Welcome to Season 3 of Heart to Heart Talk — where we speak from the heart, for the heart.

This episode dives into something every patient faces at some point: the words we hear in healthcare.
Language can build trust… or break it.

Mary shares the moment she was handed a long consent form she couldn’t understand — sick, scared, and overwhelmed. That moment changed how she sees communication in medicine.

She’s joined by Alissa Hanna, Director of Patient Engagement at Edwards Lifesciences, for an honest conversation about why plain, patient-friendly language matters so much in both care and research.

Together, they talk about:

• Why real consent requires real understanding
• How confusing medical terms push patients away
• What “plain language” actually means
• Tools that help patients feel confident before signing
• How good communication builds trust
• Why support matters long after the trial table

If you’ve ever felt confused, rushed, or unsure how to ask for clearer answers — this episode is for you.
You deserve to understand your care. You deserve language that meets you where you are.

🧠 About Our Guest

Alissa Hanna, MPH, is the Director of Patient Engagement at Edwards Lifesciences, where she works to make research and care more human, clear, and supportive for patients and caregivers. Her work focuses on:
✔ Plain-language communication
✔ Improving informed-consent experiences
✔ Co-creating materials with patients
✔ Strengthening trust through clear, simple information

🔗 Edwards Lifesciences

About HeartBridge Collective
HeartBridge Collective is a patient-led community changing the way heart valve patients and caregivers connect, learn, and feel supported. We bridge real stories, lived experience, and expert insight so patients never have to walk this road alone. Through peer support, honest conversations, and advocacy that pushes the system forward, we’re building a space where every voice matters — and every heart has a place to land.

Bridging hearts, minds, and innovation — one lived experience at a time.

HeartBridge Collective

#Heart2HeartTalk #ClinicalTrials #InclusiveResearch

#PatientCenteredResearch #HeartBridgeCollective

#LivedExperience #HealthLiteracy #HospiceSurvivor

#TricuspidValveMiracle #PatientExperience

S3 E5 — Patients: The Table We Never Had

Welcome to Season 3 of Heart to Heart Talk — where we speak from the heart, for the heart.

This episode digs into a truth patients have felt for decades:
Most of the decisions in healthcare and research happen without us — even though they’re about us.
For too long, patients haven’t had a real seat at the table.

Mary reflects on her own journey from two years in hospice to a life-saving valve trial, and the moments when she realized just how far patients stand from the rooms where decisions are made.

She’s joined by Christina Schumann,Christina’s lived experience in the Cordella CHF trial gives this conversation a depth you can’t get from textbooks.

As a heart failure patient using the Cordella Pulmonary Pressure System every day, she knows what it’s like to manage symptoms, track pressures, respond to alerts, and put real trust in a device designed to keep her safer at home.

Through the trial, Christina found a new sense of control over her heart failure — and a powerful purpose in helping future patients benefit from technology that makes care more proactive, more personal, and more human.

Together they explore:

• Why patients have been historically left out of decision-making
• How lived experience strengthens research and improves outcomes
• What it feels like to navigate trials without clear communication
• The emotional toll of not knowing, not being updated, or not being heard
• How true “patient partnership” shifts trust, equity, and access
• What needs to change so patients shape the process — not just comply with it

If you’ve ever felt dismissed, rushed, or like your voice didn’t carry enough weight in your own care… this episode will hit home.

Patients deserve a seat at the table — and it’s time to build one that fits us.

About Our Guest

Christina Schumann is a remarkable patient advocate for women’s heart health and a true inspiration to many. At 50 years old, she brings the unique perspective of not only being a dedicated mother, wife, and grandmother, but also a seasoned Medical Assistant and EMT.

As a heart failure patient and proud recipient of the Cordella Pulmonary Pressure System, she has firsthand experience navigating the challenges of advanced heart conditions.

Her involvement as a clinical trial participant reflects her commitment to advancing cardiac care and empowering others in their health journeys.

On the podcast, she shares her story to raise awareness and support women facing similar health challenges, embodying strength, compassion, and resilience in everything she does.

About HeartBridge Collective

HeartBridge Collective was created from Mary’s own journey — from hospice to healing through a life-saving valve trial — and the promise that no patient should ever feel alone or unheard.

HBC is a patient-led community that bridges real stories, lived experience, and expert insight so patients and caregivers have support that meets them right where they are.

Through peer support, honest conversations, and advocacy that pushes the system forward, we’re building a space where every voice matters — and every heart has a place to land.

Bridging hearts, minds, and innovation — one lived experience at a time.

HeartBridge Collective

#Heart2HeartTalk #ClinicalTrials #InclusiveResearch #PatientCenteredResearch #HealthEquity#HeartBridgeCollective #LivedExperience #PatientEngagement #HospiceSurvivor #TricuspidValveMiracle

Welcome back to Heart2Heart Talk, where we speak from the heart, for the heart.

This season, we’ve been pulling back the curtain on clinical trials — what works, what needs fixing, and what it feels like to walk this road as a patient or caregiver.

In this episode, we’re talking about what happens when research finally crosses into real life:

👉 How does innovation move from a lab… to an actual bedside?
👉 What helps patients feel safe saying “yes” to something new?
👉 And what does real shared decision-making look like when the stakes are high?

Mary is joined by Dr. Sameer Gafoor, an interventional cardiologist at Swedish Medical Center known for blending innovation with heart-centered care. He’s one of those rare physicians who listens deeply, explains clearly, and guides patients through every step — especially when research becomes part of their treatment options.

Together, they explore:

• What “bringing research to the bedside” really looks like
• Why trust and clear communication matter more than anything
• The emotional side of trial enrollment — for patients and providers
• Barriers teams face with paperwork, logistics, and timing
• How shared decision-making builds confidence and connection
• What needs to shift so trials become more open, diverse, and patient-friendly
• Why the future of research depends on listening to lived experience

If you’ve ever wondered what happens behind the scenes before a patient gets access to something new, this episode brings you right into the room.

🧠 About Our Guest – Dr. Sameer Gafoor

Dr. Gafoor is an interventional cardiologist and a national leader in structural-heart innovation at Swedish Medical Center. He’s known for:

✔ Bringing complex research into real patient care
✔ Leading teams that blend innovation with compassion
✔ Explaining options in clear, plain language
✔ Championing shared decision-making as the heart of good medicine

His work sits right where science, humanity, and trust meet — which is exactly why he’s the perfect voice for this conversation.

🔗 Swedish Heart and Vascular Institute

About HeartBridge Collective
HeartBridge Collective is a patient-led community changing the way heart valve patients and caregivers connect, learn, and feel supported. We bridge real stories, lived experience, and expert insight so patients never have to walk this road alone. Through peer support, honest conversations, and advocacy that pushes the system forward, we’re building a space where every voice matters — and every heart has a place to land.

https://www.maryburrell.com/heartbridgecollective

Bridging hearts, minds, and innovation — one lived experience at a time.

#Heart2HeartTalk #ClinicalTrials #InclusiveResearch

#PatientCenteredResearch #HeartBridgeCollective

#LivedExperience #HealthLiteracy #HospiceSurvivor

#TricuspidValveMiracle #PatientExperience