Moffitt Launches Podcast Focused on Our Patients
Moffitt Cancer Center has released its first patient and family-centered podcast called PEP Talks: Stories of Cancer, Connection & Care. Released monthly, the podcast shares the experiences of Moffitt patients, caregivers and team members. To give listeners a sneak peek into the new show, the cancer center released the first three episodes this week on YouTube.
Stories include patient Charlie Agurcia, who felt like he didn’t have a voice in his cancer care until he came to Moffitt. Caregiver Julia Devlin shares how connection can transcend international borders as she fought to get her father out of Ukraine and into Moffitt to treat his advanced-stage lung cancer. Team member Jason Bever shares how the tiniest acts of kindness can make all the difference for patients and their families.
In PEP Talks, patients are not just recipients of care; they are active participants in their own healing. They are also major players behind the production of the podcast. The production team includes an interdisciplinary group of Moffitt team members and advisors from Moffitt’s Patient and Family Advisory Program.
Host of the podcast, Loreen O’Brien, senior patient experience consultant at Moffitt, says the podcast gives patients a voice to share their journeys with cancer.
“Patients and caregivers are really the heart of this podcast,” O’Brien said. “They’re involved in everything — the story development, recording, editing — all of it. It’s truly a collaborative effort. Our goal is to share our culture of connection and care with everyone. Sharing these stories on a larger platform is the first step.”
At the core of PEP Talks lies Moffitt’s commitment to patient-centered care: the Moffitt PROMISE, a set of intentional behaviors that shapes the institution’s culture and underscores the importance of human connection. These behaviors include always placing patients and families first, showing respect, taking ownership, making a difference, caring, delivering exceptional service, and committing to excellence.
Together, these behaviors form the PROMISE that every team member embraces. PROMISE training and PEP Talks are spearheaded by Moffitt’s Department of Patient Experience, led by director Cristina Perez.
“We have such an incredible culture of patient-centered care at Moffitt,” Perez said. “Within our department, we always hear about positive experiences that patients have with our team members. We started sharing these stories with our staff to let them know the difference they were making, and they made a powerful impact. It’s time we shared them with the world.”
Click play on the first episode below to hear Charlie’s story. Listen to more episodes and become a subscriber on YouTube.
