The Beat

About Gabe Castaneda:Gabe Castaneda is the Chief Revenue Officer at FlyteHealth, bringing over 25 years of experience in sales, marketing, and customer success in both business-to-business and direct-to-consumer markets. He has held significant roles at Omada Health, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, and UnitedHealth Group. Gabe holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Minnesota, a law degree from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law, and an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management. His expertise lies in developing strategic sales and marketing organizations, reducing costs, improving health outcomes, and increasing member engagement.Things You’ll Learn:Innovative obesity management combines lifestyle strategies with clinical medication management using a patented algorithm for personalized care.Significant weight loss results, averaging 15.8% with non-GLP-1s, reduce costs and minimize side effects.Avoiding compound prescriptions is a critical focus in effective obesity management.Efforts center on building state-level partnerships with healthcare systems and expanding collaborations with payers, consultants, and employer groups.Resources:Connect with and follow Gabe Castaneda on LinkedIn.Follow FlyteHealth on LinkedIn and visit their website. 

About Preeti Kaur:Preeti Kaur is the Executive Vice President and Head of Engineering and Data at Honor Technology. With a background in engineering leadership roles at Adobe and Carta, Preeti combines technical expertise with a mission-driven focus on improving patient care through innovation.Things You’ll Learn:Honor Technology is reshaping in-home care for older adults by blending technology and human compassion.Insights into the challenges and solutions for providing specialized care, such as dementia support, in-home settings.The role of AI and machine learning in enhancing care matching and creating predictive health models.Advice for women and minorities in tech to confidently bring their perspectives to the table.Bold moves Honor is making in healthcare, including the concept of “care bots” for real-time patient monitoring.Resources:Connect with and follow Preeti Kaur on LinkedIn.Follow Honor Technology on LinkedIn and discover their website.

About Chris Benecchi:Chris Benecchi is the Chief Operating Officer at Sage Therapeutics, where he leads global commercial strategy, medical affairs, and business operations. With a passion for public health and personal experience with postpartum depression, Chris is dedicated to driving impactful change in maternal mental health.Things You’ll Learn:Reframing conversations around maternal mental health is essential for addressing this critical issue.Postpartum depression remains prevalent, highlighting the need for innovation in addressing maternal mental health needs.Collaboration and grassroots efforts can play a pivotal role in helping to drive change within the healthcare ecosystem.Resources:Connect with and follow Chris Benecchi on LinkedIn.Follow Sage Therapeutics on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, X, and visit their website. 

About Dr. Rick Newell:Dr. Rick Newell is a practicing physician and a visionary leader in healthcare innovation. As CEO of Inflect and Chief Transformation Officer of Vituity, he brings a unique perspective from the front lines of patient care to the boardroom. Dr. Newell focuses on creating inflection points in healthcare by fostering collaboration and investing in groundbreaking technologies that solve real-world problems.Things You’ll Learn:Inflect invests in early-stage healthcare startups, incubates ideas, and provides expert advisory services.Aligning healthcare innovations with clinician workflows and real-world needs is crucial for their success.AI has a significant impact in reducing administrative burdens, enhancing imaging diagnostics, and enabling precision medicine.There are critical barriers to innovation adoption in healthcare, and strategies exist to overcome them.Entrepreneurs can navigate the complexities of healthcare innovation by following practical advice and strategies.Resources:Connect with and follow Dr. Rick Newell on LinkedIn.Follow Vituity on LinkedIn and visit their website.Follow Inflect on LinkedIn and explore their website.Reach out to inflect at hello@inflect.health

About Malekeh Amini:Malekeh Amini is the CEO and founder of Trayt Health, with extensive experience in healthcare innovation. She is dedicated to enhancing mental and behavioral health through data-driven solutions and comprehensive social determinants. Her leadership in the industry is marked by her strategic vision and commitment to transformative healthcare practices.About Rebecca Messing Haigler:Rebecca ‘Becky’ Messing Haigler, MPH, MBA, is a seasoned healthcare executive, entrepreneur, and strategist. As CEO of Noe Strategic Advisors, she guides health tech portfolio companies, startups, and VC firms in developing health economics fundamentals and commercialization models. With experience as Health Economics Lead at Verily Life Sciences and roles in organizations like Blue Shield of CA and the Chartis Group, Rebecca has a proven track record in healthcare innovation. She holds degrees from UC Berkeley and the University of Michigan and enjoys family time in the Bay Area.Things You’ll Learn:Trayt Health uses comprehensive social determinants data to redefine high-quality symptom definitions in mental healthA systemic approach to behavioral health involves integrating physical and social health considerationsUpdated payment models are necessary to shift from crisis intervention to prevention and evidence-based care in mental health.Partnerships and collaborations are crucial for achieving ambitious goals in transforming mental healthcare.Resources:Connect with and follow Malekeh Amini on LinkedIn.Follow Trayt on LinkedIn and visit their website. Connect with and follow Rebecca Messing Haigler on LinkedIn.Follow The Kennedy Forum on LinkedIn and visit their website. 

About Jamie Coleman:Jamie Coleman is an inspirational leader who drives large, diverse teams to exceed expectations. With over 20 years of pharmaceutical experience, Jamie has a proven track record in marketing, consulting, and sales. Known for delivering outstanding results, Jamie has managed commercialization efforts for a variety of brands, overseeing over $5B in annual revenue. With extensive international experience, Jamie is adept at navigating complex partnerships and leading through change. Acknowledged for inclusive leadership, Jamie excels in strategic planning, fostering team engagement, and achieving high-performance outcomes.Things You’ll Learn:A new image gallery created by Lilly and the Obesity Action Coalition seeks to combat obesity-related stigma.Obesity is discussed as a complex, progressive chronic disease, often misunderstood as merely a lifestyle choice.Weight bias negatively affects access to care, discouraging people from seeking medical help.It is important to use people-first language and create awareness to reduce stigma and promote comprehensive care.Weight discrimination is a significant human rights issue, and global recognition and action are imperative.Resources:Connect with and follow Jamie Coleman on LinkedIn.Follow Eli Lilly and Company on LinkedIn and visit their website. Learn about the Stop Weight Bias campaign. Check out the OAC Bias-Free Image Gallery.

About Ari Brenner:Ari Brenner is a career-long devotee to improving healthcare delivery and payment models. With a deep track record of recruiting operationally excellent teams, he excels in building digital health products with clear value propositions. Ari has extensive experience navigating the complexities of selling into the US healthcare system, ensuring that his innovations align seamlessly with industry needs and drive meaningful improvements.Things You’ll Learn:In-House Health uses an automation platform to improve clinical scheduling and healthcare outcomesThe company aims to reduce nurse burnout by providing predictability and flexibility in nursing schedulesBy enhancing schedule accuracy and reducing the time managers spend on scheduling, In-House Health creates organizational efficienciesBetter scheduling leads to improved nurse work-life balance, which in turn enhances patient careThere is a vision to extend these efficiencies to overall workforce management, optimizing operations across facilitiesResources:Connect with and follow Ari Brenner on LinkedIn.Connect with and follow Sergey Vasilenko on LinkedIn.Follow In-House Health on LinkedIn and visit their website. 

In this conversation, Sandy Vance interviews Waleed Nasr, CEO of Medely, a healthcare staffing platform that utilizes data and AI to optimize workforce management in healthcare facilities. Waleed shares his background in technology and the semiconductor industry, leading to the creation of Medely to address staffing challenges in healthcare. The discussion covers the impact of AI on healthcare staffing, the benefits of using Medely for facilities, and what sets it apart from competitors. Waleed emphasizes the importance of integrating workforce solutions and the future applications of AI in healthcare.In this episode , they discuss:Medely connects healthcare facilities with professionals using data and AI.Waleed's background in technology led to the creation of Medely.AI can optimize staffing and improve patient outcomes.Healthcare facilities can schedule resources faster to see more patients with Medely's platform.Medely reduces staffing costs compared to traditional agencies.The platform helps reduce staff burnout and increase retention.Medely integrates total workforce management and scheduling into one solution.Flexibility in staffing solutions is crucial for healthcare organizations.Automating credentialing processes saves time and resources.Medely supports a wide range of healthcare facilities.A little about Waleed:Waleed Nasr is the CEO of Medely, a healthcare staffing platform that connects healthcare facilities to manage their entire extended workforce and connects them with experienced independent healthcare contractors. With a strong background in technology and business, Waleed has led Medely to become one of the leading platforms in the healthcare staffing industry, revolutionizing how healthcare facilities and professionals connect in an increasingly gig-oriented economy.Waleed earned a Bachelor of Applied Science (B.A.Sc.) in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the California State University, Northridge. Before joining Medely, he gained extensive experience in leadership roles as founder of two semiconductor companies, focusing on scaling operations and driving innovation. His expertise in building tech-driven solutions has been instrumental in Medely’s growth, enabling the company to streamline the staffing process and improve the quality of care in healthcare facilities.Under Waleed’s leadership, Medely has expanded its services nationwide, providing healthcare professionals greater flexibility and opportunities while ensuring that healthcare facilities can efficiently meet their staffing needs. Waleed is passionate about using technology to create meaningful impacts in the healthcare sector, continuously pushing for advancements that benefit healthcare professionals, facilities, and patients.

About Shaun Noorian:Shaun Noorian is the founder, CEO, and Chairman of Empower Pharmacy, a leader in the compounding pharmaceutical industry. Under Shaun’s leadership, Empower Pharmacy has become the largest compounding pharmacy in the U.S., dedicated to making high-quality, affordable, personalized medications accessible to everyone.Things You'll Learn:Personalized medications can harness the power of compounding to achieve better health outcomes at a lower cost.Telemedicine and compounding pharmacies enhance healthcare accessibility and transparency.The traditional retail pharmacy model is shifting toward centralized compounding facilities that distribute medications directly to patients.Empower Pharmacy’s investments in infrastructure, automation, and scaling are improving patient access to personalized therapies.ResourcesConnect with and follow Shaun Noorian on LinkedIn.Follow Empower Pharmacy on LinkedIn and explore their website.

About Andrea Daniels:She is the Director of Clinical Services at Strive Pharmacy, where she oversees patient care initiatives and collaborates with healthcare providers to optimize treatment plans.About Kaleo Alo:He is the VP of Business Development at Strive Pharmacy, working to build partnerships and expand Strive's impact in the personalized healthcare space.Things You’ll Learn:Compounding and personalized care are essential elements of modern healthcare.Telehealth improves access to personalized treatment and enhances patient satisfaction.Education empowers patients to understand and manage their compounded medications effectively.Strive Pharmacy is dedicated to advocating for functional medicine and promoting patient wellness.Strive Pharmacy envisions a future of transforming patient care through innovative approaches and continuous growth.Resources:Connect with and follow Andrea Daniels on LinkedIn.Connect with and follow Kaleo Alo on LinkedIn.Follow Strive Pharmacy on LinkedIn and visit their website.