Embodying the future of better health

We cannot solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them. To build a new health system, we need to shift our mindset. Healthcare has traditionally been organized around centralized hospital systems where doctors hold all our records and data. In this episode, we imagine a decentralized approach that relies on trusted community networks and empowers us to own and control our health data. We are joined by leaders Dr. Peter Azmi, Rebecca Owens, and Erica Stanford from our Bowhead futures community who share how these mindsets are already shifting in their communities across Canada, US, and UK. Peter and Rebecca bring over 20 years of experience as digital health entrepreneurs, and help us understand what’s required to move healthcare into home and community based settings. We also explore how technologies like blockchain and cryptocurrencies are powering decentralized approaches to finance, and how we might bring these approaches to our health system. Erica reminds us that this work is a collective effort, and shares how founding the Crypto Curry Club in the UK has helped leaders across industries tackle this mission together. 

One of the greatest anchors for our health is joy and human connection. In this episode, we focus on the lessons we can learn from communities who have supported better health and happiness for their members. Rhea shares leadership lessons from her experiences co-founding Reset: a community designed to inspire us to digitally disconnect to reconnect with ourselves. Gina shares insights into how The On Canada Project’s emphasis on community has powered their organic growth to over 100k Instagram followers in 1 year. We also pull in insights from our interview with Andrea Syrtash, who launched Pregnantish after her own pregnancy struggles. Pregnantish is now building community-driven programs to help doctors better serve their patients. Finally, we tackle how digital apps can further empower patient communities drawing on our learnings from building our app, Better By Bowhead. We end with a meditation to help all of us connect to the healing power of community. We especially want to support innovators --- doctors, technologists, systems leaders --- move from head to heart and bring more community values into how we design healthcare today.  Join our futures community to keep learning with us!

Before we dive any deeper, we want to pause and talk about the P word: Privacy. We share our reflections on the ongoing privacy debate and what we have to keep in mind when it comes to protecting our precious health data. We unpack Apple’s latest privacy developments and bring in privacy expert and product designer Javier Augera who shares how our “invisible” relationship with data has given us a false sense of comfort. Join Rhea, Gina, and Javier as they help us build our cybershield and stay safe while living better.  Diver deeper in our futures library at www.bowheadhealth.com/futures.

There are over 50k+ health apps or wearables on the market today. Which ones are right for you? As you flow into your new normal, how can you harness these new supports? We share powerful coaching techniques that can help you step into better health, how digital tools can create access to holistic health, and how wearables we use to help us live better. We also share our favourite insights from our interview with Mette Dyhrberg, an economist turned diagnostician that used data to heal herself back to health after battling 6 different autoimmune diseases. Since founding MyMee in 2017, she has helped 1000+ patients manage their health. Join Rhea, Gina, and Mette as they unpack how digital tools can help us embody the future of better health. Dive deeper into our full interview with Mette at www.bowheadhealth.com/futures.

Join your hosts Dr. Rhea Mehta and Gina Uppal, as they help us navigate our changing healthcare system. We’ll help you digest the latest health news and digital debates, always moving from head to heart so you understand what it all means for you.

Our stories inform our perspectives. Before we dream about the future, it’s important to reflect on the past. Gina and Rhea share the lived experiences they carry into this series, and how the collective stories of our communities will be critical in shaping healthcare. As we share our point-of-view (POV), we encourage you to reflect on your own and what stories influence your understanding of health and wellness. We need all these perspectives around the table to envision a healthcare system that works for everyone.