Empowered Patient Podcast

Bill Snyder, CEO and Founder of Cylinder, is addressing the high prevalence of digestive health issues using a virtual care model to provide access to a coordinated care team, including dieticians and health coaches, to offer personalized care plans. GI conditions are complex and involve a combination of genetic predisposition, environmental factors, and dietary influences. There are strong correlations between the gut and brain, as well as digestive health and various physical and mental conditions. Cylinder fills a gap in traditional GI care, where physicians often lack extensive nutritional training. Bill explains, "First and foremost, we think about the patients that we serve, and the patients that we serve come to us from across the country. We serve patients in every state across the US, and they suffer from a variety of GI-related conditions. That's things like ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome, and GERD. It's also a large population who don't have a formal diagnosis, but are symptomatic of GI conditions. So they may have chronic bloating, chronic constipation, and chronic heartburn, and they may not know what the underlying cause is. And then we also reach those members through our clients, which are large self-funded organizations and health plans. People traditionally gain access to Cylinder as part of their employee benefits package." "But there's also a lot that we continue to understand in terms of our overall digestive health system connection. The gut-brain axis, which serves as a bilateral feedback loop between the gut and the brain, is where we found that your digestive health often correlates with your mental health, and vice versa. So we know that some of the reasons for the onset of these conditions can be genetic, but to your point, we're also seeing a lot of impact from our environment and certainly from the foods we eat. And so as you think about the American diet, and as you think about how that's changed over the past several decades, we're seeing an increase in the incidence of these conditions and an increase in people who are presenting with these symptoms and not really sure where to go or what to do." #CylinderHealth #GIhealth #digestivehealth #cylinderhealth #GIcare #virtualhealth #employeebenefits cylinderhealth.com Download the transcript here

Pat Michael, Director of Patient Contact Services at Nebraska Medicine, highlights the challenges of high-volume patient contact centers and how agentic AI can improve operational efficiency, enhance patient access, and allow human agents to focus on more complex and critical calls. The AI agent offers patients self-service options for scheduling, cancellations, and medication refills, resulting in a 40% reduction in call volume to human operators. Integrating AI into the contact center also enables the prioritization of time-sensitive calls, such as those related to organ transplant coordination. Pat explains, "I'm the Patient Contact Services Director for Nebraska Medicine, which means I oversee our three main contact centers. They're our ambulatory contact center, which takes and schedules all the calls for our ambulatory clinic, and our radiology contact center, which schedules all of our outpatient radiology services. And then our medical communication center, which is our 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week operation with our hospital operators and a group of triage nurses." "So, some of the challenges that we had are that one of the big things is that we deal with the sheer volume of calls coming into the contact center. And so through the three contact centers, we have about 2.5 million calls that come in, but they're not evenly distributed. They come in when they come in. And so the key to success is managing all these complex calls while ensuring accuracy in the call handling. And what does that mean in the simplest terms? You have to have time to handle the calls accurately. Are we actually staying ahead of the volume, or are we just trying to catch up?" #NebraskaMedicine #ActiumHealth #AIAgents #PatientEngagement #healthtech #AgenticAI #automation Nebraskamed.com Download the transcript here

Dr. Peter Altman, President and CEO of BioCardia, is focused on treating ischemic heart failure and chronic myocardial ischemia using autologous cells from the patient's bone marrow. The company has developed a cost-effective model that utilizes a pre-procedure diagnostic to select the optimal patients for this point-of-care system, which processes their cells in a single procedure. A key technology is the Helix catheter system, which enables minimally invasive delivery of cells into the heart, aided by the Heart3D Fusion imaging platform that provides a 3D map for precise cell delivery. Peter explains, "BioCardia's focus is on ischemic etiology of heart disease. This is heart disease that results from poor perfusion, typically following, for example, a heart attack, which is an ischemic disease. And the two diseases we're working on are ischemic heart failure, which is often characterized by a large dilated heart. And in the second is chronic myocardial ischemia, which is characterized by what's called refractory angina or chest pain that actually can be incredibly severe. And so are our focus areas. And we're advancing cell therapies that have been shown to inherently improve the cells we're looking at, which are cells from the bone marrow space, the mononuclear cells that contain the CD34 and CD133 cell populations. They're actually involved in forming new microvasculature and supply." "What we've done is come at it from a different perspective. Instead of selecting the cells and then manufacturing in a remote facility, we have a pre-procedure diagnostic that enables us to select the patients who have appropriate cells and then process them with a point-of-care cell processing platform, which involves just a simple disposable cartridge. And then we can treat these patients in a standard interventional cardiology setting at relatively low cost compared to all cell therapies." #BioCardia #HeartDisease #AutologousCellTherapy #CellTherapy #3DImaging #Heart3DFusion #CardiAMP biocardia.com Download the transcript here

Marissa Fayer, CEO of DeepLook Medical, points out the challenges of detecting breast cancer in dense breast tissue using mammography. The DeepLook DP Precise platform is a visual intelligence tool to help radiologists see inside dense tissue more clearly without disrupting their workflow, potentially reducing the need for additional tests or biopsies. A recent FDA mandate requiring providers to inform patients about their breast density has increased patient demand for better screening tools Marissa explains, "We're focused on breast imaging, and it's very specifically in dense breasts, because unfortunately, with dense, it's like seeing a cotton ball in the cloud. Radiologists have a really hard time seeing that in standard ways. This is a known problem. I developed the three mammography systems, so I absolutely know that it's a problem. We help radiologists visualize better with visual intelligence to be able to see inside these mammograms so that they potentially don't have to send their patients back for additional ultrasounds, other mammograms, or even biopsies." "So dense breasts show up white on mammograms, and cancer shows up white. So again, it's the analogy of the cotton bowl in the cloud. It might be there, but it might not be. The cloud is just hiding the cotton ball. This is just how X-ray technology is. It's been a problem and known since its inception, and unfortunately 45% to 50% of all women have dense breasts. And so, this is a very common problem, and there's nothing anybody can do. You can't diet or change the way your body composition is. In reality, this is just an additional add-on to existing screening that is a standard of care to help women." #DeepLookMedical #WomenInHealthTech #BreastCancerAwareness #DenseBreastTissue #AIinHealthcare #DigitalHealth #HealthEquity #EarlyDetection #EmpoweredPatients #PatientCenteredCare #WomensHealth #Breastcancer deeplookmedical.com Download the transcript here

Dan Cohen, President and Co-Founder of Adhere+, is advancing the role and function of remote therapeutic monitoring by asking patients a few questions every day through a smartphone app. Gathering this kind of data makes in-person visits with providers more productive and insightful. It helps providers manage chronic conditions and pain by using direct and indirect questions to gain a holistic view of the patient's overall well-being. This type of real-world data shows promise for enhancing clinical trials and powering AI-driven healthcare insights. Dan explains, "At its core, what we're doing is monitoring patients in between their visits with physicians. Now, I know a lot of your listeners have heard about telemedicine and telehealth, and sometimes they think they're the same thing, but they're not. Telemedicine is a synchronous communication where you'll be on your computer on a Zoom call with your doctor. That's telemedicine, where the physician is actually treating you as you would be in the office." "Telehealth is what happens in between physician meetings. It goes back to a very simple principle of medicine, something that physicians learn in the first two weeks of medical school. And that simple principle is the more often you touch a patient, the better the outcome is going to be. And in our telehealth approach using remote therapeutic monitoring, our physicians touch their patients every day for a brief few seconds to reinforce their care plan, to help the patients know that they're being treated, and for the patients to be able to act and react appropriately for their disease state." "The clinical questions are designed by clinicians around the country, and these questions change every day. They have normative ranges set in the background of those questions, and it really allows the physicians to drill down. We have default protocols, of course, to get practices started, and then physicians can titrate the questions to their needs. But if you think about the questions, it's the types of questions the physician is going to ask you when you're sitting in session with one another to try and find out what's happening." #AdHerePlus #RTM #RemoteTherapeuticMonitoring #PainAwarenessMonth #USPain #ChangingthePainEquation #ChronicPain #DigitalHealth adhereplus.com Download the transcript here

Sam Libby is President and Managing Director of TCB Capital Advisors, a healthcare-focused investment and advisory firm with a focus on improving patient outcomes in oncology, neurodegenerative diseases, and women's health. The firm evaluates early-stage companies based on the strength of clinical data, scientific and medical expertise, and technology, which may have been overlooked or struggled to raise funding. Trends TCB is keeping an eye on include diagnostics and preventive healthcare, as well as the growing interest in women's health, an underinvested sector that presents significant opportunities for innovation and investment. Sam explains, "I think first and foremost, we look at the clinical data. So the way that we built TCD is that we have a team of experienced bankers and investors who work with early-stage companies. We also have on the other side of the house commercial experts and consultants who can do, I like to always say they can do all the things that bankers talk about. So, post-merger integration, building out the sales funnel, and applying for grants." "The other side, which I believe is probably the most important, is the scientific, strategic, and clinical advisory boards. And so when you're looking at one of these early-stage companies, the first thing is, does the science work? Is the actual foundation for the company solid? And so having experts that can drill into that because it's very easy when you start talking about deals and an early-stage company, everyone gets excited by the vision of the CEO or founder." #TCBCapitalAdvisors #Healthcare #HeatlhcareInvestments #PatientOutcomes #Oncology #NeurodegenerativeDiseases #WomensHealth TCBcapitaladvisors.com Download the transcript here

Jon Friis, Founder and CEO of Miiskin, provides a telehealth platform to independent dermatologists and clinics, enabling them to serve a broader patient audience. Using an asynchronous model, patients submit their images and medical history for the provider to review, and then receive a diagnosis and treatment plan within 24-48 hours. This approach improves efficiency in handling routine care and prescription renewals, adds flexibility for patient convenience, and enables providers to allocate more time to address complex and high-value procedures. Jon explains, "Miiskin's mission is to make high-quality dermatology care more accessible and convenient without compromising standards and care. We see ourselves as a differentiator in the market because we're enabling providers with a dermatology platform that they can use for their audience. They're not contracting with us as a provider. We enable the clinics and the providers with this technology platform. So we give the control back to the providers so they can meet the digital-first audience themselves and grow their business based on that." "With dermatology care, the skin is visible to the patient, and I strongly believe that the future will strive towards that. Every visit starts with the patient taking images and supporting patient information and patient history before they see any provider and consult with the provider. Therefore, it's essential that the cameras are of good quality, the images are of high quality, and the image capture process is. And that's where we've been evolving a lot of imaging technology to support that process for our platform and providers." #Miiskin #DigitalDermatology #Dermatologist #Telehealth miiskin.com Download the transcript here

Sandra Johnson, Senior VP of client services at CliniComp, discusses the findings from a survey commissioned to explore the support for AI by hospital CIOs. While 80% view AI implementation as a priority, less than half have actually implemented AI tools, which is attributed to privacy concerns and the limitations of legacy systems. There was a strong desire for AI solutions to be embedded within existing systems to avoid the complexity of integrating third-party applications. The goal is to improve data exchange and interoperability to bring the focus back on the patient and improving outcomes. Sandra explains, "The survey painted a really clear picture. Hospital CIOs are not asking if AI should be a part of their strategy, but more about how to implement it. There's a lot of support for AI adoption now, and the use cases that come first and foremost are reducing administrative burden and streamlining workflows. The survey showed that 80% of CIOs are looking to automate administrative tasks as one of their top three priorities." "That really signals a shift towards using technology not just for innovation's sake, but with a focused goal. And that's to free up providers to spend more time with the patients. I think the other thing the survey pointed out is that there's a real desire for AI to be embedded within the EHR. CIOs don't want to have another layer of complexity with third-party bolt-ons. They really want an integrated solution that is reliable, scalable, and sustainable." #AIinHealthcare #HealthcareAI #HealthITAutomation #AmbientAI #ClinicalAutomation #HealthcareLeadership #CIOInsights #HealthSystemStrategy #HospitalInnovation #HealthTechStrategy CliniComp.com Download the transcript here

Dr. Ari Vojdani, Chief Scientific Officer at Cyrex Labs, describes the two primary components of the immune system--humoral and cell-mediated immunity and how the Cyrex diagnostics are designed to measure both. The Cyrex food immune reactivity testing measures antibodies against raw, cooked, modified, and processed food proteins as the structure of these proteins can change and affect immune responses. Cyrex is also developing tests to measure antibodies against various gut bacteria, fungi, and toxins, and how these relate to autoimmune conditions. Ari explains, "Cyrex performs lots of tests, but we can divide them based on the immune system. As you know, the immune system has two major components, the humoral and cell-mediated immunity. The humoral components of the immune system deal with measurements of antibodies. So when we get exposed to certain antigens, proteins of pathogens, food, or toxic chemicals, when they bind to human tissue, our body reacts to them, and the end result of that is specific antibody production against that specific protein or antigen." "The second component of the immune system is cell-mediated immunity, which looks at different lymphocytes, their markers, such as whether it is a T-cell, B-cell, CD4, CD8, T helper 1, T helper 2, regulatory T cells, or natural killer cells. So that also could be abnormal in certain inflammatory and autoimmune disorders. That's why at Cyrex, the tests that they are performing are classified based on humoral and cell-mediated immunity." "In 1986 and 1987, I developed the ELISA method for measuring antibodies against different food antigens. Then I did not have the knowledge about the importance of raw versus cooked or raw versus modified foods. I established the methodologies, and many others came to visit my laboratories. Years later, they started their own laboratories. So they continue using the same raw food for measuring antibodies in their own laboratories." #CyrexLabs #FunctionalImmunology #FunctionalMedicine #immuneHealth #FoodSensitivity #FoodAllergies cyrexlabs.com Download the transcript here

Kevin Freeman, Chief Commercial Officer at Health Catalyst, highlights the challenges mid-market healthcare systems are currently facing, including the predicted impact of Medicaid cuts and the increase in uninsured patients. There is a need to break down data silos and use AI and data analytics to improve the quality of care, reduce costs, and address clinician burnout. The Health Catalyst platform is designed to integrate existing technology, improve efficiency, and provide expertise and support to drive better patient outcomes and manage financially sound organizations. Kevin explains, "Health Catalyst works with healthcare providers, really of all sizes. Historically, more academics and IDNs, but more recently, over the last six to seven months, have really focused on the mid-market health systems. Mid-market health systems still struggle with some of the same issues that large health systems do, but they lack the technology, expertise, and some of the clinical experience that drive outcomes. So, we're really excited to move into the mid-market, improve quality and patient care, and reduce costs at the same time." "Our goal is not to rip and replace, but to meet them where they're at. Those investments that they've made, we can take those investments, integrate them into our platform, and drive those outcomes—that outcome improvement strategy across the entire system. I think that one of the biggest things we're seeing is that the technology is just not enough. Dashboards aren't enough. It really takes driving those outcomes and having that clinical expertise. But we don't just bring the technology. We bring the people with the technology to actually partner with them hand-in-hand to actually drive that outcome improvement." #HealthCatalyst #MidMarketHospitals #Hospitals #Healthcare #MedicaidCuts #HealthcareProviders healthcatalyst.com Download the transcript here