Every Patient Counts, Every Story Matters: Health Equity Series with StoryCorps
Amgen’s Every Patient Counts, Every Story Matters: Health Equity Series with StoryCorps aims to broaden understanding and awareness of the real-life impact of health disparities through storytelling to highlight experiences where patient empowerment, community care, support systems and health education resources have made comprehensive care and better outcomes more accessible in diseases where there remain high unmet needs.
Through this initiative, listeners are able to put a human face on what can seem like overwhelming societal challenges. “Solving these really daunting, systemic issues first starts with humanizing the people experiencing them,” said Sandra Clark, CEO of StoryCorps. Murphy Barney, StoryCorps program lead, adds, "With this innately human process of storytelling, we can get a clearer picture of where and how we can support communities as they pursue health."
Learn more about Amgen’s collaboration with StoryCorps and visit YouTube to watch select stories or listen to the full collection of audio stories below.
Conversation List
Tammie Denyse and Linda Murakami
Reverend Tammie Denyse tells her friend Linda Murakami about her journey navigating her breast cancer diagnosis, and the advocacy work that came from it.
Aidee Granados and Nathan Knuth
Husband Nathan joins his wife Aidee to discuss the complexities of battling cancer in the U.S. after leaving Mexico, and how it led to the creation of RosaesRojo.
Dr. Charles Michael Coleman and Guy Miller
Best friends Dr. Charles Michael Coleman and Guy recall how they met at a cardiac rehabilitation center and share how they lean on each other and look out for one another as men of color with heart disease.
Deborah and Jennifer Carpenter
Sisters Deborah and Jennifer talk about Deborah's stage 4 lung cancer diagnosis, Jennifer's role as a caregiver, and how they would both like to see better screening, especially for people who are African American and families that have a history of lung cancer.
Kinetra Joseph and Kenneth Smith
Kenneth speaks with his daughter Kinetra about his experience seeking care after having a heart attack, his struggle navigating the healthcare system and how that has impacted is health.
Maria Sarmiento and Susana Perez
Maria talks with Susana about how she came to terms with her cancer diagnosis and how she continues to face her fears of the disease.
Racquel Racadio and Mae Racadio McEwan
Sisters Racquel, a clinical researcher, and Mae, a nurse practitioner in surgical oncology, talk about obstacles they’ve seen underserved communities experience in healthcare, and what motivates their work.
Dr. Rachel Bond and Erin Moran
Erin talks to her cardiologist Dr. Rachel Bond about how the loss of her sister has influenced her experience seeking cardiovascular care after having COVID-19, and the importance of finding a healthcare provider who's also a good listener.
Sarah Shaw and Diane Talbert
Diane tells her friend and colleague, Sarah, about her psoriasis diagnosis and her experiences in the healthcare system as a Black woman.
ShantaQuilette Carter-Williams
ShantaQuilette shares with her interview partner, Kevin, the barriers she has overcome to get a diagnosis as a Black woman living with cardiovascular disease, and how her experience has made her grateful for her connection with her doctor.
Stephanie Rivera and Dana Dornsife
Stephanie shares with her colleague, Dana, her experience living with asthma while growing up in a farmworker's family in central California and how working in the fields inspired her to pursue a career in public health.
Tara Robinson
Tara talks to Julia about her experience receiving care as a Black woman following two heart attacks, and her journey to becoming an advocate for the Black community.
Tiana Woolridge and Ursula Griffiths-Randolph
Pediatric Resident Physicians, Drs. Ursula Giffiths-Randolph and Tiana Woolridge, share their reasons for becoming physicians, detail the inequity of care in the medical field specifically towards the African American community, and consider how the United States healthcare system could be better.
Tonya Winders
Tonya tells her conversation partner Julia about her experiences as a mother of children with asthma and her career advocating for families living with the same condition.
Tom and Juarez Farrington
Spouses Tom and Juarez discuss Tom's family history and personal experience battling prostate cancer.
Tomi and Weston Holt
Weston reflects with his mother, Tomi, about Tomi being rushed to the emergency room for heart surgery, after thinking she was just experiencing acid reflux.
Dr. Vivian Hernandez Trujillo and Sophia
Dr. Vivian Hernandez-Trujillo and her daughter Sophia discuss how living with asthma has impacted their lives, and Dr. Hernandez-Trujillo shares how her experience with asthma has inspired her to help patients from underserved communities live their life to the fullest.
Dr. Yvonne Commodore-Mensah and Dr. Lisa Cooper
Colleagues Dr. Yvonne Commodore-Mensah and Dr. Lisa Cooper discuss their work to improve cardiovascular health in underserved communities and to better connect with people living in those communities.