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In this episode, host Matthew Zachary dives into the history and mission of Cancer Hope Network (CHN) with Executive Director Beth Blakey and Program Officer Marielle McLeod, a young adult cancer survivor. Founded in 1981, Cancer Hope Network is a vital peer support organization that connects cancer patients and caregivers with mentors who’ve been through similar journeys. Beth and Marielle share insights on the unique value CHN offers, including the impact of one-on-one mentorship and the importance of culturally relevant support for underrepresented communities. Join us for an honest, thoughtful, and occasionally humorous look at how CHN supports patients and caregivers across the cancer journey.
Notable Time Stamps:
0:17 // Matthew introduces Cancer Hope Network and its role in cancer support.
1:09 // Beth Blakey, Executive Director, and Marielle McLeod, Program Officer, join the conversation.
7:27 // Discussion on the legacy of cancer advocacy and CHN’s origin story.
13:28 // Beth’s personal journey to nonprofit leadership after supporting her mother through cancer.
15:06 // Marielle shares her story as a young adult Hispanic cancer survivor and the challenge of
finding culturally specific support.
20:11 // The importance of awareness and access for minority communities in cancer support.
24:04 // Why nonprofit marketing matters: funding, outreach, and equitable resource distribution.
36:08 // How CHN’s mentorship model helps patients find connection and agency during their cancer journey.
37:40 // Final thoughts on peer support as a transformative tool for cancer patients and survivors.
Links and Resources:
- Cancer Hope Network (https://www.cancerhopenetwork.org/)
- Connect with Beth Blakey on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethblakey1228/)
- Connect with Marielle McLeod on [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariellemcleod/)
Feedback:
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On the show today: Lisa Simms Booth is Executive Director at The Smith Center for the Healing Arts and former Senior Director for Patient and Public Engagement at The Biden Cancer Initiative. She is such an extraordinary human being who've I've wanted her on my show for such a long time and, well, here she is. Lisa has this extraordinary way to define and extoll the virtues of cancer survivorship, how far we've come in the last half-century, lessons learned from the pandemic for Nonprofit Leadership, cancer screenings, prevention, and more.
FUN FACT: The Smith Center occupies a unique place in my life as they hosted one of the very first Stupid Cancer Happy Hour events in DC in 2007. It's a great place, so if you live in the DC area, be sure to check them out.
SIDENOTE: For the cheap seats in the back, many of you may recognize The Smith Center from Episode 81 with my guest, Dr. Julia Rowland, who serves as their Senior Strategic Advisor. (Julia is also the Founding Director of The National Cancer Institute's Office of Cancer Survivorship. You can hear her share her story as one of the contributors to The Cancer Mavericks, our eight-part docu-series about the history of cancer survivorship.
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Today I talk to Kara Goldin — health product entrepreneur, breast cancer advocate, and the Founder and CEO of HINT Inc. Kara calls herself an accidental entrepreneur because she invented a product that she wanted but couldn’t find: unsweetened, fruit-infused water. Now HINT is available everywhere as a healthy and natural alternative to diet drinks. Kara honed her chops working at AOL and Time magazine, and she even interned for John McCain way back when. Today Kara is expanding HINT to include a line of natural sunscreen and is out with a new book, Undaunted: Overcoming Doubts and Doubters. Kara Goldin talks about overcoming her diet soda addiction, disrupting the beverage industry, and the importance of knowing what we put in and on our bodies.
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For most healthcare geeks, Andy Slavitt may be best known as the Former Acting Administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). For millions more, he is the podcast hero we didn't know we needed and the one we so clearly deserved as the host of Lemonada Media's award-winning podcast, "In The Bubble with Andy Slavitt."
Launched just before the world went to shit in early 2020, In The Bubble became a literal voice of reason while we were sanitizing our Amazon boxes and fighting for toilet paper at Costco as if they were Cabbage Patch Kids in the 1980s. A weekly vocal elixir of sorts, Andy and his storied dry wit blended healthcare policy, layman's breakdowns, and human vulnerability with a healthy splash of entertainment thanks to such early guests as Tina Fey, Al Franken, and Matthew McConaughey. Each episode brought — and still brings —a little structure and sanity to an otherwise chaotic world. Today, Andy is currently USofCare Co-Founder and Board Chair Emeritus and still fighting the system for the benefit of all Americans to get less screwed by our broken healthcare system.
In the Bubble has been on my Mount Rushmore of podcasts since day one. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
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Dr. Sudhir Gadh is a board-certified psychiatrist and Commander in the US Navy Reserve. He is also Medical Director for the Center for Recovery and Wellness, with a core focus on low-dose Lithium, as a comprehensive approach for patients to improve brain function. Joining Matthew live in-studio, they talk about our nation is failing to address the mental health crisis, empathy in medicine, physician burnout, ongoing stigma, and, most interestingly, the history of 7-Up. You heard that right. In his words, “Psychiatry is about understanding and adjusting your life story towards progress.”
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Returning champion to Out of Patients, advocacy badass Carly Flumer flips the script on Matthew Zachary as she takes the reins for an AMA (Ask Matt Anything) reverse interview. Hilarity ensues as we take a trip down memory lane as to how the sausage was made, the very origins of Stupid Cancer and the young adult cancer movement, and how we've arrived at today's "better problems to have."
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Today, I speak with Dr. Ashani Weeraratna. She's a leading cancer researcher at Johns Hopkins, and President Biden appointed Ashani to the National Cancer Advisory Board. She's also a researcher at the National Cancer Institute AND the author of a new book called Is Cancer Inevitable? Her book takes us inside her research lab and reveals how new insights are leading to breakthroughs, even for patients with Stage IV cancer. We talk about those breakthroughs, what it was like growing up in South Africa, and seeing Van Gogh in virtual reality, among other things.
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On the show today, my brother from another mother — Steve Friedman, is the Senior Advisor of Operations for SEER at the National Cancer Institute. (We'll get into all the acronyms later in the show because I know you're looking forward to that.) Steve was diagnosed back in the 1990s with testicular cancer while in his 20s. So he brings with him a profound perspective of progress, not just for young adult cancer, but for cancer policy, research, and institutional growth at the Federal level. While all those free AOL CDs back then drove us crazy, Steve put them to good use and found a community of his peers using what we decided to call "dial-up support." His storied career as a public servant, nonprofit leader, and cancer advocate isn't just inspiring; it's a perfect example of how we can make the most of the time that has been given to us.
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On the show today, I welcome 'First mover in Audio & Podcasts" Sarah Cotenoff, Former co-founder of Podsights — and, more importantly — my 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 life to the up-and-coming Stupid Cancer broadcast footprint. Among other "Wayback Machine" things we talk about, there's a more severe 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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Dr. Mark Lewis is the Director of GI Oncology at Intermountain Healthcare in Salt Lake City. He is also a young adult survivor of pancreatic cancer, a thought leader on #MEDTwitter, and one of the funniest and down-to-earth physicians you're likely to meet. Motivated by losing his father to cancer, coupled with a genetic predisposition for empathy, his story of "when the doctor gets cancer" preaches the virtues of data and truth. Prepare to find out what happens when Sid the Science Kid meets Dexter's Lab meets Pickle Rick. Follow Mark on Twitter at @DrMarkLewis
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On the show today, I'm so thrilled to welcome live in-studio Alison Silberman, CEO at Stupid Cancer (my old job, as you may know), and Shannon Wyant, a fellow AYA cancer survivor and sitting committee member of the Stupid Cancer Board of Directors (also my old job as you may know.) The best conversations are those without an agenda that manifest from their own chemistry and organic magic. And what you're about to hear is no exception. So prepare your Wayback machine and your magic eight ball for a "wikipedic" throwback to how the sausage was — and continues to be made — for the largest young adult support community in the world. This one's for Annie Goodman, Jason Mlot, Chad Whitman, Ali Powers, Emily Morrison, Erica Paul, and Lauren Scott.
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Today on the show, we talk to powerhouse couple David and Robin Dubin, who founded Alive and Kickn to advocate for those with the Lynch gene. At age 29, Dave was diagnosed with colon cancer and Lynch Syndrome. Few have heard of it, but Dave and Robin are trying to change that. Because Lynch is a genetic pre-condition to cancer that affects 1 out of every 279 people, and most people don’t even know they have it. Dave and Robin talk about survivorship, pre-vivorship, and the importance of genetic testing.
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On the show today, I'm thrilled to welcome – LIVE IN STUDIO — Liz Cormier-May, CEO of Mammogen, and Marty Keiser, CEO at IV Bioholdings. It's hard to blend funny, entertaining wit with healthcare jargon like diagnostics, market access, go-to-market strategy, etc. And yet, somehow, we did it. The process is gnarly and ridiculous, but now more than ever, it's actually possible to NOT GET CANCER because of much more accessible and affordable diagnostics. Some of them are free; some are even over the counter. But getting into the hands of doctors or retail consumers is a whole other story, let alone issues with the FDA and safety. Well, we cut through all that crap and get to the brass taxes of how the only real thing moving the needle is consumers who vote with their wallets.
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On today's show, we welcome one of the most influential human beings of my career: Dan Pallotta, champion of charity and the entire nonprofit business sector. Dan's take on how we as a culture think about charity the wrong way planted a bedrock philosophy in my head for how I was going to grow and lead Stupid Cancer to scalable success without the pitfalls of donors complaining about "Overhead." "I'll give you money but don't spend it on electricity. Only programs." Dan's much-ballyhooed book "Uncharitable: How Restraints on Nonprofits Undermine Their Potential" has a new, more digestible School House Rock version called "The Everyday Philanthropist" that I encourage every single nonprofit Board member, staff member, and donor to read immediately. My favorite quote from Dan is this: "Human. Kind. Be Both." Dan's Latest Book: The Everyday Philanthropist. Dan's TED Talk: The Way We Talk About Charity is Dead Wrong
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Today's show is not a "very special episode" of Different Strokes, Facts of Life, Family Ties, Webster, or Blossom, BUT it is a "very special episode" nonetheless. Jane Sarasohn-Kahn has been a friend, a teacher, a mentor, a sherpa, a conscience, and a big sister to me for over 15 years. I mean it when I say she is as close to her biological family as you can get without the Jerry Springer sibling DNA test. My origin story of becoming a cancer advocate diverged in 2004 between the nonprofit and the nascent and emerging digital health startup sectors. And Jane was right there to welcome me — the freshman newcomer and token "pre-advocate" cancer patient — equipped with the inflatable swimmies I needed to incubate in that space. Did I mention she is one of the world's foremost health economists with Nostradamus-level power for trend forecasting? She's also an award-winning author, blogger, speaker, thought-leader, and creator of "Health Populi", one of — if not THE most — notable blogs covering the health/care ecosystem as well as the author of her new book, "From Health Consumer to Health Citizen: Health Consuming.” Learn more at https://www.janesarasohnkahn.com.
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Throughout the history of cancer advocacy, there are the advocates who made us and the organizations who made us. And one such organization is the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, which is — for all intents and purposes — the “Good Housekeeping meets Consumer Reports” of all cancer standards of care, best practices, guidelines, and credibility consensus. Joining me on today’s show to speak to all that is my friend Marcie Reeder, Executive Director of the NCCN Foundation, which is their patient-friendly arm that collaborates with scores of nonprofits to make sure their information is trickled down to the patient and caregiver community as a vital support resource. Marcie lost her father to esophageal cancer when she was young. Her public service to advance the narrative and the imperative of access, awareness, and survivorship is a testimony to her passion, character, and the very definition of cancer advocacy. NCCN is an incredible organization that does outstanding work on behalf of millions of people, and I hope this episode shines a light on their impact on the cancer community. Enjoy the show.
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On the show today, the legendary Julie Larson, speaker, educator, psychotherapist, and luminary, legacy young adult cancer advocate. As one of the few people who have been consistently working in the same career profession they went to school for, Julie may consider herself a midwestern gal transplant to the big city but, after more than 15 years in the space, she has more than earned her credibility as one of the early progenitors of the young adult cancer movement. Her first “not so shabby” big stint was to essentially create from scratch the first adolescent and young adult cancer program for CancerCare to give you some perspective. Now, if you don’t know what CancerCare is, we get into it during the show but just know this was a huge deal in the annals of patient advocacy and AYA survivorship programming. I was privileged enough to work with her as that effort was getting built out, and I have watched her rise to literal superstardom in our community. As someone who was “there” before social media became the best thing, then the worst thing, and now a “somewhat tolerable in small doses thing,” “she has a vantage and perspective on how far we’ve come and yet how far we still need to go. From the days of MySpace to today’s shitstorm of COVID, telehealth, and mental health calamity, Julie Larson is the voice you want on the other end of the phone call to help make some sense of the madness. Enjoy the show.
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Elizabeth Woolfe is a veteran nonprofit consultant and unmatched sherpa guide in the business, management, and organizational culture of charity. Full disclosure: Liz also one of my best friends in the world and saved my ass more than a few times serving as strategic counsel to Stupid Cancer during the latter half of my tenure. As of this recording, we pay tribute to the late Cloris Leachman by preparing you for today's "Roll, Roll, Roll in Ze Hay."
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On the show today —> The venerable Craig Lipset, a storied luminary in the annals of clinical trial innovation — and I mean innovation with a Capital I. (None of that lower case crap happening here on my watch) Craig is the Founder of Clinical Innovation Partners and the Co-Founder of Decentralized Trials & Research Alliance (DTRA), and a proud expatriated Long Islander who pronounces Rutgers the proper way and has a penchant for Wegmans. He ticks every box. He's also been at the literal forefront of clinical trial research and development for over 30 years. Warning that the following episode may contain explicit acronyms and an overdose of syllables.
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Today I talk to LGBT cancer advocate Liz Margolies. For over 30 years, Liz has worked as a psychotherapist with a specialty in cancer, trauma, and sexuality. She’s an OG LGBT rights activist, and when four of her lesbian friends died of ovarian cancer within months of each other, Liz launched the National LGBT Cancer Network. Because the LGBT community not only has a harder time getting treatment but sexual and gender minorities are also at a much higher risk of getting cancer than the general population. Liz explains why.
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