How can podcasting transform the way we deliver health information to patients and providers?
In this episode, Dr. Andrea Austin speaks with Dan Kendall, as he recounts his path from a sales career at Siemens to launching Digital Health Today in 2016, inspired by his family’s experience with multiple sclerosis and his daughter’s type 1 diabetes diagnosis. He discusses the power of podcasting to fill gaps in patient education, combat misinformation, and create human-centered content. From launching the Health Podcast Summit to developing Health Unmuted miniseries, Dan emphasizes serving niche audiences with authentic, trustworthy stories. The conversation explores challenges like funding, the allure of misinformation, and the need for ongoing dialogue to rebuild trust in healthcare.
You’ll hear how they:
- Address the gap in patient education by creating audio miniseries tailored to newly diagnosed patients
- Combat misinformation by prioritizing storytelling that’s evidence-based and human-centered
- Advocate for podcasting as a tool to empower patients and providers during commutes, workouts, or daily routines
- Inspire hope through a Health Content Integrity Pledge to ensure transparency and trust in health media
If you’re passionate about health communication or seeking ways to make patient education more accessible, this episode offers practical insights and a vision for change.
About the Guests
“Podcasting meets people where they are, filling the spaces between activities with transformative knowledge.” – Dan Kendall
Dan Kendall is the founder of Mission-Based Media, a digital media company dedicated to engaging, educating, and empowering audiences through trustworthy health information. With platforms like Health Podcast Network, Health Podcast Summit, and Health Unmuted, Dan leverages podcasting to deliver evidence-based content. Inspired by his family’s experience with chronic illness, including his daughter’s type 1 diabetes, he’s committed to making health information accessible and impactful. A Virginia Tech alum, Dan’s work is guided by the principle of service: Ut Prosim (“That I May Serve”).
📍 Connect with Dan
Website: https://missionbasedmedia.com
LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/dankendall
Health Podcast Summit: https://healthpodcastsummit.com
📚 Resources + Mentions
- 🔗 Earn It by Steve Pratt
- 🔗 Health Content Integrity Pledge (Health Podcast Summit)
- 🔗 Digital Health Today Podcast
- 🔗 Health Unmuted Miniseries
- 🔗 Rebel Healthcare by Susanna Fox
- 🔗 Coalition for Trust in Health and Science
- 🔗 World Economic Forum Zero Health Gaps Pledge
🔑 Top 3 Key Takeaways
- Serve your audience: Create podcasts that address specific listener needs, like patient education miniseries for newly diagnosed conditions, to empower and inform.
- Combat misinformation with storytelling: High-quality, evidence-based content can engage audiences by being relatable and authentic, countering the allure of sensationalist narratives.
- Keep talking and listening: Rebuild trust in healthcare by fostering open dialogue, challenging personal biases, and standing shoulder-to-shoulder to solve systemic problems.
🩺 About the Host
Dr. Andrea Austin is a board-certified emergency physician, educator, and passionate advocate for system-level change in healthcare. As the creator and host of Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare, Dr. Austin brings curiosity, compassion, and bold honesty to conversations with leaders who are challenging the norms and reshaping medicine from the inside out.
With decades of experience in high-pressure clinical environments, Andrea has seen firsthand the cracks in the system—and the people working to repair them. Whether she’s mentoring residents, speaking on national stages, or recording with a fellow disruptor, she centers one theme: change doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens heart to heart.
💫 About the Show
Heartline: Changemaking in Healthcare isn’t just a podcast—it’s a pulse check on what’s possible.
Hosted by emergency physician and educator Dr. Andrea Austin, Heartline features conversations with healthcare leaders, innovators, and quiet disruptors who are challenging the way things have always been done.
Each epis
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