The Heart of Healthcare | A Digital Health Podcast

GLP-1 drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy have transformed best practices for weight loss care and created an opportunity for digital health innovation. In this episode, Steve Kraus sits down with Evan Richardson, founder and CEO of Form Health, to discuss GLP-1s and the virtual medical weight loss care landscape. We cover: - How Form Health differentiates itself in the competitive weight care market...

In this episode, Halle Tecco sits down with John Mackey, founder and former CEO of Whole Foods Market. Mackey discusses his new venture, Love. Life, that aims to do for healthcare what Whole Foods did for grocery shopping. We cover: His vision for rethinking the healthcare experience What he learned about healthcare running a self-insured employer How Whole Foods gamified employee health His views...

Your September Digital Health Download is here! This month, Steve and Halle discuss: TEFCA How employers are getting sued for mismanaging health plans Why virtual care is way up in rural America The TruePill / LetsGetChecked merger J&J taking aim at hospital drug-discount programs What happens to compounding startups now that the end of drug shortages is in sight Tune in for all the digital he...

In this episode, Dr. Jon Cohen, CEO of Talkspace, discusses his unconventional journey from vascular surgeon to leading a publicly traded digital health company. We cover: The glass ceiling for physicians, and why people wrongly think physicians can’t run businesses His run for Lieutenant Governor of New York, and why more physicians should get involved with politics The role of online therapy in...

In this episode, Christine Lemke, co-founder and CEO of Evidation Health, shares how her personal struggles with chronic pain fueled her mission to transform how we measure and improve health outcomes. She shares the company's evolution and innovative approach to generating real-world evidence (RWE) using a global research platform serving millions of people. We cover: - The power of real-world da...

In this episode, Halle speaks with Dave Chase, co-founder and CEO of Health Rosetta, who is on a mission to end the 30-year heist of stolen income from the working middle class. He’s working to popularize a new parallel economy: community-owned health plans (COHPs). Dave explains how these plans aim to transform healthcare from a driver of debt and bankruptcy to a driver of well-being and wealth....

In this episode, we answer listener questions about the current state of the market and share insights for healthcare founders raising VC funding. We also announce the merging of this show with Closing Time Podcast, and welcome our new co-host Michael Esquivel! Michael is an angel investor, a startup lawyer at Fenwick, and a Lecturer at Stanford Law School - we're excited to have him join the show...

We had lots to cover in this month's Digital Health Download, from a $99 AI companion to if we think PBMs will ever be dismantled. We discuss: - A WSJ report on Medicare Advantage insurers pocketing billions for diseases that were never treated or falsely coded - The FTC's interim report on pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and their impact on drug accessibility and affordability - Vermont's succes...

In this episode, Steve Kraus interviews Andy Slavitt, General Partner at Town Hall Ventures and former CMS and UnitedHealth Group executive. We look back on his career-long mission to fix American healthcare's biggest challenges, encompassing roles in insurance, government, healthcare startups, and venture capital. We cover: - The high-stakes mission to rescue Healthcare.gov and implement the Affo...

In this episode, Halle Tecco talks to Vinod Khosla— visionary venture capitalist, tech entrepreneur, and healthcare investor. Vinod shares his vision for using AI to enable a hundred touchpoints every hundred days with a patient. We discuss making healthcare more accessible, enabling personalized care, and what he worries could go wrong. We cover: Revisiting his 2012 prediction that AI could repla...

Marketing and communications play a critical role in securing investment and driving product and service adoption in digital health. In this special two-part episode, Steve Kraus explores the art of storytelling in healthcare with two industry experts: Chrissy Farr, a veteran digital health journalist turned venture capitalist and advisor, and Kate Cronin, Chief Brand Officer at Moderna. They disc...

Celebrating three years of The Heart of Healthcare, Halle and Steve dive into the latest news and trends in digital health for July 2024. July highlights include: A new Peterson Institute report on digital treatment outcomes for musculoskeletal conditions The FDA's guidance on improving diversity in clinical trial enrollment The economic impact and legal battles surrounding GLP-1 drugs for obesity...

In this episode, Halle Tecco talks to Emily Oster — health communicator, health economist, and bestselling author. Emily shares her journey from academia to becoming an influential health communicator, advocating for data-driven decision making and empowering individuals to make informed choices about their health. We cover: Her non-didactic approach to helping people make their own best decisions...

The U.S. Surgeon General's office recently published an advisory report stating "social media can have a profound risk of harm to the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents." In this episode, we revisit our conversation with Frances Haugen, former Facebook product manager and internationally recognized whistleblower. Frances provides an inside look into how tech giants prioritize...

In this episode, Glen Tullman reflects on the biggest changes he's seen in healthcare during his 40-year career in the industry. Glen is the founder and CEO of Transcarent, former founder and CEO of Livongo, and managing partner at 7wireVentures. He discusses: - His early days revolutionizing e-prescribing and electronic health records at Allscripts - Building Livongo into an $18.5 billion digital...

In this episode, Zach Reitano , CEO and co-founder of the direct-to-patient healthcare company Ro , talks to host Halle Tecco about the flaws in our traditional healthcare model and how Ro is innovating to make care more convenient and focused on patient goals. We cover: Why the current healthcare system does not incentivize building for patients How he ranks the priorities of cost, quality, and a...

In this episode, Halle Tecco and Steve Kraus cover the latest digital health stories for June 2024, including: Cancer drug dosing and pricing challenges The new South Park movie on obesity The shortage of K-12 school counselors and telehealth startups’ role The failure of SPAC deals in digital health, and the path forward Pharma's DTC marketing efforts, including Pfizer's new platform and updated...

Clinical notes are one of the more tedious parts of doctors’ day-to-day lives—so much so that they’re often called “pajama time,” since physicians spend 2-3 hours writing them at night. In this episode, Steve Kraus sits down with Dr. Shiv Rao, co-founder and CEO of Abridge, an AI-first healthcare company that’s been in the spotlight for solving this problem. Abridge uses advanced machine learning...

May is Mental Health Awareness Month! In this episode (a replay from Closing Time), David Ko, CEO of Calm, discusses the mental health challenges founders and their teams face. We discuss practical strategies for building resilience, managing the relentless pressure, and why destigmatizing mental health is crucial for startup success. David shares how leaders can champion well-being, creating a wo...

May is Women's Health Awareness Month! In this episode, Kate Ryder, CEO and founder of Maven, the largest virtual clinic for women and families, shares her passion for transforming a traditionally underserved healthcare sector. We explore how Maven Clinic has evolved since her seed pitch in 2016, and what she’s learned along the way. We cover: How Maven has evolved from an online marketplace for w...

80% of Americans suffering from eating disorders don’t get the treatment they need. That’s where Equip comes in. In this episode, Steve Kraus sits down with Kristina Saffran, the co-founder and CEO of Equip, a virtual provider transforming eating disorder treatment by making evidence-based care more accessible to patients and families. Kristina shares her personal journey recovering from anorexia...

Digital Health Download: May 2024 In this episode, Halle and Steve dive into the latest headlines in digital health for May 2024, covering topics like surprise billing, AI in healthcare, and the future of primary care. They cover:   - A ProPublica investigation into Cigna's claims and prior authorization processes - The FTC's new non-compete agreement ban, and what it means for healthcare - W...

Too often, those with complex health needs fall through the cracks. Dr. Toyin Ajayi, co-founder and CEO of Cityblock Health, is a passionate champion for health equity determined to change this reality. Her company specifically serves populations with Medicare, Medicaid, or both, often those who have been let down by the traditional healthcare system. In this episode, we cover: Why "one size fits...

As a medical school-bound undergrad, Sean Duffy, co-founder and CEO of Omada Health, didn’t initially consider entrepreneurship as a career path. Today, Sean leads a virtual-first care provider for chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and musculoskeletal disorders. Sean traces his journey from a "techie" upbringing to stints at Google and medical school, and how his early fascination wi...

Ever feel like you're lost in the healthcare maze, fighting for answers alone? Turns out, you're not. Patient communities are fueling a revolution that's changing healthcare. In this episode, Susannah Fox , author of Rebel Health , reveals how patients and caregivers are driving innovation that the traditional system can't, or won't, deliver. We cover: The Four Patient Archetypes: Seeker, Networke...