Medical Manners

Seeing People as Their Best Selves: Dan Linford ED.D.

In this inspiring episode, I sit down with Dan Linford, former English teacher, Student Body Officer Advisor, Principal and current Superintendent of a major school district and one of the most influential mentors in my life.
Dan was my student body officer advisor when I was a senior in high school, and I’ll never forget what he used to say to us: “I try to treat you the way I think you can become, not as you are now.”
Dan lives by the powerful belief that we should refuse to see people as anything but their best selves. And when we do, something amazing happens—people often rise to meet or exceed the expectations we set for them.
This mindset isn’t just for educators—it has a place in healthcare too. In our conversation, Dan shares practical insights on how recognizing and affirming our patients’ strengths can change the trajectory of their care. When we believe in our patients, they often become more than we ever thought possible.
Tune in for wisdom, heart, and ideas you can start applying today.
The Multiplier Effect book, by Liz Wiseman, is mentioned in this podcast interview. The link to the book on Amazon is listed below:
https://www.amazon.com/Multiplier-Effect-Tapping-Genius-Schools/dp/1452271895/ref=asc_df_1452271895?mcid=ccb0b27cf77331c088989e13e6c904ed&hvocijid=5609675091466730625-1452271895-&hvexpln=73&tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=721245378154&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5609675091466730625&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9029448&hvtargid=pla-2281435175938&psc=1
 

Learning From Lawsuits: Dr. Charles Pilcher MD FACEP

Welcome to Medical Manners. This week we engage with Dr. Charles Pilcher, a seasoned emergency physician and medical legal consultant, to delve into the secrets of not getting sued. Through enlightening stories and insights, Dr. Pilcher shares his experiences with medical malpractice cases and emphasizes the pivotal role of communication in improving patient satisfaction and reducing legal risks. 
HIs newsletter, Medical Malpractice Insights: Learning From Lawsuits is a free newsletter sent out monthly. He takes a Emergency Department Malpractice case, tells what happened, what went wrong, and how we can learn from it and avoid making the same mistakes in our own medical practices. It is an incredible resource that I believe every provider sould be reading regularly. 
Subscribe to the newsletter below:
https://gem.godaddy.com/signups/da3d5902d05c4befa1ea538ddc88a6f9/join

Dealing with Frequent Fliers: Hannah Belnap-Gunn PA-C

Join us on the Medical Manners Podcast as host Katie Wyatt sits down with Hannah Belnap-Gunn, a physician's assistant who provides unique insights into the challenges of dealing with 'frequent fliers' (patient who find themselves needing to be seen in the ED or clinic on a somewhat regular basis).  Hannah shares her personal journey from being a frequent emergency room visitor due to migraines and shares lessons we as healthcare providers can learn from her experiences. 
This episode highlights the power of empathy and effective communication in healthcare, exploring how healthcare providers can enhance patient care by better understanding their stories. Hannah teaches us simples shifts we can make to help our frequent fliers feel less shame, and feel that they are human and heard. 

Sharla Sintyl: Pediatric Burn From Gasoline Fire & Managing Patients Up

In this episode Sharla Sintyl shares the terrifying experience of her 6-year-old son who accidently caught himself on fire while playing with gasoline and a lighter. As she takes us through this life-altering event, she also reveals the critical lessons healthcare professionals can learn—about the power of eye contact, the importance of physical touch, and how managing up can transform a patient’s experience. This is a conversation about more than just medicine—it’s about human connection. Stay tuned—you won’t want to miss it."

Megan Gibson-Pediatric Cancer & Celebrating Our Patients Victories With Them

At just six years old, Peter Gibson faced a life-altering cancer diagnosis in the midst of a global pandemic, catapulting his family into a whirlwind of treatments, ER visits, and constant uncertainty. In this heartfelt episode, his mother, Megan Gibson, takes us through their journey — the fears, the triumphs, and the lessons learned along the way. She offers powerful insights on how healthcare providers can forge deeper emotional connections with patients and celebrate their victories, no matter how small. This is a conversation about resilience, compassion, and the profound impact of truly seeing and celebrating those in our care.

Purpose vs Vehicles: What Are You Focusing On?

It can be helpful in our careers to remember what our purpose is. Why do we do what we do? What is the purpose behind all our hard work? Then we can identify the vehicles that help us achieve our purpose. Making sure we are laser focused in on our purpose and don't get side tracked by the vehicles is so important!
This can help as we are wanting to find more joy in our careers, negotiating contracts with employers, and in our personal life. This weeks episode is really for anyone who wants to find more purpose in their lives.

Dr. Scott Abramson and Connecting With Patients When You Aren’t Good At It

Dr. Scott Abramson spent 40 years helping patients as an acclaimed neurologist. The last 20 years of his career he also started working on a project to help physicians in his organization connect with their patients better. He says he would have retired in his early 60's , but he found so much joy in connecting with others, that he continued working until age 72.
Listen to this episode to learn his secrets about finding joy through connecting and loving your job again, even for someone who claims he isn't good at it naturally.

Christine Chasse: Medical Malpractice Attorney and Why Patients Usually Sue (Hint: It’s Not Money)

This episode with Christine was so interesting! Hearing about what she sees on her side and what the situations are that end up in lawsuit. I was surprised to learn that in Texas, because of certain laws, when people enter a medical malpractice suit, it is usually not for money. Listen to hear Christine's take on what really matters and how to avoid medical lawsuit action.

What The Deceuster’s Experience with Testicular Cancer Taught Me About Asking Patients Questions

In this episode, Dan and Michele Deceuster chat with me about their experience with testicular cancer and the amazing things their medical providers did to help them through the process.
Dan also talks about how we can better guide our patients as we are asking them questions.
This podcast episode has changed the way I ask my patients what questions they have for me at the end of our visit. I'm grateful for patients like Dan that can teach me how to do my job better. I'm excited for you to learn from him as well.

What Becca Doutre’s Stroke Can Teach Us About Reading the Room and Carrying the Burden.

At age 28, Becca Doutre started having stroke symptoms when she was 35 weeks pregnant with her 4th child. She tells about her medical journey and gives us some great tips on ways health care providers can read the emotions in the room and act accordingly, be sensitive to patients who become our 'frequent fliers' and help carry the burdens of our patients.
Becca gives shout outs to North Davis Hospital in Layton Utah, University of Utah Health Care System, Primary Children's Hospital and Dr. Carolyn Belfry at the Ogden Clinic.