Cancer Survivor Writes Book, Launches Nonprofit to Fix Healthcare

When Chris Goldsmith received his stage four cancer diagnosis nearly three years ago, doctors found tumors covering his intestine and liver. The healthcare executive had spent 15 years running hospitals and health systems, but this rare diagnosis flipped him from leader to patient overnight.

Goldsmith was diagnosed with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), a cancer affecting fewer than 4,000 Americans each year. He faced death three times during treatment, including one surgery where doctors removed more than 80 tumors from his body.

But those dark moments sparked something unexpected. Goldsmith started talking to other cancer patients and realized the healthcare system he'd helped build was failing them in ways he never saw from the executive suite.

After recovery, he made a choice. Instead of returning to business as usual, he wrote a book called GUTS that combines his survival story with a practical guide for navigating cancer treatment, understanding alternative therapies, and managing the crushing administrative burden most patients face alone.

"I wanted to share everything I know and learned during my own journey to hopefully help my fellow humans who are in a similar position," Goldsmith said. His goal wasn't just inspiration but real tools he wished he'd had as a patient.

The Ripple Effect

Goldsmith didn't stop at the book. He recently founded FixTheSystemOrDieTrying.org, a nonprofit with an ambitious plan to collect patient stories and use artificial intelligence to identify exactly what's broken in healthcare and how to fix it.

The organization gathers voice-of-the-customer data from people navigating illness. Once enough stories come in, Goldsmith plans to analyze them and share actionable solutions publicly, giving healthcare leaders a roadmap built from actual patient experiences.

His unique position as both industry insider and cancer survivor gives him credibility on both sides of the hospital bed. He knows how healthcare systems think and how patients suffer, and he's determined to bridge that gap.

Goldsmith now sees himself as a thought leader pushing for real industry change. For someone who faced death three times, using his second chance to fight for others seems like the perfect next chapter.