HIT Like a Girl Pod: Empowering Women in Health IT

In this episode, Joy delves into the complexities of healthcare with Carrie Kozlowski, co-founder and COO of Upfront Healthcare. Carrie discusses Upfront's mission to guide patients to the care they need, addressing barriers to access and striving to transform healthcare. Emphasizing personalized engagement and leveraging technology as a conduit, they explore how to empower patients and remove friction from the healthcare process. Through insights into psychographics and behavioral science, they reveal strategies to motivate patients and foster trust, ultimately aiming to enhance outcomes and promote population health.

In this episode, Joy delves into the complex world of pediatric mental health care with guest Naomi Allen, CEO and co-founder of Brightline. Naomi shares her journey from a personal crisis with her son to founding Brightline, the first national pediatric mental health solution. Amidst a growing crisis, Naomi discusses the profound shortage of clinicians and the barriers families face in accessing quality care. Through virtual care and innovative solutions, Brightline aims to bridge these gaps, providing accessible and affordable support for children and their families across the nation. From teletherapy to coaching programs and digital interventions, Brightline's holistic approach demonstrates the power of human-led care enabled by technology in addressing the pediatric mental health crisis.

In this episode, Joy sits down with Larissa DAndrea, Head of Global Impact Programs at ResMed, a leading sleep apnea medical technology company. Larissa shares insights into ResMed's initiatives in the healthcare space, emphasizing their focus on amplifying underrepresented voices and empowering patients through innovative digital tools. Through engaging storytelling and impactful art installations, ResMed strives to bridge the gap between technology and patient experience, ensuring inclusivity and meaningful impact in healthcare.

The conversation delves into the importance of incorporating real user experiences in product development, exemplified by ResMed's collaboration with patient associations to capture diverse perspectives. Larissa also discusses the potential of augmented reality and virtual reality to further enhance storytelling and immersive experiences in healthcare. With a keen eye on inclusive design and technological innovation, Larissa and ResMed are paving the way for transformative change in the healthcare ecosystem.

In this episode, Joy sits down with Stacy Fox, VP of Sales at Health Gorilla and a seasoned healthcare industry professional, who shares her unique insights and personal journey within the complex world of healthcare. With a background that includes a heartfelt connection to Children's Hospital Colorado driven by her brother's experience with Down Syndrome, Fox delves into the challenges and triumphs of improving healthcare connectivity and data sharing. Her transition from hands-on roles in healthcare practices to leading digital health sales teams underscores the critical importance of access to medical records and the seamless integration of health information systems. Fox's narrative is not just about her professional achievements but also intertwines her athletic background, emphasizing the value of teamwork, discipline, and leadership—qualities that she brings to her role at Health Gorilla. This episode provides a compelling look at how personal motivations and professional experiences can converge to drive innovation and improvement in healthcare delivery.

In this episode, Joy Rios welcomes Dr. Jhaimy Fernandez, a family medicine resident and digital health equity leader, and Betty Villantay, an aspiring physician and advocate in the digital health equity space. The episode delves into the complexities of healthcare, with a particular focus on digital health equity and the challenges of telemedicine, especially in underserved communities. Dr. Fernandez shares her journey from being the first in her family to attend medical school to recognizing the importance of giving back and supporting non-traditional, underrepresented students in medicine. Betty's story highlights the obstacles of navigating a career in biomedical engineering and medicine without a clear guide. Together, they discuss their collaboration in hosting a digital health conference aimed at bringing together people of color to share their experiences in the digital health space. The conversation also touches on the practical aspects of implementing telemedicine, addressing biases from healthcare providers, and the importance of communicating effectively with patients to overcome language barriers and technological challenges. This episode sheds light on the necessity of digital health equity and the power of innovative communication strategies like leveraging common platforms such as WhatsApp to improve patient engagement and access to care.

In this episode, Joy welcomes multifaceted health IT expert Juliette Nwagbara, who shares her journey and contributions to the field of health IT. Juliette wears numerous hats as a project manager at a health IT AI company, an instructor in health IT at UT Austin, and the founder of RHIA Essential, where she prepares future professionals for the RHIA certification. She discusses the significance of the RHIA certification, administered by AHIMA, which validates expertise in patient data governance, law, data standards, and project management. Juliette's mission is driven by her own challenges in finding support while studying for the RHIA exam, leading her to create resources that make learning engaging and accessible. She emphasizes the transformative power of health IT education in providing confidence, knowledge, and opening up diverse career paths for her students. Juliette's personal journey from discovering health IT amidst career uncertainty to becoming a passionate educator and advocate for the field underscores the impact of dedication and the desire to give back to the community.

In this episode, Joy Rios welcomes Dr. Bayo Curry-Winchell, a dedicated physician, mother, and health equity advocate. Dr. Curry-Winchell shares her impactful journey in the medical field, focusing on advocating for historically excluded and underserved communities of color. Through her multifaceted role, which includes being a medical contributor, TEDx speaker, and creator of the "Beyond Clinical Walls" series, she addresses critical issues like race-based medicine practices and the maternal mortality crisis among black women. Dr. Curry-Winchell's personal experience with unconscious bias during her childbirth highlights the deep-rooted challenges in healthcare. The conversation delves into the importance of acknowledging and addressing unconscious biases, the role of patient-centered teams, and the necessity of community engagement to build trust and provide culturally competent care. This episode is a compelling call to action for systemic change in healthcare to ensure equitable treatment for all.

Welcome to HITea With Grace’s “Fund Like a Girl” series where we're thrilled to feature Cheryl Cheng, founder of Vive Collective, a dynamic VC in health IT.

Join us as Cheryl shares her career journey that led to Vive Collective and delves into the Vive Collective survey conducted via LinkedIn, revealing the top 4 "Digital Health Mafia Companies" and sharing surprising findings. Listen in as Cheryl emphasizes the importance of founders being former high-growth startup operators and the key traits she looks for in companies and founders she invests in.

In this episode, Cheryl also sheds light on the evolving landscape of digital health funding, discussing inclusivity and the challenges that still need to be addressed.

In this episode, Joy Rios explores the complexities of the healthcare industry with guest Katy Allen, EVP, Managing Director at Bounteous, a digital experience company. They discuss how the industry is filled with various point solutions that need integration into a cohesive platform. Katy highlights the roles of caregivers, both always-on caregivers and crisis caregivers, and the challenges they face in managing multiple solutions for their loved ones' healthcare. The conversation also touches on the importance of involving the caregiver's voice in healthcare solutions and the need to value and support caregivers more within the system. It's a thought-provoking discussion on the intricacies of healthcare and the evolving role of caregivers in it.

In this episode of HITea With Grace’s “Fund Like a Girl”, we have a very special guest - Halle Tecco - a pioneering VC in the health IT space. 

In this episode, Halle shares her career journey, insights into the evolving healthcare landscape, and invaluable advice for women venturing into healthcare entrepreneurship and venturing into venture. She discusses key challenges and effective strategies, highlights success stories of women-led startups, and navigates the complexities of healthcare regulations. Halle emphasizes the importance of building diverse teams, leveraging technology, and seeking mentorship for women founders in healthcare. 

Join us for a deep dive into Halle Tecco's perspective on driving innovation and making a difference in healthcare IT through funding technologies that seamlessly improve care and outcomes and so generously sharing her learnings with us along the way.