The Early Hires

Just because you are doing everything right clinically does not mean the organization will survive. In this episode, Helen sits down with Katie Davis, a nurse practitioner and clinician executive who has spent more than two decades building care models across hospital systems and early-stage healthcare startups. Katie has served as a founding and early clinical leader in multiple venture-backed companies, helping design and operationalize care for high-risk populations in fast-moving environm...

Patient safety is job one. Everything else is negotiable. The Early Hires launches with Dr. Adam Perry — a geriatrician and ER physician who has helped build home-based and senior care models across early- and mid-stage healthcare companies. He has served as a Chief Medical Officer and Regional Medical Director, and he is now the founder of Health Span Partners. In this pilot episode, Dr. Perry breaks down what clinician leaders need to understand on day one: early-stage work is about protect...

Hosted by Helen Tanner, MPH, PA-C, The Early Hires Podcast centers the voices of clinicians building healthcare startups from the inside. Helen brings years of clinical and executive experience, translating real-world challenges into thoughtful, grounded conversations. Each episode features clinicians and clinical leaders navigating early-stage companies, sharing honest stories about leadership pressure, evolving roles, business realities, and career decisions. Solo episodes offer reflection ...