223: Surviving Open Heart Surgeries: A Mission To Empower Patients with Dr. Jacob Kendall, PhD, MSW, MPH

Interview with Dr. Jacob Kendall, PhD, MSW, MPH

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Highlights from this episode:

How having 2 open heart surgeries and complex health needs shaped his perspectives on health and health care
The importance of empowering patients in their health care to have better outcomes
Why planning for aging and mortality is often neglected in society.
How he brings his 4-dimension thinking to understand and address health care

Episode 223 of Public Health Careers

Dr. Jacob Kendall is Founder, Speaker, and Consultant at The Smart Patient. He is also Founder, Coach, and Speaker at The Versatile Social Worker.

Jacob helps demystify health and health care to empower patients in their health care decisions. He helps patients and providers build optimal partnerships for optimal care and works to demystify health care for patients, providers, and caretakers.

He conferred a Bachelor of Arts in Biology at Huntingdon College where he worked as a Youth Ministry Assistant at First United Methodist Church, Summer Staffer at YouthWorks, and Director of Youth Ministry. After graduating, he served as a Summer Camp Staffer at Passport Camp, Chapel Music Coordinator at Huntingdon College PT, High School Teacher at Lighthouse Christian Academy, and Patient Care Technician at UAB Medicine.

He earned a double Masters of Social Work in International Social Work & Master of Public Health in International Health and Development at Tulane University.

He then received a PhD in Interdisciplinary Aging Studies at Tulane University School of Medicine. After his PhD, he worked as a Visiting Assistant Professor of Social Work at Taylor University, Assistant Professor of Global Health Studies at Mercer University, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Groundwork Resources, and Co-Founder and Administrator at Endpoints, LLC.

He is currently getting a Master of Divinity in Theology at Mercer University, McAfee School of Theology.