Ep 69:A Physician's Journey as a Cancer Caregiver - The Patient From Hell Podcast
Navigating cancer care is challenging for anyone, but what happens when a physician faces the same obstacles within the healthcare system? In this episode, Dr. Jean-Luc “JL” Neptune shares his powerful caregiver story—balancing the simultaneous cancer diagnoses of both his mother and father, alongside his sister. He reflects on how this deeply personal experience shaped his career, perspective on healthcare inefficiencies, and advice for patients and caregivers seeking the best possible care.
About Our Guest
Dr. Jean-Luc “JL” Neptune, MD, MBA is a physician executive, digital health leader, investor, and advisor with over 20 years of experience in health innovation. Most recently, he served as CEO and co-founder of Suntra Modern Recovery, a company specializing in addiction intervention and treatment services.
Before founding Suntra, Dr. Neptune launched Athletik Health Inc., which provided high-quality sports medicine care. He also served as Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS)—the top-rated orthopedic hospital in the U.S.—helping drive medical innovation. Additionally, as General Manager at Blueprint Health, he invested in and supported numerous digital health startups such as RubiconMD, NexHealth, Moving Analytics, and CleanSlate UV.
Dr. Neptune holds a BA from Columbia University, an MD from Columbia’s College of Physicians and Surgeons, and an MBA from The Wharton School. He completed his internal medicine residency at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and is a licensed physician in New York.
Key Moments
2 minutes:
“If you're an off-pattern patient—meaning you don’t fit into a typical diagnosis—it can be incredibly difficult to get the right care. Many diseases, like early HIV or fibromyalgia, weren’t well understood at first. Patients in those situations have to be their own strongest advocates.”
12 minutes:
“There’s an ongoing debate about whether patients should research their conditions online. My take? Unless you can filter out the noise and make sense of the information in a way that applies specifically to you, it might just lead to more stress and confusion.”
34 minutes:
“Use a variety of resources—doctors, nurses, patient communities, and people who’ve been through your diagnosis. Expertise isn’t just limited to professionals. Be active, advocate for yourself, and ask questions.”
YouTube Chapters:
0:00-9:39 Dr. Neptune’s caregiver story
9:40-16:52 The dilemma of accessible, relevant information
16:53-24:33 The obsolete business of healthcare today
24:34-26:14 Life after caregiving and its impacts on one’s trajectory
26:15-36:27 Rapid fire: fee for service, prognosis, and more
36:28-42:54 The goal of Manta Cares (and communities like us)
42:55-43:48 Outro and disclaimer
YouTube Tags: Manta Cares, caregiver, cancer, hospice, primary care, caregiving, glioblastoma, fee-for-service, value-based care, advice for clinicians, advice for cancer patients, advice for caregivers, cancer sucks, american healthcare
Disclaimer: This podcast blog is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast blog or materials linked from this podcast blog is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast blog is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have, and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.
