How do we go from creating buildings that are sick – to buildings that are healthy?  We as humans spend 90% of our time indoors, yet we think very little about the health of our indoor environment.  Dr. Joseph Allen, director of Harvard’s Healthy Buildings Program, wants to change that.  He joins us on the podcast today to share the latest science – which shows that prioritizing building health can not only reduce disease transmission, but improve worker performance, lead to better mental...

Allison Sesso is the President & CEO of RIP Medical Debt, a non-profit established for the sole purpose of reducing the medical debt burdens of low-income individuals across the country. To date, their innovative model has abolished over $7 billion in debt for nearly 4 million people. Healthcare costs are the #1 cause of bankruptcy for America’s families. In the past five years, more than half of U.S. adults report they’ve gone into debt because of medical or dental bills.  About 1 in 7...

Dr. Marc Harrison is the former President and CEO of Intermountain Healthcare, a Utah-based integrated health system that is the largest healthcare provider in the Intermountain West.  Marc left this role in August to start a revolutionary healthcare platform company with General Catalyst, which is still in its early stages.   Ranked No. 26 on Fortune Magazine's annual list of 50 of the “World's Greatest Leaders,” Marc is known for his transformational, founding leadership of the Cleveland...

Dr. Ranga Krishnan is the former CEO of the RUSH University System for Health, and currently serves as Senior Advisor to the CEO.  He is a national leader in medical education – known for his efforts to reconceptualize traditional medical classroom learning.  For four years, he served as dean of the RUSH Medical College, and for eight years led the Duke-N.U.S. Graduate Medical School Singapore, a joint venture between Duke University and the National University of Singapore.    You’ll want...

Annie Lamont is Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Oak HC/FT, where she focuses on growth equity and early-stage venture opportunities in Healthcare and FinTech. One of the most successful women in venture history, Annie has been featured on the Forbes Midas List, and was named one of the top 10 most influential people in healthcare in 2021 by Modern Healthcare.     Annie and I have known each other for a long time, and have had the opportunity to partner on several exciting companies. I...

For today’s show, you’re going to hear an engaging, and wide-ranging, conversation between myself and my friend Dr. James Hildreth. We cover health equity, big data, climate change and the healthcare sector, and takeaways from the recent White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health.    My co-panelist, Dr. James Hildreth, is the 12th President and CEO of Meharry Medical College, the nation's largest private, historically black academic health sciences center.  and in February...

On September 28, 2022, the White House hosted a landmark conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, the first of its kind in over 50 years. Previously in 1969, a similar White House conference dramatically shifted and shaped the direction of our nutrition guidelines and federal food support programs. There is hope that this convening in 2022 will lead to the development of a national strategy around our nation’s most pressing food challenges.   We are sharing with you today a sampling of...

Dr. Randy Wykoff is the Dean of the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health, and the founding director of the new Center for Rural Health Research. He is a physician trained in both pediatrics and preventive medicine. His research focuses on the inter-relationship of poverty and health, with a specific interest in how to improve the health status of people living in poor and/or rural areas.    Prior to his time at ETSU, Dr. Wykoff served as senior vice president for...

Dean Rosen is a partner at Mehlman Castagnetti Rosen & Thomas. He’s one of Washington's foremost experts on America’s complex health care system--and a master of both the politics and policies that shape it. He has more than two decades of experience developing and advancing health policy initiatives on Capitol Hill and in the private sector.     Dean previously served as my chief healthcare advisor when I was Senate Majority Leader. There, he helped draft and navigate to final passage...

Chad Pendleton is President of Amerigroup Tennessee, a leading managed care provider of health benefits for Tennessee residents who participate in the state’s Medicaid programs. Chad has more than 25 years of healthcare and executive leadership experience working with payers and providers across Medicaid, Medicare, Tricare, commercial and workers compensation insurance product lines. Prior to joining Amerigroup, he served as Vice President of Business Development at CareSource, and currently...

Michael Anderson is CEO of Iowa-based PurFoods, also known as Mom’s Meals.  PurFoods delivers refrigerated, ready-to-eat, medically-tailored meals to any U.S. address. Partnering with over 500 health plans, Medicare and Medicaid plans, and others, PurFoods has advanced health by making nutritious meals available to those in need.     Mike has been an integral part of the company since its inception in 1999.  You’ll hear the story of this family grown business – where the “mom” in Mom’s...

Mark Yancy is the CEO of NashvilleHealth, a community collaborative focused on improving the health and well-being of all Nashvillians. A lifelong Tennessean, Mark has led the organization for less than a year, but has already made tremendous progress in bringing together diverse stakeholders to creatively move the needle on population health outcomes.    Prior to joining the non-profit, Mark spent 15 years in healthcare focusing on the underserved, with leadership roles at Methodist Le...

We are joined today by Dr. Ashish Jha, the White House Covid-19 Response Coordinator, who gives us a timely update on all things Covid. We discuss the next generation of vaccines and the latest in treatments – including when you should get your booster and what is really behind the “Paxlovid rebound.” Dr. Jha previously joined us on the podcast on December 13, 2021 in his capacity as Dean of the Brown University School of Public Health.  He’s on temporary leave from that role to serve in the...

Today we’re bringing you a special, time sensitive episode sharing what you need to know about monkeypox. We’ll discuss the symptoms, the treatments and vaccinations, who’s at risk, and why it’s been declared a public health emergency.  We’re joined by Dr. William Schaffner, who has been a familiar and nationally recognized face and trusted voice on all matters COVID during the pandemic. As one of our nation’s preeminent infectious disease experts, Dr. Schaffner is a master communicator and...

Scott Tapp is President and CEO of Trella Health. An Atlanta-based company, Trella provides market intelligence and a CRM platform built for post-acute providers and suppliers organizations, to drive more effective performance and business growth. With market visibility, healthcare organizations can identify the highest-potential referral targets, evaluate opportunities for new markets or services, and monitor performance metrics. With Trella’s solutions, business development teams can better...

Dr. Lee Fleisher is the Chief Medical Officer & Director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. He is responsible for executing all national clinical, quality, and safety standards for healthcare facilities and providers, as well as establishing Medicare coverage determinations for services that improve health outcomes. An anesthesiologist by training, he is Professor Emeritus and Former Chair of Anesthesiology and Critical Care...

Cindy Baier is President and CEO of Brookdale Senior Living, the largest senior living operator in the nation. The $2.8 billion company operates nearly 700 senior living communities and has the ability to serve approximately 60,000 residents through its independent living, assisted living, memory care, and continuing care retirement communities.   As CEO, Cindy led the company through the largest public health crisis in 100 years by prioritizing the health and well-being of residents,...

Fay Rotenberg is the President and CEO of Firefly Health, a virtual-first primary care, behavioral health, and specialty care company that has launched a ‘care + coverage’ health plan offering to provide half-priced healthcare that is twice as good, clinically and emotionally. Fay brings extensive, dynamic experience as a Healthcare Founder, CEO, Venture Investor, and Developer.   You’ll want to listen to hear how Fay and Firefly are building what they’re calling a ‘virtual-first Kaiser...

Today I am joined by Bill Mixon, CEO of National Seating & Mobility, considered North America’s most experienced provider of complex rehabilitation seating, mobility and positioning systems.   Prior to joining NSM, Bill served as President for Universal Hospital Services, and in key leadership roles at Philips Medical Systems.   Bill is passionate about the clients he serves at NSM, and how their products can change lives for the disabled, and those living with chronic, neurological,...

Dr. Kim Williams is a nationally renowned cardiologist who has long advocated for disease prevention through nutrition. He is the incoming chair of the University of Louisville Department of Medicine, and most recently served as the chief of the Division of Cardiology at Rush University and associate dean for faculty diversity, equity and inclusion. He is also a past president of the American College of Cardiology and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology, and former chairman of the...

Today I am joined by Tim Manning, an emergency response expert who served as the National Covid-19 Supply Coordinator for the White House Covid Response Team through May of 2022.  Tim’s unique role was created by President Biden to respond to the pandemic, a position he took on after previously serving as FEMA’s deputy administrator for all eight years of the Obama White House.       You’ll want to hear Tim’s fascinating experiences solving for the challenges in our nation’s supply chain,...

Today I am joined by Stu Clark, CEO of Premise Health.  Stu has led Premise since its inception in 2014, and has held executive roles in the direct healthcare industry for more than 20 years, including serving as the CEO of CHS Health Services, Inc.   Stu is a longtime friend, and in our conversation today we discuss how direct healthcare has evolved and is making a difference for both employers and their employees. Stu also shares his dealmaking and acquisition experience, and why you...

Today I am joined by Dr. Anand Shah, a practicing physician and policy maker who has worn multiple hats at the highest levels of our federal health agencies.  Most recently, Dr. Shah served as Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs for the Food and Drug Administration, where he developed and led high-priority FDA policy initiatives. He also served at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, both as senior medical advisor as well as the Chief Medical Officer for CMMI...

Today I am joined by Dr. Keith Smith, the co-founder of the Surgery Center of Oklahoma, which provides transparent, affordable healthcare services to patients from all over the country.   Keith is a pioneer of price transparency and affordable healthcare. At his surgery center, patients pay up-front for services at a fraction of their cost at major hospitals. In 2009, Keith launched a website displaying all-inclusive, bundled pricing and co-founded the Free Market Medical Association.   ...