Jessie Gruman

Jessie Gruman (December 7, 1953 – July 14, 2014) was a social psychologist active in the movement to incorporate evidence into health care and to help consumers adopt healthier behaviors. Gruman was the founder and president of the Washington, DC-based Center for Advancing Health from 1992 to 2014. She was the author of the book ''AfterShock: What to Do When the Doctor Gives You — or Someone You Love — a Devastating Diagnosis'' (Walker, 2007, second edition 2010). She lived in New York City.

At 20 she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. As was customary at the time, she was treated with heavy doses of radiation, which is now known to often lead to a succession of cancers later in life. At 30 she developed cervical cancer, and at 50 she developed colon cancer. At 57 she was diagnosed with stomach cancer, which she [https://web.archive.org/web/20140727012143/http://blog.preparedpatientforum.org/blog/2010/09/another-devastating-diagnosis-to-face/ announced] on the Center for Advancing Health's blog. At 59 she was diagnosed with metastatic lung cancer.

As president of the Center for Advancing Health Gruman drew on her own experience of treatment for five cancer diagnoses, interviews with patients and caregivers, surveys and peer-reviewed research to describe and advocate for policies and practices to overcome the challenges people face in finding good care and getting the most from it. Provided by Wikipedia