A Cold Spring native, Dave Knox, was no stranger to wearing many hats during his professional career, but nothing had prepared him for one he never expected: cancer patient.
In a new advertising campaign for St. Elizabeth Healthcare, the executive director of Blue North is one of four patients sharing their personal story about how a life-altering diagnosis opened their eyes to the state-of-the-art care that was available right in their backyard at St. Elizabeth.
Dave Knox has been a familiar face in Cincinnati’s business startup space for more than a decade. He has held a multitude of roles including Executive Director, investor, and co-founder. And, just days before his cancer diagnosis, was awarded Mentor of the Year by the Kentucky Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.
But, in November 2024, Knox’s world came to a halt when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
“I’m a husband and a father to 12-year-old twins, and the first thing [when I received my diagnosis] was just thoughts of my family,” said Dave Knox. “But then the second thought was, I need to call my friends at St. Elizabeth and figure out how to tackle this.”
A place Dave once knew only as a community partner in his professional life quickly became his lifeline. As an entrepreneur whose career revolved around innovation, he was about to experience firsthand what “innovative care” truly meant.
St. Elizabeth’s new campaign reinforces that patients can get expert care close to home, no out-of-state travel required. Brought to life across digital, print, social and broadcast vignettes, four local patient journeys, including Dave’s, illustrate how the health system has been delivering expert care for life’s most impossible moments for more than 150 years.
“As a lifelong Northern Kentuckian, it’s important for me that our community understands the level of care that our teams deliver every day, right here at home,” said Matt Hollenkamp, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at St. Elizabeth. “This campaign goes beyond advertising, it brings authenthic patient stories, like Dave’s, to life and shows how our teams are reimagining what’s possible. Watching this work come together has been incredibly meaningful, and I’m excited to share these stories across our platforms.”
As Dave’s journey continued after receiving the diagnosis, Knox was introduced to Dr. Matthew Kurian, an oncologist at St. Elizabeth’s Yung Family Cancer Center. Knox quickly realized that options for his treatment plan didn’t have to include hours of travel time and worked closely with Dr. Kurian to establish a gameplan.
“It’s very important to present all the potential options. We’re talking about newer types of technology that can augment our ability to detect recurrences, to be able to predict someone’s outcomes five, ten years from now,” said Dr. Matthew Kurian.
“Information is power in my mind, and the more information we have, the better. In Dave’s case, we gathered all the information we could upfront, made the best decision possible and really tailored it for him.”
After receiving advanced treatment — typically available only at major academic medical centers but standard at St. Elizabeth — Dave is now cancer-free.
Explore more patient stories like Dave’s in St. Elizabeth’s campaign, “Why St. Elizabeth.”
St. Elizabeth Healthcare