What if the solution to safer surgeries started with a radiologist teaching himself to code?

In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf sits down with Dr. Jesse Courtier, pediatric radiologist and founder of Sira Medical, to explore how he turned a reading-room frustration into an augmented reality platform reshaping pre-surgical planning, training, and education.

Jesse shares his journey from anthropology major to self-taught Unity developer, building his first prototype with a HoloLens and YouTube tutorials. What began as a grassroots effort—showing 3D models to surgeons in his reading room has grown into a venture backed by UCSF and 500 Global. Together, Colette and Jesse dive into how Sira Medical is helping surgeons save time in the operating room, improving resident education, and even reducing patient anxiety by making anatomy understandable in 3D.

• Why traditional radiology reports and imaging fail to fully translate complex anatomy
• How AR is helping surgeons reduce OR time by up to 20%
• The surprising impact of 3D models on patient education and anxiety
• Lessons from going through accelerators like UCSF Catalyst and 500 Global
• Why early customer feedback is critical to finding product-market fit
• Tips for healthcare founders on research, outreach, and knowing when “good enough” is better than perfect

💡 Golden Nugget:

“Don’t wait to perfect your product before showing it to people. Get it in their hands, your customers will tell you what matters most.”

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jesse-courtiermd
• Website: siramedical.com

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What if your personal journey through end-of-life decisions inspired a business dedicated to guiding families through the hardest choices they’ll ever face?

In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf sits down with David Hopkins, co-owner of Assisted Living Locators of Central Florida, to explore how his career in senior living operations and his own family’s experiences shaped his mission to serve as a trusted navigator for families in crisis.

David shares why senior living placement is as much about trust and compassion as it is about logistics, and how he and his co-owner are differentiating their franchise through authentic storytelling, community outreach, and education. From supporting first responders on dementia awareness to rebranding senior living as a place of dignity, David reveals the heart and strategy behind building a healthcare business that truly serves.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why most families encounter senior living in a moment of panic, and how to prepare before a crisis hits
• How Assisted Living Locators builds trust through authenticity, testimonials, and community engagement
• Why dementia awareness training for first responders is critical and how it changes outcomes
• The marketing challenge of speaking to two audiences: seniors and their adult children
• The role of personal storytelling in making healthcare brands relatable and credible

💡 Golden Nugget:

“Know your story and don’t be afraid to share the mistakes alongside the wins. Authenticity is what connects people to your brand.”

Connect with David Hopkins:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/davidshopkins
• Website: assistedlivinglocators.com/central-florida

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What if the pain you’ve lived with for years was never properly diagnosed?

In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataff sits down with Dr. Nelson Hendler, Chief Medical Officer at DiagnoseMyPains.com, to uncover why misdiagnosis in chronic pain is shockingly common—and how his AI-powered diagnostic platform is helping patients and providers find real answers.

Drawing on his decades of work at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Hendler reveals how rushed doctor visits, unreliable imaging tests, and overlooked patient histories lead to misdiagnosis rates as high as 80%. He explains how his team developed a 72-question online diagnostic tool that achieves 96% accuracy, empowering patients to uncover the true cause of their pain and helping healthcare professionals deliver better care.

Together, they explore real patient success stories, the pitfalls of overreliance on imaging, and lessons every healthcare entrepreneur can learn about market research, credibility, and scaling an innovative solution in a crowded market.

• Why MRIs and CT scans often miss the real cause of pain
• How rushed doctor visits contribute to widespread misdiagnosis
• The AI-powered questionnaire changing pain diagnostics
• Lessons on market research and growth from a physician-turned-entrepreneur
• Why credibility and third-party validation matter more than marketing hype

💡 Golden Nugget:

“Patient history is far more important than imaging when it comes to diagnosis. If doctors don’t take the time to listen, misdiagnosis is inevitable.”

• Website: DiagnoseMyPains.com
• Nelson’s Profile linkedin.com/in/nelsonhendler
• Websites :DiagnoseMyPains.com,PainValidityTest.com

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What if the turning point in your career and your life came from surviving one of the most tragic days in U.S. history?

In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf sits down with Jim Donovan, growth consultant at Culina Health, to discuss his journey from Wall Street investment banker and 9/11 survivor to helping scale one of today’s fastest-growing virtual nutrition platforms.

Jim opens up about how the events of 9/11 changed his outlook on life, career, and identity, and how those lessons now shape his work in healthcare innovation. Together, they explore how Culina Health is redefining personalized nutrition, from culturally affirming care to employer wellness programs that offer sustainable alternatives to expensive GLP-1 medications.

What You’ll Learn:

• How a 9/11 survivor transformed tragedy into a new life mission
• Why Culina Health is pioneering culturally affirming, virtual nutrition care
• How employers can provide affordable wellness solutions beyond GLP-1 subsidies
• The role of field sales and founder-led growth in scaling health startups
• Why small details like QR codes on sales collateral make or break provider engagement
• Hard truths about product-market fit and why it’s a marathon, not a sprint

💡 Golden Nugget:

“Product-market fit is a slog—it won’t happen overnight. Stay open to the journey, because it might take you somewhere better than you ever imagined.”

Connect with Jim Donovan:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jidonovan
• Website: https://donovankidd.com/ , https://culinahealth.com/

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How do you take healthcare’s toughest challenges, fragmented data, regulatory complexity, and life-or-death decisions, and turn them into opportunities for innovation?

In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf sits down with Nancy Ahola, a Board Member, C-suite executive, and global business growth strategist, to explore how technology is reshaping healthcare and what it truly takes to scale in this highly regulated industry.

Nancy shares her journey leading a €10M oncology project in Finland, where AI-driven insights and centralized patient records made clinical trial recruitment faster and more effective. She contrasts this with the U.S., where HIPAA restrictions and fragmented EHRs often leave patients out of potentially life-saving trials.

• How centralized data and AI can transform clinical trial recruitment
• Why U.S. patients often miss out on trials due to EHR fragmentation
• The current role of AI in radiology, oncology, and genetic risk analysis
• Why interoperable health records could unlock better care continuity
• Challenges healthcare startups face in regulation, funding, and adoption
• How founders can build their “founding crew” of mentors and advocates

💡 Golden Nugget:

“Entrepreneurship in healthcare doesn’t have to be lonely—find your people, build your support crew, and keep going.”

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/global-business-growth-strategy
• Calendly: calendly.com/nancy-ahola/60min
• Email: nancy.ahola@gmail.com

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What if the strongest predictor of surgical success wasn’t age or diagnosis—but frailty? And what if assessing frailty could be automated at check-in, providing doctors with critical insights before they meet the patient?

In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf sits down with Dr. Jason Johanning, vascular surgeon and founder of Vital IT System, to explore how his company is transforming frailty assessments from outdated pen-and-paper methods into automated, billable tools integrated with EMRs.

Jason shares how his work in surgical services earned the 2023 Eisenberg Award, why existing methods weren’t enough, and how his passion for biomechanics and technology led to the creation of a Class I FDA-registered device now on the market. He also opens up about navigating early product development in India, pivoting back to the U.S. for faster progress, and leveraging Nebraska’s entrepreneurial ecosystem to raise a pre-seed round.

From concept to commercialization, Jason reveals the persistence and passion it takes to bring a healthcare product to life—and why both are non-negotiable for founders.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why frailty is the strongest predictor of surgical and recovery outcomes
• How Vital IT System automates grip strength, walk speed, and physiological measures
• The challenges of replacing century-old methods with modern tech
• Why local manufacturing can be a scaling advantage in today’s market
• Lessons learned from shifting development from Bangalore to Nebraska
• How to approach pre-seed fundraising in medtech without giving up too much equity
• Why persistence and passion are the true keys to healthcare innovation

💡 Golden Nugget:

“Keep the passion, be persistent, and get to the end of the line.”

Connect with Jason Johanning:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jjohanning

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What does it take to steer a healthcare company through crisis, pivot at lightning speed, and still keep patients at the center of every decision?

In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf sits down with Eric Doherty, President & CEO of DPE International, to unpack the realities of building, pivoting, and scaling healthcare businesses across pharmaceuticals, medical technology, and digital health. With healthcare in his DNA, his father a pharmacist and his mother a microbiologist, Eric has spent two decades leading companies that prioritize patient outcomes over profit.

Eric shares how he turned a COVID testing startup into a digital health company in just two months, why partnering with SAS was a game-changing move for credibility and access, and how relentless outreach (hundreds of emails a day) opened doors to FDA, NIH, and even Fortune 500 CEOs. From bold moves that paid off to “failed” pivots like digital COVID passports, Eric reveals the scrappy, strategic decisions that shaped his journey through one of healthcare’s most volatile eras.

Whether you’re a founder, operator, or healthcare innovator, you’ll learn how resilience, foresight, and fearless hustle can turn setbacks into stepping stones.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why patient-first innovation drives lasting business success
• How to pivot fast without losing focus on core mission
• The role of strategic partnerships in accelerating growth
• Lessons from scaling through layoffs, rebrands, and new talent models
• Why credibility and access are startup currencies in healthcare
• How relentless outreach builds connections with top decision-makers
• Why some pivots fail—and why that’s still a win for long-term strategy
• The balance between rapid execution and thoughtful due diligence

💡 Golden Nugget:

“Never give up. The email you’re afraid to send could change your company’s future.”

Connect with Eric Doherty:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ericdohertygloballeader
• Company: SAS Partnership Press Release
• Company: PR Newswire – Dr. Robert Redfield Named Senior Medical Advisor
• Personal: Shoutout Atlanta – Meet Eric Doherty

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What does it take to turn messy healthcare data into real-world impact for patients and providers?

In this episode of Lightning RX, host Colette Nataf sits down with Chris Hutchins, healthcare strategist and founder of Hutchins Data Strategy, to unpack how health systems can cut through complexity and make data actually work for them. With years of experience helping organizations navigate data governance, analytics, and adoption challenges, Chris shares how he empowers teams to make smarter decisions faster.

Chris dives into the biggest pitfalls he sees in healthcare data strategy, why alignment between IT and business leaders is crucial, and how to balance short-term wins with long-term transformation. From cleaning up data pipelines to ensuring clinicians trust the insights they’re given, he outlines the roadmap for creating systems that actually stick.

Whether you’re a hospital executive, a data leader, or a startup founder building in healthcare, this conversation is packed with lessons on clarity, execution, and the human side of data-driven change.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why most healthcare data strategies fail before they start
• How to align IT and business teams around shared goals
• The role of trust and adoption in making data valuable
• Practical steps for cleaning up and governing healthcare data
• How to balance short-term impact with long-term transformation
• Ways to build systems that scale across a health organization

💡 Golden Nugget:

“Data is only valuable if people use it. Strategy is about turning numbers into trust, action, and outcomes.”

Connect with Chris Hutchins:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chutchins-healthcare
• Website: hutchinsdatastrategy.com

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