ohio baby gronk rizz" or "skibidi toilets". (Whatever that means)

Why are Gen...

It’s the annual Out of Patients tradition you didn’t know you needed—Matthew’s miracle IVF twins, Koby and Hannah, are back on the mic for their 5th appearance! These famous 14.5-year-old personalities are here to make you laugh, reflect, and maybe even sing the alphabet incorrectly (spoiler: they hate the new version). Dive into a delightful blend of sibling banter, high school stories, Broadway show recaps, and unexpected eyebrow-shaving anecdotes. Whether it's Koby’s law class revelations or Hannah’s set design dreams, this episode captures the chaos, charm, and brilliance of two teens navigating life—and making the...

When life hands you a cancer diagnosis, you grab a camera. Anna and Jordan Rathkopf turned their battle with HER2-positive breast cancer into a groundbreaking photojournalistic journey. Join Matthew Zachary as he chats with the Rathkopfs about their book, HER2: The Diagnosed, The Caregiver, and Their Son, their nonprofit work, and the absurdity of pink-washed cancer campaigns. It's a raw, funny, and heartfelt discussion about navigating illness, caregiving, and the power of authenticity in art and life.

RELATED LINKS

In this full-circle conversation, Matthew Zachary sits down with Amy Sutton, Executive Director of Crossroads4Hope, to dive deep into the evolution of cancer support and the profound legacy of organizations like the Wellness Community. From reminiscing about pre-internet cancer advocacy to envisioning a future rooted in public health and equity, this episode explores the human side of care in ways only Matthew can deliver—with wit, humor, and an unfiltered lens.

Amy shares her journey from working at Rand McNally (yes, the map company) to becoming a torchbearer for cancer patients, caregivers, and survivors. They tackle ev...

In this highly anticipated follow-up, we welcome back Jon Nelson, the man who went from battling relentless, treatment-resistant depression to becoming a pioneering advocate for mental health. Jon’s journey with deep brain stimulation (DBS) wasn’t just a breakthrough; it was a total game-changer. Now, with “robots in his head” pumping 23 million pulses a day, Jon’s mission has evolved from mere survival to a full-throttle campaign to ‘Pulverize the Stigma.’ We delve into the shocking realities of stigma, outdated treatments, the price of mental illness on families, and how a bold middle finger to societal norms is long overdue.<...

In this hilariously heartfelt episode, Matthew Zachary sits down with his long-time friend and cancer warrior, Jonny Imerman, the trailblazing founder of Imerman Angels. With candor and camaraderie, they explore the raw truths of cancer survival, sharing stories about the “two bald Jews” throwing wild Young Adult Cancer Happy Hours, and the life-changing impact of Jonny's peer mentorship organization. From organ-holding contraptions in surgeries to the myths around “losing the cancer battle,” the two dive deep into what it really means to live, survive, and thrive. Don’t miss this legendary chat, packed with laughs, life lessons, and a healthy do...

In this episode, host Matthew Zachary dives into the history and mission of Cancer Hope Network (CHN) with Executive Director Beth Blakey and Program Officer Marielle McLeod, a young adult cancer survivor. Founded in 1981, Cancer Hope Network is a vital peer support organization that connects cancer patients and caregivers with mentors who’ve been through similar journeys. Beth and Marielle share insights on the unique value CHN offers, including the impact of one-on-one mentorship and the importance of culturally relevant support for underrepresented communities. Join us for an honest, thoughtful, and occasionally humorous look at how CHN supports patients an...

On the show today: Lisa Simms Booth is Executive Director at The Smith Center for the Healing Arts and former Senior Director for Patient and Public Engagement at The Biden Cancer Initiative. She is such an extraordinary human being who've I've wanted her on my show for such a long time and, well, here she is. Lisa has this extraordinary way to define and extoll the virtues of cancer survivorship, how far we've come in the last half-century, lessons learned from the pandemic for Nonprofit Leadership, cancer screenings, prevention, and more.

FUN FACT: The...

Today I talk to Kara Goldin — health product entrepreneur, breast cancer advocate, and the Founder and CEO of HINT Inc. Kara calls herself an accidental entrepreneur because she invented a product that she wanted but couldn’t find: unsweetened, fruit-infused water. Now HINT is available everywhere as a healthy and natural alternative to diet drinks. Kara honed her chops working at AOL and Time magazine, and she even interned for John McCain way back when. Today Kara is expanding HINT to include a line of natural sunscreen and is out with a new book, Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts and Doubters. Kara...

For most healthcare geeks, Andy Slavitt may be best known as the Former Acting Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). For millions more, he is the podcast hero we didn't know we needed and the one we so clearly deserved as the host of Lemonada Media's award-winning podcast, "In The Bubble with Andy Slavitt."

Launched just before the world went to shit in early 2020, In The Bubble became a literal voice of reason while we were sanitizing our Amazon boxes and fighting for toilet paper at Costco...

Dr. Sudhir Gadh is a board-certified psychiatrist and Commander in the US Navy Reserve. He is also Medical Director for the Center for Recovery and Wellness, with a core focus on low-dose Lithium, as a comprehensive approach for patients to improve brain function. Joining Matthew live in-studio, they talk about our nation is failing to address the mental health crisis, empathy in medicine, physician burnout, ongoing stigma, and, most interestingly, the history of 7-Up. You heard that right. In his words, “Psychiatry is about understanding and adjusting your life story towards progress.”

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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."

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