Meet Stephen Beeson, M.D.:Stephen Beeson, M.D. is founder and CEO of Practicing Excellence. He is a nationally recognized speaker, physician, and author whose life mission is to coach and develop clinicians to be their best. Dr. Beeson started his career as a family medicine physician with the Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group in San Diego. During his career, Dr. Beeson was tasked to coach, develop, and engage clinicians to help improve both the clinician and patient experience. Dr. Beeson received a bachelor’s in Biochemistry and an M.D. from University of California, San Diego.  Key Insights:Stephen Beeson, M.D. is transforming the healthcare experience for patients and providers. Practicing Excellence. Practicing Excellence is a mobile tool that teaches clinicians healthcare skills that improve patient outcomes and experience, as well as the clinician’s experience.Digital Solution. Clinicians are busy, so the skill training only takes 5-minutes per week. It is designed to be scalable, so everyone in a health system can participate. And the solution maps onto organizational priorities, collaborating with the broader mission of health systems.Founder’s Journey. While building the company Dr. Beeson experienced sleepless nights, nerve-wracking debt, and tempting acquisitions. What kept him focused was remembering his own experience as a physician, and the virtue behind the mission.This episode is hosted by Tarun Kapoor, M.D. He is a member of the Advisory Council for Day Zero and is Senior Vice President and Chief Digital Transformation Officer at Virtua Health. Relevant Links:

Meet the Guests:Dana Udall, Ph.D. is the Chief Clinical Officer at Ginger and Headspace Health. Alison Darcy, Ph.D. is the President and Founder of Woebot Health. Virna Little, Psy.D. is a clinical psychologist and the co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Concert Health. Key Insights:This episode explores how different companies are innovating mental healthcare.  Personalized Care. It is important that mental health resources reflect the backgrounds and identities of the patients, especially for vulnerable or underrepresented groups. Dr. Udall points out that there is no “one size fits all” for treatment.Mental Health Ally. Woebot is an AI that doesn’t replace therapy, rather its complimentary. Dr. Darcy shares that it helps encourage self-directed mental health care and enables patients to better engage in the practices they learn during therapy sessions.Collaborative Care. Dr. Little describes how collaborative care gives patients the flexibility to choose their treatment path. It leverages the trust and relationship patients build with their primary care physician and compliments it with a team of specialists.This episode is part two of a special two-part series on mental health. Check out part one on Her Story! Relevant Links:Check out Dr. Udall’s full interviewCheck out Dr. Darcy’s full interviewCheck out Dr. Littles full interview

Meet Naveen Sikka:Naveen Sikka is the founder and CEO of TerViva, a food and agriculture technology company that is building a more sustainable plant protein and vegetable oil supply chain. He is also a member of the Board of Directors for Elemental Excelerator and a Fellow for Unreasonable Impact Americas. Previously, Naveen worked as a management consultant at Gemini Consulting and TPI. He received a bachelor’s from Columbia University and an MBA from UC Berkeley.  Key Insights:TerViva is bringing a new crop to the global market: pongamia.  Food as Medicine. TerViva is centered around pongamia, which grow well in poor quality soil and is climate resilient. TerViva is breeding the plant to create a domesticated version that has more consistent crop yields and is creating consumer products from the plant’s proteins and oil.Optimism during Recession. Traditional capital from Wall Street will be harder to access for climate tech companies. However, Naveen points to a silver lining. People and companies around the world recognize climate change as an existential threat. Incumbents are willing to invest and partner with startups that make the world more sustainable. Stay Focused.Naveen advises founders to find the intersection of what you believe in from a mission perspective and what the market is interested and able to fund. Don’t spread yourself too thin.This episode is hosted by Rishi Sikka, M.D. He is a guest host for Day Zero and is a Venture Partner at Lifeforce Capital and Professor at Brown University School of Public Health. Relevant Links:Learn more about TerVivaRead “Beyond Catastrophe A New Climate Reality Is Coming Into View” from The New York Times Magazine 

Meet Nick Turkal, M.D.:Nick Turkal, M.D. is CEO of the Center for Health Education and Access. He is also a practicing palliative care physician. Dr. Turkal serves on several Boards of Directors including the Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine, and the Crisis Prevention Institute. Previously, he was President and Chief Executive Officer of Aurora Health Care. Dr. Turkal received a bachelor’s in Biology and an M.D. from Creighton University. Key Insights:Nick Turkal, M.D. and the Center for Health Education and Access is tackling the provider shortage. Building a Pipeline. The Center for Health Education and Access is creating a pipeline to recruit underrepresented minorities to medical schools to become providers in underserved communities. The center is starting with osteopathic medical schools but envisions expanding to other patient care providers. Focus on Primary. Historically, osteopathic doctors (OD) go into primary care at higher rates than allopathic doctors (MD). Additionally, the medical schools are selecting students that have a higher interest in primary care, and training them in smaller, rural communities with more exposure to primary care. Nursing Burn Out. Nurses today have a greater desire for flexibility, and health systems need to adjust. The trend of nurses joining staffing agencies was accelerated by the pandemic, but already existed due to generational differences.  Relevant Links:Read “The Rise Fund Invests in The Burrell College of Osteopathic Medicine and Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine; Launches Center for Health Education and Access”

Meet Ali Parsa, Ph.D.:Ali Parsa, Ph.D. is a British-Iranian healthcare entrepreneur and engineer. He is the founder and CEO of Babylon Health. He is also a UK Cabinet Office Ambassador for Mutuals. Previously, he was co-founder and CEO of Circle Health. Dr. Parsa was recognized by The Health Service Journal as one of ‘the 50 most influential people in UK healthcare’ and he was featured in the Maserati 100. Dr. Parsa received a Ph.D. in Engineering Physics from University College London.  Key Insights:Ali Parsa shares an optimistic, but still practical vision of entrepreneurship.  Not Healthcare. The incentives in healthcare are fundamentally broken. What we call healthcare is really “sick care,” because we wait until patients are having health emergencies to intervene. Babylon Health aims to prevent health emergencies by utilizing data, AI, and monitoring to catch problems before they get worse.Desirable Difficultly. Dr. Parsa arrived in the UK as a refugee at 16 without his family. He built his life and career from scratch. However, he views these difficulties as giving him strength. He has the experience to deal with adverse situations.Advice for Founders. Dr. Parsa encourages founders to dream big, build fast, and be brilliant. Anything that matters takes a lot of effort, so you might as well do something big. He also asks that we work to create an ecosystem that allows for others to dream big as well. This episode is hosted by Rishi Sikka, M.D. He is a guest host for Day Zero and is a Venture Partner at Lifeforce Capital and Professor at Brown University School of Public Health. Relevant Links:Learn more about Dr. ParsaLearn more about Babylon Health

Meet Ben Albert:Ben is the Co-Founder and CEO of Upfront Healthcare Services, Inc.. Prior to launching Upfront, Ben was the Founder and CEO of Care Team Connect, which was acquired by The Advisory Board Company in 2013. Ben also served as an Entrepreneur in Residence and Operating Partner within the Strategic Investments Division of Cambia Health Solutions. Ben received a bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from the University of Illinois Chicago.  Key Insights:Ben Albert is a two-time healthcare founder, with over 20 years of entrepreneurial experience.  Challenge Your Assumptions. Entrepreneurs make a lot of assumptions at the beginning of a startup. Many of those assumptions turn out to be inaccurate. So, founders must use data to evaluate, change, and refine the business model. Acquisition Explained. Upfront recently made its first acquisition: PatientBond. Upfront’s mission is to get patients the care they need, and communication is fundamental to achieve that. PatientBond shares that vision and can deliver personalized communication. It was a clear strategy, that would allow for greater impact on patients, and a greater ROI for clients.Founding in Healthcare. Healthcare demands that founders have a robust value proposition, constantly evolve the vision based on data, and be patient. Patience applies to the investors as well; they need to trust the vision and not rush decisions that could hurt the company in the long run.This episode is hosted by Nathan Bays. He is a member of the Advisory Council for Day Zero and is a Senior Banker of Healthcare M&A at Citigroup. Relevant Links:Learn more about Upfront HealthcareRead “Upfront acquires PatientBond; expands capabilities for market-leading personalized patient access and engagement platform”

Meet Erik Kulstad, M.D.:Erik Kulstad, M.D. is the Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer of Attune Medical and Advanced Cooling Therapy Inc. He is also a practicing emergency medicine physician and an Associate Professor at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Dr. Kulstad was previously the Research Director at Advocate Christ Medical Center. He received a Bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering from the University of Maryland, a Master’s in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston, and an M.D. from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Key Insights:Dr. Kulstad’s breakthrough technology provides lessons in patient care and entrepreneurship.  The Science of Cooling. Dr. Kulstad invented a tube that circulates water in a closed loop system in the esophagus to manage the temperature of a patient. Having more control over temperature can improve patient outcomes for different procedures, both planned and emergency.Local Incubator. Ideas are abundant, the hard part is all the steps after the idea. Dr. Kulstad recommends that entrepreneurs connect with local incubators for investors, training, and most importantly, mentorship.Dealing With Rejection. When fundraising, the nos far outnumber yeses. Most people are not prepared for that frequency of rejection. It’s important to have reliable mentors that remind you to keep going. This episode is hosted by Rishi Sikka, M.D. He is a guest host for Day Zero and is a Venture Partner at Lifeforce Capital and Professor at Brown University School of Public Health.Relevant Links:Learn more about the Esophageal Temperature Management technologyRead “Significant Milestones in Clinical Development and Continued Fundraising Support Attune Medical’s Aggressive Growth Strategy”

Meet Kian Raiszadeh, M.D.:Kian Raiszadeh, M.D. is the Founder and CEO of SpineZone, which provides an alternative approach to neck and back pain without the use of surgery or medications. Dr. Raiszadeh is also an Orthopaedic Surgeon at Kaiser Permanente. Dr. Raiszadeh receive his bachelor’s from the University of California, Berkeley and his M.D. from the University of California, San Diego Key Insights:Kian Raiszadeh, M.D. is an Orthopaedic Surgeon trying to cannibalize his own job. Biopsychosocial Model. This model approaches health from an interdisciplinary perspective, analyzing the impact of factors like diet, sleep, exercise, stress, and mental state on a patient’s health and pain.Why Venture Capital? SpineZone transitioned to venture capital funding when they saw an opportunity to scale the business and have more support. A mentor once told Dr. Raiszadeh that what gets you to one accomplishment won’t necessarily get you to the next. Executing Strategy. For Dr. Raiszadeh, if he’s not spending at least a day or two a week thinking about the next one to two years, then he’s not adequately spending his time. It’s important for founders to be aware of market trends and to routinely evaluate their long-term strategy.This episode is hosted by Rishi Sikka, M.D. He is a guest host for Day Zero and is a Senior Advisor for McKinsey & Company. Relevant Links:Learn more about SpineZoneCheck out Dr. Raiszadeh’s book “Take Back Control: A Surgeon's Guide to Healing Your Spine Without Medications or Surgery”

Meet Dan Liljenquist:Dan Liljenquist is the lead architect and Board Chair of Civica Rx. His also Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for Intermountain Healthcare, where he also oversees Intermountain’s Enterprise Initiative and Market Intelligence & Planning Offices. Prior to Intermountain, Dan served in the Utah State Senate. He is a former strategy consultant with Bain & Company, Inc. Dan received a bachelor’s in Economics from Brigham Young University and a JD from The University of Chicago.  Key Insights:Dan Liljenquist knew the pharmaceutical industry needed to change. He helped establish a nonprofit drug company to reduce generic drug shortages and price gouging. Market Forces. Huge price increases on generic drugs are only possible under certain market conditions: there is inelastic demand, economies of scale are necessary for manufacturing, and only one manufacturer is required to meet market demand. Public Utility. For some drugs there is essentially a monopoly. Dan set out to organize the demand side of the equation into a monopsony, a purchasing monopoly. CivicaRx was created to be a non-profit drug company that acts like a public utility, providing hospitals with a consistent and cheaper supply of certain drugs.Asking the Right Questions. Dan sought out experts and “badgered” them with questions. After extended discussion and iterations on the core hypothesis, the business model and vision emerged. Dan advises entrepreneurs to learn everything you can about what inspires you.This episode is hosted by Gary Bisbee, Ph.D. He is the Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Think Medium. Relevant Links:Learn more about CivicaRxRead “CivicaScriptTM Announces Launch of its First Product, Creating Significant Patient Savings”Read Dan’s commentary on generic drug market issues, published in the New England Journal of Medicine

Meet Carol Gallagher, Pharm.D.: Carol Gallagher, Pharm.D. is a Venture Partner at New Enterprise Associates. Previously, she was the  CEO of Calistoga Pharmaceuticals, and President and CEO of Metastatix. Dr. Gallagher currently  serves on the Board of Directors at Atara Biotherapeutics, Chromacode, PIONYR Biotherapeutics,  QPEX BioPharma, Recludix, Slope.io, TREX, and Turning Point Therapeutics, and is a Trustee for the  Salk Institute. She received a Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Kentucky.Key Insights: Carol Gallagher, Pharm.D. explores the progression of her career through the pharmaceutical  industry and as a founder, CEO, and investor. • Complement Founders. Dr. Gallagher’s co-founder had a scientific background with immune system cancers, whereas she had experience with clinical trials and patient application related to B cell and other immunological disease. Founding a company is a team sport and building a complementary team is fundamental to success.• Self-Assessment. For all leaders, it’s important to have an honest self-assessment. Carol cites that the best CEOs are introspective. They understand their limitations and are also able to recruit the right team to fill those gaps.• Investment Philosophy. Innovators love to think about big changes, but sometimes incremental is good. When investing, Dr. Gallagher considers if the innovation can occur within the 3–5-year investment timeframe.This episode is hosted by Rick Lemoine, M.D. He is a member of the Advisory Council for Day Zero and is the Chief Medical Information Officer for Sharp HealthCare. Relevant Links:o Learn more about Carol Gallagher, Pharm.D.o Read “Salk Institute welcomes biopharmaceutical executive Carol Gallagher as new  trustee”