The Heart of Healthcare | A Digital Health Podcast

We’re back with our monthly rundown of the top headlines in health tech!Today, Halle flies solo to share the biggest stories that shaped Q1, from the rising pressures on PBMs to how consumers are using AI.Stories covered:What's happening to PBMs (it's not pretty)New data from Rock Health on consumer use of AISocial media companies find liable for addictive designHealthcare hiring is slowing as efficiency becomes the focusHave we finally bent the healthcare cost curve in the United States?—The Heart of Healthcare podcast was nominated for a Webby award! We'd so appreciate if you could create a quick account and vote for us here. —📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Last year, his independent pharmacy spent $13 million on brand-name drugs for patients processed by the three biggest Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) which earned a profit margin of 0.01%.In this episode, Halle speaks with Alec Ginsberg, owner and fourth-generation pharmacist at C.O. Bigelow, the oldest surviving apothecary–pharmacy in the United States. Alec is fighting against the forces squeezing independent pharmacies and charting a course for the future of the pharmacist.We cover:How the roll-up of PBMs, health plans, and retail pharmacies changed everythingWhat led him to remove his pharmacy’s Rx-filling robotThe dramatic decline of independent pharmacies along with the closures of big box pharmacy storesThe one health policy he would put in place today to save independent pharmaciesThe history of the pharmacist's role and what’s nextWhat he really thinks about compounding pharmacies and the Hims vs. Novo lawsuit—About our guest: Alec Wade Ginsberg is the fourth-generation pharmacist, owner, and Chief Operating Officer of C.O. Bigelow Apothecary, America’s oldest pharmacy, founded in 1838 and still operating in New York City’s West Village. With a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy, Alec bridges the clinical world of pharmacy with the realities of modern consumer culture.At Bigelow, he oversees the brick-and-mortar beauty retail and pharmacy operations, navigating everything from prescription drug shortages to the pressures of today’s PBM-dominated marketplace. Beyond the counter, Alec is the founder and writer of Drugstore Cowboy, a weekly newsletter that dissects the intersection of drugs, business, and consumer culture — making the hidden mechanics of the U.S. healthcare system both understandable and entertaining for thousands of readers.His work has been featured across national media, and he’s become a trusted voice for translating complex pharmaceutical issues — from GLP-1s to compounding to drug pricing — into plain English. Alec’s mission is simple: to make Americans smarter about the pills in their cabinets and the system that puts them there.—Show notes:Drugstore Cowboy - Alec’s free and super interesting newsletterC.O. Bigelow - The Nation’s Oldest ApothecaryVirtual GLP-1 startups: Pill mills or the future of obesity care?—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Chris Klomp, Director of Medicare and Deputy Administrator of CMS, and Senior Advisor to HHS Secretary RFK Jr., has big ambitions to reshape how healthcare works in the United States.This week, ​​Steve sits down with Klomp to discuss how his experience as a digital health entrepreneur is guiding his current role overseeing a roughly $2 trillion department. Klomp shares the government's strategy for restoring trust between providers and payers, driving down costs, and addressing a system where approximately 90% of healthcare dollars are still spent in a fee-for-service arrangement. We cover:Why 90% of US healthcare remains fee-for-service after two decades of reform.The intentional design of the new Access model to be deflationary and fuel entrepreneurship among insurgents.The commitment from the payer industry to make prior authorization invisible to patients and providers by 2027.CMS's aggressive stance on data interoperability and funding enforcement against data blocking.How the Most Favored Nation policy is re-wiring global prescription drug supply to lower prices without compromising innovation.—About our guest: Chris Klomp is the Director of Medicare and Deputy Administrator of CMS, and Senior Advisor to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. With extensive experience in healthcare payment reform and data sharing, he built and led Collective Medical, the largest U.S. real-time care collaboration data network, acquired by PointClickCare in 2020. There, he partnered with health systems, plans, providers, post-acutes, and state governments to advance value-based care through enhanced data access and insights.Chris has driven healthcare reform at state and federal levels, focusing on value-based care and interoperable health technology. Through Endurance Companies, a San Francisco-based multi-family office he co-founded with Stanford classmates, he has co-founded, invested in, advised, and served on the board of many innovative healthcare organizations, including Nomi Health, Maven Clinic, InnovaCare Health, and Health Joy. He also served as a Utah Senate-confirmed commissioner of the Utah Digital Health Services Commission, where he focused on leveraging technology for cost-effective, healthier outcomes. Previously, he was Vice President in Bain Capital’s North American Private Equity group and worked at Bain & Company. Recognized as Utah Business’ CEO of the Year and EY’s Mountain Region Entrepreneur of the Year, Chris holds a B.A. with honors in Economics and English from Brigham Young University and an MBA from Stanford.—🙏 Thank you to our show sponsor, Quickstudy PR, story brokers for leading healthcare executives. Learn more about quickstudypr.com.—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Halle and Michael sit down for a special in-person listener Q&A to answer a range of founder questions you submitted.Topics include:What investors are prioritizing right now and how first-time founders can stand outHow to think about board seatsWhat to do if your growth has plateauedThings to keep in mind when negotiating a health system contractHow to think about choosing between small funds and mega-VCsWhat “pay to play” really meansHow to handle co-founder equity when someone leaves early—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Breakthrough blood tests that can flag dozens of cancers before symptoms appear are gaining momentum, yet questions remain about accuracy, equity, and how these tools will fit into routine care.In this episode, Steve talks with Helmy Eltoukhy, co-founder and co-CEO of Guardant Health, a $14 billion publicly-traded precision oncology company. The conversation explores the science behind cell-free DNA, the rise of blood-based cancer screening, and the broader shift toward data-driven diagnostics.We cover:How liquid biopsy works and why cell-free DNA became such a powerful toolThe path from late-stage applications to large-scale early detectionWhat Medicare coverage of blood-based colorectal cancer screening signals for adoptionThe operational and regulatory hurdles that shape diagnostics businessesLessons from Helmy’s entrepreneurial path across sequencing, diagnostics, and company-building—About our guest: Helmy Eltoukhy is the chairman and co-CEO of Guardant Health, a leading precision oncology company he co-founded in 2012. He is also an active investor and is involved in over 30 startup companies across the technology and healthcare sectors. In December 2024, Eltoukhy expanded his ventures into sports ownership by co-leading the acquisition of Sheffield United Football Club through COH Sports of which he is currently co-chairman.Last year, he was named by TIME100 Health as one of the most influential people in global health. He was also on Time Magazine’s inaugural list of the 50 Most Influential People in Health Care and has been recognized by Fortune (40 under 40), the World Economic Forum (Technology Pioneer), and on the list of the Top 50 Healthcare CEOs in 2021.Beyond his entrepreneurial endeavors, Eltoukhy is deeply committed to various philanthropic efforts and serves on the boards of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, the SETI Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence), and the UCSF Cancer Leadership Council. Prior to founding Guardant Health, Eltoukhy co-founded Avantome in 2007 to commercialize semiconductor sequencing, which was later acquired by Illumina. Eltoukhy is a named inventor on over 100 patents and holds PhD, MS, and BS degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University.—Learn more about the Rock Health CEO Summit at the New York Stock Exchange on March 27th.—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Pharma ads, biotech IPOs, $1M longevity programs, oh my!This month's Digital Health Download skews towards biotech, which is having a moment. Tune in to hear Halle and Michael cover the latest headlines.We cover:Why pharma ads are surging and the growing push for restrictions on D2C drug advertisingHims & Hers’ $1.15B acquisition of Eucalyptus, its global expansion strategy, and the FDA crackdown on compounded GLP‑1 drugsThe return of biotech IPOs, with Eikon Therapeutics and Generate Biomedicines signaling investor interest in platform‑based drug discoveryVaccine makers scaling back research amid policy uncertainty, declining uptake, and tighter fundingTrumpRx’s “most favored nation” drug pricing approach, and what one STAT analysis foundBryan Johnson’s $1M per year “Immortals” longevity program—Show notes:Should drug companies be advertising to consumers? (The New York Times) Hims & Hers Enters $1.15 Billion Agreement to Acquire Eucalyptus (PharmExec.com)A sign biotech is back? Four drugmakers go public, raising nearly $1 billion in all (STAT)Vaccine Makers Curtail Research and Cut Jobs (The New York Times) TrumpRx claims to offer the lowest prices. But many drugs have cheaper generics (STAT)Bryan Johnson's Immortals: $1M to try longevity regimen (Axios) —"Halle Tecco wanted to see tech used for better medical services and getting people engaged in their own health. Now, she’s written a book on how she went about it." - The WSJMassively Better Healthcare is out now!—Rock Health's annual CEO Summit is returning to the New York Stock Exchange on March 27th! Learn more and nominate a CEO to join this invite-only event here. —📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

When Eric Lefkofsky’s wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, it exposed how little technology and data were shaping cancer care, pushing the serial entrepreneur to build a different model.Lefkofsky is the founder and CEO of Tempus, now a $10B publicy traded health tech company, and previously founded Groupon. At Tempus, he’s building a tech-first company applying multimodal data and AI to make diagnostics smarter and treatment decisions more tailored, starting in oncology and expanding across disease areas.We cover:What Tempus does in plain EnglishWhy Tempus built its own lab, and how it became one of the largest sequencers of cancer patients in the U.S.The hard part: extracting usable clinical data from EHRs and scaling to thousands of hospital connections and hundreds of petabytes of dataHow AI changes the patient-physician relationship, and why patients will increasingly arrive highly informedWhat Eric would change at CMS and HHS to responsibly pay for AI—About our guest: Eric Lefkofsky is the founder and CEO at Tempus, a leader in artificial intelligence and precision medicine. He is the co-founder and General Partner of Lightbank, a private venture capital firm specializing in investments in technology companies. He is also the co-founder of Pathos AI, a clinical stage biotechnology company focused on re-engineering drug development; Groupon (NASDAQ: GRPN), a global e-commerce marketplace; Mediaocean, a leading provider of integrated media procurement technology; Echo Global Logistics (NASDAQ: ECHO), a technology-enabled transportation and logistics outsourcing firm; and InnerWorkings (NASDAQ: INWK), a global provider of managed print and promotional solutions.He co-chairs the Lefkofsky Family Foundation with his wife Liz to advance high-impact initiatives that enhance lives in the communities served. Lefkofsky also serves on the board of directors of The Art Institute of Chicago and Northwestern Medicine. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode (recorded live), Halle Tecco speaks with Dr. Robert Wachter, Chair of Medicine at UCSF, about their concurrently released books on healthcare innovation and AI.They share thoughts on the dual challenge of innovation in healthcare and the role of AI, covering:Why past waves of tech failed to change healthcare and why AI may finally break throughHow AI is making a difference today in healthcareWhere AI-assisted diagnosis and prescribing could go next, and the risks of over-relying on humans “in the loop” How EHR vendors (like Epic) hold the "poll position" for AI implementation due to workflow integrationWhy innovators must become healthcare "anthropologists"; and clinicians must understand technology and AIPlus, a surprise guest from Prenuvo joins us to chime in. Order Halle’s new book, Massively Better Healthcare hereOrder Bob’s new book, A Giant Leap here—About our guest: Robert M. Wachter, MD is Professor and Chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). Author of 300 articles and 6 books, he coined the term “hospitalist” in 1996 and is often considered the “father” of the hospitalist field, the fastest-growing medical specialty in U.S. history. He is a past president of the Society of Hospital Medicine, past chair of the American Board of Internal Medicine, a Master of the American College of Physicians, and an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine. Modern Healthcare magazine has ranked him among the 50 most influential physician-executives in the U.S. more than a dozen times; he was #1 on the list in 2015. His 2015 book, The Digital Doctor: Hope, Hype and Harm at the Dawn of Medicine’s Computer Age, was a New York Times bestseller. His new book is A Giant Leap: How AI is Transforming Healthcare and What That Means for Our Future.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Physicians now face a world where search bars, chat apps, and large AI models are becoming many people’s first stop for health questions, long before they enter a clinic.Former Google Chief Health Officer and national health IT leader Dr. Karen DeSalvo joins us to unpack what this shift means for clinicians, regulators, and patients, and why 15% of daily Google searches are questions no one has ever asked before.We cover:• Why consumer health search is becoming a powerful entry point into care• How Google built guardrails for safety, quality, and real-time monitoring of emerging risks• What the rise of GenAI “doctor in your pocket” tools could mean• The regulatory tensions ahead as states experiment with AI-driven medical decision support• How global demand, workforce strain, and new data sources (IoT, at-home diagnostics, wearables) are accelerating AI-supported primary care—About our guest: Dr. Karen DeSalvo is a health leader who has committed her career to improving health for everyone, everywhere.  She was most recently Google’s Chief Health Officer, where spearheaded a global team of health professionals dedicated to harnessing Google's technology and platforms to help everyone, everywhere live a longer, healthier life. Before Google, Dr. DeSalvo held significant roles in the U.S. government, including National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and acting Assistant Secretary for Health. She was also the Health Commissioner in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina, where she led public health recovery efforts. Dr. DeSalvo currently sits on the Boards of Directors for Welltower and CityBlock Health and is a member of the Council of the National Academy of Medicine. —Pre-order Halle's new book, Massively Better Healthcare.—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re back with our monthly rundown of the top headlines in health tech!Today, Halle and Steve sort through the biggest stories shaping the year ahead, from AI prescribing to lawsuits galore.We cover:AI prescribing (in Utah!)The FDA updated guidance on clinical decision support for AI in medicineThe lawsuit against Prenuvo after a missed stroke warning, and the broader debate over accountability in AI-assisted diagnosticsTexas’ antitrust case against Epic - are they being anti-competitive?New evidence shows GLP-1 drugs lower employer healthcare costs by 9%Why healthcare hiring is slowing downHalle’s book is now available! (Order now on Amazon)Show notes:Utah begins pilot of prescribing AI medication (Utah Department of Commerce)FDA issues guidance on wellness products, clinical decision support software (AHA)Man got $2,500 whole-body MRI that found no problems—then had massive stroke (Ars Technica)Texas sues Epic, accusing it of running a monopoly (Wisconsin Public Radio)Why cover GLP-1s? They’ll lower employer healthcare costs, study says (Healthcare Dive)Hospitals' make-or-break year (Axios)—🙏 Thank you to our show sponsor, Smarter Technologies, the first automation and insights platform for healthcare efficiency. Learn more at www.smartertech.com—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It has been said that we don’t have “big data” in healthcare, but instead a large amount of “small data.”In this episode, Halle speaks with Kyle Armbrester, CEO of Datavant and former CEO of Signify Health (acquired for $8B), about why healthcare data still moves the way it did decades ago and what it will take to modernize it at scale. Kyle reflects on building and leading large health tech companies and explains how fixing data flow could reduce administrative waste, improve security, and make care easier for patients and providers alike.We cover:Why healthcare billing still happens after the fact and how that fuels administrative wasteHow missing data standards led to fax-based workflows and brittle systemsWhy healthcare data is such an attractive target for cyberattacksHow clinical data can be shared digitally without being owned or resoldLeadership lessons from scaling companies through IPOs and acquisitions—About our guest: Kyle Armbrester is Chief Executive Officer of Datavant, a healthcare data platform company with a mission to make the world’s health data secure, accessible, and actionable. Datavant operates the largest and most diverse health data exchange in the U.S., connecting more than 70 percent of the 100 largest health systems, all U.S. payers, and 300 plus real world data partners.Previously, Kyle served as CEO of Signify Health, where he led more than 200 percent revenue growth, took the company public in 2021, and guided its acquisition by CVS Health in 2023 for approximately $8 billion. He later served on the CVS Health executive management team, overseeing healthcare delivery strategy and interoperability.Earlier in his career, Kyle was Chief Product Officer and Head of Corporate Development at athenahealth, where he helped scale revenue from $320 million to $1.2 billion and launched the company’s partnership marketplace. Kyle has served on multiple healthcare boards and holds an MBA and AB from Harvard University.—Chapters:00:01:20 Introduction to Kyle Armbrester and his journey in healthcare00:03:58 The impact of Athena Health on healthcare innovation00:06:20 Datavant: Revolutionizing health data interoperability00:08:15 The role of Datavant in reducing administrative burden00:12:20 Understanding Datavant's value proposition across stakeholders00:14:00 Consumer products and data accessibility at Datavant00:18:25 The scale and impact of Datavant in healthcare00:19:35 Cybersecurity challenges in healthcare data management00:23:57 Bridging the gap in healthcare regulations00:26:13 Unlocking the value of untapped healthcare data00:29:25 Challenges of value-based care models00:33:23 The reality of being a CEO in healthcare00:37:00 Navigating IPOs vs. Acquisitions00:39:44 Innovating healthcare incentives for better outcomes—Pre-order Halle's new book, Massively Better Healthcare.—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week, Steve sits down with Ankit Jain, co-founder and CEO of Infinitus Systems, to talk about why voice-based AI has become one of the most rapidly adopted tools in healthcare operations, what’s actually working in the field, and where the hype still outpaces reality. Ankit shares six years of lessons from building AI agents that handle 35-minute medical calls end to end, plus his predictions on what 2026 and 2027 will really look like as enterprises attempt to build their own agents.We cover:Why so much of healthcare still runs on phones, faxes, and portalsHow AI agents are handling long, high-stakes medical calls without going off trackWhat large enterprises now expect around security, governance, and zero-hallucination requirementsWhy providers, payers, and pharma are adopting AI for different operational workflowsWhy 2026 may be the year many health systems try to build their own agents, and why most will return to vendors by 2027—About our guest: Ankit Jain is the co-founder and CEO of Infinitus Systems, the agentic healthcare communications platform that automates high-stakes clinical and administrative conversations at scale. Under his leadership, Infinitus supports 44% of the Fortune 50, and many of the largest healthcare organizations in the US. A serial entrepreneur, advisor, and investor, Ankit has built companies and guided innovation at the intersection of technology and AI. He founded Quettra (acquired by Similarweb), helped launch Google Play and the search engine Cuil, and went on to co-found and manage Gradient Ventures, Google’s AI-focused venture fund. His background in building distributed systems and safety-constrained AI, combined with hands-on experience scaling products in regulated environments, gives him a pragmatic perspective on how to design trustworthy AI that earns adoption in healthcare. Ankit frequently works with industry leaders on governance, education, and integration strategies that make automation safe, approachable, and scalable.—Chapters:00:01:38 Introduction to Ankit Jain and Infinitus Systems00:02:54 The journey into healthcare entrepreneurship00:03:55 Inspiration behind Infinitus and its mission00:04:55 Evolution of AI in healthcare communications00:08:12 Navigating competition in the AI healthcare space00:10:30 Defensibility and product development insights00:14:00 AI's role in enhancing healthcare accessibility00:15:20 Go-to-Market strategies and lessons learned00:17:52 Deepening engagement in healthcare workflows00:19:33 Competitive dynamics in healthcare AI00:20:42 Addressing industry concerns and challenges00:22:14 The need for industry self-regulation00:23:40 Navigating consumer privacy and AI interactions00:25:27 The future of jobs in healthcare AI00:28:30 The evolution of healthcare AI00:29:37 Lessons for entrepreneurs in healthcare—Pre-order Halle's new book, Massively Better Healthcare.—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is 2026 the year that changes everything in healthcare?Steve and Halle sit down with legendary healthcare VC Annie Lamont for their annual predictions episode to dive into 2026 predictions and trends that founders and operators should pay attention to. We cover:📉 Why 2025 was "the most brutal year ever" for health plans🏥 Why providers outpaced payers in AI adoption and where the next wave of enterprise software will land💸 Where she’s spending her time in 2026 (and what space she’s avoiding)🔮 What she expects for IPOs and M&A in 2026⚖️ How regulation, interoperability, and national AI policy could shape the next decade—About our guest: Annie Lamont co-founded Oak HC/FT in 2014. Prior to founding Oak HC/FT, Annie spent 28 years at Oak Investment Partners, where she served as a Managing Partner and led the healthcare and fintech practices. Over the course of her career, she has invested in category-defining companies across the healthcare and financial services industries, including Aspire Health, athenahealth, CareBridge, Devoted Health, iHealthTechnologies (which became Cotiviti), NetSpend, OneMedical, and VillageMD. —📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

For our first episode of 2026, Dr. Ezekiel “Zeke” Emanuel, oncologist, bioethicist, architect of the Affordable Care Act, and author of Eat Your Ice Cream joins us to share why he believes the longevity movement is overblown and how real health comes down to simplicity. In his new book, Zeke argues that instead of chasing expensive fads and wellness trends, we should focus on six straightforward habits that make life healthier and more enjoyable. In this conversation with co-host Steve Kraus, he explains why complexity is one of healthcare’s biggest threats, how public frustration is reshaping policy, and why the path to better health may be far simpler than we think.We cover:🚫 Rejecting the wellness industrial complex📈 Why public frustration will force major policy changes by 2032🧩 How the ACA's success created a huge new flaw🤖 The two biggest bottlenecks that slow down hospital AI implementation💡 How to improve quality and empathy with specialized medical AY systems—About our guest: Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, PhD, is a Vice Provost and Professor at the University of Pennsylvania. An oncologist and world leader in health policy and bioethics, he was instrumental in drafting the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Dr. Emanuel regularly contributes to the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and appears on BBC, NPR, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and other media outlets. His new book, Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life, is available on January 6. —📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutube —Chapters:00:00:50 Introducing Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel00:06:04 His path to medicine00:09:15 Working on Obamacare - successes and regrets00:11:19 Is healthcare too big to fail?00:14:18 The antidote to the “longevity” movement00:17:18 How to stay mentally sharp00:18:34 AI and job displacement00:22:57 Critique of the “Wellness Industrial Complex”00:25:10 Philosophy on life expectancy and quality00:27:16 Optimism about AI in healthcare00:30:20 Lightning round of questionsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

We’re closing out the year with a candid conversation about where America is headed.For our final episode of 2025, Halle and Steve sit down with entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Andrew Yang to talk plainly about the forces reshaping American life, from rising healthcare costs and gaps in coverage to AI-driven job disruption and the strain on the social safety net. We cover:🏛️ Andew’s idea of “Medicare for all who want it”🤖 How AI is already wiping out entry-level jobs, and why he thinks America is heading toward a “bad men problem”💸 Why he ran on Universal Basic Income which he calls “capitalism where income doesn’t start at zero”🏥 How entrenched players restrict physician supply, shape regulation, and protect revenue even when it hurts patients📵 His new effort to cut phone addiction and why he says parents, schools, and policymakers are waking up to the damage caused by screen-first childhoods—About our guest: Andrew Yang is an entrepreneur, author, philanthropist, attorney, nonprofit leader, and former U.S. presidential and New York City mayoral candidate. After a brief stint as a corporate lawyer, he worked in startups and founded an education company that became #1 in the country. He later launched Venture for America, a national nonprofit that empowered thousands of young entrepreneurs to build careers in cities such as Detroit, Cleveland, and Baltimore. Under his leadership, the organization became a multi-million-dollar charity, and Yang was named a Presidential Ambassador of Entrepreneurship and a Champion of Change during the Obama administration.Motivated by the impact of automation on the American workforce, Yang ran for President in 2017. Centered on a proposed $1,000-per-month “Freedom Dividend,” his campaign raised nearly $40 million and helped mainstream conversations around Universal Basic Income. He later founded Humanity Forward, a nonprofit that has successfully advocated for billions of dollars in federal cash relief.Yang is also an author, CNN commentator, and podcast host. He is the son of Taiwanese immigrants, and holds degrees from Brown University and Columbia Law School.—Chapters:00:2:22 Andrew’s Vision for American Healthcare00:7:27 Healthcare and the 2026 Election00:9:59 AI’s Impact on Employment and Society00:22:35 Universal Basic Income 00:29:14 Regulatory Capture in Healthcare00:31:37 Noble Mobile00:33:57 Children and Phone Addictions00:43:19 Closing Advice for Healthcare Innovators—Pre-order Halle's new book, Massively Better Healthcare. —📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Many clinicians quietly wonder if there's a “next chapter” beyond the hospital walls, and an increasing number are stepping into health tech roles that didn’t exist a decade ago.Dr. Reena Pande has lived that shift firsthand: from cardiologist at a top academic center, to early employee and CMO at AbleTo, to now leading clinician executive search at Oxeon. She joins us to unpack what it really takes for clinicians to succeed in startups, why these roles matter more than ever, and how AI is reshaping both medical training and leadership.We cover:🩺 What true self-assessment looks like🚀 What clinicians often misunderstand about joining a Series A startup🐈 The “indoor cat vs. outdoor cat” model for modern clinical leadership📉 How to evaluate risk when moving from academic medicine into early-stage companies📊 Why clinician leaders are central to sales, product, and operations in virtual care🤖 How AI is reshaping medical expertise and what future clinicians must be trained for—About our guest: Dr. Reena Pande is a Partner and leads Oxeon’s Clinician Executive search and leadership practice. She is a physician, entrepreneur, and healthcare executive whose career has focused on building innovative solutions to ensure access to evidence-based, and technology-enabled care. For nearly a decade, Dr. Pande served as Chief Medical Officer at AbleTo, a virtual behavioral health provider. During her tenure, she served as a passionate external voice for bridging the gaps between physical and mental health, and also led clinical product, data science, healthcare economics, and outcomes research teams. Dr. Pande saw the organization through numerous fundraising rounds and eventual acquisition by Optum/UnitedHealth Group.Prior to her time at AbleTo, Dr. Pande was an academic cardiologist and clinical researcher at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA and was on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. She earned her undergraduate degree in Biology from Harvard University, her M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and a Masters degree in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health. She completed her internship, residency training, and Cardiology fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.—📚Want more? Read The Clinician’s Guide to Breaking Into Digital Health—Women founders, access a lifetime of community-backed growth with Entreprenerustia: https://refer.entreprenista.com/founder —📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hemant Taneja believes you can sneeze and reach a billion dollars in healthcare revenue, but that most of that revenue tells you nothing about whether the system is actually getting better.This week, Halle sits down with the CEO of General Catalyst and author of The Transformation Principles to discuss what happens when you stop treating revenue as the primary KPI and start asking harder questions about impact, incentives, and system change. They get into his “health assurance” thesis, what it means for a VC firm to buy a hospital, why “profit-only” capitalism has run its course, and how AI and new payment models could finally bend the cost curve instead of just inflating it.We cover:🏥 How Hemant began investing in healthcare and his “health assurance” thesis📉 Why profit‑only capitalism has run its course and what should replace it💳 The “work tax” in healthcare payments and how AI could free up resources for prevention🤖 Whether AI in healthcare is a bubble or a durable transformation🏥 Why General Catalyst bought a hospital and how they plan to use it —About our guest: Hemant Taneja is the CEO of General Catalyst, and a founder, investor, and author of four books, including The Transformation Principles. His worldview centers on strengthening global resilience through applied AI and partnerships that modernize critical systems. Hemant is an early investor in the leading technology companies of our time including Anduril, Anthropic, Applied Intuition, GitLab (NASDAQ: GTLB), Grammarly, Gusto, Ro, Samsara (NYSE: IOT), Snap (NYSE: SNAP), and Stripe. He is also deeply involved in transforming the US healthcare system, having founded companies like Commure, Hippocratic, Transcarent, Livongo (Sold to Teladoc for $18.5B) and General Catalyst's Health Assurance Transformation Company (HATCo) which helps health systems transform themselves with AI. A global expert on industry transformation, he has led General Catalyst's foray into transforming healthcare, energy, and workforce systems globally. He holds five degrees from MIT.—🙏Thank you to our show sponsor, LookDeep. LookDeep pioneers AI that can see, hear, and respond with care to help hospitals be Ever Present for Every Patient. Learn more at lookdeep.ai/aimee. —📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Haves & Have-Nots Of 2025 | Threshold Ventures Co-founder Emily MeltonThis week for our 2025 recap, we’re joined by VC Emily Melton, co-founder of Threshold Ventures. Melton highlights her reflection of 2025, which splits the market into "haves and have-nots" with nothing in between, noting the concentration of venture dollars on "high flyers" and the indifference shown to established companies with respectable revenue.We cover: 💸 The widening gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” in health tech 📉 The rise of recaps, down rounds, and investor “bargain-basement shopping” 🏥 Why healthcare’s 5.6-trillion-dollar cost structure can’t be fixed without technology 🧾 How policy incentives and private equity are reshaping M&A activity 💬 What founders need to prove to raise capital in today’s market —About our guest: Emily is a co-founder of Threshold. She is looking for entrepreneurs who are genuinely excited about being agents of change and have an almost irrational drive to make things better. Her portfolio includes BetterUp, Brightline, Daero, Elation Health, Imagen, Livongo (NASDAQ: LVGO), Mendaera, ODAIA, Redfin (NASDAQ: RDFN), Tia, Transcarent, Verge Genomics, Videa, Vital, Viz, and Wellframe (acquired by HealthEdge).  Emily served as the chair of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) board of directors for the 2022-23 term. She is also an active founding member of All Raise, a non-profit dedicated to improving access for women and others to start and invest in companies.    A Stanford grad with a BA in political philosophy with honors and an MBA, Emily is drawn to disruptive ideas and technologies that have the potential to radically change consumer, enterprise, and healthcare markets.—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The first trillion-dollar healthcare company, a $298M longevity round, and a telehealth CEO headed for federal sentencing. Last month had range.Today on the show, Halle and Michael sort through the biggest December stories shaping the year ahead, from runaway longevity funding to a telehealth scandal headed for federal sentencing.We cover:🧬 Two hot funding rounds in longevity, including Function Health’s $298M B-round and Blueprint’s all-angel, no-VC $60M raise💊 How Eli Lilly became the first trillion-dollar healthcare company🏥 CVS’s $5.7B Oak Street Health write-down (and why most acquisitions fail)🎓 Nursing, OT, PT, and PA being removed from the list of “professional” degrees by the Department of Education🤖 OpenAI’s growing interest in consumer health tools⚖️ The telehealth company whose founders were just convicted in one of the largest stimulant-fraud cases to date—Show notes:Eli Lilly becomes first trillion-dollar healthcare company (Reuters)CVS takes $5.7B goodwill impairment on Oak Street Health (Forbes)Department of Education’s revised “professional degree” list (Newsweek)NYT: Patients turning to AI for support (Dagens.com)DOJ conviction of Done Global executives (DOJ)—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

As millions of Americans hit the road to visit family for Thanksgiving, many will pass through, or return to, rural communities. Nearly 60 million Americans live in these areas, yet many struggle to access even basic healthcare as rural hospitals close at record rates.Dr. Jennifer Schneider, co-founder and CEO of Homeward Health, is tackling this crisis head-on by reimagining how care is delivered to Medicare Advantage members in rural America. Drawing on her experiences as a physician, a patient with Type 1 diabetes, and the former president of Livongo, Jenny shares why rural healthcare is both a massive challenge and an untapped opportunity.We cover:🏥 Why rural Americans face dramatically higher mortality rates💡 How Homeward is combining technology and on-the-ground care to serve overlooked communities📉 What value-based care looks like outside major metro areas🤝 Lessons from Castlight, Livongo, and building bilingual (tech + healthcare) teams🔥 How Jenny’s personal experience with chronic illness shapes her leadership and vision—About our guest: Dr. Jennifer Schneider is the co-founder and CEO of Homeward, where she is leading the transformation of rural healthcare through AI-enabled, value-based care delivery. A physician and technologist, Jennifer’s work is shaped by her experience growing up in a small town with type 1 diabetes—fueling her belief that geography should never determine access to care.Previously, Jennifer was President and Chief Medical Officer at Livongo, where she helped scale the company through its IPO and led its $18.5B merger with Teladoc Health—the largest digital health transaction to date. She has also held executive roles at Castlight Health and began her career as a practicing internal medicine physician and health services researcher.Jennifer serves on the boards of Vertex Pharmaceuticals and Maven Clinic, and has been named one of Modern Healthcare’s “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare.” She holds degrees from Johns Hopkins, Stanford, and the College of the Holy Cross.—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramYoutubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.