The Heart of Healthcare | A Digital Health Podcast

Listeners get practical insights into navigating the challenging landscape of healthcare fundraising. The slow IPO recovery and rising private M&A deals are discussed, along with realistic revenue targets for Series A rounds. Effective negotiation strategies are emphasized, highlighting the need for strong relationships with investors. The advantages of Y Combinator for healthcare startups are also explored, providing mentorship and credibility. Balancing time between recruiting, fundraising, and running a business is a key focus, ensuring founders stay resilient.

Discover the intriguing world of Medicare Advantage as hosts discuss allegations of overpayments and misreporting by insurers. Delve into how Vermont's accountable care organization model is paving the way for savings and better patient outcomes. Unpack the potential of an AI-powered device designed to combat loneliness and the impact of innovative blood testing technologies. Plus, explore a hospital's creative leap into entertainment, aiming to enhance public understanding of healthcare through storytelling.

Andy Slavitt, a General Partner at Town Hall Ventures and former executive at CMS and UnitedHealth Group, dives deep into the complexities of American healthcare. He discusses the pivotal moment of rescuing Healthcare.gov and his unexpected shift from entrepreneur to healthcare executive. Slavitt elaborates on the hurdles of value-based care and the slow tech adoption in healthcare, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, while also reflecting on the continuous battle for equitable access and the challenges posed by ever-changing political landscapes.

Venture capitalist Vinod Khosla discusses the potential for AI to revolutionize healthcare, enabling personalized care and reducing misdiagnosis. He emphasizes the importance of AI learning from humans, not the other way around, and shares real-world examples of AI in action. Khosla also highlights the need for guardrails in AI development and offers advice to healthcare founders on solving challenging problems.

Veteran digital health journalist Chrissy Farr and Moderna's Chief Brand Officer Kate Cronin discuss the art of storytelling in healthcare, emphasizing authenticity and transparency. They delve into the undervaluation of marketing roles, successful brands like Livongo and PillPack, and lessons from scaling Moderna's brand during the pandemic. Insights on engaging storytelling, internal communications, and brand building in healthcare startups are shared.

The podcast covers a new report on digital treatment outcomes for musculoskeletal conditions, FDA's guidance on improving diversity in clinical trials, legal battles over GLP-1 drugs, Walgreens' pullback from healthcare, a study on utilizing pharmacists for treatment, and the U.S. Surgeon General's advisory on social media's effects on youth mental health.

In this episode, Halle Tecco talks to Emily Oster— health communicator, health economist, and bestselling author. Emily shares her journey from academia to becoming an influential health communicator, advocating for data-driven decision making and empowering individuals to make informed choices about their health.We cover:Her non-didactic approach to helping people make their own best decisionsHer least favorite types of panic headlines, and how no one would thrive on Doritos® dustPros and cons of the Open Access movementCombating publication biasSpeaking up on controversial topicsAdvice for building trust, combating misinformation, and improving health communicationEmily is on a mission to empower parents by providing the data and tools they need to make confident decisions. After getting a PhD in economics from Harvard, she went on to pursue research in health economics and is now a professor of economics at Brown University. As a mom of two, Emily was inspired by her own pregnancy and the lack of clear information to guide her decisions. She decided to use her expertise in reviewing and analyzing data to help other parents navigate these topics. She is a New York Times best-selling author, whose books include Expecting Better, Cribsheet, The Family Firm and The Unexpected.Follow Emily Oster on Instagram and X.Subscribe to the Heart of Healthcare and leave us a review! Got an idea for a show? Visit heartofhealthcarepodcast.com.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Former Facebook product manager and whistleblower Frances Haugen discusses the harmful effects of social media on mental health, especially for children. She emphasizes the need for regulations to protect young users and shares practical tips for parents and educators to mitigate these impacts. The episode also explores a nonprofit project aiming to set ethical standards for social media platforms and highlights Instagram's new safety features for teenagers.

Glen Tullman, Founder and CEO of Transcarent and former Livongo CEO, discusses revolutionizing e-prescribing, building Livongo as a digital health success, lessons as a serial entrepreneur, and his vision for Transcarent as a consumer-directed healthcare navigation platform.

Zach Reitano, CEO and co-founder of Ro, a direct-to-patient healthcare company, discusses the challenges in today's healthcare model. He highlights how the system often overlooks patient needs and the importance of focusing on cost, quality, and access. Reitano shares insights into using technology to enhance care and argues that quality should not be equated with time spent. He champions a patient-centric approach, advocating for empowered health choices and innovative financial solutions like healthcare savings accounts to foster autonomy.