In this episode, they talk about:

• HIPAA only covers covered entities and business associates, meaning most consumer health apps have little obligation to protect your data
• The CMS Medicare App Library is a vetted directory of trusted digital health apps, and DirectTrust is helping validate which apps earn a spot in it
• When CMS moves, the rest of the industry follows, making this app library a trust signal far beyond Medicare beneficiaries
• DirectTrust's AI accreditation program is built on the NIST AI Risk Management Framework and assessed by independent third-party reviewers
• The program will offer two tiers: a foundational version for organizations early in their AI journey and a comprehensive version for those with greater maturity
• The four pillars of the AI accreditation program are governance, management, mapping, and measurement
• AI is unlike any other technology implementation because it touches every aspect of an organization simultaneously
• DirectTrust's annual conference is October 20th and 21st in Kansas City at the Oracle Innovations Campus

A Little About Kathryn:

Kathryn Ayers Wickenhauser, MBA, FACHDM, CHPC, is Chief Strategy Officer at DirectTrust®, the national non-profit alliance and accreditor building trust in healthcare technology and secure information exchange. With nearly two decades of advancing interoperability, identity, privacy, and technical trust, she leads community engagement, communications, and strategic partnerships, shaping national standards and policy. Kathryn is a recognized thought leader featured in outlets like Healthcare IT Today and Health IT Answers, and under her leadership, DirectTrust has earned multiple HITMC awards, including Marketing Team of the Year in 2025. She has been named among the Top 50 Women Chief Strategy Officers and Becker’s 100 Women in Health IT to Know.

Nick Mortek, Strategic Consultant at Vouched. They have a practical and energizing conversation about one of the most underestimated problems in telehealth: patient identity verification. Matt built MyStart Health to help patients access GLP-1 medications and other telehealth services, only to discover that a clunky ID upload process was costing him nearly 28% of his patients before they ever got started. Nick and the Vouched team solved that problem in under a month and delivered a 40% net impact to the business. If you are building or running a telehealth product and wondering why your funnel is leaking, this episode has the answer.

Telehealth funnels bleed revenue at identity verification. Telehealth provider MyStart Health boosted patient intake through passive identity checks with Vouched identity verification, keeping high-intent buyers on their platform.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Up to 40 to 50% of telehealth patients drop out of the funnel at the ID upload step alone
• Vouched runs passive identity verification through 3,000 data providers in under 400 milliseconds
• MyStart Health saw a 20% increase in front-end conversion and a 20% improvement in backend verification after implementing Vouched
• The total impact was a 40% net swing to the bottom line in the first month
• Implementation can take as little as a few days for agile teams and no more than two weeks for larger organizations
• Patients are more comfortable with low-friction passive verification than with uploading sensitive documents to an unknown system
• Trust is the real product in telehealth, and every touchpoint in the patient journey either builds it or destroys it
• The future of healthcare is a personalized, data-rich hub connecting blood work, DNA, connected devices, and medications into one patient experience

A Little About Matt and Nick:

Matthew Stern is the CEO and founder of MyStart Health, a rapidly growing telehealth company focused on improving patient access, engagement, and long-term health outcomes. A seasoned entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience building and scaling businesses across multiple industries, Matthew brings deep expertise in customer acquisition, brand growth, and digital marketing. At MyStart Health, he is pioneering a more personalized, data-driven healthcare experience—leveraging technology, telehealth, and emerging treatments to help patients take greater control of their health and longevity.

Nick Mortek is a Strategic Consultant at Vouched, where he helps healthcare and digital health organizations implement secure, low-friction identity verification solutions. With a background rooted in financial services and identity technology, Nick specializes in helping companies streamline patient onboarding, reduce fraud, and improve conversion across digital experiences. At Vouched, he works closely with founders and product teams to build trust-driven, HIPAA-compliant verification systems that enhance both security and user experience in the evolving telehealth landscape.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Why healthcare generates massive amounts of data but struggles to use it effectively
• The core problem: lack of trust in data due to poor identity resolution
• What it means when one patient exists as 10 different records across systems
• How fragmented identity impacts patient experience and clinical outcomes
• The connection between clean data and successful AI adoption
• Why consumers are driving change with higher expectations for digital experiences
• The role of identity in enabling true interoperability across organizations
• How Verato creates a single longitudinal view of patients across thousands of data sources
• The impact of identity on reducing duplicate tests, costs, and delays in care
• Why this moment—AI + regulation + consumer demand—is a tipping point for healthcare

A Little About Clay:

Clay Ritchey is the Chief Executive Officer of Verato. Clay brings more than 20 years of experience driving growth and innovation in market-leading healthcare technology organizations to Verato. As CEO, Clay is passionate about working with healthcare, life science, and government organizations across the care continuum to transform the way that consumers and patients engage with them to build deeper relationships resulting in improved outcomes and sustainable growth for our customers.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Why most healthcare AI projects never reach production
• The real meaning behind the SONG framework
• How data silos slow down hospital decision-making
• Turning weeks of analysis into minutes with AI
• The hidden cost of poor workflow integration
• Why governance must be built in from day one
• The importance of designing for real-world healthcare systems
• How ChartR enables continuous analytics across hospital data
• What agent drift is and why it matters long term
• The role of partnerships in building scalable AI products

A Little About Tushar and Sebastian:

Tushar Puri is the Founder and CEO of Pegasus One, where he helps organizations build scalable AI and software products that actually make it to production. With more than 15 years in product engineering, he specializes in bridging the gap between technical innovation and real-world implementation, especially in healthcare.

Sebastian Ouslis

 is the Co-Founder of ChartR, an AI-driven healthcare analytics platform focused on turning complex clinical data into real-time insights. His work centers on using AI to help hospitals continuously learn, adapt, and improve patient outcomes.

In this episode, Web Golinkin, President at Babson Diagnostics, discusses how his company is reinventing blood testing with a patient-friendly, fingertip-based system. He explains why traditional venipuncture drives anxiety and non-adherence, and how BetterWay improves both experience and outcomes. He also shares how automation and simplified workflows reduce operational burden and expand access points for care. Finally, he explores why patient experience is becoming the key competitive differentiator in ambulatory healthcare.

Tune in to learn how rethinking a decades-old process could unlock better care, better business, and better patient engagement.

About Web Golinkin:

Web Golinkin has focused his career on making health information and care more accessible and affordable. He has done this as CEO of five companies over the past 35 years, including three he co-founded.

These companies include the largest cable TV network devoted to health (America’s Health Network), one of the nation’s largest operators of retail-based clinics (RediClinic), a leading population health management company (Health Dialog), and one of the nation’s largest operators of urgent care clinics (FastMed). Web also co- founded the Convenient Care Association and served as its Chair for many years. He has been widely covered in the national media and has spoken at numerous healthcare conferences.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Blood testing drives around 70% of medical decisions but has not fundamentally changed in decades.
• About one-third of patients skip testing due to discomfort or inconvenience.
• BetterWay uses a fingerstick method and requires 90% less blood.
• The system eliminates the need for a phlebotomist, enabling more flexible staffing.
• Automated sample preparation reduces errors and manual workload.
• The approach is backed by extensive validation, including IRB studies and peer-reviewed data.
• With an NPS of 79, compared to negative industry scores, it delivers a significantly better patient experience while supporting ambulatory growth, reducing leakage, and improving chronic disease management.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Web Golinkin on LinkedIn, visit his website, or reach out via email.
• Follow Babson Diagnostics on LinkedIn and explore their website.
• Learn more about BetterWay here.

In this episode, Matt Roberts, Healthcare Business Lead at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, discusses how AI-native networking is changing the role of infrastructure in healthcare. He explains why traditional networks have created operational blind spots, how self-driving network capabilities can improve user experience and security, and why modernizing infrastructure is no longer just about keeping systems running. Matt also shares how the Juniper acquisition expands HPE’s ability to support healthcare providers across data center networking, AI-ready environments, and built-in security, while also opening new possibilities for asset tracking, wayfinding, staff safety, and more proactive IT operations.

Tune in to learn how smarter networking could help healthcare organizations modernize infrastructure without compromising care delivery.

About Matt Roberts:
Matt Roberts is a healthcare industry leader focused on helping provider, payer, and life sciences organizations modernize their networking infrastructure to support better user and operator experiences. His background spans healthcare IT, business development, sales strategy, and digital transformation, with a strong emphasis on making the network a more intelligent and proactive part of healthcare operations.

Before his current role, Matt served in healthcare leadership positions at Juniper Networks, Brocade, and Cerner, where he helped shape go-to-market strategies, lead healthcare business development, support large-scale implementations, and build strategic partner ecosystems across the industry. His work has consistently centered on helping healthcare organizations reduce complexity while improving performance, security, and infrastructure readiness.

Things You’ll Learn:

• AI-native networking can help remove blind spots and make the network more proactive, secure, and easier to operate. 
• The cost of inaction can be just as risky as the fear of disrupting care during modernization efforts. 
• Built-in security and policy-driven infrastructure are becoming essential as healthcare organizations prepare for more digital and AI-powered environments. 
• Modern networks can support far more than connectivity, including wayfinding, asset tracking, and staff safety use cases. 
• User experience is becoming a central metric for evaluating network performance and value. 
• Partner ecosystems remain critical for helping healthcare organizations navigate infrastructure and security transformation.
  Digital twins and virtual network assistants are likely to play a growing role in future IT operating models.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Matt Roberts on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Hewlett Packard Enterprise. 

In this episode, they talk about:

• Most health plans moved to the cloud without actually taking advantage of what the cloud can do
• Batch processing is still the norm in healthcare, and it is the root cause of most administrative delays
• Platform-centric thinking means cloud-native architecture, reusable data, event-driven workflows, and composability
• Provider credentialing that takes two to three months today could be reduced to one week with the right platform
• Helix targets a 40% reduction in IT operations costs and a 50 to 60% reduction in workflow fallouts
• True digital-native health plans do not exist yet, and that is exactly the gap Helix is built to close
• Tier two and tier three health plans without large digital transformation budgets are the ideal Helix candidates
• The next big challenge is using AI at scale in production while keeping outcomes deterministic, not probabilistic

A Little About Vadiraj:

Senior Health-tech and IT Consulting professional with 23+ years of experience in software development, project management, sales, and delivery of strategic consulting engagements, product and solution development for the payer segment of US healthcare. He partners with senior executives to address their business and technology needs through innovative solutions, resulting in IT efficiencies and business outcomes.

As Business Head of Platforms at Infosys Healthcare, he is responsible for ideating and developing digital-native, AI- and cloud-run business applications. In this role, he also partners with other healthcare start-ups and academic institutions to industrialize their research and solve problems for large healthcare payers.

In this episode, Kshitij Jaggi discusses why healthcare’s digital tools have failed to improve efficiency and how agentic AI can transform operations by completing work rather than creating more of it. He explains the critical difference between task automation and system-level orchestration, and why administrative bottlenecks, such as prior authorizations, delay care. He also explores how governance, traceability, and new oversight roles are essential for responsible AI adoption. Finally, he shares how throughput should define ROI and unlock better outcomes across the healthcare system.

Tune in to learn how AI can eliminate friction, improve access to care, and reshape the future of healthcare operations. 

About Kshitij Jaggi:

Co-founder and CEO of RISA Labs, Kshitij (KJ) leads the company’s mission to accelerate oncology innovation through data-driven collaboration and transformative technology.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Most healthcare software fails because it adds work for users instead of reducing it, making time the primary barrier to adoption.
• True transformation in healthcare requires system-level orchestration rather than isolated task automation.
• Embedding clinical intelligence into administrative workflows reduces errors, delays, and inefficiencies in care delivery.
• Administrative processes are the biggest source of friction in healthcare systems.
• Integrating agentic AI with EMR systems can significantly increase throughput in a labor-constrained healthcare environment.
• Long-term success depends on platform-based solutions, governance and oversight of AI, and measuring ROI through throughput, timeliness of care, and reduced treatment leakage while enabling more seamless care and faster innovation.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Kshitij Jaggi on LinkedIn.
• Follow RISA Labs on LinkedIn and visit their website.

In this episode, Jason Considine, President of Experian Health, discusses shifting the industry's focus from denial management to denial prevention by leveraging AI at the point of registration. He discusses the implementation of the Patient Access Curator, a tool that automates insurance discovery and validation to reduce human error and administrative costs. He also explains how Experian leverages rich data assets, such as employment data, to help providers navigate new regulatory requirements, such as the OBBA. This episode explores the mission of leveraging advanced technology to eliminate administrative waste, enabling resources to be redeployed into direct patient care.

Tune in to start from the start with denial prevention. 

About Jason Considine:

Jason Considine is the President of Experian Health, having taken the helm in April 2025. He previously served as the Chief Commercial Officer for more than 3 years, leading sales, marketing, and business development. With nearly 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, Jason is dedicated to using data analytics and software solutions to simplify administrative processes for hospitals and medical practices.

Things You'll Learn: 

• How Experian Health aims to simplify healthcare by improving the efficiency of how providers are reimbursed by patients and payers.
• The industry shift from costly back-end denial management to proactive denial prevention by leveraging AI at the point of registration.
• How the Patient Access Curator tool automates insurance discovery and updates registration systems in seconds to reduce denials by over 30%.
• The importance of transparency in AI to build trust and unlock the "black box" of decision-making in highly regulated healthcare environments.
• How providers can prepare for the OBBA regulation by using employment data to automate Medicaid qualification decisions.
• Why the AI "arms race" between payers and providers makes adopting intelligent automation essential for an organization to thrive and survive.

Resources: 

• Connect with and follow Jason Considine on LinkedIn.
• Follow Experian Health on LinkedIn and explore their website.

In this episode, Peter Bonis, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Wolters Kluwer Health, explores how his team is developing reliable, evidence-based AI tools to support frontline clinicians without compromising trust or safety. He explains why clinicians are adopting AI faster than health systems can govern it, creating risks like the rise of “shadow AI.” Peter highlights the importance of transparency, human oversight, and trusted source material in ensuring safe clinical decision support. He also discusses how even experts can be influenced by faulty AI output and why governance models must evolve with frontline input to keep pace.

Tune in and learn how healthcare leaders can approach AI governance more responsibly while still supporting innovation at the point of care.

About Peter Bonis:

Peter A.L. Bonis, MD, is Chief Medical Officer at Wolters Kluwer Health, where he serves on the executive leadership team and oversees content, informatics, and industry partnerships. He was also part of the founding group at UpToDate, which grew into one of the world’s leading evidence-based clinical knowledge resources. 

Dr. Bonis is a physician entrepreneur and academic leader with more than 25 years of experience in healthcare. At Wolters Kluwer Health, he leads teams spanning physicians, pharmacists, engineers, informaticists, and business development professionals focused on clinical content, drug information, and patient engagement solutions. He is also an adjunct professor of medicine in the division of gastroenterology at Tufts University School of Medicine and previously served on the faculty at Yale University School of Medicine.

His background also includes healthcare investing, advisory work with venture capital and private equity firms, more than 70 published research articles, and the co-founding of the UpToDate donations program in partnership with Ariadne Labs to expand access in low- and middle-income countries. He earned his AB from Harvard University and his MD from New York University. 

Things You’ll Learn:

• AI in healthcare must be grounded in trusted evidence, transparency, and human oversight to be safe for clinical use. 
• Shadow AI is already creating enterprise-level risk as clinicians and staff adopt unvetted tools outside formal governance structures.
• Even experienced specialists may not reliably detect faulty AI-generated clinical information when it appears credible.
• Healthcare leaders need governance models that focus on safety, privacy, compliance, and real clinical value rather than hype.
• Effective AI governance must be iterative and shaped by input from frontline clinicians who understand how these tools affect care delivery.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Dr. Peter Bonis on LinkedIn!
• Follow Walters Kluwer Health on LinkedIn and visit their website.

In this episode, Dilpreet Sahota, CEO and founder of Trek Health, discusses how his company is helping health systems and health plans turn price transparency data into a strategic tool for payer negotiations. He explains why publicly available reimbursement data is still difficult to use in practice, how AI can simplify both massive pricing datasets and highly complex payer contracts, and why providers need a clearer benchmarking strategy as reimbursement pressures continue to shift. He also shares his perspective on trust, validation, and explainability in AI, along with a future vision in which providers negotiate with greater clarity, and patients can better predict the true cost of care before receiving services.

Tune in to learn how better reimbursement intelligence could reduce friction, strengthen negotiation strategy, and increase transparency for both providers and patients.

About Dilpreet Sahota:
Dilpreet Sahota is the CEO and founder of Trek Health, a company focused on building healthcare payment products that help organizations better understand reimbursement, contracts, and market benchmarks. Since founding Trek Health in 2022, he has worked to make price transparency data more usable for healthcare finance leaders and provider organizations navigating payer negotiations.

Before launching Trek Health, Dilpreet held roles across healthcare growth, analytics, operations, and research, including work at Big Health, Health IQ, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Stanford University School of Medicine. He holds an M.Sc. from Stanford University and a B.A. from the University of California, Berkeley.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Price transparency data is now public, but it is still difficult for providers and payers to access and use strategically. 
• AI can help sift through massive pricing datasets and extract key terms from payer contracts in seconds rather than hours. 
• Providers need plan-specific reimbursement strategies instead of treating all payer relationships the same way.
• Trust in AI depends on validation, sourcing, auditability, and the ability to trace outputs back to underlying truth.
• Lower-cost outpatient alternatives will likely play a major role in reducing total cost of care over the next decade.
• A more mature transparency ecosystem could help patients predict healthcare costs much more accurately before treatment.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Dilpreet Sahota on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Trek Health on LinkedIn and visit the website here. 

In this episode, Ted Ferrin, Senior Vice President of Payments Innovation at Zelis, explains how the acquisition of Rivet is bringing provider-facing payment intelligence into Zelis’s broader infrastructure. He discusses why achieving financial clarity between payers and providers has been so difficult due to fragmented systems and legacy technology. Ted highlights that true transparency goes beyond simply displaying data and requires meaningful, actionable insights. He also shares how tools like Claims Insights and Zap Edge embed intelligence into payment workflows to reduce rework, improve visibility, and create a smoother experience for providers, payers, and patients.

Tune in and learn how better payment intelligence could help turn transparency from a buzzword into real operational trust. 

About Ted Ferrin:

Ted Ferrin is Senior Vice President of Payments Innovation at Zelis, where he focuses on building solutions that improve healthcare payments and strengthen financial clarity for providers. He joined Zelis through its acquisition of Rivet, the company he founded and led as CEO for more than eight years. Before Rivet, Ted held leadership and sales roles at Canopy, Instructure, and Qualtrics. His work has centered on building organizations, products, and customer-focused growth strategies, with a particular passion for making healthcare more efficient and easier to use for providers. He studied psychology and business management at Brigham Young University. 

Things You’ll Learn:

• Healthcare payment transparency breaks down when contracts, claims, remittances, and analytics all live in disconnected systems.
• True transparency requires clean, normalized data delivered in real time within workflows, not just static reporting.
• Providers still face a major administrative burden because the old payment infrastructure often forces manual reconciliation and rework.
• Shared financial clarity can improve trust by reducing disputes, errors, delays, and unnecessary administrative effort for both providers and payers.
• Embedding payment intelligence at the point of transaction can help organizations move from passive visibility to more actionable decision-making. 

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Ted Ferrin on LinkedIn.
• Follow Zelis on LinkedIn and visit their website. 

In this episode, they talk about:

• How UAMS identified a high-impact, low-risk entry point for AI in call center workflows
• Turning after-hours cancellations into filled appointments and improved patient access
• Why trust in the partner matters just as much as trust in the technology
• Expanding from AI call handling to backend fax automation
• How AI is reducing referral lag time and improving data visibility
• The power of an EHR-first strategy and working inside existing workflows
• Avoiding “AI sprawl” and the challenge of managing too many point solutions
• Real talk on ROI: operational efficiency, revenue lift, and happier patients
• Why success builds momentum for scaling AI across departments
• Practical advice for health systems navigating the explosion of AI vendors

A Little About Aditya and Michelle:

Aditya Bansod is CTO and co-founder of Luma Health. With a lifelong passion for building software, Bansod leads Luma Health’s technical vision and strategic direction for building a Patient Success Platform that empowers healthcare providers to serve their patients better and improve healthcare outcomes. With over 15 years of experience as a product management leader developing mobile solutions at Adobe and Microsoft, and at venture-backed start-ups, Bansod made the transition from B2B software solutions to healthcare in 2015 to have a meaningful and measurable impact on how providers use mobile technologies to engage with and communicate with their patients.

Michelle Winfield-Hanrahan, RN BSN MHA MSN, is a seasoned healthcare clinical operations executive with over 20 years of experience in optimizing patient access, improving patient engagement, and streamlining clinical operations. Throughout her career, Michelle has demonstrated a strong ability to lead cross-functional teams and implement strategic initiatives that enhance the patient experience, increase operational efficiency, and drive sustainable growth.

In her current role as Chief Clinical Access Officer and Associate Vice Chancellor of Access at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Michelle oversees patient access and flow from both the outpatient and inpatient setting, ensuring seamless patient flow and appointment scheduling, reducing wait times, and improving overall patient satisfaction. She has spearheaded innovative solutions that leverage technology to enhance patient communication and engagement, ensuring that patients remain informed, involved, and empowered throughout their healthcare journey.

Michelle is dedicated to driving innovation in healthcare operations and is committed to making quality healthcare more accessible and efficient for all.

In this episode, Dr. Richa Gupta, Vice President of Care Transformation at Ambience Healthcare, explains how Ambience provides a layer of intelligence on top of electronic medical records to optimize clinician workflow and patient interactions. Ambience’s ambient listening system captures physician-patient interactions, supports documentation, and ensures accurate coding and billing, boosting clinician satisfaction and reducing revenue leakage. ROI is driven by high clinician utilization, validated outcomes, and measurable improvements in documentation burden, coding accuracy, and physician retention. In 2026, Ambience is expanding across the full care continuum, including ambulatory, emergency, and inpatient settings, offering a platform that surfaces real-time insights and enhances patient care.

Tune in to hear how Ambience is transforming physician workflows and delivering real ROI across the care continuum. 

About Dr. Richa Gupta:

Dr. Richa Gupta, Vice President of Care Transformation at Ambience Healthcare. Dr. Gupta partners with hospital leaders to apply AI to the most complex clinical and operational challenges in health systems. She brings more than two decades of experience leading projects and teams at large academic medical centers.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Ambience reduces documentation burden by using ambient listening and chart-aware intelligence.
• Clinician satisfaction drives ROI, with utilization rates reaching up to 80%.
• Accurate coding and diagnosis capture prevent revenue leakage and claim credit for physician work.
• Ambience can improve physician retention, even delaying retirements during labor shortages.
• In 2026, Ambience is expanding beyond ambulatory care to emergency and inpatient settings, providing insights across the patient journey.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Dr. Richa Gupta on LinkedIn.
• Follow Ambience Healthcare on LinkedIn and visit their website.

In this episode, Lisa Gulker, Chief Nursing Officer at Oracle Health and Life Sciences, discusses how Oracle is rethinking healthcare technology by building AI directly into the foundation of its systems rather than layering it on as an afterthought. She explains how this approach can help clinicians spend less time in the chart, reduce workflow fragmentation, and make technology feel more seamless in the care experience. Lisa also shares how Oracle is applying these capabilities across providers, life sciences, and payers, creating opportunities to accelerate research, improve clinical trial matching, streamline prior authorization, and reduce administrative burden across the ecosystem. Throughout the conversation, she brings a nurse leader’s perspective to a central question in healthcare innovation: how do we use technology to make care feel more human, not less?

Tune in and learn how embedded AI could reshape the healthcare experience for clinicians, staff, researchers, payers, and patients alike. 

About Lisa Gulker:

Lisa Gulker is Chief Nursing Officer at Oracle Health, where she helps bring the voice of clinicians into product strategy, innovation, and healthcare transformation. With a background that spans nursing, informatics, analytics, and clinical operations, she has spent her career helping health systems use technology more effectively to improve care delivery and workforce engagement. Before becoming Chief Nursing Officer, Lisa served as Vice President of Product Management and Strategy at Oracle, and previously held senior leadership roles at Cerner, Tenet Healthcare, and Detroit Medical Center, where she focused on clinical transformation, data stewardship, and value realization. She works closely with executive leaders, data science teams, and engineering groups to align innovation with the realities of care delivery. Lisa holds a Doctor of Nursing Practice from Wayne State University and brings a strong blend of clinical, strategic, and operational expertise to healthcare innovation. 

Things You’ll Learn:

• When AI is built into the foundation of healthcare technology, it can reduce the burden more effectively than tools simply bolted onto older systems. 
• Seamless technology should help clinicians focus more on patients and less on screens, documentation, and fragmented workflows.
• Life sciences organizations can use AI-enabled systems to accelerate research, improve access to studies, and surface insights more efficiently.
• Payers still rely on slow, labor-intensive administrative processes that AI could help streamline, especially in areas such as pre-authorization and referrals.
• Human-centered innovation depends on listening closely to end users and designing technology that reflects how clinicians actually work. 

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Lisa Gulker on LinkedIn.
• Follow Oracle Health on LinkedIn and visit their website.

In this episode of the AI at Health series on The Beat Podcast, host Sandy Vance sits down with Melissa Geissler, Partner for Healthcare and Life Sciences Strategy and Transformation at IBM, and Ted Roman, Healthcare and Life Sciences Digital Strategy Principal at Adobe, to unpack one of the most exciting partnerships in healthcare AI right now. Together, IBM and Adobe are building AI-orchestrated experience solutions that help payers deliver personalized, seamless, and scalable member experiences without the white-glove price tag. From helping members find the right health plan to automating prior authorization and appointment booking, this episode is a must-listen for any payer, provider, or health tech leader who wants to understand where consumer experience in healthcare is headed next. 

In this episode, they talk about:

• Healthcare is data-rich, but still behind every major retailer when it comes to personalized member experiences
• IBM and Adobe are combining platform capabilities, agentic AI, and change management into one integrated framework
• AI agents can now handle health plan selection, appointment booking, and benefits navigation for members
• Brokers serving small and mid-size employers are one of the most underserved audiences in healthcare technology
• The best AI strategy starts with defining the business problem first, then building the technology around it
• Social determinants of health data can now be integrated into personalized member recommendations
• Organizations that feel under-resourced are the ideal candidates for AI-orchestrated experiences
• The partnership is already live with clients and expanding into provider and life sciences use cases 

A Little About Ted and Melissa:

Ted Roman, PhD, brings over a decade of expertise in healthcare and life sciences research, management, technology, operations, and digital strategy to Adobe. He is a principal in the Digital Strategy Group, serving organizations globally pursuing more interconnected experiences. Prior to Adobe, Ted served the needs of Highmark Health and McKinsey & Company's clients. He holds a PhD in Computational Biology from the School of Computer Science at Carnegie Mellon University. He also earned bachelor's degrees in computer science and mathematics from Case Western Reserve University.

Melissa Geissle is a Partner at IBM, leading Public Market activities, where she applies experience strategy and service design to solve complex innovation challenges and leads a diverse team of designers, researchers, analysts, and strategists to help organizations create meaningful stakeholder connections while improving market outcomes. Over two decades, she has partnered with healthcare, life sciences, government, and nonprofit organizations to define and execute digital health initiatives, applying data-driven insights and ecosystem platform capabilities to redefine strategic marketing, service, and digital engagement functions. Melissa holds a BA in Economics from Bates College and an MBA from Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, and has participated in global corporate citizenship initiatives across the UK, South Africa, and Poland.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Compliance is the baseline, not the finish line, and treating it as a once-a-year exercise is a serious mistake
• The biggest risk in compliance is not failing the audit, but passing it while still being insecure
• HITRUST has three certification levels: E1 (crawl), I1 (walk), and R2 (marathon)
• Organizations should choose the certification that matches their risk profile, not just go for the biggest one
• The best audits are boring because everything is already embedded in day-to-day operations
• HITRUST's "audit once, report multiple times" approach eliminates duplicative work across frameworks
• AI governance plans are no longer optional; shadow AI is a real and growing risk
• HITRUST now offers an AI cybersecurity assessment to help organizations put guardrails around AI use

A Little About Shreesh:

Shreesh Bhattarai is Director and HITRUST Practice Lead at A-LIGN, where he works at the intersection of cybersecurity assurance, regulatory pressure, and business growth. Since 2017, he has led more than 500 HITRUST certifications and assessments across healthcare, digital health, and high-growth technology organizations. Shreesh partners directly with CEOs, CISOs, and executive teams navigating increasing scrutiny from regulators, customers, and third parties. He is known for challenging the “check-the-box” compliance mindset and reframing HITRUST as a strategic trust mechanism — one that strengthens security posture, accelerates enterprise sales, and reduces third-party risk friction. He leads a national team of security professionals within A-LIGN’s HITRUST practice and regularly speaks on the evolution of compliance in healthcare at forums including ViVE, Health and HITRUST Collaborate. Prior to A-LIGN, he was part of the audit practice at Ernst & Young, focusing on SOX 404 and SOC engagements.

In this episode, Dr. Myra Ahmad, CEO of Mochi Health, discusses how her company is building a comprehensive care platform that goes well beyond GLP-1s and weight management. She explains how Mochi combines providers, pharmacies, and software infrastructure in a marketplace model that gives patients more treatment visibility, supports tailored care plans, and expands access to affordable medications with or without insurance. Dr. Ahmad also shares why price transparency matters more than ever as more patients move into high-deductible plans, how operational efficiency and AI can help keep care affordable, and why the next chapter of telehealth will belong to solutions that reduce friction while preserving the provider-patient relationship.

Tune in and learn how consumer health platforms can make care more accessible, more transparent, and more aligned with what patients actually want. 

About Myra Ahmad:

Dr. Myra Ahmad is the CEO of Mochi Health, a telehealth and digital care platform focused on delivering personalized, accessible, and affordable care through certified providers. She earned her MD from the University of Washington School of Medicine and holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wellesley College. Before leading Mochi Health, Dr. Ahmad built a strong background in research through roles at UCSF, the MIT Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, and the MIT Sloan Fellows Program in Innovation and Global Leadership. Her experience spans clinical research, consumer behavior, and healthcare innovation, giving her a multidimensional perspective on how to expand access while improving the patient experience.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Patients increasingly want healthcare solutions that combine affordability, transparency, and continuity instead of forcing them through fragmented experiences.
• A marketplace model can give providers more flexibility to tailor treatment plans while giving patients more visibility into medication and pharmacy choices.
• Expanding beyond weight management became a natural step once both providers and patients began looking for broader, ongoing care relationships.
• Operational efficiency, automation, and AI can help healthcare companies reduce administrative costs without sacrificing access or affordability.
• The future of telehealth will likely favor solutions that make pricing clear and help patients understand exactly what they are paying for.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Myra Ahmad on LinkedIn.
• Follow Mochi Health on LinkedIn and visit their website.

With decades of experience between them, Adam and Jesse explain why organizations that skip the data normalization step are building on a foundation that will eventually collapse. From prior authorization workflows to longitudinal patient records, this episode is essential listening for any healthcare leader who wants to understand what AI-ready infrastructure actually looks like.

In this episode, they talk about:

• AI cannot make sense of data that is not semantically normalized
• Integration wires things up; interoperability makes the data actually usable
• A single patient can exist under multiple names and identifiers across dozens of systems
• FHIR is not a replacement for HL7, it is the latest version of the HL7 specification
• Poor data quality in EHRs is the rule, not the exception, even at well-resourced organizations
• Event-driven architecture enables prior authorization workflows to run with no human intervention
• Infor's longitudinal patient record viewer pulls data from up to 70 archival systems into one normalized view
• The FHIR server is becoming the source of truth, replacing the EHR as the authoritative record
• Bed turnover and discharge workflows are where providers are capturing real, measurable ROI right now
• A well-governed, normalized data platform unlocks an almost unlimited number of AI use cases

A Little About Adam and Jesse:

Adam Luff has been with Infor for six years and has spent about 20 years in the provider space. Before Infor, he worked at a company that manufactures large MRI and CT machinery. He focuses on business impact with provider organizations.

Jesse Evans has been at Infor for about 10 years, first as a Principal Solutions Architect and now as Product Director for Infor FHIR Services. He has been in the healthcare enterprise industry for about 20 years, with deep expertise in integration engines, interoperability, and FHIR standards.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Healthcare is the last industry where friction is still considered normal
• Carenet combines nurses, operations, data, and technology to navigate care at scale
• AI is best used for flagging risk, prioritizing queues, and gathering context before a human steps in
• Chatbots are not good at empathy, and healthcare interactions require a whole-person approach
• Not every problem needs AI; sometimes you just need a PDF to open
• Payers measure engagement, retention, and closed gaps in care; providers measure acquisition and leakage prevention
• Fragmentation is getting worse, not better, and navigation solutions have to account for the whole ecosystem
• Proactive, precise outreach beats education-only programs that leave patients to figure it out alone
• The clinical and administrative sides of care cannot be separated, and solutions need to address both

Dan Shur leads product strategy and innovation at Carenet Health, where he helps healthcare organizations use smarter technology to improve outcomes.

With over 30 years in healthcare and health tech, Dan has worked across health plans, provider systems, and startups. He is always focused on turning big ideas into practical solutions. Before Carenet, he founded Aloha Value Advisory, helping early-stage companies find their footing, and previously served as Chief Product Officer at Quantum Health, where he helped scale and modernize the business.

Throughout his career, including roles at Cigna, EmblemHealth, Progyny, Cloudbreak Health, and GuideWell’s Venture Group, Dan has built a reputation for driving innovation that delivers results.

In this episode, Dr. Shez Partovi talks about the urgent need for integrated diagnostics in healthcare. He explains how fragmented imaging systems create inefficiencies and cognitive overload for clinicians, and how a unified platform can deliver a holistic view of the patient journey. He also explores how AI can automate administrative tasks, reduce burnout, and augment clinical decision-making while keeping humans in the loop.

Tune in to learn how AI and integrated diagnostics are reshaping the future of care delivery and clinician experience.

About Dr. Shez Partovi:

Dr. Shez Partovi is a physician-turned-entrepreneur and Fortune 500 healthcare executive who has built his career at the intersection of clinical care, technology, and business transformation. A five-time founder with multiple successful exits, he has consistently focused on scaling impact—from caring for individual patients to leading large, global healthcare operations.

He currently leads a $1.5 billion global healthcare business spanning the United States, China, Europe, and Latin America. Prior to this, he led and rapidly scaled Amazon Web Services’ healthcare and life sciences division to multi-billion-dollar growth, helping organizations harness cloud and emerging technologies to drive meaningful outcomes.

Partovi brings deep expertise in healthcare delivery, enterprise software, and end-to-end P&L leadership, along with a unique combination of clinical training as a board-certified physician and technical depth in computer science and AI. Known for translating complex technologies into measurable business value, he has built and led high-performing teams across environments ranging from early-stage startups to global enterprises.

At the core of his work is a consistent mission: to improve healthcare access and outcomes for more people at scale.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Healthcare data remains siloed across multiple systems.
• Integrated diagnostics provides a single, unified view of all patient data.
• AI reduces cognitive load and administrative burden, including “pajama time.”
• Clinician burnout is a primary driver of AI adoption in healthcare.
• Innovation must be patient-clinician backward, not technology-forward.
• Responsible AI depends on representative data and effective bias mitigation.
• Human oversight remains essential in current AI applications.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Dr. Shez Partovi on LinkedIn.
• Follow Philips on LinkedIn and visit their website. 

In this episode, Colby Takeda, Co-Founder & CEO of Pear Suite, joins Saul Marquez live at ViVE to explore why community health workers are becoming a more essential part of the healthcare ecosystem. Drawing from his background in senior living and public health, Colby explains how Pear Suite helps community-based providers move beyond paper and spreadsheets with tools to document care, navigate credentialing and contracting, submit claims, and get paid for the value they deliver.

The conversation also looks at Pear Suite’s broader vision for connecting community-based organizations, health plans, and providers in a more coordinated system of care. Colby shares why AI should reduce administrative burden instead of replacing trusted relationships, how co-design with frontline workers has shaped the platform, and where he sees the biggest opportunity to make community-based care more sustainable and accessible at scale.

Tune in to hear how community health workers are becoming more essential to the healthcare ecosystem, and how better infrastructure and smarter technology can make community-based care more sustainable and scalable.

About the Guest:

Colby Takeda is Co-Founder & CEO of Pear Suite. With a background in public health, senior living, and community-based care, he founded the company to help community health workers and community-based organizations better navigate the operational side of delivering meaningful support. Under his leadership, Pear Suite has built a tech-enabled model that combines workflow tools, reimbursement support, credentialing, contracting, and claims infrastructure to help community-based providers work more effectively with health plans and the broader healthcare system.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Why community health workers are becoming more central to modern, whole-person care models.
• How Pear Suite helps community-based providers document care, manage compliance, and get reimbursed for their work.
• Why policy shifts and Medicaid reimbursement are creating new momentum for community-based care.
• How AI can support community health workers by reducing administrative burden without replacing trust-based relationships.
• Why connecting health plans, providers, and community organizations is key to making community-based care sustainable at scale.

Resources:

• Connect with Colby Takeda on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Pear Suite
• Explore Pear Suite for Providers
• Follow Pear Suite on LinkedIn

In this episode, Therasa Bell, President & Co-Founder of Kno2, joins Saul Marquez at ViVE to unpack why healthcare communication remains one of the industry’s hardest unsolved problems. Drawing on experience across provider, payer, and technology settings, Therasa explains why connecting the full continuum of care, especially post-acute, behavioral health, EMS, dental, vision, and home-based care, is far more complex than most people realize. She shares how Kno2 is building a communication infrastructure that lets organizations connect once and communicate everywhere, without forcing a massive overhaul of existing technology stacks.

Tune in to hear how policy, infrastructure, and ethical governance are converging to bring more of healthcare online in a secure, practical, and meaningful way.

About the Guest:

Therasa Bell is President & Co-Founder of Kno2. A software engineer by trade, she has spent her career working across multiple healthcare settings, including provider, payer, and health IT environments. That cross-functional perspective led her to focus on one of healthcare’s most persistent challenges: breaking down barriers to communication across the continuum of care. At Kno2, she has helped build infrastructure that supports secure, scalable information exchange across providers, payers, technology vendors, and historically overlooked care settings.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Why healthcare interoperability is far more complex than common comparisons to banking or ATM networks suggest.
• How Kno2’s communication infrastructure helps technology vendors connect once and communicate across the healthcare ecosystem.
• Why post-acute care, behavioral health, dental, vision, EMS, and other overlooked settings are critical to a truly connected continuum.
• Why trust in modern data exchange depends on governance, ethics, and responsible network behavior, not just baseline compliance.
• How federal initiatives, CMS-aligned efforts, and market pressure could accelerate national exchange participation over the next 12 to 24 months.

Resources:

• Connect with Therasa Bell on LinkedIn
• Learn more about Kno2
• Explore the Kno2 Communication API
• Follow Kno2 on LinkedIn

In this episode, Ajoy Ranga, Chief Digital Officer of Healthcare at UST Global, and Ashok Chennuru, Chief Data & Digital AI Transformation Officer at the Digital Platforms and Artificial Intelligence Office at Elevance Health/Carelon, discuss how their partnership between UST and Elevance Health is leveraging AI, data, and digital transformation to improve healthcare outcomes and consumer experience. They emphasize that scaling AI responsibly requires strong governance, human oversight, and a clear stance against using AI to deny care. Both highlight that high-quality, actionable data is foundational, but must be practical, cost-effective, and usable even when imperfect. Ultimately, they stress that success in healthcare innovation comes from starting with user experience, rapidly prototyping solutions, and fostering a mindset of continuous learning and experimentation.

Tune in to hear how Elevance Health and UST are balancing innovation with responsibility to unlock AI’s true potential in healthcare. 

About Ajoy Ranga:

Ajoy Ranga is the Chief Digital Officer of Healthcare at UST. Ajoy Ranga is a distinguished technology executive with over 20 years of experience driving digital transformation in healthcare. As former Vice President of Product Engineering at Elevance Health, he led the strategy and delivery of all external-facing digital channels, impacting millions of members and partners. Ajoy is known for pioneering industry-first innovations—including AI-powered tools, conversational interfaces, and cloud-native platforms—that improved member engagement and operational efficiency. With deep expertise in product-centric engineering, mobile-first design, and scalable architectures, he has built and led high-performing global teams while advancing enterprise agility, AI adoption, and cloud modernization.

About Ashok Chennuru:

Ashok Chennuru is the Chief Data & Digital AI Transformation Officer at the Digital Platforms and Artificial Intelligence Office at Elevance Health/Carelon. In his role, is responsible for driving healthcare innovation through the transformative power of data and AI across the organization. In recent years, Ashok has led transformational efforts to revolutionize the business, develop foundational AI platforms, enhance operations, drive exceptional experiences, and develop an AI-enabled workforce. Ashok also spearheads much of Elevance Health’s clinical and payer-provider integration efforts, including Health OS - an interoperability platform that connects provider, payer, and member data - as well as value-based platforms, population health management, and provider analytics. 

Things You’ll Learn:

• Responsible AI must be governed, monitored, and continuously evaluated.
• AI should augment care decisions, not restrict access to care.
• Actionable, integrated data matters more than perfectly clean data.
• Experience-first design leads to faster alignment and better outcomes.
• Lifelong learning and experimentation are essential for success in modern healthcare technology.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Ajoy Ranga on LinkedIn.
• Follow UST Global on LinkedIn and visit their website.
• Connect with and follow Ashok Chennuru on LinkedIn.
• Follow Elevance Health on LinkedIn and visit their website.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Most healthcare leaders feel they are not moving fast enough with AI, despite the headlines
• Shadow AI is just an unmet need, and governance is the answer
• Crowdsourcing AI ideas from the bottom up reveals hotspots that leadership often cannot see
• Aligning AI use cases to existing strategic initiatives makes adoption dramatically easier
• Point solutions do not share context, and that missing context is where the real value lives
• Return on AI investment requires defining what value actually means for your specific organization
• Agentic AI is the next big wave, and organizations need to decide where they sit on the risk spectrum
• Trust at the frontline is built by showing workers how AI follows their own standard operating procedures
• If finance cannot see the ROI, they will conclude that AI does not work

A little about Andy:

Andy is the Co-Founder and CEO of Optura.ai, where he's on a mission to help healthcare organizations stop dabbling in AI and start seeing real returns from it. His team built an AI Orchestration Platform designed from the ground up for healthcare, giving organizations the infrastructure, trust, and clarity to turn AI ambition into measurable ROI.

The platform does it all in one place: spotting high-value AI opportunities, building and deploying custom agents, unlocking data without the ETL headache, auto-generating workflows from existing SOPs, and tracking return on AI investment in real time. No black boxes, no guesswork. Just AI that actually proves its worth.

In this episode, Tammy Cress, Senior Vice President of Clinical Solutions and Innovation at Teladoc Health, discusses how health systems can move beyond fragmented telehealth strategies and start building more sustainable, integrated models of digital care. She explains how Teladoc is layering responsible AI onto its virtual care infrastructure through its Clarity solution, which helps sense, synthesize, and route the right information to the right care team member at the right time. Tammy also shares why workplace safety is one of the most urgent and practical use cases for these tools, how fragmented digital investments continue to drain staff and budgets, and why strategy, governance, and thoughtful alignment matter more than ever as organizations move from pilots to scalable transformation.

Tune in and learn how health systems can rethink virtual care and AI adoption in ways that are more proactive, sustainable, and grounded in what truly matters. 

About Tammy Cress:
Tammy Cress, RN, MSN, is Senior Vice President of Clinical Solutions and Innovation at Teladoc Health, where she leads the development of healthcare solutions designed to meet real market needs and support growth across complex care environments. A nurse by training and a military veteran, Tammy brings deep experience in telehealth strategy, operations, and innovation. Before her current role, she held multiple leadership positions at Teladoc, Providence Health & Services, and Swedish, where she helped design, scale, and operationalize telehealth programs across multi-state health systems. Her background spans clinical operations, business operations, governance, product strategy, and service delivery, with a consistent focus on aligning technology investments to patient needs, frontline realities, and long-term organizational success.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Fragmented telehealth investments can create unnecessary strain for care teams, even when individual tools appear to deliver good results.
• Responsible AI can help reduce bedside cognitive burden by sensing what is happening in care environments and sending the right alerts to the right people.
• Workplace safety is a major healthcare challenge, and smarter room-based technology can help organizations become more proactive instead of reactive.
• AI and virtual care programs are more likely to scale when leadership aligns governance structures instead of treating digital tools as separate initiatives.
• Health systems need a clear strategy, stronger alignment, and a fresh look at prior investments if they want to move from pilots to sustainable transformation.

Resources:

• Connect with Tammy Cress on LinkedIn.
• Follow Teladoc Health on LinkedIn and visit their website. 

Whether you lead a large hospital system or a small specialty practice, this episode is packed with practical insights on how to assess your cyber risk, respond to an active breach, and build a culture of leadership accountability before disaster strikes.

In this episode, they talk about:

• About 90% of breached healthcare organizations end up paying the ransom
• Small practices are just as targeted as large health systems, especially those with strong insurance policies
• Lack of visibility across the full attack surface is the most common security blind spot
• Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) is replacing outdated point-in-time assessments
• Known Exploitable Vulnerabilities (KEVs) are a primary attacker entry point, yet most orgs patch them too slowly
• AI is helping hackers build malicious tools faster and with less technical skill
• During a breach, deciding how quickly to shut down the network is the most critical early call
• Most IT providers never deliver a documented risk report to leadership, leaving executives in the dark
• Gary's cyber risk grading tool gives non-technical leaders a real-time security score per facility
• Documented, improving risk scores can reduce regulatory penalties after a breach
• Most ransomware attacks are preventable with proper patching, configuration, and monitoring

A Little About Gary:

Gary Salman is the CEO and Co-Founder of Black Talon Security, a leading innovator in cybersecurity solutions for healthcare. With an impressive 32-year career in healthcare technology, Gary is both a seasoned security expert and visionary. In the late 1990s, he developed one of the earliest cloud-based dental practice management systems that was acquired by a publicly traded company in 2002. Gary also has a unique background, as he is still actively involved in law enforcement as a Deputy Sheriff.

Under his leadership, Black Talon monitors and secures approximately 65,000 devices worldwide. The company provides cybersecurity services to a wide range of clients, from small practices to some of the largest healthcare organizations in the United States, including many of the top 20 Dental Service Organizations (DSOs).

As a respected authority in his field, Gary is a frequent lecturer at major national dental association meetings. Black Talon's services are endorsed by numerous state and national associations, affirming his expertise and influence. His work has been highlighted in over 100 prestigious dental and medical publications, reinforcing his status as a thought leader in healthcare cybersecurity. Gary has also trained tens of thousands of healthcare professionals on best practices for securing their practices and clinics.

Beyond preventative measures, Black Talon also specializes in cyberattack remediation, successfully guiding hundreds of healthcare organizations through recovery from security breaches. Their expertise is often enlisted by leading law firms and cyber insurance carriers, underscoring their prominence in the field.

In this episode, Jeff Thomas, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Sentara Health, discusses how his team is approaching cloud transformation, AI readiness, and cost management across a vertically integrated payer-provider organization. He explains why technology decisions must ultimately support better care delivery, how tech debt continues to slow innovation, and why data accessibility is the real prerequisite for meaningful AI adoption. Jeff also shares how Sentara has reduced system sprawl, flattened infrastructure costs while growing, and built a more resilient technology environment that supports both operational efficiency and clinician presence. He closes by emphasizing a point many leaders overlook: no technology transformation succeeds without strong change management.

Tune in and learn how healthcare leaders can build a smarter, more disciplined path to innovation without losing sight of the people they serve. 

About Jeff Thomas:

Jeff Thomas is Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Sentara Health, where he leads technology strategy, cloud transformation, and infrastructure modernization for one of the region’s major integrated healthcare organizations. With more than 20 years of experience across global infrastructure, operations, enterprise architecture, and application development, Jeff has led large-scale transformation efforts across healthcare, government, consulting, higher education, and commercial enterprises. Before joining Sentara, he held senior technology leadership roles at Smithfield Foods and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. He is known for his focus on cloud consolidation, operational efficiency, and the use of technology to improve service delivery while reducing costs. Jeff holds an MBA from The College of William and Mary, a master’s degree from Syracuse University, and a BA from Brigham Young University.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Technology investments only create value when they improve care delivery, reduce friction, and help clinicians stay present with patients.
• AI readiness depends less on hype and more on whether organizations can make their data accessible, timely, and usable for real-world inference.
• Reducing tech debt and system sprawl creates the capacity organizations need to innovate without letting infrastructure costs spiral upward.
• Healthcare technology leaders must manage IT like a business, balancing innovation with financial discipline, operational efficiency, and measurable outcomes.
• Successful transformation requires more than new tools, since lasting progress depends on helping people adapt to change thoughtfully.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Jeff Thomas on LinkedIn.
• Follow Sentarah Health on LinkedIn and visit their website.

In this episode, Reza Sanai, co-CEO and co-founder of PicassoMD, discusses how his team is helping primary care providers access specialist expertise in near-real time while also improving the referral process when specialty care is truly needed. He explains why specialty access often breaks down at the point of care, how fragmented provider data makes navigation more difficult, and why better coordination between primary care and specialists can reduce unnecessary ER visits, improve triage, and speed access to the right care. Reza also shares how PicassoMD is supporting rural and underserved communities, why visibility into the patient journey matters so much, and how thoughtful partnerships are essential to making innovation work in real healthcare settings.

Tune in and learn how smarter specialist access could help close one of healthcare’s most persistent care coordination gaps. 

About Reza Sanai:

Reza Sanai, MD, FACC, is the co-CEO and founder of PicassoMD, a platform that gives primary care providers real-time access to a network of value-based specialists across major disciplines. Through curbside consultations and referral support, PicassoMD helps reduce unnecessary referrals and ER visits while improving care transitions, patient experience, and outcomes. In addition to leading PicassoMD, Reza has served in advisory roles with Mighty Health and VIDA Fitness & Aura Spa, and was previously a co-managing partner at Cardiocare LLC. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, where he was a member of the AOA Honor Society.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Specialty care often functions like a black box, making it harder for primary care providers to get timely input and coordinate the next step for patients.
• Real-time access to specialists can help primary care providers make better decisions, reduce unnecessary referrals, and avoid preventable ER visits.
• Referral quality depends on more than specialty type alone, since factors like language, mission fit, geography, and appointment availability all shape patient access.
• Rural and underserved communities benefit when technology connects providers and patients with specialist expertise that may not be available locally.
• Successful healthcare innovation depends not just on the product itself, but on strong partnerships and an iterative approach to implementation.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Reza Sanai on LinkedIn or reach out via email.
• Follow PicassoMD on LinkedIn and visit their website. 

In this episode, Katie Whalen, Head of Strategic Partnerships for Merchant Solutions at Fiserv, discusses how Clover PracticePay is helping modernize payment workflows for small and mid-sized healthcare providers. She explains why healthcare remains underserved when it comes to efficient payment infrastructure, how disconnected systems create unnecessary back-office work, and why a better payment experience can also improve transparency, cash flow, and patient satisfaction. Katie also shares how Fiserv is bringing lessons from retail, restaurants, and other service industries into healthcare, using connected payment tools, claims reconciliation, and smarter patient-facing technology to reduce friction across the entire process.

Tune in and learn how better payment experiences could become a powerful driver of transformation in healthcare!

About Katie Whalen:

Katie Whalen is a payments and partnerships leader with deep experience across financial services, digital payments, and merchant solutions. She currently serves as Head of SMB Sales & Partnerships for Merchant Solutions at Fiserv, where she helps drive growth and innovation for businesses navigating an increasingly digital economy. Before stepping into this role, she spent nearly seven years at Fiserv as Senior Vice President for North America Issuer Processing. Her career also includes leadership roles at Citi, where she focused on global digital payments strategy, and at American Express, where she worked in strategy, operations, and business development for enterprise growth and digital partnerships. Earlier in her career, she held product leadership roles at Thomson Reuters and worked in public service through the City of New York and the U.S. Senate. Katie holds a BA from Cornell University and an MBA from NYU Stern, bringing together policy, strategy, and business expertise.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Healthcare payment systems are often fragmented, forcing providers to work across disconnected tools for claims, billing, and collections. This creates unnecessary administrative burden and slows down both staff workflows and payment reconciliation.
• Small and mid-sized healthcare practices have historically lacked access to the kind of payment technology already common in retail and other service industries. Modern platforms can help close that gap by making transactions easier for both practices and patients.
• A better patient payment experience depends on more than just accepting cards or digital payments. Transparency, convenience, and clear financial communication all play a role in helping patients feel more confident and informed.
• When payment collection and payer reconciliation are handled in one connected system, practices can reduce back-office friction and improve operational efficiency. This integration can also support healthier cash flow and a smoother overall workflow.
• Improving healthcare payments is not just about convenience at the point of transaction. It also creates opportunities for stronger information exchange across the broader care ecosystem, helping reduce inefficiencies over time.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Katie Whalen on LinkedIn.
• Follow Fiserve on LinkedIn and visit their website.

Adam breaks down how Tonic AI helps healthcare organizations de-identify and synthesize unstructured data so they can train AI models safely, stay HIPAA compliant, and actually unlock the value sitting behind their firewalls. 

If your organization is eager to build AI-powered workflows but unsure how to handle patient data responsibly, this episode is a must-listen.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Most valuable healthcare data is too sensitive to use for AI training without de-identification
• HIPAA is actually an advantage because it gives organizations a clear roadmap for safe data use
• Tonic Textual replaces PHI in unstructured documents with realistic synthetic values
• Synthetic data must closely mirror real data for AI models to perform well in the field
• If a model is trained on PHI, it risks regurgitating patient information in outputs
• Privacy compliance should be addressed at the start of an AI project, not as an afterthought
• Many organizations do not realize solutions already exist to help them use their data safely

A Little About Adam:

Adam manages the team creating Tonic Textual, Tonic.ai's platform for unstructured data redaction and synthesis. He has spent the last 12 years as a leader at the intersection of data privacy, AI, and software engineering.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance sits down with Anand Kumar, Vice President of Healthcare at Genpact, to explore how AI-driven automation is reshaping everything from payer operations to member experience. Together, they unpack how healthcare organizations can cut through the “AI buzz,” identify meaningful use cases, and drive measurable outcomes. From contact center automation to actuarial modeling and prior authorization workflows, this episode dives into the real-world impact of AI and how human expertise and intelligent agents can work together to improve both operational efficiency and patient experience.

If you’re a healthcare leader trying to navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape, this conversation offers practical insights into where the technology is delivering value today and what’s coming next.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Healthcare organizations are adopting AI-first strategies to improve efficiency and operational outcomes
• Successful AI transformation requires aligning people, processes, and technology
• AI tools are helping contact centers resolve patient and member issues faster
• Many healthcare organizations are seeing 20–40% improvements in operational efficiency
• AI is helping actuaries analyze large datasets and identify trends more quickly
• Human experts and intelligent agents are working together to handle complex healthcare decisions
• Leaders should prioritize partners who demonstrate proven outcomes and operational expertise

A Little About Anand:

Anand Kumar is a distinguished leader in healthcare and technology, combining deep clinical expertise with advanced digital innovation. As Vice President at Genpact, Anand drives transformative strategies that integrate AI-driven solutions, digital platforms, and operational excellence to deliver measurable outcomes for global clients.

Holding degrees as a Medical Doctor (MD), Chartered Accountant (CA), and a Ph.D. in Computing and Artificial Intelligence, Anand brings a unique multidisciplinary perspective to solving complex healthcare challenges. His work spans data engineering, automation, and advanced analytics, enabling payers and providers to reimagine care delivery and optimize patient engagement.

At HLTH USA 2025, Anand is shaping conversations around generative AI in healthcare, population health strategies, and next-gen digital ecosystems. His leadership reflects a commitment to innovation, collaboration, and patient-centric solutions that redefine the future of health.   

In this episode, they talk about how:

• Cyber resilience focuses on operational continuity when an attack happens, not just prevention
• Breaches resolved within 200 days can save organizations over $1 million
• Bad actors often sit idle inside networks for months, collecting data before launching an attack
• Baseline requirements are identity-first security, including multi-factor authentication (MFA) and privileged access management
• Human-only Security Operations Center (SOC) models are too slow to keep up with today's automated, AI-powered attacks
• CTG uses Microsoft's Unified Security Operations (SecOps) platform to eliminate tool sprawl and improve response time
• Zero-trust architecture is expanding from department-level to enterprise-wide in healthcare
• New HIPAA regulations now require provable network segmentation for legacy medical devices
• AI-assisted security operations will continue to grow in the next few years

A Little About Chad:

As CTG's Managing Director of Cybersecurity, Chad Alessi leverages decades of experience in technology, cybersecurity, and operational strategy across enterprise and mid-market sectors to meet the evolving cybersecurity needs of clients in the U.S. During his time in IT consulting, Chad was instrumental in driving IT transformation in the company's regulated pipeline and gas processing business units. He holds a BS in Chemical Engineering, an MBA from the University of Alabama, an MS in Information Systems with a concentration in Information Security from Syracuse University, and post-graduate certifications in leadership, full stack development, cybersecurity, and cloud computing. Chad is known for his strong work ethic, integrity, resourcefulness, and service-based leadership, which he attributes to his time in the U.S. Marine Corps.

In this episode of the AI at ViVE series on the BEAT podcast, host Sandy Vance sits down with Angie Curry, BSN, RN, CCDS, Chief Nursing Informatics Officer at Microsoft, to discuss how ambient AI is finally giving nurses the technological support they deserve. They chat about everything from the documentation burden nurses face, to the importance of workflow fit in driving adoption, to the critical role of human oversight in building trust with AI. If you're a nurse leader, clinical informatics professional, or healthcare innovator thinking about ambient AI, this episode is a must-listen.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Microsoft developed the first ambient AI solution designed specifically for nurses, integrated with Epic's mobile Rover app
• Nurses spend roughly 40% of their shift on documentation, making them a prime candidate for ambient technology
• The solution captures spoken nurse-patient interactions and converts them into flow sheet-ready documentation for nurse review
• Nurses remain in full control, reviewing and approving all AI-generated content before it enters the patient record
• Trust in AI adoption is less about the technology itself and more about whether it fits naturally into existing nursing workflows
• Ambient listening captures "invisible care" that nurses often skip documenting due to time constraints
• Organizations have seen success with piloting on dedicated innovation units before scaling system-wide
• Documentation habits and language vary across organizations so designing solutions with nurses rather than for them is critical

A Little About Angie:

As a Chief Nursing Informatics Officer at Microsoft, Angie is passionate about transforming the way nurses experience technology. Drawing on years of bedside experience, she understands firsthand the challenges of documentation and the profound impact it has on patient care. Her mission is simple: to help nurses reclaim time for what matters most, caring for patients.

Angie works at the intersection of clinical expertise and innovation, partnering with healthcare leaders to design solutions that feel intuitive, reduce cognitive load, and restore the joy of nursing. From ambient AI to workflow optimization, she believes technology should empower—never overwhelm—the caregivers who keep health systems running.

Two Sentence Summary of Podcast Focus: How can health systems help nurses confidently adopt and trust AI? We’ll explore how nurse-led design, clear guardrails (policy, consent, privacy), and intentional change management strategies can help when implementing AI solutions that reduce cognitive burden, elevate the patient experience, and meet frontline expectations for safety, control, and transparency.

Jeremy Friese, MD, founder and CEO of Humata Health, joins Sandy Vance to talk about one of the most frustrating problems in healthcare: prior authorization. Luckily, AI may finally be the tool that can fix it. Drawing on his experience as a physician and healthcare executive, Jeremy explains how automation, interoperability, and smarter clinical data workflows can reduce denials, improve efficiency, and help patients get care faster. Their chat explores the changing industry, what still needs to happen, and why the future of prior authorization may look very different by the end of the decade.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Prior authorization is a major driver of provider burnout and financial loss in healthcare.
• Solving the problem requires both interoperability and advanced clinical intelligence.
• Real-world interoperability is still messy, often involving portals, APIs, and fax.
• AI can now extract the right clinical evidence directly from patient records to improve approvals.
• Automation is cutting physician peer-to-peer reviews by about half.
• Health systems are seeing strong ROI through denial reduction and efficiency gains.
• Getting prior authorization right upfront can recover millions in lost revenue.
• Gold card programs exist, but need better automation to work effectively.
• The future is mostly automated approvals happening behind the scenes.
• By 2030, most prior authorization decisions could be handled by computers, not humans.

A Little About Jeremy:

Jeremy Friese, MD is the Founder and CEO of Humata Health, where he leads the development of AI solutions designed to simplify prior authorization and reduce friction across healthcare. A physician by training, he spent nearly two decades at Mayo Clinic as an interventional radiologist and healthcare leader before moving into entrepreneurship, where he has built and scaled multiple healthcare technology companies focused on aligning providers and payers. His work today centers on using automation and AI to help health systems operate more efficiently while improving patient access to care.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Fax remains an important part of healthcare communication
• Many interoperability challenges come down to integration and mapping
• Prior authorizations often still depend on fax
• How Amplify supports healthcare organizations of all sizes
• Streamlined patient referrals can improve care delivery
• Healthcare is an interconnected ecosystem that affects outcomes
• Maximizing existing technology boosts operational efficiency
• AI helps connect data for better decision-making
• Effective solutions start with understanding real workflows
• Eliminating legacy technology isn’t always the best option
• The future blends proven methods with modern technology

A Little About Frank:

Frank Toscano is a nationally recognized product and technology leader with more than 20 years of experience modernizing how healthcare organizations exchange documents, automate workflows, and connect systems through AI-driven interoperability. As Senior Vice President of Product & Engineering at Amplify, he serves as the company’s public-facing technology voice and strategic advisor, guiding product innovation, engineering excellence, and enterprise integrations. Previously, as Vice President of Product Management at Consensus Cloud Solutions (eFax Corporate), Frank led the transformation of legacy fax into cloud-native, HIPAA-compliant interoperability services, delivering FHIR integration, TEFCA-aligned exchange, AI-powered document processing, and large-scale workflow automation used by thousands of healthcare organizations. A named inventor with multiple U.S. patents in secure communication and intelligent document workflows, Frank has also held senior leadership roles at Cellebrite, Cleo, and Retarus, consistently bridging deep technical architecture with real-world clinical and operational needs to reduce manual burden and improve care coordination.

The conversation also highlights a unique market differentiator: the combined strength of The HCI Group’s deep EHR and provider-focused expertise with Tech Mahindra’s global technology scale, engineering depth, automation capabilities, and innovation track record. Together, this partnership brings end-to-end capabilities—from EHR optimization and managed services to advanced data engineering, AI integration, and enterprise digital transformation—delivered at scale with measurable outcomes.

Listeners will gain insight into how leading organizations are moving beyond implementation toward sustained transformation—leveraging global innovation, cross-industry engineering excellence, and healthcare-specific expertise to drive lasting value.

In this episode, they talk about:

• HCI Group grew from staff augmentation to a full solutions provider after the Tech Mahindra acquisition
• Many providers aren't fully utilizing EHR systems despite heavy investment
• Providers face simultaneous pressure from workforce shortages, shrinking margins, and new regulations
• HCI and Tech Mahindra use each org's own data to tailor strategy rather than a one-size-fits-all approach
• AI is set to significantly disrupt revenue cycle management
• Ambient listening technology is reducing the clinician documentation burden
• End-to-end workflow reimagination is recommended over isolated AI pilots
• Patients now expect the same seamless experience from healthcare as they get from retailers
• Houston Methodist's new campus was cited as a model for automated, frictionless clinical workflows
• Value-based care is now mandatory, making urgent AI adoption a necessity not a choice

A Little About Rajkumar and LaDonna:

Raj T is a dynamic and accomplished business leader with over two decades of global experience in managing high-impact client relationships and driving growth in the healthcare technology space. Currently, Raj is serving as SVP & Head of Healthcare Provider Business at Tech Mahindra, where he leads strategy, delivery, and innovation for some of the world’s leading healthcare organizations. Raj's collaborative leadership style and results-driven mindset have consistently delivered value to clients, making him a trusted advisor in the healthcare technology ecosystem. Raj is passionate about harnessing technology to improve patient outcomes, streamline provider operations, and enable data-driven decision-making across the care continuum.

LoDonna leads enterprise healthcare technology strategy and delivery for health systems nationwide. She specializes in EHR transformation, workflow optimization, managed services, and digital enablement, partnering with executive leaders to ensure technology investments drive measurable clinical, operational, and financial impact. LaDonna uses data and best-practice benchmarks to identify performance gaps, prioritize high-value opportunities, and design targeted improvement roadmaps. She then applies structured governance and performance monitoring to mitigate risk and ensure intended benefits are realized. Her passion is helping provider organizations transform their EHR from a system of record into a data-informed performance engine that supports fiscal sustainability and provider resilience.  She understands that in today’s margin-compressed and highly regulated environment, optimization has to be measurable and sustainable, not just aspirational. 

The research highlights a growing demand for AI alongside concerns that innovation could increase pressure on clinicians. Hari shares practical perspectives on how AI can support rather than overshadow providers, improve efficiency without compromising quality, and help organizations introduce new technologies in ways that feel safe and sustainable. Listen to learn how leaders can ensure clinicians feel comfortable incorporating AI into their daily workflows while improving the overall patient experience.

In this episode, they talk about:

• The three key trust factors and why trust is the foundation for AI adoption
• Why trust is the currency of successful implementation
• The role of AI in improving patient care and clinician efficiency
• How speed and quality can improve together rather than compete
• Key findings from Solventum’s healthcare AI adoption survey
• The cultural and mindset shifts required for successful implementation
• The impact of AI on the patient experience
• How leaders can evaluate potential technology partners

A Little About Hari:

Hari Bala joined Solventum as Chief Technology Officer for Health Information Systems in May 2025. He brings more than 25 years of experience building scalable, distributed systems using generative AI, data science, analytics, and machine learning across healthcare, cloud, and security.

Before Solventum, Hari led AI, data, analytics, and cloud transformation initiatives at GE Healthcare and Oracle Cerner. At Oracle, he helped establish the AI Services organization and led development of the Health Data Intelligence and Analytics platform, a near real-time, cloud-based population health solution, while advancing AI and machine learning tools for clinical use.

Earlier in his career, Hari spent nearly 19 years at Microsoft in leadership roles across Azure and several core enterprise technologies.

In this episode, they talk about:

• The types of healthcare organizations Amelia partners with
• How Amelia’s platform approach supports health systems in multiple ways beyond a single tool
• Working with clients to establish guardrails for safe and effective AI adoption
• How conversational AI is expected to evolve in the coming years
• Real-world implementation success stories and lessons learned
• What differentiates SoundHound AI’s agents and the broader ecosystem created through partnerships
• Advice for healthcare leaders at provider and payer organizations navigating next steps with AI

A Little About Jeff:

Jeff McCool works at the intersection of healthcare and AI, helping organizations use conversational technology to solve real operational challenges. He is AVP of Healthcare Conversational AI at Amelia, where he partners with health systems to deploy AI-powered virtual agents that improve patient and employee experiences while reducing friction in everyday workflows. His focus is on practical AI adoption, what works in production, how teams implement it, and how to scale responsibly.

Previously, Jeff held leadership roles at Ciox and Datavant Health, leading digital growth initiatives centered on interoperability, APIs, and healthcare data exchange. His background combines healthcare operations, technology, and go-to-market strategy. Jeff holds an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School and a degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Latest AI trend: agentic AI and bots, and MCP in the healthcare industry
• MCP allows us to speed up that integration
• Trust is a huge issue when you're having an impact on the patient
• The benefits of using MCP for hospitals and patients
• The concerns about the changes and cuts to rural healthcare
• The most common use cases when transitioning: eligibility, prior authorization, and denials management
• The effects on how healthcare systems are doing business with EHRs
• Next big use cases and what’s coming up next
• Solving challenges in rural healthcare over the next few years
• How rural healthcare and homecare are tied
• At the end of the day, it’s all about how AI can help free up time for people

A Little About Ted:

Ted Dinsmore is the President of SphereGen Technologies, located in New Haven, Connecticut, Toronto, Canada, and Pune, India. SphereGen is a software consulting firm that develops and supports custom software solutions for clients in AI and Automation, Application Development, and Extended Reality (AR, VR, MR). His experience in the world of IT spans over 30 years.

When Ted started his first consulting firm, he became invested in developing and supporting Microsoft solutions for large multinational companies. Wanting to stay at the forefront of emerging technologies, his current company, SphereGen, embraces the world of AI/Automation and Mixed Reality (MR). SphereGen focuses on improving processes for healthcare organizations by leveraging innovative technologies, along with partners UiPath and Microsoft, to solve business problems.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Anupriyo Chakravarti, the Chief Technology and Product Officer at Verisma, about how healthcare organizations can use intelligent automation to reduce risk and uncover compliance gaps in order to free staff to work at the top of their license. 

In this episode, they talk about:

• What Verisma can do for healthcare organizations
• Use case examples
• Some of the risks Verisma mitigates by finding missteps like unauthorized disclosures 
• AI is taking over the world of informatics
• Enabling people to work at the top of their license is critical
• People are not anti-AI, they are anti-opacity

A Little About Anupriyo:

Anupriyo Chakravarti joined Verisma Systems, Inc. in 2017 as the Senior Vice President of Research and Development. Anupriyo brings 25 years of experience as a highly effective leader in healthcare IT product management and software development for Fortune 500 companies and startups. Anupriyo joined Verisma after serving as vice president of product management and marketing at McKesson, where he led the product management and marketing functions of the Extended Care Services (ECS) business unit. Before McKesson, he worked for 11 years at Surgical Information Systems (SIS), where he led software development, and ultimately product management, to deliver solutions for the surgery and anesthesia departments at health systems and ambulatory surgery centers. Prior to working with SIS, Anupriyo worked for Arthur Andersen, Ryder Dedicated Logistics, IBM and TATA Motors. Anupriyo has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from IIT Roorkee in India.   

Their conversation highlights the importance of secure, scalable infrastructure as healthcare organizations adopt AI and expand data sharing. Jim shares practical insights on balancing innovation with risk management, building trust in cloud environments, and establishing governance frameworks that support compliance.

In this episode, they talk about:

• ClearDATA’s vision and the organizations they serve
• Technologies and solutions designed to protect sensitive patient data
• Understanding the financial and operational risks of cloud security failures
• How cloud democratization is making advanced technology more accessible
• The role of a secure cloud baseline in healthcare innovation
• Best practices for governance in data sharing and interoperability
• The relationship between AI and data trustworthiness
• How organizations can safely adopt and scale emerging AI capabilities

A Little About Jim:

Jim leads ClearDATA’s Engineering, Product Management, and IT teams. He has more than 25 years of experience leading product organizations in the identity, integrated risk, and fraud management markets. Prior to joining ClearDATA, Jim served as Chief Operating Officer of Outseer, an RSA Company, where he served over 10 years in executive leadership roles. Prior to RSA in 2012, he served in executive leadership roles for Aveksa, CA, and Netegrity. Ducharme frequently speaks at industry events and regularly contributes articles to trade publications. Jim also holds several patents and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science degree from the University of New Hampshire. He and his wife live in Maine in their dream log home, which was featured in Log and Timber Home Living magazine.

In this episode, they talk about:

• How cybersecurity can be improved
• The impact that Imprivata has on clinicians 
• Why multi-factor authentication systems aren’t more prevalent in the healthcare industry
• The risky behaviors that open up organizations to security risks
• The different things that Imprivata offers organizations
• The risks of patient harm in cybersecurity and privacy
• Advice for CIOs or CFOs: workflow implications, security compliance, security and efficiency ROI, and financial value
• Adaptive authentication at Imprivata

A Little About Sean:

Dr. Sean Kelly brings a uniquely well-rounded perspective to healthcare, shaped by a career that spans emergency medicine, healthcare leadership, technology, teaching, and entrepreneurship. An emergency physician at Beth Israel Lahey Health in Boston and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Emergency Medicine at Harvard Medical School, he is also the Chief Medical Officer and SVP of Customer Healthcare Strategy at Imprivata, where he helps guide product vision, go-to-market strategy, and customer experience after more than a decade with the company from startup through IPO and private equity ownership. He has led high-performing teams in both clinical and executive settings, contributed to care delivery improvements impacting millions of patients, published widely in emergency medicine and medical education, and earned multiple teaching awards. His background includes training at Harvard College, UMass Medical School, and Vanderbilt University, co-founding a concierge medical practice on Martha’s Vineyard, international teaching and humanitarian work, and service in roles ranging from hospital administration to disaster relief—all grounded in a deep commitment to learning, mentorship, and collaboration.

In this episode, Sandy Vance speaks with Don Brown, MD, Founder and CEO of Bioscope, about how AI and large-scale biological data are converging to make precision medicine practical for clinicians. They explore Don’s entrepreneurial journey, the origins of Bioscope, and how a subscription-based, clinician-first approach is shaping the future of personalized care.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Don Brown’s unconventional journey from double-wide to CEO of a groundbreaking company
• The inspiration behind founding Bioscope and the problem it was created to solve
• How Don’s “entrepreneurial bat signal” attracted talent, partners, and early momentum
• Why Bioscope began by partnering with concierge medical practices rather than large health systems
• How Bioscope’s per-patient, per-year subscription model works in practice
• Real-world use cases and early case studies demonstrating clinical impact
• What the current early rollout looks like and where Bioscope is headed next

A Little About Don:

Don Brown, MD, is a serial software entrepreneur, physician, and leader in precision medicine. Over his career, he has founded and scaled multiple groundbreaking technology companies, including Software Artistry, Interactive Intelligence, LifeOmic, and most recently Bioscope.AI. His companies have collectively generated billions in value through public offerings and acquisitions by organizations such as IBM, Genesys, and Fountain Life. In addition to his entrepreneurial work, Don is an active advisor, investor, and philanthropist, including a $30 million gift that established the Brown Immunotherapy Center at Indiana University School of Medicine.

Don holds a bachelor’s degree in physics and a master’s degree in computer science from Indiana University, an MD from Indiana University School of Medicine, and a master’s degree in biotechnology from Johns Hopkins University. A lifelong learner, he is fluent in multiple languages, an instrument-rated pilot, an avid outdoorsman, and the author of Understanding Life. He currently serves as Founder and CEO of Bioscope.AI, where he is focused on transforming how clinicians use data to deliver personalized care.

✔️ switch from omnichannel to optimal channel

✔️ leverage AI to fix your no-show problem

✔️ build patient trust through advanced messaging

In this episode, they talk about:

• What Sinch does and how it uses AI to simplify and personalize communication for customers
• How AI-driven communication is being applied in healthcare and what leaders need to understand
• Why better communication leads to faster interactions, improved patient experiences, and higher conversion rates
• How omnichannel communication strategies streamline workflows for healthcare organizations
• How Sinch helps organizations identify the right channels and interfaces for their patient populations
• What it means to operate at the speed of trust, and why transparency matters
• How AI can make patient interactions feel more empathetic and human
• Why organizations should never underestimate the impact of their communication strategy

A Little About Sophie:

Sophie Cheng is the Senior Vice President of Product Marketing at Sinch, the global leader in CPaaS and the company behind the Customer Communications Cloud. With more than 15 years of international marketing experience, Sophie has held strategic roles across Europe, Asia, and North America, partnering closely with Product, Growth, and M&A leaders to manage complex, global portfolios. At Sinch, she leads global product marketing, partner marketing, and analyst relations, helping organizations deliver seamless, trusted communication experiences across messaging, voice, and email.

Before Sinch, Sophie served as VP of Global Product and Customer Marketing at ZoomInfo and led Product Marketing at Chorus.ai. A true global citizen, she has worked extensively across EMEA, APAC, and the U.S. Sophie holds advanced degrees from the University of St. Gallen and Singapore University and is an active member of the CMO Alliance.

Check out more about Sapient Sustain here: https://www.publicissapient.com/sapient-ai/sustain

In this episode, they talk about:

• Publicis Sapient focuses on human-centered digital transformation in healthcare
• AI can accelerate product development and modernize legacy systems
• It's easy to confuse automation with simple elements of machine learning, which are progressively more deterministic
• Organizations must establish guardrails for AI implementation because of how powerful agentic AI can be
• Sapient Sustain helps healthcare companies manage and stabilize their applications
• The end-user experience is crucial in technology deployment
• AI can significantly reduce technical debt in healthcare organizations
• Healthcare leaders should look at the boring stuff and focus on practical AI applications
• Educate your workforce to embrace the future instead of fearing it

A Little About Umesh:

Umesh Shiknis is Executive Vice President and Global Chief Growth Officer at Publicis Sapient, a human-centered, product-led digital business transformation firm. He leads global growth and go-to-market strategy, scaling new buying centers, accelerating client impact, and driving transformational revenue across industries. Previously, Umesh held senior leadership roles at Capgemini, Infosys, and ISG. His current focus is on taking the Publicis Sapient AI product suite—Sapient Slingshot, Bodhi, and Sapient Sustain—to market, turning AI innovation into measurable, enterprise-wide outcomes.

In this episode, they also talk about:

• Smarter Technology’s vision for using AI in healthcare
• Why the revenue cycle needs modernization
• Moving from manual and physical processes to digital workflows
• What ROI looks like when AI is applied to revenue cycle operations
• Keeping human oversight where it matters most
• Common documentation and workflow challenges Smarter Technology helps address
• Advice for CFOs considering AI solutions

A Little About Michael:

Mike is CEO of Smarter Technologies. He co-founded SmarterDx after discovering that hospitals were leaving significant revenue and quality opportunities on the table while he was leading AI at New York-Presbyterian. Prior to SmarterDx, Mike was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell and Medical Director for Transformation for New York-Presbyterian. He completed his BS at the University of California, Los Angeles, his MD at the University of Michigan, and his Internal Medicine Residency and Silverman Fellowship for Healthcare Innovation at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell.

Leandro Boer, MD, PhD, is a seasoned global biopharmaceutical executive and physician specializing in cardiology and cardiovascular pharmacology. Currently serving as Vice President of US Medical, General Medicines at Amgen, he leads medical strategy and execution across cardiovascular, bone, neuroscience, nephrology, and obesity therapeutic areas, overseeing a nationwide organization of over 100 professionals. With more than two decades of experience spanning the United States, Latin America, Canada, Africa, and the Middle East, Dr. Boer has built a distinguished career at leading companies such as Amgen, AstraZeneca, and Novartis.

His leadership has shaped global and regional initiatives in medical affairs, clinical development, real-world evidence generation, regulatory strategy, and implementation science. Clinically, his expertise covers resistant hypertension, type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and hyperlipidemia. Known for combining scientific rigor with strategic vision, Dr. Boer has directed cross-functional teams supporting drug development, commercialization, and lifecycle management across multiple therapeutic areas.

A medical doctor trained in cardiology with a Ph.D. in cardiovascular pharmacology from Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Dr. Boer has consistently demonstrated a commitment to advancing evidence-based medicine, patient outcomes, and collaborative leadership within the healthcare ecosystem.

Things You’ll Learn:

• The foundation of innovation lies in focusing on what never changes—patients, healthcare providers, and equitable systems of care.
• Amgen’s precision medicine and data-driven strategies prevent “data waste” and ensure every insight contributes to patient outcomes.
• Machine learning tools like Atomic are accelerating clinical trials by predicting successful sites, leading to faster drug development.
• The company’s bold goal to reduce cardiovascular events by 50% by 2030 relies on partnerships, AI, and implementation science.
• Representation in clinical research and decentralized trials is crucial to ensuring equitable access and meaningful outcomes for all populations.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Leandro Boer on LinkedIn.
• Follow Amgen on LinkedIn and explore their website.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Wolters Kluwer has a range of evidence-based solutions that enable better care, including UpToDate® and Lexidrug
• How AI has impacted the services that Wolters Kluwer delivers through its products
• Different types of use cases in healthcare
• How they set the standard of what is safe, reliable, and trusted
• When it comes to AI, organizations need to develop their own set of standards for accuracy and effectiveness
• The importance of prompt engineering

A Little About Julie:

As the Head of Provider Product, Julie is a crucial support for healthcare providers incorporating market-leading clinical decision support and patient solution technologies, such as UpToDate®. She brings over a decade of experience in corporate and product strategy to her current role, having held various leadership positions within Wolters Kluwer.

Before joining the Health team, she worked in strategy and risk analysis for Red24, now a division of Gardaworld. Originally hailing from South Africa, Julie earned her MBA from IE University.

Julie approaches her role with the understanding that the clinical need for intuitive, personalized, visually compelling, and actionable workflows will only become more critical. She assists providers in meeting their highest-priority use cases.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance is behind the mic with Michelle Longmire, the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Medable. Together they dive into what Medable is actually building and why it matters. They break down real examples of trials happening now, the evolving role of Clinical Research Associates, and how ambient and agentic AI are taking on the repetitive work that slows teams down. 

In this episode, they talk about:

• Medable’s mission and long-term vision for clinical research
• A pilot clinical trial Sandy participated in and what it revealed
• Real-world examples of clinical trials Medable is supporting today
• The evolving role of Clinical Research Associates in AI-enabled trials
• Key use cases where Medable delivers the most impact
• How ambient AI handles repetitive operational work
• Why humans do their best work when focused on complex, meaningful challenges
• Using generative and agentic AI in safe, deterministic ways
• Common misconceptions about the risks of generative AI
• Emerging clinical research use cases expected in 2026

A Little About Michelle:

As the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Medable, Dr. Michelle Longmire is mission-driven to accelerate the development of new therapies for disease. A Stanford-trained physician-scientist, Dr. Longmire witnessed firsthand the critical barriers to drug development – including the time and costs associated with clinical trial participation. She founded Medable to pioneer a new category of clinical trial technologies that remove traditional roadblocks to participation and radically accelerate the research process. Medable is now the industry leader in decentralized and direct-to-patient research, with the ability to serve patients in over 120 languages, 60 countries, and across all therapeutic areas. In addition to having raised over $500M in venture capital and driving Medable to an industry-leading position, Dr. Longmire has received recognition as a leading innovator and businesswoman, including being named as one of the 100 most creative people in business by Fast Company.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance sits with Haris Shuaib, the CEO of Newton’s Tree, to discuss the speed at which AI is advancing and whether this pace is safe. They unpack what responsible, scalable AI governance really looks like. From hidden risks in data quality to the subtle ways AI behavior can drift over time, Haris breaks down why checks and balances aren’t just a compliance exercise. They’re essential to patient safety and organizational trust.

In this episode, they talk about:

• How Newton’s Tree helps governance committees confidently scale AI across clinical and operational pathways
• Why so many organizations struggle with AI implementation—and where things most often break down
• What an effective process looks like for evaluating whether AI oversight is actually working
• The three things Newton’s Tree continuously monitors: data quality, AI behavior, and clinical decision risk
• Why closing the feedback loop is critical right now
• Practical advice for CIOs navigating AI adoption—and how Newton’s Tree supports them
• The role of registries and observatories in responsible AI deployment
• How to ensure AI systems are safe and effective before they’re put into real-world use

A Little About Haris:

Haris Shuaib is Founder and CEO of Newton’s Tree, a startup dedicated to AI transformation at scale in health and care. He is Director of the Fellowships in Clinical Artificial Intelligence, the first clinical training programme for healthcare professionals to develop practical AI skills. He is also a Consultant Clinical Scientist and former Head of the Clinical Scientific Computing section at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS FT. Finally, he also holds a NIHR Doctoral Research Fellowship, where he is leading a national multi-centre trial to see whether AI can improve the treatment of glioblastoma.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Dr. Yasin’s background as a clinician and his interest in AI 
• AI will help people focus on what’s really important while taking away the boring parts of the job
• Building the clinical program at a value-based care organization
• How to make these programs work for payers
• Writer case studies using this technology
• Why organizations struggle with implementing AI
• Future big use cases in AI
• Lean in hard; you don’t start learning until you start working 
• ROI can be attained quickly in places with very little risk
• Unless you’re an AI company, you’re not an AI company

A Little About Dr. Yasin:

Dr. Yasin runs the Healthcare and Life Sciences group at Writer, the end-to-end platform for enterprises scaling AI. After leaving academic emergency medicine, he built telemedicine and VBC businesses before leading Writer's HCLS AI transformation efforts.

In this episode, they talk about:

• How AI is transforming a healthcare industry that’s long overdue for change
• The four key areas where transformation is most needed
• Streamlining some of the most complex medical processes
• How better communication and information can assist clinicians during labor and delivery
• Using foundation models to reduce fragmentation in healthcare AI
• Supporting the multi-step workflows of radiologists
• Why agentic AI represents the future of healthcare innovation

A Little About Parry:

At GE HealthCare, Parry is focused on integrating AI across smart devices, across the patient journey, and at the hospital operations level. The company is a long-time leader in healthcare AI, topping the FDA’s list of AI-enabled devices for four consecutive years with more than 115 authorizations. Parry’s team advances AI within medical devices to improve patient outcomes, and he also serves on the company’s responsible AI committee to ensure new solutions are reliable, scalable, and ethical. His work has earned recognition from Modern Healthcare’s 40 Under 40, the AIM AI 100 Awards, and Constellation Research’s AI 150. Before joining GE HealthCare, Parry was Head of Applied Science at Amazon, contributing to machine learning and generative AI products such as Amazon Comprehend Medical. He previously held AI and machine learning roles at Microsoft and Georgia Tech. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Technology and an M.S. in Computational Science and Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Angelo Joseph Campano is a health IT strategist and operator known as The Original EHR Marketer™, with two decades of experience building and optimizing EHR, point-of-care, and CRM-driven commercial programs. As CEO of Flora Health, he helps healthcare companies turn clinical workflows into measurable growth through disciplined strategy, analytics, and execution. He has held senior leadership roles at Ogilvy Health, OptimizeRx, Doximity, and MDCalc, building new EHR and MCM practices and fixing underperforming ones. Angelo is trusted by global healthcare brands for his direct, results-first approach to EHR promotion, cross-channel optimization, and commercial scale.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Getting content in front of physicians only works when it fits naturally into existing EHR workflows rather than disrupting them.
• Collaboration with health systems and technology partners scales impact faster than building standalone tools.
• Market access, not AI hype, is where the biggest opportunity exists to improve patient outcomes.
• Automating forms, prior authorization, and financial assistance removes barriers that prevent patients from starting therapy.
• Measuring success means tracking how many patients get on therapy faster, not just engagement metrics.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Angelo Campano on LinkedIn.
• Follow Flora Health on LinkedIn and visit their website.

EliseAI provides automation tools designed to streamline everyday interactions, reduce administrative burden, and help staff focus on what matters most. Together, Sandy and Natalie explore how EliseAI can empower healthcare teams to do more with greater efficiency.

In this episode, they talk about:

• How and where EliseAI got started
• The value that AI will bring to your company
• How EliseAI is supporting healthcare organizations
• What the implementation process will look like 
• The response of the clinical staff at the providers
• AI can scale to fit any size practice
• Future main case uses

A Little About Natalie:

Natalie Ngo is a Strategy and Operations leader focused on healthcare at EliseAI, where she helps organizations use AI to streamline communication and operate more efficiently. Based in New York, Natalie brings a background in strategy, operations, and analytics, with previous experience at EliseAI and Point72. She holds an Honors Business Administration degree from the Ivey Business School at Western University and is passionate about using technology to support care teams and improve day-to-day workflows in healthcare.

Michael Dubrovsky is a founder-operator and applied scientist working at the intersection of materials science, photonics, and real-world impact. He is the co-founder and CEO of SiPhox Health, a Y Combinator (S20), Khosla Ventures, and Intel Capital–backed startup based in Cambridge, building painless at-home blood biomarker testing to help people live healthier, longer lives. Alongside SiPhox, he serves on the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) ILA20 committee and co-hosts 632nm, a technical interview series featuring top scientists and engineers. Previously, he co-founded PoWx, a nonprofit advancing energy-efficient photonic hardware for proof-of-work cryptography, work that is now used commercially to secure billions of dollars in value. Earlier in his career, Michael founded Simply Grid, named by Fast Company as one of the world’s most innovative energy companies, deploying first-of-its-kind curbside EV and food-vendor charging infrastructure in New York City before exiting via acquisition. His background includes advanced research at MIT and Technion in nanofabrication and materials characterization and a BS in Chemistry from SUNY ESF. His personal mantra: no hurry, no pause.

Things You’ll Learn:

• At-home blood testing eliminates major barriers, such as appointments, referrals, and travel, while expanding access to advanced diagnostics. This convenience is driving higher adoption among both consumers and businesses.
• Many critical biomarkers linked to longevity and chronic disease are often ignored in standard primary care testing. Home testing allows patients to proactively monitor what would otherwise go unseen.
• Clinician trust remains a challenge due to early inaccuracies in home testing technologies. FDA clearance is expected to play a major role in broader medical acceptance
• Businesses benefit from home testing by eliminating high-friction steps that stall patient conversion. This leads to better experiences and significantly improved funnel performance.
• Scaling home diagnostics follows a familiar pattern where early adopters subsidize innovation. Over time, costs drop and access expands to broader populations.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Michael Dubrovsky on LinkedIn.
• Follow SiPhox Health on LinkedIn and visit their website.
• Listen to Michael’s podcast on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
• Email Michael directly here.

Christopher Sullivan is a senior executive with deep leadership experience across health, legal, and regulatory technology, currently serving as Vice President & General Manager of Pharmacy & Health Technology Solutions at Wolters Kluwer Health in New York. He brings over a decade of progressive responsibility within Wolters Kluwer, where he has led large commercial and product portfolios spanning pharmacy, healthcare, legal, transactional, and retirement solutions. His background is heavily strategy-driven, with prior roles overseeing partnerships, pricing, business intelligence, and corporate development, translating data and market insight into scalable growth. Before transitioning fully into executive leadership, he built a strong foundation in operations and logistics at DHL and gained strategic consulting experience at GE Capital. Christopher is a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, where he studied international relations and systems engineering, and holds an MBA in finance and management from Fordham Gabelli, with additional studies at ESADE Business School.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Clinicians face up to 20 complex clinical questions daily, making fast access to trusted evidence essential. Embedding insight directly into workflow reduces delays and decision fatigue.
• Context switching across platforms significantly contributes to clinician burnout. Keeping evidence inside the tools clinicians already use improves efficiency and satisfaction.
• Trusted, expert-reviewed content is becoming more valuable as AI-generated information increases. Confidence in the source has a direct impact on clinical adoption.
• API-based delivery allows evidence to reach clinicians beyond traditional EMR systems. This supports modern, flexible workflows across digital health platforms.
• Partnerships between content experts and technology vendors accelerate innovation. Collaboration keeps solutions aligned with real clinical needs.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Christopher Sullivan on LinkedIn.
• Follow Wolters Kluwer Health on LinkedIn  and visit their website.

From what’s happening at Solventum right now to the company’s move toward fully autonomous coding, this conversation unpacks how healthcare payers and providers can rethink financial performance in the age of artificial intelligence. Hari also shares practical insights for CIOs evaluating these systems and explains how Solventum measures real-world improvements driven by AI. 

If you’re interested in healthcare innovation, revenue cycle transformation, or the future of AI in health information systems, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Check out Solventum’s Education Session and Case Study Session that was presented in the AI Zone at HLTH 2025.

In this episode, they talk about:

• What’s going on with Solventum right now
• How Solventum is serving healthcare payers
• Solventum’s move toward complete autonomous coding
• The common misconceptions about improving financial performance for providers
• How CIOs should evaluate their work when engaging with these systems
• Measuring the improvements produced by AI with Solventum’s systems

A Little About Hari:

Hari Bala joined Solventum as Chief Technology Officer, Health Information Systems, in May 2025, bringing more than 25 years of experience building large-scale, distributed systems across healthcare, cloud, and security, with deep expertise in GenAI, data science, analytics, and machine learning. Previously, he led AI, data, analytics, and cloud transformation efforts at GE Healthcare and Oracle Cerner, where he helped establish Oracle’s AI Services organization and later led the Health Data Intelligence and Analytics platform following the Cerner acquisition. Earlier, Hari spent nearly 19 years at Microsoft in leadership roles spanning Azure, Search, Cosmos DB, Windows, Office 365, and mobile and browser technologies.

Bari Kowal is a senior biopharmaceutical executive with over 30 years of experience leading global operations, clinical development, and strategic portfolio management. As Senior Vice President at Regeneron, she oversees development operations, enterprise-wide portfolio strategy, risk management, and major technology initiatives, helping guide the company’s continued growth and innovation. Her career spans leadership roles at Pfizer, ICON Clinical Research, Valera Pharmaceuticals, PDL BioPharma, GenVec, and Covance, where she built high-performing teams and drove operational excellence across clinical operations and strategic programs. Bari also serves on the Board of Directors of TransCelerate BioPharma Inc., contributing to industry-wide efforts to streamline and strengthen clinical trial execution. She is known for her governance expertise, collaborative leadership style, and ability to deliver organizational transformation at scale. Bari holds a master’s degree in neuroscience from New York University, with additional academic training from the University of Pennsylvania and Binghamton University.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Expanding access to clinical trials requires educating both patients and physicians, many of whom are unfamiliar with how to engage in research. Better awareness can dramatically increase participation and diversify trial populations.
• Technology alone will not speed up drug development unless systems are connected end-to-end. Interoperability is the real catalyst for reducing inefficiencies across discovery, development, and regulatory submission.
• Clean, structured data is the foundation of meaningful AI adoption in healthcare. Without it, predictive models and trial optimization tools cannot reach their potential.
• Trial complexity is one of the most significant barriers to faster development timelines. Streamlining procedures, reducing unnecessary tests, and learning from regulatory feedback can significantly accelerate progress.
• Sustainable clinical research requires equipping trial sites with greater capacity and support. Even when the right patients are identified, sites must be capable of enrolling and managing them effectively.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Bari Kowal on LinkedIn.
• Follow Regeneron on LinkedIn and visit their website.

Madhu Pawar is a board director and cross-disciplinary technology leader operating at the intersection of healthcare, data, and product innovation. She serves on the Board of Directors at Talkspace (NASDAQ: TALK) and is the Chief Product Officer for Optum Insight, where she drives product strategy and platform innovation across UnitedHealth Group’s most critical assets. Prior to Optum, she spent over six years at Google leading the global SMB Ads product ecosystem—overseeing AI-driven insights platforms, multi-billion-dollar revenue lines, and large-scale engineering, product, and operations teams across multiple continents. Madhu also teaches consumer analytics in healthcare as an adjunct professor at Carnegie Mellon University. Earlier in her career, she was a partner in McKinsey’s Global Healthcare Practice, where she built and scaled technology and services businesses for payers, providers, and fast-growth health companies. She began her career in software engineering at Hewlett-Packard Labs, earning patents in authentication and location-aware computing, followed by roles at PwC in security and technology. Madhu holds graduate degrees from Stanford School of Medicine and Carnegie Mellon University and a bachelor’s in computer engineering from Nanyang Technological University.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Real-time data exchange between payers and providers can significantly reduce the confusion, delays, and costs associated with today’s claims processes. AI-enabled reasoning over contracts and encounters improves accuracy from the start.
• Optum Real aims to bridge the transparency gap by connecting stakeholders through a multi-party hub, enabling real-time understanding of coverage and reimbursement. Early pilots show tangible reductions in denials and improved patient clarity.
• The majority of first-time denied claims are avoidable, signaling an industry-wide opportunity to remove unnecessary rework. Solving this problem increases efficiency for providers, payers, and patients.
• Real-time intelligence opens the door for more effective value-based care arrangements. When providers can see financial implications instantly, incentives align more naturally.
• The long-term vision includes real-time payment flows, AI-driven clinical decision support, and improved patient engagement. Breaking down paper-based silos will unlock entirely new use cases at scale.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Madhu Pawar on LinkedIn.
• Follow Optum on LinkedIn and visit their website.

In this episode, they talk about:

• How agents are used in healthcare and use cases
• The risks if a healthcare agent is not tailored to the needs of users and audiences
• How healthcare agents support responsible AI practices, such as safety, transparency, and accountability, in clinical settings
• Healthcare organizations should look to evaluate healthcare agent solutions
• Bridging the gaps in access, equity, and health literacy; empowering underserved populations and democratizing expertise
• The impact of AI on medical professionals and the healthcare staff, and how they should prepare for the change?

A Little About Hadas:

Hadas Bitran is Partner General Manager, Health AI, at Microsoft Health & Life Sciences. Hadas and her multi-disciplinary R&D organization build AI technologies for health & life sciences, focusing on Generative AI-based services, Agentic AI, and healthcare-adapted safeguards. They shipped multiple products and cloud services for the healthcare industry, which were adopted by thousands of customers worldwide.

In addition to her work at Microsoft, Hadas previously served as a Board Member at SNOMED International, a not-for-profit organization that drives clinical terminology worldwide.

Before Microsoft, Hadas held senior leadership positions managing R&D and Product groups in tech corporations and in start-up companies. Hadas has a B.Sc. in Computer Science from Tel Aviv University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University in Chicago.

Mary Varghese Presti is a transformational healthcare leader with over two decades of experience spanning clinical care, federal reform, biopharma, and health technology. As Corporate Vice President of Microsoft Health & Life Sciences, she drives growth in complex environments by creating clear strategy, aligning organizations, and operationalizing execution with discipline. Her prior roles include leading Nuance’s Dragon Medical business, overseeing IBM Watson Health’s Life Sciences portfolio, incubating new ventures at athenahealth, and driving digital-health transformation at Pfizer. She began her career as a pediatric nurse at Johns Hopkins and later helped shape national health IT and payment reforms at Booz Allen. Known for navigating complexity with optimism and rigor, she consistently turns ambiguity into strategy and strategy into measurable results.

Things You’ll Learn:

• AI in healthcare is evolving from simple assistants to agentic services that can independently execute predictable workflows, allowing clinicians to regain time and focus. This shift enables a hybrid workforce where human and digital colleagues work side by side.
• Dragon Copilot for nurses was designed specifically to support the way nurses document care, capturing structured inputs such as vitals, intake/output, and observations through natural speech. By reducing EHR time and ambiently recording bedside interactions, it helps turn “caring out loud” into complete documentation.
• Nurses spend more than a quarter of their 12-hour shifts documenting in the EHR, often feeling emotionally torn between screens and patients. AI that listens in the background can significantly reduce this burden while allowing for more presence at the bedside.
• New tools are starting to expose the “invisible work” nurses perform, from constant micro-assessments to coordination with ancillary departments. Making this work visible is a critical step toward properly valuing nursing labor and improving workforce planning.
• Real-world use cases, such as AI agents assembling data for tumor boards at academic centers, show that agentic workflows can compress decision timelines from weeks to days. These same principles can be extended to many clinical and non-clinical tasks, accelerating care while preserving clinician judgment.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Mary Varghese Presti on LinkedIn.
• Follow Microsoft on LinkedIn.
• Visit the Microsoft and Life Sciences website.
• Listen to Mary’s previous interview on our podcast here.
• Watch Mary’s keynote presentation at the HLTH conference here.

Heather Grey is a healthcare operator and commercial leader who has spent two decades inside the machinery of pharma, life sciences, and clinical research—seeing firsthand where trials break down and why execution matters more than ideas. As SVP and General Manager of Real-World Data and Clinical Trials at Omega Healthcare, she leads CurateIQ, which focuses on transforming messy, fragmented clinical data into FDA-grade assets that accelerate trials, support AI, and expand research beyond academic centers. Before Omega, she held senior leadership roles at Tempus AI, where she built and scaled clinical trial and RWD commercial operations, and at Optum Life Sciences, driving sales and client development across pharma and health systems. Her career spans everything from operating room work to frontline pharma sales to executive leadership, giving her a rare, end-to-end view of how science, data, and operations collide in the real world, and why clean data and operational discipline, not hype, determine whether innovation actually reaches patients.

Things You’ll Learn: 

• Clinical trials fail primarily due to operational breakdowns, such as delayed data entry, poor site readiness, and missed timelines, rather than flawed science.
• Most healthcare data exists in an unstructured and unusable state, making human-led curation essential for generating regulatory-grade insights and training AI.
• AI should amplify clinical expertise, not replace it, because accuracy and trust depend on continuous human quality assurance.
• The lack of infrastructure prevents 88% of health systems and most community centers from offering clinical trials.
• Expanding trials into community settings is crucial for enhancing access, diversity, and the real-world relevance of research.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Heather Grey on LinkedIn.
• Follow Omega Healthcare on LinkedIn and visit their website.
• Email Heather directly here.

James York serves as the Chief Commercial Officer and Head of Government Affairs at Molecular Testing Labs, where he leads the company’s mission to expand access to diagnostics and transform patient engagement with their health. With over a decade of leadership experience at the organization, James drives commercial strategy, strategic partnerships, business development, and market education, championing a consumer-centric approach to laboratory medicine. His work focuses on advancing transparency, affordability, and proactive health management by ensuring that individuals, regardless of their circumstances or geography, can benefit from timely diagnostic insights. James’ career spans executive roles across healthcare, including CEO and president positions, as well as senior leadership in sales and business development, providing him with a deep understanding of both clinical and commercial landscapes. Guided by a commitment to equitable access and meaningful innovation, he continues to influence how advanced diagnostics are delivered and adopted across the healthcare ecosystem.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Making diagnostics accessible requires removing economic, geographic, and emotional friction so patients can participate in their own care. At-home self-collection solves barriers that traditional labs cannot.
• Affordability is inseparable from access, and transparent low-cost testing is critical for supporting large populations who are “functionally uninsured.” Most patients avoid care because they cannot predict the financial burden.
• Virtual care has accelerated the need for decentralized diagnostics, as patients who seek care online are unlikely to travel to a physical laboratory. Without accessible testing, virtual clinical pathways break.
• Pioneering new diagnostic models is challenging, costly, and often met with resistance from incumbents and regulators. Yet these challenges highlight the significance of the innovation.
• The greatest opportunity in diagnostics lies not in high-tech breakthroughs but in improving everyday tests that influence most clinical decisions. Access, not technology, is the true innovation.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow James York on LinkedIn.
• Follow Molecular Testing Labs on LinkedIn and visit their website. 

Elizabeth “Beth” McCombs is the executive vice president and chief technology officer of BD, where she leads the company’s global research and development organization. She oversees the full spectrum of innovation—from early-stage concept development to product launch—and ensures the continued advancement of BD’s existing portfolio. As a member of the BD Executive Leadership Team, she plays a central role in shaping the company’s long-term technology and growth strategy. Beth joined BD in 2019 as Senior Vice President of R&D for the BD Medical segment, co-leading portfolio strategy and major growth initiatives. Before joining BD, she spent over two decades at Johnson & Johnson, including serving as Vice President of R&D for Ethicon, the company’s surgical devices franchise. She holds both a B.S. and an M.S. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Things You’ll Learn:

• BD approaches innovation by deeply studying clinical workflows and ensuring new technologies solve meaningful, scalable problems. Real-world evidence and clinical validation are built into the process from the start.
• Connected medication management solutions can eliminate waste, prevent errors, and free up clinical resources. Tracking drugs from the central pharmacy to the bedside improves safety and system-level efficiency.
• Vascular access improvements achieved through product design and standardized training dramatically reduced cost, blood exposure, and catheter failure rates. This proves that outcomes hinge on combining the right device with the right practices.
• AI and machine-learning capabilities, such as predicting hypotension during cardiac surgery, aim to reduce complications, costs, and length of stay. These tools evolve by partnering with health systems to measure real-world impact.
• BD Incada represents a shift to cloud-based, interoperable, AI-enabled infrastructure that unifies data across entire health systems. This foundation accelerates the future of personalized care and integrated device ecosystems.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Beth McCombs on LinkedIn.
• Follow BD on LinkedIn  and visit their website.

Priya Abani is the CEO, president, and a board member at AliveCor, where she leads the company’s mission to advance patient-centric remote cardiac care using cutting-edge AI and machine learning. With over 20 years of experience driving innovation across global technology organizations, she has built and scaled high-performing teams, launched industry-shaping products, and forged strategic partnerships that accelerate growth. Her leadership has earned recognition across the health tech landscape, including being named one of The Healthcare Technology Report’s Top 50 Healthcare Technology CEOs of 2022. Priya also serves on the Board of Directors for Jacobs and the Board of Trustees for TIAA, extending her influence across various sectors and shaping the future of technology, healthcare, and infrastructure.

Things You’ll Learn:

• AI-powered cardiac monitoring is enabling earlier detection of subtle abnormalities that patients and clinicians often miss, improving the likelihood of timely intervention. These tools empower patients to monitor their own health without waiting for episodic visits.
• Affordability is crucial for expanding access, enabling individuals in underserved regions to utilize medical-grade ECG technology at home. This reduces unnecessary hospital visits and helps bridge geographical care gaps.
• Portable devices and continuous monitoring shift cardiac care from reactive to proactive. Real-time data sharing creates a tighter feedback loop between patients and clinicians.
• New clinician-facing tools offer advanced diagnostics in a pocket-sized form, enabling high-quality cardiac assessments to be performed anywhere. This supports healthcare workers who lack access to full clinical equipment.
• AI models trained on massive ECG datasets are evolving from simple detection tools into comprehensive health companions for the whole person. They synthesize patterns, prompt actions, and help guide personalized preventive care.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Priya Abani on LinkedIn.
• Follow AliveCor on LinkedIn and visit their website. 
• Learn more about Kardia 12L here.

Web Golinkin is a seasoned healthcare executive, entrepreneur, and author with more than 35 years of leadership experience, including six CEO roles and three companies he co-founded. Over the last two decades, he has focused on expanding access to affordable, basic healthcare, establishing himself as a pioneer in both retail-based clinics and urgent care. His insights into the evolution of consumer-focused healthcare have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, The Today Show, Fox Business, and numerous industry conferences. Web is also the author of Here Be Dragons, published by Forbes Books in 2024. His career spans leadership positions across healthcare delivery, population health management, medical communications, and consumer health media, including his current role as president of Babson Diagnostics and previous leadership at FastMed Urgent Care, Health Dialog, RediClinic, America’s Health Network, and American Medical Communications. A graduate of Harvard University, Web continues to shape the future of healthcare through innovation, accessibility, and patient-centered design.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Better Way can deliver 67 clinically equivalent tests from a fingertip blood sample, covering more than 80% of common primary care needs. This allows patients to avoid the traditional needle-based blood draw.
• Nearly a decade of validation, including thousands of study participants and hundreds of thousands of tests, demonstrates the scientific rigor behind the technology. This long research runway enabled FDA clearance and strong clinical confidence.
• About one-third of patients avoid blood testing due to needle phobia or inconvenience, contributing to major gaps in preventive care. A more straightforward, painless collection method directly addresses this barrier.
• Health systems can increase patient adherence and reduce reliance on phlebotomists by cross-training staff to use the system within 2.5 hours. This unlocks staffing flexibility and operational efficiency.
• Better Way focuses on reducing friction across the entire testing journey, including simplified, graphic-rich patient result reports. This empowers patients to understand their health without having to decipher complex medical language.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Web Golinkin on LinkedIn.
• Follow Babson Diagnostics on LinkedIn  and visit their website.

League was built on a simple but ambitious idea: if companies like Netflix can instantly understand what we need next, why can’t healthcare do the same? Now, more than a decade into transforming the way people access and experience care, Mike joins Sandy to talk about how his team is helping organizations deliver truly personalized healthcare at scale.

Together, they explore Mike’s path into the world of AI, the early sparks that led to League’s creation, and the lessons learned from 11 years of reimagining patient and member journeys. They delve into how League works alongside existing EHRs and health systems, not replacing anything, but weaving intelligence and interoperability through the cracks that slow down care.

It’s a thoughtful, future-forward discussion with one of the industry’s most seasoned innovators—and a must-listen for anyone curious about where healthcare AI is truly headed.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Mike’s journey into AI and the origin story of League
• How League integrates with EHRs and other core health technologies
• Lessons from 11 years in healthcare—and why speed and scale matter more than ever
• If Netflix can recommend your next show, why can’t healthcare do the same
• Reducing AI hallucinations and improving reliability for healthcare organizations
• How League delivers coverage, oversight, service, and increased productivity
• What different countries can teach us about healthcare models
• Why we’re entering “pilot season” for AI in healthcare

A Little About Mike:

Mike Serbinis is widely recognized as an innovative leader and serial entrepreneur who has built transformative technology platforms across many industries. Serbinis founded and helped build Kobo, Critical Path, DocSpace, and now League. 

Founded in 2014, League is a platform technology company powering next-generation healthcare consumer experiences (CX). Payers, providers and consumer health partners build on the League platform to accelerate their digital transformation and deliver high-engagement, personalized healthcare experiences. Millions of people use and love solutions powered by League to access, navigate and pay for care.

Serbinis is also Chair of the Board of Directors for the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, the world’s leading center for scientific research in foundational theoretical physics. He is a founding board member of the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, an institution co-founded by Nobel Prize winner Geoffrey Hinton.

Seth Cohen is a seasoned business leader with a long record of driving growth across healthcare, technology, and finance. As president of Cedar, he leads strategy and execution for a fast-scaling health tech company, building on over a decade of leadership in the industry. He also serves on the boards of Firefly Health and previously served on the board of Castlight Health, reflecting his deep credibility in the healthcare ecosystem. Before joining Cedar, Seth co-founded OODA Health and served as its CEO, introducing innovative payment solutions to the market. His earlier career includes senior commercial roles at Castlight, where he helped large employers adopt modern health benefits, as well as consulting work at McKinsey, focused on healthcare reform and consumerism. Seth began his career in investment banking, private equity, and international development, providing him with a broad strategic and financial foundation. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, an MPA from Harvard Kennedy School, and a BA from Stanford University.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Patient out-of-pocket costs have been rising faster than the overall medical trend for two decades, pushing most Americans into high-deductible plans they cannot realistically afford.
• A relatively small percentage of uninsured patients, roughly 5–12% depending on the state, accounts for approximately 35% of the dollars owed to providers. 
• The episode challenges providers to rethink the concept of “healing” by asking whether repairing someone’s heart while ruining their credit can truly be considered care.
• Cedar Cover is positioned as a proactive digital coverage safety net that identifies patients in need and connects them to Medicaid, ACA plans, financial assistance, and pharmacy copay programs. 
• Looking ahead, the guest expects affordability pressures to intensify and plans to expand into areas such as workers' compensation and Social Security benefits. The goal is to ensure that patients are not forced to choose between groceries and medical bills by making financial support an integral part of the core care experience.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Seth Cohen on LinkedIn.
• Follow Cedar on LinkedIn and discover their website.
• Learn more about Cedar Cover here.
• Email Seth directly here.

In this episode, they talk about:

• How AI is facilitating solutions for ZS
• How ZS uses analytics to drive how businesses operate
• ZS’s Future of Health Report
• Getting past the distrust in AI in healthcare
• What a tipping point might look like in the future
• Advice for payers and providers
• Future implementation predictions and worries
• Is there an AI bubble?

A Little About Adam:

Adam is a leader in ZS’s provider practice area, helping to transform hospitals and health systems and supporting them from strategy through to execution. He has extensive experience across healthcare with health plans, providers, pharmaceutical, biotech and medtech companies. Adam has also led ZS’s European and North America West regions. Adam’s background is in actuarial science. Before joining ZS, Adam worked with health plans and group insurance at Mercer, helping employer groups achieve high-quality and affordable healthcare.

Lynne Nowak, MD, is a seasoned physician executive and Chief Data and Analytics Officer with deep expertise at the intersection of clinical care, data, and technology. With 15 years of frontline experience as a board-certified internist and a decade leading large-scale data, interoperability, and clinical strategy initiatives, she has built a career transforming how information improves healthcare quality, access, and cost. She has overseen major enterprise investments, driven compliance with national interoperability standards, led advanced analytics and product development teams, and guided provider-focused digital solutions across complex organizations. Known for her high-energy, collaborative leadership style, she is committed to fixing a fragmented healthcare system while empowering patients, providers, and payers through smarter, connected data.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Interoperability between providers, payers, pharmacies, and patients is becoming a powerful driver of access and outcomes. When information flows cleanly, underserved communities benefit the most.
• AI is only valuable when applied to problems that require deeper analysis, not simple workflows. The real gains come from using AI to handle complex record reviews while leaving simpler tasks to traditional automation.
• First-fill abandonment affects 20–30% of prescriptions, and most systems fail to notice because no claim is generated. Having visibility into these “silent failures” allows clinicians and plans to intervene earlier.
• Electronic benefit verification replaces days of manual phone calls with instant eligibility checks for patient assistance programs. This significantly reduces friction for patients attempting to initiate therapy.
• Automating prior authorizations can cut decision times from days to under 30 seconds. That speed directly affects access, adherence, and overall patient health.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Lynne Nowak on LinkedIn.
• Follow Superscripts on LinkedIn and visit their website.

Ajay Gannerkote is a global healthcare leader with deep experience spanning life sciences, medical devices, and healthcare services. Now serving as president of Integrated DNA Technologies (IDT), a Danaher company, he oversees the organization’s growth and strategic direction from Redwood City, California. Before IDT, he led Siemens Healthineers’ global ultrasound business as president and head, steering a complex, vertically integrated operation across more than 30 countries. Under his leadership, the business moved from negative growth and margins to strong, sustainable performance, becoming an industry leader in AI-driven clinical technology. 

Prior to that, he served as Director at KKR Capstone, where he co-led healthcare operations, drove large-scale transformations for portfolio companies, and created significant enterprise value across services and medical device sectors. Ajay spent more than a decade at McKinsey & Company as a partner in the Global Medical Products practice, advising Fortune 500 companies on product development, commercialization, operations, growth strategy, and large-scale turnarounds. Earlier in his career, he held leadership roles at Federal-Mogul, Cambridge Technology Partners, and Infosys, building a foundation in operations, technology, and global business integration. He holds an MBA in Corporate Strategy and Marketing from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and a bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Mysore.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Genomic technologies, such as NGS and MRD, are enabling earlier cancer detection, sometimes years ahead of traditional diagnostic methods. This early visibility allows clinicians to intervene sooner and build more personalized treatment strategies.
• Precision medicine is rapidly maturing as high-quality genomic data becomes central to diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy planning. The next era of oncology will rely heavily on personalized, data-driven decisions.
• Collaboration across industry, researchers, and regulatory bodies is essential for breakthrough medical innovations. A recent case of a rare disease demonstrates how a coordinated effort can compress the journey from diagnosis to therapy into just a few months.
• Custom manufacturing and high-quality reagents are critical enablers of clinically reliable genomic insights. Tailored solutions allow researchers and clinicians to analyze tumor-specific markers with greater accuracy and confidence.
• Strong leadership in genomics requires trust, transparency, and a willingness to challenge assumptions. Ajay’s “obligation to dissent” principle encourages continuous innovation and pushes teams to think beyond the status quo.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Ajay Gannerkote on LinkedIn.
• Follow Integrated DNA Technologies on LinkedIn and visit their website.

Dylan Papa is a seasoned healthcare technology executive with more than a decade of leadership experience at Zelis, where he has played a central role in driving commercial growth, transformation, and data-driven strategy. Now serving as Senior Vice President of Commercial Growth, he brings a strong track record of expanding revenue, shaping organizational direction, and guiding high-impact initiatives across the payments and cost-management ecosystem. 

Throughout his tenure, Dylan has held progressive leadership roles spanning growth and transformation, payments transformation, business insights and analytics, and business solutions—each one sharpening his expertise at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and financial operations. His career began in analytics and business development, giving him a grounded, operational understanding of the industry he now helps steer at a strategic level. 

Backed by a foundation in finance from Montclair State University, Dylan combines analytical rigor with a forward-looking mindset, making him a trusted leader in navigating complex healthcare challenges and scaling innovative solutions.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Providers increasingly want secure, simple, and expedited transactions supported by actionable data. This shift gives them more control while improving payer efficiency.
• Modernizing payments isn’t just about speed; it's about giving providers a single, transparent view of all transactions across multiple payers. This visibility helps them reduce denials, identify payment discrepancies, and forecast revenue more accurately.
• Consumer expectations for transparency and personalized benefits are pushing healthcare toward more flexible, customized models. Younger generations especially demand clearer information and greater financial control.
• Fragmentation remains the biggest obstacle in modernizing healthcare payments, from legacy tech stacks to inconsistent treasury processes. Harmonizing these systems is essential for building a seamless, end-to-end experience.
• The next frontier is transforming payments from an administrative task into a strategic asset. When speed, transparency, and control converge, every stakeholder—payer, provider, and consumer—wins.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Dylan Papa on LinkedIn.
• Follow Zelis on LinkedIn and visit their Website.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance sits down with Joerg Schwarz, Senior Director of Industry Strategy & Solutions for Healthcare Interoperability at Infor, and Adam Luff, a healthcare technology executive and VP of Solution Consulting at Infor. Together, they take a fascinating look at the real-world state of healthcare data. Together, they unpack what AI is actually doing for the industry, why pulling meaningful information from existing systems is so challenging, and how proprietary schemas and non-queryable databases keep organizations stuck with costly “zombie systems.” 

They explore the promise of using AI to finally unlock that trapped data, along with the critical measures needed to ensure accuracy, quality, and transparency as new technologies evolve. Make sure to check out this episode if you’ve ever wondered what’s behind the “black box” of healthcare data.

In this episode, they talk about:

• What AI does for the healthcare industry
• The challenges that come with extracting data
• Why the data in current databases isn’t searchable and queryable
  • Proprietary schemas 
  • Unable to pull one data table at a time
  • Using AI to extract data from zombie systems 
• The time and money it takes to keep zombie systems alive
• Measures with new tech that need to be taken to ensure accuracy and quality
• Transparency and rejecting the “black box” approach

A Little About Joerg and Adam:

As a trusted and highly skilled Global Business Strategy Executive and seasoned thought leader in the Healthcare IT domain, Joerg keeps an acute focus on the customer while leading teams, building strategic partnerships, and delivering solutions with measurable outcome improvements. His knowledge runs wide and deep with a 360-degree vantage point through the lenses of Technology, Sales, Marketing, and Academia. He combines the realities of leading key stakeholders and teams through innovation with respect to Healthcare IT and Life Sciences throughout his distinguished career. Joerg is highly motivated towards the evolution of connected managed care, population health, and clinical analytics. Communicating complexity is a signature quality Joerg possesses in service to delivering mutual benefit "win-win-win’s" by successfully navigating complex problems, accelerating brand and product growth, and being a key contributor in go-to-market decisions.

Adam Luff is a healthcare technology executive and VP of Solution Consulting at Infor. With his 25 years in the Healthcare Technology industry, Adam focuses on operational efficiency that leads to providers getting paid faster and simpler.

Liana M. Douillet Guzmán is a seasoned CEO and consumer-tech leader known for driving transformative growth across healthcare, finance, education, and professional services. As CEO of FOLX Health, she has expanded the company’s national reach and service offerings, helping establish it as the leading digital healthcare provider for the LGBTQIA+ community. With nearly two decades of experience scaling disruptive companies, she previously served as CMO at Skillshare and COO at Blockchain, where she played a key role in growing the platform from 4 million to 40 million users and building a globally recognized brand. 

Liana also spent nine years shaping Axiom’s international expansion and marketing strategy across the U.S., EMEA, and APAC regions. A Henry Crown Fellow and three-time Fast Company Queer 50 honoree, she is a sought-after speaker at global forums including DAVOS, Fortune Brainstorm, Web Summit, and HLTH. Beyond her executive work, she co-founded The Pink Agenda and serves on the boards of GLAAD and The Elizabeth Park Conservancy. Born and raised in Puerto Rico, she brings a global mindset and people-first leadership style to every role.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Whole-person, patient-centered, community-oriented care is the future. When these three pillars align, outcomes improve and trust increases across populations.
• Telehealth is not a compromise; it’s often the safest, most accessible option. For many people, digital care is the only environment where they feel safe, respected, and willing to seek support.
• AI can either transform healthcare or exacerbate and dangerously amplify inequality. Without careful oversight and representative data, large language models can reinforce harmful misinformation.
• Affirming care is a clinical and financial necessity, not a niche service. Avoiding preventive care can lead to dangerous delays and significantly higher system costs.
• Demographic shifts make inclusive care a strategic imperative. With a quarter of Gen Z identifying as LGBTQIA+, employers and payers who invest early will capture long-term loyalty and economic value.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Liana Guzmán on LinkedIn.
• Follow FOLX Health on LinkedIn and Instagram, and visit their website. 

Ben Forrest is the CEO of Olio, a care coordination technology company focused on improving collaboration among payers, health systems, and post-acute providers for the most complex patients. With a 14-year background in the medical device industry, Ben saw firsthand how fragmented workflows and siloed care settings created barriers to quality and efficiency—an insight that led him to build Olio. Under his leadership, the platform now enables real-time engagement across hundreds of care sites, helping organizations reduce administrative burden, improve outcomes, and better manage medical spend. Ben is dedicated to bringing modern software, thoughtful workflows, and emerging AI capabilities to one of healthcare’s most persistent challenges: truly connected care.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Care coordination is deeply fragmented, especially for complex patients moving across hospitals, skilled nursing, home health, behavioral health, and other community settings.
• Olio’s platform connects payers, health systems, and post-acute providers in one shared workflow, enabling daily engagement and reducing administrative burden.
• Better downstream provider engagement directly improves outcomes and lowers costs, especially in Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, ACO, and bundled payment environments.
• Scaling coordination statewide requires more than EMRs; it requires workflow technology that ensures transparency, accountability, and consistent communication across 100+ care sites.
• Economics drive engagement: care coordination intensity increases where organizations hold risk or face pressure to manage total medical spend.
• The future of AI in care coordination is still emerging, and smart companies will focus on doing one operational problem exceptionally well before expanding.
• Payers will face mounting pressure to reduce medical spend, making true care coordination, not just better authorization practices, a strategic necessity.
• Olio was born from the realization that healthcare excels at delivering care in silos but struggles when patients move between settings, especially under value-based models.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Ben Forrest on LinkedIn.
• Follow Olio on LinkedIn and discover their website. 

Trudy McKanna is an accomplished medical affairs leader with extensive experience across medical education, field medical strategy, and people management. Currently serving as Senior Field Medical Director at GRAIL, she brings more than two decades of expertise spanning oncology, organ health, genetics, and medical ethics. Prior to GRAIL, she spent nine years at Natera in progressively senior roles, including Senior Director of Medical Affairs for Organ Health, where she led medical strategy, built and managed high-performing teams, and shaped national KOL engagement efforts across transplant and renal genetics. Her background includes over a decade as a genetic counselor and supervisor at Spectrum Health, leadership roles in professional organizations such as the Michigan Association of Genetic Counselors, and academic appointments with Michigan State University. As co-founder and vice president of the Rockford Food Allergy Network, she also helped strengthen community education and advocacy around food allergy awareness. Trudy holds a Master of Science in Genetic Counseling from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science in Biology/Biochemistry from Hope College.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Early detection significantly changes survival outcomes; identifying cancer before it metastasizes can quadruple five-year survival rates.
• Multi-cancer early detection utilizes cell-free DNA and methylation patterns to detect signals from over 50 cancers with a simple blood draw.
• Adding this test to standard screening results in seven times more cancers being found, with over half detected at early stages.
• The false-positive rate is exceptionally low at 0.4%, making it viable for population-scale screening.
• Access and equity improve significantly when screening can be conducted in primary care settings, mobile units, employer sites, and underserved communities.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Trudy McKanna on LinkedIn.
• Follow GRAIL on LinkedIn and visit their website.
• Learn more about Galleri here.

David Cohen, FACHE, serves as the Chief Product and Technology Officer at Greenway Health, leading the company’s technology and product strategy to drive digital healthcare innovation. Since joining in 2019, he has played a key role in modernizing Greenway’s solutions and driving better outcomes for providers and patients. He also serves on the Board of the CommonWell Health Alliance, promoting interoperability across the healthcare ecosystem.

Previously, David spent over 13 years at Cerner Corporation in leadership roles spanning Cerner Intelligence, Clinical Solutions, and Innovation. He began his career in technology and consulting with Pfizer and ThoughtWorks. David holds an MBA from The University of Chicago Booth School of Business and a BA in Integrated Science and Mathematics from Northwestern University.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Intelligent automation is central to transforming ambulatory healthcare, enabling providers to reduce administrative tasks and allocate more time to patient care.
• Greenway’s “agentic-first architecture” treats AI not as a tool but as the core product, enabling end-to-end workflow automation across the encounter-to-cash spectrum.
• By working closely with customers and using a “working backwards” approach, Greenway designs solutions that directly address real-world practice challenges.
• Automation in documentation, chart review, and revenue cycle management enhances efficiency and improves care coordination through platforms like AWS HealthLake.
• David emphasizes “time compression,” focusing on delivering innovation within months rather than years to meet the urgent needs of healthcare providers.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow David Cohen on LinkedIn.
• Follow Greenway Health on LinkedIn and visit their website. 

Ariel Garten is a visionary neuroscientist, entrepreneur, and thought leader best known as the co-founder and chief evangelist of Muse, the brain-sensing headband that makes meditation easier through real-time neurofeedback. With a foundation in neuroscience from the University of Toronto, Ariel’s early research at the Krembil Neuroscience Centre focused on Parkinson’s disease and hippocampal neurogenesis. Her work bridges science, art, and mental wellness, a fusion evident in Muse’s elegant design and its mission to help users strengthen their minds through technology.

Before founding InteraXon, the parent company of Muse, in 2009, Ariel worked as a therapist in private practice, helping clients uncover clarity and overcome self-limiting beliefs. Her interest in brain-computer interfaces began in 2003 in Dr. Steve Mann’s lab, where she explored thought-controlled technologies—an experience that later inspired InteraXon’s debut project, Bright Ideas, which allowed participants at the 2010 Winter Olympics to control the lights on the CN Tower and Niagara Falls with their minds.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Daily brain tracking gives individuals and clinicians the kind of insights previously only available in labs, making brain health far more accessible.
• MUSE’s new AI sleep coach and Digital Sleeping Pill adjust audio in real time to help users fall asleep faster and return to sleep when they wake.
• The device’s dual EEG and fNIRS sensors measure electrical activity and blood oxygenation, enabling both sleep analysis and cognitive training.
• Research from the Mayo Clinic indicates that just five minutes of daily use resulted in a 54% reduction in burnout among healthcare professionals.
• Pharmaceutical companies, clinicians, and researchers are turning to MUSE for distributed sleep studies, cognitive data, and medication response tracking.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Ariel Garten on LinkedIn.
• Follow MUSE on LinkedIn and visit their website.
• Email the MUSE team directly here.

Brian Bewley advises healthcare and life sciences companies, as well as their investors, on complex regulatory, transactional, and strategic matters. He assists clients in navigating federal and state compliance issues, managing regulatory due diligence, and responding to government audits and investigations. His clients include pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers, hospitals, health systems, digital health companies, managed care organizations, long-term care providers, and private equity firms.

Brian has successfully defended organizations in matters involving the False Claims Act, the Civil Monetary Penalties Law, and audits by HHS OIG and CMS. His experience spans Anti-Kickback Statute and Stark Law compliance, drug pricing issues, and Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement. Before entering private practice, Brian served as senior counsel at HHS OIG and as a special assistant U.S. attorney through the Department of Justice Attorney General’s Honors Program.

A frequent national speaker on health care regulatory topics, Brian also served as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in Burkina Faso, West Africa, where he taught science in French in a rural village.

Things You’ll Learn: 

• Technological innovation in healthcare and the life sciences is advancing faster than current U.S. regulatory frameworks can keep pace.
• Shifting federal policies, tariff changes, and agency turnover have created uncertainty and slowed investor activity in the sector.
• New state-level laws are making it more difficult for private equity and venture capital firms to invest in healthcare.
• Private capital remains a vital driver of innovation, funding technologies that improve efficiency, precision, and patient outcomes.
• Investor confidence is beginning to rebound as market conditions stabilize and engagement with policymakers increases heading into 2026.

Resources: 

• Connect with and follow Brian Bewley on LinkedIn, or reach out via email.
• Follow Reed Smith LLP on LinkedIn and visit their website.

Ryan Weber is a solutions consultant for TruLookup at TransUnion, where he helps healthcare organizations harness the power of data intelligence to enhance patient access, engagement, and trust. With over eight years of experience at TransUnion’s Specialized Risk Group, Ryan collaborates with clients to integrate non-credit data assets, AI-driven analytics, and automated solutions that streamline the patient journey and enhance financial performance. His expertise lies in connecting complex data systems to real-world healthcare challenges, ensuring that providers can efficiently reach patients, reduce administrative friction, and support equitable care for underserved populations.

Before joining TransUnion, Ryan served as managing partner at Next Level Sailing Chicago, a high-performance sailing experience focused on team building and leadership through competition. He also held account executive roles in technology and trading, developing a strong foundation in business development and client relations. A graduate of Fort Lewis College with a degree in business and marketing, Ryan combines technical insight with a passion for innovation and customer success.

Things You’ll Learn:

• TransUnion utilizes non-credit data sources, including phone and property information, to assist healthcare organizations in updating and verifying patient contact details for enhanced engagement.
• Their data-driven solutions support the entire patient journey, improving scheduling, verification, and financial accessibility to reduce barriers to care.
• AI and automation play a key role in streamlining patient onboarding, minimizing manual data entry, and enhancing the overall care experience.
• The company focuses on inclusive data strategies that ensure historically underserved populations are represented and supported in healthcare innovation.
• Trust and compliance remain central, with strict adherence to HIPAA, FCRA, and ethical data use ensuring patient privacy and transparency.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Ryan Weber on LinkedIn.
• Follow TransUnion on LinkedIn and visit their website. 
• Email Ryan directly here. 

John Harrison is a seasoned digital marketing and client experience leader with over 20 years of experience shaping innovative brand, product, and business strategies. As president and general manager at WebMD Health Services, he leads initiatives that help organizations build cultures of well-being, improving health and happiness across millions of lives.

Known for his blend of creative vision and operational discipline, John has led high-performing teams at companies such as WebMD, Webtrends, and Yesmail Interactive, delivering measurable growth and client success for Fortune 1000 organizations. His expertise spans customer experience leadership, P&L management, M&A strategy, and organizational development.

Based in Portland, Oregon, John is recognized for his ability to inspire teams, navigate change with clarity, and translate complex business challenges into purposeful, people-centered solutions. He holds a B.A. in Theatre Arts from the University of Oregon, a background that fuels his strong communication and leadership style.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Holistic well-being replaces generic wellness by integrating digital tools with human services to enhance overall well-being. This approach personalizes support to each employee’s goals, risks, and life context.
• Partnerships and interoperability are crucial because employees require a seamless experience. Disjointed handoffs create gaps that cause people to disengage.
• Leadership advocacy and employee champion networks turn initiatives into culture. When leaders participate in and communicate effectively, programs earn trust and adoption.
• Outcomes, not optics, define success. Measuring year-over-year health risk reduction and cost impact separates true results from “check the box” efforts.
• The next leap is AI plus people working in sync. Timely digital nudges paired with human guidance unlock personalization and reach at scale.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow John Harrison on LinkedIn.
• Follow WebMD Health Services on LinkedIn and visit their website. 

Nikhil Buduma is a San Francisco–based entrepreneur, scientist, and engineer working at the cutting edge of AI and healthcare. He is the co-founder and CEO of Ambience Healthcare, an AI platform built to supercharge every healthcare worker with intelligent automation. Under his leadership, Ambience has grown into one of the most well-funded AI healthcare startups in the world, raising over $343 million from top investors, including a16z, OpenAI, Kleiner Perkins, Oak HC/FT, Optum Ventures, and industry pioneers such as Jeff Dean and Pieter Abbeel. Before becoming CEO, Nikhil served as Ambience’s Chief Scientist, leading the development of its core AI systems that streamline documentation, coding, and clinical workflows for healthcare systems, including the Cleveland Clinic and St. Luke’s.

Prior to Ambience, Nikhil co-founded Remedy Health, where he applied machine learning to advance value-based care models, backed by Khosla Ventures and Greylock. He also co-founded Lean On Me, a nonprofit organization that supports mental health and wellness across U.S. college campuses through anonymous peer-to-peer text support networks at institutions such as MIT, Duke, and UC Berkeley.

A graduate and valedictorian of Bellarmine College Preparatory, Nikhil earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science and engineering from MIT. His career reflects a rare blend of technical mastery, compassion, and vision—using AI not to replace clinicians, but to restore the human joy in the practice of medicine.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Health systems often see low real-world usage of ambient tools; when daily adoption crosses most clinicians and visits, the ROI conversation becomes meaningful. This requires solving fundamentals across specialties, not just shipping features.
• If AI generates notes that don’t align with payer rules and codes, organizations incur rework and risk. Integrating HCC, ICD-10, and CPT selection, along with supporting language, at the point of care helps prevent denials.
• Revenue integrity upside: Bringing CDI intelligence forward can reclaim large sums from work already done but not credited. This strengthens both financial sustainability and compliance posture.
• Continuous third-party auditing and domain-specific modeling are essential because general reasoning models often struggle with the nuances of revenue cycles. Independent validation builds organizational trust.
• Patient Summary anticipates questions and data needs before the visit, while Chart Chat answers complex, EHR-aware queries in seconds, helping to democratize top-tier standards of care in rural settings.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Nikhil Buduma on LinkedIn.
• Follow Ambience Healthcare on LinkedIn and visit their website. 

Kyle M.K. is an Executive Strategy Advisor, keynote speaker, and best-selling author based in Austin, Texas. As Indeed’s Senior Talent Strategy Advisor, he helps employers navigate the future of work—simplifying complex labor market challenges and inspiring people-focused leadership. His book, The Economics of Emotion, explores how emotional intelligence drives business success. Before Indeed, Kyle founded The Heart Company, where he helped global brands like The Ritz-Carlton, Uber, and Disney elevate brand loyalty through emotionally centered strategies. He also led ventures such as Human Planet and No. 4 St. James, combining data, storytelling, and design to humanize business experiences. With roots at Apple, where he shaped retail training and technology, Kyle’s career centers on one mission: making work more human.

Things You'll Learn: 

• Retention begins long before a new hire’s first day, authentic communication and realistic expectations set the foundation for longevity.
• Feeling underappreciated by supervisors is one of the most unique and powerful drivers of burnout in healthcare.
• Leadership empathy directly shapes workplace culture; when senior leaders lack compassion, it cascades down the organization.
• Transparency in job postings and work environments helps reduce turnover by aligning expectations with reality, thereby fostering a more effective work environment.
• Treating healthcare teams as communities rather than machines fosters a sense of belonging, purpose, and ultimately, better patient care.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Kyle M.K. on LinkedIn.
• Follow Indeed on LinkedIn.
• Visit Indeed’s website.
• Get a copy of Kyle’s book, The Economics of Emotion, here.
• Read Indeed’s Pulse of Healthcare 2024 here.
• Read Indeed’s Pulse of Healthcare 2025 here.

Dr. Stein shares how Boston Scientific is tackling one of healthcare’s biggest challenges: too much data and too little insight. From AI-driven heart monitors that detect dangerous rhythms before doctors can see them, to tools that democratize expert-level cardiac imaging, to predictive algorithms that warn clinicians of heart failure weeks before hospitalization. Tune in to hear how AI is not replacing doctors but empowering them, why clinical rigor still matters in the age of algorithms, and what it means for the future of cardiology.

In this episode, they talk about:

• What it means to have too much data
• Three key use cases for AI in cardiology
  • Scaling expertise with BeatLogic
  • Democratizing Expertise with Avigo Plus
  • Predicting outcomes with Heartlogic
• AI transforms raw data into actionable insights that improve patient outcomes.
• Radiology and cardiology are examples of how AI enhances (not replaces) medical professionals.
• Clinicians who embrace AI will outperform those who don’t.
• Ongoing education on AI’s role, limits, and evidence base is crucial for healthcare providers.

A Little About Kenneth:

Kenneth Stein is senior vice president and global chief medical officer at Boston Scientific. In this role, he has oversight for the clinical trials, medical safety and medical affairs functions and is responsible for ensuring a cohesive clinical community of practice across the company. Prior to Boston Scientific, Stein held the position of associate director of clinical cardiac electrophysiology at Weill Cornell Medical Center and associate professor of medicine at Cornell University. Stein is a graduate of Harvard College (in economics) and New York University School of Medicine. He is widely published, having authored more than 160 papers in the peer reviewed medical literature.  

Harpaul Sambhi is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of Magical, where he’s building Agentic AI for healthcare to transform how people and systems interact in one of the world’s most vital industries. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Harpaul combines a deep technical background with a passion for human-centered innovation. Before founding Magical in 2020, he built and sold Careerify to LinkedIn, where he later led product initiatives within LinkedIn Talent Solutions and Microsoft, helping shape the future of talent acquisition and HR technology.

Alongside building companies, Harpaul has served as Entrepreneur in Residence at Bain Capital Ventures, Advisor at On Deck, and a Limited Partner in leading VC funds, including Bain Capital Ventures, iNovia Capital, and OnDeck. Earlier in his career, he authored Social HR (published by Thomson-Reuters) and lectured at the Schulich Executive Education Centre on innovation, technology, and the evolving workplace.

At his core, Harpaul is guided by simple principles—striving to be a good human and a dedicated father, husband, son, brother, and friend—while working with great people to build great products that make a difference. A graduate of the University of Waterloo with a degree in electrical engineering, he continues to live by curiosity, humility, and the drive to create technology that serves people, not the other way around.

About Doug Hires:

Douglas Hires is a seasoned healthcare executive, consultant, and entrepreneur with over 35 years of leadership experience across the healthcare and information technology sectors. Based in Dallas, Texas, Douglas has built a distinguished career driving operational excellence, business transformation, and financial performance for some of the nation’s leading healthcare organizations. His expertise spans providers, payers, government, and life sciences, and his track record includes accelerating growth, restructuring operations, and guiding organizations through strategic reinvention.

Currently, Douglas serves as Executive Advisor at Magical, Managing Partner at JD Hires Advisory Group, and Founder & President of New World Wine Designs, where he combines his business acumen with his passion for fine wine and craftsmanship through bespoke wine cellar design and building. He also advises healthcare and sales organizations through roles with Healthcare IT Leaders and SalesSparx LLC, lending his strategic insight to help teams scale with precision and purpose.

Previously, Douglas held multiple senior leadership roles at Optum, including Chief Operating Officer for OptumInsight Provider and COO of the Hospital Services Division, overseeing end-to-end revenue cycle operations for Dignity Health’s 36 hospitals. His earlier career includes executive roles at Santa Rosa Consulting, 3M Health Information Systems, SoftMed Systems, and First Consulting Group, where he earned recognition as a respected thought leader and sought-after industry speaker.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Agentic AI surpasses automation by reasoning, adapting, and executing end-to-end workflows, thereby freeing healthcare workers from repetitive tasks.
• Healthcare organizations are already seeing results, such as doubling prior authorization volume while cutting staff needs and decision times in half.
• The shift from RPA to agentic AI mirrors the evolution from MapQuest to autonomous vehicles, smarter, smoother, and self-correcting.
• Successful AI adoption requires attention to change management and staff reallocation, not just technology deployment.
• Evaluating AI vendors using six key pillars (reasoning, adaptability, interoperability, agility, scalability, and fault tolerance) helps cut through the hype and identify real solutions.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Harpaul Sambhi on LinkedIn.
• Connect with and follow Doug Hires on LinkedIn.
• Follow Magical on LinkedIn.
• Visit Magical’s website.

Charlie Harp is the CEO of Clinical Architecture, where he has led the company for over 16 years in its mission to revolutionize healthcare data quality and interoperability. Under his leadership, Clinical Architecture has become the industry’s leading provider of healthcare terminology management solutions, empowering organizations to enhance the accuracy, usability, and value of clinical data across systems. With deep expertise in electronic health records (EHR) and healthcare information systems, Charlie has spearheaded the development of cutting-edge software products and driven major initiatives in process improvement, project management, and data strategy—boosting efficiency and profitability across the organization.

Before founding and growing Clinical Architecture, Charlie held senior technology and leadership roles at First DataBank, Zynx Health, Medi-Span, Covance, and SmithKline Beecham Clinical Labs, where he consistently delivered innovative solutions that advanced healthcare IT infrastructure. Beyond his executive work, Charlie is a healthcare data quality evangelist and host of the Informonster Podcast, where he explores the evolving intersection of healthcare, technology, and data. A graduate of California State Polytechnic University–Pomona and the Hearst Management Institute, Charlie remains deeply committed to enhancing the healthcare ecosystem through improved data and advanced technology.

Things You’ll Learn:

• AI in healthcare is only as good as the data it’s trained on; poor data leads to dangerous outcomes and lost trust.
• The Patient Information Quality Improvement Framework (PIQI) aims to measure and improve healthcare data quality through an open-source, industry-wide standard.
• Data quality has a direct impact on everything from reimbursement accuracy to clinical decision-making and patient safety.
• Healthcare’s transformation won’t come from disruption but from gradual, data-driven evolution focused on interoperability and usability.
• Investing in data quality is like adopting a healthy lifestyle; it’s hard work, but the long-term benefits far outweigh the short-term effort.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Charlie Harp on LinkedIn.
• Follow Clinical Architecture on LinkedIn.
• Visit the Clinical Architecture website. 
• Listen to Charlie’s previous interview on the podcast here.
• Check out The Informonster Podcast here.

Patrick Schinzel is the Chief Operations Officer at Strive Pharmacy, where he has been instrumental in driving operational excellence and patient-focused innovation since 2023. With over two decades of experience in pharmacy leadership, Patrick brings a deep understanding of both clinical care and business strategy. Before stepping into his current executive role, he served as a pharmacist at Strive Pharmacy and Walgreens, where he spent nearly 20 years ensuring top-quality patient care and operational efficiency. Beyond pharmacy, Patrick has also demonstrated entrepreneurial drive as the long-time owner of Potential Home Buyers LLC, a real estate venture he has led since 2008. He earned his PharmD and bachelor’s in pharmaceutical sciences from South Dakota State University, following his studies at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and Clarke Community. Based in Mesa, Arizona, Patrick combines his expertise in healthcare and business to advance Strive Pharmacy’s mission of delivering accessible, personalized, and high-quality pharmaceutical care.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Usage analytics revealed five consistently effective testosterone formulations from 370 variations, enabling faster fulfillment, lower prices, and maintained clinical autonomy.
• A thoughtful cash-pay strategy can enhance affordability today, even as broader reimbursement for underserved populations remains a significant industry challenge.
• Proactive potency testing on sterile lines (including GLP-1s) goes beyond basic safety to verify therapeutic effectiveness.
• “Preferred” formulations can coexist with precision medicine, extracting bulk efficiencies without eliminating personalization.
• The next leap is software that coordinates interdepartmental nuance, paving the way for robotics to deliver true “lot size of one” at scale.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Patrick Schinzel on LinkedIn.
• Follow Clinical Architecture on LinkedIn and visit their website. 
• Email Patrick here.

Lori Logan is the president and CEO of NASCO, where she leads with a vision to merge innovation with a strong foundation in healthcare. Based in Englewood, Colorado, she brings over two decades of leadership across healthcare’s payer, provider, and technology sectors. Known for her curiosity, analytical mindset, and collaborative leadership, Lori has consistently driven growth, transformation, and measurable impact. Her career includes leading multimillion-dollar projects, overseeing teams of hundreds, and managing large-scale integrations and mergers, and acquisitions (M&A) initiatives. Previously, she held senior roles at athenahealth, Geneia, Paladina Health, TriZetto, UnitedHealthcare, Cigna, and McKesson—where she launched groundbreaking products and strategies that improved care coordination and operational efficiency. Recognized for her strategic acumen and results-driven approach, Lori has earned industry accolades, including the TriZetto CEO Pinnacle Award and the Thomson Reuters Healthcare Advantage Award. Her mission remains clear: to reimagine healthcare and create healthier outcomes and lives.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Legacy infrastructure hinders scalability; health plans require a modern administrative “chassis” to package benefits, administer payments, and operationalize innovation. This goes well beyond traditional claims systems.
• Analytics must merge claims, clinical, and engagement data with medical economics precision. Insights then have to reach providers and advocates so care is both effective and reimbursable.
• A significant amount of value now resides outside of claims in disease management, digital tools, and condition management programs. Members need clear navigation and transparency on what they have, where to go, and what it costs.
• Provider enablement is essential for value-based care. Success depends on aligned incentives, shared operations, coaching, and trust between plans and providers.
• Strategic investments should prioritize scalable administration, robust operations, and data pipelines. These foundations let plans attribute value, manage risk, and drive affordability at scale.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Lori Logan on LinkedIn.
• Follow NASCO on LinkedIn and explore their website.

Dr. Julie Schulz, MD, MPH, is a physician executive and product leader based in Los Angeles with a proven track record of driving innovation at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and business. Over the past 15 years, she has built and led teams developing healthcare decision support, analytics, and consumer health products across value-based care, women’s health, and life sciences. As VP of Product at Avalon Healthcare Solutions, she leads strategy for next-generation diagnostics platforms. Previously, at HALO Diagnostics and Doctor Evidence, she guided product and business development efforts that integrated imaging, laboratory, and evidence-based analytics to improve patient and physician experiences. Earlier roles at Lumere and Sg2 honed her expertise in clinical data, product-market fit, and scaling evidence-driven solutions. Published in leading journals, Dr. Schulz combines deep clinical insight with strategic leadership to advance innovations that improve healthcare outcomes and drive measurable business impact.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Diagnostic intelligence can transform diagnostics from a cost center into a strategic asset that improves quality and lowers costs.
• Physicians face overwhelming volumes of new tests and guidelines, and AI-powered decision support can ease their cognitive burden.
• By removing prior authorization barriers, patients can transition from diagnosis to treatment in just 15 days, rather than the typical 60 days.
• Data shows that healthier patients are more likely to receive GLP-1 prescriptions, revealing a need for better risk-adjusted care strategies.
• True innovation in healthcare depends on communication, simplifying complexity and aligning clinicians, payers, and technologists toward shared goals.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Dr. Julie Schulz on LinkedIn.
• Follow Avalon Healthcare Solutions on LinkedIn and explore their website.
• Read Avalon Healthcare Solutions’ Annual Lab Trend Report here.

In this episode, they talk about:

• The birth of Newton’s Tree
• Health systems should start small and design for agility
• Technology adoption best practices
• Newton’s Tree’s four-step framework to aid health systems through their entire life cycles
• Balancing the need to implement quickly and properly at the same time
• The future of standards for AI in healthcare
• We must evolve with technology

A Little About Haris:

Haris Shuaib is Founder and CEO of Newton’s Tree, a startup dedicated to AI transformation at scale in health and care. He is Director of the Fellowships in Clinical Artificial Intelligence, the world’s-first clinical training programme for healthcare professionals to develop practical AI skills. He is also a Consultant Clinical Scientist and former Head of the Clinical Scientific Computing section at Guy’s & St Thomas’ NHS FT. Finally, he also holds a NIHR Doctoral Research Fellowship, where he is leading a national multi-centre trial to see whether AI can improve the treatment of glioblastoma. 

It’s a pivotal moment for the industry: AI isn’t here to replace expertise, but to amplify it. When developed responsibly, these tools can become powerful partners by reducing friction for patients, supporting providers, and ensuring care reaches those who need it most.

In this episode, they talk about:

• How Clearstep uses AI to balance patient access with provider capacity
• What it really means to leverage expert AI systems
• Tangible benefits for provider organizations
• Cutting call center volume, boosting patient care, and seeing 3–10x ROI
• Flexible deployment: from pre-visit automation to call center efficiency to data insights

A Little About Bilal:

Dr. Bilal Naved co-founded Clearstep while completing his MD/PhD at Northwestern University. With a passion for blending engineering and medicine, he’s dedicated to pushing the boundaries of how care is delivered. Today, Bilal focuses on using advanced informatics to both optimize healthcare systems and measure real-world outcomes: work that’s making healthcare more efficient, effective, and patient-centered.

Medallion builds software that simplifies the complexity of running a provider network. From credentialing to licensing, the platform helps organizations get providers seeing patients faster while offering greater efficiency, visibility, and control.

In this episode, they talk about:

• How Medallion helps accurately manage provider networks with AI automation
• The complicated and complex process of credentialing—and why it sparked Derek’s journey
• Where Medallion comes into play in recruiting and hiring providers
• How this benefits organizations beyond the administrative process
• The future of AI management software in healthcare
• How Medallion is helping drive transformation across the industry

A Little About Derek:

Derek Lo is the CEO and Founder of Medallion, the leading platform for provider network management. Since launching in 2020, he’s grown the company to over 300 customers, built a 150+ person team, and raised $140 million from top investors like Sequoia Capital and Optum Ventures. A second-time founder, Derek previously built and sold Py to Hired.com in 2019. He’s a Yale graduate in Computer Science and Statistics, a two-time Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, and is driving Medallion’s mission to simplify healthcare operations with AI-powered automation.

In this episode, they talk about:

• How AI has grown from traditional machine learning to GenAI to today’s Agentic capabilities
• A simple 3-layer setup: domain agents (specialists), reasoning agents (the organizer), and an enterprise model (the professor)
• Real-life use cases, like “Is this service covered?” or “Why was my claim denied?”
• What enGen focuses on to succeed: fresh thinking, outside perspectives, curiosity, a willingness to rebuild, and the right team
• enGen’s vision is transforming healthcare by supporting members on their whole health journey and creating seamless experiences
• Smarter data with AI-enabled APIs that make information easy to use across different needs
• Why speed matters but not at the cost of security and trust

A Little About Vishal and Mike:

Vishal brings over 2 decades of technology and business transformation experience in the Health Care industry. He specializes in the infusion and adoption of new-age technologies into today's complex ecosystem that enables Payers and Providers to manage, deliver, and reimburse for care. Most recently, he has focused on real-world use of AI to augment technologists, operators, and business experts to meaningfully change how Health Care systems support their stakeholders. 

Mike comes to enGen with over 25 years of experience in technology and operations within both the health care and financial services industries. For the past 20 years, he consulted with health care organizations in transforming their businesses through technology-enabled solutions and large-scale business transformations specifically focused in core administration and service transformation . Mike leads enGen’s person-centric solutions focused on digital, clinical and provider transformation that puts the member and patient at the center of their healthcare journey.

That’s where virtual care platforms and AI-driven healthcare solutions come in. By streamlining workflows and surfacing the right insights at the right time, these tools cut the administrative load in half, giving providers more time with patients while reducing the risk of burnout.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance sits with Peter Burns, from SoftServe, and Tim Wright from Teladoc to explore how their organizations are reimagining care team workflows. They discuss practical ways technology can boost efficiency, speed up patient support, and strengthen trust—the foundation for any successful digital health adoption.

In this episode, they talk about:

• The vision behind SoftServe and Teladoc Health and how they’re shaping the future of care delivery
• The expanding reach of virtual care and what it means for patients and providers
• How AI-driven healthcare tools are redefining care team workflows for greater efficiency
• Real-world examples of how Teladoc and SoftServe are improving the way care teams collaborate and deliver patient support
• The role of smart hospital rooms and what they signal for the next era of connected care
• Why the partnership between SoftServe and Teladoc is unlocking new possibilities in digital health innovation

A Little About Peter:

Peter Burns brings more than 25 years of healthcare experience to his role as Director of Consulting & Domain Solutions at SoftServe. He’s passionate about bridging the gap between technology and healthcare, helping payers and providers solve complex business challenges with innovative, real-world solutions.

At SoftServe, Peter combines deep industry expertise with cutting-edge technical capabilities to design strategies that improve workflows, enhance patient outcomes, and drive lasting impact across the healthcare ecosystem.

A Little About Tim:

Tim Wright is passionate about using technology to make healthcare more accessible and effective. As Senior Vice President of Strategy and Innovation at Teladoc Health, he helps shape the future of virtual care by building collaborations that improve patient experiences and support care teams.

Before joining Teladoc in 2020, Tim was a founding leader at InTouch Health. Prior to that he held management positions at HCR ManorCare, and even Marriott International, giving him a unique perspective that blends healthcare innovation with customer-centered strategy. He actually started his career in IT as an Information Systems Manager at King Broadcasting Company, a role that sparked his lifelong interest in technology and innovation.

Tim holds an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Washington, and studied at Sciences Po Bordeaux.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Healthcare innovation must be responsible.
• The four levels of AI and how they are best used
• Working with the FDA to advance safe, high-risk features.
• Driving interoperability, reducing friction, and encouraging consumer empowerment.
• Addressing Bias by using diverse data, garnering trust, and establishing the right guardrails
• Governance through consistent standards
• Partnerships are the key to growing AI responsibly
• Key Takeaways:
  • Trust, safety, and compliance are non-negotiable foundations of innovation.
  • Regulators are partners in shaping the future of AI, not barriers.
  • Responsible AI creates safer, more equitable, and more proactive care

A Little About Anand Iyer:

Anand is a respected global digital health innovator and leader, most known for his insights on and experience with technology, strategy, and regulatory policy. Anand has been instrumental in Welldoc’s success and the development of BlueStar®, the first FDA-cleared digital therapeutic for adults with type 2 diabetes. Since joining Welldoc in 2008, he has held core leadership positions that included President and Chief Operating Officer and Chief Strategy Officer. In 2013, Anand was named “Maryland Healthcare Innovator of the Year” in the field of mobile health. Anand was also recognized as a top AI thought leader globally when he was named to Constellation Research’s prestigious AI 150 list in 2024.

From measuring pain levels to aiding in the diagnosis of conditions like Anxiety, depression, Huntington's, Parkinson's, MCI, Canary’s tools are designed to improve accuracy and speed in healthcare decision-making. This innovation not only helps patients receive the right care faster, but also supports nurses and clinicians by reducing burnout, improving workplace safety, and streamlining workflows.

If you’re curious about the future of AI in healthcare, digital health innovation, or how speech analysis can change the way we approach diagnostics and patient care, this conversation is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Addressing the growing challenge of aggression in healthcare settings
• Measuring ROI while reducing risk, preventing burnout, and improving employee retention
• Using voice AI to assist in diagnosing ADHD, autism, and scaling pain assessments
• Upcoming projects at Canary Speech, including collaboration with Microsoft’s Dragon software
• Helping providers deliver more empathetic, patient-centered care
• Fast implementation! Canary can be deployed in days, not weeks, for new clients

A Little About Henry:

Henry O’Connell is the CEO and co-founder of Canary Speech, a leading AI health tech company using real-time vocal biomarkers to screen for mental health and neurological conditions. With over two decades of experience in technology leadership, including roles at Hewlett-Packard, Gilson, and the NIH, he has served on the boards of multiple tech companies globally. A passionate advocate for voice technology in healthcare, O’Connell regularly speaks on the transformative potential of AI and vocal biomarkers to improve disease detection, patient monitoring, and clinical decision-making. He aims to provide health screening that is accessible, objective, and scalable.

In this episode, they talk about:

• How healthcare AI is transforming clinical guidelines and MCG’s approach
• Clinical decision support solutions for payers and healthcare organizations
• Why consistent guideline interpretation matters in healthcare
• Building trust in AI-powered clinical decision-making
• Will AI standards in healthcare ever be unified?
• Future innovations in clinical decision support at MCG

A Little About Jon:

Mr. Shreve oversees all facets of MCG Health’s growth and management. He was Chairman of MCG from 2002 to 2009 and became its CEO in 2007. In 2018, Glassdoor recognized him as one of the Top 50 CEOs for Medium and Small Businesses. In 2024, Glassdoor also named MCG a Best Place to Work. Under his leadership, MCG has grown by over 20x. Before MCG’s acquisition by Hearst in 2012, Mr. Shreve had been with Milliman for over 25 years as an Equity Principal and Consulting Actuary. In addition to MCG, Mr. Shreve led or sponsored twenty other practices and was on Milliman’s Board of Directors. Mr. Shreve received his Bachelor of Arts with distinction in Mathematics from Carleton College in Minnesota, and he is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, as well as a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries.

If you’ve ever wondered where to begin with AI adoption, how to overcome common barriers, or what kind of impact AI can have on your organization, this episode is packed with insights. Krishna and Isaac share practical strategies, explain how Sierra tackles real-world challenges like interoperability and security, and highlight ways companies can measure AI success.

Whether you’re curious about streamlining manual processes, building customer trust, or simply trying to understand the baseline knowledge your team needs to get started, this episode will give you a clear roadmap for moving forward with AI.

In this episode, they talk about:

• How Sierra helps organizations and companies leverage AI to improve customer experiences
• Ways the Agent Development team addresses interoperability challenges across systems
• The concept of the “agent iceberg” and what it means for building stronger security
• Foundational AI knowledge every organization should understand before getting started
• Common goals and barriers companies face when adopting AI solutions
• How to measure AI success through cost savings, faster operations, and improved member satisfaction
• Why the best place to start with AI is the area of your company that requires the most manual time and effort to operate

A Little About Krishna:

Krishna Bharathala is an Agent Product Manager at Sierra. Prior to Sierra he was a two-time start-up founder and, before that, was a Product Manager on Google Ads. He holds an MBA from Stanford, and an MS & BS in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania.

A Little About Isaac:

Isaac Gateño is an Agent Engineer at Sierra. He is a hands-on technical leader with over ten years of experience building teams, working with cross-functional stakeholders, and managing complex projects at high-growth companies, including Forward Health, Plaid, and Palantir. He has a BS in computer science from Stanford.

If you’re curious about the future of digital wellbeing, the role of AI in personal health, and how to build tools that truly empower people, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Grokker uses AI to help us stay connected and healthy 
• Directory models versus open systems in the vendor ecosystem
• How Grokker helps empower people to take their wellness into their own hands
• The implementation that will help people the most and lead to the most ROI

A Little About Lorna and Grokker:

Lorna Borenstein is the CEO and Founder of Grokker, the award-winning innovative engagement engine that powers both life-changing outcomes for employees and the results Fortune 1000 clients demand. Supporting millions of employees in over 135 countries on any device, Grokker is trusted by industry leaders, including Boston Children’s Hospital, CVS Health, Delta Air Lines, Dominos, eBay, G.E., MGM Resorts, Pfizer, Target, and more.

The idea for Grokker came to Lorna Borenstein while on a multi-year sabbatical, traveling the world with her husband and three children. Hoping to use the internet to practice yoga and fitness while on vacation, she became frustrated with the lack of high-quality instructional videos available, as well as the difficulty in finding videos in one place. In 2012, Lorna founded Grokker.com, the on-demand wellbeing solution you can access from anywhere, anytime, on any device.

From understanding the nuances of agentic systems to uncovering what makes a truly successful AI solution, this episode covers it all: elasticity, resilience, and the future of AI in healthcare.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Sam’s role at Vantiq
• How adaptive automation differs from “traditional” automation
• AI comes in many different flavors
• How intelligent, collaborative AI agents can relieve clinical burden
• What are agentic systems and how they are used in the clinical setting
• Vantiq has what is needed to have a successful AI system
• Elasticity, resilience, and consistency

A Little About Sam Schifman:

Sam Schifman is a seasoned software architect with experience spanning finance, education, HR, cybersecurity, and no-code development. Since 2019, he has led healthcare IT innovation as Chief Architect at Diameter Health, building systems that make clinical data usable for governments, insurers, and health exchanges. A frequent speaker and guest lecturer at institutions like Harvard and WPI, Sam is passionate about AI’s real-world impact. He has contributed to HL7 AI standards, explored NLP for clinical data, and experimented with generative AI to advance healthcare and biomedical research.

From defining what makes a hospital truly "smart" to navigating the challenges of interoperability and integration, this conversation offers a clear-eyed look at what it takes to go digital in healthcare today. Rob shares how Intellias is helping healthcare organizations modernize infrastructure, drive better patient outcomes, and expand care delivery beyond hospital walls.

Whether you're a health IT leader, provider, or innovator looking to stay ahead of digital trends, this episode offers insights into the real-world challenges and opportunities of building smarter, more connected care systems.

In this episode, they talk about:

• 🧠 What defines a smart hospital in today’s evolving healthcare landscape
• ⚙️ The core technologies powering next-generation, digital-first care environments
• 🔗 How interoperability of connected devices is transforming patient care and workflows
• 🌍 Why smart hospitals are enabling better access to care in rural and remote areas
• 🤝 How Intellias collaborates with healthcare organizations during digital transformation
• 🔄 What information flow looked like before and after connected tech—and what’s still evolving
• 🧩 The complexities of integration and how to overcome them
• 🏷️ Why device manufacturers must innovate and differentiate in an increasingly crowded market

A Little About Rob:

Rob Stein has 10 years of consulting, advisory, managed services, and staffing experience. Focused on Medical Device and Healthcare technology consulting. C2 Solutions, offers comprehensive consulting services designed to elevate your operations in critical areas:

• Product Engineering: From concept to launch, develop innovative products that stand out in the market.
• Data Strategy and Analytics: Unlock actionable insights and drive smarter decision-making with our data expertise.
• Artificial Intelligence: Harness the power of AI to automate processes, enhance customer experiences, and unlock new opportunities.
• Cloud Application Development: Build custom, scalable, and secure applications tailored to meet your unique business needs.
• Quality Engineering: Ensure your products and services exceed customer expectations with our thorough our robust QE processes.
• Patient Experience (Px): In the healthcare sector, elevate the patient journey through technology that improves care outcomes and satisfaction

If you have any questions about RadiantGraph, reach out to Anmol via LinkedIn or email him at anmolmadan@radiantgraph.com. 

In this episode, they talk about:

• ❤️‍🩹How RadiantGraph improves consumer engagement in healthcare using AI.
• ⏲️How quick implementation allows organizations to see results in weeks rather than years.
• 🤝How veterans from digital health and health plan organizations bring valuable insights into what works in the industry.
• 😊The evolution of digital health and the need for systems that effectively engage consumers at scale.
• 🎯Aligning with the business goals of healthcare organizations, they can focus on improving member engagement and satisfaction.
• 🧹The need for clean data and effective data architecture to support healthcare initiatives.

A Little About Anmol:

Anmol Madan is a healthcare technology innovator with 20+ years of experience using AI, machine learning, and data science to tackle some of the industry’s toughest challenges. He’s led breakthrough innovations in mental health, chronic care, telemedicine, and primary care, shaping the future of patient engagement. He also holds a PhD from MIT Media Lab, has authored 25+ scientific papers, and holds 25+ patents. 

As founder of RadiantGraph, Anmol is focused on transforming health engagement through AI-powered personalization, helping health plans and services drive meaningful connections with consumers. Previously, he served as Chief Data Scientist at Teladoc and Livongo and co-founded Ginger (now part of Headspace Health), where he built the first AI-driven tele-psychiatry platform.

In this episode, they talk about:

• Memorial Sloan Kettering’s bold mission to end cancer for life
• The journey that brought MSK and AWS together in a shared digital health vision
• How AI is transforming clinical workflows and enhancing patient interactions
• Techniques for extracting and modeling patient data to inform treatment decisions
• Using data comparison and analysis to uncover clues that guide oncology care
• Leveraging large language models (LLMs) to connect and make sense of scattered patient information
• The importance of adapting existing tools rather than reinventing the wheel
• Why healthcare leaders should lean into AI and embrace emerging technologies
• How AI may reshape the patient–provider relationship in the years to come
• What the next wave of AI use cases in healthcare might look like
• Potential risks of using data in clinical decision support—and how to navigate them
• Opportunities to reduce healthcare costs through AI-powered back-office automation
  The critical role of strong partnerships between healthcare institutions and tech innovators

A Little About Michael:

Michael Frank is Director of Digital Health at Memorial Sloan Kettering’s Business Development, Strategy, and Innovation Group, where he leads efforts to develop, partner, and commercialize digital technologies including AI and precision oncology platforms. Prior to joining MSK in 2021, he held leadership roles at Pfizer, Booz & Co, PA Consulting, Phosplatin Therapeutics, and CombinatoRx, with over 15 years of experience in life sciences, innovation, and strategy. An entrepreneur at heart, Michael has launched products ranging from kitchen gadgets to medical diagnostics, and enjoys helping others bring ideas to market. He holds degrees in Biology (University of Michigan), Biomedical Engineering (Boston University), and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Learn More about Solventum HERE

In this episode, they talk about:

• What Solventum is doing with AI these days
• How clinicians can use ambient listening for documentation 
• Clinicians are being asked to do more with less these days
• Ambient documentation is a tool, not a replacement
• Measuring accuracy by comparison and instances when they are used
• The evolution of ambient clinician documentation since its conception
• Physicians will find themselves behind if they are not using it

A Little About Travis:

Travis Bias, DO, MPH, FAAFP, is a family medicine physician, chief medical officer, and business director of clinician productivity solutions for Solventum's Health Information Systems business. He is also co-director of a Comparative Health Systems course at the University of California, San Francisco Institute of Global Health Sciences.

Dr. Bassett also shares insights from her recent involvement with CHAI.org, emphasizing why healthcare leaders must take initiative in developing responsible AI—without waiting for government mandates. Tune in to hear how Xsolis is helping health systems move from spreadsheets to smart automation, making data more actionable, and building a more transparent, interoperable ecosystem.

In this episode, they talk about:

• How Xsolis is working toward creating a frictionless healthcare system
• How Xsolis reduces manual tasks, decreasing clinician burnout, and boosting productivity
• Xsolis’ use of data aggregation to minimize redundancy in the healthcare industry
• Moving healthcare teams off spreadsheets and into AI-driven solutions
• How client collaboration helps maximize the value Xsolis delivers
• CMS recognition of the need to eliminate unnecessary steps to accelerate patient care
• The role of interoperability in standardizing data exchange and enhancing context
• Why transparency is critical when vendors integrate artificial intelligence
• Evaluating whether vendors have the people and processes to support AI change management

A Little About Heather:

Dr. Heather Bassett is the Chief Medical Officer at Xsolis, an AI-driven health technology company transforming healthcare through a human-centered approach. With over 20 years of experience in clinical care and health IT, she leads Xsolis’ medical and data science teams and co-developed the company’s signature innovation—the Care Level Score, which blends clinical expertise with AI and machine learning to assess patient status in real time.

A board-certified internist and former hospitalist, Dr. Bassett oversees Xsolis’ award-winning physician advisor program, denials management, and AI model development. She’s a frequent speaker at national healthcare conferences, including ACMA and HFMA, and has been featured in Becker’s, MedCity News, and Medical Economics. Recognized as CMO of the Year by the Nashville Business Journal and named one of Becker’s Women in Health IT to Know (2023, 2024), Dr. Bassett is also a member of CHAI.org, advocating for responsible AI in healthcare.

Dr. Morris shares insights on how AI, when used as an assistive—not replacement—tool, can help alleviate clinician burnout and empower medical professionals to focus on what matters most: delivering compassionate, human-centered care. Whether you're a healthcare leader, clinician, or innovator, this episode offers practical insights into leveraging AI to drive real value across your organization.

In this episode, they talk about:

● AI should assist—not replace—medical professionals, enabling them to focus on essential human-centered care.

● AI is not a commodity; it must address critical pain points to drive real value.

● Ambient AI must work for all specialties, not just primary care. AI models must be tuned to the nuances of each specialty.

● Reducing burnout is just the start. When coding-aware, Ambient AI greatly improves clinical documentation integrity and provides coding support at the point-of-care, capturing other lost revenue.

● Always measure results, outputs, and processes when implementing new healthcare technologies.

● The effectiveness of any system depends on the quality and consistency of clinical documentation.

● Successful AI adoption requires a unified, enterprise-wide strategy.

A Little About Will:

Will Morris, MD, MBA, is board-certified in Internal Medicine and is a health technology leader, currently serving as Chief Medical Officer at Ambience Healthcare. In this role, he drives the company’s vision for clinical AI, collaborating with leading health systems to transform clinician workflows and improve patient care. Before joining Ambience, Dr. Morris was Chief Medical Information Officer at Google Cloud Healthcare and Life Sciences, contributing to cutting-edge healthcare innovations. He previously held leadership roles at Cleveland Clinic, including Chief Innovation Officer and Associate Chief Information Officer, overseeing clinical IT systems and health IT advancements.

In this episode of The Beat Podcast, Galina Fendikevich, US GTM Lead at Upstage, joins host Sandy Vance for a deep dive into the fast-evolving world of AI and large language models (LLMs). From breaking down the key differences between small and large language models to exploring what sets Upstage apart in a crowded AI landscape, the conversation offers valuable insights for tech leaders and innovators alike. They also address critical factors that AI systems need to function effectively. Listen in as Galina and Sandy highlight the remarkable potential of AI in healthcare.

Have a question for Galina or Upstage.ai? Reach out by emailing Galina directly at galena@upstage.ai or hit the Contact Us button on the website.

In this episode, they talk about:

• The difference between small and large language models
• What makes Upstage AI stand out from other models
• Galena’s journey to Upstage and Upstage’s journey to the US
• What Upstage AI needs to work well
• Why does AI in healthcare work so well?
• Overcoming challenges like hallucinations with large language models
• What is and how to start the process of bringing in an AI model

A Little About Galina:

Galina Fendikevich’s expertise spans product, strategy, engineering, and scaling operations for high-growth companies. With 10+ years of experience in finance, blockchain, and AI, she began her career on Wall Street before co-founding a team acquired by Niantic, creators of Pokémon Go. 

In this episode, they talk about:

• What is AI in healthcare?
• Where AI will take healthcare in 2025 and beyond
• IKS Health’s differentiators and its approach to technology
• The guardrails that IKS Health follows and the opportunities healthcare may have when we evaluate safety and make the right choices when applying AI
• Why AI workflows are important
• IKS Health defines AI differently from competitors
• The importance of the balance between human-in-the-loop and AI
• Reducing friction in the healthcare journey

A Little About Vijay:

Vijay Venkatesan is the Chief Technology Officer at IKS Health, where he leads the charge in building scalable, future-ready platforms that power efficiency, innovation, and meaningful client impact. With over 15 years in healthcare technology leadership, Vijay is a visionary force behind the deployment of advanced solutions like Generative AI, machine learning, and big data analytics to tackle some of the industry's most complex challenges.

At IKS Health, he drives the company’s end-to-end technology strategy — from evolving the tech stack and aligning engineering with business growth, to fostering a bold culture of innovation. Vijay is passionate about assembling world-class teams, forging strategic partnerships, and ensuring IKS remains on the cutting edge of healthcare transformation.

In this episode, they talk about:

• The concept of Intelligent Clinical Environment and how it addresses the current clinician labor crisis
• The impact on clinician burnout and turnover
• The role do advanced technologies like this play in improving patient care, leadership development, and clinician efficiency
• How the Intelligent Clinical Environment enhances clinical outcomes and patient safety
• How the Intelligent Clinical Environment enhances patient satisfaction
• Some of the common challenges health systems face when implementing this digital care transformation model 
• The ways the Intelligent Clinical Environment helps health systems meet their financial targets and reduce costs

A Little About Claudia and Peter:

Claudia Douglass, FACHE, MHSA, PMP, is a Principal and U.S. National Healthcare Growth Leader with 30 years of experience in healthcare strategy and operations. She’s led complex initiatives in strategic growth, digital transformation, operational performance, and population health across large health systems and consulting roles. A recognized thought leader, Claudia regularly speaks and publishes on topics like leadership, virtual care, and value-based care at top industry conferences. Previously, she served as SVP & COO and VP of Strategy in health systems, bringing practical, implementable insights to her clients.

Dr. Peter Pronovost, MD, PhD, FCCM, is a leading expert in patient safety and critical care, known for pioneering research that has saved thousands of lives. With over 800 peer-reviewed publications, he gained global recognition for his work using checklists to reduce catheter-related bloodstream infections. His groundbreaking contributions earned him a spot on Time magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people and a MacArthur Foundation “genius grant.” As the Chief Quality & Clinical Transformation Officer at University Hospitals in Cleveland, Dr. Pronovost drives innovation in healthcare across a network of 20 hospitals, 50+ health centers, and over 200 physician offices.

Adam Mariano is the GM and President of LexisNexis Healthcare. Adam is a technologist, nurse, and attorney, deeply invested in helping healthcare companies build better, more equitable, and unbiased products and services through intentional product development, open interoperability, and reduced health disparities. He brings extensive clinical, technical, and legal experience spanning 20+ years. Adam's legal work is focused on equal access, civil rights, and immigration.

About Sushma Akunuru:

Sushma Akunuru is a strategic technology leader with expertise in healthcare insurance, wealth management, and banking. As CIO at Independence Blue Cross, she drives digital transformation, modernizing business applications and optimizing IT operations. Previously, she held senior leadership roles at Bank of America and Merrill Lynch, leading wealth management technology and automation strategies. With an MBA from Wharton and a background in computer sciences, she excels in IT strategy, product development, and operational excellence, shaping the future of healthcare and financial services through innovation and digital solutions.

Things You’ll Learn:

• 80% of clinical outcomes are influenced by factors outside of traditional medical care, like social determinants of health; therefore, a focus on whole-person care and community support is essential for equitable health.
• No single entity can solve the complex challenges of healthcare disparities. Collaborations between payers, providers, and technology vendors are essential for creating a connected and equitable healthcare ecosystem.
• Digitalization presents both opportunities and risks. While technology can improve access and convenience, the rapid push toward digitalization can exacerbate health disparities if not implemented thoughtfully, especially for vulnerable populations with limited access to technology or health literacy.
• Solving large, systemic problems can be easy; healthcare organizations should prioritize achievable improvements to create positive experiences for members.
• Telehealth is here to stay. The pandemic accelerated its adoption, which now requires careful consideration to ensure that the service remains available to modern consumers. As things return to normal, virtual healthcare or therapy must remain an option.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Adam Mariano on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about LexisNexis Risk Solutions on their LinkedIn, Instagram, and website.
• Follow and connect with Sushma Akunuru on LinkedIn.
• Discover more about Independence Blue Cross on their LinkedIn, Instagram, and website.
• Learn more about this episode's sponsor, UST Health, on their website.

As AI becomes increasingly pivotal in transforming industries, its impact on healthcare stands out, particularly in overcoming the persistent challenge of data interoperability. With AI's growing role, ethical considerations around data privacy, transparency, and bias are coming to light. Caleb and Sandy discuss these topics in-depth by exploring how healthcare organizations can navigate the complexities of implementing AI responsibly and effectively.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How AI is transforming healthcare workflows and patient care, making processes faster and more accurate.
• The role Vyne Medical is playing in improving operational efficiency through AI-driven automation.
• How AI is bridging gaps between healthcare systems, improving data exchange, and supporting better decision-making.
• Real-world examples of how AI-driven automation is enhancing operational efficiency and patient outcomes for healthcare providers.
• Key challenges in the implementation of AI, and how Vyne Medical is tackling these to ensure ethical and responsible use.
• What the next frontier for AI in healthcare looks like, and how it will continue to revolutionize the industry.
• How healthcare professionals and organizations can prepare for the AI transformation, and what skills or mindset shifts are necessary to thrive in an AI-powered healthcare environment
• Caleb’s perspective on how Vyne Medical is contributing to the future of AI in the healthcare sector.

A Little About Caleb Manscill:

Caleb Manscill is the President of Vyne Medical, where he leads efforts to enhance healthcare communication and operational efficiency through AI. With over 15 years of experience in the healthcare industry, Caleb has held key leadership roles, including business development at Weave and co-founder and CEO of DentalRay. His career has provided him with deep insights into both clinical and business perspectives, working closely with doctors, radiologists, and healthcare executives. Caleb is also a board member for LymeDisease.org and holds an MBA from Babson College and a BA from Brigham Young University.

Terri Couts is the Executive Vice President and Chief Digital Officer at The Guthrie Clinic, an accomplished healthcare technology leader with a passion for driving innovation and clinical care through digital transformation. Terri focuses on creating integrated, patient-centered health systems by leveraging digital health solutions, remote patient monitoring, and telemedicine, particularly in underserved rural communities. With a strategic approach to balancing innovation and sustainability, Terri is dedicated to solving real-world problems and fostering a culture where IT, clinical, and operational leaders co-own transformation initiatives.

Things You’ll Learn:

• The Guthrie Clinic is building a connected, intelligent, and patient-centered health system through innovative care models. Their pulse center allows for real-time patient monitoring and supports virtual nursing and enhanced care transitions.
• Balancing innovation with sustainability involves building internal capabilities and focusing on solving real problems.
• Leadership plays a crucial role in fostering a culture of digital transformation by taking smart risks and collaborating across silos.
• AI and virtual care models are poised to reshape healthcare by improving efficiency, addressing workforce shortages, and enhancing population health management.
• The Guthrie Clinic focuses on internal staffing for virtual care to maintain the connection to its mission and values.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Terri Couts on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about The Guthrie Clinic on their LinkedIn and website.

Rahul Lakhanpal is the Chief of Staff at SpectraMedix. He is focused on driving strategic initiatives and ensuring the company's alignment with market needs in the evolving landscape of value-based care.

About Sean Kelly:

Sean Kelly is the Senior Vice President of Growth and Business Development at SpectraMedix. He is responsible for leading the company's growth strategies and expanding its presence in the healthcare market.

Things You’ll Learn:

• SpectraMedix focuses on delivering a technology solution for value-based contract administration and management for health plans and health systems.
• The organization's platform enables different departments to come together, administer contracts, track performance, and identify opportunities for improvement.
• SpectraMedix differentiates itself by filtering information through the prism of the value-based contract, translating contract terms into actionable activities and measurements for providers.
• The company's technology helps health plans and health systems manage the increasing complexity of value-based contracts and make data-driven decisions.
• SpectraMedix emphasizes provider enablement by providing real-time financial incentives and making it easier for doctors to improve quality and reduce costs.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Rahul Lakhanpal on LinkedIn.
• Follow and connect with Sean Kelly on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about SpectraMedix on their LinkedIn and website.

Chris Caramanico is a growth-oriented CEO, investor, and consultant with a proven track record of driving profitable growth in healthcare technology. With over 20 years of experience, Chris excels in both startups and large corporations, leading successful transformations and delivering results in complex environments. He is adept at anticipating market trends, developing innovative strategies, and building high-performance teams. Chris is a customer-focused strategist with expertise in value-based care and a passion for improving healthcare delivery through intelligence and intervention. Currently, he serves as CEO of Elligint Health, leveraging his expertise to reshape the healthcare landscape.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Elligint Health provides a toolset outside of the electronic medical record to help organizations perform value-based care arrangements.
• Their solution combines data analytics, care management, and communication tools to proactively identify and address patient needs.
• The platform aggregates data from various sources to create prospective work lists, enabling targeted interventions and improved patient outcomes.
• Elligint Health emphasizes patient activation, encouraging patients to take a proactive role in their care to improve health outcomes and address labor shortages.
• The organization is focused on interoperability and is prepared to meet CMS's rulings regarding prior authorization and data exchange.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Chris Caramanico on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Elligint Health on their LinkedIn and website.

Kevin Ritter is the Executive Vice President of CareInMotion at Altera Digital Health, an experienced digital health leader with more than 20 years of experience spanning electronic health records, population health management, consumer health, and data analytics.

Things You’ll Learn:

• CareInMotion at Altera Digital Health focuses on interoperability, data aggregation, and delivering actionable insights at the point of care.
• The organization leverages FHIR, generative AI, and national networks to improve data connectivity and usability.
• AI-enabled search and natural language processing (NLP) are utilized to enhance data retrieval and decision-making.
• Remote patient monitoring, powered by AI, enables better analysis of patient data from wearables and chronic condition devices.
• Altera Digital Health serves health systems, physician organizations, and payers globally, providing high-quality data to clinicians within their existing workflows.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Kevin Ritter on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Altera Digital Health on their LinkedIn and website.

Dr. Stanley Crittenden is the Chief Medical Officer at Quantum Health. He is a board-certified nephrologist and internal medicine doctor with an unwavering focus on clinical excellence and a deep passion for improving the healthcare system. He has extensive experience in managed care, having held leadership positions at Humana, Anthem, and Evergreen Nephrology prior to joining Quantum Health.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Quantum Health is focused on human-centered navigation, enhanced by AI, to improve member engagement, operational efficiency, and employer value.
• The organization utilizes predictive analytics and real-time intercept technology to proactively intervene and improve clinical outcomes.
• Quantum Health’s premier pharmacy product suite provides pharmacy-trained pharmacists who analyze clinical records to ensure members receive the right care at the right time while being cost-conscious.
• Quantum Health is helping employers navigate the complexities of GLP-1s by taking a holistic approach that considers the whole person, including their health coaching needs, diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes.
• Employers should recognize obesity as a chronic problem and embrace holistic programs that not only control inappropriate utilization but also provide ongoing support for members using GLP-1s.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Dr. Stanley Crittenden on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Quantum Health on their LinkedIn and website.

Ashish Pamula is the Growth Lead at Samaritan, where he spearheads partnership efforts with Medicaid plans, Medicare Advantage plans, and health systems to reach more people with stable housing.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Samaritan partners with Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans to provide resources and support to unhoused residents.
• The organization focuses on incentivized behavioral change, flexible funds for strategic needs, and relational support to help people overcome financial barriers and achieve stable housing and health.
• Samaritan helps individuals navigate the complex process of finding housing by providing financial assistance for basic needs like groceries, transportation, and access to housing navigators.
• Medicaid and Medicare Advantage plans benefit from partnering with Samaritan through reduced reliance on emergency services and a better understanding of the gaps in addressing social determinants of health.
• Samaritan aims to serve 100,000 unhoused residents in the next five years by expanding partnerships and reaching underserved rural communities.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Ashish Pamula on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Samaritan on their LinkedIn and website.
• Email Ashish directly here.

About Suman Mishra:

Suman Mishra is the Chief Technology Officer of Healthcare for GS Lab GAVS. He has extensive experience in healthcare technology and is passionate about using technology to solve complex challenges and improve healthcare outcomes.

Things You’ll Learn:

• AI, data, interoperability, communication, and transparency are key technologies and trends that will impact healthcare over the next five years.
• Strong governance, change management, and digital workforce development are essential for successful technology implementation in healthcare.
• Partnerships are crucial for healthcare organizations to drive innovation and improve patient care.
• Understanding patient needs and preferences is essential for creating a positive member experience.
• Healthcare organizations face significant economic pressures and must leverage technology and automation to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Dr. Shafiq Rab on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Tufts Medicine on their LinkedIn and website.
• Email Dr. Rab here and call him at +1 (609) 304-5342.
• Connect with and follow Suman Mishra on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about GS Lab GAVS on their LinkedIn and website.
• Email Suman directly here.

Dr. David Carmouche is the Chief Clinical Transformation Officer at Lumeris. He is a visionary leader in transformational healthcare delivery with a unique blend of provider, payer, retail, and integrated delivery network leadership experience.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Lumeris has launched Tom, an agentic AI solution designed to support primary care teams and extend primary care to more Americans.
• Tom leverages Lumeris's data aggregation capabilities to launch coordinated agents that proactively address patients' needs and improve care coordination.
• There's an estimated two billion-hour gap in primary care in the US, and technology like Tom is essential to bridge this gap and ensure access for all.
• AI can help automate tasks, provide services that aren't currently happening, and upskill the delivery of primary care.
• Lumeris is approaching the deployment of Tom cautiously, with guardrails and thorough testing, to ensure it enhances the provider-patient relationship rather than replacing it.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Dr. David Carmouche on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Lumeris on their LinkedIn and website.
• Email David directly here.

James E. Woods II, is the Head of Enterprise Informatics at Philips North America. With over 20 years of experience in the medtech industry, James leads Philips' healthcare informatics interests, including delivery, device integration, and digital pathology solutions.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Philips focuses on end-to-end client partnership, improved efficiencies and collaboration for clinicians, and delivering actionable insights at the point of care.
• Philips invests heavily in innovation, including AI, to free up clinicians' time and improve patient outcomes. In 2023, the company invested $1.7 billion in innovation.
• The company approaches AI development through a mixed model, including homegrown solutions, collaborations with startups, and partnerships with other industry groups.
• Philips addresses the ethical implications of AI through five key principles: considering the well-being of the patient, augmenting people with human supervision, robustness (do no harm), fairness, and transparency.
• The future of healthcare will be shaped by trends such as personalized medicine, home care, and addressing equity and access to healthcare.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow James E. Woods II on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Philips on their LinkedIn and website.

Tammy Cress is the Senior Vice President of Clinical Innovation and Solutions at Teladoc Health. As a nurse by background, Tammy leads a cross-functional team to develop and evolve solutions that enable care transformation at scale while addressing the health systems’ most challenging problems.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Listening to the market and designing technology to fit the needs of health systems is crucial for effective care transformation.
• Hybrid care teams, blending in-person and virtual care, are improving efficiency, patient satisfaction, and return on investment.
• Telehealth adoption is on the rise. Twenty-five percent of care is now delivered virtually, and perceptions of its quality are increasing.
• Enterprise telehealth solutions and the incorporation of AI tools can scale efficiencies and improve care outcomes.
• Care teams will have more time to spend with patients and deliver better-quality care through improved collaboration and technology.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Tammy Cress on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Teladoc on their LinkedIn and website.
• Email Tammy directly here.

Travis Dalton is the President and CEO of Clerativ, a healthcare technology, data, and insights company focused on affordability, transparency, and quality. With over 20 years of experience in the health tech space, Travis is passionate about leveraging data and technology to drive positive change in healthcare delivery and cost management.

Things You’ll Learn:

• A company rebrand represents growth and a renewed commitment to solving key issues in the healthcare space.
• Transparency in healthcare can align the interests of payers, providers, and employers, leading to better care and fair pricing for patients.
• AI and cloud-based solutions can automate business processes, reduce costs, and improve the delivery of actionable insights in healthcare.
• Addressing rural healthcare disparities is crucial for ensuring equitable access to care and maintaining the viability of local healthcare services.
• Clerativ's Benefit Insights product helps employers evaluate health plan options and identify opportunities to reduce costs while improving employee benefits.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Travis Dalton on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Claritev on their LinkedIn and website.

Jason Oberfest is Vice President of Healthcare at ŌURA, leading strategy and partnerships to drive early health interventions, improved patient outcomes, and cost reduction. He previously spent five years at Apple, shaping the Health app on iPhone and Apple Watch. As Founder and CEO of Mango Health, Jason built a pioneering mobile health app for chronic condition management, partnering with major healthcare leaders before its acquisition in 2019. Passionate about behavior-driven health innovation, he excels in designing digital solutions that empower consumers and enhance healthcare delivery.

Things You’ll Learn:

• ŌURA focuses on sleep, readiness, and activity tracking, providing comprehensive health insights.
• Wearable health trackers can improve primary care by making it more efficient and personalized.
• The healthcare community is increasingly recognizing the critical role of sleep quality in overall well-being, extending beyond mental health to encompass cardiovascular and metabolic health.
• ŌURA measures various biometrics, including sleep stages, heart rate variability, resting heart rate, and body temperature.
• Wearable technology provides a means for continuous, passive biometric data collection, offering a comprehensive view of a patient's health status. Integrating this data into care plans can personalize treatment and improve patient outcomes.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Jason Oberfest on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about ŌURA on their LinkedIn and website.

Branden Robinson is the Chief Growth Officer at Sevaro Health, where he leads the organization's growth strategies and initiatives. With over 20 years of healthcare experience, including 15 years focused on digital and virtual healthcare, Branden is dedicated to expanding access to neurological expertise through innovative technology solutions.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Virtual neurology is essential to address the growing shortage of neurologists and the increasing prevalence of neurological disorders, ensuring patients receive timely and specialized care.
• AI triage systems can optimize neurologist time by prioritizing patients based on the acuity of their condition, ensuring the most critical cases receive immediate attention while managing the influx of stroke consults.
• Hospitals can improve revenue, outcomes, and patient satisfaction by using teleneurology services.
• A continuum of care model in virtual neurology, connecting acute care to outpatient teleneurology, is crucial for maintaining patient engagement within the health system and improving long-term health outcomes.
• Mechanical thrombectomies and surgical procedures to remove clots are transforming stroke care. This provides an opportunity for health systems to develop hub-and-spoke models using virtual health to extend access to specialized care.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Branden Robinson on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Sevaro Health on their LinkedIn and website.
• Email Branden directly here.

Mark Whittington is the Managing Director at HealthXL, a company focused on improving healthcare outcomes for patients with chronic conditions through chronic care management and remote patient monitoring. Mark is passionate about helping people stay healthy longer and improving their quality of life, especially those in vulnerable stages of their health journey.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Chronic care management and RPM can alleviate the burden on primary care physicians, allowing them to focus on patients who need face-to-face care while managing routine cases remotely.
• Devices used for remote patient monitoring (blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximeters, etc.) should be simple and familiar. Accountability and consistent use are the most critical factors for success.
• Transparency and communication with patients through various channels (devices, texting, apps) will improve patient engagement and access to care.
• AI has the potential to glean insights from patient data, predict health issues, and enable earlier interventions, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
• Chronic care management and RPM are key components of value-based care. They enable providers to proactively manage patient health and prevent costly complications.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Mark Whittington on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about HealthXL on their LinkedIn and website.
• Email Mark directly here.

Harpaul Sambhi is the CEO and Co-Founder of Magical and a Limited Partner at Various VC funds. He previously worked as an Advisor at On Deck, an Entrepreneur In Residence at Bain Capital Ventures, and a former Product Manager at Microsoft. Harpaul attended the University of Waterloo.

Things You’ll Learn:

• AI is evolving from simple automation to Agentic AI, which can learn, adapt, and make decisions.
• Healthcare workers spend too much time on administrative tasks, but AI can automate these and improve patient care.
• RPA is becoming obsolete, while Agentic AI offers a more flexible and intelligent solution.
• AI in RCM can reduce denials, lower costs, and speed up reimbursements, improving financial performance.
• Successful AI implementation requires clear goals, collaboration, and adaptability.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Harpaul Sambhi on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Magical on their LinkedIn and website.

Myron Wallace, the fractional Chief Product Officer at White Label Communications, is a visionary technology executive with 20+ years of entrepreneurial expertise. He excels at driving innovation and launching enterprise customer solutions within SaaS, telehealth, and UCaaS. Myron's focus lies in translating ambitious product goals into reality, accelerating time to market, and maximizing customer adoption. He transforms startups and hyper-growth companies by building seamless customer experiences and driving impactful product development. He excels at crafting innovative products to meet the unique needs of the business customer base.

Things You’ll Learn:

• White Label Communications simplifies telephony by breaking down features into APIs, enabling easier integration with SaaS solutions. 
• RCS (Rich Communication Services) can significantly improve telehealth by delivering rich, interactive experiences directly within text messages. This eliminates friction for patients and provides a more seamless engagement.
• The traditional text experience is one-dimensional, while the RCS will provide a multidimensional experience. This will make it easier for patients to get pre-op, post-op, or other needed information.
• By using RCS for patient education and forms, patients no longer have to go through portals and systems.
• Many companies exaggerate their AI capabilities. Myron urges caution and emphasizes the importance of focusing on real solutions and tangible benefits.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Myron Wallace on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about White Label Communications on their LinkedIn and website.
• Discover more about Myron on his website.

In this episode, they talk about:

• An overview of Automation Anywhere and what they are doing
• The main application of AI today
• There is a labor shortage in healthcare even though the demand is increasing
• What is agentic automation and how will it help people with healthcare?
• Automations are doing the job more effectively than we would be able to do
• Cross borders and the difference in regulations and rules
• Is AI making patient biases better or worse?
• Limiting data to avoid hallucinations and mistakes
• It takes time to learn when and where to utilize AI 

A Little About Yan:

Yan Chow, MD, MBA, is a leader in the AI, automation, and healthcare technology sectors. He joined Automation Anywhere in 2019 to launch its healthcare vertical, leveraging AI to automate routine tasks and enabling healthcare professionals to focus on patient care. Previously, Dr. Chow was Medical Director for Digital Medicine at Amgen, where he integrated digital technologies like wearable sensors and advanced analytics into clinical trials.

Before Amgen, Dr. Chow served as Chief Innovation Officer at Longview Technology Solutions, providing healthcare consulting services to major U.S. government clients. He also led the Innovation & Advanced Technology Group at Kaiser Permanente, overseeing emerging clinical information technologies and managing a significant innovation grant program.

In addition to his corporate roles, Dr. Chow has founded and advised several startups, including a venture-funded NLP analytics company with a successful exit. He holds three U.S. patents and was recognized as one of the top three healthcare innovators in the nation by Healthcare IT News in 2014. Dr. Chow earned his A.B. from Harvard, M.D. from UC San Diego and MBA from UC Berkeley.

Jason Reminick, MD, MBA, MS, is the CEO and Founder of Thalamus, a premier cloud-based interview management platform revolutionizing graduate medical education. A Stanford-trained physician with a distinguished academic record, Jason excels in both medicine and entrepreneurship. His innovative approach, highlighted by notable research and awards, bridges clinical practice with transformative technology. Rooted in humanistic values and fueled by relentless curiosity, he inspires future leaders in medicine and beyond, embodying a balanced blend of expertise and compassionate innovation today.

Things You’ll Learn:

• There are 8000 residency and fellowship programs in over 800 institutions that are utilizing Thalamus technology.
• Physician recruitment is expensive, with hospitals spending an average of $250,000 in direct costs per physician hired. It can take six months to fill a role. Because of those 6 months to fill a role, they can lose $2 million in clinical revenue.
• Hospitals are recruiting for their major league teams without knowing who they even have in their minor league systems.
• Medicare spends $16 billion a year to incentivize hospitals to train residents. Thus, retaining those doctors is more cost-effective than recruiting from the open market.
• Thalamus uses AI to standardize and normalize medical school grades, providing a more consistent basis for evaluation.

Resources:

• Connect with and follow Jason Reminick on LinkedIn.
• Learn more about Thalamus on their LinkedIn and website.

Misty Grambow is a results-driven sales executive with over 26 years at U.S. Bank/Elavon, Inc., specializing in healthcare, higher education, and nonprofit sectors. As VP of Healthcare and Nonprofit, she leads strategic initiatives to drive growth, develop key partnerships, and optimize payment solutions. With deep expertise in lead generation, prospect engagement, and sales negotiations, Misty has a proven track record of expanding client relationships and delivering impactful solutions. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, she excels in fostering business success through innovation and collaboration.

About Tom Priedeman:

Tom Priedeman is a seasoned financial executive with over a decade at U.S. Bank, specializing in healthcare corporate banking and capital markets. As Division Manager of Middle Market Healthcare, he leads a team providing corporate finance advisory, capital solutions, and working capital optimization for healthcare firms under $1 billion in revenue. Previously, he held senior roles at J.P. Morgan. With an MBA from Duke University and a background in accounting, Tom excels in strategic financial solutions and client growth.

Things You’ll Learn:

• Financial services are playing a crucial role in driving change in healthcare, particularly by addressing payment challenges and streamlining revenue cycle management. US Bank's commitment to providing capital and innovative payment solutions is making a tangible difference for healthcare providers.
• AI holds immense potential for improving the efficiency and patient experience in healthcare, but it also brings significant cybersecurity implications that must be carefully managed.
• Integrating payment solutions into the healthcare journey is essential for improving patient financial satisfaction and increasing revenue streams for healthcare providers. 
• Healthcare systems should prioritize user-friendly payment options, transparent billing practices, and proactive communication with patients about their financial responsibilities.
• Healthcare organizations need comprehensive solutions that address patient and non-patient payment challenges and can be customized to their specific culture and needs.