HLTH Matters

In this episode of the Interop Now at Vibe series on The Beat Podcast, host Sandy Vance sits down with Adam Luff, VP of Product Solutions at Infor, and Jesse Evans, Product Director for Infor FHIR Services, for a deep and practical conversation about why semantic interoperability is the make-or-break factor for AI in healthcare.  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, host Sandy Vance sits down with Dan Shur, Chief Product Officer at Carenet Health, to talk about what it really takes to guide patients and members through one of the most frustratingly fragmented systems in the world. With over 30 years in the healthcare industry spanning payers, providers, and health tech & services companies, Dan brings a grounded, pragmatic perspective to the AI conversation. From the myth that everyone wants to talk to a chatbot to the importance of letting humans be human, their conversation is a must-listen for healthcare leaders who want to use AI to drive real outcomes without losing the empathy that puts the “care” in healthcare. 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.

What if doctors could see all patient data in one place while AI handled the busywork? 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. 

What happens when some of healthcare's most trusted workers are still operating outside the systems that document, reimburse, and scale care? 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

What happens when interoperability stops being a buzzword and starts becoming real infrastructure? 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

What if the real power of AI in healthcare isn't the technology itself, but how we apply it responsibly and intentionally? 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, host Sandy Vance and Andy Fanning, the CEO & Co-founder of Optura.ai, sit down to talk about why so many healthcare organizations are making AI headlines without actually transforming anything. Andy breaks down how Optura helps payers, providers, and life sciences companies move from a scattered list of AI ideas to a prioritized, production-ready roadmap with measurable return on investment. From crowdsourcing use cases across an entire organization to aligning AI investments with executive strategy, this episode is packed with practical insight for any healthcare leader who wants AI to actually move the needle. 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.

Virtual care is no longer just about access. It is now becoming the infrastructure layer that helps health systems reduce fragmentation, strengthen workplace safety, and scale digital care more intelligently. 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. 

In this episode, host Sandy Vance sits down with Gary Salman, CEO and co-founder of Black Talon Security, for a passionate and informative conversation about the growing ransomware crisis in healthcare. With over 30 years in health tech and a background as a part-time law enforcement captain, Gary brings a unique perspective to cybersecurity. He draws parallels between street-level crime and digital attacks.  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.

Healthcare organizations cannot afford to chase every new technology trend without first building the foundation to make those tools effective, scalable, and financially sustainable. 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.

Specialty care remains one of the biggest black boxes in healthcare, creating delays, unnecessary referrals, and major frustration for both patients and primary care providers. 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. 

Healthcare payments are still far too fragmented, creating friction for both patients and providers at one of the most important moments in the care journey. 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.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance sits down with Adam Kamor, Co-founder and Head of Engineering at Tonic.ai, to tackle one of the most pressing challenges in healthcare's AI adoption: what to do with sensitive data you legally cannot access.  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.

Artificial intelligence in healthcare isn't just about futuristic diagnostics or robots assisting surgeons. It's also transforming the operational backbone of the healthcare industry.  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 of the Cybersecurity at ViVE series on The Beat Podcast, host Sandy Vance sits down with Chad Alessi, Managing Director of Cybersecurity at CTG, for a wide-ranging conversation about what it really takes to protect healthcare organizations in today's threat landscape. With a background spanning chemical engineering, the U.S. Marines, energy sector Operational Technology security, and IT consulting, Chad brings a unique cross-industry perspective to healthcare cybersecurity. From the difference between cybersecurity and cyber resilience to the rise of AI-powered attacks, this episode is packed with practical insights for healthcare leaders who want to stay ahead of what is coming. 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.

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 help when implementing AI solutions that reduce cognitive burden, elevate the patient experience, and meet frontline expectations for safety, control, and transparency. 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.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Frank Toscano, the new Senior Vice President of Product and Engineering at Amplify. They talk about the continued relevance of fax technology in healthcare, the challenges of interoperability, and how Amplify aims to streamline workflows to improve patient care. Frank highlights the importance of integrating fax technology with modern systems to enhance efficiency and reduce friction. 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.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Frank Toscano, the new Senior Vice President of Product and Engineering at Amplify. They talk about the continued relevance of fax technology in healthcare, the challenges of interoperability, and how Amplify aims to streamline workflows to improve patient care. Frank highlights the importance of integrating fax technology with modern systems to enhance efficiency and reduce friction. 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.

In this episode, Rajkumar Thirunavukkarasu, SVP & Head of Healthcare Provider Business at Tech Mahindra , and LaDonna Sweeten, EHR Practice Lead at The HCI Group, a fully owned subsidiary of Tech Mahindra, discuss how health systems can transform their EHR from a static system of record into a dynamic performance engine. 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. 

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Hari Bala, the Chief Technology Officer for Health Information Systems at Solventum. Together, they explore how healthcare organizations can build trust and confidence around AI adoption, drawing on insights from Solventum's recent global survey of healthcare professionals. 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.

Today, host Sandy Vance sits down with Jeff McCool, the AVP of Healthcare Conversational AI at Amelia. Join a discussion with SoundHound AI, the leader in conversational intelligence, to learn how AI agents are helping healthcare companies overcome challenges like improving patient care and streamlining operations. Hear how the SoundHound Amelia Platform lets you build AI agents that understand, reason, and act so you can create the most seamless conversational experience.    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, host Sandy Vance and Ted Dinsmore discuss the ever-evolving role of AI in healthcare, industry trends, challenges, and solutions. They explore the concept of agentic AI and the Model Context Protocol (MCP), which aims to enhance data integration and efficiency in healthcare systems. They also highlight the importance of building trust in AI solutions, particularly in rural healthcare settings. Listen in to learn how SphereGen is addressing these challenges through innovative AI implementation approaches. 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.

Advances in data interoperability, democratized cloud access, and responsible AI governance are reshaping what is possible in healthcare innovation. In this episode, host Sandy Vance welcomes Jim Ducharme, Chief Technology Officer of ClearDATA, to discuss each of these forces impacting healthcare, from improving care through connected data, to empowering teams with greater cloud access, to building the policies and controls required to govern AI responsibly.  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.

AI is revolutionizing how health information is managed. Utilizing sophisticated algorithms, it can assist professionals in making more informed decisions. For instance, optical character recognition (OCR) can read and interpret medical records, identifying potential compliance issues and ensuring every page represents the correct patient.  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.   

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Dr. Sean Kelly, the Chief Medical Officer and the SVP of Customer Healthcare Strategy at Imprivata. Together, they unpack how healthcare organizations can strengthen cybersecurity without slowing clinicians down—exploring everything from mobile device security and passwordless authentication to adaptive authentication, risky user behaviors, and the very real implications for patient safety, workflow efficiency, and ROI for healthcare leaders.In this episode, they talk about:How cybersecurity can be improvedThe impact that Imprivata has on clinicians Why multi-factor authentication systems aren't more prevalent in the healthcare industryThe risky behaviors that open up organizations to security risksThe different things that Imprivata offers organizationsThe risks of patient harm in cybersecurity and privacyAdvice for CIOs or CFOs: workflow implications, security compliance, security and efficiency ROI, and financial valueAdaptive authentication at ImprivataA 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.

The data necessary to achieve the promise of precision medicine are now available with low-cost whole-genome sequencing, microbiome analysis, proteomics, and other large datasets. Bioscope has developed a team of AI personas to help clinicians realize that promise in a way that will revolutionize the practice of medicine.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 companyThe inspiration behind founding Bioscope and the problem it was created to solveHow Don's “entrepreneurial bat signal” attracted talent, partners, and early momentumWhy Bioscope began by partnering with concierge medical practices rather than large health systemsHow Bioscope's per-patient, per-year subscription model works in practiceReal-world use cases and early case studies demonstrating clinical impactWhat the current early rollout looks like and where Bioscope is headed nextA 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.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Sophie Cheng, the Senior Vice President of Product Marketing at Sinch. They discuss the most common communication pitfalls and share a handful of remedies so you can start sending smarter messages. You'll walk away with tangible tips on how to: ✔️ switch from omnichannel to optimal channel✔️ leverage AI to fix your no-show problem✔️ build patient trust through advanced messagingIn this episode, they talk about:What Sinch does and how it uses AI to simplify and personalize communication for customersHow AI-driven communication is being applied in healthcare and what leaders need to understandWhy better communication leads to faster interactions, improved patient experiences, and higher conversion ratesHow omnichannel communication strategies streamline workflows for healthcare organizationsHow Sinch helps organizations identify the right channels and interfaces for their patient populationsWhat it means to operate at the speed of trust, and why transparency mattersHow AI can make patient interactions feel more empathetic and humanWhy organizations should never underestimate the impact of their communication strategyA 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.

Enterprise IT is drowning in repeat incidents, slow triage, and reactive firefighting—burning teams out while costs rise and service quality slips. In this episode, Sandy and Umesh Shiknis of Publicis Sapient explore how Sapient Sustain uses AI-driven automation, predictive insights, and self-healing workflows to break the cycle, turning IT operations from constant crisis mode into a resilient, proactive engine that sustains the business. They also discuss how Publicis Sapient is leveraging AI to address challenges in the healthcare sector. They put an importance on modernizing legacy systems while also emphasizing the concept of agentic AI.Check out more about Sapient Sustain here: https://www.publicissapient.com/sapient-ai/sustainIn this episode, they talk about:Publicis Sapient focuses on human-centered digital transformation in healthcareAI can accelerate product development and modernize legacy systemsIt's easy to confuse automation with simple elements of machine learning, which are progressively more deterministicOrganizations must establish guardrails for AI implementation because of how powerful agentic AI can beSapient Sustain helps healthcare companies manage and stabilize their applicationsThe end-user experience is crucial in technology deploymentAI can significantly reduce technical debt in healthcare organizationsHealthcare leaders should look at the boring stuff and focus on practical AI applicationsEducate your workforce to embrace the future instead of fearing itA 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, host Sandy Vance sits down with Michael Gao, Chief Executive Officer of Smarter Technology, to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping revenue cycle operations in healthcare. Together, they dig into Smarter Technology's vision and the practical ways AI can help provider organizations better capture the full value of the care they deliver. Michael shares why the revenue cycle is overdue for improvement, how moving from physical to digital workflows can unlock meaningful gains, and what real-world ROI looks like when AI is applied thoughtfully. In this episode, they also talk about:Smarter Technology's vision for using AI in healthcareWhy the revenue cycle needs modernizationMoving from manual and physical processes to digital workflowsWhat ROI looks like when AI is applied to revenue cycle operationsKeeping human oversight where it matters mostCommon documentation and workflow challenges Smarter Technology helps addressAdvice for CFOs considering AI solutionsA 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.

About Leandro Boer: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, host Sandy Vance is joined by Julie Frey, Vice President of Product Management at Wolters Kluwer, for a thoughtful conversation on how artificial intelligence is shaping clinical intelligence across healthcare. Together, they explore how AI is supporting the work organizations are already doing, and how Wolters Kluwer helps teams identify meaningful use cases and turn innovation into real value. From trusted, evidence-based solutions like UpToDate and Lexidrug to the evolving standards around safety, reliability, and trust, this conversation digs into what responsible AI looks like in practice. They also discuss the wide range of healthcare use cases and why organizations need to define their own standards as they move forward with AI adoption.In this episode, they talk about:Wolters Kluwer has a range of evidence-based solutions that enable better care, including UpToDate® and LexidrugHow AI has impacted the services that Wolters Kluwer delivers through its productsDifferent types of use cases in healthcareHow they set the standard of what is safe, reliable, and trustedWhen it comes to AI, organizations need to develop their own set of standards for accuracy and effectivenessThe importance of prompt engineeringA 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.

Move beyond the hype in this episode as we explore how Agentic AI is actively reshaping clinical research by moving from theoretical concepts to real-world autonomous deployments. Tune in to discover how intelligent agents are accelerating trials today and exactly what this shift means for the future of your work.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 researchA pilot clinical trial Sandy participated in and what it revealedReal-world examples of clinical trials Medable is supporting todayThe evolving role of Clinical Research Associates in AI-enabled trialsKey use cases where Medable delivers the most impactHow ambient AI handles repetitive operational workWhy humans do their best work when focused on complex, meaningful challengesUsing generative and agentic AI in safe, deterministic waysCommon misconceptions about the risks of generative AIEmerging clinical research use cases expected in 2026A 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.

The main obstacle preventing health systems from prioritizing AI over the next 3-5 years is not a lack of AI products in the market, but rather the challenges of integrating the technology into their existing workflows, and the uncertainty in measuring its return on investment (ROI). Newton's Tree's end-to-end AI governance platform delivers the necessary transparency and holistic oversight, empowering your multidisciplinary AI Governance Committee to drive confident AI adoption at scale across clinical and operational pathways.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 pathwaysWhy so many organizations struggle with AI implementation—and where things most often break downWhat an effective process looks like for evaluating whether AI oversight is actually workingThe three things Newton's Tree continuously monitors: data quality, AI behavior, and clinical decision riskWhy closing the feedback loop is critical right nowPractical advice for CIOs navigating AI adoption—and how Newton's Tree supports themThe role of registries and observatories in responsible AI deploymentHow to ensure AI systems are safe and effective before they're put into real-world useA 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, host Sandy Vance sits down with Dr. Zayed Yasin, MD, Global Head of Healthcare and Life Sciences at Writer, for a thoughtful and practical conversation about what AI really means for healthcare today. Drawing on his background as a clinician, Dr. Yasin shares how AI can eliminate the “boring” aspects of the job, allowing teams to focus on what matters most: patients and outcomes. Together, they delve into building effective clinical programs in value-based care, leveraging AI for payers, exploring real-world case studies, and examining why many organizations struggle with implementation. If you're curious about where AI is delivering real ROI right now (and why the best way to learn is to lean in and start working), this episode is for you.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 jobBuilding the clinical program at a value-based care organizationHow to make these programs work for payersWriter case studies using this technologyWhy organizations struggle with implementing AIFuture big use cases in AILean in hard; you don't start learning until you start working ROI can be attained quickly in places with very little riskUnless you're an AI company, you're not an AI companyA 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, host Sandy Vance sits down with Parminder Bhatia , the Chief AI Officer from GE HealthCare , for a thoughtful, forward-thinking conversation about the rapidly shifting landscape of AI in healthcare. Together, they explore why healthcare is so ready for transformation, the four critical areas where change is most urgent, and how smarter systems can ease some of the industry's most complex workflows. Sandy and Parminder dig into how foundation models and the rise of agentic AI can finally help healthcare move beyond fragmented solutions. In this episode, they talk about:How AI is transforming a healthcare industry that's long overdue for changeThe four key areas where transformation is most neededStreamlining some of the most complex medical processesHow better communication and information can assist clinicians during labor and deliveryUsing foundation models to reduce fragmentation in healthcare AISupporting the multi-step workflows of radiologistsWhy agentic AI represents the future of healthcare innovationA 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.

About Angelo Campano: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.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance chats with Natalie Ngo, from EliseAI, for a friendly, insightful conversation about how AI is transforming the way healthcare organizations communicate and operate. 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 startedThe value that AI will bring to your companyHow EliseAI is supporting healthcare organizationsWhat the implementation process will look like The response of the clinical staff at the providersAI can scale to fit any size practiceFuture main case usesA 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.

About Michael Dubrovsky: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 acceptanceBusinesses 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.

About Christopher Sullivan: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.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance and Hari Balasubramanian, the Chief Technology Officer, Health Information Systems at Solventum, sit down for a deep dive into how AI-driven healthcare technology is reshaping the industry. Together, they explore how Solventum is building innovative products and services that streamline documentation, billing, and coding while improving the patient experience and saving valuable time for healthcare professionals. 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 nowHow Solventum is serving healthcare payersSolventum's move toward complete autonomous codingThe common misconceptions about improving financial performance for providersHow CIOs should evaluate their work when engaging with these systemsMeasuring the improvements produced by AI with Solventum's systemsA 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.

About Bari Kowal: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.

About Madhu Pawar: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, host Sandy Vance sits down with Hadas Bitran, Partner General Manager of Health AI at Microsoft Health & Life Sciences, for a deep dive into the rapidly evolving world of healthcare agents. Together, they explore how agentic technologies are being used across clinical settings, where they're creating value, and why tailoring these tools to the specific needs of users and audiences is essential for safety and effectiveness. Well-designed healthcare agents can reinforce responsible AI practices (like transparency, accountability, and patient safety) while also helping organizations evaluate emerging solutions with greater clarity and confidence. In this episode, they talk about:How agents are used in healthcare and use casesThe risks if a healthcare agent is not tailored to the needs of users and audiencesHow healthcare agents support responsible AI practices, such as safety, transparency, and accountability, in clinical settingsHealthcare organizations should look to evaluate healthcare agent solutionsBridging the gaps in access, equity, and health literacy; empowering underserved populations and democratizing expertiseThe 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.

About Mary Varghese Presti: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.

About Heather Grey: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.

About James York: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. 

About Beth McCombs: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.

About Priya Abani: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.

About Web Golinkin: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.

In this episode, host Sandy Vance sits down with someone who has been shaping the future of digital health long before AI became the headline Mike Serbinis, Founder and CEO of League.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 LeagueHow League integrates with EHRs and other core health technologiesLessons from 11 years in healthcare—and why speed and scale matter more than everIf Netflix can recommend your next show, why can't healthcare do the sameReducing AI hallucinations and improving reliability for healthcare organizationsHow League delivers coverage, oversight, service, and increased productivityWhat different countries can teach us about healthcare modelsWhy we're entering “pilot season” for AI in healthcareA 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.

About Seth Cohen: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.