The Beat

About Lisa Collins:Lisa is responsible for our Payer, Provider, and Strategy and Growth teams for OAS. She supports the growth our teams have achieved to make OAS one of the top healthcare advisory services in the country.Prior to Optum Lisa was with Cerner Corporation where she was Senior Vice President of Global Services, leading their consulting, managed services, and support business. Before joining Cerner, Lisa was Managing Director with Accenture in their Health Care practice, responsible for establishing and leading the health care provider practice. Preceding Accenture, Lisa spent 20+ years at Siemens Medical Solutions in a variety of leadership roles, including leading their North America Services business.Lisa lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia with her husband and two college-graduate sons, who also live nearby. Lisa is a board member of Penn Medicine Chester County Hospital and is involved locally with Community Volunteers in Medicine. Things You’ll Learn:Data can help forecast many things in healthcare, from patient volume and staffing needs to OR schedules and much more. Administrative procedures shouldn’t stall healthcare labor. Physicians should concentrate on delivering care, while technology helps with the administrative work. Technology is here to help physicians.  Resources:Connect with and follow Lisa on LinkedIn.Follow Optum on LinkedIn.Discover the Optum Website.

About Malekeh Amini:Malekeh Amini is a veteran in the healthcare industry with more than 25 years in digital health services and a proven track record in entrepreneurship, strategy, business development, fundraising, and operations. Malekeh founded Trayt to help shift the paradigm in how mental healthcare is accessed, delivered, and supported in the United States due to her own experience attempting to navigate the healthcare system. Malekeh brings extensive entrepreneurial, fundraising, P&L, business development, operations, and strategic advisory experience to Trayt, including experience with both SaaS and big data applications with a focus on scalability, and capitalizing on new business opportunities with deep knowledge of the healthcare industry and a strong national network of connections for strategic partnerships. At Trayt, Malekeh serves as Founder and CEO.Prior to Trayt, Malekeh was the Senior Vice President of Product & Business Development at Base Health, where she provided the vision connecting new breakthroughs in medical science to the needs of healthcare organizations and consumers. A former consultant with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and the Parthenon Group, Malekeh advised companies in the pharmaceutical, biotech, health insurance, and hospital industries. Malekeh also sat on the fundraising Board of Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, is the Fund Chair for her class at the Harvard Business School, and is Chairman of the Board at Wings Learning Center, a Non-Public School for students with autism and other neurodevelopmental disabilities.Malekeh earned multiple bachelor’s degrees and a master's degree at USC, as well as an MBA from Harvard University.About Laurel Williams:Laurel L. Williams, DO is a Professor in the Menninger Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Williams is the Medical Director for the Centralized Operational Support Hub for the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium coordinating the implementation of a state-wide child psychiatry access network and tele-mental health to youth in schools. Dr. Williams is also the Training Director for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Baylor. Dr. Williams completed both her fellowship and residency training at Baylor College of Medicine in 2004 upon graduation from the University of North Texas School of Osteopathic Medicine in 1999. She graduated with a BS in Psychobiology and a Minor in Fine Arts at the University of Southern California in 1994. In 2020, Dr. Williams received a Women of Excellence Award and a Norton Rose Educational Leadership Faculty Excellence Award at Baylor College of Medicine. In 2021, Greater Houston NAMI presented Dr. Williams with one of the “Heroes and Hope Across Greater Houston awards.” Dr. Williams has special expertise in working with youth who have suicidal and self-injurious behaviors and pregnant and post-partum adolescents.Things You’ll Learn:Early intervention in childhood is crucial for addressing mental health disorders and can have a significant impact on long-term outcomes.The Texas Child Mental Health Consortium shows the power of collaboration and coordination among various stakeholders to enhance access to healthcare and training.Over 10,000 providers in the state of Texas have enrolled in CPAN.Over 500 school districts are currently enrolled in TCHATT with over 2000 campuses.Technology plays a pivotal role in improving access to care, streamlining workflows, and collecting valuable data for informed decision-making in children's mental health.The success of the Texas Consortium's initiatives illustrates the potential for nationwide implementation of similar programs to enhance mental health support for children.Building and maintaining connections among healthcare professionals, patients, and their families are essential for delivering effective mental healthcare services for children.Resources:Connect with and follow Malekeh Amini on LinkedIn.Follow Trayt on LinkedIn.Explore the Trayt Website.Connect with and follow Laurel Williams on LinkedIn.Follow Baylor College of Medicine on LinkedIn.Explore the Baylor College of Medicine Website.

About Rajeev Singh:Rajeev Singh is the CEO and chairman of the Board of Directors at Accolade (Nasdaq: ACCD). He joined Accolade as CEO in November of 2015, leading the organization’s strategy and operations through high growth.   In 2020, Singh led Accolade through one of the first digital healthcare Initial Public Offerings of the year. The following year, he led the company through nearly $1 billion in acquisitions of 2nd.MD, PlushCare, and HealthReveal. Accolade now works with over 700 employers and health plans serving over 11 million people across the United States.  Prior to joining Accolade, he co-founded Concur, the global leader in travel and expense management, in 1993. Concur went public (Nasdaq: CNQR) in 1998 and grew to more than $800mm in revenue, over 4,000 employees, and more than 25,000 customers before being acquired by SAP AG for $8.3 billion in 2014. Singh was president and chief operating officer as well as a member of the board of directors at Concur.  Singh graduated from Western Michigan University with a BSE. Today, he serves on the board of Avalara (NYSE: AVLR), a top provider of cloud-based tax compliance automation for businesses; Amperity, an intelligent customer data platform; Seattle Children’s Hospital Foundation; and the University of Washington Foundation. He lives in Seattle with his wife, Jill, and their 2 children.  Things You’ll Learn:Accolade defines health equity as the responsibility to ensure everyone has the inalienable human right to high-quality healthcare. If you live in specific neighborhoods in the United States or are part of a particular minority group, you might not have access to a primary care physician. The LGBTQ+ population struggles to find the primary care and behavioral health they need within a shared life experience.The biggest financial challenge most people face in their lives is affording healthcare.2020 made access to virtual care mainstream in the United States, creating an opportunity that has to be embraced.  Resources:Connect with and follow Rajeev Singh on LinkedIn.Follow Accolade on LinkedIn.Explore the Accolade Website.Reach out to Rajeev at RajeevSingh@Accolade.com. 

Topics CoveredHear the inside story of how technology played a crucial role in response to the pandemic to help hospitals scale up rapidly in response to the crisisDiscover how telemedicine and virtual care are transforming healthcare deliveryGet insights into how AI is being used to improve clinical decision-making and patient outcomesHow healthcare organizations are using data analytics to identify trends, predict outbreaks, and optimize care deliveryThe importance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing in healthcareThe challenges and opportunities facing healthcare providers in the post-pandemic world— and how they are preparing for the futureHow the cutting-edge research and development happening in healthcare is shaping the future of medicineLearn about the personal experiences and insights of healthcare leaders and frontline workers who are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19Connect with John BrownsteinJohn Brownstein on LinkedInConnect with Dr. Gautam Gulati & Dr. Jessica ShepherdDr. Gulati on TwitterDr. Gulati on LinkedInDr. Shepherd on LinkedInDr. Shepherd on TwitterResourcesHealthMapOutbreaks Near MeEpidemicoVaccines.govBill & Melinda Gates FoundationViVE

About Ron Emerson:Ron Emerson RN BSN is the Global Healthcare Lead at Zoom. He is a former member of the board of Directors for the American Telemedicine Association and Chair of the Industry Council. He has more than 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry having worked on several Telemedicine programs in 46 countries. He is recognized as a thought leader in  Telehealth,  having developed a variety of innovative telehealth applications, and consulted on telehealth deployments worldwide. He also held the position of Executive Director for a large telemedicine operation in the United States, where he was responsible for the efficient provision of services to 350 sites. Mr. Emerson was the previous recipient of the American Telemedicine Association Industry Council Award for his leadership in the advancement of Telehealth. Things You’ll Learn:From 1960 to 2010, the cost of healthcare in the United States increased five times the gross domestic product.Zoom grew from 10 million daily participants to 300 million in three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began, becoming the market share leader in the US for telemedicine.In 2020 there were about 450 million telemedicine visits in the United States. During 2020, the largest centers of care held up to 90% of their visits virtually, which many patients came to like and still choose nowadays.Zoom holds an annual conference called Zoomtopia, where they bring together thought leaders and announce big announcements.A hospital's revenue comes in whenever a patient walks through their doors, a concept that is the basis of most incentivization systems around health systems. Resources:Connect with and follow Ron Emerson on LinkedIn.Follow Zoom on LinkedIn.Check Out the Zoom Healthcare Website.Explore Zoom’s additional features like Zoom Phone, Zoom Webinars, Zoom IQ for Sales, Zoom Events,  and Zoom Contact Center.

About Theresa Demeter:Theresa Demeter is an entrepreneurial executive administrator with 30 years of healthcare performance and operational experience. As a Managing Director at Tegria, she brings her passion for conceptualizing and implementing innovative solutions that drive quality and performance improvement to optimize patient outcomes. Theresa developed Tegria’s offering that helps healthcare organizations prioritize and operationalize their health equity strategy and mitigate the harmful effects of implicit bias through macro-simulation. Prior to joining Tegria, Theresa drove the formation and expansion of InSytu, a national leader in clinical process improvement consulting powered by macro-simulation.Things You’ll Learn:Equity aims to provide individuals with the necessary resources and access to achieve equal opportunities for optimal health.Health disparities in the US lead to the excessive annual expenditure of $320 billion in healthcare costs.Rural health concerns sparsely populated, low-density areas located far from urban centers.About 97% of the US is classified as rural, with one in five people residing in rural America.Healthcare contributes to only 20% of overall health, while the remaining 80% is influenced by the community and shaped by an individual's social identity.Implicit bias exists in healthcare and can result in differential treatment based on race, necessitating recognition and addressing equitable care.Black individuals, for example, often experience delayed identification of sepsis, resulting in longer treatment times.In America, approximately 95% of the population resides within a five-mile radius of a pharmacy, including both large retail pharmacies and small local establishments.Technology holds promise for improving rural healthcare access, but it must be designed inclusively, considering factors like low health literacy, limited internet access, language differences, and cultural nuances.Resources:Connect with and follow Theresa Demeter on LinkedIn.Follow Tegria on LinkedIn.Explore the Tegria Website.Listen to Theresa’s previous episode on the The Beat at HLTH podcast here.

About Shayan Vyas:Dr. Shayan Vyas serves as SVP and medical director of clinical operations for the hospital and health systems business unit of Teladoc Health. As part of his clinical operations duties, Dr. Vyas manages the Teladoc Health Medical Group and employed physician group in addition to his responsibility for improving platform efficiency for physician throughput. Within the hospital and health systems business unit, Dr. Vyas is the leading physician with reasonability extending to existing partners to advance virtual care strategies of hospitals and health systems that purchase Teladoc Health products, devices, and services.    Dr. Vyas is an executive leader, practicing intensivist, and telehealth physician with more than 10 of virtual health experience. Prior to joining Teladoc Health, he worked with multiple digital health vendors and patient engagement companies, and he led the launch of the first multi-hospital telehealth program in the US. Things You’ll Learn:Almost 60% of nurses’ bedside tasks are not physical, like taking histories, answering questions, checking monitor measures, or addressing other concerns.90% of nurses believe the quality of care struggles because of the nursing shortage.Virtual nurses can take care of non-physical tasks, help new nurses with training or knowledge from their previous experience, and unburden floor nurses from the documentation processes.With today’s technology, inpatient hospital rooms have the potential to be upgraded and improve everyone’s care delivery experience. Teladoc Health recently acquired InTouch Health, a provider of telehealth solutions for health systems and hospitals. Resources:Connect with and follow Shayan Vyas on LinkedIn and Twitter.Follow Teladoc Health on LinkedIn.Explore the Teladoc Health Website.

Topics CoveredThe unique healthcare needs of the LGBTQIA community in accessing healthcareDiscrimination and inadequate insurance coverage as barriers to accessing healthcareThe role of telehealth services in addressing the unique healthcare needs of the LGBTQIA communityThe patient-centered care model at FOLX HealthFOLX Health's peer support and expert-led support groups for families and individualsThe positive patient-reported outcomes of gender-affirming healthcareConnect with Kate SteinleKate on LinkedInConnect with Dr. Gautam Gulati & Dr. Jessica ShepherdDr. Gulati on TwitterDr. Gulati on LinkedInDr. Shepherd on LinkedInDr. Shepherd on TwitterResourcesFOLX HealthViVE

About Sarah Hassaine:Sarah has a strong-proven track record of delivering and leading evolving D&I programs and initiatives for the last eight years. She currently is leading a team that delivers the strategic design and implementation of a D&I strategy across ResMed, reporting to the CPO and Office of the CEO. She consults, advises, and upskills leaders globally; designs and delivers training in-house on diversity and inclusion values and best practices enterprise-wide; evaluates policies, accessibility, and facilities, and proposes changes that drive inclusion; and effectively manages partnerships to drive advocacy, sourcing, branding, engagement, and professional development opportunities. She has taken ResMed from 4 to 12 global ERGs, increased their Self-ID percentage by 4%, and created a hub full of resources and training. She has additional projects that consist of evolving our journey of diverse sleep and mask trials, branding, accessibility in products and packaging, and inclusive language. She is driven by developing and managing long-lasting initiatives that contribute towards building a culture where employees feel included, appreciated, and develop professionally. Sarah developed her career as a strong project manager in international development, business operations, and web design. She has 20 years of management experience and eight years on the people side of the business. She has spoken at nearly 100+ empowering business, diversity, and tech conferences, and guest writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune. She currently serves on the Boards of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, the North San Diego Business Chamber, and the Kim Center for Social Balance. She is also a Mentor through Operations Connect for Veterans, DisabilityIN's Emerge Program, and UCSD's Triton Mentorship Program. She is part of the San Diego Diversity Council and recently graduated from the Wharton Business School.Things You’ll Learn:ResMed focuses on building an inclusive culture and business, with support from executives, and they emphasize the importance of time, resources, and intentionality in achieving equity.There is ROI in diversity, equity, and inclusion.Where one works determines how one must look at inclusion and diversity.It’s important to understand the meaning of D&I in one’s business context and approach strategies with a neutral perspective.Leveraging employees and involving everyone in the conversation is crucial for driving an inclusive culture and achieving equity.Resources:Connect with and follow Sarah Hassaine on LinkedIn.Follow ResMed on LinkedIn.Discover the ResMed Website.

About Kevin Larsen:Dr. Kevin Larsen is the Senior Vice President, of Clinical Innovation of Translation at Optum. Kevin’s role is to provide clinical leadership and a clinical voice to Optum Center for Advanced Clinical Solutions. He leads the clinical team in building and deploying provider enablement technologies, including clinical decision support integrated through electronic health records. Previously he was at OptumLabs where he supported the design and implementation of innovative research, analytics, and evidence-based translation programs in diverse areas across our portfolio and was a primary clinical lead in support of the Optum Enterprise strategy.Kevin is an internist and medical informaticist who started his career at Hennepin County Medical Center In Minneapolis where he had a variety of executive and clinical leadership roles. He has worked in academic, hospital, and government settings, focusing on innovation through data and analytics, research, policy, and developing/implementing innovative programs at scale.He joined Optum from the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), where most recently he has been Senior Health IT Advisor at the office of the Chief TechnologyOfficer. Kevin led the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) strategic planning and transformation team. In that role, he convened stakeholders across CMS and its partners to develop strategies and execute enterprise program improvements. He consulted on health IT policy, standards, and project execution for numerous Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) models, such as Million Hearts, Oncology Bundle, State Innovation Models, and Accountable Health Communities. He started his Washington D.C. career at the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) as the Medical Director of Meaningful Use where he led ONCs work on quality policy, measurement, and improvement, including clinical decision support and social determinants of health.Earlier, Kevin was CMIO and Associate Medical Director of Hennepin Health System. He was an associate professor of medicine at the University of Minnesota where his research included healthcare financing for people living in poverty, computer systems Things You’ll Learn:If patients have enough support, they will care for their health. Chronic disease patients should be able to manage their conditions throughout their lives. Technology can help minimize some clinical processes. Clinical Decision Support is a process that helps doctors make the best decisions after being well-informed. What many existing solutions lack are the means to scale. Healthcare should start reversing the inward-thinking mindset. Communities often have solutions on the ground that healthcare companies are trying to create. Many organizations are now asking their employees and their patients about social determinants of health. Resources:Connect with and follow Kevin on LinkedIn.Follow Optum on LinkedIn.Discover the Optum Website.Email Kevin directly at Kevin.Larsen@optum.com