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Maia Laing

Maia Laing

Healthcare policy strategist, patient advocate, and Founder/Principal of Zakara Inc., advising on policy strategy and patient-centered initiatives for sickle cell disease and underserved communities.

Aug 11, 2026

Octavia's Cure

Octavia's Cure

Maia Laing and Flo Rosser: Advocating for Yourself as a Patient

Aug 11 · 32m

Stella Safo
Stella SafoHOST
7:58
But Maia, please start.
Maia Laing
Maia LaingGUEST
8:00
Yeah, I just experienced this yesterday in bringing my daughter to urgent care.
Maia Laing
Maia LaingGUEST
8:07
So I'd say a lot of the work starts in educating oneself around what resources are available to you and how to navigate the system.
Maia Laing
Maia LaingGUEST
8:17
And that is a very simple statement given the complexity of the system and how challenging it is.
Maia Laing
Maia LaingGUEST
8:24
I always remind people that when patients need care, they simply are showing up and looking for a clinician to support them.
Maia Laing
Maia LaingGUEST
8:31
And that is the simplistic way that they're showing up.
Maia Laing
Maia LaingGUEST
8:34
However, the system is so much more complicated than that.

14 MINS LATER

Stella Safo
Stella SafoHOST
22:46
What makes it hard for patients to stand up for themselves to get the kind of health care that they need, especially as black and brown folks?

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