The Medical Alley Podcast (Presented by MentorMate)

September is Atrial Fibrillation Awareness Month. Patients living with Atrial Fibrillation, or AFib, are at greater risk for stoke, heart failure and dementia. Research suggests cases of AFib are likely to grow across the United States.  In this episode of the Medical Alley Podcast, host Ben Wagner talks with Dr. Christopher Piorkowski, chief medical officer of Abbott's electrophysiology busi...

Joe Hofmeister lived with epileptic seizures for 50 years. Medication didn't work. A craniotomy didn't make a significant impact either. It was only through the use of Monteris Medical's NeuroBlate system that he finally found relief. In this week's episode of the Medical Alley Podcast, host Ben Wagner dives into Joe's inspiring story alongside insights from Marty Emerson,...

In this episode of the Medical Alley Podcast, host Ben Wagner speaks with Dunston Almeida, the founder and CEO of triValence, a company dedicated to transforming healthcare operations by addressing supply chain and expense management inefficiencies. Almeida shares his journey, influenced by his physician parents, and how his background in technology led him to focus on solving critical issues in t...

In this episode of the Medical Alley Podcast, host Ben Wagner sits down with Steve Bethke, vice president of the Solution Developer Market at Mayo Clinic Platform, to explore the groundbreaking work happening at Mayo Clinic Platform_Solutions Studio .  Steve shares insights into how the Solutions Studio is driving the transformation of digital health through innovative collaborations and cutting-e...

Andrew Savitz joins the Medical Alley Podcast to share how his company, Spirituwell, is trying to bridge the gap between conventional medicine and spiritual well-being. He elaborates on the company's innovative practices, the challenges of navigating the evolving health landscape, and the importance of addressing spiritual health alongside physical health.  Savitz discusses the motivation beh...

Explore the dynamic world of regulatory affairs with Amra Racic, a seasoned expert with over 25 years of experience with Medical Alley partners, including  Medtronic and Abbott. Now at Veeva Systems  as Senior Director of Government Strategy, Amra brings her deep expertise to the Medical Alley Podcast, where she unpacks the complexities of navigating global regulatory requirements. In this episode...

"Let's not treat compensation like rocket science." On this week's episode of the Medical Alley Podcast, David Gramer, Founder of Prism Compensation Consulting , joins us to demystify the complexities of employee compensation. With a clear and approachable style, David shares his extensive knowledge and practical advice on designing effective compensation plans. Send us a messa...

Mayo Clinic Ventures and Corporate Development, the two divisions within Mayo Clinic’s Department of Business Development, work in tandem with industry collaborators to transform healthcare by fostering innovative ideas, catalyzing bold initiatives, and advancing cutting-edge solutions to address unmet patient needs. Whether supporting a new company spin-out based on Mayo Clinic intellectual prope...

Late in 2023, Visura Technologies and YKK Corporation of America partnered to launch Evevo Manufacturing, which offers medical device manufacturing services in the Medical Alley ecosystem. So how did this partnership come about, and what have Visura and YKK learned throughout the process? To answer those questions and more, we're joined by leaders from both companies on this week's episo...

The innovative wearable technology developed by Cogwear allows for many insights on the human brain, including mental and behavioral health and Alzheimer's disease. By allowing for clinical-grade EEG readings in everyday settings, Cogwear's technology provides accurate measurements during a number of different activities  To learn more about Cogwear and the uses for its technology, we&ap...

Being a caregiver is a hard job — especially if it's not your only job. Those who have had to take care of family members or loved ones often take on an increased burden, and many caregivers have their physical or emotional health impacted as a result. That's where CaringBridge comes in as a way to ease that burden and provide a community of support and to connect patients and families d...

With locations in 13 cities throughout the country and a large presence in healthcare, SEI has a good footprint throughout the United States. But there are some factors that make this consulting firm unique. Among them is that SEI is employee owned, meaning each consultant is personally invested in the success of the company — and the success of their clients. To learn more about SEI and to hear w...

Dan Cohen was a competitive athlete for a long time, playing hockey into college and eventually becoming a professional triathlete. He realized the importance of different data points as it related to his physical condition, but he struggled to find all of the important data in one place. That's the goal of Human Powered Health, a newer company in the Medical Alley ecosystem that is helping a...

To make mental health care more accessible and impactful for patients and employees, mental health providers and insurance companies in Medical Alley have formed partnerships and had ongoing conversations as they work together to destigmatize mental health care and help people feel empowered to seek the care they need.  On this week’s episode of the Medical Alley Podcast, we’re joined by leaders a...

Rob Kress founded Waypost Advisors in March of 2020 with the goal of helping small and mid-size companies with their supply chain needs. The timing just so happened to coincide with the COVID-19 pandemic, which created substantial supply chain challenges for companies of all industries. That meant Waypost Advisors was busy from the get-go, and continues to grow four years later. On this week'...

As a pediatric hospitalist, Dr. Michael Pitt is familiar with the importance of making the rounds at a hospital. But within that system, he saw inefficiencies that led to patients and their families being uncertain of when they'd see their doctor next. That meant having to wait potentially hours without knowing when the rounds would take place. Dr. Pitt asked the question: why can we see wher...

On this special episode of the Medical Alley Podcast, we revisit conversations with three leaders from the community who are doing impactful work to make mental health care more accessible. First, we hear a highlight of our conversation with Jorie Kulseth of Children's Minnesota. Jorie joined our Ben Wagner at Mental Health Awareness Day at the 2023 Minnesota State Fair as one of several gues...

Listen a replay of this webinar to hear the stories of two groundbreaking companies working to revolutionize their fields. Dr. Elise Jenkins from Opto Biosystems and Dr. Grayson Zulauf of Resonant Link discussed how they’ve partnered to advance implantable neurotechnology. They also shared actionable insights on what it takes to develop a new medical device, the importance of partnerships in advan...

This episode of of the Medical Alley Podcast is a replay of a webinar hosted on January 31st titled: “Transforming Regulatory Compliance with Artificial Intelligence,” sponsored by RegDesk. The discussion focused on how artificial intelligence is impacting regulatory compliance, with a look at the growing complexity in the regulatory space and why it is imperative that teams adapt. Panelists inclu...

Leadership can be hard, especially in healthcare. Those tasked with leading companies or managing teams working on potentially live-saving technology or services can face plenty of stress and uncertainty, especially with the changes in the work environment post-pandemic. Sometimes those leaders need executive coaches, which is where groups like The Bailey Group come in. On this week's episode...

Artificial intelligence enabled devices are changing the landscape of medical devices and are subject to evolving regulation. Listen back to a replay of our webinar from late last year as team of lawyers from Covington & Burling LLP discuss key considerations for the AI-enabled medical device space, including current best practices for industry participants seeking to take advantage of this po...

Forty years ago, Earl Bakken  helped establish Medical Alley to ensure that Minnesota's healthcare ecosystem remained strong. Prior to helping found Medical Alley, Bakken famously founded Medtronic. But his inspiration and love of science and technology started as a kid when he fell in love with the movie "Frankenstein." Many years later, Bakken's legacy and his love of innovat...

Not all internships are created equally. Minnetronix Medical — a medical device contract manufacturer — has had its internship program in place for decades, but the pandemic shifted the way the company approaches its internships. Students who work for Minnetronix end up getting valuable hands-on experience, impactful mentorships, and the ability to explore what they're most passionate. On thi...

Dr. Pearce McCarty has been an orthopedic surgeon for over 15 years, but he more recently he has scratched an entrepreneurial itch. In 2020, Pearce co-founded DOCSI, a platform that helps optimize preference card uses among physicians and surgeons. On this week's Medical Alley Podcast, Pearce joins our Frank Jaskulke in studio to share more about how DOCSI is helping drive efficiency and lowe...

Since it began in 2008, the University of Minnesota's Medical Valuation Laboratory has worked on nearly 500 projects. The lab conducts assessments of medical device innovations and draws in students from various schools at the U of M — including law students, MBA students, medical students and more. This approach helps professionals evaluate their products before going to market. On this week...