Laila Waggoner, founder of Strategy for Hire and SHSMD National Advisory Board member, has spent more than four decades moving between agency leadership and health system marketing — and she's put that experience to work helping organizations on both sides collaborate more effectively. In this episode, she and host Lauren Minors explore what makes partnerships actually function, why health systems were never quite built to work as systems, and what the entire healthcare marketing industry could learn from getting honest about shared purpose.

Join host Lauren Minors for a conversation with Austen Williams, Executive Director of The Medi, to discuss how community health needs to be community-led, with trust at the center.

Chronic illnesses are affecting an increasing portion of the population, with nearly 50% of Americans currently managing such conditions. Despite the growing number of patients requiring long-term care, the healthcare system is still designed around acute, short-term issues, leaving those with chronic diseases feeling lost in a complex maze of care. How can the healthcare system evolve to better support patients navigating these complex, long-term conditions?

With over 15 years of entrepreneurial experience, Kristy Dickinson, the Founder and CEO of Chronically Simple, is a patient advocate and digital health consultant passionate about reshaping the patient and caregiver experience. Drawing on her personal experience as a patient with a rare genetic disorder, she stresses the importance of integrating the patient's voice throughout the healthcare process. Kristy built a digital tool to replace cumbersome binders of medical records, showing the necessity of innovative, patient-centered solutions. She urges healthcare professionals to treat patients as key team members, integrating them into the design of systems and care plans to improve outcomes and reduce the overwhelming administrative burden on those managing chronic conditions.

In this episode of For the Better, Ben Cash welcomes Kristy Dickinson, the Founder and CEO of Chronically Simple, to discuss the challenges and opportunities in managing complex health conditions. Kristy shares her eye-opening experience with chronic illness, offers strategies for improving patient experiences, and highlights the value of digital tools in healthcare. Tune in for insights on prioritizing comprehensive care and the power of patient voices in driving healthcare efficiency and effectiveness.