Episodes

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, Heather and John welcome Sara Berger, Director and Senior Research Scientist at IBM, to discuss the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. They explore how patients can use AI to better understand their health and what they should know before relying on these tools. With a background in neuroscience, technology, and ethics, Sara explains how AI works and clears up common misconceptions. She shares examples of how AI already plays a role in everyd...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, Heather and John are joined by Angie Beach, Family Nurse Practitioner at HOC, to explore the importance of primary care for people with bleeding disorders and how comprehensive care goes beyond managing a bleeding disorder alone. Drawing on her years of experience in traditional primary care, Angie shares what she’s learned since joining HOC, including some of the misconceptions she previously had about bleeding disorders and the unique challenges patients can face w...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, Heather and John are joined by Kristin Petrie, HOC Nurse Coordinator, to talk about what people with bleeding disorders should know before their next procedure and why contacting your Hemophilia Treatment Center ahead of time is so important. When most people hear the word “procedure,” they think of major surgery, but for someone with a bleeding disorder, the list can be much broader. Kristin explains why patients should reach out before dental work, colonoscopies, b...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, Heather and John are joined once again by Christopher George and his daughter, Felicity Grajeda, for part two of their conversation exploring how hemophilia shapes a family and the lessons, experiences, and support that can carry from one generation to the next. Christopher shares what he hoped his daughters would learn from watching him live with hemophilia, including perseverance, independence, and not allowing a bleeding disorder to become an excuse or define what...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, Heather and John are joined by Christopher George and his daughter, Felicity Grajeda, for part one of a two-part conversation exploring how hemophilia shapes a family and the different ways it can impact life from childhood through adulthood. Christopher shares what it was like growing up with severe hemophilia, from managing painful bleeds and traveling for care to learning how to self-infuse and eventually taking greater ownership of his treatment. He reflects on h...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, Heather and guest co-host Erica are joined by Angela Blue, Director of Member & Community Relations with the Hemophilia Alliance, for a conversation about the important work happening behind the scenes to support Hemophilia Treatment Centers (HTCs) and the patients they serve. Angela shares the history and mission of the Hemophilia Alliance and explains how the organization works with HTCs across the country. From group purchasing and 340B pharmacy programs to legal ...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, Heather is joined by guest co-host Erica and HOC Nurse Coordinator Tricia Delaney for a timely conversation about preparing for college with a bleeding disorder. Using HOC’s College Prep Checklist as a guide, Tricia shares practical advice to help students confidently transition to campus life while staying on top of their health and treatment. The discussion covers everything from establishing infusion routines and ordering factor independently to connecting with ca...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, Heather and John are joined by HOC’s Behavioral Health Specialist, Robin Lambrecht, for an important conversation about the connection between mental health and bleeding disorders. Robin shares how behavioral health extends far beyond a mental health diagnosis, offering support for stress, anxiety, emotional well-being, caregiver burnout, and the everyday challenges that can accompany living with a chronic condition. The discussion explores how bleeding disorders can...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, Heather and John are joined by HOC’s IT Coordinator, Chris Woller, for a personal conversation about growing up with severe hemophilia B and how treatment has changed over the course of his lifetime. Chris shares his experiences navigating childhood with a bleeding disorder, the challenges of early treatment, and how advances in care have allowed him to live a full and active life. The conversation begins with Chris’s childhood, when treatment options were limited an...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, Heather and John are joined by Dr. Ken Friedman from Versiti Blood Center and HOC for a conversation about the evolution of hemophilia treatment. Drawing on decades of experience in hematology and bleeding disorders care, Dr. Friedman shares how treatment has changed over time and what those advances have meant for patients and families. The discussion begins with the earliest approaches to hemophilia care, when treatment options were extremely limited. Patients ofte...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, Heather and guest co-host Erica are joined by Andrea Buxton, HOC’s Clinical Director and Nurse Practitioner, and Jill Larson, HOC’s nutritionist, for a conversation about lifestyle medicine. Together, they discuss how small, sustainable changes can improve overall health and well-being. The discussion explores the six pillars of lifestyle medicine: nutrition, physical activity, restorative sleep, social connection, stress management, and avoiding harmful substances. ...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, Heather and John are joined by Dr. Bryan Schwebke from Paramount Physical Therapy. Together, they discuss the philosophy behind Paramount, the importance of movement and long-term wellness, and how HOC’s partnership with Paramount is helping patients approach physical therapy in a new way. Dr. Schwebke shares the story behind Paramount’s founding and explains how his team works to move beyond a traditional “reactive” model of care. Rather than focusing only on injury...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, Heather and John are joined by HOC nurse coordinator Kristin Petrie for a practical conversation about nosebleeds and bleeding disorders. Together, they discuss why nosebleeds happen, how to manage them at home, and when it’s time to seek additional medical support. Kristin explains why nosebleeds are especially common in patients with bleeding disorders like von Willebrand disease and HHT. She also walks through the first steps patients and families should take when...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, Heather is joined by stand-in co-host Erica for a conversation with Angie Farrar, lead nurse coordinator from our Wausau clinic, about recognizing the early signs of a bleed and why acting early matters. From joint bleeds and muscle bleeds to injuries that may seem minor at first, Angie shares what patients and families should watch for, including pain, swelling, warmth, tingling sensations, and changes that just don’t feel normal. The conversation also explores why ...

In this special episode of Beyond the Bleeds, Heather and John take bleeding disorder awareness beyond the clinic and into the community. From downtown Green Bay to St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wisconsin, they hit the streets to ask everyday people what they know about hemophilia and other bleeding disorders—and the answers might surprise you. With March recognized as Bleeding Disorder Awareness Month and World Hemophilia Day approaching on April 17, this episode brings real conversations to...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, we’re joined by Andrea Buxton, nurse practitioner, and Brightyn Handrich, physical therapist, to discuss hypermobility spectrum disorder (HSD) and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and how these conditions can intersect with bleeding symptoms. EDS and HSD are connective tissue disorders that affect the body’s collagen, which provides structure and support for joints, blood vessels, skin, and other tissues. When collagen doesn’t function properly, patients may experience j...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, we’re again joined by Kathleen Gerus-Darbison, sociology professor and founder of the Stitches Doll Project, as John and Heather continue their conversation about the impact of storytelling, creative expression, and community. Kathleen shares how the Stitches Doll Project grew beyond its original focus on women living with HIV to include women and girls with bleeding disorders, survivors of violence, and other communities seeking a way to tell their stories. What beg...

In this episode of Beyond the Bleeds, John and Heather talk with Kathleen Gerus-Darbison, a sociology professor and founder of the Stitches Doll Project, about love, loss, advocacy, and the power of storytelling in the bleeding disorders community. Kathleen shares her personal journey alongside her late husband, Michael, who had hemophilia and contracted HIV during the blood crisis of the 1980s. She speaks openly about navigating stigma, grief, and raising her daughter while living with HIV. Th...

In Part 2 of this Beyond the Bleeds series, John and Heather continue their conversation with Matthew Barkdull, Clinical Supervisor at The Center for Change, exploring how hemophilia treatment, advocacy, and awareness have evolved over time. Matthew shares stories of early treatments, including whole blood transfusions and even experimental approaches like snake venom, highlighting how limited options once were for individuals with bleeding disorders. He reflects on his grandfather’s experience...

In this episode of Beyond the Bleeds, John and Heather talk with Matthew Barkdull, a Clinical Supervisor at The Center for Change, about the history of hemophilia. Matthew talks about how he learned more about hemophilia after being diagnosed with a severe form of the condition. He shares stories from journals written by his grandfather in the 1940s. These journals show what life with hemophilia was like before today’s treatments. The group talks about early records of hemophilia from long ago...

In this episode of Beyond the Bleeds, we talk with Donna Varney and her daughter, Maria Bularz, about navigating emotions after a bleeding disorder diagnosis. They share their experiences as a parent, sibling, and mother raising children with hemophilia. Donna talks about learning that her 2-month old son had severe hemophilia B in 1979. At that time, treatment options were limited. She had never heard of hemophilia before the diagnosis. She shares how scared and overwhelmed she felt in those e...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, we sit down with Sumedha Ghate, a genetic counselor at HOC, and Andrea Buxton, HOC’s nurse practitioner and clinical director, to break down some of the most common misconceptions about bleeding disorders. From the belief that someone with hemophilia could bleed to death from a paper cut to the idea that women cannot have bleeding disorders, Andrea and Sumedha walk through the myths they encounter most often, why these myths persist, and how accurate information empow...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, we’re again joined by Andrea Buxton and Kristy Schiffer for part two of this heartfelt exploration of family life with a child facing an inhibitor diagnosis. Together, we dive deep into the emotional and practical realities of daily infusions, coping with medical routines, and the unwavering strength required to navigate uncertainty—especially when medical needs so impact childhood and parenting. From the chaos of nightly infusions to developing nursing skills on the ...

Today on Beyond the Bleeds, we sit down with Andrea Buxton and Kristy Schiffer to explore the world of inhibitors in bleeding disorders. We unravel what inhibitors are, why they develop, who’s most at risk, and the profound impact these immune system complications have on treatment, families, and daily life. Our guests share not just the science but the real-world journey, filled with challenges, advocacy, and breakthroughs in care for children like Kristy’s son navigating severe hemophilia and ...