When you’re managing care for a loved one, the hardest part often isn’t the hands-on care itself —it’s the relentless administrative logistics. Between navigating hospital discharge plans, tracking down medical records, coordinating specialists across different health systems, and managing care at home, family caregivers are forced to act as full-time project managers for a system that doesn’t talk to itself. This week, I chat with Dan Dzina, founder of Averyn Care. After spending a decade running Medicare care management programs for physician groups — and concurrently managing his own mother’s care from across the country — Dan saw firsthand the massive gap between clinical appointments and daily life at home.

In this episode, we unpack:

• Why healthcare systems leave the heavy lifting of care coordination on families’ shoulders.
• The administrative burnout caregivers face when managing records, doctors, and logistics across different settings.
• How to transition from being an overwhelmed "logistics manager" back to being a son, daughter, or partner.
• Practical ways to streamline record-keeping and team communication so your loved one gets seamless care.

About Dan Dzina: Dan Dzina is the founder of Averyn Care. After a decade running Medicare care management programs and caring for his mother from afar, he founded Averyn in 2025 to provide families with a dedicated partner to organize records, coordinate providers, and keep family members informed. His work focuses on helping families spend less time managing logistics and more time being present with the people they love.

Learn more about Averyn Care here.

What an informative and relatable conversation I had this morning with Morgan Hudson today on Coming Clean About Caregiving! As an only child, stepping into the role of primary caregiver really does bring with it a unique set of emotional, logistical, and professional challenges and Morgan has been through it all.

After spending a decade climbing the corporate ladder—ultimately serving as VP of Global Brand and Travel Marketing at Visa—Morgan’s life started to shift dramatically when his father faced the increasing effects of Parkinson’s. It wasn't just his dad, either: His father's illness exacerbated an existing strain of depression in his mother's family that worsened as her caregiving duties increased. With both of them struggling, only child Morgan made the courageous decision to leave the corporate world behind to care for them full-time.

In our conversation, Morgan shares his journey and the powerful lessons from his book, The Only Problem: How to Care for Aging Parents as an Only Child. We discuss:

• The solo caregiving journey: Navigating the heavy emotional and physical weight of caregiving for his beloved parents without siblings to share the load.
• The professional pivot: Walking away from a high-powered corporate career to manage family health crises.
• Practical strategies: Actionable advice for solo caregivers balancing parental health, career transitions, and personal well-being.

Tune in for an honest, deeply relatable conversation about resilience, family dynamics, and finding your footing when everything changes. Purchase Morgan's book, The Only Problem: How to Care for Aging Parents as an Only Child, for a look into his journey and his advice for thriving along the way.

Catch Morgan's weekly newsletter on Substack here.

Millions of our loved ones make a lifesaving stop in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) every year, but very few of us are prepared for the toll it takes long after discharge. Moreover, a stay in the ICU doesn't just leave a mental and physical mark on the patient - caregivers can sustain an through an equal, and potentially even greater, dose of PTSD.

In this episode, we spend some time with Dr. Jim Jackson, Director of Behavioral Health at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s ICU Recovery Center and a renowned expert on Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS). Dr. Jackson puts a spotlight on the often-overlooked physical and mental trauma experienced by ICU survivors and their families.

Tune in to learn:

• What Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) is and how it impacts recovery
• The hidden psychological and physical side effects of critical care
• Practical insights and advice from Dr. Jackson’s new book, Reclaiming Your Life From Medical Trauma

Whether you're a survivor, a caregiver, or a healthcare professional, this conversation offers vital tools for healing and moving forward.

To learn more about the Vanderbilt University ICU Recovery Center, visit https://icudelirium.org.

Click here to purchase a copy of Jim Jackson's book, Reclaiming Your Life from Medical Trauma