The Promise of Personalized Medicine

From Diagnosis to Decisions: A Patient’s Guide to Personalized Care

Why is personalized medicine still so difficult for patients to navigate in practice? In this episode, Perry is joined by patient advocate and Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation co-founder Kathy Giusti for a candid conversation that brings the patient's journey into sharp focus. Drawing from her experience as both a multiple myeloma and breast cancer survivor, Kathy shares what personalized medicine looks like from the patient side—complex, fast-moving, and often overwhelming without the right support systems in place. In this episode, you’ll hear about: * Why personalized medicine goes far beyond a diagnosis—and requires deeper understanding through genomic sequencing, biomarker testing, and immune profiling * The challenges patients face at diagnosis, including limited time with physicians and information overload * How patients can better prepare for doctor visits and advocate for the testing and care they need * The critical (and often underutilized) role of patient advocacy groups and navigators * Why caregivers play such an important role in decision-making and support * The gaps in care coordination—and how fragmented systems create friction for patients * Why diagnostic innovation isn’t always visible to patients—and how that impacts awareness and access * The importance of collaboration across providers, researchers, payers, and innovators * How Kathy built the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation into a “doer” organization driving real change in research and care * The need for continuous testing and monitoring throughout the entire patient journey—not just at diagnosis * How shared decision-making is reshaping the relationship between patients and providers The conversation closes with a forward-looking perspective on the future of personalized medicine—where prevention, earlier intervention, and more integrated care models could dramatically improve outcomes and reduce the burden on patients. —------- Stay connected with our host, Perry Dimas, here on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/perry-dimas-588bb212/]! 📧 Interested in joining our medical director advisory group? Email us at info@accessdx.com 🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/accessdx [https://linkedin.com/company/accessdx]

A Patient’s Fight for Truly Personalized Care w/ Christine Von Raesfeld

What does personalized medicine really mean—and why does it still feel so out of reach for patients? In this episode, Perry is joined by patient advocate and lived experience expert Christine Von Raesfeld for a powerful conversation that brings the patient voice to the forefront of personalized medicine. Drawing from over 50 years of navigating complex health conditions, Christine challenges the industry’s assumptions and shares what personalized care actually looks like from the inside—fragmented, evolving, and full of unanswered questions. In this episode, you’ll hear about:   * How personalized and precision medicine are often misunderstood—and why clearer definitions matter * Why the current healthcare system still feels disconnected and siloed for patients * The importance of patients becoming active participants in their own care * How pharmacogenomics and multi-omic data can help (but aren’t widely accessible) * The limitations of a reactive, symptom-based healthcare model * Why data access and ownership remain major barriers to progress * The tension between privacy and progress in advancing research * How current clinical trial designs often exclude the patients who need them most * The need for more holistic, longitudinal, and real-world data in research * How Christine is contributing her own data to research and helping pioneer a patient-led model of care * The role of education, storytelling, and younger generations in shaping the future of healthcare The conversation closes with a hopeful look at what’s ahead—where greater collaboration, better data sharing, and a reimagined relationship between patients and providers could finally make personalized medicine a reality. To learn more about Christine's work, visit her Linkedin! [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cvonraesfeld/]  —------- Stay connected with our host, Perry Dimas, here on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/perry-dimas-588bb212/]!    📧 Interested in joining our medical director advisory group? Email us at info@accessdx.com  🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/accessdx [https://linkedin.com/company/accessdx]

Replay: Unraveling the Human Genome: From DNA to Personalized Health w/ Jill Davies

Our DNA holds the keys to understanding our health and well-being. Our guest today is Jill Davies, CEO at Genome Medical. She emphasizes the crucial role of genetic counselors in deciphering complex genetic information for individuals, offering tailored guidance on healthcare decisions. Jill introduces the concept of genetic counseling assistants, streamlining the process and allowing genetic counselors to focus on the most critical aspects of patient care. The conversation also dives into: * Sources of patient referrals * Barriers to personalized medicine, including limited access to genetic counselors and concerns about payor coverage  * Advancements in testing methodologies Jill Davies is a leader in the field of genomic healthcare. With over 20 years of experience in the genomics field, Jill has broad expertise across clinical services, telehealth, strategic planning, business development and leadership. She has a special interest in the role of genomics in primary care and preventive medicine as well as the use of technology to enable access to genomic information and services. —---- Stay connected with our host, Perry Dimas, here on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/perry-dimas-588bb212/]!  If you’re a Medical Director looking to advise laboratory innovators, please DM Perry on LinkedIn!

Access, Guidelines, and the Gap in Personalized Medicine w/ Dr. Federico Monzon

What does personalized medicine really mean—and why does it remain so difficult to implement at scale? In this episode, Perry is joined by longtime colleague and molecular pathology expert Dr. Frederico Monzon for an in-depth conversation on the realities behind personalized medicine. Drawing from his experience across academia, clinical practice, and industry, Frederico reframes personalized medicine as not only identifying the right treatment—but also avoiding therapies that offer no benefit and may cause harm. In this episode, you’ll hear about: * How personalized medicine has long existed in pathology, even before the term became a buzzword * Why avoiding ineffective treatments is just as critical as finding the right one * The ongoing challenge of access to diagnostic testing and actionable information * Why many patients still aren’t tested—even when guidelines and coverage exist * The role of clinical guidelines as guardrails, not rigid rules * Tensions and opportunities between laboratories, insurers, and lab benefit managers * How unmet clinical need drives meaningful innovation in diagnostics * Why collaboration across industry, academia, and payers is essential * What excites Frederico most about the future: multimodal medicine combining genomics, pathology, imaging, clinical data, and AI The conversation closes with a forward-looking discussion on how breaking down data silos—and using AI responsibly—could help healthcare teams deliver more precise, cost-effective care tailored to each individual patient. —------- Stay connected with our host, Perry Dimas, here on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/perry-dimas-588bb212/]!    📧 Interested in joining our medical director advisory group? Email us at info@accessdx.com  🔗 Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/accessdx [https://linkedin.com/company/accessdx]

Replay: Test Innovations in Personalized Medicine: Overcoming Challenges and Embracing Change

Using genomics or other biomarkers to improve health care is the essence of Personalized Medicine according to today’s guest, Dr. Bruce Quinn. Moving forward with novel diagnostic testing could prove challenging for a variety of reasons, one of them being a disruption to the overall healthcare industry. If one test could replace multiple, costly tests, then the ROI for certain payors goes down.  Join us as we also discuss:  * The other challenges facing new tests * Where test identifiers are heading * The indirect interest of insurance sales Dr. Quinn is the Principal at Bruce Quinn Associates LLC and is an expert in Medicare policy for innovative technology.  His initial career was as a full-time medical school faculty member.  Armed with an MBA in 2001, he shifted to a career in strategy consulting.  He served as a regional Medicare Part B medical director 2004-2008.   He has worked for a global consulting firm, Accenture, as well as for two DC-based health policy firms.    Since 2016, he has been an independent consulting primarily focused on genomics and digital technologies.  His services include product planning and reimbursement pathways for innovators, as well as due diligence investigations for investors.   His website on health policy and new technology, “Discoveries in Health Policy,” has had over a million views, holds 2000 articles, and has hundreds of subscribers from industry, academia, and government.  Dr. Quinn is based in Los Angeles. —---- Stay connected with our host, Perry Dimas, here on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/perry-dimas-588bb212/]!