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The Heart of Healthcare | A Digital Health Podcast
The Heart of Healthcare | A Digital Health Podcast
Author: Massively Better Healthcare
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© 2025 Massively Better Healthcare
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🏆 #1 podcast in the Top 100 Health Tech All-time charts
Join us every Monday for conversations with the biggest names in digital health. Hosted by digital health veterans Halle Tecco, Michael Esquivel, and Steve Kraus.
Learn more and submit your ideas for the show at the Heart of Healthcare website.
196 Episodes
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A billion-dollar startup. A promise to change healthcare forever. And behind the scenes… a massive lie.Tyler Shultz was just starting his career when he joined Theranos, only to discover that the company’s breakthrough blood tests didn’t actually work. Speaking up meant risking everything—his career, his family relationships, and his personal safety—but it also helped expose one of the biggest frauds in Silicon Valley history.In this conversation, Tyler shares what it was really like inside Theranos, how he found the courage to blow the whistle, and what leaders today can learn about building ethical cultures that last.We cover:⚖️ What it was like working inside Theranos💬 The one question he suggests job seekers ask potential employers💡 What ethical leadership looks like when the pressure is on🤨 His thoughts on Elizabeth Holmes’ new “blood testing” company💰 Why rewarding whistleblowers might actually protect investors and patients —About our guest: Tyler Shultz is a scientist at heart, a founder by nature, a whistleblower by accident, a speaker by day, a venture partner by night, and a dad 24/7. His professional life began by exposing unethical practices at Theranos, a revelation that led to the collapse of the $9 billion company and the criminal convictions of its CEO and COO. Since then, he has co-founded two diagnostics companies: a deep tech spinout from Stanford’s Center for Magnetic Nanotechnology and a direct-to-consumer diagnostics and telehealth company. Beyond building companies, Tyler advises startups and venture funds, helping them navigate the technical, commercial, and ethical challenges of scaling groundbreaking ideas. As a speaker, he shares his experiences with audiences worldwide, addressing lawyers, founders, executives, employees, students, investors, board members, regulators, and compliance experts. He explores themes of truth, courage, and integrity, demonstrating how ethical decision-making can be a competitive advantage.—📍 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.
Does it feel like we packed in a decade of progress this year in digital health? We think so. Today, Halle and Steve break down the biggest digital health stories of the moment, from funding trends to AI rivalries and new rules shaping the future of care.We cover:💸 What non-AI healthcare startups should do in today’s AI-obsessed investor market🧠 Is there room for more than one winner in clinical decision support tools?⚖️ California’s new chatbot law🩺 Why UnitedHealthcare just paid $9B to AARP despite Medicare Advantage headwinds🌡️ Hims’ expansion into menopause care and what it means for vertical startups🤖 How Mass General Brigham is using AI to ease doctor shortages—Show notes:The Future of Healthtech 2025 (SVB)2025: The State of AI in Healthcare (Menlo Ventures)Q3 2025 market overview: Signals out of sync (Rock Health)OpenEvidence scores $200M, 3 months after series B, boosting valuation to $6B (Fierce Healthcare)Wolters Kluwer’s new UpToDate Expert AI (Wolters Kluwer)New California ‘Companion Chatbot’ Law Imposes Disclosure, Safety Protocol and Annual Reporting Requirements (Skadden)UnitedHealth Group, AARP Extend Medicare Partnership Beyond 2025 (Forbes)Hims & Hers to Offer Treatments for Menopause (WSJ)One Mass. health system is turning to AI to ease shortage of primary care doctors. Some don’t like it (STAT)—🙏 If you're enjoying the show, we would so appreciate it if you left us a review!—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteYoutubeLinkedInInstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Over 3 million clinicians around the world depend on UpToDate to guide patient care, and now the gold standard in clinical decision support is integrating generative AI. But in a world where AI models often hallucinate, how do you build something that doctors can actually trust?In this episode, Halle talks with Dr. Holly Urban, VP of Business Development and Strategy at Wolters Kluwer Health, about UpToDate Expert AI, a new tool trained exclusively on UpToDate’s physician-authored content — not the open internet — and what it means for the future of medicine.We cover:🤖 Why grounding AI in verified medical data matters for accuracy and trust💬 How clinicians are using AI at the point of care today, and where they’re facing fatigue📚 How medical education will evolve when memorization matters less than critical thinking💡 Why patient-facing AI tools could help close the information gap between doctors and patients🚨 The biggest risks Holly sees ahead for AI in healthcare—About our guest: Holly Urban, MD, MBA has extensive experience in healthcare technology and believes in the power of evidence-based content to transform EHRs beyond transactional systems into tools that allow clinicians to provide improved patient outcomes. After practicing as a primary care pediatrician, Dr. Urban worked for several EHR technology and evidence-based content companies, and has served in healthcare IT leadership roles for over fifteen years. Before joining Wolters Kluwer Health, she served as CMIO at Oracle Cerner, Director of Product Management at MCG Health, and VP of Product Management at McKesson Horizon Clinicals.—Show Notes:AI in UpToDate: New Generative solutions for Medical ProfessionalsAI hallucinates more frequently as it gets more advanced — is there any way to stop it from happening, and should we even try? (LiveScience)Technology and healthcare costs (Annals of Pediatric Cardiology)—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok YouTubeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Most people spend over 30 hours a year dealing with customer service—on hold, repeating account numbers, and navigating endless phone trees. But what if AI could fix that without losing the human touch?Clay Bavor, co-founder of Sierra (now valued at $10B) and former VP at Google, joins us to explore how AI agents are reshaping how companies interact with customers and what that means for the most complex service industry in the world: healthcare.We cover:🧠 The difference between horizontal and. vertical AI solutions⚙️ If systems of action will take over systems of record (like Epic) in enterprise AI🫀 How empathy, tone, and even “voice sommeliers” help AI sound more human📉 The risks of AI job displacement (and the new roles emerging in its wake)🚀 Clay’s take on staying grounded as a unicorn entrepreneur when hype runs high in Silicon Valley—About our guest: Clay Bavor is a co-founder of Sierra, which helps businesses build better, more human customer experiences with AI. A visionary product leader and technologist, Clay spent 18 years at Google, where he spearheaded some of the company’s most innovative efforts. As head of Google Labs, he led teams working on forward-looking projects, including augmented and virtual reality, Project Starline, and Google Lens. Earlier, Clay oversaw the product and design teams for Gmail, Google Docs, Google Drive, and Google Apps for Enterprise (now Workspace), shaping tools used by billions worldwide. He also contributed to foundational Google products, including Search and advertising technologies.—🙏 If you're enjoying the show, we would so appreciate it if you left us a review!—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteTikTok (NEW!)LinkedInInstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This milestone 200th(!!!) episode of The Heart of Healthcare Podcast features none other than Dr. Tom X. Lee, the serial physician-founder behind Epocrates (acquired for $293M), One Medical (acquired by Amazon for $3.9B), and now Galileo, a tech-enabled medical group aiming to rewire care delivery from the ground up.We cover: 🧠 Why most doctors aren’t wired for management (and what traits he thinks translate to startup success)📉 How medical education is falling behind the pace of change in care delivery 💸 Why healthcare’s biggest barrier is economics, not culture🏥 What Galileo is doing differently to re-engineer care on the backend 📈 What founders need to understand about building for exit vs. impactAbout our guest: Tom is the CEO and visionary behind Galileo. Prior to Galileo, Tom helped build One Medical into the leading independent primary care system in the country, and previously helped launch Epocrates, the #1 mobile app used by clinicians at the point of care. Tom is a board-certified internist who completed training at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He received his BS from Yale University, his MD from the University of Washington School of Medicine, and his MBA from Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.—🥳 To celebrate this milestone of 200 episodes, we would so appreciate it if you left us a review!—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Happy Q4 Heart of Healthcare Listeners! We’re back with your monthly Digital Health Download, where we discuss the biggest industry headlines of the month. We cover: 💊 Pharm tariffs, D2C drug ads, and TrumpRx? 📉 The ACA tax credit standoff and how it could double premiums for millions 🛒 UnitedHealthcare’s new storefront and what it signals about point solution fatigue📈 The GLP-1 gold rush: Remedy’s $450M revenue, Virta’s $160M, and FDA’s warning shot ⚖️ The Doximity vs. Open Evidence lawsuit that could define AI IP 🤰 The acetaminophen-autism debate and why pregnant women deserve better data—Show notes:Virtual GLP-1 startups: Pill mills or the future of obesity care? (Halle Tecco)TrumpRx: A Prescription for Political Theater (Drugstore Cowboy)The future of metabolic health and weight loss drugs: Projecting mortality reductions in the US and UK populations (Swiss Re)The Latest in Maternal Health Fear Mongering? Tylenol (Vogue)—🙏 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 websiteTikTok (NEW!)LinkedInInstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Cancer drugs cost more than ever, yet survival benefits are often modest—and in some cases, patients can’t even access the care that already exists. After losing his father, Steve Jobs, to pancreatic cancer, Reed Jobs committed himself to making this the last generation that loses parents to the disease.Reed now leads Yosemite, a venture fund spun out of Emerson Collective in 2023, alongside Investor Matt Bettonville. Yosemite pairs life sciences and digital health investments with a grantmaking model to accelerate cancer research and ensure breakthroughs actually reach patients.We cover:📉 The tension between drug pricing, patient access, and real-world value🩺 Digital interventions that have outperformed cancer drugs in survival outcomes🧪 Why phase 3 clinical trials are so costly, and how synthetic control arms could change that🧬 The promise and limits of early detection—from liquid biopsies to at-home pap smears🌍 The global race for healthcare innovation and why the U.S. can’t afford to fall behindAbout our guests:Reed Jobs is an Investor at Yosemite and manages Yosemite. Yosemite works exclusively in the oncology space, using flexible capital to advance science with the goal of making cancer non-lethal in our lifetime. Over the years, Reed has supported hundreds of researchers and invested in dozens of therapeutic, diagnostic and digital health companies across the U.S. and Europe. Before the launch of Yosemite, Reed served as the Managing Director of Health at Emerson Collective. He serves on the board of directors at Conservation International, Harvard Medical School, PICI, Stanford Medicine and Waverley Street Foundation. Matt Bettonville is an Investor at Yosemite where he leads the team’s investment efforts in digital health and healthcare delivery. He previously worked on Emerson Collective’s Count Me In non-profit partnership with the Broad Institute. Matt started his career working on user interface software engineering at Apple, where he was on the Mac team and a part of the AirPods product team. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Stanford University with a focus in Human-Computer Interaction. Matt serves on the board of directors at Atropos, Maia Oncology, Turquoise Health, Count Me In and Getlabs. He serves as a board observer at Proximie. —🙏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 websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok If you're enjoying the show, would you please leave us a review? See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Some founders win support because of their product, others because of their story. In healthcare, where trust is everything, the ability to tell a compelling and authentic narrative can make or break a company.On this episode, Halle talks with longtime friend and colleague Christina Farr—reporter turned investor and now author of The Storyteller’s Advantage. Chrissy has spent thousands of hours hearing startup pitches, advising founders, and studying what makes certain stories resonate while others fall flat. She shares insights from her years as a journalist and investor, and lessons from her new book on how narrative power shapes companies and industries.We cover:📝 The three types of founder stories and why “personal experience” dominates in healthcare📉 Why failure stories are scarce in healthcare—and how that holds founders back🏆 The psychology of the underdog and how startups can use it to their advantage📰 The double-edged sword of media attention, especially for women leaders🎤 Why founder-led communications matter more than ever in an era of spammy PR pitchesAbout our guest:Christina Farr is an editor-in-chief of the health-tech newsletter Second Opinion, which has 40,000 subscribers. She advises startups as a national advisor with Manatt, and she's a GP with the fund Scrub Capital. Prior to that, she worked as an investor at OMERS Ventures and a journalist with CNBC, Fast Company, and Reuters News. Her debut book "The Storyteller's Advantage" is now available. She was born and raised in London, U.K., and resides in New York with her husband and two children. —If you're enjoying the show, we would so appreciate it if you left us a review!—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Thanks to improved accuracy and new form factors, wearables have evolved from novelty step counters to tools that can predict illness, nudge healthier behaviors, and even influence alcohol consumption. But can they really bridge the gap between consumer wellness and enterprise healthcare?In this episode, ŌURA CEO Tom Hale discusses the lessons his team has learned from developing one of the most widely used health-tracking devices. We explore what draws people to wearables, what sustains their engagement, and how these tools may be shaping behavior and healthcare itself. We cover:🕰️ The past, present, and future of wearables🩺 What it takes to build trust with users, clinicians, and payers🍷 The number one thing people do differently after wearing an Oura ring🔑 Unlocking behavior change, and which habits are most malleable🏥 Why payers and health systems are beginning to integrate wearables into care models—About our guest:Tom Hale is the Chief Executive Officer at ŌURA and a member of its board. As the CEO he sets the company’s business strategy and vision to make health a daily practice for members all over the world. He has over 30 years of experience across the technology and consumer product industry.Before joining ŌURA, Hale was president of Momentive where he drove B2B strategy and led product growth. During his time there he was instrumental in taking the company public in 2018, leading the team in key acquisitions, and driving the evolution and rebranding of the company into a multiple SAAS business. Previously, he held leadership roles at HomeAway and Linden Lab as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer, respectively, and held executive roles at Macromedia and Adobe.Hale has a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University and sits on the boards of Cars.com, RocketReach, and NoiseAware.—If you're enjoying the show, we would so appreciate it if you left us a review!—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
AI companies are hitting growth milestones in record time—some reaching $100 million in revenue in just two years. But while this pace feels familiar in tech, healthcare has always been slower to adopt new tools. That may finally be changing.Kent Bennett and Sofia Guerra of Bessemer Venture Partners join Steve Kraus to unpack findings from Bessemer’s State of AI 2025 report and what they mean for healthcare. From “supernovas” and “shooting stars” to the rise of systems of action, they explore how AI is reshaping not only software businesses but also the way doctors, health systems, and patients interact with technology.We cover:🚀 Why some AI companies are growing faster than the best SaaS businesses of the past decade🏥 How healthcare AI adoption is starting to catch up with other industries📊 The difference between systems of record and systems of action—and why it matters for doctors and patients🔎 Whether general-purpose models like ChatGPT will dominate healthcare search, or if specialized tools will win out⚖️ Why evals and data lineage may become make-or-break for safe AI deployment in healthcare—About our guests:Sofia Guerra is a vice president at Bessemer Venture Partners, where she invests in seed to growth healthcare and life sciences companies. She is the co-author of State of Health Tech report, Benchmarks for Growing Health Tech Business, and how to scale health tech businesses to $100M and beyond, a study of 100+ best-in-class companies to understand key metrics relevant for scalability in healthcare software and tech-enabled services.Sofia began her career as a consultant at Bain and Company, where she worked on strategy, operations, and due diligence projects across healthcare and technology.Prior to joining Bessemer, she was an investor at BoxGroup Ventures and the co-founder and co-president of Nucleate, a national life sciences entrepreneurship program helping PhDs, Post-docs, and students commercialize scientific projects.Sofia earned her MBA from Harvard Business School and her BA with high honors in Chemistry from Harvard University. While in school, she conducted research alongside Bob Langer, a serial entrepreneur and one of 12 Institute professors at MIT widely recognized for his contributions to drug delivery and tissue engineering fields.She was born and raised in Guatemala, went to boarding school in Singapore for the last few years of high school, and has traveled to over 35 countries. In her free time, she enjoys listening and dancing to reguetón and traveling to new places with her fiancé Alex.Kent Bennett is a partner in Bessemer’s Cambridge office focusing on B2B application software and consumer “earthquakes.”Before his career in venture capital, Kent was a creative executive for an entertainment production company, where he developed and sold original material including a network television pilot and a feature film. He began his career with Bain & Co., where he worked on projects in industries spanning IT, retail, consumer products, healthcare, and biotech.Kent earned an MBA from Harvard Business School, where he was a Baker Scholar, and graduated summa cum laude in systems engineering from the University of Virginia, where he was a Jefferson Scholar.—🙏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.—If you're enjoying the show, we would so appreciate it if you left us a review!—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Healthcare’s “back-to-school” season delivered no shortage of big headlines! From Epic’s big leap into AI to a looming insurance “blood bath,” Steve and Michael break down the stories that shaped digital health this month.We cover:🖥 Epic’s 200 new AI “colleagues” and what it means for the battle between systems of record vs. systems of action💼 Why healthcare CEOs are cashing record paychecks despite shaky stock performance📉 The warning signs of soaring insurance premiums and their political fallout heading into 2026🤖 Hospitals turning to robots to fill critical workforce gaps⚖ The wild policy divide on how AI should (or shouldn’t) be allowed to practice medicine🎧 How an AI-powered stethoscope could change the way GPs catch heart disease—🙏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 websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok SubstackSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Healthcare costs keep climbing, and yet patients and employers often feel powerless to change the system. What if outsiders—those not steeped in the traditions of healthcare—are actually the ones best positioned to fix it?This special episode is a reshare from The Benefits Playbook podcast, where Halle joins Collective Health CEO Ali Diab. Together, they unpack what it takes to make health benefits simpler, more transparent, and more consumer-focused.We cover:🏥 The growing “consumer awakening” in healthcare and what it means for employers🧾 How Ali’s personal fight with insurance denials led to building a new kind of health company💡 Why outsiders can sometimes see solutions insiders overlook🤖 Where AI can actually improve care—and where human advocates are still indispensable💊 The GLP-1 dilemma for employers balancing access, equity, and costAbout our guest:Ali Diab is the CEO and Co-Founder of Collective Health, the World’s leading independent third-party health benefit plan administrator (TPA), integrating AI-powered health plan administration, health benefit plan member navigation and advocacy, and digital benefits hub.Ali has more than 25 years of experience leading high-growth technology organizations, and prior to co-founding Collective Health, was Vice President of Product Management and Business Operations at AdMob by Google. Previously, Ali held executive and management positions at Goldman Sachs, Microsoft, and Yahoo!. Ali is a graduate of Stanford and Oxford Universities and is a Member of the Board of Advisors of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR).—🙏 If you're enjoying the show, we would so appreciate it if you left us a review!—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Hospitals are under immense pressure: burned-out clinicians, outdated systems, and rising costs have made delivering care harder than ever. Tanay Tandon, founder and CEO of Commure, shares how his team is rethinking hospital infrastructure by combining AI, forward-deployed engineering, and a provider-first mindset. Backed by over $750M in funding, Commure is using strategic M&A and next-gen tools like ambient AI to reduce administrative burden, improve revenue cycle operations, and protect clinical staff.We cover:📉 How Commure grew claims volume 5x without hiring more staff🧠 Why the “copilot” era of AI may give way to true automation in back-office tasks🏥 Tanay’s prediction for a simpler, decentralized hospital system—powered by software💰 What it means to take capital from General Catalyst’s Health Assurance Fund and build for its customer network📰 How Commure navigated negative press around its business model and acquisitions—About our guest:Tanay Tandon is CEO at Commure, a $6B healthcare software company. The business uses LLMs to help supercharge the productivity of clinicians, healthcare administrators, and finance teams. Commure has raised over $500 million, is backed by Sequoia Capital, General Catalyst, Initialized, YCombinator, and NVIDIA. The company’s technology powers daily workflows for 250,000 providers at over 100 major health systems.—🙏 If you're enjoying the show, we would so appreciate it if you left us a review!—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
One in four Americans is enrolled in Medicaid, yet the system designed to support them is constantly at risk—underfunded, politically vulnerable, and often overlooked.Dr. Alastair Bell, President and CEO of Boston Medical Center Health System, shares how his organization is reimagining what it means to care for underserved populations, while managing nearly 40% of Massachusetts’ Medicaid enrollees. In this conversation, we explore the financial realities of running an “essential” hospital system, the opportunities and pitfalls of Medicaid ACOs, and why AI might deepen inequity if essential providers are left behind.We cover: 🏥 What makes an “essential” hospital system (and why the term matters) 📊 How BMC manages risk across one of the largest Medicaid plans in New ⚖️ Why risk adjustment in Medicaid populations is still falling short 💊 What the 340B drug pricing program really means for safety-net hospitals 🧠 The promise (and peril) of AI in essential care settings—About our guest:Dr. Alastair Bell oversees the comprehensive system strategy and operations of BMCHS' entities, including BMC, Boston Accountable Care Organization, Clearway Health, and the WellSense Health Plan.Prior to joining in 2012, Dr. Bell was a leader in the North American payor and provider practice at McKinsey and Company, advising a range of national and international healthcare organizations and leading large-scale transformation programs. He received his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Oxford, his Master of Arts in physiology from the University of Cambridge, and his Master of Business Administration with distinction from Harvard Business School. Dr. Bell currently serves as co-chair of the board for the Boston Children’s Chorus.—🙏 If you're enjoying the show, we would so appreciate it if you left us a review!—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Three simple questions plague every American seeking healthcare: Where should I go? When can I be seen? And how much will it cost me? Despite seeming basic, these questions have remained largely unanswerable—until now.In this episode, we explore how Heather Fernandez, co-founder and CEO of Solv, is building the infrastructure behind same-day care for 210 million Americans. We discuss how AI is finally cracking the code on price transparency and why workflow complexity can be a competitive moat in healthcare.We cover: 💰 Why price transparency has been so elusive and how AI tools are positioned to finally solve it 🤖 How AI is eliminating "garbage work" and turning front desk staff into healthcare superheroes ⚡ Why workflow expertise is a durable advantage for healthcare startups🚀 How to build a culture of AI at your startup💡 Why "intractable" problems may now be solvable—About our guest: Heather Fernandez is the CEO and co-founder of Solv Health, a leading platform redefining access to everyday healthcare. Solv connects consumers with a national network of providers, enabling same-day appointment availability and price transparency for patients across the country. For providers, the Solv platform acts as a growth copilot, leveraging AI to eliminate unnecessary administrative work, optimize existing capacity, and modernize the patient experience through our voice agent Maya and ClearPay price transparency. Solv integrates with EHR systems to streamline scheduling, intake, messaging, patient payments, and insights. To date, Solv has powered over 100 million visits nationwide with providers like Yale New Haven Health, GoHealth and ZoomCare.Heather has built her career around intuitive, transparent consumer experiences, previously helping scale Trulia through its acquisition by Zillow. She serves on Atlassian’s Board of Directors and is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Stanford GSB.—🙏 If you're enjoying the show, we would so appreciate it if you left us a review!—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
A new federal law is reshaping how healthcare is paid for and delivered in America.In this episode, Steve sits down with health policy expert Joe Mercer to unpack the details of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. It’s the most significant healthcare legislation since the ACA, with ripple effects across Medicaid, rural hospitals, and the ACA exchange.We cover: 🧾 What Medicaid work requirements could mean for coverage and churn 🏥 Why safety-net and rural hospitals are bracing for impact 💸 How changes to provider taxes and state-directed payments shift funding dynamics 📉 What happens when ACA subsidies start to expire 🧰 Where there may be operational opportunities for coverage tech and patient engagement solutions—About our guest:Joseph Mercer - Managing Director, Marwood Group is a senior healthcare policy subject matter expert with Marwood and is the firm leader for healthcare services coverage out of Marwood's Washington DC Office. Additionally, Mr. Mercer operates as a firm leader across Marwood's DC-focused research coverage, policy diligence support and retainer practice offerings. Prior to joining Marwood in 2015, Mr. Mercer worked at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) serving as a Program Analyst at the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO). From his tenure at CMS, Mr. Mercer brings with him substantial expertise covering government health insurance programs with a focus on ACA exchange, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid policy issues and catalysts. Mr. Mercer holds a JD from Washington & Lee University School of Law and a BA in Economics from the College of William and Mary.—🙏 If you're enjoying the show, we would so appreciate it if you left us a review!—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Fresh off a $243 million fundraise from Oak HC/FT and A16Z, Ambience Healthcare is on a mission to kill medical billing — and build “Iron Man suits for doctors.”Today we sit down with co-founder and CEO Mike Ng to talk about how Ambience is tackling one of healthcare’s most painful problems: the administrative burden that eats up 73% of a clinician’s day. We cover: 🏥 How Ambience tackles both clinical documentation and medical coding simultaneously (and why this dual approach was initially controversial with investors) 📊 The metrics he obsesses over to know if they’re succeeding🎯 Why specialty-specific AI models outperform general-purpose solutions in complex medical subspecialties 📈 Real-world results from Cleveland Clinic's five-way ambient listening comparison study—About our guest: Mike Ng is the co-founder and CEO of Ambience Healthcare, developing AI-powered clinical documentation platforms for healthcare providers. Before starting Ambience, Mike ran a care delivery organization, giving him firsthand insights into the challenges of healthcare operations, physician management, and the gap between software demos and real-world implementation. His experience spans both the operational and technological sides of healthcare, informing Ambience's approach to building AI solutions that work seamlessly within existing clinical workflows.—🙏 If you're enjoying the show, we would so appreciate it if you left us a review!—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Dexcom generates more than $4 billion in annual revenue and has a market cap north of $30 billion, making it one of the biggest digital health companies in the world. And it all started with a better way to measure blood sugar.In this episode, Halle is joined by Kevin Sayer, CEO of Dexcom, the company that pioneered continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). Under Kevin’s leadership, Dexcom scaled from $40 million to $4 billion in revenue, became the standard of care for people with diabetes, and is now expanding into consumer wellness with its direct-to-consumer product, Stelo.We cover:📈 How Dexcom scaled 100x without relying on acquisitions📱 Why real-time glucose data is so powerful—and who needs it beyond diabetes🤝 Building trust with both doctors and patients⚖️ What GLP-1s mean for Dexcom’s business📦 The shift from regulated med device to consumer tech📊 The future of metabolic health (and what else their sensors might measure next)—About our guest:Kevin Sayer is the Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Dexcom.Kevin assumed the role of CEO in January 2015 and became Chairman of the Board in July 2018. Kevin has also served as our President since 2011. He held the role of Chief Operating Officer from January 2013 until January 2015. Kevin has served as a member of Dexcom’s Board of Directors beginning in November 2007, prior to his role as Chairman and CEO.Prior to leading Dexcom, Kevin held various management positions in his prior roles. He served as Chief Financial Officer of Biosensors International Group, Ltd., Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Specialty Laboratories, Inc., Chief Financial Officer of MiniMed, Inc., and Vice President and General Manager of Medtronic MiniMed after the acquisition of MiniMed by Medtronic.Kevin is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) and received a Bachelor’s degree and a Master's degree in Accounting and Information Systems from Brigham Young University.—🙏 If you're enjoying the show, we would so appreciate it if you left us a review!—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
More than a thousand AI medical devices have FDA clearance, yet fewer than two percent of radiologists actually use them.In this episode, Steve sits down with Dr. Brian Anderson—CEO and co‑founder of the Coalition for Health AI—to unpack why trust, transparency, and regulation could make or break the next wave of AI‑powered medicine.We cover:🤖 Why only 2% of radiologists use AI tools despite 1,000+ FDA‑cleared devices🔍 What transparency really means and how model cards act like AI “nutrition labels”🏛️ How federal vs. state regulators could speed up—or stall—AI‑driven care💊 The imminent arrival of autonomous AI doctors that prescribe meds—and who’s liable when things go wrong🚑 Brian’s bullish vs. bearish scenarios for health AI over the next three yearsAbout our guest: Dr. Brian Anderson is President and CEO of the Coalition for Health AI (CHAI), leading the development of technical standards and best practices for MLOps in healthcare, including governance, evaluation, and monitoring in Health AI Assurance Labs. Previously, he was Chief Digital Health Physician at MITRE, where he led initiatives like Advancing Clinical Trials at the Point of Care (ACT@POC) and co-led MITRE’s largest oncology R&D effort supporting the Cancer Moonshot.A recognized expert in digital health and Health AI, Dr. Anderson has led work in clinical decision support, interoperability, and health IT standards. He formerly led the Informatics and Network Medicine Division at Athenahealth and has served on national health IT committees with the ONC. He earned his MD with honors from Harvard Medical School, a BA in Social Anthropology from Harvard College, trained at Massachusetts General Hospital, and practiced at Greater Lawrence Family Health Center. He lives in the Boston area with his wife and three children.—🙏 If you're enjoying the show, we would so appreciate it if you left us a review!—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
When Andrew Lacy launched Prenuvo, the medical establishment largely dismissed it as fringe. Now, some of those same skeptics are collaborating with him on research.In this episode, Halle and Michael sit down with Andrew, founder and CEO of Prenuvo, to unpack what it takes to build trust in an unconventional idea. He opens up about how a moment of personal reckoning led him to pivot from tech to healthcare—and why he believes early detection should be a fundamental right.We cover:📊 How they’ve built the world’s largest dataset of whole-body MRI imaging, and what they’re doing with that data✨ What happens when Kim Kardashian shares about your company on social media, unprompted💡 Going from being dismissed by the medical establishment to forming major research partnerships🧠 What Prenuvo’s dataset is revealing about early disease markers, brain perfusion, and aging📈 The economics of prevention vs. treatment—and why large employers are on their minds—About our guest:Andrew Lacy is the CEO and founder of Prenuvo, the leading proactive whole-body MRI. With a mission to redefine healthcare through proactive screening, Prenuvo has become the forefront of preventive medicine. Since its inception, the company has conducted over 100,000 scans, alerting 2.5-5% of patients to life-threatening conditions, from aneurysms to lesions to tumors. This achievement solidifies Prenuvo as the largest private provider of whole-body MRI, pioneering a new standard in proactive healthcare.A seasoned entrepreneur, Lacy has a proven track record of transforming bold ideas into industry-defining ventures. He played a pivotal role in developing the iPhone apps ecosystem as co-founder of Tapulous, a mobile app company later acquired by the Walt Disney Company. Beyond his entrepreneurial pursuits, Lacy’s career spans high-impact roles in strategy, finance, and product development at global institutions, including McKinsey & Company and Disney.In addition to leading Prenuvo, Lacy is an active advisor and investor in a diverse range of startups, applying his entrepreneurial expertise to help the next generation of innovators. With a passion for leveraging technology to improve lives, Lacy is shaping a healthcare future that prioritizes early detection, prevention, and patient empowerment.Show Notes: This is not a sponsored show, but our guest has generously provided a discount code for listeners. Take $300 off your Prenuvo scan with our listener code: Prenuvo.com/HOH —🙏 Thanks to Flexpa for sponsoring this episode. Flexpa is refactoring healthcare. Connect to 300+ health plans through a single, secure integration to access patient-consented, identified claims data instantly.—📍 Connect with us:Heart of Healthcare websiteLinkedInInstagramTikTok See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.























It's definitely an excellent episode of your awesome podcast. thank you for sharing it. I'd like to know how can I find the script? I mean if this could be possible for non native speakers, it would be great! anyway, keep up the good work 💪🧠