Healthcare Trailblazers

Healthcare Trailblazers
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Medicine

Mendel Erlenwein, CEO at Previva Health Group sits down for a deep dive conversation with some of our nation's most accomplished and interesting leaders in Healthcare. The conversation will focus on the journey to building successful Healthcare organizations, as well as lessons and tips that they picked up along the way for you to implement at your practice or healthcare org.

  1. Jun 24

    Policy Maker by Day, Doctor by Night | Dr. Thomas Keane

    Dr. Tom Keane — the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology — brings a rare dual perspective: he writes the policy by day and lives with its consequences at the bedside. Our conversation covers the history of the ONC, the HITECH Act and the Cures Act, the three levers driving interoperability (TEFCA, standards, and information-blocking enforcement), the difference between data blocking and "functionality blocking," real-time drug pricing and cash-pay tools like Trump Rx and Cost Plus Drugs, behavioral health data sharing, and a market-first vision for governing AI in medicine — from AI scribes and stroke detection to agentic AI that finally puts patients in control of their own records. Healthcare Trailblazers is sponsored by CareCo: Turn admin time into patient time with clinical AI for care teams. Timestamps:0:00 — Cost-conscious medicine and the price of non-compliance1:35 — Welcome and introducing Dr. Tom Keane2:20 — From radiology to government5:05 — How policy and bedside practice inform each other8:02 — Care Conference: the care you'd give your own family9:27 — Treating the full context of a patient's care11:03 — The CareCo vision: a shared "brain" that directs care14:26 — Care coordination then vs. now (Johns Hopkins to Maryland)17:33 — Interoperability and who really owns patient data19:05 — A short history of the ONC: HITECH and the Cures Act21:32 — Three tools to free the data: TEFCA, standards, info blocking23:45 — Enforcing the information-blocking rule24:30 — Data blocking vs. functionality blocking and the G10 API27:56 — When incentives align: the HTI-4 rule and real-time drug prices31:04 — Cash-pay pricing: Trump Rx, Cost Plus Drugs, GoodRx32:43 — The secondary-insurance blind spot34:40 — Where government doesn't belong36:21 — Governing AI without strangling it37:25 — Why AI rules should be national, not a 50-state patchwork40:41 — Behavioral health IT grants and 42 CFR Part 243:09 — Project Hope in Huntington, West Virginia44:11 — Lessons from HITECH for the AI era (and the PACS contrast)47:04 — AI in practice: scribes and stroke detection49:40 — The next ten years of healthcare52:11 — Two big AI use cases: administrative and clinical54:01 — Patient empowerment and agentic AI56:44 — Closing thoughts

  2. Apr 16

    Dr. Oz and Amy Gleason (D.O.G.E.) on cutting $140B in Medicare Fraud & Making Healthcare Data Accessable

    Dr. Mehmet Oz, Administrator of CMS, and Amy Gleason, Director of the U.S. DOGE Service, sit down with Mendel Erlenwein at CMS headquarters in Washington D.C. to reveal how they're tackling $140 billion in Medicare fraud — including shutting down 221 fake hospices in Los Angeles linked to Russia, China, and Cuba.In this episode of Healthcare Trailblazers, Dr. Oz and Amy Gleason discuss the "Kill the Clipboard" patient data initiative, why Medicare still runs on 1970s COBOL code, and what happens when foreign governments infiltrate America's healthcare system. As Dr. Oz puts it: "When there's friction in the system, somebody's making money."TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Inside CMS headquarters with Dr. Oz and Amy Gleason2:41 "Kill the Clipboard" — fixing patient data access8:52 Patient engagement crisis and the path forward15:54 $140 billion in Medicare fraud — where the money goes17:39 Shutting down 221 fake hospices in Los Angeles18:45 Foreign government involvement: Russia, China, and Cuba21:10 Medicare runs on 1970s COBOL code23:26 "When there's friction, somebody's making money"ABOUT THE GUESTS:Dr. Mehmet Oz serves as Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), overseeing $2 trillion in annual Medicare and Medicaid spending.Amy Gleason is the Director of the U.S. DOGE Service and Strategic Advisor to CMS. A former ER nurse turned healthcare technology leader, she previously served at the U.S. Digital Service under both the Trump and Biden administrations.SUBSCRIBE to Healthcare Trailblazers for conversations with the leaders transforming American healthcare.#MedicareFraud #CMS #HealthcareReform #DrOz #DOGE

  3. Feb 24

    We Spent 20 Years Building Physical Therapy — Then Blew It Up

    In this episode of the Healthcare Trailblazers Podcast, we sit down with Ryan Eder, CEO of LainaHealth, to unpack a rare 20-year healthcare journey that spans hardware, software, computer vision, AI, military research, COVID pivots, and ultimately the creation of a nationwide virtual physical therapy practice.Ryan walks through how a senior design thesis turned into a decade-long R&D effort, why the company shut down millions of dollars of hardware overnight, and how AI-driven computer vision became the backbone of scalable, tech-enabled MSK care.This is a candid, execution-level conversation about building real healthcare companies, surviving pivots, and designing care models that actually work — for patients, providers, and payers alike.👇 Chapters below — jump to what matters most.00:00 – AI in Healthcare Is Not Optional02:48 – It Started as a College Design Project05:57 – 13 Years of Hardware… Then We Shut It Down10:58 – Why Virtual Physical Therapy Finally Works14:32 – The Numbers No One Likes to Share19:18 – AI as a Clinician’s Force Multiplier22:35 – The CMMI ACCESS Model: Reality vs Hype25:05 – Where Virtual Care Goes Next

  4. Feb 9

    From Combat Medic to CFO: Real Leadership Lessons Healthcare Executives Won't Tell You

    Lt. Col. Jayme Hanson, former CFO overseeing half of the National Capital Region's military healthcare system, shares eye-opening insights about the Defense Health Agency (DHA), veteran suicide epidemic, and why moving military healthcare to private sector care could be a costly mistake. From combat medic to healthcare executive, Hanson exposes the hidden dynamics between politics, healthcare, and the military that most people never see.Lt. Col. Hanson brings decades of experience from serving as a combat medic to leading healthcare operations for major military facilities including Pentagon, Fort Belvoir, and more. His candid perspective on leadership, government inefficiency, and solutions for the veteran crisis is both sobering and hopeful.Timeline:0:00 - Introduction: Healthcare meets military leadership8:28 - Inside military healthcare: The 10M person system nobody knows20:20 - The veteran suicide crisis and PTSD solutions29:44 - Why young Americans are physically and mentally unfit37:30 - How military healthcare actually gets funded42:16 - Leadership advice for fixing the system#MilitaryHealthcare #VeteranCare #DefenseHealthAgency #VeteranSuicide #HealthcareReform #MilitaryLeadership

  5. Feb 8

    The Future of Preventive Medicine: Reimagining Primary Care Through Concierge Medicine

    Learn how you can scale your care team with AIhttps://link.CareCo.ai/rmvhvq Dr. Sandeep Palakodeti, founder and CEO of Velocity Health, joins host Mendel to discuss how his concierge precision medicine clinic is reimagining primary care. With experience from Kaiser, Harvard, Mayo Clinic, and as Chief Population Health Officer at a major health system, Sandeep explains why traditional insurance-based healthcare fails at prevention and how Velocity Health's cash-pay model solves this problem.The conversation covers the broken incentive structures in American healthcare, why patients switching insurance plans prevents long-term health investment, and how life insurance companies could be natural partners. Sandeep shares the complete patient experience—from comprehensive diagnostics to ongoing support from interdisciplinary teams—and introduces the concept of "longevity escape velocity": the idea that living long enough today means we might live indefinitely as medical technology advances.This is a practical blueprint for what primary care could be when aligned incentives meet innovative delivery models.Timestamps:00:00:40 - What is Velocity Health and the concierge precision medicine model00:12:17 - The fundamental problem: Why patients choosing insurers prevents healthcare investment00:16:38 - Aligned incentives: Why life insurance companies are the perfect partners00:19:43 - Inside the patient experience: From onboarding to ongoing 24/7 care00:32:47 - Sandeep's journey and why entrepreneurship drives healthcare change00:40:44 - Longevity escape velocity: The future of living indefinitely through medical advances

  6. Jan 29

    Saving Infants' Lives with At-Home NICU Care

    The "NICU Graduate" celebration is one of the happiest moments for a family, but is it a false sense of security?In this episode, Mendel talks with Dr. Ross Sommers about the "NICU Cliff." We pour billions into saving babies born as small as 400 grams, only to send them home on oxygen and feeding tubes with almost zero support.Dr. Sommers reveals the heartbreaking reality of why "goodbye and good luck" isn't a medical plan, the PTSD parents face, and how First Day Healthcare is finally building a safety net for the world’s most vulnerable patients.Key Chapters:00:00 – The NICU Cliff: Why leaving the hospital is the scariest day.03:43 – The reality of Parent PTSD after the NICU.05:43 – How Remote Monitoring is changing the "Feeder-Grower" game.07:23 – The $40 Billion Business of Neonatology.14:04 – Why pediatric innovation lags 7 years behind adult care.17:40 – The Personal Mission: Why "graduation" isn't the end of the story.

  7. 12/19/2025

    The ACA Tax Credit Crisis: Why Congress is in Chaos & What It Means for Your Premiums

    Learn how you can scale your care team with AIhttps://link.CareCo.ai/rmvhvq As we approach the December 31, 2025 deadline, the healthcare world is bracing for a massive shift. In this episode, Mendel sits down with policy expert Andrew Schwab (Platform Government Strategies) to break down the unprecedented "discharge petition" that just rocked the House of Representatives.We discuss:The 2025 expiration of enhanced ACA tax credits.Why moderate Republicans broke ranks to join Democrats in a historic move against Speaker Mike Johnson.Trump’s proposal to send healthcare money directly to individuals instead of insurers.The "Single Largest Tax Expenditure" in the US that most Americans don't even know exists.00:00 — Introduction: Meet Craig Samet 03:01 — The Mission: Changing Healthcare 06:06 — Overcoming Bureaucratic Resistance 09:03 — The Power of Collaboration 12:01 — Innovation: A Patient-Centric Approach 15:02 — Mapping the Future of Health Systems 18:03 — Navigating Cost & Experience Hurdles 21:04 — Key Metrics for Population Health 24:01 — Inside the Longitude PHM Model 27:00 — Closing Thoughts & Future Outlook

  8. 09/16/2025

    Health Insurance Revolution: How Thatch is Building the Healthcare Marketplace America Needs

    Send us a text Learn how you can scale your care team with AI: https://link.CareCo.ai/rmvhvq In this enlightening episode, I sit down with Chris Ellis, CEO of Thatch, following their impressive $40 million Series B funding round led by Index Ventures with strategic investment from ADP Ventures. Chris breaks down how Thatch is revolutionizing employee health benefits through Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRA), allowing employees to choose their own health plans while giving employers cost control and administrative simplicity. We dive deep into the fundamental problems with employer-based health insurance, explore the bipartisan political momentum behind health insurance reform, and discuss how decoupling insurance from employment could realign incentives throughout the healthcare system. Chris provides fascinating insights into how this shift could enable true preventive care, extend insurer-patient relationships, and create the consumer-driven healthcare marketplace that has been decades in the making. This conversation connects perfectly with the current administration's focus on patient empowerment and transparency, making it a must-listen for anyone interested in the future of American healthcare. Timestaps:  00:00:00 - Thatch's $40M Series B Led by Index Ventures 00:03:29 - How Thatch's ICHRA Model Actually Works 00:12:32 - Government's $1,200 Tax Credit for Small Businesses 00:25:94 - The Cancer Detection Problem: Why Insurers Won't Invest in Prevention 00:28:47 - The Vision: Decoupling Insurance from Employment 00:40:49 - GLP-1 Coverage Dilemma: When ROI Takes Too Long

    Health Insurance Revolution: How Thatch is Building the Healthcare Marketplace America Needs
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About

Mendel Erlenwein, CEO at Previva Health Group sits down for a deep dive conversation with some of our nation's most accomplished and interesting leaders in Healthcare. The conversation will focus on the journey to building successful Healthcare organizations, as well as lessons and tips that they picked up along the way for you to implement at your practice or healthcare org.

Information

  • Creator
    Healthcare Trailblazers
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    121
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Healthcare Trailblazers
  • Show Website
    Healthcare Trailblazers

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