Healthcare startups don’t fail because their tech isn’t cool, they fail because they don’t understand how healthcare actually buys, governs, and deploys change. 

In this episode, Sohail Azeem, principal consultant at South Star Consulting, discusses his path from Texas Children’s Hospital operations and NICU leadership to COO/CEO roles, then into entrepreneurship supporting telehealth, remote patient monitoring, and chronic care programs. He explains the most common startup pitfall he sees: obsessing over fundraising before building a real business development engine, a credible pipeline, and a revenue trajectory that meets investor expectations.

Tom Leary, SVP of Government Affairs at HIMSS, breaks down the policy landscape shaping digital health. He discusses the debate around the “One Big Beautiful Act,” concerns about Medicaid impacts, and a major rural health transformation push that states are responding to—often by leveraging digital health. 

Grant McGaugh, CEO of Five Star BDM, shares how building an authentic personal brand can become a growth engine. He explains why “search and social” now determine credibility, how podcasting became his platform for social selling, and why your online narrative must match your real skills to avoid an authenticity gap. 

Lou Mendez, president of the South Florida HIMSS chapter, outlines the chapter’s “three C’s” focus: community, collaboration, and communication; and the conference theme of “Bold Moves.” He highlights how CEOs are now confidently bringing AI strategy to their boards, with repeated emphasis on efficiency, accuracy, and especially patient experience. 

Tune in and learn how to build health tech growth that survives the realities of healthcare!

Resources

• Connect with Sohail Azeem on LinkedIn here.

• Visit South Star Consulting’s website here.

• Follow and connect with Tom Leary on LinkedIn.

• Email Tom directly here.

• To learn more about HIMSS’ policies, email them here or visit their website here.

• Connect with Grant McGaugh on LinkedIn.

• Explore 5 Star BDM’s website.

• Listen to the Follow the Brand podcast here.

• Follow and connect with Lucianil Mendez on LinkedIn.

• Find out more about the HIMSS South Florida Chapter on LinkedIn and their website.