Episode Summary In this powerful episode of Amplify, hosts Ursula Mann and Christina Pisapia speak with Erin Paterson, a writer, caregiver, and advocate whose life was transformed by Huntington’s Disease (HD). Just as Erin and her husband were preparing to start a family, she learned a long-kept family secret: her grandmother may have died from Huntington’s. This revelation pushed Erin into rapid genetic testing, where she tested gene-positive. What followed was a decade-long stru...

In this conversation, Ursula and Anne Marie sit down with Mark Stolow, Founding Director of People Before Patients, to explore what it truly means to humanize healthcare. Drawing from early caregiving experiences and over two decades in public health, Mark challenges the industrial logic shaping today’s system and offers new metaphors—like forests, ecologies, and “the dome”—to help us reimagine care in a more relational, alive, and humane way. He also introduces the practic...

A routine nudge from a family doctor changed everything. After being sent for a mammogram she had delayed, Share was diagnosed with stage 0, triple-negative breast cancer—caught extraordinarily early. In this candid conversation, she walks us through that phone call, the whirlwind of next steps, and the mindset and micro-supports that helped her stay grounded: humor, weekly friend check-ins, complementary therapies, and clear self-advocacy. We also talk about what truly helpful support sounds...

Episode Summary What happens when a physician becomes the patient—and then an entrepreneur? Pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Shazhan Amed shares her harrowing, transformational journey through toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN), a rare, life-threatening reaction often triggered by medications. Shazhan opens up about pain, fear, advocacy, and the moments of kindness that sustained her. She then connects those lessons to why she founded Haibu Health: to pair empathy with data and improve how t...

Trigger warning This episode includes discussion of severe postnatal mental health challenges, including postpartum psychosis, hospitalization, and panic. If you or someone you know needs medical assistance, please contact your healthcare professional. If you’re in Canada and need support right now: Call or text 9-8-8 – Suicide Crisis Helpline, available 24/7/365, bilingual. Youth & young adults: Kids Help Phone 1-800-668-6868 or text 686868 (24/7). Find addi...

In this episode, Ursula and Christine are joined by Tara Cowling, Founder and President of Medlior Health Outcomes Research—a Canadian leader in real-world evidence (RWE), health technology assessment (HTA), and health outcomes research. Together, they explore how health data can be transformed into actionable insights that improve care, trust, and outcomes for patients. Tara shares her journey from her early work with NICE in the UK to leading an independent research consultancy in Can...

How do you embed patient voices across a complex, research-driven organization—and across a country’s health system? Brigitte Nolet shares how her own journey with psoriatic arthritis shaped her leadership, why Roche Canada created a Chief Patient Experience Officer role held by someone with lived experience, and how collaboration across government, industry, and patient groups can accelerate access to innovative medicines in Canada. Why you should listen A leader’s lived experience guiding d...

Welcome to Amplify: Elevating Patient Voices, a podcast powered by Patient Voice Partners. In each episode, hosts Ursula Mann and Brent Korte bring together patients, caregivers, and healthcare change makers to spark bold conversations and build a system that truly listens. In this episode of Amplify, Ursula and Brent welcome a new member of the Patient Voice Partners team — Izi, a recent graduate bringing fresh energy, digital storytelling skills, and a passion for amplifying underrepresente...

In this episode of Amplify: Elevating Patient Voices, hosts Ursula Mann and Brent Korte sit down with their teammate Christine Pisapia for a deeply personal and professional conversation about her decades-long journey in healthcare. Christine’s path has taken her from physiotherapy to leadership in the pharmaceutical industry, to her current work in advocacy and volunteering—all tied together by one common thread: her passion for improving lives. As both a professional and a caregiver to...

From Engagement to Inclusivity: A Conversation with Anne Marie Hayes In this episode of Amplify: Elevating Patient Voices, hosts Ursula Mann and Brent Korte welcome their very own Patient Voice Partners teammate, Anne Marie Hayes—healthcare professional, advocate, and also one of the co-hosts of Amplify. With over 40 years in respiratory health, Anne Marie has lived through both professional milestones and deeply personal loss. Her story reveals the urgency and heart behind her commitment to ...

What happens when you bring law, data, and patient stories together? In this episode of Amplify, Ursula and Brent sit down with their teammate Barry Liden to explore his unconventional journey—from law school and computer programming to leading work in patient engagement. Barry shares how his early passion for data and advocacy reshaped into a mission: ensuring that patient perspectives are not an afterthought, but rather a driving force in decision-making across healthcare systems. 💡 You’ll...

The debut episode of Amplify: Elevating Patient Voices sets the stage for a new kind of healthcare conversation—one where patients, caregivers, clinicians, and decision makers all have a seat at the table. Hosts Ursula Mann, Principal & Chief Patient Officer at Patient Voice Partners, and Brent Korte, a longtime healthcare leader and advocate, share the story behind Patient Voice Partners and introduce the vision for this new podcast. In this episode: [00:00:00] What happens when everyone...

What does healthcare sound like when everyone is finally heard? In this short trailer for Amplify: A Podcast Powered by Patient Voice Partners, co-hosts Ursula and Brent introduce the heart of the podcast — a space where patient voices and lived experiences meet policy, innovation, and care delivery. This isn’t just another healthcare podcast. It’s an invitation to listen better, build smarter, and lead change with the people who matter most. Subscribe now to Amplify — and get ready to hear s...