The Beat

When Walmart launched its $4 generics program in 2006, the retailer was amazed by how many Americans had prescriptions they weren’t getting filled, either because they couldn’t afford care, or they were afraid to find out how much the drug might cost.And that key learning has guided Walmart Health ever since, as they work to address issues of accessibility, affordability and complexity in the healthcare system.Marcus Osborne is the Senior Vice President of Walmart Health, where he focuses on driving innovation and growth in healthcare for the retail giant. Marcus has been with the organization for 15 years, and he is on a mission to provide high-quality care to the Walmart customer base.On this episode of The Beat, Marcus joins host Dr. Gautam Gulati to discuss the evolution of Walmart Health, explaining why Walmart got into the primary care business and what it looks like to engage in their integrated experience. Marcus describes how delivering on the Walmart motto—save money; live better—builds trust with its healthcare customers. Listen in to understand Marcus’ concerns around staffing Walmart Health at scale and learn how his team is leveraging technology to provide quality care at a low cost.Topics CoveredMarcus’ role in driving innovation and growth in healthcare for WalmartThe key learning from Walmart’s $4 prescription programWhy Walmart got into the business of providing primary careMarcus' take on healthcare as an omnichannel undertakingHow Marcus distinguishes among customers, consumers and patientsHow delivering on the Walmart motto (save money; live better) builds trust with consumersHow Walmart is leveraging technology to provide a high standard of care at a low costWhat the integrated Walmart Health experience looks like and how it makes healthcare ‘shoppable’How Marcus thinks about staffing Walmart Health at scaleMarcus’ challenge to innovators on serving the Walmart customer base Connect with Marcus OsborneWalmart Health Connect with Dr. Gautam GulatiHLTHDr. Gulati on TwitterDr. Gulati on LinkedIn ResourcesMeMDNudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. SunsteinCenters for Medicare & Medicaid ServicesVegan HealthDr. Cheryl Pegus Introductory Quote[28:36] “By us using the latest and greatest technology, it allows us to operate more effectively, more efficiently, at a much lower cost. And so, sometimes people assume that quality and cost run counter, and I would say that in healthcare, that is the biggest mistake. They don’t run counter. They actually operate [in] parallel.”

About Dr. Rowland Illing:Dr. Rowland Illing is the Chief Medical Officer and Director of International Public Sector Health for Amazon Web Services (AWS). He has responsibility for healthcare strategy and operations for AWS internationally, excluding the US & China. This encompasses healthcare providers, payors, and health technology companies. He is passionate about the delivery of person-centered care, increasing access, and improving outcomes at a lower cost by accelerating the digitization and utilization of healthcare data. Rowland, who trained at both Cambridge and Oxford Universities, continues to present and publish on topics including digital healthcare and AI. Things You’ll Learn:Technologies developing AI and Machine Learning can use data analytics to improve health equity by aiding ambulatory care and monitoring.On-premises storage will not be enough in a likely future where data is being collected not only on-site but also in an ambulatory manner through wearable devices that bring care closer to the patients.AI can help physicians and healthcare providers with burnout by targeting care for patients at the right time with the right intervention thanks to collected data.Cloud technology can improve health equity through the democratization of access, lowering costs, and tailoring care for each individual.Amazon Web Services has a three-year program in place to train all-comers in AI and ML with scholarships available.Resources:Connect and follow Dr. Rowland Illing on LinkedIn.Follow Amazon Web Series on LinkedIn.Discover the AWS for Healthcare WebsiteExplore the ViVE WebsiteLearn more about PropellerRead about ArmadaHealthVisit the AWS AI & ML Scholarship Program WebsiteLearn about UC Davis Health Cloud Innovation CenterDiscover and download SageMaker Studio Lab

In 2014, women made 80% of the healthcare decisions in the US. Yet innovation in the digital health space largely ignored their unique needs.That's when Kate Ryder launched Maven Clinic, a digital-first platform designed to support women and families with holistic care around fertility, pregnancy and parenting.Today, Maven is the largest virtual clinic for women’s and family health, serving 10M people to date. Recognized as Fast Company’s Most Innovative Health Company, Maven is on a mission to reduce costs and drive better health outcomes for women and children.On this episode of The Beat, Kate joins hosts Dr. Gautam Gulati, Dr. Jordan Shlain and Patricia Bradley to describe how Maven serves individuals, employers and payers, helping women find healthcare providers that fit their preferences. Kate explains why Maven expanded to include family health and what the platform offers in terms of paternal and postpartum support. Listen in to understand the challenge Kate faces in scaling her team and find out how she is working to personalize the Maven experience—without compromising data security.Topics CoveredWhat inspired Kate’s shift from journalism to digital healthHow Maven serves individuals, employers and payersHow Maven helps patients find best-in-class OBs and fertility clinics to fit their preferencesKate’s take on why there was so little innovation around women’s health prior to Maven and the challenge she faced finding investors early onWhy Kate’s team expanded Maven to include family healthWhat Maven offers in terms of paternal and postpartum support for new parentsThe challenge Kate faces in scaling the Maven team at the rate she wants to innovateKate’s insight on how the relationship with the patient is undervalued in the digital health ecosystemHow Kate thinks about personalizing the Maven experience without compromising data securityThe financial metrics and clinical outcomes Maven tracks Connect with Kate RyderMaven Clinic Connect with Dr. Gautam Gulati and Dr. Jordan ShlainHLTHDr. Gulati on TwitterDr. Gulati on LinkedInDr. Shlain on TwitterDr. Shlain on LinkedIn ResourcesJawbone HealthPillPackOmadaACOGAmerican Medical AssocationGlen Tullman at TranscarentBuild Back BetterThe Teladoc Livongo Merger Introductory Quote[3:05] “Women controlled 80% of the healthcare decisions in the US, meaning they control 80% of the largest industry—a multitrillion-dollar industry. And yet, the products and services for women, particularly around that point at which they start a family, just left so much to be desired.”

Health happens inside and outside the four walls of a hospital. Precision health uses data from a wide variety of non-clinical sources to arrive at the best treatment for a person or a community. But how do we use technology to improve the quality of life of a patient? By putting the patient front and center in the data.Dr. Jess Mega is a cardiologist and the Co-Founder and Chief Medical & Scientific Officer at Verily, a research organization devoted to the study of life sciences. In her role as a cardiologist and caring for patients on the frontline, she felt compelled to bring together technology, life science, and health care to keep up with the next generation of precision health.On this episode, Dr. Mega joins hosts Dr. Guatam Gulati and Dr. Jessica Shepherd to discuss Verily’s focus on translating technological innovations and scientific insights into partnerships and programs that improve patient outcomes.Topics CoveredWhy the information that we put into electronic health records is just one fraction of what health really meansWhat Dr. Mega sees as the most exciting part of how Verily is mapping human healthHow Verily is marrying the genotype and the phenotype to understand human health data on a much broader scopeHow patients benefit from Verily’s practice of using technology to bridge the gap between their health condition and quality of lifeThe 3 tools Verily is using to break through the barriers of precision healthHow having their personal health data creates a more positive patient outcomeThe creative partnerships Verily is forming to drive what the next level of health looks likeVerily’s 2-pillar approach to creating transparency and forming long-term bondsConnect with Dr. Jess MegaVerilyDr. Mega on LinkedInConnect with Dr. Jordan Shlain, Dr. Jessica Shepherd, & Dr. Gautam GulatiViVEDr. Shlain on TwitterDr. Shlain on LinkedInDr. Shepherd on TwitterDr. Shepherd on LinkedInDr. Gulati on TwitterDr. Gulati on LinkedIn

The same way that a company like Stripe provides payment processing infrastructure for eCommerce, Zus Health is building the infrastructure for digital health.CEO Jonathan Bush and his team are doing the dirty work to make electronic health records more accessible and accelerate innovation in the patient relationship management space.Prior to Zus, Jonathan spent 22 years as CEO of Athena Health, the leading provider of cloud-based services for electronic health records. He also served as a US Army Medic during Desert Storm and EMT for the City of New Orleans.On this episode of The Beat, Jonathan joins hosts Dr. Gautam Gulati and Dr. Jordan Shlain  to explain how building infrastructure will give the current wave of digital health companies staying power and encourage innovation in the space. Jonathan describes how his team is moving old medical records into ZODS (the Zus operational data store) and when the protocol will be open for building. Listen in for Jonathan’s insight on the explosion of venture capital in health tech and find out how you can be a part of the Zus Health team.Topics CoveredHow the goal of Zus Health differs from Jonathan’s previous venture with AthenaWhy the claims-based architecture of the healthcare system is resistant to the faster-better-cheaper model of innovationHow Zus is to healthcare what Plaid is to bankingHow venture capital in the health tech space has increased exponentially in the last 7 yearsJonathan’s hope that building the infrastructure will give the current wave of digital health companies more staying power (and encourage people to build more)The constraints Jonathan’s team faces in building Zus and when the protocol will be open for buildingWhy the term emergency medical records or EMR is no longer relevantGiving healthcare data the agency to find you vs. waiting for you to access itThe mapping Jonathan’s team at Zus is doing to move old medical records into ZODS (Zus operational data store)The many open positions on the Zus Health teamHow Jonathan defines health as the full exposure to personal joy Connect with Jonathan BushZus Health Connect with Dr. Gautam Gulati & Dr. Jordan ShlainHLTHDr. Gulati on TwitterDr. Gulati on LinkedInDr. Shlain on TwitterDr. Shlain on LinkedIn ResourcesAthena HealthNoomCommonWell Health AllianceCarequality21st Century Cures ActInnovaccer Introductory Quote[5:07] “Is this the equivalent in the FinTech world of what Plaid is to banks, Zus is to...” “You got it. Stipe or Twilio. You don’t want to go and build, you know, 600 connections to 600 hospitals and then do all the normalization. One guy go do that miserable work and then serve up 15 different APIs for manifesting it in whatever software you’re building.”

About Michael Clark:Michael Clark is committed to building organizations that simplify healthcare complexities and put the patient and provider first. As CEO of DeliverHealth, he guides a team of healthcare experts in clearing the way for essential, resilient connections among providers, clinicians, and patients.For more than 25 years, Michael’s “patient and provider first” mindset has helped healthcare organizations thrive. He has spent most of his career working with healthcare startups and PE-backed midsize and mid-cap public companies. He has focused on boosting physician satisfaction, reducing health systems costs, and improving security.Before leading the spin-out of the HIM and EHR service businesses from Nuance Healthcare and founding DeliverHealth, Michael served as General Manager, of Provider Solutions at Nuance. While there, he led the division’s aggressive growth of its flagship, Dragon Medical One, which is now used by hundreds of thousands of physicians, and an expansion in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, ultimately helping the company earn the 2020 #1 KLAS ranking for Dragon Medical One.Things You’ll Learn:EHR services are the second-biggest investment health systems make, after the people that provide care.Asynchronous omnichannel communications are prevalent in other industries and could greatly benefit healthcare processes.Digital solutions such as virtual intake forms and language interpretation services can broaden health equity and access.Purpose-built AI tools can be improved with human interaction to learn from and get more complete solutions for their users.Innovation happens not only in the development of technology but also in people and processes.Resources:Follow and connect with Michael on LinkedIn.Follow DeliverHealth on LinkedIn. Discover more about DeliverHealth on their Website.Connect with Michael at michael.clark@deliverhealth.com.

If we want to get healthier and reverse chronic conditions, we can only get so far doing it alone. So, what can we do and who can we work alongside, to reverse chronic disease not only in ourselves but in the entire U.S.?Jahangir Mohammed is the Founder and CEO of Twin Health. Twin is transforming the way the industry approaches chronic disease management by utilizing its Whole Body Digital Twin™ technology to heal damaged metabolic function and achieve unparalleled chronic disease reversal outcomes. Prior to Twin Health, Jahangir was the Founder/CEO of Jasper Technologies and prior to that, he was the Founder/CEO of Kineto Wireless.On this episode of The Beat, Jahangir Mohammed and Dr. Lisa Shah joins hosts Dr. Gautam Gulati and Dr. Jordan Shlain to discuss the future of understanding human metabolism in order to reverse chronic disease. They describe exactly what their whole person treatment program (the Digital Twin) looks like and the impact it has had on people. Listen in to hear how Twin Health plans to reverse chronic disease in 1 million people in the US in 5 years with their reversal technology.Topics CoveredJahangir background prior to Twin Health with Jasper Technologies and Kineto WirelessWhat inspired Jahangir to create Twin HealthHow Twin’s Reversal Technology worksThe mass amount of chronic diseases seen in over 1 billion peopleWhat 5 things Twin Health measures for each patientWhat the whole person treatment program (the Digital Twin) looks likeInsight on preventing chronic diseaseWhy people stick with Twin HealthHow Jahangir defines health as physical and mental longevityHow Lisa defines healthcare as quality, trust, accountability and safety Connect with Jahangir MohammedTwin Health Connect with Dr. Gautam Gulati & Dr. Jordan ShlainHLTHDr. Gulati on TwitterDr. Gulati on LinkedInDr. Shlain on LinkedInDr. Shlain on Twitter Introductory Quote[1:49–2:13]“The impact of what we do, we believe could literally revolutionize human health. As we look around, one of the largest categories of diseases and conditions that is conflicting humanity is chronic metabolic diseases…So many of them. Affecting more than 1 billion people around the world. It’s incredible.

General Catalyst differentiates itself by including established companies in their portfolio, tackling problems holistically and having an appetite for long-term, multi-year commitments. One of their guiding principles includes building deep relationships while, simply, listening. And it’s working; their approach is affecting major change in the healthcare technology sphere.Chitra Nawbatt is the Global Head of Health Assurance Partnerships at General Catalyst, a global venture capital firm. Chitra leads strategic partnerships in the expansion and execution of the firm's Health Assurance mission to make quality healthcare more affordable and accessible. Before her career as a growth strategist, Chitra was the New York-based anchor for Reuters International TV, where her live broadcasts were seen by millions across the world. She is a graduate of Harvard Business School and the University of Toronto.On this episode, Chitra joins Dr. Gautam Gulati and Dr. Jordan Shlain to discuss General Catalyst’s mission to invest in healthcare technology companies that aim to improve healthcare access and affordability worldwide. Chitra reflects on the meaning of Health Assurance, General Catalyst’s foundational focus on human-to-human connections, deep relationship building and collaboration rather than disruption. Listen in to learn how innovating with a 360-degree view of a problem addresses all stakeholder needs, while maintaining alignment of economic interests.Topics CoveredThe geographic locations in which General Catalyst investsWhat qualities General Catalyst seeks in choosing portfolio companiesHow Health Assurance, or a strong base-level of quality healthcare, encapsulates Chitra’s vision for innovation in healthcareHow collaboration rather than disruption is a key differentiator in General Catalyst’s approachHow the pandemic accelerated rapid, forward-thinking change in healthcare, specifically in telehealthWhy it’s important to expand the vendor-vendee relationship to multistakeholder deep relationship-buildingHow problem solving with a 360-degree view increases success and stakeholder – provider, patient and payor – adoption of changeThe ways Chitra uses listening, mutuality and human connection to solve problemsHow mutuality begets progress and success at work and in lifeConnect with Chitra NawbattChitra on TwitterChitra on LinkedInConnect with Dr. Gautam Gulati & Dr. Jordan ShlainHLTHDr. Gulati on TwitterDr. Gulati on LinkedInDr. Shlain on TwitterDr. Shlain on LinkedIn

At present, America has a sick care system where we wait until people are ill before we intervene.But what if wearable technology could serve as a kind of check engine light, letting us know when our health data is off?What if wearables could help us prevent disease and make better decisions for our health on a daily basis?Harpreet Singh Rai is the CEO of Oura, a health technology company on a mission to help people improve their sleep, understand their bodies and transform their health. Harpreet’s team makes the Oura Ring, the most accurate sleep and activity tracker on the market. Harpreet spent 10 years in the finance space, serving as an Analyst with Morgan Stanley and Portfolio Manager at Eminence Capital before joining Oura in 2017.On this episode of The Beat, Harpreet joins hosts Dr. Gautam Gulati, Dr. Jordan Shlain and Patricia Bradley to explain what differentiates the Oura Ring from other wearables and discuss its potential to become a clinically validated medical device. Harpreet shares his vision to expand the adoption of Oura through corporate partnerships, describing what his team does to keep user data private. Listen in for Harpreet’s insight on how wearables predict illness (including COVID-19) and learn how the Oura Ring can help you make better daily decisions to improve your health.Topics CoveredWhat inspired Harpreet’s passion for technology and health and how he got involved with the team at OuraWhat differentiates the Oura Ring from other wearablesThe potential for the Oura Ring to become a clinically validated medical deviceHow the Oura Ring predicts COVID-19 2 to 3 days before symptoms presentHarpreet’s insight on increasing adoption of Oura through partnerships with corporate organizations and healthcare payers and providersWhat Oura does to ensure GDPR and HIPAA compliance and keep user data privateThe benefit of Oura’s suggest-and-confirm methodology (and how Harpreet’s team plans to expand the feature)Why Oura focuses on deviation vs. absolute numbers to inform behavior changeOura’s long-term vision to support health as a daily practiceHow Oura helped the NBA maintain the ‘bubble’ during the pandemic Connect with Harpreet Singh RaiOura Connect with Dr. Gautam Gulati, Dr. Jordan Shlain & Patricia BradleyHLTHDr. Gulati on TwitterDr. Gulati on LinkedInDr. Shlain on TwitterDr. Shlain on LinkedIn ResourcesOura’s Research & Validation Blog'Feasible Assessment of Recovery and Cardiovascular Health: Accuracy of Nocturnal HR and HRV Assessed Via Ring PPG in Comparison to Medical-Grade ECG’ in Physiological Measurement‘The Promise of Sleep: A Multi-Sensor Approach for Accurate Sleep Stage Detection Using the Oura Ring’ in Sensors‘Feasibility of Continuous Fever Monitoring Using Wearable Devices’ in Nature‘Feasibility of Continuous Distal Body Temperature for Passive, Early Pregnancy Detection’ in medRxiv‘Nocturnal Finger Skin Temperature in Menstrual Cycle Tracking: Ambulatory Pilot Study Using a Wearable Oura Ring’ in BMC Women’s Health‘Ultradian Rhythms in Heartrate Variability and Distal Body Temperature Anticipate Onset of Luteinizing Hormone Surge’ in Scientific Reports‘WVU Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute Announces Capability to Predict COVID-19 Related Symptoms Up to Three Days in Advance’ in WVU Medicine News‘The US Military’s Latest Wearables Can Detect Illness Two Days Before You Get Sick’ in Defense OneFitbit Health SolutionsGDPR ComplianceHIPAA ComplianceHippocratic Oath 2.0‘The NBA Bubble Has Rolled Out Some Wild Technology to Help Keep Players, Coaches and Staff COVID-Free' in Business Insider Introductory Quote[34:12] “We call a lot of what we do in the app, we call it ‘look within.’ People are pulled to it. What changed? Why did my data change? What did I do yesterday? You actually ask yourself, and that’s where behavior change happens.”

About Melissa Sherry:Melissa Sherry is the VP of Social Care Integration at Unite Us and designs payment technology to increase funding for community programs. She holds an M.P.H and a Ph.D. from the Department of Health Policy and Management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.Things You’ll Learn:Unite Us is building coordinated care networks to make sure individuals’ basic needs are met and their social care journey is achieved.Housing is an important social determinant in patients’ care in terms of access and quality.Determinants like access to electricity, food, and medication all work in a snowball effect.Unlike healthcare language, the language around social care is currently being standardized by projects like the Gravity Project and Unite Us.Unite Us is using technology, along with structured data, in order to allow referrals to be easily sent through its platform.Social needs affect outcomes across all different sectors, including healthcare.Resources:Connect and follow Melissa Sherry on LinkedIn.Follow Unite Us on LinkedIn.Discover the Unite Us Website.Explore the Gravity Project Website.