I help demystify health(care) so folks can be
savvy patients and caregivers.

Speaker and facilitator for communities and businesses.

Unlocking ways to

embrace your power in your healthcare.

I speak about how to master your health and your healthcare experience, attaining optimal wellness for yourself and your loved ones. I’m 2-0 against open-heart surgery and have over a decade of formal training in chronic disease, public health, gerontology, social work, and theology. Through these experiences I’ve learned to navigate our inefficient medical system with composure, precision, self-advocacy, and 4-dimensional critical thinking. I will show you that while the system has a lot of power, you have more.

Talks

Your Health(care)
Is Yours

In a medical system designed to maintain control over you, you have more power than you think. You don’t have to allow your healthcare and caregiving responsibilities to own you. In this talk I provide strategies for mastering self-care and ensuring that it also translates to benefiting your loved ones.

Your Health(care) Is
4-Dimensional

Health is not merely individualistic, medical, local, and now. It’s impossible to achieve optimal wellness without approaching it from multiple perspectives – even if your medical providers don’t. In this talk I provide strategies for applying 4-dimensional critical thinking to enhance both your health and your healthcare experience.

Your Health(care) Is
Spiritual Care

The idea that we live in physical bodies in a material world reigns supreme. This perspective has truth but is incomplete – health extends well beyond the physical to include the social, the cognitive, and – ultimately– the spiritual. In this talk I provide strategies for using a convergent, integrative approach to optimize your spiritual health and healthcare.

Personal Experience Meets

Professional Expertise

Dr. Jacob Kendall helps demystify healthcare so folks can be savvy patients and caregivers. He is the survivor of two open-heart surgeries in early adulthood and has formal training in gerontology, public health, social work, biology, and theology. Jacob believes the key to mastering healthcare is a convergent, big picture approach, integrating multiple perspectives and embracing that healthcare is more than individualistic. Having lifelong experience navigating his own medical care, in addition to helping loved ones do the same, he has transformed fierce self-advocacy into an art form for improved healthcare experiences for all. In an eternal pursuit to be a Renaissance person, Jacob has accumulated 25 passport stamps (so far), and enjoys birdwatching and playing the piano. His reading ranges from quantum mechanics to Stephen King. He currently lives with his wife and son on Mobile Bay.

“Jacob did an outstanding job equipping a diverse audience to engage in productive dialogue on health and healthcare. His speaking style connected with the audience right away and created a safe space for participants to ask questions and discuss what they were learning. The group left feeling more confident about their ability to engage in conversation, even around tough topics! We are grateful to Jacob for this experience!”

Dixie Ford, MDIv

Pastor, Crosscreek Baptist Church

"Jacob’s talk on an overview of health was a fantastic example of interdisciplinarity. His engaging style had the audience hooked from the start, and the interactive nature of the presentation ensured that each listener was an active participant. Jacob brings a uniquely global understanding to this discussion thanks to his personal experiences and educational background, and he makes the material both relatable and understandable. I highly recommend him!”

Kevin Johnson, MA, PhD

Associate Professor, Taylor University

“I had the pleasure of interviewing Jacob for my podcast, The Macro Social Work Mentor, and he impressed me with his interdisciplinary knowledge and approach to discussing the intersections of healthcare, social work, religion, and faith. His honesty and clarity makes him worth listening to.”

Victor Manalo, MSW, PhD

Podcast Producer and Host

The Macro Social Work Mentor podcast

“Jacob did an engaging job sharing his experiences and knowledge about various topics, like the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to healthcare and other complex issues., like the importance of interdisciplinary approaches to complex problems. He also did a great job posing questions on ethics and dismantling outdated systems. We were lucky to have him.”

Jonathan Meagher-Zayas, MSW, MPA, CFRE, CDP
Adjunct Professor University at Albany, SUNY

Queer Latinx Millennial Nonprofit Leadership Strategist

“Jacob's ability to reflect on his career choices, even in the face of personal health challenges, showcases his introspection skills and his commitment to personal growth. His personal and professional journey demonstrate clearly that neither our own health(care) nor our professional life happens in a vacuum. I wholeheartedly recommend Jacob Kendall as a source of inspiration for those seeking to make meaningful changes at their intersection of their health and work.”

David Mendes, PhD

Podcast Producer and Host

Papa PhD Podcast

Science Communicator