Med Tech Gurus

In an era where telehealth is often reduced to quick, one-off visits, Ovatient CEO Michael Dalton is charting a different course—one that blends digital access with the trust, continuity, and whole-person focus of traditional care. With deep roots inside health systems like MetroHealth and MUSC, Michael shares how Ovatient was built "by health systems, for health systems" to move beyond transactional virtual care. He reveals the keys to building trust in digital health, integrating seamlessly with Epic, and creating true partnerships rather than vendor relationships. From reducing barriers for patients to scaling integrated behavioral health, Ovatient's model is showing how virtual-first can still be personal, local, and outcome-driven. You'll hear real patient stories, lessons on co-developing with health systems, and strategies for delivering high-quality care at scale—without losing the human touch. Whether you're a health system leader, digital health innovator, or investor, this conversation is packed with insights on designing virtual care models that last, scale, and truly serve

What happens when a medtech founder starts college at 12, launches their first company at 9, and grows up to help clients secure over $1 billion in funding? You get Elizabeth Chabe, CEO of High Touch Group. In this episode of Med Tech Gurus, Elizabeth shares how she helps science-driven companies translate complex innovations into stories that resonate with investors, regulators, and clinicians. She offers powerful insights on breaking past "no," avoiding costly early-stage mistakes, and navigating today's funding challenges with creative, non-dilutive strategies. If you're struggling to get your technology off the ground—or into the right hands—Elizabeth's wisdom and practical guidance will help you turn complexity into commercial clarity. Don't miss this one!

Every minute counts in cardiology—but for too many patients, the wait to see a specialist is measured in weeks. In this episode of Med Tech Gurus, Dr. Jeff Wessler, cardiologist and CEO of Heartbeat Health, shares how his team is transforming heart care with a virtual-first model. By combining telehealth, remote diagnostics, and evidence-based protocols, Heartbeat Health is tackling one of medicine's most urgent challenges: delivering timely, life-saving cardiac care to patients wherever they are. Dr. Wessler takes us inside the evolution of Heartbeat Health—from its origins in New York to its nationwide impact. He explains how virtual-first cardiology is closing critical access gaps, how remote monitoring and cloud-based "clinics" can prevent emergencies, and why building a culture of innovation and rigorous outcomes tracking has been key to their success. If you're passionate about digital health, virtual care, or improving patient outcomes, this episode is packed with insights on what it takes to scale a new standard of care.

When it comes to serious illness, early detection can be the difference between a difficult battle and a manageable path forward. But what if advanced diagnostics didn't require a referral, radiation, or even a reason to feel sick? In this episode of Med Tech Gurus, we sit down with Mike Wernli, Chief Operating Officer at Craft Health, to explore how they're flipping the script on traditional healthcare. With AI-enhanced full-body MRI scans, Craft Health is delivering hospital-grade insights in under 30 minutes—without contrast or complexity. But the technology is only part of the story. Mike opens up about the mindset shift required to empower patients to take control of their health before symptoms appear. He shares how Craft is combining clinical excellence with retail-like access, building a culture that thrives on purpose, and engaging communities in ways that truly matter. Whether you're an innovator in preventive care, a startup leader navigating consumer health, or someone passionate about shifting care upstream—this conversation offers both inspiration and a playbook.

What if diagnosing coronary artery disease, pulmonary hypertension, and heart failure didn't require a hospital, a specialist, or even invasive testing? In this episode, Adrian Lam, CEO of Corvista Health, shares how their FDA-cleared, AI-powered platform is transforming frontline cardiac care—delivering accurate, non-invasive diagnostics in under 30 minutes. Adrian discusses the delicate balance of explainable AI, clinical trust, and business strategy. He also dives into lessons on IP protection, clinical validation, and why understanding unmet needs—both clinical and operational—is key to commercial success. From rural health access to drug monitoring and phenotypic insights, this episode is packed with lessons for medtech entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators alike.

What if a discreet sensor could quietly prevent one of healthcare's most common—and dangerous—IV injuries? In this episode of Med Tech Gurus, Jaclyn Lautz Ph.D., COO of IV Watch, takes us inside the journey of building a global standard of care. Jaclyn shares how her team navigated the EU MDR maze, achieved regulatory approvals across 16 countries, and proved their technology's impact through powerful clinical studies. From mentoring moments that shaped her career to the operational discipline driving IV Watch's innovation, this conversation delivers invaluable insights for MedTech leaders aiming to scale globally while keeping patient safety at the core.

What if a simple design shift could save lives in the most chaotic environments? In this episode of Med Tech Gurus, Dr. Irena King, neuroscientist, engineer, and CEO of Surgicure Technologies, shares how she's transforming emergency airway management with the Horseshoe—a novel device born out of battlefield necessity and refined through deep clinical collaboration. Irena reveals the hard lessons of product design, the power of listening to frontline providers, and the importance of adapting for both civilian and military use. From trauma bays to transport units, this episode is a masterclass in building devices that work when seconds—and lives—are on the line.

What if the key to fixing pharma's toughest challenges wasn't more complexity—but more clarity? In this episode of Med Tech Gurus, Shetal Vyas, SVP of Commercial Strategy & Development at Ardelyx, joins us to explore how digital-first strategies are reshaping how we bring therapies to patients. Shetal unpacks how to overcome the $200 billion patent cliff, reframe customer engagement, and build scalable, data-driven commercial models that don't just add tech—but center patients. With practical insights into digital ecosystems, commercialization frameworks, and change management, this episode is packed with takeaways for MedTech innovators navigating the intersection of healthcare, pharma, and digital transformation.

What if we could detect Alzheimer's disease before the first memory fades? In this powerful episode of Med Tech Gurus, Dr. Maria-Magdalena Patru, MD, PhD—who leads the neurology medical team at Roche Diagnostics US—explains how early diagnosis is being radically transformed through CSF and blood-based biomarker innovations. With Alzheimer's affecting over 7 million Americans, Dr. Patru outlines how new guidelines, improved reimbursement, and diagnostic advances are helping clinicians identify the disease earlier—when treatments can still preserve cognition. She also shares how her personal connection to Alzheimer's drives her mission and offers advice to innovators navigating regulatory and clinical pathways. If you're building diagnostics or working on access-to-care challenges, this is a must-listen. https://www.medtechgurus.com https://diagnostics.roche.com/us/en/products/product-category/neurology/alzheimers-disease.html  

What if the future of clinical trials wasn't just faster—but dramatically more human-centered, efficient, and aligned with real-world outcomes? In this episode of Med Tech Gurus, Meri Beckwith, co-founder of Lindus Health, shares how a broken experience during a COVID trial sparked a revolution in trial design. Lindus is reimagining the traditional CRO with fixed-cost models, milestone-based payments, and tech-driven platforms that cut enrollment timelines by 74%. Meri reveals how their innovative culture, AI-enhanced monitoring, and focus on patient experience is building a new infrastructure for smarter trials. If you're a medtech founder tired of bloated protocols, poor enrollment, and outdated systems, this episode will help you rethink what's possible in clinical research.

What if you could cut your product development time in half—and avoid the regulatory landmines that derail most startups? In this episode of Med Tech Gurus, Marcel Botha, CEO and Founder of 10XBeta, reveals how his Brooklyn-based venture studio helps innovators turn bold ideas into compliant, fundable, and scalable medical technologies. With deep expertise in design, engineering, and regulatory strategy, Marcel shares how 10XBeta supports founders in navigating the critical—and capital-intensive—first mile of MedTech development. From pandemic-driven ventilator designs to launching 50+ products, Marcel delivers powerful lessons on speed, structure, and investor alignment. Gurus, if you're building in the deep end of innovation, this episode is your blueprint.

What happens when clinical strategy, bioinformatics, and market access all live under one roof? Meet Tyler O'Malley, VP at Exagen, who shares how this rare triad is driving innovation in autoimmune diagnostics. In this episode, Tyler reveals how real-world data fuels product strategy, why storytelling is key to market access, and how diagnostic innovators can scale in a payer-driven world. We explore the evolution of evidence, the importance of physician advocacy, and how to align science with unmet clinical need—without chasing shiny objects. Gurus, if you're launching diagnostics or navigating commercialization in today's complex environment, this episode is full of insight you can't afford to miss.

Behavioral health is in crisis—not just from rising demand, but from the chaos of inconsistent care models, fragmented data, and outdated systems. In this episode of Med Tech Gurus, Jim Szyperski, CEO of Acuity Behavioral Health, shares how his team is bringing much-needed structure and accountability to inpatient psychiatric care.   Backed by a $1.5 million seed round and in collaboration with health systems, Acuity is creating data-driven standards that empower nurses, improve patient outcomes, and deliver operational clarity. Jim brings lessons from decades of entrepreneurship and dives into the real-world challenges of scaling innovation in healthcare's slowest-moving sector. Gurus, if you care about solving systemic gaps in mental health care, this conversation is a must.

What if we could finally put real answers behind the brain fog, fatigue, and lingering symptoms so many patients still face post-COVID? In this episode, Dr. Nigel McCracken, Chief Operating Officer at Virax Biolabs, returns to Med Tech Gurus to reveal how their groundbreaking ViraxImmune platform is decoding the hidden dysfunctions of the immune system. With major NHS-led trials underway and U.S. clinical sites ramping up, Nigel shares how their proprietary FluoroSpot T-cell assay brings unprecedented accuracy to diagnosing long COVID, chronic fatigue, and post-viral syndromes. We also dive into the operational challenges of global trials, lessons from diagnostics commercialization, and how to build innovation-ready teams that scale. Gurus, this is diagnostic disruption at its best.  

Billions are being poured into healthcare AI, yet most innovations never make it past pilot projects. Why? And more importantly—how do we fix it? In this episode of Med Tech Gurus, we sit down with Marco Smit, serial entrepreneur, life sciences executive, and AI commercialization expert. With leadership experience at Roche, Genentech, Gesund.ai, CareSyntax, and now Domelabs.ai, Marco has seen the full spectrum of healthcare AI—from hype to hard-earned success. He shares why so many organizations fall victim to "pilotitis", the critical role of AI governance, and how startups and health systems can build scalable, evidence-driven solutions that actually deliver ROI. From navigating the complex regulatory landscape to choosing the right investors and partners, Marco offers a pragmatic playbook for moving AI from the lab to real clinical impact. Whether you're a startup founder, health system innovator, or medtech investor, this episode is packed with actionable insights on avoiding hype, accelerating adoption, and building AI solutions that last.

What if we could finally crack the code on treating brain cancer by opening the door that's blocked 98% of therapies? In this episode, Dr. Michael Canney, Chief Scientific Officer of Carthera, reveals how SonoCloud—a revolutionary ultrasound implant—temporarily opens the blood-brain barrier to deliver chemotherapy directly to tumors like glioblastoma. With over 100 patients enrolled in a Phase III trial across 40 global sites, this isn't just a bold idea—it's happening now. Michael also shares real-world lessons in scaling trials, FDA navigation, and aligning science with commercial success. If you're passionate about disruptive innovation in neuro-oncology, you'll want to hear how Carthera is changing the game.

What if the key to solving the provider burnout crisis wasn't adding more hours in the day—but using technology to give them back? In this episode of Med Tech Gurus, we meet David Norris, Co-Founder and CEO of Affinion Health. David shares how his company is building an AI-powered clinical inbox that helps clinicians manage the overwhelming flood of lab results, patient messages, and admin tasks. With measurable results like five hours of reclaimed time per week per provider, David explains how Affinion's solution is not just about efficiency—it's about restoring balance, improving care, and preventing burnout. From his work with the Coalition for Health AI to his lessons in entrepreneurship and team-building, David offers practical wisdom for every MedTech innovator in this episode.

What if surgeons could eliminate the guesswork from complex procedures and walk into the OR with a personalized, pre-fitted solution ready to go? In this episode, we meet Vikram Ahuja, Co-Founder and CEO of OsseoLabs, who is transforming orthopedic and maxillofacial surgery using AI and 3D printing. Vikram reveals how his platform builds patient-specific implants using biomechanical data—dramatically reducing OR time, complications, and the need for revision surgeries. With over 170 successful cases and 40 hospital partners across Southeast Asia, Vikram shares what's next, what's needed for U.S. expansion, and how OsseoLabs is pushing the boundaries of surgical precision. If you're serious about MedTech innovation, this one's essential listening.

What turns a brilliant idea into a market-ready medical device? Jennifer Palinchik, CEO of SageMar Medical, has spent over two decades guiding innovators through that exact journey. In this episode, Jennifer shares the critical factors that determine whether your device gets adopted—or ends up on the shelf. From navigating regulatory hurdles and defining market value to aligning R&D with commercialization from day one, Jennifer reveals the strategic playbook that every MedTech founder should know. We also explore trends like AI, mixed reality, and the growing role of M&A in accelerating innovation. If you're building in healthtech, Jennifer's insights will help you avoid costly missteps and build a business that truly scales.

Gurus, what if treating prostate cancer no longer required surgery, blood loss, or hospital stays? In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Arun Menawat, CEO of Profound Medical, who is leading a bold transformation in prostate cancer care. With Tulsa Pro—an AI-powered, MRI-guided, incision-free therapy—his team is challenging the surgical status quo head-on. Arun shares how his journey through imaging innovation shaped this breakthrough, and why he believes the future of interventional medicine will be bloodless, precise, and radically patient-centric. This one's not just disruptive—it's redefining what cancer treatment can be.