Podnosis

In this insightful conversation, Paige Minemyer, Senior Writer at Fierce Healthcare, discusses the newly unveiled 2025 Fierce 15, a prestigious list of innovative healthcare companies. She highlights the evolution of the Fierce 15 project, spotlighting how the pandemic accelerated telehealth's rise to mainstream acceptance. Paige reveals the collaboration with the New York Stock Exchange and dives into the key criteria for selection, emphasizing the need for tangible impacts in healthcare innovation as AI and new technologies reshape the industry.

In a sponsored episode of Podnosis, host Chris Hayden speaks with Dr. Steven O’Day, chief medical officer at Agenus, about the latest advancements in immunotherapy. With more than 30 years of experience in oncology, O’Day discusses how immunotherapy is changing cancer treatment and providing new hope where traditional methods, such as chemotherapy and radiation, often fall short. Unlike conventional treatments that directly attack cancer cells, immunotherapy strengthens the body’s immune system—particularly T-cells—to recognize and destroy cancer. While this approach has led to significant breakthroughs in treating melanoma, challenges remain in tackling “cold” tumors, such as colorectal cancer, which the immune system struggles to identify. Agenus is working to address this issue with its experimental therapies, botensilimab and balstilimab. The treatments aim to activate and sustain the immune response, showing promising results across multiple hard-to-treat cancers. What’s next for immunotherapy? O’Day believes the field is entering a second revolution, with the potential to expand life-saving treatments to a broader range of cancers. Listen to the full conversation on the latest episode of Podnosis.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Blake Walker, Co-founder and CEO of Inbox Health, dives into the complexities of patient billing, shedding light on the struggles patients face amidst confusing medical debt. He discusses innovative communication strategies that can simplify billing experiences and enhance patient satisfaction. Blake also highlights the impact of AI technology in streamlining billing processes and fostering trust between providers and patients. Together with senior writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya, they tackle crucial issues like transparency and the evolving landscape of medical debt reform.

Digital health venture capital funding cooled off in 2024 following the fever pitch of investment from 2020 to 2022. But investors still see bright opportunities for the sector. Digital health startups banked $10.1 billion in venture funding in 2024, down from $10.8 billion in 2023 but higher than 2019's funding total. Several key trends shaped digital health investment in 2024: a handful of large, more established players dominated healthcare innovation headlines and heavyweight investors drove sector dealmaking. Investors focused on earlier-stage funding and pulled back on later-stage check sizes, according to Rock Health’s year-end report. Executive editor Heather Landi sits down with Sari Kaganoff, chief commercial officer at Rock Health, to discuss the digital health sector's performance last year and the trends that will shape venture funding in 2025.  To learn more about the topics in this episode:  Digital health venture funding hit $10.1B in 2024 as investors focused on earlier-stage dealmaking Fierce Healthcare Fundraising Tracker—Zoom invests in Suki; Bicycle Health nabs $16.5M Digital health leaders bracing for capital investment boom in 2025. Here's how execs view the economic outlook 2024 a mixed bag for health tech venture capital: HSBC report General Catalyst teams up with AWS to co-develop, deploy AI-driven solutions See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Health tech experts and leaders descended on Nashville last week to discuss the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the digital health sector.  Senior Editor Heather Landi, Senior Writer Paige Minemyer and Staff Writer Emma Beavins were on-site for several days of panels, meetings and deep dives. This week, they sit down to take a look back at the trendiest topics from the show floor. (Hint: It’s AI, of course).  To learn more about the topics in this episode:  ViVE 2025 roundup: Lumeris unveils AI tech for primary care; DoseSpot's latest Rx transparency tool ViVE 2025: Where Humana's CenterWell team is exploring the promise of AI ViVE 2025: Cleveland Clinic rolls out Ambience's AI for doctors after testing scribe technologies ViVE 2025: Abridge scores $250M, adds new AI tool to streamline 'billable notes' ViVE 2025: Highmark taps Sword Health for pelvic health program ViVE 2025: MultiPlan unveils rebrand as it shifts focus to data assets, tech for providers, payers and employers ViVE 2025: UPMC Enterprises has AI on its radar as it launches new testing environment for developers See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Over the past decade, emergency room visits for mental health-related needs have soared. But the ER is often not the only option for treatment. Certified community behavioral health clinics, or CCBHCs, provide evidence-based care for mental illness and substance use disorder. There are hundreds of these centers around the U.S. today.  Fierce Healthcare’s Anastassia Gliadkovskaya speaks to Chuck Ingoglia, president and CEO of the National Council for Mental Wellbeing, about the CCBHC model, how it works and what it takes for states to participate.   To learn more about the topics in this episode:  Survey: Opportunities for tech investments in behavioral health Learnings from Indiana's behavioral health system overhaul Avel eCare to offer virtual behavioral health services to people in crisis in North Dakota AI in action: Enhancing suicide risk detection in behavioral health HLTH24: A look at outcomes in Highmark's new behavioral health program See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Women make up half the U.S. population and make most healthcare decisions. Yet only 2% of VC dollars go toward women’s health. A recent report, released at this year’s J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference, lays out the high-growth potential of the women’s health market and its promised return on investment. The report was published by nonprofit Women’s Health Access Matters (WHAM) and KPMG. Fierce Healthcare’s Anastassia Gliadkovskaya speaks to two leaders involved: Carolee Lee, founder of WHAM, and KPMG U.S. healthcare sector leader Ash Shehata. They walk through the details of the report’s findings and explain how the investment community is increasingly rallying around women’s health. Read the full report here. To learn more about the topics in this episode:  JPM25: First Lady Jill Biden committed to improving women's health as White House tenure winds down New collective of women's health companies aims to scale access to specialty care True change 'requires investment': Healthcare leaders react to new $250M Gates fund for women's health HHS announces $27.5M in funding to address women's behavioral health needs  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In a deep dive into healthcare reform, Andrew Schwab, a seasoned health policy expert and founder of Platform Government Strategies, shares insights on the shifting landscape under Trump. He discusses the potential for Medicaid cuts and the establishment of the Department of Government Efficiency. Schwab also explores bipartisan opportunities in areas like Medicare adjustments and chronic care, while examining the impact of recent executive orders on healthcare. The conversation provides a thorough understanding of legislative priorities amidst the political whirlwind.

Another year at the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference is in the books. Fierce Healthcare’s Executive Editor Heather Landi and Senior Writer Paige Minemyer made the trek to San Francisco and after the event, sat down to discuss the biggest themes coming out of the conference. While major payers skipped out on attending this year, health tech companies, health systems and insurtechs all made appearances to share their latest updates with investors. In this episode, we’ll also share more about Heather’s fireside chat with former First Lady Jill Biden at Fierce JPM Week, where they dived into her efforts around women’s health. If you missed the event, check out the sessions on demand here.  To learn more about the topics in this episode:  JPM25, Day 1: CHAI launches working group on use of AI for prior auth; IU Health's focus on team culture JPM25, Day 2: News from Nvidia, Tempus AI and Health Catalyst; A look at Children's Health Dallas' expansion plans JPM25 Day 3: Why 2025 will be a hot year for M&A; Talkspace rolls out new AI-powered tool for therapists JPM25: A look inside Advocate Health's Rewire 2030 strategy JPM25: CommonSpirit Health says focus on 'systemness' is driving financial, quality gains JPM25: Teladoc sees virtual chronic condition management as a key growth driver, joins Amazon's health benefits program JPM25: Checking in with Morgan Health JPM25: First Lady Jill Biden committed to improving women's health as White House tenure winds down 'Own JP Morgan, don't let JP Morgan own you': Biopharma—and Jill Biden—show up for JPM25 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The U.S. is in the throes of a mental health crisis. Deaths from drugs, alcohol and suicide more than doubled between 2000 and 2017 and continue to rise. As the largest payer of behavioral health services in the country, Medicaid is crucial to serving society’s most vulnerable. But the infrastructure and funding for these services varies by state.   Indiana, which had ranked low in national mental health rankings, established a behavioral health commission in 2020. The group was charged with improving the state’s infrastructure and outcomes in mental health. Jay Chaudhary, then the director of the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addiction, led that effort. In today’s episode, he takes senior writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya through the overhaul, lessons learned and potential future policy threats to care access.  Chaudhary is currently a senior fellow for mental health and community wellness at the Sagamore Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank. He also writes a Substack newsletter, Favorable Thriving Conditions.  To learn more about the topics in this episode:  One year of 988: The crisis hotline's successes and challenges Cityblock Health teams with MDwise to open health hubs in Indiana See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.