Matt O’Rourke on Turning Patient Stories Into Trust and Hope

Matt O'Rourke, Director of Marketing at Yale School of Medicine, shares how his background in journalism and personal experience as a cancer survivor have shaped his approach to healthcare marketing. He explains why authentic patient stories can differentiate a healthcare brand, how reviews reveal what patients genuinely value, and why clinical expertise matters most when it is connected to human experience.

Matt also shares how his team uses AI to accelerate campaign development, analyze data, and handle repetitive work while keeping human judgment, curiosity, and creativity firmly in control.