Get to the Root Podcast

Root Functional Medicine
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Biweekly

Get to the Root is the podcast redefining what health benefits should be. Hosted by Dr. Erica Armstrong, founder and CEO of Root. Here, we explore the category we created: root cause health benefits—a smarter approach to care that uses advanced lab screening and functional medicine to reverse chronic conditions and optimize health. The result? Healthier people and lower healthcare costs for employers. In each episode, we sit down with forward-thinking employers, innovative brokers, and healthcare leaders who are driving real, measurable change. If you're ready to move beyond sick care and get to the root of what’s driving costs—and outcomes—this podcast is for you.

  1. Aug 4

    EP 24: Why Real Outcomes Beat Engagement with Al Lewis

    How can employers tell whether a health care vendor’s results are real or simply based on flawed measurements? In this episode of the Get to the Root podcast, Dr. Erica Armstrong speaks with Al Lewis, Founder and Validator-in-Chief of the Validation Institute, about improving transparency and accountability in health care vendor outcomes. Al shares how flaws in traditional outcomes measurement led him to challenge inflated savings claims and establish the Validation Institute, while explaining why Root Functional Medicine's results remained valid despite using a participant-versus-nonparticipant comparison. They also discuss Root's success in helping patients with autoimmune conditions reduce their reliance on high-cost specialty medications by addressing underlying causes. Al concludes by explaining how independent validation helps employers identify effective vendors, strengthen fiduciary due diligence, and provide employees with access to better care. Tune in to learn why credible outcomes measurement matters and how independent validation can help employers make smarter health benefit decisions! Get your own Root Cause Panel to uncover root potential causes and optimize health here! About Al Lewis: Al Lewis is the Founder and Validator-in-Chief of the Validation Institute, an organization that independently evaluates health care vendor performance and outcomes. Widely recognized as an authority on vendor outcomes measurement, he is the author of Why Nobody Believes the Numbers and co-author of Cracking Health Costs. Al is also the Founder and Quizmeister-in-Chief of Quizzify, an employee health literacy platform that teaches people how to make informed health care decisions while avoiding unnecessary care. His work helps employers distinguish credible results from inflated claims and make better decisions about their health benefits. Things You’ll Learn: Many health care vendors use flawed methods that can overstate savings and program outcomes. Participant-versus-nonparticipant comparisons may be misleading because participants are often already more engaged in their health. Root’s results were validated because patients using high-cost autoimmune medications would rarely discontinue them without meaningful clinical improvement. Addressing the underlying causes of autoimmune conditions may help some patients safely reduce their reliance on specialty medications. Independent validation helps employers identify credible vendors and demonstrate stronger due diligence when managing health benefits. Creating a more transparent marketplace can help effective health care vendors earn greater visibility and reach more employees. Resources: Connect with and follow Al Lewis on LinkedIn. Learn more about the Validation Institute and follow Quizzify on LinkedIn and visit their website.

  2. Jun 30

    EP 23: Rethinking Employer Health Plans with Kristen Rivers

    What if the future of employer health care depends less on shifting costs and more on helping people get healthier earlier? In this episode of Get to the Root, Kristen Rivers, SVP at Pareto Health, joins Dr. Erica Armstrong to discuss the growing pressure employers face as health care costs continue to rise. Kristen shares why traditional models often leave employers with limited options beyond raising deductibles or passing more expenses onto employees, and how self-funded models, better data, and transparency can help them move beyond band-aid fixes to address the root causes driving claims. Tune in to hear why proactive, personalized care can change lives, improve productivity, and help employers build smarter, more sustainable health plans. About Kristen Rivers: Kristen Rivers is the Senior Vice President of Sales at ParetoHealth, where she leads sales growth and strategic initiatives across the West Region. With nearly 20 years of experience in healthcare, she has seen firsthand the systemic challenges and biases employers face when trying to offer sustainable, effective health benefits. Her work focuses on helping employers regain control of their healthcare strategy, improving outcomes, and reducing unnecessary costs. Before joining ParetoHealth, Kristen spent more than a decade at UnitedHealth Group in sales and leadership roles, where she managed teams and developed business strategies that drove meaningful results. Today, she is passionate about creating a more equitable and efficient healthcare system by advocating for fairer practices, smarter plan design, and innovative solutions that empower employers and better support their people. Things You’ll Learn: Employers are reaching a breaking point as rising medical costs and high-cost therapies make traditional health plan strategies harder to sustain. Fully insured and level-funded models often leave employers with few options beyond shifting more costs onto employees. Self-funded models can give employers more flexibility, transparency, and control over the solutions they offer their teams. Functional medicine can help address the root causes of chronic conditions by using deeper lab data, nutrition, lifestyle support, and personalized care. Proactive health benefits can improve employee productivity, reduce long-term risk, and create stronger loyalty by giving people access to care they may not otherwise afford. Resources: Connect with and follow Kristen Rivers on LinkedIn. Follow Pareto Health on LinkedIn and visit their website. Follow Root Functional Medicine on LinkedIn and visit their website. Get your own Root Cause Panel to uncover root potential causes and optimize health here!

  3. Jan 27

    Ep 22: Breaking Down the New Dietary Guidelines With Amy Masterson, MS, RDN

    What do the newly released Dietary Guidelines for Americans really mean for everyday health? On this episode of Get to the Root, Dr. Erica Armstrong sits down with Amy Masterson, Lead Dietitian at Root, to break it all down. They dive into the big updates on protein, vegetables, fats, and grains, as well as what the guidelines still miss. You’ll learn why personalization and tools like the Root Plate™ matter when applying population-wide guidance. Tune in to learn how to interpret the guidelines in a way that actually works in real life. Resources: Connect with and follow Amy Masterson on LinkedIn. Follow Root Functional Medicine on LinkedIn and visit their website. Get your own Root Cause Panel to uncover root potential causes and optimize health here.

  4. Jan 13

    EP 21: Engineering the Future of Root Cause Care with Allen Ahner

    In this episode, we talk with Allen Ahner, Root’s VP of Engineering, about how technology makes root cause medicine scalable for employers. We explore why functional medicine needs a dedicated platform, how RootOS supports consistent, protocol-driven care, and how we track engagement and outcomes at scale. This is a behind-the-scenes look at the infrastructure powering preventative and chronic condition care. Resources: Connect with and follow Allen Ahner on LinkedIn. Follow Root Functional Medicine on LinkedIn and visit their website. Get your own Root Cause Panel to uncover potential root causes and optimize health here!

  5. 12/23/2025

    EP 20: How Root gets to ROI for people and companies with Emily Cordes

    Healthcare ROI starts with addressing what actually drives costs. Nearly 90% of employer healthcare spend comes from chronic conditions, many of which are preventable. In this episode, Dr. Emily Cordes, CMO at Root, explains how Root delivers real ROI for self-funded employers by reducing high-cost medications, cutting fragmented specialist care, and treating root causes through a doctor–dietitian care model—resulting in healthier employees and lower overall costs. Resources Connect with and follow Dr. Emily Cordes on LinkedIn. Follow Root Functional Medicine on LinkedIn and visit their website. Get your own Root Cause Panel to uncover root potential causes and optimize health here! Check out Dr. Emily Cordes’s previous episode on the Get to the Root podcast here!

  6. 10/28/2025

    EP 19: Nutrition Myth Busting with the Root Dietitians with Amy Masterson, Lauren Hanson, and Stephanie Nielsen

    The loudest nutrition claims online often leave out the facts. In this myth-busting episode, Root dietitians Amy Masterson, Lauren Hanson, and Stephanie Nielsen cut through the noise with practical, science-based insights you can actually use. They share why quick fixes and viral trends spread so easily—and what really works instead. From the idea that all smoothies are healthy to confusion around seed oils, protein needs, and “sugar-free” foods, the team breaks down common myths with clarity and humor. A fast-paced Q&A covers even more hot topics like gluten-free diets, frozen produce, healthy fats, and coffee. Tune in to separate fact from fiction and build a balanced, sustainable way of eating that truly supports your health. Resources: Connect with and follow Amy Masterson on LinkedIn. Follow Lauren Hanson on LinkedIn. Connect with and follow Stephanie Nielsen on LinkedIn. Follow Root Functional Medicine on LinkedIn and visit their website. Get your own Root Cause Panel to uncover potential root causes and optimize health here!

  7. 10/07/2025

    EP 18: Insights from a Self-Funded Expert with Spencer Smith

    In this episode, Spencer Smith, host of Self-Funded with Spencer and Senior Vice President of Sales at Pareto Health, shares how curiosity led him from insurance sales to a passion for self-funding. He reflects on insights gained from interviewing innovators and working with employers to design better health plans, highlighting why many are moving away from traditional insurance. Spencer also explores the cost crisis, the rise of captives, and how he sees root cause strategies, like functional medicine, reducing costs and creating healthier workplace cultures. Follow Spencer on LinkedInSubscribe to Self Funded with Spencer

  8. 09/23/2025

    EP 17: Creating Real Change and Root Cause Health Outcomes

    Dr. Bethanie Thompson, MD, IFMCP shares how we help people make real, sustainable lifestyle changes using Root tried and tested processes. She also describes several case studies where individuals have bounced around between specialists and ER visits for years before coming to Root and finding answers and healing. Dr. Thompson has a unique background in that she was first a primary care physician before becoming a functional medicine specialist at Root and she describes the differences in this episode.

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
15 Ratings

About

Get to the Root is the podcast redefining what health benefits should be. Hosted by Dr. Erica Armstrong, founder and CEO of Root. Here, we explore the category we created: root cause health benefits—a smarter approach to care that uses advanced lab screening and functional medicine to reverse chronic conditions and optimize health. The result? Healthier people and lower healthcare costs for employers. In each episode, we sit down with forward-thinking employers, innovative brokers, and healthcare leaders who are driving real, measurable change. If you're ready to move beyond sick care and get to the root of what’s driving costs—and outcomes—this podcast is for you.

Information

  • Creator
    Root Functional Medicine
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    24
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Root Functional Medicine. All rights reserved. This podcast and its content are protected by copyright. Unauthorized use, reproduction, or distribution is prohibited without permission.
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    Get to the Root Podcast