The Heart of Healthcare | A Digital Health Podcast

Massively Better Healthcare

๐Ÿ† 2026 Webby Award-winning podcast. Join us every Monday for conversations with the biggest names in healthcare. Hosted by health tech veterans Halle Tecco, Michael Esquivel, and Steve Kraus. Learn more and submit your ideas for the show at the Heart of Healthcare website.

  1. Aug 24

    From Early Struggles to Billion+ Exit | SmarterDx Founders Michael Gao & Joshua Geleris

    We don't talk enough about how hard it actually is to build a healthcare startup. Behind SmarterDx's story, now one of the biggest health AI exits to date, were 18 months without a single customer, a pivot that seemed to make no product sense, and two co-founders who went back to working as hospitalists just to get by. In this episode, Steve gets the real story from Dr. Michael Gao and Dr. Joshua Geleris about the challenges they faced and what ultimately unlocked real growth and led to their billion+ acquisition by New Mountain Capital. We cover: Why their first product idea failed and what customer objections actually taught them to build insteadThe counterintuitive workflow that made contingency pricing possibleHow AI translation of clinical notes into billing codes now outperforms the average human, and what that means for coders and nursesWhy "moat" is the wrong metaphor and what a flywheel looks like insteadWhat they'd do differently in the acquisition process About our guests: Michael Gao, MD, the CEO and co-founder of SmarterDx. Prior to founding SmarterDx, Dr. Gao was the Medical Director for Transformation at NewYork-Presbyterian, where he led applied AI development, implementation, and strategy for the health system. Dr. Gao holds faculty positions at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Gao completed his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at NewYork-Presbyterian.. He received his M.D. from the University of Michigan and a B.S from the University of California Los Angeles. Josh Geleris, MD, is the Head of Product and co-founder of SmarterDx. Prior to SmarterDx, he was Assistant Professor of Medicine at Columbia University, where he was funded by the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense for clinical informatics and data science, and led implementation of Epic for providers. Dr. Geleris completed his MD at the Technion-Israeli Institute of Technology and his Internal Medicine internship and residency at NewYork-Presbyterian.  โธบ ๐Ÿ“ Connect with us: Heart of Healthcare website LinkedIn YouTube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    From Early Struggles to Billion+ Exit | SmarterDx Founders Michael Gao & Joshua Geleris
  2. Aug 17

    Training Doctors for the Next 40 Years | Stanford Medical School Dean Dr. Lloyd Minor

    It's back-to-school szn, and while some kids are stressing over earlier wake-ups, this year's incoming medical students have a bigger question to answer: how do you train for a career that could still have you practicing medicine in the 2070s, when the tools of medicine are changing so rapidly? For our back-to-school episode, we sat down with Stanford University School of Medicine Dean Dr. Lloyd Minor to talk about how AI is already reshaping what future doctors learn and how they're taught, as well as what's still not working in American healthcare. We cover: What medical students are actually being taught about AI, and where Stanford still draws the lineWhy Stanford's tumor boards no longer start with humansThe surprising way Dr. Minor thinks AI could level the playing field in healthcare accessWhy the same AI tools helping patients feel more informed are also making them more anxiousThe counterintuitive reason new medical technology gets more expensive before it gets cheaperWhat's still standing in the way of a vision for precision medicine that's been decades in the making About our guest: Lloyd B. Minor, MD, is a scientist, surgeon, and academic leader. He is the Carl and Elizabeth Naumann Dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine and Vice President for Medical Affairs at Stanford University. Dr. Minor also is a professor of Otolaryngologyโ€“Head and Neck Surgery and a professor of Bioengineering and of Neurobiology, by courtesy, at Stanford University. As dean, Dr. Minor has had an integral role in setting strategy for the clinical enterprise of Stanford Medicine, an academic medical center that includes the Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford Health Care, and Stanford Medicine Childrenโ€™s Health. With his leadership, Stanford Medicine leads the biomedical revolution in Precision Health. His book, โ€œDiscovering Precision Health,โ€ describes this shift to more preventive, personalized health care and highlights how biomedical advances are dramatically improving our ability to treat and cure complex diseases. In 2021, Dr. Minor articulated and began realizing a bold vision to transform the future of life sciences at Stanford University and beyond โ€“ a multi-decade journey enabled by Precision Health. In August 2023, Dr. Minor was appointed Vice President for Medical Affairs to lead all matters related to health and medicine at Stanford University. Before Stanford, Dr. Minor was provost and senior vice president for academic affairs of Johns Hopkins University. Prior to this appointment in 2009, Dr. Minor served as the Andelot Professor and director (chair) of the Department of Otolaryngologyโ€“Head and Neck Surgery in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and otolaryngologist-in-chief of The Johns Hopkins Hospital. With more than 160 published articles and chapters, Dr. Minor is an expert in balance and inner ear disorders perhaps best known for discovering superior canal dehiscence syndrome, a debilitating disorder characterized by sound- or pressure-induced dizziness. He subsequently developed a surgical procedure that corrects the problem and alleviates symptoms. In 2012, Dr. Minor was elected to the National Academy of Medicine. โ€” ๐Ÿ“ Connect with us: Heart of Healthcare website LinkedIn YouTube  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Training Doctors for the Next 40 Years | Stanford Medical School Dean Dr. Lloyd Minor
  3. Aug 10

    Can Oura Become the Doctor in Your Pocket? | Oura CEO Tom Hale

    We're on summer break and replaying one of our favorite episodes. This episode originally aired on September 22, 2025. A wearable can collect endless data, but it only matters if people trust it enough to change their behavior. In this replay, Oura CEO Tom Hale joins Steve and Michael to explain how the company combines clinical-grade accuracy with a consumer-friendly product. They discuss why the ringโ€™s form factor makes overnight tracking so powerful, how Oura turns physiological signals into useful guidance, and why the company is being pulled faster than expected into traditional healthcare. We cover: Why sleep data can reveal changes in the body before symptoms appearHow Oura designed a health product that supports users without judging or nagging themWhy accuracy is the foundation for trust, predictions, and behavior changeHow Oura navigates the boundary between wellness products and regulated medical devicesThe companyโ€™s expansion into Medicare Advantage, womenโ€™s health, metabolic health, and clinical careโ€” About our guest: Tom Hale is the Chief Executive Officer at ลŒURA and a member of its board. As the CEO he sets the companyโ€™s business strategy and vision to make health a daily practice for members all over the world. He has over 30 years of experience across the technology and consumer product industry. Before joining ลŒURA, Hale was president of Momentive where he drove B2B strategy and led product growth. During his time there he was instrumental in taking the company public in 2018, leading the team in key acquisitions, and driving the evolution and rebranding of the company into a multiple SAAS business. Previously, he held leadership roles at HomeAway and Linden Lab as the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Product Officer, respectively, and held executive roles at Macromedia and Adobe. Hale has a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University and sits on the boards of Cars.com, RocketReach, and NoiseAware. โ€” If you're enjoying the show, we would so appreciate it if you left us a review! โ€” ๐Ÿ“ Connect with us: Heart of Healthcare website LinkedIn Instagram YouTube TikTok  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Can Oura Become the Doctor in Your Pocket? | Oura CEO Tom Hale
  4. Aug 3

    ๐Ÿ“ฃ Digital Health Download: August 2026

    This month is about the gap between what a system offers and what people actually get from it: drugs that work better with support nobody's paying for, AI that's already answering more medical questions than most doctors ever will, and a labor market where staying healthy can mean staying stuck. Halle and Michael break down the stories reshaping digital health in August. We cover: Why GLP-1 funding is shifting from prescribing platforms into "companion" ecosystemsThe FDA panel vote that opens a legal pathway for six unapproved peptides, and what this could meanOur thoughts on OpenAI's new ChatGPT Health product, now available to every US adultThe Florida pastor's lawsuit against OpenAIWhy nearly one in four US workers are staying in jobs they'd rather leave, just to keep their health insuranceThe healthcare argument buried inside the bill to make daylight saving time permanent Links: Rock Health, H1 2026 digital health funding recapHalle's research piece, Virtual GLP-1 startups: Pill mills or the future of obesity care?RAPS, FDA advisory committee backs six peptides for compounding listTechCrunch, OpenAI makes ChatGPT Health available to all US usersCBS News, ChatGPT's medical advice nearly killed a Florida man, lawsuit claimsGallup, One in four US employees locked in jobs for health insuranceThe Hill, House passes Sunshine Protection Actโ€”  ๐Ÿ“ Connect with us: Heart of Healthcare website LinkedIn YouTube  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    ๐Ÿ“ฃ Digital Health Download: August 2026
  5. Jul 27

    Why We Demand Perfect Machines Yet Tolerate Human Carnage | Dr. Jonathan Slotkin

    Every day, roughly 100 Americans die in crashes caused by human drivers. Yet when a self-driving car hesitates at an intersection or makes the news for an unusual mistake, public trust can evaporate. In this special episode, Dr. Jonathan Slotkin reads his latest Noema essay exploring why we demand perfection from machines while accepting human error as inevitable. Drawing on lessons from medicine, psychology, and autonomous vehicles, he argues that the biggest barrier to safer technology is trust. You'll learn: Why humans judge machine mistakes differently than human mistakesWhat healthcare learned about the difference between being safe and feeling safeWhy autonomous vehicles may already be far safer than human driversHow public perception can slow the adoption of life-saving technologyWhat every AI company should learn about transparency and trust โ€” About our guest: Dr. Jonathan Slotkin is Chief Medical Officer for Strategy & Growth at Geisinger, where he drives growth at the intersection of care delivery, insurance, and digital transformation. A practicing neurosurgeon, he previously served as Geisinger's associate chief medical informatics officer. Jon's current research and writing examine safety, trust, and adoption of autonomous systems in public life. His New York Times guest essay on self-driving car safety was entered into the Congressional Record. His writing regularly appears in Harvard Business Review, STAT, and Noema Magazine. He has authored more than 70 peer-reviewed scientific publications. Previously, as co-founder and chief medical officer of Contigo Health, he partnered with the nation's largest employers to reimagine care for their associates. He co-founded Scrub Capital, a clinician-powered venture capital firm, where he serves as a Partner. He completed neurosurgery residency at The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, where he served as chief resident. โ€” This piece was commissioned, edited, and published by Noema Magazine. Noema publishes longform journalism exploring fresh ideas. To read this piece and others, head to noemamag.com. โ€” ๐Ÿ“ Connect with us: Heart of Healthcare website LinkedIn YouTube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Why We Demand Perfect Machines Yet Tolerate Human Carnage | Dr. Jonathan Slotkin
  6. Jul 20

    Shareholder Primacy Is Breaking Healthcare | Eric Ries

    Healthcare companies are built to improve patients' lives. So why do so many prioritize shareholders over the people they're meant to serve? This week, Halle sits down with Eric Ries, author of Incorruptible, to unpack the rise of shareholder primacy, what it is, and why he believes it's at the root of many of societyโ€™s biggest challenges. They discuss the surprising history of corporate governance, the lessons behind Novo Nordisk's century-long success, and what founders can do today to keep their companies aligned with their mission as they grow. We cover: Why shareholder primacy reshaped corporate America (and where we go from here)How Novo Nordisk's unusual ownership structure may have saved GLP-1 researchThe simple governance change that could preserve your company's mission for decadesHow boards, investors, and acquisitions can slowly pull companies away from their original purposeThe founder mistakes that make mission drift almost inevitable About our guest: Over the last two decades, Eric Riesโ€™s ideas about continuous innovation, long-term thinking, governance, and market reform have reshaped company building and management practices. He is the creator of the Lean Startup method, and the author of two New York Times bestsellers The Lean Startup and Incorruptible; The Leaderโ€™s Guide; and The Startup Way.  As a founder, he has put his own ideas into practice with The Long-Term Stock Exchange (LTSE); Answer.AI, an AI R&D lab; Virgil, a legal services startup; and IMVU. On The Eric Ries Show, he talks with world-class technologists, thought leaders, and executives building for the long-term.  Check out his book, Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Badโ€ฆand How Great Companies Stay Great โ€” ๐Ÿ™ Do you like this podcast? An easy and free way to help keep the show going is to leave us a review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you're listening. โ€” ๐Ÿ“ Connect with us: Heart of Healthcare website LinkedIn YouTube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Shareholder Primacy Is Breaking Healthcare | Eric Ries
  7. Jul 13

    Can AI Build the First New Pharma Giant in Decades? | Formation Bio CEO Ben Liu

    Over the last decade, the number of drug candidates entering development has doubled, yet the number of successful drug approvals remains flat at ~50 per year. This week, we sit down with Formation Bio founder and CEO Ben Liu. His company has raised more than $600 million to build what he hopes will become the first new enduring pharmaceutical company in decades, powered by AI. Ben explains why he believes clinical development, not drug discovery, is becoming the industry's biggest bottleneck, and how AI could fundamentally change the economics of bringing new medicines to patients. We cover: Why there hasn't there been a big pharma company created since the 1980sWhich drug categories Ben believes could become the next GLP-1s and reshape healthcareWhy Formation Bio chose to become a pharmaceutical company instead of selling softwareThe real bottleneck in bringing medicines to patientsBen's roadmap for how AI will transform drug development over the next 10 to 20 years About our guest: Ben Liu is the co-founder and CEO of Formation Bio. He received his DPhil at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, leveraging machine-learning, AI, and big-data to develop diagnostics and therapeutics for Parkinsonโ€™s and Alzheimerโ€™s disease. During his graduate work, he observed the way clinical trials bottlenecked the development of new treatments for patients, compelling him to start Formation Bio. Before Formation Bio, Ben graduated from Yale where he was awarded the collegeโ€™s highest honor at graduation and received his MPhil with distinction in Computational Biology from the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics at Cambridge as a Paul Mellon Fellow. Ben also serves as an Advisor to Harvard Business Schoolโ€™s MS/MBA Program in Biotechnology. โ€”  ๐Ÿ™ Do you like this podcast? An easy and free way to help keep the show going is to leave us a review on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you're listening. โ€”  ๐Ÿ“ Connect with us: Heart of Healthcare website LinkedIn YouTube See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Can AI Build the First New Pharma Giant in Decades? | Formation Bio CEO Ben Liu
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About

๐Ÿ† 2026 Webby Award-winning podcast. Join us every Monday for conversations with the biggest names in healthcare. Hosted by health tech veterans Halle Tecco, Michael Esquivel, and Steve Kraus. Learn more and submit your ideas for the show at the Heart of Healthcare website.

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