The Beat

Sandy Vance and Peter Horadan, CEO of Vouched, discuss how Vouched uses AI and automation to verify identities in Telehealth. When you go to a doctor’s office, the receptionist checks your ID. As healthcare providers continue to conduct appointments virtually, how can they verify their patients’ identities digitally? Vouched uses artificial intelligence and automation to check the validity of patient IDs and verify that the person on the virtual appointment matches that identity. They discuss applications, success stories, and more. In this episode, they discuss:How Vouched helps doctors and hospitals deal with challenges and identification requirements unique to healthcareHow Vouched removes friction in the Telehealth spaceThe steps Vouched takes to ensure that documents are real and match the patientHow Vouched helps healthcare organizations stay compliant with HIPAA and other healthcare compliance requirementsThe role Vouched plays in cybersecurity, and how Vouched protects itself from attacksThe emergence of AI agents in 2025Real-world success stories from Vouched’s customersA little about Horadan:Peter Horadan is the CEO of Vouched, a provider of AI-powered identity verification in the healthcare space. He founded Lockstep, developed the first connected accounting platform, and led its successful acquisition by The Sage Group.Previously, Peter drove Avalara's growth towards its IPO and held technology leadership roles at Concur Technologies and Microsoft. His expertise in SaaS and his strategic vision fuels Vouched’s innovation in digital verification.Vouched is a rapidly growing company, and was recognized in Inc. 5000’s Fastest Growing-Companies List. It also made the Deloitte Fast 500 in 2024. As healthcare providers continue to use Telehealth to make appointments more convenient, Vouched fills an important role in identity verification, patient satisfaction, and compliance.

About Srinivas Velamoor:Srinivas (Sri) Velamoor is a senior executive with expertise in healthcare, technology, and financial services. He currently serves as President and COO of NextGen Healthcare, overseeing operations in the U.S. and India. Previously, he was Chief Growth and strategy Officer there. Sri has extensive experience driving growth for tech and SaaS companies, aligning strategy with execution. He has held leadership roles at McKinsey, PwC, and Diamond Management, where he helped scale digital health and healthcare technology initiatives.Things You’ll Learn:Healthcare providers must recognize that patients are also consumers with lives outside of healthcare.AI in healthcare is being applied to both administrative and clinical areas but the admin areas have a clearer path to immediate ROI.There's a trend towards digital front doors, which replace older patient portals, and bring the patient experience directly to their mobile devices. This shift is driven by the need for better accessibility and patient convenience.AI can enhance the revenue cycle process by predicting payment likelihood and reducing submission errors, ultimately increasing cash flow.Collaboration, and not competition, is vital in the health tech space to create better outcomes.Resources:Connect with and follow Srinivas Velamoor on LinkedIn.Follow NextGen Healthcare on LinkedIn and visit their website.

About David Stein:David Stein is the former global head of strategy and president of molecular diagnostics for Siemens Healthineers. His previous roles include CEO of Siemens' point of care business, head of strategy for the Diagnostics division, and global vice president of engineering within the Diagnostics division. Working alongside Eric Olson, he was instrumental in incubating Babson Diagnostics in the company’s earliest days. David is also the Board Chairman of PixCell Medical, Israel.Dr. Stein earned his Ph.D. in Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.Things You’ll Learn:Babson Diagnostics' BetterWay Blood Testing service allows for routine and specialty testing from a finger prick sample. It is available at convenient locations like pharmacies and community events, which is ideal for people who are afraid of needles or are busy.The service is designed to be affordable, addressing a major barrier for those without insurance or who are underinsured, allowing broader access to vital health information and empowering them with better clinical outcomes.The company actively seeks to partner with local businesses, community groups, and healthcare providers, offering diverse locations and extended hours to serve a wide range of people and impact diverse communities.Blood testing is very personal, and many have stories, good or bad, and a significant percentage don’t get their doctor-ordered blood testing done unless they have a trigger event.Partnering with clinicians is a fundamental human right.Resources:Connect with and follow David Stein on LinkedIn.Follow Babson Diagnostics on LinkedIn and visit their website.Learn more about BetterWay Blood Testing here!

About Dr. Theo Koury:Theo Koury, MD, is the President of Vituity. Across his 25-year leadership career, Dr. Koury has focused on empowering front-line clinicians to improve care by prioritizing patient outcomes and maximizing quality and efficiency. In addition to his executive duties, he is a practicing emergency physician in the San Francisco Bay Area. As President of Vituity since 2017, Dr. Koury oversees the company’s financial and infrastructure strategies to fulfill the enterprise’s mission of empowering healthcare providers to deliver exceptional care across more than 500 service locations nationwide. Dr. Koury holds a bachelor's degree in biology from the University of Southern California and a medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School and is an American College of Emergency Physicians Fellow. He completed his residency in emergency medicine at the Eastern Virginia Graduate School of Medicine, where he served as Chief Resident, was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, and received the John P. McDade Award for Research in Emergency Medical Care.Things You’ll Learn:Creating a culture of innovation starts with open communication and collaborative teamwork that encourages team members, followed by dedicated resources for frontline staff to develop their ideas.Solutions developed from the ground up, with frontline provider involvement, are more likely to succeed and provide better patient outcomes than top-down, less-informed approaches.AI-driven tools can go beyond basic automation to serve as a physician-partner, offering decision support, differential diagnoses, and a more thorough patient analysis than physicians alone can do.Integrating frontline providers in technology implementation leads to better results and avoids the negative impacts often seen when rolling out technology without their input.Healthcare organizations can build an in-house innovation lab and dedicate an innovation budget to bring forward the ideas their physicians and nurses have to offer and implement them quickly.Resources:Connect with and follow Dr. Theo Koury on LinkedIn.Follow Vituity on LinkedIn and visit their website.

About Erin Weber:Erin Richter Weber is a healthcare leader with 14 years at CAQH. She oversees CAQH CORE, advancing healthcare automation, and CAQH Insights, producing the annual Index report. Erin unites stakeholders to address industry challenges through data-driven innovation. Previously, she consulted for PwC and led research at the Advisory Board Company. She holds a Master’s from Harvard and a Bachelor’s from Cornell, making her a pivotal voice in healthcare standards and policy.About Don Rucker:Dr. Donald Rucker is the Chief Strategy Officer of 1upHealth and former National Coordinator for Health IT at HHS (2017–2021). He led the ONC’s 21st Century Cures Act Interoperability Rule, enabling secure patient access to health data via standardized FHIR APIs. A board-certified physician with clinical informatics expertise, he co-developed the first Windows-based electronic medical record. Dr. Rucker holds degrees from Harvard, the University of Pennsylvania, and Stanford, blending medicine, technology, and leadership.Things You’ll Learn:Provider data is the backbone of the healthcare system, powering everything from patient care to billing, and requires standardization to ensure accuracy.The healthcare industry needs to learn from the internet and establish a system similar to domain name services to reduce friction.Data quality is paramount for interoperability, requiring standardized definitions of data elements like location. To improve data, AI should be included. AI can be used to standardize the multiple sources of provider data by merging them and enhancing the quality of that data. The healthcare industry is behind other industries, and boldness comes from adopting solutions that have already been implemented elsewhere. Resources:Connect with and follow Erin Weber on LinkedIn.Follow CAQH on LinkedIn and visit their website.Connect with and follow Don Rucker on LinkedIn.Learn more about 1upHealth on their LinkedIn and website.Check out the latest annual CAQH Index Report here. 

About Shawn Nason:Shawn Nason is an Experience Evangelist and Experience Ecosystem™ designer, passionate about dismantling outdated systems and building human-first, aligned approaches. With a background as Chief Experience Officer at Healthways and Chief Innovation Officer at Xavier University, Shawn also spent six years as an Imagineer for The Walt Disney Company. He founded MOFI in 2016 and recently served as Interim CEO of OFFOR Health, revolutionizing healthcare access. Now the Chief Experience & Innovation Officer at PatientPoint, Shawn is dedicated to creating heart-centered designs that honor all voices. A top CX influencer, he’s also a speaker, author, and podcast host.Things You’ll Learn:Understanding individual patient needs and personalizing their experience can make a significant difference, from surprise moments to making the healthcare journey easier.Content can be a powerful tool for educating and influencing patient behavior, making healthcare experiences more accessible and impactful.Healthcare can benefit from creating unexpected, positive experiences that go beyond standard care and help patients feel valued and supported.Patient literacy and education, particularly around complex health issues, are essential for improving patient outcomes and empowering individuals to take control of their health.While digital solutions are essential, maintaining personal, human connections with care providers is crucial for patient satisfaction and overall health.Resources:Connect with and follow Shawn Nason on LinkedIn.Follow PatientPoint on LinkedIn and visit their website.

In this interview, Sandy Vance discusses AI imaging and multimodal data with Ryan Tarzy, CEO of Avandra Imaging. Ryan explains the problems that medical researchers face related to accessing imaging data, and how Avandra is dealing with these challenges. The conversation explores the benefits and challenges working with imaging data and the use cases for Avandra’s datasets. Tarzy argues that healthcare is not innovating at the pace of other industries, and that access to imaging data can drive new innovations.In this episode, they discuss:Avandra Imaging, which offers access to a rich library of data backed by expert support and robust security. Tarzy explains imaging data’s advantages in medical research.The barriers to accessing and distributing data are related to file sizes, a patchwork of organizations collecting the data, and categorization difficulties.Healthcare has not kept pace with other industries in terms of its innovation.Multimodal data are datasets with different verticals of data such as EMR, imaging, and claims. Avandra Imaging is focused on highly curated and difficult to find datasets by collecting data across sources.There are many use cases for imaging data, with one particularly exciting case being the early detection of diseases like pancreatic cancer.A little about Tarzy:Ryan Tarzy is the Founder and CEO of Avandra Imaging, a company focused on advancing health research and innovation by unlocking imaging and multi-modal data. With over 20 years of experience as an executive and founding roles at six startups, Ryan has a passion for problem-solving and data.As an investor, coach, and advisor, Ryan has made eight investments in early-stage companies led by first-time founders, focusing on Digital Health, AI/ML, and eSports. His entrepreneurial journey includes co-founding and leading three startups, contributing to a cumulative $1.4 billion exit.Under Tarzy's leadership, Avandra Imaging has become the world's largest federated network for medical imaging and clinical data, aiming to unlock and organize global medical images and create a data ecosystem for research and innovation. Tarzy is driving forward a future of impactful medical innovation by making access to critical healthcare data simple and dependable with Avandra. 

About Geoff Cook:Geoff Cook is a seasoned entrepreneur and the CEO of Noom, with a proven track record of driving innovation and growth. As the former CEO of The Meet Group, he led the NASDAQ-listed company to a $500 million acquisition in 2020, building a live-streaming and creator economy revenue stream exceeding $200 million annually. Geoff spearheaded industry consolidation by acquiring and integrating four companies into a cohesive, efficient culture. A Harvard Economics graduate, he has deep expertise in scaling platforms, leveraging technology to enhance user experiences, and creating enterprise solutions like Livebox, which powers top-grossing social apps globally.About Cody Fair:As Head of Employer Sales at Noom, Cody Fair leads a team focused on helping brokers, consultants, and enterprise employers transform lives through Noom’s blend of psychology, technology, and coaching. Passionate about continuous improvement, Cody emphasizes the importance of refining sales and leadership skills through ongoing learning and development. By fostering a growth mindset within the team, he ensures a focus on controllable factors to drive success. There’s nothing more fulfilling to Cody than inspiring others to embrace this mentality and achieve their personal and professional goals.Things You’ll Learn:New programs provide employers with cost-effective ways to offer GLP-1 medications, reducing financial barriers for both employers and employees.GLP-1 medications work best when paired with lifestyle adjustments, such as protein tracking and exercise, to prevent muscle loss and long-term health risks.Employers can now provide affordable weight management programs through supplemental benefits or employee-paid paths.AI-powered tools simplify food tracking, letting users log meals by taking a picture of their plates.By focusing on cost-effectiveness and impactful results, these initiatives aim to disrupt high-priced healthcare models.Resources:Connect with and follow Geoff Cook on LinkedIn.Connect with and follow Cody Fair on LinkedIn.Follow Noom on LinkedIn and visit their website.

About James Kirby:James Kirby is a dedicated and innovative leader in the healthcare industry, currently serving as the Chief Commercial Officer at Kroger Health. With a PharmD and a board certification in pharmacotherapy, James is committed to integrating health services into retail environments to enhance consumer health outcomes. At Kroger Health, he spearheads the Food as Medicine strategy, promoting a holistic approach that aligns food, pharmacy, and healthcare. His personal journey and professional expertise drive his passion for creating a comprehensive healthcare ecosystem that addresses the overall health needs of individuals. James is also an adjunct professor, and a Fellow of the American Pharmacists Association, and actively contributes to advancing healthcare through strategic partnerships and industry collaboration.Things You’ll Learn:Discover how Kroger Health is leveraging its extensive network of stores, including pharmacies and convenient care clinics, to integrate health services into retail environments.Learn about the importance of aligning food, pharmacy, and healthcare services to enhance consumer health outcomes through a holistic approach.Gain insights from Jim Kirby's personal story, which underscores the need to understand a patient's overall health needs, including dietary habits, for better health management.Find out how Kroger Health is implementing strategies like a food health score to guide customers toward healthier food choices and potentially reduce healthcare costs.Explore the potential for a national nutrition security measure, involving both health and retail sectors, to improve health outcomes on a national level.Resources:Connect with and follow Jim Kirby on LinkedIn and contact him at jim.kirby@kroger.com.Follow Kroger Health on LinkedIn and Instagram and visit their website. Visit the Nourishing Change Conference on their website.

About Amar Kendale:Amar Kendale is the co-founder and president of Homeward Health. With a strong background in technology and healthcare innovation, Amar is committed to transforming access to healthcare in rural America. His vision is to leverage technology to improve patient outcomes and health equity across underserved communities.Things You’ll Learn:Rural Americans face unique healthcare challenges that impact access, quality, and affordability of care.A value-based care model brings significant benefits to underserved areas, improving outcomes and making healthcare more accessible.Technology, including AI and telemedicine, plays a critical role in supporting healthcare delivery in rural settings.Local healthcare workers and pharmacists are essential to enhancing healthcare quality and accessibility in rural communities.Collaboration among payers, providers, and innovators is essential to creating a sustainable, impactful healthcare system in rural areas.Resources:Connect with and follow Amar Kendale on LinkedIn.Follow Homeward Health on LinkedIn and visit their website.