This week on Calling in Sick, I'm sitting down with my dear friend Amanda Berk — co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of LIORA Health, dual Master's candidate in Social Work and Public Health at UT Austin, and someone navigating life with chronic migraines, a neurological tick disorder, and Hashimoto's disease. And this conversation is one I think every single person in this community needs to hear.
We're diving into:
🤝 What patient advocacy actually is
🏥 Why navigating medicine alone is failing us
😭 Why so many patients leave appointments feeling dismissed
👥 Peer advocacy and the LIORA Health model
📋 Four tips you NEED for your next appointment:
Asking for help in the healthcare system is not a failure. It is a strategy. 🤍
xx, Alex
💬 Comment: Have you ever experienced the "car cry" after a doctor's appointment — and what happened?
TIMESTAMP:
Intro:
00:00:00 Welcome back to Calling in Sick!
Patient Advocacy Overview:
00:01:12 Defining Patient Advocacy & The Shift Away from "Solo Healthcare"
00:05:54 Systemic Challenges in Modern Medicine
Working with Advocates:
00:09:58 Finding Third-Party Advocates
00:12:54 Peer Advocacy & LIORA Health's Matching Platform
00:16:58 Intake & Proactive Appointment Preparation
Practical Appointment Tips:
00:19:58 Tip #1: Asking to Record Audio
00:22:31 Tip #2: Time-Bound Symptom Tracking
00:25:41 Tip #3: Setting Goals & Top 5 Priority Questions
00:27:18 Tip #4: Clarifying Next Steps Before Leaving
LIORA Health & Women's Health Data:
00:28:43 Embracing Lived Experience & Partnership
00:32:46 Sending Notes to Providers in Advance
00:36:12 The Story Behind LIORA Health
00:40:58 Building a Patient Dataset to Close Research Gaps
00:44:05 Reflections on Navigating the Advocate Role
Conclusion:
00:49:40 One Brain Cell Show: Earle Meets World (Netflix) & The Secret Life of Mormon Wives (Hulu)
00:53:36 Thank you for listening!
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Stay connected and follow us on socials for more!
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/callinginsickpod/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@callinginsickpod
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61558234607568
• Substack - https://substack.com/@callinginsickpod?
Connect with our guest, Amanda Berk:
• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/amanda_berk/
• TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@amanda_berk
• LIORA Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/liorahealthadvocates/
• LIORA Website - https://liorahealth.io/
• Substack - https://liorahealth.substack.com/
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Produced by: Alexandra Wildeson — https://www.instagram.com/alexandrawildeson/
#PatientAdvocacy #ChronicIllness #LioraHealth #WomensHealth #MedicalGaslighting #ChronicMigraine #Hashimotos #AutoimmuneDisease #DoctorAppointmentTips #SymptomTracking #ChronicIllnessCommunity #InvisibleIllness #SpoonieLife #HealthcareSystem #PatientEmpowerment #ChronicPain #WomensHealthcare #AppointmentPrep #CallingInSickPodcast #AlexWildeson
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