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

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

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.

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

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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

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Learn how you can scale your care team with AI: https://link.CareCo.ai/rmvhvq

In this episode I sit down with Steve Wardell, managing partner at Wardell Advisors LLC, for an eye-opening conversation that peels back the curtain on healthcare venture capital. Drawing parallels between HBO's Silicon Valley and the real digital health VC world, Wardell breaks down the psychology behind investor behavior, explains why playing "hard to get" with VCs can backfire, and reveals the red flags that signal toxic investor relationships. This episode is essential listening for health tech founders navigating today's funding landscape, where AI-enabled startups are capturing the majority of investment dollars and the "full stack" trend is revolutionizing how VCs think about healthcare companies. Wardell provides actionable insights on funding stages, market consolidation opportunities, and the strategic mistakes that waste entrepreneurs' time while sharing proven frameworks for positioning yourself as an expert rather than a supplicant when pitching to venture capital firms.

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction and Welcome
00:05:58 - The Psychology of VC Funding
00:12:25 - Funding Stages Breakdown
00:23:00 - Bootstrapping vs the VC Treadmill
00:25:32 - Red Flags and Toxic Investors
00:35:15 - How to Pitch VCs Effectively
00:41:42 - Specialized vs Generalist Funds
00:48:00 - Closing Thoughts

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In this episode, CMMI Director Abe Sutton shares his unique journey from the private sector back to government service and reveals how he's rapidly transforming Medicare through innovative payment models. Sutton discusses the newly launched WISER (Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction) model, which leverages AI technology to reduce fraud and waste in Medicare, and the upcoming ASM (Ambulatory Specialty Model) targeting heart failure and lower back pain. The conversation explores CMMI's 2025 strategy focused on evidence-based prevention, patient empowerment, and choice and competition, while addressing how emerging technologies like generative AI are creating unprecedented opportunities to streamline healthcare administration and improve patient outcomes. Sutton also reveals how he spent four years during his "off season" developing a comprehensive roadmap for healthcare innovation that he's now implementing at warp speed.

Links:
WISeR (Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction) model: https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innova...
ASM (Ambulatory Specialty Model): https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innova...
CMMI's 2025 Strategy Focus: https://www.cms.gov/priorities/innova...

Learn how AI can amplify your care coordination team by visiting https://link.careco.ai/HTRKQs

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Introduction and Welcome
00:00:37 - Why Leave Private Sector for Government Service
00:09:16 - AI and Technology's Impact on Healthcare Innovation
00:17:49 - WISER Model Introduction and Goals
00:30:45 - Food Policy and Making America Healthy Again
00:34:08 - ASM Model for Heart Failure and Lower Back Pain
00:38:31 - Four Years of Preparation During "Off Season"

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In this episode of Healthcare Trailblazers, we sit down with David Norris, serial entrepreneur and CEO of Affineon Health, for an in-depth conversation about tackling one of healthcare's most pressing challenges: provider burnout. With 2025 marking a pivotal year for AI adoption in healthcare, particularly around administrative burden relief and provider burnout solutions, David shares his unique perspective from both sides of the funding equation as co-founder of Affineon and participant in Andrew Ng's AI Fund venture studio.
The conversation covers David's fascinating entrepreneurial journey, including mentorship from legendary figures like Bill Campbell (former coach to Steve Jobs) and Howard Schultz of Starbucks, before diving deep into how Affineon is revolutionizing healthcare through AI-powered inbox management for providers. As healthcare organizations increasingly seek AI solutions that deliver clear ROI around clinical efficiency and burnout mitigation, David explains how their platform achieves 100% accuracy while automating 30-80% of provider inbox workflows, and discusses the competitive dynamics reshaping the healthcare AI landscape, funding strategies for healthcare startups, and predictions for where AI technology is heading in the next five years.

Timestamps:
00:00:00 - Welcome and Introduction
00:01:14 - David's Entrepreneurial Journey and Legendary Mentors
00:07:17 - AI Fund Partnership and Affineon's Mission to Solve Provider Burnout
00:21:44 - Funding Strategies and Competitive Landscape in Healthcare AI
00:31:31 - Future of AI in Healthcare: 3-5 Year Technology Predictions
00:37:00 - Closing and Contact Information