B-Time with Beth Bierbower

I wasn’t sure that I would enjoy the book Thinking in Bets: Making Smarter Decisions When You Don’t Have All The Facts because its author is a former poker champion and trust me, I am not good at poker. I was pleasantly surprised. Duke tells us that to deal with uncertainty, acknowledge the uncertainty and then rely on a good process to help guide you through the decision. The ultimate outcome may still not be what we want or expect but knowing that we thought the situation through gives us confidence that we were on the right track.

She reminds us that it is easy to be a Monday morning quarterback. How many times have you rated someone else’s performance after you know they failed? Would you have rated the person differently if you understood the thinking behind that person’s decision?

Duke also tells us to stop blaming bad luck when things don’t go our way. If we step back and look at our process, how did that play into the negative outcome? What I most appreciated was that Duke reminds us that it is OK to say, “I don’t know”. Too often we are afraid to say that we don’t know the answer to a question – especially in a business situation.

Duke offers a unique perspective on decision-making and Thinking in Bets is a great and interesting read.

Just when you think we have identified all the conditions that warrant significant attention by employers and health plans, along comes another issue that requires a solution. Pelvic Health fits into this category. I had never heard the term until recently and now it seems that pelvic health is a real issue.

The fact is that pelvic issues have long plagued women and the symptoms were something that we just didn’t talk about. I may make some of you uncomfortable when I say that pelvic health includes issues such as incontinence, overactive bladder and organ prolapse. Women have been told over the years that these changes in their body are commonly associated with the aging process or are the result of childbirth. What women often are not told is that there is a solution to many of these issues and it’s called pelvic therapy.

Today we are going to talk about pelvic health and why is it important to women of all ages and why you will see more patients and members seeking treatment for these services. It is my hope that at the end of this episode pelvic health will be on your radar and as a healthcare leader, you will be prepared to address the need.

Joining me is Marta Cardeano, the General Manager of Bloom, which is a division of the Digital MSK Company, Sword Health. Marta will help us understand how widespread the problem of pelvic health is and what solutions have historically been in the marketplace and what new solutions are emerging. Marta has the distinction of being the first guest to join us from the beautiful country of Portugal.

Show Notes: Favorite Book: Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike by Phil Night.

Medicare and Medicaid programs have recognized the importance of social determinants on health and have stepped up to covering services that help individuals with everything from financial to food insecurity and in between. This week’s episode with Justin Ley, Co-founder and CEO of Reema Health details how companies are ensuring that Health Plan members can access these very important benefits.

Reema Health uses local community guides to close the gap for Health Plan members with social needs. Justin explains how Reema Health helps members and why their role is critical to the health of the population they serve.

Show notes: Favorite Books: Anti Fragile: Things That Gain From Disorder by Nassim Taleb; The Making of a Manager: What to Do When Everyone Looks to You by Julie Zhuo.

Have you ever been in a situation where a physician orders a drug and when you ask, “How much will that cost?,” the response you received was, “I don’t know, you’ll have to call your health plan.” Or you are surprised at the pharmacy when you pick up your prescription and the cost is really high and you ask for an alternative and then deal with that hassle. Arrive Health is changing all that. They are providing real-time, drug pricing data to the physician in the office, at the time the script is being written.

With us today is Kyle Kiser the CEO of Arrive Health. Kyle is going to share what Arrive Health is doing to get cost information to the point of care so the physician and patient can make the best decision.

Show notes: Favorite Books: The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Migul Ruiz; Radical Candor: Be a Kick-ass Boss Without Losing your Humanity by Kim Scott

With me is Satish Movva, Founder and CEO of CarePredict which offers senior living facilities, home healthcare companies and families a comprehensive solution that helps individuals live as independently as possible as they age. Satish is a seasoned healthcare executive with experiences in physician, hospital, and home healthcare. During his career, Satish has used technology to help streamline the provider and customer experience and now, he is leveraging technology and analytics to help people age in place. I’m excited to learn more about what Satish and the team at CarePredict are doing.

Show Notes: Favorite Book Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

Our episode today focuses on a disease that’s a significant problem in the US. 15% of US adults or 37 million people, are estimated to have this disease and as many as 9 in 10 adults with this disease do not know they have it. This disease is prevalent in the 65+ population. As of 2018 Medicare was spending $70B annually on the treatment of this disease which represents almost 24 % of spending for this age group. If you haven’t yet figured out which disease I am referring to, its Chronic Kidney Disease or CKD.

The 21st Century Cures Act brought renal diseases to the forefront and allowed Medicare Beneficiaries with ESRD to enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan. Previously, these beneficiaries were required to stay on Traditional Medicare which often resulted in suboptimal outcomes.  In addition, CMS has launched several innovative payment models in an attempt to help providers focus more on prevention and curbing progression of renal disease. As a result, many health plans and renal providers are now focused on more effectively managing renal conditions and improving outcomes.

With us today is Michael Uchrin, CEO of Monogram Health, a Nashville based company that helps patients with renal disease live their best lives. The team at Monogram Health is focused on making treatments as accessible and convenient as possible to the member, by offering in-home services. Michael will help educate us on the changes that are afoot and how companies like Monogram Health are improving outcomes and lowering costs.

Show Notes: Book - -Relentless: From Good To Great To Unstoppable by Tim Grover.  Nashville Healthcare Council Fellows Program: https://healthcarecouncilfellows.com/

Data is at the heart of healthcare. Without data, we would not have the myriad of treatments and cures that help people live longer and better lives. Without data, the healthcare system would be subject to more administrative complexity and duplication.

Today we’re going to discuss data platforms and interoperability and with us is Troy Bannister, CEO & Founder of Particle Health. Particle Health is a company that offers an API platform that allows organizations to develop innovative solutions and access healthcare data through standard interoperability protocols.

Show Notes: Books:  The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building A Business When There Is No Easy Answer by Ben Horowitz; & Shantaram: A Novel by Gregory David Roberts.

Dermatology is a specialty that has been plagued by a shortage of providers resulting in long wait times and little leverage for health plans for fee negotiations. The need for dermatologists is increasing as the population ages and conditions such as skin cancer become more prevalent.

Today we are speaking with an entrepreneur who is broadening the value of dermatology by focusing on increased access and improving the patient experience and health outcomes. With me is Sheena Franklin, Founder of K’ept Health, a company that provides patients with a digital clinic focused on their skin condition, health and wellness needs. As the company’s website states, beyond skin. Beyond beauty. Beyond Barriers. K’ept Health is dermatology reimagined.

I am excited to have a friend and former colleague with me today on the B-Time Podcast. Our guest is Charles Ritz, the CEO of Anthem BCBS of Colorado. When I think of Colorado, I see beautiful mountains and plains and the opportunity to enjoy nature. While this idyllic picture is true, from a health and health insurance perspective, Colorado has many challenges and many initiatives underway to address these challenges.

Today, Charles will outline some of the issues and the proposed solutions that Anthem and other health plans are navigating to ensure all Colorado residents have access to affordable, equitable healthcare.

Show Notes: Clash of the Generations: Managing The New Workplace Reality by Valerie Grubb; Sticking Points: How to get 5 Generations to Work Together in the 12 Places They Come Apart by Haydn Shaw.

Description: Today we are diving on Social Determinants of Health with Dan Brillman, Co-founder & CEO of UniteUs, an organization that connects health and care. We’ll gain an understanding of SDoH and understand the impact on health and healthcare costs with Dan sharing quantifiable data and outcomes. We’ll learn how UniteUs is delivering on its promise to truly connect the community.

Show Notes: Book: The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building A Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz