Ryan Fowler "never wanted for anything" growing up but found himself self-medicating with drugs and alcohol in his teens and 20's, resulting in full-blown addiction. Now 6 years sober, this advocate for harm reduction and new ways of caring for those suffering from substance use disorders shares his harrowing story of life on a thin edge. Few people can share such raw and personal details as Ryan Fowler, and always with an eye on elevating the human experience. It's an honor to have Ryan as a guest on Humans in Healthcare.

In a time of crisis, such as we have experienced in this pandemic, often what is needed is a sense of predictability, a reinforcement that “we can do this”. This conversation with Jason Wolf and Chris Woleske, President & CEO of Bellin Health, explores how serving as a “Chief Predictability Officer” can support and inspire our healthcare teams. Chris Woleske shares how her organization became a positive outlier by listening and engaging staff and making bold choices to not disrupt care during the COVID-19 crisis. From visitation policies to addressing the broader problem of isolation, Chris Woleske leads her organization with a focus on purpose and skillful navigation of the complex issues we are all facing. At the heart of this discussion is how Bellin Health designed strategies with clear compassion for the patient and family experience, a commitment to the community it serves and a focus on providing “psychological PPE” for those delivering care.

Rarely is someone able to share their story with the raw honesty and deep reflection that Isabela Castro is able to in this podcast. A mom who lost her baby in the NICU, Isabela has taken those difficult experiences and turned them into both her personal and professional motivation to do and be better. You won't want to miss this beautiful and vulnerable conversation with Isabela, a powerful voice for improvement in healthcare.

In this Special Edition of the To Care is Human podcast series, join both podcasts hosts, Jason Wolf and Tiffany Christensen, as they have a conversation looking back on 2020, a challenging year. Listen as they share their personal experiences during the pandemic as well as hear their reflection on lessons learned from 2020. Join them as they remember 2020 podcast guests who left a lasting impression. As we prepare for 2021, Jason and Tiffany also answer the question, "where do we go from here?" 

"Racism is a problem with bad policy, not bad people." Dr. Brittani James cares for patients on the South side of Chicago and is a Founding Director of the Institute for Antiracism in Medicine. Join us for this compelling conversation in which this thought leader shares her personal story and concrete steps to becoming an antiracist in healthcare. With all of the energy surrounding dismantling systemic racism in healthcare today, we must listen to the voices of experience and expertise; Dr. James is exactly that voice.

Rosie Bartel is a powerful voice for patients and families. After an infection changed her life forever, she chose to share her story and help organizations working to improve patient experience across the US. This podcast "unpacks" the faith, hope and desire to survive she attributes to her ability to get through difficult caregiving journeys and great personal medical challenges. Enjoy hearing from this bright light in healthcare today.

As we face the COVID-19 crisis, we also face many losses. How might we leverage what we know about grief and loss to help staff, clinicians and community members get the support they need? Isabel Stenzel Bynres is a cystic fibrosis, lung transplant patient who has lived through many losses and is now a grief counselor in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you are seeking a sense of comfort and normalcy during this time of unrest, listen to this podcast featuring a wise woman with a lot of relevant expertise to share. Consider how her perspective might inform how we can better engage staff and providers as they seek to heal from the stress of COVID-19.

How can healthcare organizations harness their core values and find new ways of supporting each other during a COVID-19 surge? At the helm of the award winning health system in Fort Worth Texas, JPS Health Network, Robert Early shares his approach to ensuring his workforce remains focused on the human experience in healthcare while also being acknowledged for the challenges they face. Join us for this uplifting conversation about ensuring COVID-19 does not change the "why" of patient experience but requires adaptability to find new approaches to the "how."

Nikki Montgomery is a certified patient advocate, patient and mother to a son with complex medical challenges. She is also a Black woman who understands the necessity for culturally competent care. How does a patient find a culturally competent provider? Nikki gives us her hard-won strategies on that and pushes us to address systemic racism through measurement.

A true pioneer in medicine and a renowned immunologist, Dr. Hildreth shares the life experiences that have led him to his career and calling as well as his mission to improve equity in healthcare. He eloquently wrestles with the realities of discrimination and whether we truly value all lives in the same way. This question is more important than ever before and highlighted by the disparities in patient outcomes during the Coronavirus pandemic.