Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Jessica McGlory, CEO and Founder at Guaranteed, a care company that focuses on end of life care.

And we start by talking about death. Jessica shares her deeply personal journey that led to the creation of Guaranteed, when she was suddenly and unexpectedly thrown into becoming the primary caregiver for her father during a very emotional and confusing time as he needed to go into hospice. Losing a loved one is difficult. Couple this with needing to make important decisions at a time when people are likely feeling overwhelmed or at their most vulnerable…Jessica changed her professional focus to make this a more dignified process. Guaranteed aims to revolutionize the experience by using technology and personalized care to improve patient and family outcomes. Jessica believes she can provide and change the experience to provide equitable and incredible end of life care. By using technology and human-centered care Guaranteed aims to better equip caregivers and healthcare providers to support patients and to create a seamless end-of-life experience.

Jessica also reflects on her entrepreneurial journey, offering advice for future founders and sharing the importance of trusting your instincts and constantly learning.

About Jessica: Jessica McGlory is the Founder and CEO of Guaranteed, a hybrid healthcare company modernizing of end-of-life care. Under Jessica’s leadership, Guaranteed has raised $9MM to date and its backers include BrandProject, Cake Ventures, Lakehouse Ventures, Precursor Ventures, and Springbank Ventures. Previously, Jessica was an early stage operator working in growth for some of the fastest growing startups in the US.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Rebekah Swain, Vice President of Managed Health Strategy, Planning, and Membership Performance at Advocate Health.

Rebekah began her career in healthcare early, an original candy striper volunteer as a teenager and progressing through various roles in healthcare management. Her passion for healthcare stems from witnessing firsthand the impact hospitals have on their communities.

Today Rebekah oversees a complex portfolio involving over 600 managed care contracts across six states and a vast network of care delivery sites. Her role focuses on optimizing payer contracts and enhancing membership engagement strategies. She discusses Advocate Health’s initiatives in virtual primary care, hospital-at-home programs, and leveraging AI to improve decision-making and patient outcomes.

Rebekah also shares insights on the evolving landscape of healthcare, emphasizing the need for simplicity amidst complexity. She highlights the role of innovation, digital health solutions, and AI in driving better patient engagement and care delivery. Her leadership philosophy centers on empowering women in healthcare leadership roles and advocating for diverse perspectives in decision-making.

Advice for others? Continuous learning, embracing challenges, seeking mentorship, and advocating for diversity in shaping a successful career in healthcare management. Rebekah’s insights serve as a guide for aspiring healthcare professionals looking to make a meaningful impact in the industry.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Michelle Fitz-Henley, Group Human Resources Manager at Jamaica Broilers Group.

Michelle shares her journey from aspiring lawyer to impactful HR leader. Despite initially aiming for a legal career, Michelle found her calling in HR at Jamaica Broilers, where she manages human resources across diverse locations and oversees the company’s commitment to employee well- being and development.

Michelle discusses her role in fostering a culture of civility and inclusion within the organization, emphasizing the importance of treating employees with kindness and respect. She details initiatives such as strategic retreats and employee assistance programs that promote engagement and support among team members.

Reflecting on her leadership approach, Michelle advocates for authenticity and trustworthiness, encouraging aspiring leaders to be passionate about their work and uphold their commitments. Her story highlights the power of adapting career paths to align with personal values and making a meaningful impact in the workplace.

This series of Human Resources Leaders and the future of work is sponsored by Transcarent, a One Place for Health and Care.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Camille Wright, Director of Human Resources at American Health Marketplace.

Camille oversees HR for a health insurance marketplace firm which spans 28 states. She shares her path from early days when she wanted to be a university dean to finding her calling in HR through unexpected opportunities.

Joining American Health Marketplace when it lacked a formal HR department, Camille took charge and built it from the ground up as the company grew 5x in just a few short years. Her proactive approach and commitment to personal and professional development not only transformed the company but also empowered her team, fostering a culture of growth and inclusivity.

Camille’s leadership journey is underscored by her commitment to being a servant leader, a quality that shines through in her approach to HR and organizational development. By placing a strong emphasis on supporting her team members and fostering their growth, Camille not only cultivates a positive work environment but also ensures that her colleagues feel valued and empowered.

Her insights highlight the critical role of HR in navigating challenges like mental health, remote work dynamics, and evolving workforce needs. Camille's journey exemplifies resilience, adaptability, and a steadfast dedication to empowering others, making her a beacon for aspiring leaders in healthcare and beyond. As she continues to shape the future of HR at American Health Marketplace, her story resonates as a testament to the transformative power of seizing opportunities and embracing growth.

This series of Human Resources Leaders and the future of work is sponsored by Transcarent, a One Place for Health and Care.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Tiffany Gamblin, Director of HR Business Services at Paycom.

Tiffany shares her journey into HR, initially considering a career in veterinary medicine but pivoting into HR under the guidance of her mother-in-law. She describes her role at Paycom overseeing HR business partners, employee relations, compliance, and more. Tiffany emphasizes the importance of a culture of support and development, aiming to create a workplace where employees thrive.

Regarding leadership, Tiffany reflects on her transition from benefits into management, driven by her passion for developing people and fostering a positive work environment. She credits her mentorship under Paycom’s Chief HR Officer, Jennifer Kaszewski, for shaping her leadership style and aspirations within the organization.

Looking ahead, Tiffany discusses the future of work, particularly the integration of AI in HR practices and the importance of balancing technological advancements with human interaction. “AI plus HI equals ROI” (the HI being human intelligence). She advocates for understanding employees’ diverse needs across different generations and maintaining clarity in organizational values, especially concerning remote work policies.

Throughout the interview, Tiffany emphasizes the significance of authenticity, courage, and adaptability in leadership, encouraging HR professionals to ground themselves in their core values and build supportive networks within their organizations.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Dr. Kayla Randolph. Managing Director of Human Resources at IDEA Public Schools, as part of the Women Who Inspire: HR Leaders Series – A collaboration between Transcarent and the Inspiring Women Podcast with Laurie McGraw.

Kayla oversees HR for 11,000 employees across multiple states, emphasizing values like respect, dignity, and integrity. Kayla discussed challenges in education, such as teacher retention, and highlighted IDEA’s focus on comprehensive employee benefits to support their workforce.

Starting in HR unexpectedly, Kayla’s career evolved through roles like recruitment and Title IX coordination, advocating for employee rights. Title IX is often only thought about as it relates only to athletics. Kayla emphasized its broader scope in addressing issues like sexual harassment, assault, and gender discrimination within educational settings. At the SHRM conference, she explored HR’s future, emphasizing transparency and the role of AI.

Drawing from her Title IX coordinator role, Kayla underscores the importance of advocating for equity and respect in the workplace and educational environments. She believes in creating inclusive cultures where all individuals feel valued and supported. Finally, Kayla emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and staying updated with industry trends and advancements. Attending conferences and networking with peers are crucial for personal and professional development.

This series of Human Resources Leaders and the future of work is sponsored by Transcarent, a One Place for Health and Care.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Lana Krasnyansky, Senior Manager of HR Transition at TriNet, as part of the Women Who Inspire: HR Leaders Series – A collaboration between Transcarent and the Inspiring Women Podcast with Laurie McGraw

Lana shares her journey and insights into leadership. Her diverse career path started with a passion for creativity and the arts. From launching a dance studio in her kitchen at 13 to managing HR at a prominent PEO, Lana emphasizes the importance of continuous learning and resilience in achieving professional success.

Throughout the discussion, Lana highlights the critical role of empathy and authentic leadership in her approach. She discusses the challenges and complexities of HR management, especially in navigating evolving regulations and supporting diverse organizations. Lana’s leadership style focuses on empowering her team and fostering a supportive work environment where individuals can thrive.

As an advocate for women in leadership, Lana encourages listeners, particularly women, to embrace career pivots and pursue their passions without giving up. She underscores the value of balance between personal and professional life, sharing practical advice on achieving fulfillment in both realms. Lana’s dedication to making a meaningful impact on her team and clients exemplifies her commitment to driving positive change in the workplace.

Overall, Lana’s story serves as a beacon of inspiration, demonstrating how creativity, resilience, and empathetic leadership can shape a successful career journey in HR and beyond.

This series of Human Resources Leaders and the future of work is sponsored by Transcarent, a One Place for Health and Care.

About Lana: Skilled human resources professional & people leader who has structured HR departments and supported companies in successfully implementing benefits, policies and organizational structure that focuses on strategic HR business solutions that drive growth, change, and instill a culture of excellence. Throughout Lana’s successful 25-year career trajectory, she gained expertise within employee relations, recruitment, compensation, benefits design/administration, HRIS implementation, pension and retirement planning, policy and procedure creation, orientation and training, performance management, and talent retention. For the past 10 years, Lana has been guiding companies and built an internal team that provides consultative HR guidance to TriNet’s onboarding new larger customers by trouble shooting and leading clients through employment laws, principals and “best practices” gained through diversified experience at mid-size to large private, public, and non-profit corporations, including start-ups.  Lana managed the implementation of Human Resources Informational Systems, policies, procedures, company-wide strategic programs and initiatives. Lana created streamlined HR departments, that were controlled in expenditure and focused on goals of internal and external stakeholders. Lana continues her successful track record of building high performing teams. Ms. Krasnyansky holds a BA from the University of Akron, is an active member of SHRM, HRNY, as well as various Chambers of Commerce.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Women Drs. Marjorie Rallins and Holly Miller who are experts in the space of data standards setting and the landscape of interoperability.  

Both Marjorie and Holly have devoted their expertise and careers towards building the infrastructure and plumbing that fuels the clinical data information highway so that clinical data is trustworthy, useful and actionable.  They share the progress made over the past few decades and the opportunity in front of us with the adoption of TEFCA (Trusted Exchange Framework and Common Agreement). They emphasize the complexities of standards and terminologies governing health information flow and highlight interoperability’s critical role in improving healthcare quality, safety, efficiency, and patient engagement.

Dr. Miller notes that while health data exchange is widespread, data often lacks reliability and usability for seamless integration into patient care. Dr. Rallins reflects on improvements since the inception of interoperability initiatives, citing advances in electronic health records (EHRs) but noting persistent challenges like semantic interoperability with standardized terminologies.  She also notes that this may be technical, but is also not that hard.  The “Internet of Interoperability,” prioritizing data accessibility alongside security and privacy protections is the aim.

They also discuss challenges such as data blocking and regulatory efforts to promote patient access and adherence to interoperability standards like USCDI. Overall, they express cautious optimism about interoperability’s progress amid ongoing issues of data usability, trustworthiness, and regulatory compliance, with an eye toward evolving technologies like AI for future improvements

Both Marjorie and Holly recognize that there are fewer women who, like them, have pursued a field of data standards and interoperability.  Yet, they are NOT alone and with appreciation for those who work alongside them, they encourage others to choose this deeply technical path.

We close with giving both doctors a magic wand to advance the healthcare landscape.  Holly officially wants to “ax the fax” and get to standardized data.  Marjorie also looks to standardized terminologies but asks for national health equity as the most important path for us to pursue.

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Dr. Holly Miller

Chief Medical Officer, MedAllies

Dr. Miller is an internist who has practiced medicine using several EHR systems and has well over two decades of healthcare IT experience.

Since 2009, Dr. Miller has been the Chief Medical Officer of MedAllies a company that operates multiple networks in support of interoperability.  At MedAllies, Dr. Miller provides operational, tactical, and strategic collaborative leadership. 

Dr. Miller is currently a Chair, Co-Chair, or member of many Health Information Technology (HIT) Interoperability related committees and workgroups engaged in enhancing healthcare value.  These include committees within the following organizations: Carequality; Sequoia; DaVinci; CMS: PACIO; ONC: 360X; IHE; NCQA; HIMSS; Moving Forward and KLAS.  She continues to be a frequent speaker at national conferences.

Dr. Miller was formerly a VP and the CMIO of University Hospitals and Health Systems (UH), a community-based system with more than 150 locations, seven wholly owned and four affiliated hospitals throughout Northern Ohio.  Prior to joining UH, she worked as an HIT Managing Director for the Cleveland Clinic where she also maintained a clinical practice in General Internal Medicine.  She has been active in healthcare informatics research and has been a co-investigator on multiple grants. 

As a member of HIMSS since 1999, Dr. Miller is a past Vice Chair of the HIMSS Board and a past inaugural member of the HIMSS World-Wide Board. Her past roles within HIMSS also included being a physician leader of the HIMSS/AMDIS Physician Community and serving as the Board Liaison to HIMSS Europe for four years. She was also active in a variety of previous S&I ONC committees and other state and government HIT committees. Dr. Miller earned her MBA at Hautes Etudes Commerciale in Paris and her Doctor of Medicine at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.

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Dr. Marjorie Rallins

Executive Director of Health Data Standards, LOINC® at Regenstrief Institute

Marjorie Rallins, DPM, MS, is a nationally recognized leader in health data standards and informatics. She began her duties with LOINC® at Regenstrief Institute January 11, 2021. She previously served as vice president and chief scientific officer of the PCPI® Foundation in Chicago as well as director of clinical informatics for the American Medical Association. Her proven experience in a unique combination of clinical research, business development and thought leadership positions Regenstrief Health Data Standards to continue facilitating healthcare interoperability at a crucial time for public health.

Dr. Rallins received her podiatric medical degree from the William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine in Chicago and completed her master of science degree at Northwestern University in Chicago. She was chief resident at Southwest Detroit Hospital and practiced as a podiatrist before working as the director of clinical editors for the College of American Pathologists, where she led international clinical teams in SNOMED CT® development. Dr. Rallins received her undergraduate degree from Towson University in Towson, Maryland.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Melissa Bell, long time health tech executive ad CCO of Enliven Health. For Melissa, working hard was obvious and natural. She was always one to raise her hand for the next challenging assignment which gave her the reputation of being the company’s go to person for the most visible difficult projects. One of Melissa’s “fun facts” includes a lot of prison time…. having led a multiyear implementation at the nation’s largest correctional corporation. Another major project meant leaving her Midwest roots and relocating to California. This is home today having met her now wife there and where they have their family. The arc of Melissa’s career moves from leading important projects to being an executive leader at growth companies focused on patient outcomes. She is very intentional about how she shows up as a leader, her brand, and her style of leadership. Diverse teams and inclusivity mean a lot to Melissa. “Showing up as your authentic self” is more than a catch phrase. In those early years Melissa kept a sharp line between her professional self and her “weekend” self. Times have changed and those divides no longer exist for Melissa. She recognizes that depending on who you are, where you live, or the environment you are in, this may not be the case for everyone. Which is why it is so important to Melissa to be known for being inclusive, to gain trust of others, and to earn credibility as a leader. Melissa leaves us with a message of celebration, celebrating Pride and inclusivity. Melissa encourages us to stay true to being our authentic selves. And she invites us all to demonstrate and go the distance as allies to the LGBTQ community. It matters.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Dr. Jenny Schneider about the new Home[ward] Grown program to elevate women founders and leaders that was launched last year. Dr. Sipra Laddha, CoFounder and CEO of Luna Joy discusses her experience with the program. Jenny is very vested in female founders and believes that the worn battle scars are useful to others. She has particular affinity to founders who are also physicians. And with Sipra, not only are they both doctors, but being Mom first is key to them both. You have to do it all and if there ever was a superpower for knowing that trying and not doing it all right all the time – being a mom is IT. Sipra began LunaJoy because she saw women’s health issues and mental health issues up close and personal in the early days of her practice. When she became pregnant with twins while practicing and trying to do it all, she found the needed resources to support women at every stage of the reproductive journey were either subpar or not available. LunaJoy aims to solve that with women’s mental health reimagined. Reproductive psychiatry begins from the moment that that person is thinking about conceiving or getting pregnant through fertility (or a fertility journey). LunaJoy aims to prepare women to have the best possible outcome.

As to the mentorship program, for Sipra this was intensely different. Every discussion with Jenny led to actions she could immediately take within LunaJoy. Sipra would bring the TL;DR approach to her team even though she would be taking copious notes in every discussion. Jenny also talks about how with most people who are involved in a company, as the CEO, you are always trying to impress them. Some of the magic of the mentee/mentor discussions is that nothing is off limits. “Things are crazy….3 people quit today…..how do I even deal…..”. Sipra emphasizes that we really don’t need to pathologize messiness, that is exactly what entrepreneurship is. Like Jenny, Sipra is also committed to paying it forward. And no matter how busy you are – if it is important to you to bring more female founders forward, to advance more women into leadership – you have the time. Small comments and actions matter. Showing up matters. Inspiring Women looks forward to showcasing future conversations with women in the Home[ward] Grown mentorship program.

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Guest Bios:

Dr. Sipra Laddha, CEO and CoFounder, LunaJoy

Throughout my education and career, I have been dedicated to improving the lives of others. My background in psychiatry and deep interest and experience in women’s mental health has allowed me to support women through various life transitions, including pregnancy and postpartum.

I gained firsthand knowledge of the challenges women face in accessing affordable and convenient mental health care. I co-founded LunaJoy with these challenges in mind. A unique platform that improves access to high-quality therapy, medication, and mind body interventions.

With our telemedicine platform, you spend less time commuting and waiting and more time engaged. And our ability to work with most insurance companies reduces the financial burden for patients who have previously seen cost as a barrier. Every woman should have access to the care she needs. We aim to make this possible.

From adolescence through menopause, we support women through their emotional challenges, allowing you to engage in other parts of your life with more joy and efficiency. It is time to live fully, unburdened, and authentically. For personalized psychotherapy and women’s mental health reimagined, send a message or visit us https://hellolunajoy.com

Dr. Jenny Schneider, CEO and Founder, Homeward

I am CEO of Homeward, a technology-enabled healthcare provider delivering care to those who don’t have it, starting in rural America.

Previously, I served 5 years as the Chief Medical Officer and President of Livongo. At Livongo, I was responsible for product, data science, engineering, marketing, clinical operations, and our growth strategy. In my final year at Livongo, we led the company through the largest consumer digital health Initial Public Offering in history, a secondary offering, a convertible debt offering that raised over $540 million, and the industry’s largest merger ever between Livongo and Teladoc Health, valuing Livongo at $18.5 billion and beginning a new era of consumer centric virtual care. I was honored by Modern Healthcare as one of the 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives and by Fierce Healthcare as Woman of Influence for our work empowering women and modeling diversity and inclusion in the workplace.

In October of 2020, I joined the Board of the Health Assurance Acquisition Corp., a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC) with Hemant Taneja, Glen Tullman, Dr. Stephen Klasko, Quentin Clark, and Anita V. Pramoda. Our mission is to partner with leading health and care businesses leveraging technology. We aim to support their efforts to become iconic category winners that accelerate the digital transformation of existing healthcare into a new system of health assurance.