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When dementia enters a family, it can change far more than memory—it can affect personality, judgment, independence, relationships, finances, and the lives of everyone providing care. 

In this episode, Sandy talks with licensed clinical social worker and Compassion Works founder Kay Adams, who brings more than 30 years of experience in geriatrics, hospice, palliative care, dementia, and caregiver support. 

Kay explains some of the early changes families should watch for, why getting an evaluation and diagnosis can be so important, and why planning ahead with advanced directives, education, and support can help families navigate what comes next.

Kay also shares an important message for caregivers: you cannot—and should not—try to do this alone. From building a “care community” and asking for help early to preparing for changes before a crisis occurs.

Kay offers practical guidance for families facing one of life’s most challenging journeys. She also discusses her work through CompassionWorks and her book Bedside Witness, which uses real-life caregiving stories to educate, encourage, and validate the often-unsung heroes caring for people living with dementia and other serious illnesses.

Resources:

Kay Adams Website

Bedside Witness: Stories of Hope, Healing and Humanity

Playbook AI Partners

Playbook AI Partners - Podcast

AI Tool Fit Check - Free Guide

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Navigating healthcare can feel overwhelming—not only for ourselves, but also for the pets we consider family. 

In this episode, Sandy talks with Dr. Kevin Toman, a veterinarian with nearly 40 years of experience and a special interest in orthopedic care, cancer care, chronic pain, and pet longevity. 

Dr. Kevin shares his candid perspective on what is changing within traditional veterinary medicine, why many pet parents are questioning rising costs and recommended services, and how the loss of the veterinarian–pet parent relationship may be affecting trust and care.

Dr. Kevin also explains the four pillars of his pet-longevity framework: diet and lifestyle, a trusted local veterinarian, scientifically supported supplements, and prescription longevity medications. 

He challenges common assumptions about popular joint supplements, discusses evidence-based alternatives for inflammation and orthopedic discomfort, and offers practical steps pet parents can take at home to support healthier aging. 

This informative conversation will help you ask better questions, separate marketing claims from science, and make more confident decisions that may give your pet more healthy years—and more tail wags.

Resources:

TheLongevityvet.com

Freevetcall

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A cancer diagnosis can instantly create fear, confusion and an overwhelming list of questions. In this episode, Sandy Kibling speaks with Dr. Camille Williams—also affectionately known as “Queen”—a board-certified radiation oncologist, retired Army lieutenant colonel and founder of Questions for Cancer Doctor. 

Dr. Williams explains the roles of surgery, systemic therapies and radiation in clear, relatable language while helping patients understand how to become active participants in their care.

Dr. Williams shares the first steps every newly diagnosed patient should take, beginning with one critical recommendation: never attend an important cancer consultation alone. She discusses how to ask doctors to slow down, explain unfamiliar terminology, show where the cancer is located and clearly outline whether it has spread and how it will be treated. She also encourages patients to ask the difficult questions on their minds, including what their diagnosis means for their future.

The conversation also explores the unique challenges veterans may face when cancer or toxic exposure could be connected to military service. Dr. Williams explains the importance of maintaining medical and deployment records, working with credentialed veterans’ representatives and creating a clear follow-up plan throughout treatment and survivorship. This compassionate and empowering episode reminds patients and caregivers that they have a voice, they deserve understandable answers and they do not have to navigate cancer alone.

Key Takeaways:

• Never attend a cancer consultation alone. 
• Ask for clear, understandable answers. 
• Be your own healthcare advocate. 

Resources:

Q4CD.com

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What happens when your doctor knows the treatment you need—but your insurance company refuses to pay for it? 

In this revealing conversation, Sandy Kibling speaks with orthopedic surgeon, author and healthcare advocate Dr. Erica Rowe Urquhart about the growing influence insurance companies and corporate interests have over patient care. 

Drawing from more than a decade in private practice, Dr. Urquhart explains how prior authorizations, changing coverage requirements and narrow provider networks can delay treatment, disrupt trusted doctor-patient relationships and leave patients living with unnecessary pain.

Dr. Urquhart also takes listeners behind the scenes of an independent medical practice, where doctors must navigate complex and constantly changing insurance rules while trying to advocate for their patients. She explains the critical distinction between the clinician making the medical decision and the insurance company making the financial decision—and why those two priorities do not always align.

Listeners will also learn practical ways to become stronger healthcare consumers, including requesting the complete Summary of Plan Benefits, understanding the information on their insurance cards and comparing coverage before a planned procedure. 

Dr. Urquhart also discusses her bestselling book, The Invisible Hand, Wielding the Scalpel, and offers a message of hope: trust your healthcare provider, understand your coverage and hold your insurer accountable for the benefits you are paying to receive.

Resources: 

Dr. Urquhart - Website

The Invisible Hand, Wielding the Scalpel

The Limits of Disclosure and the Power of the Outside Option: A Case for External Reference Pricing in Healthcare

Playbook AI Partners - Demystifying AI

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Is the U.S. healthcare system designed to help patients—or profit from them? In this episode, Sandy Kibling speaks with Adam Cunningham, founder of Sylk Health, about the soaring cost of medical care in America and why many people delay treatment, live with chronic pain, or face overwhelming medical debt.

Adam shares the personal experiences that inspired him to create Sylk Health, a platform that allows patients to compare surgery prices at internationally accredited hospitals in China with prices in the United States. They discuss how procedures costing tens of thousands of dollars in the U.S. may be available for significantly less abroad, while still being performed by experienced physicians at highly accredited hospitals.

The conversation also explores the realities of medical travel, including consultations, travel expenses, follow-up care, physical therapy, insurance considerations, and what happens when complications occur. 

Most importantly, Adam encourages listeners to explore every available option—including patient advocates and lower-cost providers in the U.S.—so they can make informed decisions and access the healthcare they need without sacrificing their financial future.

Key Topics

• Cost disparities between US and Chinese hospitals
• Quality and accreditation of Chinese hospitals
• Process of booking surgery abroad through Sylk Health
• Follow-up care and complications management
• Impact of healthcare costs on patients

Sound Bites

• "Chinese doctors are often world-class."
• "Speak with a patient advocate first."
• "Your health is your most valuable asset."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: The US Healthcare Cost Crisis

01:07 Adam Cunningham's Personal Journey into Healthcare Innovation

04:15 The Inspiration Behind Silk Health

06:24 How Chinese Hospitals Offer Quality Care at Lower Costs

08:48 Addressing Patient Concerns About International Surgery

12:21 Doctor Qualifications in China vs US

13:29 Using Silk Health: Booking a Procedure Step-by-Step

17:20 Cost Comparison: US vs China for Surgery

19:47 Handling Complications and Follow-up Care

23:49 Advice for Uninsured Patients and Cost-Effective Options

26:20 Final Thoughts: The Future of Healthcare and Personal Well-being

 Resources

Sylk Health

Joint Commission International (JCI)

Playbook AI Partners

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What does health equity actually look like for someone living with a disability—and what happens when the healthcare system makes assumptions instead of listening? 

In this episode, Sandy speaks with Daniel Hodges, attorney, healthcare administrator, disability advocate, and president and co-founder of Peaces of Me Foundation. Daniel shares his deeply personal journey of living with multiple disabilities, navigating complex medical conditions, and confronting discrimination within healthcare and other systems.

Daniel recounts the painful experience of having his ability to parenting questioned while his infant daughter was receiving cancer treatment, simply because both parents were blind. He explains how bias, inaccessible facilities, inadequate training, and a lack of representation continue to create poorer healthcare experiences for people with disabilities. 

Sandy and Daniel also discuss why communication, trust, and rapport with a provider can be just as important as credentials—and why patients must feel empowered to understand their conditions, ask questions, and seek care that respects their lived experience.

The conversation also highlights the mission of Peaces of Me Foundation, which connects individuals, families, providers, and organizations with education, professional training, peer support, and accessibility resources. 

Daniel offers a powerful message of hope: authentic inclusion is possible when we stop treating equity as a box to check and begin creating solutions alongside the people most affected. 

This episode is an important reminder that accessibility is a human right, every patient deserves to be heard, and meaningful change begins by meeting people where they are.

Resources:

Peaces Of Me Foundation

PlaybookAIPartners - AI Solutions

Playbook AI Partners Podcast

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In this episode, Sandy speaks with Ashok Gupta, physical therapist and founder of TheraNow, about how virtual physical therapy is making rehabilitation more accessible, convenient, and effective. 

Ashok explains how live, one-on-one care, personalized home exercise programs, and computer vision AI can help therapists measure movement, track progress, and guide patients from virtually anywhere.

They also discuss how virtual PT can benefit people recovering from surgery, living in rural communities, facing transportation challenges, or simply wanting more flexibility in their care. 

Listeners will learn how telehealth physical therapy works, how it may fit with insurance and hospital systems, and what patients should ask their healthcare providers when exploring virtual rehabilitation options.

Key Takeaways:

Virtual physical therapy can deliver strong results. With the right platform, trained clinicians, and structured care, virtual PT can be comparable to in-clinic treatment.

Convenience can improve access and consistency. Patients can receive care from home, avoiding transportation challenges, long travel distances, bad weather, and mobility concerns.

AI helps therapists measure progress remotely. Computer vision technology can track range of motion, movement quality, and improvement over time.

Virtual PT is more than a video call. Effective care combines live one-on-one sessions, personalized exercise plans, patient education, progress tracking, and ongoing support.

Patients should ask their providers about virtual options. Hospital systems and physical therapy clinics may offer fully virtual or hybrid programs that combine in-person and at-home care.

Resources:

TheraNow

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In this episode, Sandy Kibling sits down with Stanley Bronstein, an attorney, CPA, life coach, and multi-book author who transformed his life after decades of struggling with obesity. 

Stanley shares his deeply personal journey, including how the loss of his mother at age eight shaped his relationship with food, how he reached 367 pounds, and the moment he decided he did not want his story to end early. 

His turning point came on February 1, 2009, a day he calls his “rebirth day.” 

Stanley explains why lasting weight loss is not about another diet, quick fix, pill, or surgery, but about becoming permanently willing to make permanent lifestyle changes. 

He talks about the role of mindset, self-belief, discipline, healthy nutrition, walking, and persistence in creating lasting transformation. 

This conversation is an honest and motivating look at what it really takes to lose weight, reclaim your health, and stop waiting for the “perfect” day to begin.

Listeners will walk away with a clear message: temporary changes create temporary results, but permanent change can create a healthier, stronger, and more empowered life.

Resources:

The Way Of Excellence

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Playbook AI Partners - AI Mini Solution Locker

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In this powerful episode, Mary Ellen Doty, founder of Wilderness Medical Staffing, shares her remarkable journey from serving in remote Alaskan villages to building innovative staffing solutions for rural healthcare communities.

Mary Ellen discusses the realities of healthcare deserts, provider shortages, and the challenges of delivering care in some of the most remote areas of the country. 

She also explores provider burnout, the importance of autonomy, and how meaningful community connection can transform both patient care and clinician satisfaction.

From building trust in Native communities to understanding leadership in small versus large healthcare systems, this conversation offers a compelling look at what it takes to bring high-quality care to places that are often overlooked.

Listeners will gain insight into rural medicine, healthcare innovation, and why solving access challenges requires creativity, trust, and a deep respect for the communities being served.

Key Topics

• Healthcare deserts and provider shortages
• Remote medicine and community impact
• Provider autonomy and burnout
• Innovative staffing solutions for rural areas

Sound Bites

• "Leadership in small vs. large healthcare systems"
• "Building trust in Native communities"
• "Insights from 'Medicine at 50 Below'"

Chapters

00:00
Introduction to Healthcare Deserts

02:58
Mary Ellen's Journey in Rural Medicine

06:06
Challenges in the Lower 48 Healthcare System

08:48
Understanding the Bush and Village Healthcare

11:53
The Role of Tribal Health Care Consortia

14:49
The Disconnect in Large Healthcare Systems

17:54
The Importance of Autonomy in Healthcare

20:57
Transitioning Back to Alaska

23:54
Insights from 'Medicine at 50 Below'

Resources

Mary Ellen Doty Website

Medicine at 50 Below – The Book

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You may be doing all the “right” things for your heart—exercising, eating well, stretching, and showing up consistently for your health—but what if there is another important piece of the puzzle? 

In this episode of Get Savvy…Demystifying Healthcare, Sandy Kibling welcomes Dr. Bilal Ahmed, an interventional and structural cardiologist, to explore a deeper look at heart health beyond the traditional advice.

Dr. Ahmed is also the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Lylah Health, a personalized microbiome therapeutics company focused on heart health. He shares how the gut microbiome may play an important role in cardiovascular risk factors and how targeted prebiotics, probiotics, and postbiotics could support a more personalized approach to prevention and wellness.

Key takeaways: 

• Heart health is about more than exercise and diet alone. 
• The gut microbiome may be an overlooked factor in cardiovascular wellness.
• Personalized healthcare is changing how we think about prevention.
• Consumers should stay curious, ask better questions, and understand emerging options that may support long-term heart health.

Resources:

LylahHealth

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