On today's episode of "Jen Horonjeff is Noncompliant," Jen talks with Gabe Howard, patient advocate, author of "Mental Illness is an Asshole," and host of the PsychCentral podcast. As a "mental health advocate," Gabe first unpacks how ridiculous it is that all mental health gets lumped together. And herein lies the problem: There is often a one-size-fits-all approach to mental health, one that usually leaves many people behind, especially those who lack essential resources like food, shelter, and insurance, as well as tech and broadband. Please tune in to hear the barriers many patients face when trying to improve and maintain their mental health, along with some of the best analogies you've ever heard. More about Gabe Howard here.

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Today, instead of my usual shenanigans, I’d like to treat you to something very special that we have been working on here at OffScrip Media.One of the privileges we have here besides creating and producing epic shows on our network like Am I Dying, Brave New Weed, and NORDpod, is the ability to diversity and expand to producing original series — and we think you’re really going to like what you’re about to listen to. We are handing over the entirety of today’s show to episode 1 of The #BCSM Podcast, a 3-part narrative about how breast cancer patients dared to be the change they wished to see, saw an opportunity to fill a need and created the Breast Cancer Social Media Community, or BCSM. What began in 2011 as a conversation on Twitter between two intrepid young adult breast cancer survivors has evolved into a global network of patients, caregivers, clinicians, and researchers dedicated to empowering those affected by breast cancer. Once you listen to this episode, I urge you to subscribe to the series by searching for B-C-S-M in your favorite podcasting app. This is a labor of love for us. I promise you: you will not be disappointed. And now, without further ado, please enjoy episode one of BCSM.

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Anyone remember the old Vince Guaraldi Trio song “Cast Your Fate To The Wind?” Look it up, kids, because it’s got almost nothing to do with this show other than being a legendary tune and a related metaphor to today’s BONUS episode. Kids. School. Parenting. Work. — hard enough WITHOUT COVID. WITH COVID, its a dumpster fire shit storm INSIDE another a dumpster fire shitstorm. Today’s show is a real-time steam valve release with two of my high school friends, returning champions to the show Karen Marinelli and Elura Nanos. Both were guests on Episode 2 on March 18th, and Elura returned for our first COVID Back-To-School insanity show on September 18th. There is no normal. There is no end. We are living every moment in the moment on stilts on top of eggshells riding a wooden raft on lava river during an earthquake while an asteroid approaches. Ah, you get the picture. We hope you nod your heads while listening because lord knows we’re not alone during this shitstorm and we’ve got to get through it together. Enjoy the show.

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On the show today, Authenticity Advocate/Speaker/Coach/Writer Erika Gerdes. Lots of self-descriptors there, but rest assured listeners, you're in store for an organic, no-BS kitchen table conversation about worthiness, insecurity, how being a people-pleaser doesn't please people. It's time to focus on the art of undoing the limiting beliefs that hold us back from whoever it is we want, need, and hope to be as carbon life forms on our small blue marble. I like to say, "Man plans and God laughs." (Or "Insert Deity Here" laughs) and Erika is no exception to that rule. Just when you think things are set straight ahead, and everything is going to plan… Sounds like "famous last words" to me. But when her 3-month old daughter faced a life-threatening spinal tumor, that's when real life kicks in, and where there plan is that there is no plan — and our vanity and quest for approval fly out the window for all the right reasons. Maybe we can all find strength when things aren't fine. I also learned what a Xoogler is. I'd tell you to Google it but… well, you'll find out. Enjoy the show. Learn more about Erika online at https://erikagerdes.com.

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On the show today – Pam Traxel, Vice President For Alliance Development at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, known in acronym-land as ACSCAN. Hunkered down deep in Washington DC’s beltway, ACSCAN is the dedicated policy arm of The American Cancer Society — and as appendages go, it’s a good choice. We all need to strong-arm things from time to time to elicit even the slightest semblance of progress and justice in this country. ACSCAN’s mission is to ensure that elected leaders make ending suffering and death from cancer a top priority. As opposed to, I guess, ending suffering from too many Pumpkin Spice Latte commercials, which, while not apples to apples, is, in the broadcaster’s opinion, an egregious affront to the laws of hot beverage nature that should be toned down just a bit. The key to getting anything done in Washington — at least as far as getting policies enacted to help people facing cancer — is advocacy; more so, the stories of those advocates who, with one well-spooled yarn, can convince a lawmaker to sign on to a bill that could Schoohouse Rock itself into becoming a law that could help millions of people suffer less. Advocacy and lobbying — when done the right way — always begin with a story. One person’s story. And the sacred art of telling your story can quite literally change the cancer world forever. So, while policy might be the end game for change, never forget that whether you number in the hundreds for a Hill Day or lobby a staffer as an army of one, advocacy works. Advocacy matters. Advocacy forever. Enjoy my chat with Pam Traxel. Learn more at https://www.fightcancer.org

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On the show today – The CD-ROM. What is it good for besides Microsoft Encarta (look it up, kids) and free AOL accounts in 2004? Well, for one uniquely intrepid and nonprofit founded by Pam Omidyar, the CD-ROM became the intervention that would change the lives of teens living with cancer for the better all around the world. HopeLab is a social innovation lab committed to supporting and improving the health and happiness of young people. And joining me is HopeLab’s CEO, my friend and advocacy partner in crime, Margaret Laws. What is “behavior-change tech?” How can you game-ify loneliness as a predictor of depression and suicide amongst college students, especially during a pandemic? How in the world does “human-centered design” intersect with young adult cancer patient advocacy? What happens when you harness the tools of empathy as a social connection vehicle to normalize identity and end the pity party? All that and oh so much more as we shed light on HopeLab, one of the most impactful and influential organizations of our time that you may never have heard of, online at HopeLab.org. Enjoy my conversation with the marvelous and spectacular Margaret Laws.

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There are missed connections, and then there are missed connections. And this one’s a doozie. Like me, Dr. Joe Abdo was diagnosed with brain cancer in 1996 and — somehow — 25 years later, is still here. Like me, Dr. Joe Abdo’s birthday is May 29th. And like me, it took us way too long to get our lives back in order only to meet 15 years later, grateful that the universe finally brought us together, and kick off an incredibly kismet Gemini friendship. Even weirder – and this is just icing on the cake — his office is literally three doors down the block here on Fulton Street in downtown Manhattan. In any case, you’re going to like this episode not just because it’s an incredibly organic reunion conversation amongst cancer buddies but because Joe is definitely someone who should be on your radar. His pioneering work in genomics, immunotherapy, and biotechnology have helped millions of patients facing rare cancers in the gastrointestinal space. And his company, Stella Dx, is invested in educating physicians about giving their patients choice in diagnostics and testing so they can live their lives and deal with their stuff on their terms. I also feel that my Schoolhouse Rock Kung Fu was especially strong on this show because Joe likes to use lots of syllables. Enjoy the show.

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Patients are labeled non-compliant because the system is not designed with them in mind, and Jen Horonjeff, Founder of Savvy Coop, is changing all that with "Noncompliant," a podcast segment on Out Of Patients with Matthew Zachary where she challenges the status quo to ensure the patient voice is heard. Why? Because, sometimes non-compliance is what moves the needle. Join Jen and learn more at https://www.savvy.coop.

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Today, on the show, another fantastic “Wayback machine” episode with Brian Loew, CEO of Inspire. Brian is of the early adopter pioneers of what we now call digital health, which has spawned the current spate of myriad online patient communities, each of whom creates safe spaces of support and engenders the necessary lifehackery to make whatever it is that you’re there for suck a little less. As someone who is currently doing nothing even remotely related to what he studied in undergraduate, Brian and I commiserate on how meaningful his BA and BS in Physics and Economics have come in just so handy these days. Listen in as we debate the semantic virtues or lack thereof in “consumer protection vs. patient-centric care, ” opine on the state of the state facing communities of color, how Inspire is addressing disparities, and the abuse of patients by hospitals, healthcare systems, and the insurance industry happening in plain sight. And prepare yourself for some serious name dropping as we hop in our Delorean, channel life before social media, and give credit where credit is due — to the original gang of upstart rapscallions that comprised the Health 2.0 movement. Enjoy the show. Learn more at https://www.inspire.com

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On the show today, another take on the big question “Can Science Speak Person” with the incredible Bridget Chapital, Founder and Director of — and I just LOVE this name — Hypothesis Haven Science Club. Just saying that makes me feel smarter. Hypothesis Haven reminds me of the “What If” machine for any of my fellow Futurama fans. HHSC, as it is known in short because #acronyms, is a next-gen educational program for kids 5-13 that — as extramural study filling in the gaps that most STEM programs lack — inspires more critical thinking in our youth. Something I think we need a little more of in our adults these days any. BUT I DIGRESS. Seeing as how the odds are definitely stacked against the average patient in being able to navigate the process, Bridget’s background in health science and clinical research make her the perfect person to take the lessons we learn from children and apply them to startup culture and the healthcare system writ large — answering the age of question that I started with at the top of the segment — Science CAN speak PERSON when done right. Are you smarter than a 5th grader? Let’s find out. Learn more at hypothesishaven.com. (Referred article: Majority of kids who die of coronavirus are Hispanic, Black, or Native American, CDC finds")

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On the show today, I had the opportunity to talk to one of my best friends of all time Brian Friedman, who I had met on his first day at SUNY Binghamton in the Summer of 1994 when he tried out for the Jazz Band as this hot young drummer from Long Island. There are work buddies, there are colleagues, there are friends, and then there are the lifers; the legacy non-biological “family” members who stick by you through thick and thin. These are relationships where you each know the other one better than you know yourself; Someone for whom the idea of “May our secrets die with us” underscores your love and trust. Brian pretty much lived my cancer diagnosis and treatment first hand with me the entire time and was one of those anchor friends who — unlike some other folks — did not abandon me. Rather, he doubled down, stood by my side, was there for me, and — when necessary — held my head over the toilet when I was uncontrollably puking from cancer treatment. Brian is a true renaissance man continually reinventing himself with an audacious self-awareness about fear, failure, and regret that has driven him to achieve incredible things and inspire me all along the way. He’s a rock. He’s a mensch. He was Best Man at my wedding. And I hope you enjoy our throwback chat. Enjoy the show. More about Brian at https://www.b-freed.com.

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Today on the show: A nod to my episode with Dawn Barry entitled GATTA CHATTACA, I hop in my Deloran's Wayback machine to welcome my dear friend and fellow origin story young adult cancer survivor advocate Susan McClure to the show. Diagnosed with breast cancer as a young mother with a 2-year old son, Sue's life and career took an abrupt turn into the world of magazine publishing where she — and I cannot understate this — helped launch Cure Magazine, which is now the largest consumer magazine in the United States focused entirely on cancer. Cure Magazine became the voice of the people and marked a culture shift in US culture. It paved the way for a cottage industry of cancer summits and live event experiences to manifest, including CancerCon, the flagship annual young adult cancer congress produced by Stupid Cancer. Not content to change the world once, Sue went on to launch Genome, the first consumer magazine in the United States, about genomics. Genome's footprint is to have further changing culture around the awareness and understanding of the science — in lay speak, no less, proving the age-old question —> Can "science" speak "person?" When done right — yes. Yes, it can. Enjoy the show.

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Today on the show, another Wayback Machine throwback episode with my dear friend and fellow survivor advocate Maimah Karmo, Maimah an author, speaker, coach, podcaster, manifestor, convener, Founder/CEO of the Tigerlily Foundation and, well, — she's a unicorn. Basically, she's just a unicorn so let's just leave it at then. Join us as we take a trip down memory lane to a time before iPhones, Android, Facebook, Twitter, and the original Kung Fu Panda. Yes, I am talking about 2007 and the dawn of the young adult cancer movement. From Liberian refugee to misdiagnosed triple-negative breast cancer patient, to self-proclaimed "chemo-induced nonprofit founder," Maimah has been a dominant voice speaking out on the issues of healthcare disparities and invisible suffering in the black community. There's pretty much nothing Maimah can't do — and you're about to understand why. Enjoy the show. Visit https://www.tigerlilyfoundation.org for more information.

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Today on the show, I welcome Shelly Fuld Nasso, Chief Executive Officer at the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship. It's important to note that NCCS, as it is referred to because #acronyms, is the Nation's oldest survivor-led advocacy organization founded during the Paleolithic Era of Cancer Care — the time before time — of 1986. Yes, the same year as Top Gun, Aliens, Crocodile Dundee, The Color Purple, and Rodney Dangerfield's Back To School, also introduced the word "Survivorship" into the lexicon because the disruptive forces behind NCCS's founding were sick and tired of being called victims, a practice that somehow still continues today. NCCS is an advocacy group I hold especially near and dear as it was the first group that I was introduced to when I decided to quit my career and learn what it meant to become a cancer advocate. Their founder, the late great Ellen Stovall, was my human mentor gateway drug into the world of "making cancer suck less." Shelley has a storied and robust history in advocacy based on personal experience and an inner core of social entrepreneurship that gives her all the credibility she doesn't even need to lead one of our time's dominant advocacy and policy organizations. Prepare to learn. This episode is dedicated in honor and memory of my friend and mentor, Ellen Stoval.

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Today on the show, if there ever were a human Wikipedia sentinel of digital health history, it would be Matt Holt, Founder of The Healthcare Blog (ca 2003), Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of Health2.0, President at Smack.health and self-proclaimed 'Healthcare Curmudgeon." Beyond the obvious "Wayback Machine" discourse, Matt genuinely takes us down the origin story rabbit hole to, pretty much, the exact moment when the tubes of the interweb met up with whatever an EMR was back when Must See TV was a thing. And now, 30+ years later, we have today’s monopolistic, dystopian, and antithetical dumpster fire. But good things have happened along the way, thanks to pioneers, or self-proclaimed "forecasters," like Matt Holt — and we have indeed come so far from the days of ARPANET, IRC, AOL floppy disks. So let the curmodgeoning commence and regale at my conversation with the one and only — and deservedly British — Matt Holt.

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Today, on the show, friend, colleague, and fellow young adult cancer survivor/advocate Rebecca Batterman. But let's not let that last label define her because she is OH SO MUCH MORE. Rebecca is an "Innovation Consultant" — what does that mean? Well, stick around to find out, but I can attest that she has one of the most acute minds for seeing signal through noise, and I've been inspired by her ever since we met. Never one to stop reinventing herself after stints in branding, media, marketing, strategic planning, growth, etc, her entrepreneurial spirit — and an unusually keen appreciation for 80s nostalgia as a NON-GEN-X'er — she is now — as of this taping — currently completing her Master of Laws degree in Intellectual Property and Entertainment Law. Slacker! Underachiever! Rebecca is as authentic as it gets. She's an advocate for wellness and can teach us all a thing or two about rolling with the punches. Ladies and gentlemen, my conversation with Rebecca Batterman

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On the show today, live in person here at OffScrip Media Studios in downtown Manhattan, Sarah Cotenoff, Co-Founder of Podsights — and, more importantly — former intern at The Stupid Cancer Show. Losing your father to cancer as a teenager is never a good thing. But the forced maturity it gives you can ultimately come in handy if and when more crap you didn’t expect happens upon you. In Sarah’s case, it was — after a comedic series of misdiagnoses — Psoriatic arthritis, a condition she has had to manage and learn to live with for over a decade. Our origin story as Intern/Boss is one for the ages because it involves a combination of Zach Efron, Perez Hilton, and an inherent inquisitive moxie that gave every and life to the up-and-coming Stupid Cancer broadcast footprint. Among other “Wayback Machine” things we talk about, there’s a more serious narrative about addiction, self-awareness, resiliency, managing mental health issues, and taking control of your life when it seems no one has their hands on the wheel. So without further ado, enjoy The Chutzpah Show.

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Today on the show, a peek into the fascinating world of psychiatric oncology with my friend Dr. Guy Maytal, Chief of Integrated Care and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences. I’ve often heard the phrase “ambassadors of dignity” when referring to the empathic mental health professionals who not only listen to the lyrics but hear the symphony of grief, struggle, and challenge that patients bring. Guy is one of those heroes, and it was a privilege to dive deep into conversations around how the word “rehabilitation” is making a comeback, the sheer necessity of mental health care to lift people up, make some sense of the madness, add a handrail to the staircase, and restore some of the missing parts when we are broken. We also talk about the fabulously insane world of medical reimbursements. Unlike “normal” procedures where you are poked, prodded, radiated and/or stitched backup, mental health is the outlier tossed about as a “nice to have.” Enjoy the show.

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Welcome to Part Two my conversation with Dr. David Langer, Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital, Co-Founder of Playback Health, and star of the critically acclaimed Netflix series, Lenox Hill. If you’ve listened to Part One — and I hope you did because it’d be weird if you hadn’t — there is such richness into David’s humanity and approach to medicine beyond the biology of the patient, their caregivers, and loved ones. We really dig into what David’s been working in the digital health/tech sector during this segment, specifically his startup, Playback Health, which is literally putting the humanity back into the doctor/patient relationship. I’ve seen a ton of “innovation” in my time, but this is real, and it’s amazing. You can check that out at PlaybackHealth.com. Plus, a much deeper dive into his newfound notoriety and adoration by starring in the Netflix Series, Lenox Hill. David doesn’t think of himself as a celebrity, but to the thousands of lives he’s changed for the better, perhaps he’s more of a superhero. With that, enjoy PART TWO — the exciting conclusion — of my two-part episode with the one and only Dr. David Langer.

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Some of you may have heard about the acclaimed Netflix series, Lenox Hill. If you haven’t, you’ve to to check it out. Four doctors at New York's storied Lenox Hill Hospital balance their personal lives and their dedication to their patients in this documentary series. And one of those doctors joins me today. Dr. David Langer, Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at Lenox Hill Hospital and Co-Founder of Playback Health is one of those doctors — and he joins me here in-studio — and I am totally fanboying for all the reasons. Touching people’s brains to help save their lives is indeed an interesting badge of honor to wear, and a a burden to bare. And as someone who has had their brain touched by a neurosurgeon, I have the most profound respect imaginable for the practice. Beyond his superstardom with the Netflix special, David is one of the most genuine and empathic human beings around who also happen to be one of the most recognized leaders in his craft. Our conversation was more than just idle chatter. There is a deep-rooted missing element to showcasing humanity in medicine, and an ebb tide reveal of the lack of empathy that unfortunately pervades the practice of medicine. And did I mention that David was a first responder to the COVID pandemic in NYC when the shit really hit the fan? With that, enjoy PART ONE of my two-part episode with the one and only Dr. David Langer.

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