The Health Design Podcast

• Parker LaCombe and Sydney Harris, patient advocates,MindCareConnect

  Parker LaCombe is a passionate advocate, strategist, and internationally recognized subject matter expert in mental health, peer support, and systems transformation. As the co-founder of MindCareConnect and firm believer that recovery is possible for all who navigate mental health and substance use challenges, Parker uses her lived experience to bridge the gap between clinical and peer perspectives—co-creating more inclusive, trauma-informed, and human-centered systems of care. Her contributions have been recognized nationally and internationally, earning her the 2024 STAR Peer Support Worker of the Year Award from SAMHSA and recognition as a Rising Star in the 2018 National Lifesavers newsletter by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Parker continues to champion stigma reduction, workforce equity, and peer leadership in mental health and suicide prevention efforts across the globe. Sydney Harris is an international mental health strategist with over 15 years of experience across public and private sectors, dedicated to transforming care into models that are person-centered, accessible, and holistic. She has led major initiatives including the Austin State Hospital Redesign and cross-sector collaborations addressing the intersections of mental health crises, homelessness, and the justice system. Sydney is the co-editor of Redesigning the U.S. Mental Health Care System (Oxford University Press), contributing two chapters to the volume, and the recipient of the prestigious George Pressler Under 40 Award recognizing leadership and vision in healthcare planning, design, construction, and operations. She is the co-founder of MindCareConnect, which elevates lived experience to shape mental health policy and innovation, and is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Public Health at Johns Hopkins University. MindCareConnect Website: https://www.mindcareconnect.org/

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• Terry Tucker, author, speaker and patient advocate

  Terry Tucker is a speaker, author, and podcast guest on the topics of mindset, motivation, and self-development. He is the Founder of Motivational Check LLC. Terry has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from The Citadel and a Master’s degree from Boston University. Among his many diverse roles, he has been a college basketball player, a marketing executive, a hospital administrator, a SWAT Hostage Negotiator, a business owner, and for the past 13 years, a cancer warrior. He is the author of the book Sustainable Excellence, Ten Principles To Leading Your Uncommon and Extraordinary Life, and a featured author in the book Perspectives On Cancer, Stories of Healing, Hope, And Resilience. Terry has also been published in Authority, Thrive Global, and Human Capital Leadership magazines, along with being quoted and highlighted in the books Your Blueprint for Purpose by John Creekmur and Audaciousness, Your Journey To Living A Bold And Authentic Life by Maribel Ortega and Helen Strong.

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• Stephen Garner, patient advocate

  Stephen Garner is a patient researching their own disease, exploring the frontiers of human knowledge, and developing new frameworks as an ethical theorist. After reducing the severity and frequency of his own autoimmune symptoms through targeted nutrition, biochemical modeling, and self-experimentation, Stephen now shares his experience, and findings, to help others better understand and manage chronic illness. With a background in emergency services, information technology, and scientific theory-building, he brings a systems-oriented lens to the intersection of health, ethics, and personal agency. His current work focuses on giving the body the tools it needs to maintain systems coherence; combining insights from microbiome science, immune regulation, and cognitive framing.

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• Alastair Santhouse, Psychiatrist and Author.

  DR ALASTAIR SANTHOUSE is a consultant neuropsychiatrist working at the Maudsley Hospital in London. He began his medical career working in internal medicine before retraining to become a psychiatrist. He is a fellow of both the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Psychiatrists, and formerly served as president of the Psychiatry Section of The Royal Society of Medicine, as well as vice chair of the liaison psychiatry faculty at The Royal College of Psychiatrists. He is the author of 2 books, most recently No More Normal: Mental Health in an Age Over-Diagnosis. His first book was Head First: A Psychiatrist’s Stories of Mind and Body

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• Dr. Gary Sprouse Author and Primary Care Physician

  Dr. Gary Sprouse is a retired primary care physician who practiced in Maryland for 38 years. He graduated from George Washington University Medical School in the top 10% of his class and is a member of Mensa. He is committed to helping people improve their mental health. He has taken everything he has learned about stress reduction and crafted his award-winning book, Highway to Your Happy Place: A Roadmap to Less Stress. Reading just one chapter can change your life! Best-selling author and motivational speaker Jack Canfield reviewed the book and said: “In the span of getting to know Dr. Gary Sprouse and reading his book, I have been introduced to many new concepts and ideas. His ideas and models for stress reduction are life-changing. You will absolutely love this. A must-read.” Dr. Sprouse is extremely passionate about bringing happiness into people’s lives through humor, compassion, and understanding. He has a unique perspective on stress that no one else is talking about. He has uncovered a groundbreaking new way to define where the majority of human stress originates. This new insight and the tools he developed to deal with stress are changing lives. Dr. Sprouse also collaborated on a book with Jack Canfield. The new book, Mindset Matters, is a best-seller on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Website: https://www.thelessstressdoc.com/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/lessstressdoc Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lessstressdoc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-less-stress-doc Happiness Highway Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@HappinessHighway-vk3xu

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