First Video-Centric Health Care Site by Patients for Patients Launched by Pasadena Entrepreneur

Entrepreneur and former television executive John Symes, who recently launched PatientTalk.com, announced today that the company will donate 50 cents for every video watched during the month of October to celebrate the strong women and men who have survived and are fighting hard to win their battle against breast cancer.

PatientTalk.com is the first-ever video centric health care site featuring real patients and prominent medical experts discussing their personal and professional experiences with breast cancer and has produced additional series on obesity, back pain and joint replacements.

“PatientTalk.com has very pertinent and important information for breast cancer patients and their families, and we are honoring Breast Cancer Awareness Month by contributing 50 cents for every video watched on the site to Pasadena’s Cancer Support Community,” Symes said. “The work that the organization does throughout Southern California and the programs and services they provide regardless of a patient’s ability to pay has been instrumental in the lives of thousands of cancer patients and their families.”

All of the breast cancer doctors and medical professionals who appear on patienttalk.com are from Southern California and include Dr. Jeannie Shen, Dr. Leif Rogers and Dr. Ruth Williamson, Dr. Evangelia Kirimis and Dr. Lakshimi Tegulapalle. Other local doctors and medical professionals include Dr. Lawrence Dorr, Dr. Todd Dietrick and physical therapist Karen Truitt Bogaard (joint replacements) and Dr. Robert Watkins III and Dr. Robert Watkins IV (back pain).

According to Symes, the goal of PatientTalk.com is to provide people diagnosed with potentially life-threatening and chronic conditions with information about the practical, physical and emotional issues they may face as a result of their diagnosis. PatientTalk.com also provides important information from medical experts in their area of specialty, and allows doctors to explain things in a way they wish they could if they had more time with their patients.

The online service currently offers 25 hours of original video content on topics including breast cancer, obesity, back pain and joint replacements. Work is underway to develop several more series that will focus on subjects including migraines, Type 1 diabetes, prostate cancer, acne, fibromyalgia and multiple sclerosis.

Symes expects to produce more than 60 diagnosis series in the next five years, with all content created in-house and distributed exclusively on Patienttalk.com.

The inspiration for PatientTalk.com came from Symes’ experience with his wife of 30 years, Meg, after she was diagnosed with breast cancer and who now is Director of Special Events at Cancer Support Community.

“During this period of anxiety and heightened emotion we sought help through traditional health websites but found they all had essentially the same clinical information,” said Symes. “I saw my wife reach out to her friends and family for advice about their own experiences with breast cancer and how much that helped her through her journey.”

Through that experience Symes began to develop the concept for patienttalk.com as a new way to provide practical information for patients. Symes is former president of MGM Worldwide Television and Executive Vice President of Paramount Network Television where he oversaw the production of over 1,500 hours of television programming.

Pasadena’s Cancer Support Community provides free services to cancer patients and their family members, including professionally led support groups, educational workshops and mind-body programs.

The Patienttalk.com advisory board and early investors include entertainment industry veterans, venture capitalists and medical professionals. Board members include John Reagan entertainment industry attorney, and James V. Mitchell founding partner of Meier Mitchell & Co.

PatientTalk.com is a patient-centered, network-quality video website for people diagnosed with potentially life-threatening and chronic diagnoses. The health care site features real patients and medical experts talking about the practical, physical and emotional issues faced during and after treatment.

PatientTalk.com was created by John P. Symes, former president of MGM Worldwide Television, and Executive Vice President of Paramount Network Television where he oversaw the production and distribution of more than 5,000 hours of television programming. Symes worked on many shows during his career, including “Cheers,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” “MacGyver,” “Family Ties,” Stargate SGI” “Entertainment Tonight” and “Frasier.”

For more information about Patient Talk, please visit PatientTalk.com