When Healthcare Gets Personal: Matt's Story

EPISODE NOTES

• Jamie and Matt open the episode with lighthearted holiday banter and personal Christmas traditions.
• This 99th episode marks a milestone far beyond the average podcast lifespan of seven episodes.
• Jamie introduces the shift from typical healthcare culture/policy topics to a deeply personal conversation about patient experience from Matt’s perspective.
• Matt admits he’s more nervous for this episode than almost any other—because it’s personal.
• The conversation acknowledges the hardship of 2024–2025 for both hosts’ families.
• Matt walks through how a wellness check and PSA screening unexpectedly detected something abnormal.
• An MRI experience becomes meaningful thanks to a tech who sensed his anxiety and used music to calm him—highlighting how small patient-experience moments matter.
• The MRI revealed something suspicious, leading to a biopsy.
• Matt received his cancer diagnosis alone in a conference center during a professional event—an emotionally jarring moment.
• He immediately sought clarity and support from a physician colleague, who helped him interpret the results.
• Matt reflects on the shock of seeing “prostate cancer” in writing and how it triggered grief-like emotions.
• He emphasizes the importance of asking for results early so patients can process before appointments.
• His urologist spent over an hour walking through options—an impactful example of patient-centered communication.