With today’s runaway costs, finding and controlling fraud and abuse is more important than ever. On today’s show, we have special guest Bill Lucia, the CEO, President and Chairman for HMS. They are a leader in the cost containment space, serving over 40 states Medicaid programs, Medicare, 325+ commercial health plans, as well as many large employers nationally.

In this episode, Dr. Steve and Bill Lucia discuss:

- Reducing healthcare waste is more than a technology fix

- Understanding how current and future risk bear on costs

- Telehealth as an engagement tool

- HMS' acquisition of Eliza for consumer engagement

- The power of investing into behavioral & advertising science

Dr. Steve is fresh on the warpath with this new 'Red Hot' episode. In it, he speaks with Intermountain Healthcare's leadership team, on the war they're waging against opioid addiction and overprescribing. 

Dr. David Hasleton, Associate Chief Medical Officer and Mikelle Moore, Senior Vice President of Community Health and Population Health Management.

KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED INCLUDE:

• The staggering statistics of opioid abuse today
• How the body gets addicted to these powerful medications
• Intermountain Health's goal to drop acute opioid prescriptions by 40%
• How past health plan and medical culture helped cause the current epidemic
• Views on medical cannabis as a viable alternative for stopping opioid abuse

Today we have a powerhouse in healthcare. The former head of the ONC – appointed by President Obama, she’s a provider, health tech leader, sits on the board of Humana…and is making a hard charge toward jer vision for public health 3.0.

It’s Dr. Karen DeSalvo…and she’s taking on the tough issues and the tough questions…right here on Red Hot Healthcare..let’s go!

In this episode, Dr. Steve and former Asst. Secretary Dr. DeSalvo discuss the following:

• Her unique history in dual leadership roles at CMS
• The effects of her tenure with the Meaningful Use Act of HIPAA
• A much needed lift for public health
• Loss aversion vs rewards in patient motivation
• Lessons she learned as Health Commissioner of New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina

Dr. Stephen Klasko. If you don't know the name, or know the name but not his thoughts - you need to. This could well be the next face whose steps lead the way for other healthcare providers and health systems around the country.

He's bold in his statements and his actions. His mantra is all about the need for, and the employment of significant disruption, creativity, and innovation for the next phase of America's healthcare. He's doing just that - for what has become one of the fastest-growing and top-rated healthcare systems in America.

In this latest episode of RED HOT HEALTHCARE, host Dr. Steve Ambrose and Dr. Stephen Klasko discuss:

• Developing a model of technical competence for surgeons
• Moving away from incremental thought in medicine and academics
• Shifting from a B2B to a B2C Millennial-centered business model
• Trading investments...from beds to telehealth
• Transforming a hospital company to a consumer health entity
• Virtual Rounds and Future Hologram visits
• Digital Innovation Consumer Experience (DICE) Group
• Dr. Klasko's prescriptive solutions for fixing health care (12 ‘Disruptors’)
• 'Demand Matching' for orthopedic care

In this podcast, Dr. Steve Ambrose and Dr. David Katz dive deep into healthy lifestyles and nutrition, taking on controversial subjects including:

• The 6-cylinder engine of lifestyle medicine
• Health is not really 'the prize'
• The cultural enterprise and its importance on health literacy
• Why sugar is the most important weapon of the food industry
• Getting healthy 'quick' - A losing proposition
• How the publishing industry is complicit in misinforming the public
• The 'Triad of Terror'

In this episode of RED HOT HEALTHCARE, Dr. Steve Ambrose get in-depth on the next era of content development and personalized marketing with Paul Matsen, chief marketing officer of the $8 billion healthcare system.

Matsen joined Cleveland Clinic in 2006. He is responsible for all marketing and communications programs at Cleveland Clinic including global development of the brand; marketing of key clinical lines of service; regional and international locations; and digital marketing. He also leads Cleveland Clinic’s Corporate Communications department.

This is one heck of a podcast - and below is a snippet preview of what you will listen to, on your next walk or ride. For healthcare providers, including hospitals and health systems, you will hopefully pull out some great nuggets of perception, strategy, and proven value.

In this episode, Dr. Steve and Paul Matsen discuss:

• Meeting healthcare consumers through a unique blend of created content, scalability, and social media
• The success of Cleveland's Health Affairs Blog - at 4.5 million visits per month
• The power of transparency in knowing more about doctors, costs, and personalized journeys.
• Why it's so important to create, grow and unify brand
• Psychology used to attract and drive specific consumer behaviors

When I mention an organization that walks tall and carries a big stick – you’d best be thinking of The LeapFrog Group. It has become one of the more powerful patient safety organizations in grading hospitals, through its mission of providing public transparency. Ultimately, it seeks to improve safety, quality, and affordability of U.S. health care.

Estimates today finger medical errors as causing upwards of 400,000 deaths in the U.S. each year. Additionally, employers and individual coverage purchasers are the unwitting recipients of long-term purposeful cost hyperinflation from drug companies, healthcare providers, and health payers.

Founded in 2000, the LeapFrog Group came about from large employers and care coverage purchasers who recognized the poor returns on their healthcare spend. Never has that need been more true than today - as hyperinflated costs can no longer be justified will business and individual consumers supporting the system and its pricing.

In 2017, nearly 1,800 hospitals have already completed LeapFrog's quality, safety, and resource survey. It is increasingly being considered a standard for evaluating hospital performance - specific to quality, safe, and resource use. Leapfrog already gives its own safety ratings on all U.S. hospitals; and this data is being increasingly used by individual and business healthcare consumers - especially as we see free-market forces entering into the system.

Recently, Dr. Steve Ambrose - the Founder & Host of the RED HOT HEALTHCARE Podcast, had an opportunity to engage in a riveting back-and-forth audio interview with Leah Binder, the outspoken CEO and President of The LeapFrog Group.

She was named on Becker’s list of the 50 most powerful people in healthcare, and consistently cited by Modern Healthcare among the 100 most influential people and top 25 women in healthcare.

In the complete audio listen, Dr. Steve Ambrose and Leah Binder dive deep into topics including:

• Her history of working on New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's team
• How the LeapFrog Group grew its influence with thousands of hospitals
• The REAL TRUTH on who pays the most healthcare costs
• What facets make up LeapFrog's grades & reported data
• The importance of PUBLIC transparency and accountability for all hospitals
• Extending transparency to payers and pharma companies (Dr. Steve thoughts)

Most of the RED HOT HEALTHCARE podcast shows are about 30 minutes in length. However this one was a true 'hour of power' - and perhaps my most engaging yet. Because I was lucky enough to have secured an interview with Steve DeAngelo.

Steve is an undisputed national leader and provocative visionary in the cannabis industry. With four decades of activism and advocacy, he’s inspired millions of individuals to not only learn about and benefit from cannabis, but also in influencing efforts to pass laws in local, state, and even foreign countries.

He co-founded Harborside Health Center, the largest and most successful medical marijuana dispensary in the world. He's also the co-founder and president of the ArcView Group a company and investor network, which successfully introduces investors to the cannabis community.

He also wrote a powerful and well-researched book, which completely transformed the way that many individuals, including myself, have come to view cannabis. It's called The Cannabis Manifesto - and I highly suggest you make this your next purchase and read.

Steve has been featured in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, CNN, O’Reilly Factor, the Associated Press, Huffington Post, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, the BBC, the Discovery Channel, Fortune Magazine, Forbes Magazine, and many other major media outlets.

In this show episode...Dr. Steve and Steve DeAngelo discuss some incredible dialogue on cannabis, including:

• The 'tainted' history and perpetuated lies (some eye-opening 'Whoppers')
• Why it is NOT an intoxicant
• Steve's unique history (From MLK, Freedom Riders, and Joining the 'Yippees'...to graduating Magna Cum Laude and going to Law School)
• Explaining its "ELEGANT & MAGICAL" impact on fighting cancer
• Why its legalization actually strengthens communities
• The story of success with Harborside Health and the ArcView Group
• And so much more...

What’s the largest healthcare IT company in the entire world? It’s Optum – and in 2016, it brought in $83 Billion. It's a health services and innovation company whose strategy includes partnering across the entire health system – and connecting with over 100 million Americans.

Today we hear from seasoned healthcare veteran and EVP at Optum Dr. Mitch Morris. We’re talking with the biggest of the big boys – and bringing it right to your ears. Right here on RED HOT HEALTHCARE….Let’s GO!

In this episode, Dr. Steve and Dr. Mitch Morris engage in a powerful back-and-forth on:

• The multi-segment perspectives from a 30-year healthcare veteran  
• Optum's business segments & solutions
• Their key Innovation, Strategy, and Acquisitions 
• Bringing simplicity to the complexity of healthcare 
• The power of Telehealth & Pricing Transparency
• Deep perspectives on single-payer coverage & our current healthcare crisis

John Nosta is generally regarded as one of the top global strategic and creative thinkers in digital health. He is also one the most popular speakers around the globe presenting his vibrant and insightful perspective on the future of health innovation.

John is the #1 ranked health tech influencer on Twitter. You can find him on @jjnosta

John founded and leads NOSTALAB – a digital health think tank with clients such as Google, Medtronic, Boston Scientific, GlaxoSmithKline, and many others. Plus he sits on Google's Advisory Board for Healthcare.

On this riveting episode, Dr. Steve and John delve into:

• Stage Zero Disease
• Athletic 'Wearables' Must Become Clinical Imperatives
• Collaboration in Care
• Dr. Steve's New Consumer Drug Platform
• Is Humanity Overrated?
• Stem Cell Science
• The 'Non-Doctor' Being a Healthcare Innovator
• John's Unique Thoughts on A.I.

Woodstock wasn’t all that was happening in 1969.

Back then, a husband and wife founded a small land-use consulting firm. Today that firm has more than 40% of the global market share in the geographic information systems or GIS industry. From land to oil to retail…and now, it’s turning its sights and technology on healthcare…and just at the right time.

Enter the billion-dollar company ESRI…and we’re talking to their Chief Medical Officer Dr. Este Geraghty…Right here on RED HOT HEALTHCARE…Let’s Go!

In this episode, we get into the new era of health care and the power of Geographic Information System (GIS). Topics include:

• GIS and the Science of 'Where'
• This Founder Has Led for Nearly 50 Years
• ESRI saving lives with Hurricane's Harvey & Irma
• The importance of GIS technology in the Triple Aim
• Why Google Maps owes its start to ESRI
• Health System Growth Investments Use GIS 

“The World is Full of Good. When you believe it you see it…And it’s good to see YOU.”

Words spoken many thousands of times by this former serial entrepreneur and telehealth executive who wore his last pair of pants five years ago.

If you’re at HIMSS or any major healthcare event, you’re likely to see some of today’s top leaders wearing a pair of knee-high, black-moustached, pink socks. Why? Because they’ve become part of a growing social movement called the PinkSocks tribe.

On today’s show, we have Nick Adkins – the founder of PINKSOCKS. A man whose passion burns a powerful message of gifting, connecting, and the need for genuine change into the hearts and minds of doctors, healthcare business leaders, politicians, and even world leaders.

In this episode, Dr. Steve and Pinksocks founder Nick Adkins focus on incredible stories and powerful messages, including:

• Transforming from suits and cuff links to kilts and riding a pink furry bicycle
• The power of Burning Man on individual change and outlook
• The true meaning of the #pinksocks movement
• Top healthcare leaders, influencers, and even a European Princess are going pink
• The limitation of judgement...the power of gifting and love

Today’s hospitals have increasing pressure on delivering care. This comes from high demand, more chronic disease, and the shift to risk-bearing payments from value based care.

Many health businesses are drilling down into their segments – seeing that operations continually turn up as a key issue. The constant pressure to do MORE with LESS has led to limited resources, tremendous inefficiency and waste, coupled with physician burnout and long patient wait times.

This also shows up as challenges to growth and integration from what is often over-investment in poor M&A deals, and integration thereafter.

I’ve met some intelligent thinkers and medical mavericks – and today’s guest wears both hats. Like Mick Jagger once sang...TIME really is ON HIS SIDE. 

The CEO of LeanTaas, Mohan Giridharadas…right here…right now…on RED HOT HEALTHCARE. Let’s go!

In this episode, Dr. Steve engages one of the smartest leaders on healthcare operational efficiency on the following subjects:

• The 'secret sauce' allowing his company's products to be in more than half of the top cancer centers.
• A philosophy and technology around appointment scheduling that is lowering waiting by 50%
• Smart technology in operating rooms, saving health systems tens of millions per dollars each year 
• Nurses no longer missing lunch - and the positive affects on culture and burnout
• Why most scheduling technology is built upon a mathematical foundation of Jell-O
• Differences between operational and clinical A.I.

Over a half century of runaway fee-for-service. Seven years of Obamacare. Republican leaders - with inept efforts at reform.

And now...a President who's biggest suggested solution is to sell health coverage across state lines "and it will bring premiums 60 and 70 percent.”

Seriously...is that the BEST we can do?

Can it truly be possible that our past and present leadership has failed, and is failing to properly lead us into a sustainable solution?

Today we jump into reality and reason with renowned healthcare scholar and pedigreed economist Joe Antos of the American Enterprise Institute.

Hop on the train to reason. Right here...on RED HOT HEALTHCARE.

LET'S GO!

In this episode, Dr. Steve jumps into a number of key issues on healthcare reform with noted healthcare economist and scholar Joe Antos on subjects including:

• The Conflict Between Healthcare BUSINESS vs. Consumer NEEDS
• The History of Fee-For-Service and Free Market Forces
• The Value of Healthcare Policy Literacy for Citizens and Major Media
• Costs vs. Pricing vs. Transparency
• Joe's Prescription for Reform

Here's a valuable audio snippet from the show:

DR. STEVE: "I find it interesting, from an outside-of-politics perspective, that President Trump said how it was going to be 'SO EASY TO GIVE PEOPLE GREAT HEALTHCARE...AT A TINY FRACTION OF THE PRICE'.

He also told us that selling health insurance across state lines was going to be a big help in making care a lot cheaper. Most economists, and I think most people that have a sense of how health care operates and is priced, knows that this doesn't make much sense.

However, the media bought it. The citizens bought it...and his supporters bought it. And we saw this also with Obamacare, four years ago. When Jonathan Gruber - the architect of Obamacare was caught commenting on 'THE STUPIDITY OF THE AMERICAN VOTER' toward helping President Obama pass the Affordable Care Act.

It seems like to me that we as citizens, should have a greater responsibility to be more literate on healthcare policy. Certainly not to the degree of you [or other economists]. But because citizens and the media are not literate, it seems to be a dumming-down where we [as individual taxpayers and supporting consumers] are the unfortunate recipients."

JOE ANTOS: "You never ask an easy question Steve...I have to hand it to you."

DR. STEVE: [LAUGHING]

JOE ANTOS: "So, there's a whole bunch of issues here that you're addressing. Part of it has to do with whether citizens should be more aware of what leaders in Washington are discussing, when working on health policy in Washington.

And I would agree that it would be useful...the electorate should be more informed about everything.

However, when you think about how the average person interacts with the health system, it's with their family doc. They get interacted ON.

But in terms of being actively involved, those are the elites. They may not live in Washington, and it doesn't happen outside of Washington. Policy is not made in town halls, it's not something where the average person has a lot of leverage and interest.

Policy is one thing. Interacting with your doctor is where it's at for people. They need better information about what their options are for providers, treatment, coverage, and cost. That's something that the average person could get behind, if they could get this information in a way they could understand.

DR. STEVE: " On those points I agree. I probably would take some exception, and note that health care has become largely unaffordable. We may disagree on the statistics a little, but if we look at the number one issue with healthcare.

It's not the quality, though it needs to be improved. It really seems to be the cost [to them]. You could be talking about the cost of drugs, most certainly the cost of healthcare coverage, and Obamacare has now made this more than clear.

This leads me into a point that I've been wanting to ask you as an economist. I've been biting on the bit to ask you this..."

LISTEN TO THE SHOW TO HEAR IT ALL!

Experts estimate about 300 to 400 physicians in the U.S. take their lives every year.

Physician burnout is far more than an effect of workplace stress…it’s a public health issue that threatens the U.S. healthcare system – including patient safety, quality of care, and healthcare costs.

In 2011, the Mayo clinic found 45% of physicians reported effects of burnout. In 2015, that number shot up to 54%...and today…who knows?

In this episode, we’ve got two top experts on the cutting edge of research and management centered on physician burnout, Dr. Paul DeChant and Dr. Diane Shannon.

Their book PREVENTING PHYSICIAN BURNOUT is an eye-opening and at times stunning revelation into a major problem existing in many hospital, health system, and physician offices.

We’re jumping headfirst into the heat of physician burnout – right here on RED HOT HEALTHCARE….let’s go!

In this episode, Dr. Steve jumps into physician burnout with IBM Deputy Health Chief Dr. Paul DeChant and Dr. Diane Shannon on subjects including :

• The 3 Major Symptoms of Physician Burnout
• Burnout's Extensive and Expansive Effects Into Our Entire Health System
• Erroneous assumptions - from physicians and executives
• Burnout hits nurses heavy too!
• The Toxicity of Today's Care Deliver Workflows
• The LEAN Environment - and Why Today's Efforts Fall Short

In this episode of Red Hot Healthcare, Dr. Steve talks about:

• the importance of recognizing the history and limitations of the fee-for-service payment model
• How an economist set the stage for healthcare operating outside of free market consumer forces
• CMS putting the brakes on bundled programs
• Healthcare system vs. Healthcare business needs and values
• The importance of growth for providers
• An impending healthcare bubble...and its opportunity

Today we're talking about the future of growth for providers, who will compete for, and capture health consumers and patients.

Just for S&G's (Snickers and Giggles)...do me a favor. Input only a comma on your LinkedIn search and hit SEARCH. You should come up with close to 143 Million people.

Now select 'Keywords' and under the title put 'Chief Growth Officer'. Now you'll be at a little more than 1,300 finds. Select 'Hospitals & Health' under industries...and you'll be at 91.

Now go through each one, weeding through all the companies that are not actual hospitals or health systems - or I can save you the time and trouble.

You're at SIX. There appear just six Chief Growth Officers within all the senior leadership in nearly 6,000 U.S. hospitals and health systems.

Not satisfied? OK...Google 'Chief Growth Officer Hospital' (or Health System) and start looking page after page. Not finding too much...right?

A GROWING TITLE IN CONSUMER MARKETS

The Chief Growth Officer (CGO) became a title back in 2004...later fizzling during the recession. Now it's come back again, with 40% titled in companies smaller than 50 employees; and surprisingly, CGOs are now also entering the leadership hubs of larger consumer darlings such as Hershey, Kellogg, and Coke.

In fact, Coke recently made a transformational change in replacing its Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) role with the Chief Growth Officer. This on the heels of the last three years of decreasing earnings and growth in the company.

The pullback was a big surprise. Especially since in 2011, Coke made a seemingly smart choice in shifting from its traditional advertising toward the new era of content marketing. It traded the historical success of its billboard ads and mass distributed commercials for social media, real-time experience, and online storytelling videos.

Coke even created a soda can that split in two - to share with a friend. Awww!

What they couldn't share was wanting that friend to gain weight, take in artificial sweeteners, and move that much closer to acquiring type 2 diabetes. Consumer behavior in purchasing Coke is slowly moving beyond the desire for a cold bubbly feeling on the lips, and the sweet taste on the tongue.

Fact is...healthier lifestyle choices are in.

Coca-Cola and its many carbonated/sugared brand drink partners, are slowly moving out of favor for healthier beverage options. Recognizing confirmation bias, even for a company with this type of size, intelligence, and talent often still happens at a pace slower than what their consumer market has made clear.

The insertion of Coke's CGO is not only about fixing a marketing leadership miscue. Whereas the CMO historically drove creativity, brand positioning and awareness, the CGO has become a reportable CEO advisor and key leader focused solely on growth.This happens through intersecting a blend of updated results from tactics and operational efforts from the four key areas of business activity creating profit: marketing, sales, product, and finance.

The CGO looks at many possible methods to help their organization grow. This can be rapid experimentation across marketing channels, product or service development, looking at consumer and customer insights, identifying strategic partnerships and creating new ideas to grow the business.

The need for a CGO is not just in driving sustained profitable growth as part of company strategy, but recognizing that the days of "easy growth" are over. CGOs optimize resources, expect cutting-edge marketing, build necessary capacity and efficiency, as well as focus on both disruptive and incremental innovation. (chart above by Russell Reynolds)

CONSUMERS VS. PATIENTS

Here's where the rubber meets the road, as one of the most important facets of healthcare today, is for hospitals, health systems, and other providers to recognize that health consumers, no matter how they are segmented and targeted, are meant to be competed for.

One of the great glories of the capitalism is the establishment of, and result from competition. In a free market, firms compete to provide goods and services, based on employing facets of price or quality. Ultimately consumers and customers benefit as the recipients of increasing quality and/or lower competitive pricing, as a result of company costs dropping.

Many medium to large-scale providers have had a tremendous revenue run over the last 25+ years. This has been largely due from a fee-for-service system that did little to improve poor care quality and outcomes.

A payment environment, which allowed healthcare-related costs to skyrocket a jaw-dropping 274 times since 1950, as compared to only 8 times for other products and service costs. All with continued massive demand by patients, for drugs and chronic care services.

The death knell for today's mass unaffordability appears to be emanated from the lack of pricing competition, as decades worth of payer-based pricing regulation removed the free market forces of competing on price. With great demand and no competitive system in place for cost-effective value, health providers had great incentive to over-treat and over-bill.

For decades, the cost of healthcare services, products and drugs were passed from provider to payer to self-insured client or individual plan member, and everyone kept paying...all appeared fine.

Until it wasn't.

When greater cost-shifting from the payer to the plan member, caused deductibles, out-of-pocket expenses and patient drug share costs to soar - fallout in patient behavior and choices ensued. Suddenly prescriptions weren't getting filled as often, therapy wasn't being completed, elective surgeries were pushed off, and patient collections saw big problems.

By 2010, we saw the emergence of Obamacare; and when we sadly realized that health coverage isn't the same as healthcare...the industry and politics shifted their sights on a more patient-centered, risk-adjusted, and outcome-based model with reimbursement tied-in respectively.

Truth is, whether value-based care rolls out tomorrow or in years to come, health payers and drug companies still do not and will not operate as true competitors. This means healthcare prices are not likely to come down on their own.

We also know that the current health system today (with its underlying industries) is largely unsustainable, and certainly unaffordable for many American consumers and companies. So healthcare costs, on their behalf, are likely to stay high and tight for years to come.

As a result, the market has actively employed its own free-market forces to re-organize into new innovative services, products, and arrangement for patient care and coverage. These include direct care, retail clinics, on-site primary care, direct contracting, direct primary care, super TPAs, and a stronger scrutinizing of claim management by broker-persuaded traditional insurer ASOs.

A CHIEF GROWTH OFFICER FOR HOSPITALS & HEALTH SYSTEMS

In full candor, I have enjoyed a past career in being a health provider, then a health tech entrepreneur, and finally having led consumer strategy and outbound digital marketing. It's given me a much wider view of consumers, tapping into consumer stress & behavior, and well as effecting the right triggers for desired outcome.

As I choose an opportunity for the next phase of my career, so many provider leadership positions and expectations continue to reflect models of culture and management that led hospitals and health systems to arrive at this moment. Though I am pleased to see a greater level of technology, nursing/physician, and patient experience leadership roles.

This makes me think of one of my favorite quotes, which comes from Mike Tyson. He said, "Everyone has a plan...until they get punched in the mouth."

The punch to providers of all sizes is that consumers and patients have a greater financial role than ever. Knowing this, hospitals and health systems must recognize that the same strategy that led them to acquire and grow a patient base locally, is the same growth mindset and strategy they must employ to grow remotely - and benefit.

Larger shifts to patient financial responsibility don't necessarily mean that everyone is poor and cannot afford services, but rather that selective marketing for patient acquisition is greater importance than ever. Those companies that properly segment, target, position and capture patient base, by utilizing smart marketing, communications, telehealth services, efficiency, within measurable resource allocation and investment, will be in an advantageous role toward sustainability.

As technology drives efficiency and costs drop, providers must seek to find and effect greater engagement and treatment, through adding a stronger growth mindset to provider leadership. While many leaders already have expectations of growth contribution within their job role, they cannot be solely dedicated to such.

Hence, we have the Chief Growth Officer. Well-suited for, and well needed by health providers who seek to compete, capture, and grow, in order to best sustain profitability, whether in a fee-for-service or value-based care environment.

Provider growth is more than the immediacy of a quarterly revenue stream. It's also recognizing that as laws open up for telehealth coverage within and across states, providers have an incredibly powerful opportunity to compete. To utilize an incredibly robust set of technologies and competencies in selectively choosing and sizing their patient base and services.

Moreover, this will not only benefit such providers financially, but create a system where patient-portion monies can and will be effectively competed upon. It wouldn't be inconceivable that once the first shots are fired, that free market forces may be positively injected to help grow quality coupled with lower pricing and affordability.

Perhaps even larger, providers empowering patients to not only gain the benefit of engagement, better outcomes and services, but earning and sustaining their consumer loyalty and actions for their own health...as they continue their healthcare journey.

What’s RED HOT now? Try mobile health.

Today mobile health data market is worth $13.5 billion – BUT estimates place its growth near $63 billion in just 4 years…

And when you think of all the companies that capture and integrate consumer and patient-generated health data, you need to think Validic. A company whose connection platform receives patient-generated health data from more than 400 major data sources that collectively reach 223 million individuals in 52 different countries.

Today we have Drew Schiller – the CEO of Validic who's talking about the explosive future for mobile health data, multi-party sharing, and the big push into health consumerism.

He’s connecting with us – and we’re connecting with you. Right here…on Red Hot Healthcare….LETS GO!

In this episode, Dr. Steve and Drew tap into:

• Why data integration can be more powerful than innovation
• The power of Validic's platform and offering
• Reading between the lines on mobile health's marketing 'spin'
• The relationship between mobile health and consumerism
• Drew's insight on improving patient engagement

Hey, today is July 16th - and I’m fortunate enough to be celebrating my 49th birthday. My kids wonder how much longer I’ll stay in my forties.

I keep telling them, “quit rushing me…!”

I’ve been privileged to interview many rock-solid healthcare and technology leaders, but this episode is very special as it touches on one of my passions.

Strap yourselves in for a wild ride…because today, I’m diving deep into two powerful words:  

HEALTHCARE CONSUMERS

And the role they play in the future sustainability of our health system.

Even with augmented intelligence, the promise of interoperability, the connecting power of telemedicine, risk mitigation and optimizing care with analytics…there's something to remember.

The ground that has supported the entire healthcare system for more than fifty years…is shifting right under our feet.

Healthcare service and drug prices have skyrocketed…

Some hospitals are slowing up and closing down…

Physicians are burning out…

Insurance premiums, deductibles and patient responsibilities are at sharp increases…

PLUS…many middle-income workers haven’t seen a wage increase in more than a decade.

And estimates report that 7 out of 10 Americans have less than 1,000 in savings.

This environment is leading healthcare’s consumers to start understanding their potential to rise up, vote with their wallets, and start changing healthcare from the inside out.

Reaching, targeting and growing consumer engagement should be a part of every health company’s growth tactics and strategy.

On Today's Episode Dr. Steve discusses:

• The 'questioning' story of Van Philips
• How costs trump pricing
• Why health care is different from other consumer sectors
• A unique idea of how to fix healthcare with 'safety net' coverage + injecting consumerism
• Millennials to the rescue?

Blockchain is a technology rumbling fast and furious into the business world. Many experts believe this will go beyond disruptive, creating entirely new foundations for the global economic and social systems.

For many Blockchain a term with growing popularity that is often misunderstood. 

That’s going to end right here…because Dr. Steve is not only going to not only bring you the easiest explanation of this incredibly powerful technology, but he will clear up many popular misconceptions…about it...AND bitcoin.

Plus, learn the 5 major areas of health care that will be significantly changed when Blockchain technology truly arrives!

In this episode you'll hear:

• The strange beginnings of bitcoin
• Turning your $500 investment into $20 Million
• Why it makes sense to keep sensitive data across millions of personal computers
• How Blockchain has the potential to help interoperability, security, and profitability
• Why companies like Wal-Mart, Amazon, Google, and Microsoft cannot invest fast enough!

This is perhaps one of our best shows to date! 

Dr. Steve interviews Dr. Tufia Haddad, breast cancer chair at the renowned Mayo Clinic. A world-class researcher whose work focuses on drug development, bio-marker discovery and transforming patient care.

Perhaps her most promising work is being the physician leader for Mayo's collaboration with IBM's Watson in its Clinical Trial Matching or CTM program. 

LISTEN and you will enjoy an incredible show with a plethora of in-depth insights...including:

• Dr. Haddad's transition from oncology into A.I.
• Cognitive computing blending EHR + The National Library of Medicine + patient DNA 
• Transforming Clinical Trial Matching (CTM) per a 1-second 'snapshot'
• The effect of burnout on health consumers
• A.I.'s miss on administration services
• Technology's influence on healthcare affordability
• What SHE feels strongly about...that many DON'T agree with her on

Welcome to Healthcare Scrabble…and the four-letter word that’s on the minds and lips of most healthcare organization leaders today….RISK.

The world of shifting, identifying, and managing risk – has come full circle to providers, payers, self-insured employers, and drug companies.

And when you think about award-winning risk analytics and technology, a major player is Verscend Technologies.

Today we have one of the most influential and powerful people in the business world of healthcare – Dr. Emad Rizk, President & CEO of Verscend Technologies.

Dr. Rizk began his career as a physician in healthcare academics and research, then transitioned into the business aspect of healthcare. He led health consulting at Deloitte, then becoming President of McKesson Health and most recently, the CEO of Accretive Health.  

He's been named one of the “50 Most Influential Physician Executives in the United States,” the “Top 100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare”, and CEO of the year on transforming businesses by AI Magazine.

IN THIS EPISODE, DR. STEVE and DR. RIZK DISCUSS:

• Changing from disease management to population health 

• "Strengths from All Sides" - as a driving differentiator

• DxCG Intelligence still leads...after 20 years

• Thoughts on healthcare pricing and strategy

• The role payers and providers must have in driving consumerism

Back in 1988, a son’s promise to his dying mother led to the founding of Cancer Treatment Centers of America. Today, CTCA has become a major force in leading cancer care outcomes, hospital ratings, and patient satisfaction.

On today's show we welcome Kristin Darby, Chief Information Officer of CTCA. She’s going to share their unique model of culture, engagement, patient experience, and the recent transformation of their care pathway and workflow.

In This Engaging Interview, Dr. Steve and Kristen Darby Discuss:

• CTCA's patient portal rates of 85% signup

• A big push to consumerism - BEFORE everyone else

• Employee culture as stakeholders

• The 'MOTHER' standard of care

• Their charge to delivering on precision-based advanced care

• The new age of Salesforce and CRM integration for results

• CTCA's partnering with Allscripts and NantHealth

America’s healthcare crisis is unsustainable – and our political leaders are fumbling with failing solutions. Finger-pointing and shifting blame is not the same as true leaders coming to the rescue with sustainable solutions.

On today's episode of RED HOT Healthcare, we have a guest who has dedicated his life to opening eyes and finding those solutions. Dave Chase is a serial entrepreneur who, apart from making his mark in technology and healthcare business, is now hard charging to unleashing a mass media effort to address our growing national nightmare.

Dave Chase is the Managing Director of the Quad Aim Fund, Executive Producer of The Big Heist and co-founder of the Health Rosetta Institute. He’s spoken at TED and is the author of the book, The CEO's Guide to Restoring the American Dream.

Prior to this, Dave was the founder for what eventually became Microsoft’s healthcare business unit – with more than $2B in yearly revenue. He also founded Avado, which was eventually acquired by WebMD.

In this Red Hot Healthcare episode, Dr. Steve and Dave Chase discuss:

• Three Trillions Reasons to Protect the Status Quo
• Health Rosetta - and Those Companies Doing Healthcare Coverage Right
• The Fiduciary Duty of Employers to their Employees & Health Coverage
• A 'Bottom-Up' Approach of Reform via The BIG HEIST
• Health Consumerism, Patient Engagement, and Physician Burnout

Healthcare innovation thrives with Johnson & Johnson Innovation JLABS. Five years in, they have nine facilities in the U.S. and Canada, more than 160 healthcare technology startups brewing, and have had numerous commercial successes.

Today, we have a very special guest - Melinda Richter, the Head of Johnson & Johnson Innovation JLABS. An incredible entrepreneur who carries the pulse of healthcare innovation in her own blood.

An incredible story of meager beginnings, teetering on the edge of mortality, as well as her push to take new innovators and powerful healthcare technology to the next level.

Engaging, exciting, and right here…on RED HOT HEALTHCARE…let’s go!

In this ear-opening episode, Dr. Steve and Melinda discuss:

• Abundance from Scarcity 
• Bitten by the Bug in Beijing
• The story of JLABS
• Two Average 'Joes'
• NYC is rockin' with JLABS
• Innovation on Healthcare's Front End