HITea With Grace

*** Great news! HITea listeners who are interested in pursuing DiME accreditation can use the discount promo code: HITea25. Today, I’m thrilled to welcome Olympian Jennifer Goldsack, CEO of DiME (the Digital Medicine Society), who’s pioneering efforts to set new standards and build trust in the digital health space.  With over 400,000 health apps on the market, health systems, clinicians, and patients face a daunting challenge in selecting trustworthy digital health solutions. The new DiME Seal platform helps simplify this choice by evaluating products based on security, usability, and clinical value. Jen discusses the challenges health systems and healthcare consumers face in vetting digital tools, often relying on lengthy processes that strain resources and lead to serious gaps in care. She explains how DiME’s platform streamlines these evaluations, helping both providers and patients make confident, informed decisions. The DiME Seal, created with input from industry leaders and health experts, addresses essential standards, from privacy and security to equity and accessibility, building a robust foundation of trust in the products that achieve it. Throughout our conversation, Jen emphasizes the importance of rigorous standards in a field that’s evolving quickly and shares how DiME’s approach ensures safe, reliable, and effective digital health solutions. Join us as we uncover how DiME’s new evaluation framework is paving the way for swifter digital health adoption and innovation.

Today, I’m thrilled to welcome Abby Reynolds, Chief Experience Officer at Pleio (that’s Play-oh!), to dive deep into what it takes to create emotional bonds that inspire patients toward better health. Abby, thanks for joining us today! We'll explore Abby’s path to Pleio, insights into how pharma can best address emotional burdens impacting adherence, and the power of personalizing patient experiences. From peer-to-patient programs to resources like rebates and educational support, Abby will share what really makes a difference in helping patients stick with their treatments. Plus, we'll look ahead at how pharma can elevate direct-to-consumer engagement in 2025, and how the rise of GLP-1s might shape the human-first approach to patient care. So, grab your tea and get ready for some real talk on patient experience, empathy, and why pharma should care.

Today, I’m honored to welcome Dr. Acacia Parks, CEO of Liquid Amber Consulting and advisor to Lindus Health, as well as several pharma-focused digital health companies. Acacia’s wealth of experience in digital health and her work with the Digital Therapeutics Alliance (DTA) make her an invaluable resource for navigating the intersection of technology, regulation, and pharma innovation. In this episode, we explore the transformative work of the DTA, the challenges and strategies for digital health companies seeking FDA approval, and the importance of industry standards like the new ISO for digital therapeutics. Acacia also offers guidance for companies navigating regulatory complexities and shares insights from her work as a liaison with the FDA. As always, we’ll dive into Acacia’s personal journey, including the habits that keep her at her best, and advice for women leading in healthcare IT. So grab your tea and join us as we unpack the future of digital health and therapeutic innovation with Dr. Acacia Parks! Dr. Acacia Parks is a digital health executive whose experience revolves around scientific, product, and regulatory strategy for digital therapeutics/software as medical device (SAMD). As chief science officer of Twill (fka Happify) for 10 years, she built evidence generation strategies for direct-to-consumer, enterprise, health care, pharma, and FDA audiences. She then spent a year as chief behavioral health officer at Found, a telemedicine weight loss company, building their behavior change program, both digital product and coaching offerings. Now, she runs Liquid Amber, a consulting firm that delivers strategic advising to DTx companies and investors with a focus on products with high scientific and regulatory complexity, including novel mechanisms of action and delivery methods and combination drug/DTx products, across a variety of therapeutic areas (including cancer, obesity, treatment-resistant depression, Alzheimer's, social anxiety, ADHD, and chronic disease). She serves as an advisor to Lindus Health.

Joining me in person at HLTH in Las Vegas is Stephanie Lahr, MD, CHCIO, President of Artisight. Together, we explore groundbreaking innovations in healthcare like ambient listening and computer vision—technologies that are transforming clinical workflows, reducing provider burnout, and elevating patient care. Dr. Lahr offers her unique perspective on how AI-driven tools can tackle some of healthcare’s most critical challenges, enhancing experiences for both patients and clinicians. We also dive into essential topics like patient privacy, ethical considerations, and equity as these technologies advance. You won't want to miss this compelling conversation!

This week's episode is fresh from the high-energy HLTH Conference in sunny Las Vegas.  Today’s guest is Vijayashree Natarajan from Omega Healthcare. Vijayashree discusses the next big leap in AI—“agentic AI” or “AI for AI.” She dives into how this revolutionary approach empowers AI systems to act independently and adapt, leading to breakthroughs across the healthcare ecosystem. From transforming revenue cycle management to making care more accessible and personal, Vijayashree's ideas on agentic AI promise a new perspective on AI's possibilities.  So, grab your favorite tea and join us as we explore the future of healthcare with a tech trailblazer paving the way.

Welcome to the HITea With Grace podcast, where we spill the tea on all things health IT. In this episode, I’m honored to have Shara Cohen, CEO of Carallel, as our guest. We’ll explore a powerful concept: starting to consider caregiving as a diagnosis in itself. Traditionally, caregiving was viewed as a private duty, often handled quietly by women without a care for how it impacts them. Now, the dialogue and experience around caregiving is evolving, and we’re diving deep into those changes today. Shara will share her unique journey to leading Carallel and how caregiving has become more widely recognized as a critical health issue. We’ll also discuss how caregivers—especially those in the "sandwich generation" caring for both their children and aging parents—are managing the significant emotional and physical toll of this responsibility. How can digital technology offer solutions to help these individuals thrive? And what specific challenges do certain populations, like military families or minority communities, face?

HITea With Grace is back from summer break, and we're kicking off the season with an exciting episode you won't want to miss! We’re thrilled to sit down with two powerhouse leaders in healthcare technology: Sarah Richardson and Rebecca Woods. Whether you’ve worked with them or simply heard their names, these dynamic former CIOs are now connectors in the industry, and their paths to leadership are as inspiring as they are unique. In this episode, we explore the latest innovations shaping the health IT landscape, the emerging tech models driving transformation, and the persistent challenges that still stand in the way of true digital evolution. We also dive into their work with This Week Health, Bluebird Leaders, and the upcoming SOAR Conference, happening September 18-20. To close things out, Rebecca and Sarah share invaluable insights for women in health IT, offering advice on navigating challenges and rising to leadership. So, grab your favorite mug, settle in, and join us for a conversation filled with wisdom and inspiration!

Welcome to HITea Tuesday!  In this episode, we're honored to welcome the inspiring Rhonda Collins, DN, RN, FAAN. As a prominent figure in healthcare, Rhonda currently serves as Chief Nursing Officer at Kontakt.io and is a leading voice in tackling the serious problem and challenges in workplace violence (WPV) in healthcare settings. Join us as Rhonda shares her journey and insights into why WPV is a critical issue for nursing professionals today. We discuss practical strategies for nurse leaders to foster a safe and supportive work environment, effective patient assessment for aggression prevention, and the integration of security personnel to mitigate WPV. Rhonda also highlights the essential components of WPV policies, the role of wearable duress technology, and the financial benefits of investing in WPV prevention. We explore the impact of WPV on nurse well-being and patient care, and the importance of federal legislation to protect healthcare workers. Tune in for an enlightening conversation that underscores the need for every woman to be the "CEO of You"—managing your career and personal life like a thriving business to grow and promote strength. Don't miss this episode packed with valuable insights and actionable advice!

In this episode of HITea, we're honored to have Mary Russell, MJ, BS, RN, a retired Navy Nurse Corps officer and the Senior Director for Clinical Implementation at CliniComp, join us for an insightful conversation.  Mary shares her incredible journey from starting as a registered nurse to becoming a leader in healthcare IT. She delves into her motivations for transitioning into this field and how her extensive experience in both inpatient and outpatient military environments has shaped her approach to healthcare and clinical implementation. We explore pressing topics such as veterans' mental health, current statistics, and concerns, and how technology is being leveraged to address these issues. Mary provides concrete examples of how technology is enhancing mental health services for veterans and other patient populations.  Mary also dove into the topic of disaster recovery and the critical role of EHR systems in maintaining healthcare operations during events like the recent devastating tornadoes in the Midwest. She shares real-life experiences from her career, illustrating the crucial role of disaster preparedness and EHR systems in ensuring patient care continuity. And of course, no HITea With Grace episode would be complete without our signature tea moment! Listen in to learn from and laugh with Mary!

In this latest episode of HITea, we shine a spotlight on price transparency for clinical lab tests. Pamela Stahl and Dr. Julie Shulz of Avalon Healthcare Solutions join us on the podcast to uncover hidden truths behind the varying costs of lab tests across different facilities.  Pamela, a seasoned industry insider, navigates us through the labyrinth of billing practices, shedding light on the complex factors driving these price differentials. From healthcare system consolidation to the intricate dance of provider negotiations, we peel back the layers to reveal the stark realities shaping the healthcare landscape. Armed with her medical, public health, and clinical lab expertise, Dr. Julie offers a compelling narrative of real-life scenarios where upfront knowledge of lab costs has proven to be a game-changer for patients and what barriers still need to come down to make this an industry norm.  Reflecting on the controversial conversation, one thing becomes abundantly clear: the need for transparency in lab pricing is not just a matter of financial prudence but a fundamental pillar of population health and patient empowerment. So, join us as we advocate for a future where transparency reigns supreme in the noble pursuit of affordable, accessible healthcare for all.

Welcome to the HITeaWithGrace podcast, where we spill the tea on HIT. In light of the recent news of Optum and Walmart shutting down their virtual care offerings, today, we're honored to host Dr. Carrie Nelson, Chief Medical Officer of KeyCare, as she shares her experience working as a primary care physician and in population health and shares her perspectives on the evolution of telehealth and its business model.  Dr. Nelson examines the broader impact of telehealth on healthcare disparities and population health and advocates for innovative solutions to bridge gaps in access to care, particularly for underserved populations. She envisions a future where data-driven insights and analytics play a pivotal role in optimizing telehealth services to meet rigorous standards of care and advance value-based objectives. She also delves into strategies for upholding quality care in virtual settings and examines the implications of recent accreditation programs, all while emphasizing the pivotal role of data analytics in shaping telehealth's future impact. Be sure to tune into this if you are concerned about or interested in the state of and future of virtual care!

Welcome to HITea With Grace, where we dive deep into the heart of pressing healthcare issues. In today's episode, I'm beyond honored to be joined by friend and inspiration Erica Olenski, a stellar healthcare communications professional and the Founding Executive Director of August's Artists. We embark on a heartfelt journey as Erica shares her deeply personal and challenging experience as a caregiver for her son, August, navigating pediatric cancer and the complexities of the healthcare system.  Erica had firsthand experience with the Texas Medicaid "unwinding" process, unveiling the profound challenges faced by families like hers - losing necessary coverage without anyone to turn to. Through her narrative, we glean insight into the bureaucratic hurdles and systemic issues that jeopardize the continuity of care for children like August, whose medical needs demand unwavering support. As the dialogue broadens, Erica articulates the critical role of Medicaid coverage for families grappling with pediatric cancer and other serious conditions. She underscores the disruptive impact of coverage interruptions and advocates for improvements in the Medicaid enrollment and renewal process to safeguard against future crises.  Erica's advocacy work and organizational initiatives, such as August's Artists, memorializing and cherishing the patient artwork inside the hospital room, serve as beacons of hope, offering solace and support to families in their healthcare journey. Please consider supporting the work this critical organization is doing: https://www.augustsartists.org/

Welcome to HITea Tuesday, where we spill the tea on HIT. This week we have Stacey Johnston, MD, VP Vice President Chief Applications Officer at Baptist Health with us to share about her transitioning their disparate EHRs to EPIC and deciding to also automate medication reconciliation in the process.  With the patient and caregiver experience as their north star, she talks about saving her team 70,000 clicks in a year’s time by choosing to do both at the same time, improving patient care and reducing administrative burden across the board for both providers and healthcare consumers. Stacey is an ambitious ray of sunshine from the sunshine state and an inspiration to us all as one of the first women CMIOs. She speaks about what strategies keep her team and her at the top of their game as leaders in digital transformation. Be sure to tune in!

Welcome to HITeaWithGrace, today we have Smriti Kirubanandan on the pod to spill all the tea on healthcare equity and technology. Smriti kicks things off by sharing her captivating career journey, filled with twists, turns, and invaluable experiences. From navigating the complexities of healthcare to championing technology's role in bridging gaps, she's a true trailblazer in the field. As we dive deeper, Smriti unpacks the intricacies of equity in healthcare, revealing the crucial metrics and interconnected frameworks driving disparities. But fear not, she's armed with expert recommendations for tackling these challenges head-on, from promoting tech access to reshaping education paradigms. With her insights, we're not just sipping on knowledge – we're brewing up a revolution in healthcare equity. So grab your favorite mug and listen in!

Today on HITea, Grace had the absolute pleasure of learning from Lilly Stairs, the brilliant mind behind Chronic Boss Collective & Patient Authentic. Lilly started by talking about the journey that led her to found Chronic Boss Collective, a space where professionals with chronic conditions come together to network and reshape the narrative surrounding their experiences. With heartfelt experiences and a keen eye for much-needed societal challenge, Lilly talks about how a simple shift in perspective can have a monumental impact, inspiring people to turn their pain into purpose.  Wrapping up our conversation, Lilly shared invaluable insights on navigating challenges as a leader with a chronic condition, maximizing productivity, and empowering the people around you to dream big and execute bigger. Her words, filled with grace and wisdom, left us feeling inspired and ready to make a difference. Don't miss out on this episode, where Lilly shares her unique perspectives on resilience, leadership, and building supportive community centered around unexpected, deeply-personal, commonalities.

Welcome to HITea with Grace! Get ready for a lively chat with Kim Perry, a trailblazer in AI and healthcare. We look past the AI buzzword to talk about how large language models are reshaping medicine and the hurdles leaders face in this dynamic space. Plus, we'll dish out tips on mentorship, sponsorship, and building a supportive community. As we peer into the horizon of medical AI, our guest paints a compelling picture of emerging trends that demand attention from Health Information Technology (HIT) professionals. From personalized medicine to predictive analytics, she anticipates a future brimming with opportunities for innovation and transformation. Join us for an enlightening conversation as we explore the intersection of AI and healthcare leadership, guided by the wisdom and vision of our esteemed guest.

Get ready to steep in knowledge as we recognize Lymphedema Awareness Month on this episode of HITea! Dr. Parmjot Bains, our guest and CEO of ImpediMed, talks about managing breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL) with early intervention and groundbreaking technology.   Dr. Bains doesn't just spill the tea; she brews it to perfection! We dive into the impact of legislation like the Lymphedema Treatment Act on BCRL management and explore the role of compression garments in the big picture. Plus, we'll chat about how chronic lymphedema can be caught before symptoms occur, so clinicians can intervene before the condition becomes chronic, as well as the daily challenges faced by individuals dealing with chronic BCRL.   Grab your favorite mug and join us to uncover how awareness, education, and cutting-edge innovations are stirring up a better quality of life for those affected by BCRL.

On this glorious HITea Tuesday, we sit down with Susannah Fox, author of "Rebel Health," to explore the transformative world of patient-led research and innovation. Susannah explores the inspiration behind her book and delves into the concept of the "health rebel alliance." She shares how healthcare consumers can become part of this alliance and discusses the four archetypes driving the patient-led revolution: seekers, networkers, solvers, and champions. Join us as we envision the future of healthcare shaped by patient empowerment and collaboration, and discover practical advice for advocating for oneself in navigating illness outside traditional healthcare systems. Gain valuable insights on how businesses, governments, and organizations can better support and leverage the power of patient-led initiatives to drive positive change in healthcare outcomes on a larger scale.

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation in this HITea episode of "Fund Like a Girl" with Cat Middleton, a seasoned investor committed to shaping the future of digital health. Cat talks with us about her investment thesis, emphasizing the empowerment of individuals to become active stewards of their health.  Beyond the realm of traditional investment talk, Cat explores the crucial role investors play in reshaping diversity at the leadership level. This episode goes on to unravel how intentional investments can work to improve health equity and access to healthcare, help dismantle biases in healthcare, and foster an environment of inclusivity while driving transformative change.

On this episode of HITea, we dive into an insightful conversation with Christine Von Raesfeld, Founder and CEO of People with Empathy. Christine, a rare disease warrior, shares her deeply personal journey about how she's championing her own care and research. Discover the transformative power of pharmacogenomics testing in Christine's own diagnosis and treatment journey and learn how she's spearheading groundbreaking collaborations with institutions like Stanford University's “Research To the People” initiative and trailblazing industry organizations like The Light Collective.  Join us as Christine sheds light on the vital role of patients as the CEOs of their own care, offering invaluable advice for navigating complex healthcare systems and connecting with the broader healthcare and pharma community in the process.

HITea With Grace's "Fund Like a Girl" is honored to host Alyssa Jaffe, Partner at 7wire Ventures on the pod. Alyssa takes us on her journey leading to her investor role at 7wire Ventures, sharing insights on why she focuses on building businesses empowering healthcare consumers to take control of their health. Discover success stories of individuals positively impacted by digital health solutions supported by Alyssa's investments and explore the value of B2B2C models in the digital health space. Alyssa sheds light on navigating relationships between invested companies, businesses, and end-users in the healthcare sector, addressing challenges and opportunities. She explores collaboration between digital health startups and health plans, and generously shares strategies and best practices for effective partnerships.

Welcome to HITea Pod's "Fund Like a Girl" series! In this episode, we are pleased to host La Keisha Landrum Pierre and Naseem Sayani, partners at Emmeline Ventures. La Keisha and Naseem share their insights as investors in women's health technology, addressing specific research gaps and the identification of areas in need of innovation. Explore their perspectives on gender diversity in clinical trials and the investment community's role in fostering inclusivity. As the conversation concludes, La Keisha and Naseem share their approaches to working at their best, overcoming challenges, and offer empowering advice for women in healthcare/health IT. If you want women investors on your cap table, it's worth the time and effort. Once women choose to invest, they will dive in wholeheartedly to help you build and succeed.

Welcome to HITea With Grace’s “Fund Like a Girl” series where we're thrilled to feature Cheryl Cheng, founder of Vive Collective, a dynamic VC in health IT. Join us as Cheryl shares her career journey that led to Vive Collective and delves into the Vive Collective survey conducted via LinkedIn, revealing the top 4 "Digital Health Mafia Companies" and sharing surprising findings. Listen in as Cheryl emphasizes the importance of founders being former high-growth startup operators and the key traits she looks for in companies and founders she invests in. In this episode, Cheryl also sheds light on the evolving landscape of digital health funding, discussing inclusivity and the challenges that still need to be addressed.

In this episode of HITea With Grace’s “Fund Like a Girl”, we have a very special guest - Halle Tecco - a pioneering VC in the health IT space.  In this episode, Halle shares her career journey, insights into the evolving healthcare landscape, and invaluable advice for women venturing into healthcare entrepreneurship and venturing into venture. She discusses key challenges and effective strategies, highlights success stories of women-led startups, and navigates the complexities of healthcare regulations. Halle emphasizes the importance of building diverse teams, leveraging technology, and seeking mentorship for women founders in healthcare.  Join us for a deep dive into Halle Tecco's perspective on driving innovation and making a difference in healthcare IT through funding technologies that seamlessly improve care and outcomes and so generously sharing her learnings with us along the way.

In this episode, Grace Vinton asks Joy Rios, HIT Like a Girl's podcast host and now founder of Like a Girl Media, to sit in the HITea hot seat. Joy opens up about how she got started in health IT back in 2010 and what motivated her to shine the spotlight on women who work in the industry in 2018. Spoiler alert: she turned a complaint about women not getting enough industry credit into an opportunity to create a supportive community. Grace and Joy share some HITLAG highlights and tease some exciting things to come.

Join us today on HITea Pod as we sit down with Seli Fakorzi, Director of Mental Health Operations at TimelyCare (formerly TimelyMD), a virtual health and well-being solution for higher education. Seli shares her journey as a practicing clinician and how she became passionate about making behavioral healthcare more accessible through virtual care. Seli dives into the mental health crisis facing young people and the work that TimelyCare is doing to provide early intervention and remove the stigma around mental health issues. We also explore the future of tech in designing care delivery for the upcoming generations. Seli offers insights into how technology can play a role in helping this generation receive care in a way they prefer and the importance of user-friendly technology. Don't miss out on this informative and thought-provoking episode!

In this episode, we sit down with Elena Iakovleva, a leading digital health industry analyst who has extensive experience in healthcare innovation. We discuss her path to Chilmark, the latest trends in healthcare innovation, and which ones may fade away over time. We also dive into the healthcare policies that are most likely to impact digital health, as well as the recent Chilmark Hospital at Home MTR report and the opportunities it presents in this space. Our guest also sheds light on the greatest challenges facing Hospital at Home regulations and implementations.

Let’s talk about death. Today we have Tatiana Fofanova, PhD, on the show to talk about healthcare technology disruption happening in the advanced care planning industry. Tatiana is deeply passionate about health equity and brings that passion into her company and business to improve patient end of life care and decision making for both the patient and caregiver. Thanks for joining us Tatiana and for tackling this critical issue! Tatiana also gives invaluable advice about women founders raising money in this tough economic environment. Listen in to find out more!

In this episode, Dr. Sherry McAllister details the findings of four new research studies led by David Elton, DC, who is VP of Musculoskeletal R&D at Optum Labs (a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group). The research team utilized its massive claims database primarily to investigate the links between the type of healthcare provider initially contacted, service utilization and total episode cost for management of lower back pain and neck pain. Grace and Dr. McAllister discuss the implications of these studies for employers, health insurers and healthcare policy leaders.

Angela Radcliffe is a clinical research expert and data ethics evangelist with over two decades of experience driving transformation and organizational agility at the intersection of health, tech, and data. Angela’s work has impacted more than 100 global clinical research efforts across almost every therapeutic area. As an author and speaker, Angela uses her personal journey to demonstrate how inclusive research can impact the root causes of our most challenging social issues. She is committed to the pursuit of more authentic patient engagement, giving data ownership back to humans, the promotion of health and data literacy for all, and normalizing clinical research as a care option.

On this episode of HITea With Grace, we are pleased to have Rebecca Gwilt and Carrie Nixon join us to speak on the intersection of healthcare technology policy and law. Rebecca and Carrie are very interested in industry innovations happening in the metaverse and how it will change the paradigm of how we see and receive healthcare. That said, there will be many legal, logistical, and policy considerations to see this innovation to fruition. These women are up for the task! Additionally, Rebecca and Carrie share with us a new trend of how global healthcare innovation companies are working to establish themselves in the US and the challenges associated with understanding US corporate law. Listen in!

Welcome to this special podcast cross collaboration with HITea With Grace, Parents as Rare, One Upon a Gene Podcast, Simply Unbreakable podcasts on Rare Disease Day - February 28th!  Grace Vinton moderated a panel with Effie Parks, Adam Johnson, and Kristy Dickinson on the topic of “Parents, Patients, & Podcasts - Incorporating the Rare Disease Community in HITMC“ at the annual HITMC (healthcare marketing and communications) conference this year. The conversation was so powerful, we all knew we had to follow it up with a proper podcast collaboration, to amplify the message.  While each gene is unique, Effie, Adam, and Kristy all share the experience of what it looks to have your life turned upside down because you are missing one single protein in your cells. Science exists to diagnose and treat these rare diseases earlier and faster than ever, but it takes education, passion, focus, funding, innovation, community and more to make a meaningful impact. One rare disease at a time.  The question we posed the audience at HITMC and pose the listeners to this podcast is, “How can you impact rare disease in your area of influence today?” We give some ideas, but would love to hear yours too!

Join us in welcoming Charlene Son Rigby, CEO of RARE-X to the pod! Charlene is a seasoned informaticist, accomplished business woman, and passionate mother to two, including one with a rare disease. In the fight to find her daughter’s diagnosis, she brought her tech savvy to the table and soon after the diagnosis was chosen to head up the company RARE-X which provides a collaborative platform for global data sharing and analysis to accelerate treatments for rare disease.  Spearheaded by Charlene, the company believes that rare patient communities, equipped to securely gather and share their data with researchers and companies around the globe, will transform rare disease research - significantly expand diversity, equity, and inclusion in research and dramatically accelerate progress across rare diseases. RARE-X recently merged with Global Genes, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating the burdens and challenges of rare diseases for patients and families globally through connecting, empowering, and inspiring the rare disease community. Charlene shares with us how this fresh partnership brings quality data and patient advocacy in the global rare disease community closer together to enable the combined organization to provide the next generation of rare disease advocates the tools and resources they need to accelerate their drive for treatments.

On this episode of HITea, Grace Vinton talks with Mary Jo Barthmaier, President of Insightin Health, about how the time has come for Medicare Advantage plans to take a page out of retailers’ playbooks and deliver highly personalized experiences for their members. She touches on the series of drivers currently converging that will make member engagement a crucial factor in determining the long-term success of health plans – the most important one being the transformative impact that connecting disparate data can have in generating actionable insights that drive member behavior.

Dr. Geri Landman is a pediatrician who recently founded a nonprofit, Moonshots for Unicorns, which is committed to curing curable single-gene disorders, like her daughter Lucy's. While each gene is unique, they all share the fact that these children are missing one single protein in their cells to function appropriately. Science exists to fix this; it just takes passion, focus, funding, and innovation to make a meaningful impact - one rare disease at a time. Listen in to hear more about Lucy, Moonshot’s mission, and about which digital health innovations Dr. Geri believes could have the most impact on rare disease research and treatment!

On this episode of HIT Like a Girl, Grace Vinton talks with Jane Myles, Vice President of Clinical Trial Innovation at Curebase, about how the time has come for the research community to take a page out of healthcare providers' playbooks and deliver care with a greater focus on the patient experience. Jane explains how a patient-centered view will help with improved trial compliance, better diversity, and more rapid trial completion. She further explains how patient experience has long been an oversight for the research community, and insights into how some leaders have been advocating for industry improvement in this area for decades.

From nurse to informaticist to Chief Clinical Transformation Officer, in this episode of HITea With Grace, Cindy Gaines discusses the career journey that led her to her current position at Lumeon, a care orchestration platform.  Cindy shares with us her experience on the front lines of nursing and highlights the barriers to technology implementation and the healthcare industry’s many challenges and need for care orchestration now more than ever. With clinician and nurse burnout at an all-time high, can technology and automation realistically help?

On this episode of HITea, Grace Vinton sits down with Anna Dover, PharmD, director of Product Management at FDB (First Databank), about her prescription for combatting the epidemic of alert fatigue that contributes to the industrywide problem of clinician stress and burnout. Dr. Dover tells us how to flip the script on medication decision support to eliminate the noise, increase patient centricity and improve safety.  The bottom line? Medication alerts need to get more relevant, meaningful, and actionable. Dr. Dover tells us how. Stay tuned!

We are excited to welcome Dr. Sonya Sloan to the podcast to talk about innovation and empowerment. She’s a traveling orthopedic surgeon, a locum tenens physician, an author, a speaker, and a mother. In her work across the U.S. for more than a decade, she has seen and treated just about everything.  She was the first African American female intern in general surgery and the first African American female orthopedic surgery resident at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. There are only 6% of women in orthopedic surgery and there are less than 100 African American women orthopedic surgeons in the country. This is around 0.7% of the 30,000 orthopedic surgeons currently practicing. Dr. Sloan currently serves the indigenous community at the Indian Health Service in New Mexico and shares her wisdom with us about what this community faces each day and where digital health could realistically fit in. She also sees great potential in the role that Virtual Reality (VR) headsets can play in improving orthopedic education. Thanks for joining us, Dr. Sloan!

Actionable, real-time, and precise data has the potential to improve countless inefficiencies that we see across the industry, and Mary Lantin, President and Chief Operating Officer at Diameter Health has made a career out of putting healthcare data to work. Mary speaks with us about the value of upcycled, clean, data across the care continuum, her journey that led her to Diameter Health, and how Availity’s recent acquisition of Diameter Health will help reduce provider administrative burnout and improve payer-provider collaboration. Thanks for joining us, Mary! 

It is a pleasure to welcome Marina Borukhovich to the podcast. As a CEO, Founder, Mom, and Cancer Survivor, Marina shares with us how her terrifying personal health journey inspired her to found YourCoach.Health, a full health coaching practice management platform. She is passionate about amplifying the role that health coaches bring to holistic care and demystifying digital health for the coaching community. Thanks for joining us, Marina!

COVID brought telehealth into the mainstream, but most providers still underutilize the technology, failing to apply it in ways that can truly enhance their practices. Let’s welcome Juli Stover, Chief Strategy Officer at eVisit. Juli speaks with us about the state of the industry, reimbursement models, and policies, and presents a new controversial way in which hospitals and health systems should be looking at and approaching telehealth strategy. She’s an expert on ways providers should leverage telehealth to increase efficiency and revenue. Thanks for joining us, Juli!

In this episode of HITeaWithGrace, Patty Hayward, VP of Strategy for Healthcare and Life Sciences at Talkdesk, discusses the effects of consumerism on healthcare. 78% of respondents to a recent industry survey said they want a choice of how they interact with their doctors and care teams. Healthcare is about people taking care of people; not about making healthcare consumers feel like transactions. How you communicate with your hospital and health system can make all the difference in the world. The question is, how can innovation help?  Grace had a fantastic time learning from Patty about how she is working to make this goal a reality. 

Our very own Grace Vinton had the great opportunity to chat with Dr. Esther Kim on this episode of HITea today!  From academic to registered dietician, to ACO program director, Dr. Esther Kim is now the Executive Director of Digital Health Innovation at Mass General Brigham. She leads a new team accelerating innovative healthcare technology pilots across the health system. As a leader in healthcare digital transformation, Esther shares with us the types of digital health technologies that have made a strong impact on their health system and innovations that make her hopeful for the future (hint, true AI, and more). She shares with us the relationship between new payment models and technology adoption to improve patient access to information. Esther strongly believes in the importance and promise of whole-person care and the industry is lucky to have her leading the charge!

In this episode, Grace Vinton sits down with Amanda Edwards, Program Manager, Digital Transformation and Innovation, at Availity, the nation’s largest real-time health information network that works to solve communication challenges in healthcare by creating a richer, more transparent exchange of information among health plans, providers, and technology partners. Amanda discusses the path that led her to where she is today, what it means to be a female leader and the challenges that have come along the way. She expresses her passion for creating patient-centered workflows that are being used to address administrative burnout. She also dives into the world of digital transformation and the acceptance of technology that was sparked by the pandemic, where we learned more about how practices should go about identifying and introducing new opportunities that reduce the stress of the office staff while improving processes.

We were thrilled to have Rachel Marano, CEO of Pivot Point Consulting, speak with us about the lessons she has learned as a founder and leader. Rachel’s team helps healthcare organizations realize the most value from their technology and resources through EHR, ERP, Strategy, Virtual Care, Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, Service Desk, Application Support, and Revenue Cycle Management services. She shares with us tips and tricks of the trade for delivering HIT consulting, managed services, and talent solutions to providers, payers, life sciences, and technology organizations.

In this episode of HITea, Grace Vinton interviews Beth Andersen, President of Anthem Blue Cross. Beth oversees the management of Anthem’s commercial business and strategy in California, working collaboratively with local and state elected officials to help transform health care. Beth and Grace discuss Anthem’s continued journey toward value-based care and what new technology the health plan is implementing to make a difference in this initiative.

In this episode of HITeaWithGrace, Grace Vinton chats with Danielle Grasso, Senior Product Manager at Force Therapeutics, a provider-driven digital care management platform primarily for orthopedics and musculoskeletal care that helps patients recover from injury or surgery at home.  Collecting patient-reported outcome measures (PROMS) can lead to greater reimbursement under many value-based care initiatives. Danielle talks with us about the challenges of adoption and the benefits of a well-designed tool for virtual physical therapy to help with PROMS. She also dives into adaptive patient education and the variety of protocols that trigger ongoing patient engagement. We learn more about what factors are important in driving patient engagement on digital health platforms in this new era of care.

In this episode, Grace Vinton sits down with Sheila Talton, President, and CEO of Gray Matter Analytics.  Sheila is a tech and health IT veteran who is passionate about the use of technology to close gaps in care to ensure high-quality care for all patients. Her company has developed an advanced analytics platform that healthcare providers and insurers are using to accelerate the transition to value-based care models and improve health equity and outcomes.

In this episode, Grace Vinton sits down with Sheeza Hussain, Chief Commercial Officer of Biofourmis, a Boston-based global leader in digital therapeutics and virtual care that powers personalized predictive care.  Sheeza is passionate about virtual care and the ability to connect patients of all ages to care regardless of their location. In this conversation, Sheeza describes how Biofourmis’ remote patient management and virtual care solutions are making it possible for patients to receive acute, post-acute, and chronic condition care in their own homes. Virtual care is now continuous, predictive, and far more engaging than it used to be. Sheeza also shares how she overcame challenges in two male-dominated fields—computer engineering and health IT—and continues to conquer new obstacles in a rapidly changing industry through passion, hard work, and support from family and friends.

In this episode of HITea With Grace, Grace Vinton interviews Elise Kohl-Grant, Chief Information Officer at Innovative Management Solutions NY Elise talks with us about the uphill battle mental health systems have experienced in regards to interoperability and the type of data that is most impactful for health systems to track. She also identifies gaps in care that are being closed now using data and analytics in the behavioral health arena and gives meaningful advice to other mental health systems on this new and challenging-to-predict interoperability, data, and analytics journey.

In this episode, Grace Vinton speaks with Angie Franks, CEO of ABOUT Healthcare.  In addition to the important lessons she’s learned as a healthcare leader, Franks discusses how it's important now more than ever for hospitals and health systems to optimize access to care by leveraging technology to improve visibility into resources available to patients. ABOUT Healthcare is a leading provider of access and orchestration solutions that empower health systems to operate as one connected network of care.

In this bonus episode, Grace Vinton interviews Shrujal Baxi, MD, MPH, Senior Vice President of Clinical and Scientific Solutions at Verana Health.  Her work at the real world data company serves patients through advancing the development and use of real-world evidence to address challenges in patient outcomes, healthcare delivery, and drug development. Dr. Baxi discusses with Grace why she chose a career in medicine, how her career path has led her to from medical oncology into digital health tech, and why she’s excited about the potential of using EHR-derived real-world evidence to improve patient care.

In this episode, Grace Vinton interviews Juli Heitman, Customer Success and Quality Manager at Motient, on what drove her to make the shift from nursing to health IT.  Juli recently completed a post-master’s degree in health care quality to continue her pursuit of making a difference in healthcare. Passionate about improving tech and workflow for our front-line heroes, Juli discusses the challenges we’ve seen since the pandemic with patient transfers and how this is affecting emergency department workers.

In this episode, Grace Vinton interviews the vibrant Jessica DaMassa, Health Innovation Reporter Host & Executive Producer, "WTF Health - What's the Future, Health?" and is Co-Host of Health Tech Deals.  Jess talks with us today about the digital health funding landscape and what she sees to be the future of healthcare and care delivery. Jess has interviewed thousands of startups, digital health investors, and incumbents working to change the future of health worldwide. This experience of speaking with innovators in our space every day gives her a unique view into fresh innovations and business models that are transforming HIT and the healthcare industry.

In this bonus episode, Grace Vinton interviews Summer Humphreys, Principal at VisiQuate, provider of advanced revenue cycle analytics, intelligent workflow and AI-powered automation. Summer talks with us today about the impact the pandemic had on service lines and dives into what service lines have bounced back since then and which ones are still struggling. She also talks with us about the impact that the pandemic has had on the revenue cycle management (RCM) workforce, transitioning from working in an office to working at home, and how data and analytics can now be used to help enhance RCM leadership and workforce performance unlike anything that’s been done before in this space. 

In this episode, Grace Vinton interviews Heidi Polek, Strategic Program Manager at DrFirst, on innovations in the pharmacy HIT space.  Heidi talks about what her biggest challenges were when she was a practicing pharmacist and how she uses those lessons now in her role to improve pharmacist workflow and help combat front-line fatigue through technology.

In this episode, Grace Vinton interviews Dr. Talya Miron-Shatz, psychologist, researcher, and specialist in behavioral economics. Dr. Talya’s new book, “Your Life Depends on It: What You Can Do to Make Better Choices About Your Health,” talks about patient strengths, limitations, and how those impact care decisions and experiences.  As an expert in decision-making, Dr. Talya also talks with us about the importance of behavioral economics in the HIT innovation process. The future of innovation in this space will look like using economics and psychology to help understand why people act the way they do and using this understanding to better the tech experience and user impact to improve outcomes.

We continue with HITea with Grace series. In this episode, she interviews Janet Dillione, CEO of Connect America.  Janet's work addresses the needs of the vulnerable populations in the country, specifically of the aging and chronically ill. The Connect America platform helps people who want to stay at home to live as long and as independently and as graciously as they can while being in the home.

We continue with our HITea With Grace bonus episodes, with Grace Vinton. In this episode, she interviews Stephanie Queen, Senior Vice President of Clinical Services and Chief Nursing Officer at Air Methods, the U.S.' leading emergency air medical service provider. Today's conversation revolves around clinician burnout, grief, and the reality of the toll it takes to work in the high-stakes healthcare environments.

In this HITea with Grace episode, Grace Vinton interviews Jennifer D’Angelo, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Healthcare Division at New Jersey Innovation Institute (NJII). Her work at the health information network serves patients through improving the quality of data to ensure that it tells an accurate story for each person throughout their healthcare system. The NJII uses the Master Person Index (MPI) and holds facilities accountable for sending and receiving clean and usable data. This helps them expand interoperability and clinical casework throughout the state.

In this special HITea With Grace bonus episode, Grace Vinton, digital health influencer talks with Effie Parks, founder of the Once Upon a Gene podcast, about patient advocacy and the reality of the challenges parents face due to the disconnect within our healthcare system. "You don't have to be the same as me to understand me," Effie shares some tough stuff about how despite the challenges she's faced with a son who has a rare disease, she's found a way to live beyond her circumstances and build community in the process.