Where informed patients make confident treatment decisions.
Save Your Thyroid with Jennifer Holkem
Save Your Thyroid with Jennifer Holkem
Thyroid nodules impact 70 percent of adults in their lifetime. The standard of care is surgical removal of half or all of the gland. But in recent years, nonsurgical treatment options have become available. Hi, my name is Jennifer Holkem and I advocate for fellow patients suffering with this very common condition. I sit down with patients and physicians and discuss life with thyroid nodules, the journey from diagnosis to treatment, and how to save your thyroid through nonsurgical advances in medicine.
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Save Your Thyroid with Jennifer Holkem

SAVE YOUR THYROID WITH JEN

I’m Jennifer Holkem, a patient advocate with a passion to help patients understand their thyroid nodule diagnosis and explore treatment options—including nonsurgical ways to save your thyroid.

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Save Your Thyroid with Jennifer Holkem

A PASSIONATE ADVOCATE

Jennifer Holkem is a passionate educator and advocate committed to helping patients save their thyroid whenever possible. In 2019, a nonsurgical thryoid procedure (RFA) gave her relief from her debilitating symptoms caused by a very large, benign thyroid nodule. The road to treatment was not easy and she knew there were many other patients who needed to know about this life-changing procedure.

 

HEAR JEN'S FULL STORY

 

BRIDGING THE GAP

Recognizing the severe lack of patient-oriented resources on these alternatives, Jennifer began creating educational content online. Her work bridges the gap between patients and physicians, featuring global expert interviews, real patient stories, and in-depth explanations of emerging treatments.

After undergoing radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in 2019 for a large benign thyroid nodule, she founded Save Your Thyroid (SYT)—a thriving community dedicated to supporting patients seeking FDA-cleared, nonsurgical, thyroid-preserving treatment options. She also developed the SYT website, including a curated list of known providers of these procedures. 

Jennifer devotes herself full-time to developing thyroid-preserving education and supporting the SYT community and the public at large.

 

VISIT THE SAVE YOUR THYROID WEBSITE

 

NAVIGATING NODULES

Now, through her lived experience and deep network in the field, Jennifer offers personalized patient navigation services—guiding others through their diagnostic and treatment journey with empathy, insight, and trustworthy information.

 

SCHEDULE YOUR CONSULTATION NOW

 

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN HERE:

 

  1. What thyroid nodules are – and why they’re so common, yet often misunderstood.

  2. Non-surgical treatment options – like RFA and others that aren’t always mentioned at the first doctor’s visit.

  3. How to prepare for doctor appointments – including which questions to ask and what to look out for.

  4. How to find the right physician – based on geography, specialty, and approach to treatment.

  5. How to make confident, informed decisions – even when your options feel unclear or overwhelming.

  6. Real stories from real patients – and what they learned on their journey.

  7. Insights from doctors – shared through interviews, consults, and podcast episodes.

  8. Ways to protect your thyroid – and preserve quality of life through smarter care choices.

  9. What to expect during and after nonsurgical procedures – with a focus on recovery, risks, and results.

  10. That you’re not alone – and there’s a patient-first community here to support you.

Recent Episodes

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Your Thyroid Cancer Is Not Urgent — An Endocrine Surgeon Explains | Dr. Melanie Goldfarb
125
Aug. 18, 2026

Your Thyroid Cancer Is Not Urgent — An Endocrine Surgeon Explains | Dr. Melanie Goldfarb

What if the surgeon sitting across from you told you that your thyroid cancer is not urgent — and that you have time to think, research, and explore all your options before committing to anything? That's exactly what Dr. Melanie Goldfarb tells her patients. And she's an endocrine surgeon. Dr. Goldfarb is a fellowship-trained endocrine surgeon, Professor of Surgery, and Director of the Center for Endocrine Tumors and Disorders at St. John's Cancer Institute in Santa Monica, California. As o
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The PA Who's Bringing Thyroid Ablation to Your Community | Andy Manos & North Star Vascular
124
Aug. 4, 2026

The PA Who's Bringing Thyroid Ablation to Your Community | Andy Manos & North Star Vascular

Most patients diagnosed with a thyroid nodule are offered two options: watch it or remove it. Andy Manos, PA-C is on a mission to make sure a third option reaches every community in the country. As a physician assistant and VP of Internal Growth at North Star Vascular Interventional in Minneapolis, Andy performs thyroid radiofrequency ablation in a community-based interventional radiology clinic — no hospital required, no general anesthesia, same day in and same day out. In this episode he jo
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Indeterminate Thyroid Nodule? Up to 70% of Surgeries Weren't Necessary | Dr. Joshua Klopper
123
July 21, 2026

Indeterminate Thyroid Nodule? Up to 70% of Surgeries Weren't Necessary | Dr. Joshua Klopper

If your thyroid biopsy came back indeterminate — Bethesda 3 or 4 — you may have been told surgery is your only option. For decades, over 70% of those surgeries revealed tissue that was actually benign. There is a better way. It's called molecular testing. And today's guest helped prove it works. Dr. Joshua Klopper is the Medical Director for Endocrinology at Veracyte and was an investigator on the original clinical study that validated the Afirma Genomic Sequencing Classifier. He served on the
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Is Your RFA Doctor Certified? A New Standard for Thyroid Ablation | Dr. Ahmad & Dr. Aljammal
122
July 7, 2026

Is Your RFA Doctor Certified? A New Standard for Thyroid Ablation | Dr. Ahmad & Dr. Aljammal

For seven years, thyroid RFA in the United States has operated without formal standards. Any licensed physician could offer the procedure regardless of their training, case volume, or documented outcomes. That's changing. Dr. Jules Aljammal was the first endocrinologist in the US to perform thyroid RFA for benign thyroid nodules. Dr. Shahzad Ahmad has since performed the highest number of RFA procedures of any endocrinologist in the country. Together they are the founder and president-elect of
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Reviews

Consultation With Jen- Best Decision I’ve Ever Made

"I had an ultrasound done that reported I had a .9 cm TIRAD5 nodule with extra thyroidal extension (ETE) protruding inferiorly. I have terrible insurance. I saw some uninformed and seemingly uncaring…"

Amy O'Neill | Aug. 4, 2025

Simply Informative!

"Jen's YouTube page, Podcast, and FB community has been very information and has helped me to navigate the complexities of thyroid nodules. I took a deep dive into her interviews with doctors/experts …"

Lakeitha King | Sept. 8, 2025
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