HIT Like a Girl Pod: Empowering Women in Health IT

Let’s talk about death. Today we have Tatiana Fofanova, PhD, on the show to talk about healthcare technology disruption happening in the advanced care planning industry. Tatiana is deeply passionate about health equity and brings that passion into her company and business to improve patient end of life care and decision making for both the patient and caregiver. Thanks for joining us Tatiana and for tackling this critical issue! Tatiana also gives invaluable advice about women founders raising money in this tough economic environment. Listen in to find out more!

In this podcast episode Joy Rios interviews Sunitha Sandeep, a transformative coach for high-achieving women professionals, executives, and leaders. Sunitha shares her expertise in helping women overcome struggles like anxiety, burnout, and fear to achieve higher professional success with inner fulfillment. She discusses her personal journey, using her trauma as a catalyst for personal growth, and the shift from a masculine energy-driven approach to a more feminine energy-focused perspective. The conversation explores the importance of self-reflection, self-inquiry practices, and addressing limiting beliefs. This episode highlights the significance of inner fulfillment for high-achieving women in healthcare and IT industries.

In this episode, host Joy Rios welcomes Margarete Martinez and Garima Mathur from GE HealthCare. Margarete introduces herself as a product owner for Viewpoint, an ultrasound reporting system, while Garima is the Director of Product Management for the Edison Digital Health Platform. They discuss the platform's goal of addressing customer challenges, improving decision-making, and increasing efficiency. Margarete shares her journey and the global impact of Viewpoint, while Garima talks about her upbringing, passion for using technology in healthcare, and the need for women's awareness in the field. The episode provides insights into their roles, personal journeys, and perspectives on the impact of technology in healthcare, highlighting the Edison Digital Health Platform and Viewpoint ultrasound reporting system.

In this episode, Dr. Sherry McAllister details the findings of four new research studies led by David Elton, DC, who is VP of Musculoskeletal R&D at Optum Labs (a subsidiary of UnitedHealth Group). The research team utilized its massive claims database primarily to investigate the links between the type of healthcare provider initially contacted, service utilization and total episode cost for management of lower back pain and neck pain. Grace and Dr. McAllister discuss the implications of these studies for employers, health insurers and healthcare policy leaders.

Recorded live from the floor of HIMSS at the GE HealthCare booth, Joy Rios interviews Dr. Elizabeth Bergey, President and CEO of Quantum Imaging, a private practice radiology group. Dr. Bergey discusses her experience leading a radiology group serving multiple hospitals and imaging centers. The conversation covers Dr. Bergey's journey from pediatric radiologist to private practice, her childhood aspirations, and her passion for math and science. They delve into her path to becoming the president of her organization, highlighting her proactive nature and the challenges she faced as a woman in radiology. The podcast sheds light on the unique obstacles Dr. Bergey encountered and emphasizes the importance of women's representation and empowerment in health IT.

In this episode Joy welcomes Julie Wolk from Carium. Julie shares her background in advertising and health tech startups, emphasizing her diverse skill set. She discusses Carium's successful rebranding efforts and their focus on collaboration between care teams and patients. Joy and Julie provide valuable insights into Julie's career journey and Carium's innovative work in improving the healthcare experience.

Angela Radcliffe is a clinical research expert and data ethics evangelist with over two decades of experience driving transformation and organizational agility at the intersection of health, tech, and data. Angela’s work has impacted more than 100 global clinical research efforts across almost every therapeutic area. As an author and speaker, Angela uses her personal journey to demonstrate how inclusive research can impact the root causes of our most challenging social issues. She is committed to the pursuit of more authentic patient engagement, giving data ownership back to humans, the promotion of health and data literacy for all, and normalizing clinical research as a care option.

In this episode of the HIT Like A Girl podcast, host Joy Rios welcomes Dr. Nick Van Terheyden, a principal at ECG Management consulting and host of the podcast shows "The Incrementalist" and "Healthcare Upside Down." While Dr. Van Terheyden is not a woman, he joins the show as a special guest to discuss his experience with healthcare data, insurance, and the patient experience. He shares a personal story about his struggle with hip pain and how his family practitioner suggested he may be vitamin D deficient. After being prescribed a year's supply of vitamin D supplements, his insurance provider, Cigna, rejected the claim for being "medically unnecessary." Dr. Van Terheyden fought the denial and ultimately had it reversed, but was shocked to learn that his case was just one of 199,999 others that had been rejected by the same physician over a two-month period. The denial process was automated and patients had only a slim chance of successfully appealing the decision. Dr. Nick’s experience led to an important piece published by ProPublica. This conversation highlights the need for better healthcare data management and a more patient-centric approach to healthcare.

In this podcast episode Joy welcomes Karley Yoder (GM and Chief Digital Officer for ultrasound business at GE HealthCare) and Vaishali Kamat (GM of New Ventures in the ultrasound digital organization at GE HealthCare) live from the GE HealthCare booth at HIMSS to discuss the concept of intrapreneurship and the challenges of driving new ideas within a large company. They emphasize the importance of having a clear vision, building trust, and being humble, while also leveraging the power of cross-divisional collaboration and diversity to achieve success.

Joy also asks about the technology of ultrasound, which Kamat explains is a real-time diagnostic imaging modality that is cost-effective, portable, and non-radiation. They discuss its various applications, from obstetrics to cardiovascular systems, and its ability to provide immediate results at the point of care. Yoder then touches on the incorporation of AI into ultrasound technology and how it can help automate certain tasks and improve accuracy.

In this podcast episode, Joy sits down with Katya Siddall-Cipolla, CEO and founder of Hopper Health to discuss the challenges that neurodivergent individuals face in a world that is not built for them. Siddall-Cipolla shares her own experience growing up isolated due to her neurodivergence and how she has found connection and support through TikTok. She also discusses the challenges of navigating through a world that is not set up for neurodivergent individuals, including the lack of support from the medical system and difficulties in employment.

The two also delve into Hopper Health, a virtual primary care service specifically designed for neurodivergent adults. Siddall-Cipolla explains the importance of primary care being patient-centered and how Hopper Health addresses this by providing a comfortable and accommodating sensory environment. They also discuss the benefits of neurodivergent-to-neurodivergent communication and how Hopper Health incorporates peer navigators who are themselves neurodivergent.

Overall, this episode sheds light on the experiences of neurodivergent individuals and the importance of creating inclusive spaces and services to support them.