What can healthcare providers learn when they stop talking and start listening to the patient?

In Episode 3 of Healing By Design, hosts Jennifer Bierhup and Therese Laub sit down with Joe Balusik to discuss his journey following a spinal cord injury that changed his life overnight. After decades of living with paralysis and navigating chronic wounds, Joe shares the lessons he's learned from both the patient chair and the healing journey that followed.

Joe reflects on rebuilding his life, overcoming pressure injuries, and the partnership he developed with his wound care team. Through humor, resilience, and honesty, he offers a perspective that every clinician, caregiver, and healthcare leader should hear.

Together, they explore the importance of patient engagement, communication, trust, and why successful wound healing depends on treating the whole person, not just the wound.

This conversation is a powerful reminder that the patient perspective is one of the most valuable tools in healthcare, and that healing happens best when patients and providers work as one team.

In this episode:

• Joe's spinal cord injury and life changing diagnosis
• Living with paralysis and chronic wounds
• The patient perspective on wound healing
• Building trust between patients and providers
• The role of communication and education in healing
• Resilience, humor, and maintaining hope
• Why healing is a partnership

Healing By Design is a podcast powered by PAWSIC that explores the people, processes, and perspectives shaping better outcomes across the continuum of care.