Today Codrin is joined by Raoul Sherwitzl, the co-founder of Natural Cycles, a mobile app for contraception and fertility monitoring. Raoul and his wife developed the concept together while researching non-hormonal, non-invasive alternatives to the traditional birth control they were used to. Unsatisfied with their options, they set about developing an app that would predict ovulation using only data input from the user. Natural Cycles uses daily body temperature readings to assess whether a woman is at risk of pregnancy on a particular day. As an entirely non-invasive option, Natural Cycles also offers the unique benefit of having zero risk of side effects. Raoul lets us in on his plans for the future of this software and the technology associated with it. He intends on making the app more accessible and furthering the technology to create a better user experience. Ultimately, he would like to expand the services offered by Natural Cycles, creating and accessible and easy-to-use software that supports women’s health overall. Listen to the podcast to learn about: • The science behind how Natural Cycles accurately predicts ovulation. • How Natural Cycles has changed fertility monitoring for its users. • Benefits of using an app as opposed to traditional methods of birth control. • How algorithm-based technology could change the future of health care. • The challenge of creating a product for which there are no existing regulations in place. • How the accessibility of birth control ties into greater issues, such as climate change. • The importance of transparency when marketing healthcare products. • Raoul’s immediate plans for updates to Natural Cycles.

Julie Charlestein is welcomed by Codrin in this episode. She is the President and CEO of Premier Dental Products, a company that develops, manufactures, and distributes innovative solutions for dentists around the world. There are many technological advances currently available to dentists, but Julie explains that the adoption of these has brought mixed results. We hear Julie’s thought on gender representation in her industry as well as the history of her business. It was founded by her family, but she first gained her insights by observing the company from the outside. Premier Dental Products leverages a large amount of customer data to optimize their products. Julie gives us some insights to this process, including how new product needs can be identified. Listen to the podcast to learn about: • How dentist offices are like mini tech centers. • Trends being seen right now in the dental space. • Traxodent, a flagship product offered by Premier Dental Products. • A product that has seen an uptick in popularity during COVID-19. • The collaborative relationship that used to exist in this space. • Data that the company collects and how it is leveraged. • Determining the likelihood of product adaptation using artificial intelligence. • Getting data on how products are used when they are sold by a distributor. • Looking at holes in the marketplace. • Upcoming trends that Julie thinks will influence her company in the next decade. • What we can get excited about as dental consumers.

Today’s guest is Nick Cherukuri, Founder and CEO of ThirdEye, a company providing augmented reality glasses. ThirdEye was founded in 2016 and has seen rapid growth as a provider of all in one augmented reality solutions for all industries. In the case of the healthcare space, ThirdEye aims to provide hands free working for medical professionals, allowing workers in the field to remotely connect to experts and access protocols and patient information. Nick joins us today to discuss the many possible applications for AR in healthcare, how ThirdEye has avoided the fate of Google Glass and the scope for using AR as a chronic disease management tool. Listen to the podcast to learn about: • How ThirdEye came to be • Specific use cases for AR in healthcare • The benefits of hands-free working in the medical field • Telehealth applications of ThirdEye technology • Avoiding the fate of Google Glass • Creating the ability to triage at a distance • Improving safety and efficiency for workers • Integration with existing healthcare systems • Human factor issues in using ThirdEye technology • User face and intractability options • Current healthcare applications and opportunities • Going past gadgets to becoming useful technology • Use cases for quality of life improvement • Scope for chronic disease management in AR • The beneficial features of ThirdEye products • Pricing options and programs • Where ThirdEye is going in the next five to ten years • Future possibilities for AR integration in healthcare

Today’s guest is Madhu Reddiboina, CEO of RediMinds Inc. This company is in the data sciences field aiming to improve the healthcare delivery through data acquisition and analysis. RediMinds specialize in collecting and organizing all patient centric clinical modalities, problem-specific data integration, and feature engineering. Their models augment the physician’s ability to predict disease vectors and effectively administer treatment protocols. We hear about what data science is and how it can be used in the healthcare space, the issue of explainability when it comes to AI, and the hinderances to interoperability in the current system. Listen to the podcast to learn about: • What data science is • The scope of the applications of data science in healthcare • The process of ‘digitizing’ the patient journey and how it can create predictability models • What the current extent of data science utilization is in the healthcare system • Mechanisms of building predictability models • How RediMinds validates their AI models • The issue of Explainability • Lack of interoperability in the current healthcare system • Creating a better understanding of disease through data science • Fragmentation issues in the healthcare data space • How the fear of new technology and liability hinders adoption rates • The potential role of data science in healthcare over the next decade • The future of RediMinds

Today’s guest is Dr. Jeremy Orr, CEO and Chief Medical Officer of Medial EarlySign, a company that hopes to create widespread AI and machine learning integration in diagnostics. Medial EarlySign aims to help their clients deliver better patient care by identifying individuals at risk of high burden disease who might benefit from the earlier detection of deterioration trajectories. They are leading the charge in augmenting healthcare providers and increasing automation in healthcare delivery. Dr. Orr joins us to discuss applying machine learning techniques to clinical data, how the success of their algorithms is measured, and the impediments they face in expanding AI adoption. Listen to the podcast to learn about: • What Medial EarlySign does • Applying machine learning techniques to clinical data • The Medial EarlySign mission: Aiming for early detection • The process of validating algorithms • FDA classification and interactions • The accuracy percentage of their current algorithm • How they aim to augment healthcare providers, not replace them • The process of incorporating more machine learning into diagnostics • How AI can impact chronic condition management • Friction points and resistance to AI • The importance of individualised, smooth workflow integration • Creating trust in machine learning • The high standards AI is held to and how it can cause distrust • Impediments to expanding adoption • The future of Medial EarlySign and machine learning in healthcare

On today’s episode of Healthcare Weekly, Larry Cohen, the CEO of Health 2047 talks about his company’s goal to transform the medical industry from the ground up. Health2047 focuses on four main groups: data liquidity, chronic care, radical productivity, and healthcare value. They tackle some of the biggest healthcare challenges in partnership with the American Medical Association (AMA), the parent company of Health2047. Why the name Health2047? Because in 2047, America will lead the world in all major healthcare metrics. This company has some huge goals and they are well on their way to achieving them. Listen to this episode to learn about: • What Health2047 does and how the AMA plays a part in the company. • How does Health2047 work and how is it structured? • The four companies involved with Health2047 and their roles. • Who should reach out to have an exploratory conversation with Health2047. • The advancement of digital services assisting senior citizens. • The biggest hurdles to overcome when launching a new technological solution for physicians. • Some of the concerns that come up from a physician’s perspective when adopting new technologies. • Health2047’s plan to announce one major partnership per quarter. How does that work? • The most exciting trends that’s changing the healthcare system.

Today’s guest is Glen de Vries. He is Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Medidata, a platform for professionals and patients involved in clinical trials to simply and comprehensively collect data. Medidata is the most used platform for clinical trials in the world and has powered tens of thousands of trails, with millions of patients and billions of patient records. Medidata aims to create and improve precision medicine by utilizing data collected in clinical trials to improve treatment protocols. Glen discusses the importance of the patient experience when collecting data, how clinical trial management protocols are changing with technological innovations, and how digital transformation can help transform the healthcare system. Listen to the podcast to learn about: • How Medidata began as a platform to connect life sciences professionals • How the Medidata platform allows for greater patient engagement and connection to research • How Medidata has created a fully interactive experience • Clinical trial protocols and how they are changing with advancements in technology • The importance of aiding and administering precision medicine • ‘Patient Equation’: what it is and how it works • Data collection and analysis in modern clinical trials • How health systems can break down data silos • Opportunities for data collection and utilization during COVID-19 • The process of simplifying and consolidating data collection • How technology could impact the future management of trials • Future predictions for precision medicine

On today’s episode we are joined by Jon Zimmerman, the CEO of Holon Solutions. Holon Solutions has built a patented technology software, CollaborNet®, which provides healthcare practices with patient insights so that they can focus on delivering optimal patient care. Jon has over 35 years in the healthcare industry and was part of pioneering Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) process which can be used by companies to share data securely in an electronic format in the late 1980s. In 2014, he received the Louis J. Sullivan Award from the Workgroup for Electronic Data Interchange (WEDI) for his continued efforts in making the healthcare industry more efficient. Listen to this episode to hear more on: • What Holon Solutions does and how their solution fits into the bigger picture of data accessibility in healthcare • How physicians interact with the Holon Solutions platform • How Holon Solutions provide insights that assist the diagnosis process. • If the platform has experienced pushback from physicians based on user compatibility • The return on investment (ROI) by using the software • Metrics for adopting CollaborNet • Gaps in medical coding and how the platform addresses them • What hospital systems can expect if they invest in working long-term with Holon Solutions

This week on the Healthcare Weekly podcast, Codrin Arsene interviewed Bryan Statham. He is the CEO of RxBenefits, a pharmacy adviser to employee benefits consultants and an established pharmacy benefits solution provider for self-insured employers. The company was founded in 1995 and Bryan began working there in 2005. This episode gets stated by discussing the difference between a PBM and a PBO. We hear about 3 things self-insured companies should look for when negotiating benefits coverage options for their employees: the contract, clinical elements, and the service. The employees of RxBenefits work as a health insurance accountant: they read over contracts, make suggestions, and help employers optimize their benefits plan. Bryan explains that some of the big benefits providers sometimes use tactics trying to upsell employers. They may offer an add-on, preying on the employers’ lack of knowledge to tell them that they require more than they really do. Companies must do their due diligence before settling on a plan. Listen to the podcast to learn about: • The difference between a PBM and a PBO. • 3 things companies who are self-insured should look for in their benefits coverage. • How companies can negotiate the price of a healthcare coverage contract and optimize cost over time without reducing quality of care. • What the employees of RxBenefits do. • How big benefits providers sometimes prey on employers’ lack of knowledge. • The value and importance of understanding health benefits coverage offered under an insurance plan

Today’s guest is Michael O’Neil, Sr. Vice President of Strategy & Development for Healthcare Bluebook. Healthcare Bluebook, started in 2007, is a digital platform that combines objective price and quality data with industry-leading usability helping employers and employees get the best price for their upcoming medical procedure. Healthcare Bluebook provides people and organizations with everything they need to be more effective healthcare consumers. Michael joins us today to discuss the lack of transparency in the American healthcare system and how his company has established a streamlined rating system of healthcare options to help patients decide where to have their next medical procedure done. Listen to the podcast to learn about: • What Healthcare Bluebook does • The difference between actual cost and billed charges in healthcare • Price transparency problems in the US health system • Why transparency is such a big issue in healthcare • How the health system is geared to benefit payers • Why profit caps for payers has driven up treatment costs • Why self-insured employers could be the best bet for driving change in healthcare price transparency • Cherry picking which provider is best and identifying who is worst for your next medical procedure • How Healthcare Bluebook made data around medical procedures easily digestible for consumers • The future of price discrepancy and price transparency

Darren Schulte, CEO of Apixio, joins Codrin Arsene to talk about the present and future of artificial intelligence in healthcare in this episode of the Healthcare Weekly Podcast. Founded in 2009, Apixio is a data science and advanced analytics company dedicated to unlocking actionable, relevant and timely insights for health providers all over the US. Apixio uses a patented computing platform that analyzes health records and gives a deep insight into patient health. A big problem in the healthcare industry is getting a complete picture of a patient’s overall health from available data sources (electronic medical records, surveys, questionnaires and more). This is the crux of why interoperability in the healthcare system remains more of a myth, so far, than a tangible reality. Apixio is trying to fix this issue. Listen to this episode to hear more on: • Why the current healthcare system is broken when it comes to interoperability • Information gap between physicians and specialists and how this affects diagnostics and ongoing care regimen for patients. • How artificial intelligence can completely redefine the healthcare industry - and indeed it’s doing so as we speak. • Why have we not made more progress when it comes to AI adoption in the healthcare space? • Do we have the infrastructure in place to make AI work for the healthcare industry? • Industry changes required to further support the adoption of artificial intelligence at scale.

Today’s guest is Tracy Warren, CEO and Co-Founder of Astarte Medical. Astarte Medical is a precision medicine company using software and predictive analytics to improve preterm infant outcomes. Astarte utilizes data collected during treatment of preterm infants to help caregivers create treatment protocols based on optimizing the health of the microbiome within the first 1000 days of life. They offer the NICUtrition platform that allows professionals to streamline their process and have easy access to patient data. Tracy is here to discuss the impact nutrition has on the first 1000 days of life for preterm babies, how their platform utilizes data to create predictions and how much the cost of preterm care can be alleviated by using their software. Listen to the podcast to learn about: • What Astarte Medical aims to do • How they hope to impact long-term healthcare by focusing on the microbiome • What happens in terms of care after a baby is born prematurely • Understanding the specific needs of preterm babies • Challenges involved with preterm health • What causes growth rate failure in preterm infants • How hospitals deal with the issues surrounding preterm healthcare today • How staff interact with the NICUtrition platform • The benefits of having consolidated data • The process of setting protocols based on collected data sets • The cost of preterm care and how utilizing NICUtrition can alleviate some of it • Re-admittance rates of preterm infants • The importance of early pregnancy education regarding nutrition • The most important technology that could improve healthcare delivery • Addressing healthcare inequality

On today’s episode of Healthcare Weekly, we are talking to Rachel Jones, Vice President of Cotiviti, a software company that leverages unparalleled clinical and financial datasets to deliver deep insight into the performance of the healthcare system. Cotiviti’s main focus is on payments, risk and quality. Understanding health plans is increasingly difficult for self insured employers, insurance brokers and even third party administrators. Cotiviti helps all these agents ensure they are getting the best quality of care at the most affordable cost, both as a healthcare payer and member. Listen to this episode to hear more about: • An in-depth look at how Cotiviti works. • How Insights and Analytics Can Provide Better Health Plan Options to Patients and Employers • How COVID-19 is affecting healthcare practices and services. • The increase in telehealth utilization and the cost shift from in-person services - and what it means for doctors and employers. • How back-to-school typically affects healthcare and what employers can do about it. • How Cotiviti can spotlight to predict future healthcare risks. • Cotiviti’s COVID-19 tracker and how it can uncover patterns and actionable insights. • How Cotiviti provides an online tool for everyone to uncover COVID-19 concentrations by state and county level and find out the next hotspots. • What Rachel thinks the main trends in healthtech are and how they’re helping shape the “new normal”.

On today’s episode of the Healthcare Weekly Podcast, we are joined by Ron Chiarello from Alveo Technologies. Listen to Ron and learn about his exciting company which is closing the loop on at-home testing kits allowing patients to get near-instant test results. In the current at-home testing market, the usual process requires customers to take a blood sample and send it back to a lab for testing. Results are often available online within 3-5 business days after the lab receives the sample. Alveo Technologies plan to turn the market on its head with their proprietary test analyzer which can provide test results and actionable recommendations in approximately 30 minutes or less. Ron also talks about the first at-home coronavirus test his company is working on. Ease of use and low costs are the main considerations in creating the at-home COVID-19 test, which is currently in clinical trials. Listen to the podcast to learn about: • How being able to have affordable, easy access to at-home testing kits would impact the healthcare industry. • Why antibody testing, the most common at-home is not always the most reliable one • What to do with test results once you have them and the various options Alveo Technologies will provide to customers (telemedicine integration is one of them!). • Ron’s timeline for having the COVID test readily available to consumers • How America may return to a sense of normalcy and how effective testing could help with that goal.

Today’s guest is Dr. Loubna Bouarfa, CEO of Cambridge-based AI productization company OKRA Technologies. Founded in 2015, OKRA Technologies aims to create easily explainable and actionable data sets for healthcare workers. Utilizing the Okra Explainability Engine, the company empowers users by explaining the outputs behind AI systems. They offer solutions to existing teams in the Life Sciences industry to enable quick and decisive action to be taken by employees. Loubna joins us today to discuss how OKRA Technologies works to provide suggestions and awareness of emerging treatments, how they utilize historical data to prioritize needs and overcoming opposition to AI adoption. Listen to the podcast to learn about: • OKRA’S mission statement • How they select and serve their demographic • The process of articulating the correct treatments regardless of user location • Forecasting outcomes • How their engine provides suggestions and creates awareness of emerging treatments • Building trust and overcoming fear in the Life Sciences industry • Providing equal opportunities for everyone to have access to treatments • Drawing on historical data to prioritize needs for treatment • How OKRA provides insights • The effects of COVID-19 on the adoption of artificial intelligence • Creating explainable and accessible AI • The process of algorithm validation • Creating scalable solutions • What types and amount of data are needed to create operable algorithms? • The main challenges of adopting AI in the Life Sciences field • The build vs buy mentality and how it can be detrimental • Where Loubna sees the industry heading over the next decade

Today’s guest is Matt Michela, CEO of Life Image. Life Image is the world’s largest medical evidence and image exchange network, providing access to points of care and curated imaging data. Life Image was founded in 2008 and provides medical organizations and patients with centralized access to data via the use of their Interoperability Suite. The platform allows for seamless integration into existing EMR systems and offers a way to democratize data via a vendor-agnostic tool. Matt joins us today to discuss how their Interoperability Suite is utilized, the benefits of centralized data and the importance of contactless data collection during the pandemic. Listen to the podcast to learn about: • The type of data Life Image allows access to • Creating a data exchange for providers • How health systems access Life Image • Tailoring the platform to provider preference • Accelerating data access and decreasing stress • Creating seamless integrations into multiple health workflows • Utilizing embedded information in DICOM images • How Life Image helps outside partners with algorithm creation • Increasing the adoption rate of third-party partner tech • How Life Image is being utilized during COVID-19 • Trends emerging with providers during the pandemic • The importance of seamless data sharing with treatment centers • Decreasing infection chances by eliminating the need for physical data exchange

Today’s guest is Dr. Jud Brewer, Director of Research and Innovation, Mindfulness Center at Brown University and senior scientific and medical advisor for behavioral health at Sharecare and the creator of MindSciences. Reminiscing on how MindSciences began at Yale, Dr. Brewer takes us back to 2012 when smartphones started becoming more prevalent. The good doctor tells us about how he aspired to develop digital-based therapeutics and how he spent almost one decade achieving this mission. MindSciences is currently the leading evidence-based behavior change app and it has recently been acquired by Sharecare. Dr. Brewer explains what neurofeedback is and how Anderson Cooper became involved with it for a story on 60 Minutes. Focusing on smoking habits, Dr. Brewer breaks down the two main components of cravings, both physiological and psychological, and the roles those play in our habits - and how digital-enabled platforms can help smokers quit. Listen to the podcast further to learn about: • How your habit can be influenced by algorithms & daily regiments • How mental awareness can help you • How COVID-19 and quarantine are affecting habits in general • How an app can make sure you achieve your health goals and alter behavior • Discover what mindfulness training is and how it can benefit you • The importance and significance of digital outreach • The future plans for MindSciences after being acquired by Sharecare

Today’s guest is Dan Brillman, co-founder and CEO of Unite Us. Dan is a Yale graduate who, after starting a career in finance, joined the Air Force Reserves as a pilot. After several combat deployments, Dan realized the transition for veterans back into the civilian life was not as seamless as it should be. This inspired him to create a solution. Unite Us is a platform that acts as a unifying infrastructure between health care entities and community-based organizations. By utilizing electronic referral services, Unite Us aims to improve access to services for groups that need it most. Dan joins us today to discuss the functionality of the Unite Us platform, who benefits most from its resources and how the data collected can be analyzed for systemic improvements. Listen to the podcast to learn about: • The health care access problems for veterans • How Unite Us improves coordination of supply chains and service navigation • Why the initial model of the company didn’t work for the business or users • How Unite Us presented a solution for statewide coordinative care in North Carolina • The impact of COVID-19: Accelerating the launch of the platform • Providing insight to government by utilizing data regarding efficiency, demand and supply • What other vulnerable groups can benefit from the platform • The extent of accessible services on Unite Us • Predicting social needs and risk factors using aggregate data • Creating actionable data to move the industry forward • Legislative barriers to expansion • The necessity to focus on what is right for the patient across the industry • Emerging tech trends that could propel the business

Today’s guest is Dr. Anand Srivastava. He is the Co-founder, Chairman and Chief Scientific Officer of GIOSTAR. GIOSTAR is the Global Institute of Stem Cell Therapy and Research. Under Dr. Anand’s leadership, scientists and clinicians have developed and established stem cell therapies for various types of autoimmune diseases and blood disorders. Dr. Anand joins us today to discuss his experience in the field of stem cell research, the uses for stem cells and how they could be employed to battle COVID-19. Listen to the podcast to learn about: Public vs. government perspectives on stem cell research The history of stem cell research The modern approach to stem cell therapy: regenerative medicine Understanding the spectrum of diseases humans are prone to How stem cells can be applied to help with metabolic malfunction Regenerative medicine to battle degenerative disease How the connotations of ‘embryonic’ impacted perceptions The multi-national effort to research stem cell applications to battle COVID-19 The importance of understanding the physiology of the COVID-19 virus Why people with underlying conditions and the elderly are more affected by COVID-19 How the coronavirus could impact perceptions of stem cell research The continuing necessity of a vaccine Why we need a multiple approach strategy to tackle COVID-19 Potential issues meeting supply and demand of stem cells in the future What the future of the industry holds

Today’s guest is Ashish Shah, Co-Founder and CEO of Dina. Dina is an AI-powered care coordination platform aimed to help the elderly population that live at home independently on their own terms. Dina organizes different ways to access care options in the community, such as nutrition and medical equipment needs, allowing for greater individual autonomy. With Dina, Ashish hopes to be able to educate home caregivers and individuals about what is available in their community while reducing the need for institutionalized care. Ashish joins us to discuss how Dina works, who can benefit from this innovative solution and how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced the priorities his team is working on Listen to the podcast to learn about: • The kind of decisions the elderly population face • How Dina platform works & what it’s designed to do • What gaps exist currently in the at-home service industry for the 65+ population • How Dina can be used to track an individual’s health status • Technology trends of the future impacting the healthcare industry • The type of AI services Dina employs • How the COVID-19 outbreak is accelerating innovation in the healthcare space • Large companies vs. small companies’ approach to innovation in healthcare • COVID-19 and the positive impact on long-term healthcare solutions