Season 8 • Episode 82

Keynote: The Patient Advocacy Revolution with Erica Olenski

Jun 5, 2025

35:07

Emergency Medicine Brain Cancer Cancer Survivorship Pediatric Oncology

Episode Description

June 5, 2025: Bill Russell sits down with Erica Olenski, VP at Finn Partners and Founder of August’s Artists, Ironman athlete, and board-certified patient advocate, who brings a unique perspective from navigating the healthcare system through hundreds of overnight hospital stays with her son August, a four-time brain cancer survivor. Why does a family with an extensive hospital history still get treated like first-time visitors at check-in, and how might HIPAA compliance be unintentionally creating barriers to human connection in care? The conversation explores whether patients should control their complete medical records to share with AI assistants, the reality of managing a 60,000-page medical record delivered on CD-ROM, and practical solutions like reimagining emergency department processes for complex care families. Key Points:

02:02 Erica's Son's Health Journey
09:08 The Role of Patient Advocates
13:41 Using AI as a Patient
21:54 August Artists: A Nonprofit Initiative
27:43 Rapid Fire Questions and Closing Remarks

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