The Cure for B******t

Benzi Kluger

Who can you trust for information about your health and wellbeing? On The Cure for B******t we interview patients, doctors, researchers and skeptics about their experiences and expertise to give you practical advice for navigating the healthcare system and avoiding medical scams.

Episodes

  1. Using Improv and Motivational Interviewing for Productive Vaccine Dialogue - An Interview with John Cullen & Holly Russell

    Jan 29

    Using Improv and Motivational Interviewing for Productive Vaccine Dialogue - An Interview with John Cullen & Holly Russell

    We engage with John and Holly in a conversation at the intersection of science, medicine, motivation, and improv. Drawing from backgrounds that span cardiovascular pharmacology, family medicine, addiction care, and behavioral science, our guests explore how improvisational techniques can be powerful tools for addressing vaccine hesitancy and fostering meaningful behavior change. By unpacking the science of motivation, identity, and relatedness, discuss practical resources for navigating harmful or questionable behaviors, we examine how these ideas can help individuals better manage their own health. Show Notes 03:13 – [To John] How did you go from having a PhD in cardiovascular pharmacology to theater and improv techniques? 04:48 – [To Holly] What brought you here from family medicine into addiction, motivation, improv and vaccines? 06:01 – What is vaccine hesitancy? 11:06 – How did improv come up as a solution to combat vaccine hesitancy? 25:00 – What is the science of motivation? 28:35 – How does relatedness interact with the concept of identity? 33:47 – Are there resources for anybody with people in their lives perusing questionable or dangerous behaviors? 40:16 – How can people use these ideas to improve their self-management of health? 46:28 – What do you see as the cure for medical b******t? Mentioned Links and Resources Self Determination Theory Website: https://selfdeterminationtheory.org/ Programs and initiatives from the Center for Community Health & Prevention: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/community-health/programs-initiatives

    50 min
  2. Open Notes, Brain Cancer, & Patient Advocacy - An Interview with Liz Salmi

    Jan 29

    Open Notes, Brain Cancer, & Patient Advocacy - An Interview with Liz Salmi

    We sit down with Liz Salmi, Communications & Patient Initiatives Director at OpenNotes and a pioneering patient-researcher living with a low-grade malignant brain tumor. Liz brings a rare and powerful perspective shaped by nearly two decades navigating healthcare as both a patient and a leader in patient engagement, transparency, and advocacy. We explore the promise and pitfalls of open clinical notes, how patients and families can better interpret and use the electronic medical record, and what it truly means to be empowered in modern healthcare. Liz shares her personal journey with brain cancer, her work advancing quality of life research for people with malignant brain tumors, and her insights into end-of-life care, hospice, and the values that matter most when facing serious illness. Show Notes 04:15 – History of Liz’ brain tumor 10:20 – How can patients and families mitigate the risks of interpreting open notes? 15:58 – How can people be empowered to be better advocates for themselves using the electronic medical record? 23:09 – Working for a labor union and dedicating life to healthcare advocacy 28:03 – What’s your experience dealing with a life-threatening brain tumor and how did it affect you as a person? 32:09 – Discussing what’s most important to people in hospice, and teachings from “The Five Invitations” by Frank Ostaseski 37:24 – Where do you see medical b******t and how would you define it? 39:05 – What do you see as the cure for medical b******t? Mentioned Links and Resources Learn about OpenNotes: https://www.opennotes.org/ "The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully" by Frank Ostaseski: https://www.amazon.com/Five-Invitations-Discovering-Death-Living/dp/1250074657

    42 min
  3. What is Science? An Interview with Alberto Espay

    02/12/2024

    What is Science? An Interview with Alberto Espay

    In this episode, we engage in a captivating conversation with Dr. Alberto Espay, a distinguished professor and chair of the James and Joan Gardner Center for Parkinson's Disease at the University of Cincinnati. With over 300 research studies and the author of "Brain Fables: The Hidden History of Neurodegenerative Diseases and a Blueprint to Conquer Them," Dr. Espay not only stands as an accomplished scientist but also as a thought-provoking iconoclast challenging conventional views. Together, we dive into the core question: What is science? Join us as Alberto shares his expertise on neurodegenerative illnesses and imparts valuable insights into the essence of science, offering our listeners a profound understanding of the scientific process and its transformative impact on our relentless pursuit of knowledge. 3:04 – What is clinical research? 12:21 – What advice do you have for people who are living with an illness who see these news stories to kind of separate the wheat from the chaff? 15:54 – Discussing the concepts of diseases, syndromes, and cures 21:08 – Alzheimer’s disease and the “amyloid rabbit hole” 27:13 – Discussing the approval of an ineffective Alzheimer’s drug and failing to falsify the amyloid hypothesis 33:50 – How can we or should we trust science? 40:44 – How do you handle conversations with people you see in clinic who are bringing up different ideas such as trying stem cells? 42:48 – Vaccines and trusting companies who are in charge of the research and with access to peer reviewed content 42:48 – What do you see as the cure for b******t? What would be your prescription for it? Or how can we improve the symptoms of b******t? Dr. Alberto Espay is Professor and Endowed Chair of the James J. and Joan A. Gardner Center for Parkinson’s Disease at the University of Cincinnati. He has published over 300 peer-reviewed research articles and 10 books, including Common Movement Disorders Pitfalls, which received the Highly Commended BMA Medical Book Award in 2013, and Brain Fables, the Hidden History of Neurodegenerative Diseases and a Blueprint to Conquer Them, coauthored with Parkinson patient and advocate Benjamin Stecher, selected by the Association of American Publishers for the PROSE Award honoring the best scholarly work in Neuroscience published in 2020. He has served as Chair of the Movement Disorders Section of the American Academy of Neurology, Associate Editor of the Movement Disorders journal, and on the Executive Committee of the Parkinson Study Group. Among other honors, he has received the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Health Care Hero award, the Spanish Society of Neurology’s Cotzias award, and honorary membership in the Mexican Academy of Neurology. His 2022 TEDx presentation, “Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s: The Solution in Sight,” was selected from more than 12,000 global entries for two 2023 Telly Awards, which honor excellence in video and television across all screens. He currently serves as President of the Pan-American Section of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society and directs the first biomarker study of aging (CCBPstudy.com), designed to match people with neurodegenerative disorders to available therapies from which they are most biologically suitable to benefit, regardless of clinical diagnoses. You can find Alberto Espay’s book, “Brain Fables: The Hidden History of Neurodegenerative Diseases and a Blueprint to Conquer Them,” on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Fables-Neurodegenerative-Diseases-Blueprint-ebook/dp/B088T85GMF TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7oAoajBlHc His recommendations for other “books on rethinking brain aging and neurodegeneration” in Shepherd:

    50 min
  4. Sabbatical from Hell: An Interview with Yvonne Rogalski

    01/17/2024

    Sabbatical from Hell: An Interview with Yvonne Rogalski

    In this episode we sit down with Yvonne Rogalski, a speech and language pathology professor, researcher, and survivor of a prolonged battle with chronic pain. Yvonne shares her journey through the healthcare system, highlighting the challenges and frustrations she faced while seeking a hysterectomy for her endometriosis. Yvonne's candid account exposes the struggles she faced and the ultimate decision to undergo a private hysterectomy. We dive into the complexities of navigating chronic pain, the discrimination faced by pain patients, and the need for a more compassionate and understanding approach within the healthcare system. 2:38 – When did you first become a “patient”? 4:58 – Can you talk to your experience with seeing various people and did you feel listened to and trusted? 5:30 – Dynamics of living with pain… What was it like to be a “pain patient”? 13:59 – Story of asking for pain medications during family trip in Athens, Georgia 20:32 – Getting off hormones and discovering Hormone Replacement Therapy 25:00 – Can you tell us about a visit that you had with the doctor where the doctor wanted to talk to your husband Ted about web design? 26:24 – Discussion of power dynamics in the healthcare system between the patient and the doctor 29:00 – Was there any follow-up on the surgeon who made the mistake? 33:00 - If we had a time machine and we could send you back to help Yvonne in 2012, how are things were different? How would you be able to be an advocate for yourself? 38:33 – Are you comfortable with being an assertive and proactive patient? 41:49 – Why did you not get treatment in Canada? 46:21 – How would you define medical b******t? Yvonne Rogalski, formerly an associate professor at Ithaca College in the department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, contributed significantly to the academic landscape. In her role, she instructed courses encompassing cognitive communication disorders, aphasia, motor speech disorders, and neuroanatomy. Her research pursuits were diverse, focusing on discourse analysis and treatment, alongside exploring memory and cognition within typical aging and populations with acquired communication disorders. Yvonne has left academia in 2022 and is in the process of writing a collection of creative nonfiction about her medical mishap. She also has a YouTube channel! Still Life: Comedy, Tragedy, Clipart https://youtube.com/@still.life.clipart?si=Xd3fmsgIzUUmMFXU

    54 min
  5. Living and Dying with Dignity: An Interview with Timothy Quill

    09/13/2023

    Living and Dying with Dignity: An Interview with Timothy Quill

    Join us for an enlightening conversation with Timothy Quill, a pioneer in the field of palliative care and a driving force behind the death with dignity movement in the United States. In this episode, we delve into the profound concept of death with dignity, Dr. Quill's personal journey into the world of palliative care, and explore ways you, as our valued listeners, can incorporate these transformative ideas into your own healthcare experiences. 2:00 - Over the course of your career, has medical b******t gotten any better? 4:02 - What are some tricks and traps that you see people get caught in the system? 5:30 - What do you do when a patient's belief system collides with your medical guidance? 6:47 - Thoughts on miracle cures 9:10 - The power and dangers of medical technology 11:23 - What prompted you to explore palliative care? 16:40 - How have you seen the medical system either support or interfere with people having a good death? How can patients advocate for themselves? 18:46 - What exactly is hospice and when is the right time to consider it? 25:34 - Story of Timothy's patient Diane 34:16 - The ethics behind assisted death 40:33 - "Palliative options of last resort" 45:00 - Advocacy for the death with dignity movement 47:10 - What does a family member do when they find themselves in the role of a decision-maker for a loved in the hospital? 52:50 - The biopsychosocial spiritual model and  discussion of spiritualism 56:30 - What in your thoughts is a prescription for reducing b******t in the medical system? Dr. Timothy Quill: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/people/23067752-timothy-edward-quill

    59 min
  6. Authenticity and Curiosity with Michael Okun

    11/19/2022

    Authenticity and Curiosity with Michael Okun

    Michael S. Okun, MD is a neurologist, poet,  author and National Medical Advisor to the Parkinson Foundation. In this interview we explore his approach to patient advocacy, staying curious enough to "reach grandma's attic" and how patients can bring out the best in their doctors.  4:30 - What's your approach to a person asking about Stem Cell treatments11:40 - Vaccines and the pandemic13:00 - How can people do their own research, or is that just a foolhardy endeavor?15:00 - "Reaching grandma's attic"17:30 - How can we do a more skillful job of maintaining empathy and hope20:50 - Historically, doctors didn't help people live longer or get better23:45 - I don't think that it's fair to judge people on their intelligence or their integrity, on one issue.28:00 - Can you be a better patient in a way that makes your doctor a better doctor?30:50 - Establishing cultural expectations36:14 - "Lessons from the Bedside"39:00 - John Graham-Pole and Patch Adams, pioneers in medicine 43:18 - How do the lessons from the bedside tie into this mad scientist of neurophysiology?46:45 - Do you have a prescription for the the cure for b******t? Or what do you see as the key ingredient?50:45 - I did a TED talk with Kelly Foote about controlling the brainParkinson Foundation - How to Join a Study https://www.parkinson.org/advancing-research/join-study Parkinson Foundation - Getting Involved in Research Fact Sheet https://www.parkinson.org/library/fact-sheets/research

    53 min
  7. Love and B******t: Practicing Compassionate Medicine in Times of COVID

    09/28/2022

    Love and B******t: Practicing Compassionate Medicine in Times of COVID

    0orWQzcKZj3UEdUv9p1J An in-depth interview with Rob Horowitz, chief of Palliative Care at URMC, about the challenges of supporting people with serious illness, even terminal illnesses, who often have very different views about medicine and truth than their doctors. Along the way we’ll hear about his unplanned journey into palliative care, the importance of love in medicine, psychedelics, the role of the ego in death,  and his advice for curing b******t with a palliative care approach. 2:20 - Any fresh hot b******t on your mind? 6:00 - Have your views of medical misinformation changed? 10:08 - What do you see as the cure for b******t? 11:30 - The hope for medical miracles 14:50 - Making difficult medical decisions 19:20 - Love in medicine 26:30 - Why did you choose to become a doctor? 30:11 - What prompted you to explore palliative care? 33:26 - What is palliative care? 36:35 - Facing death and suffering together 39:00 - What are the gifts and difficulties of working in palliative care? 42:21 - Applying the palliative care approach in neurology.  46:30 - Health care systems are made of humans that are fallible  51:00 - The cost of palliative care 55:50 - Delirium and other unexplainable events around death and dying 1:00:00 - Psychedelics and the power of letting go of the fear of death.  1:05:58 - How to advocate for palliative care for yourself or a loved one 1:08:00 - What advice would you have for people who want to die with dignity? Dr. Rob Horowitz: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/people/20741402-robert-k-horowitz

    1h 12m

  8. Trailer

    The Cure for B******t Trailer

    Welcome to the Cure for B******t, a podcast where we interview patients, doctors, researchers and skeptics about their practical advice for navigating the healthcare system and avoiding medical scams. These interviews will also be part of a forthcoming book that will serve as a master class for avoiding and dealing with medical b******t. 0orWQzcKZj3UEdUv9p1J

    2 min

Trailer

About

Who can you trust for information about your health and wellbeing? On The Cure for B******t we interview patients, doctors, researchers and skeptics about their experiences and expertise to give you practical advice for navigating the healthcare system and avoiding medical scams.

Information

  • Creator
    Benzi Kluger
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    8
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Cure for Bullshit
  • Show Website
    The Cure for B******t