In this episode of “Hard Problems, Smart Solutions,” host Brendan Iglehart, Staff Healthcare Architect at Newfire, speaks with Deven McGraw, Chief Regulatory and Privacy Officer at Citizen Health and one of the nation’s leading voices on patient privacy, data access, and healthcare regulation. Together, they discuss how forward-thinking companies can turn data rights, compliance, and AI regulation into opportunities for differentiation and patient impact. Deven shares her extensive experience in healthcare privacy and regulatory policy, including her influential work with HIPAA at the US Department of Health and Human Services. They discuss the importance of early integration of compliance in product development, the challenges and opportunities in patient data access, and the regulatory landscape affecting health tech startups.

Listeners will gain perspective on how to:

• Overcome the “sludge in the pipes” that still blocks seamless patient data access.
• Design AI-driven tools that empower patients without crossing regulatory lines.
• Build compliance cultures that encourage transparency instead of fear.
• Anticipate privacy challenges that could redefine the next five years of digital health.
• Turn regulation from a constraint into a strategic advantage for innovation.