MedTech Business Academy

Healthcare value is changing fast in 2026. Cost pressure, CMS policy shifts, and the move toward value-based care are forcing hospitals, suppliers, and value analysis teams to rethink how value is defined and measured.

In this kickoff episode of the Creating Value Series, host Skender Daerti is joined by value analysis experts Barbara Strain, Jenell Robinson, and Terri Nelson to break down the evolving value equation in healthcare.

They discuss the classic formula Value = Quality ÷ Cost, why that equation is becoming more complex, and how hospitals are increasingly evaluating outcomes, efficiency, patient experience, and operational impact when making purchasing decisions.

This episode explores:

• How value analysis teams actually evaluate clinical products

• Why the lowest cost product is not always the highest value

• How CMS changes influence hospital purchasing decisions

• The role suppliers play in demonstrating meaningful value

• Why future value decisions may become more theoretical and outcomes-driven

If you work in medtech, hospital supply chain, clinical leadership, or healthcare strategy, this episode provides a practical look at how value analysis is evolving and what it means for product adoption.

This episode launches our new Creating Value series, where we will explore conversion compliance, supplier collaboration, value analysis processes across different healthcare systems, and more.

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Medtech’s New Battleground

In this episode of the Medtech Business Academy, Skender Daerti, Barbara Strain, and Scott Alexander discuss the forces shaping the medical device industry today. With strong earnings and renewed M&A activity, capital is flowing back into medtech. At the same time, hospitals continue to face staffing shortages, labor pressures, and operational constraints.

The conversation explores why workflow and operational efficiency are becoming critical factors in technology adoption. As providers try to do more with fewer resources, medtech companies that simplify processes and integrate into clinical workflows may have the greatest competitive advantage.

This episode examines the intersection of industry consolidation, AI-driven investment trends, and hospital operational realities, and what it means for medtech leaders navigating the next phase of the market.

2026 Kickoff sets the stage for what’s ahead in medtech. In this episode of the MedTech Business Academy, Skender Daerti is joined by Barbara Strain, Scott Alexander, Mike Sperduti, and Tom Hickey to reflect on the turbulence of 2025 and unpack what it means for selling, marketing, and implementing medical technology in 2026.

The panel discusses why uncertainty stalled decision-making last year, how tariffs and supply chain pressures changed provider behavior, and why conversion fatigue and implementation burden are killing more deals than ever. From educational marketing and smarter prospecting to clearer clinical, financial, and operational value messaging, this conversation focuses on what actually moves opportunities forward in today’s environment.

Looking ahead, the group explores CMS reimbursement changes, evolving provider priorities, investor expectations, and the growing need for adaptability as AI and new ways of working reshape how relationships are built and maintained.

Key themes in this episode:

• What 2025 revealed about the medtech market
• Why adoption friction matters more than price
• How to build pipeline in a slower, noisier market
• CMS changes and their impact on providers and suppliers
• Adaptation as the defining skill for 2026

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In this episode of the Medtech Business Academy, host Scott Alexander sits down with Skender Daerti, Barbara Strain, and Mike Sperduti to go deeper on voice of customer by focusing on one of the most underused tools in medtech: advisory boards.

They unpack what a modern advisory board really is, how it differs from one-off focus groups, and why the best boards are “snowflakes” that look different for each product, market, and objective. Skender introduces the idea of “closing the circuit” across all personas who touch a product, from physicians and nurses to EVS, biomed, IT, and quality leaders.

The group explores how to avoid the trap of getting “say” data that never turns into “do,” why you should pay advisors to tell you what you do not want to hear, and how to balance gray-bearded experts with emerging clinicians who understand today’s channels and behaviors. They wrap with practical steps for building your first advisory board, setting objectives, holding advisors accountable, and knowing when the right move is to kill a project.

If you are in medtech leadership, product management, marketing, or sales, this episode will give you a concrete playbook to design advisory boards that create a real unfair advantage in your market.

In Episode 7 of the Value Analysis Expert Series, Skender Daerti sits down with Barbara Strain, Terri Nelson, and Jenell Robinson to unpack indirect spend and why it belongs inside the value analysis conversation. From rentals and courier services to waste, valet, instrument repair, and placement agreements, the panel shows how these choices shape patient flow, compliance, budgets, and outcomes. Learn the questions value analysis teams ask, the metrics that matter, and how to engage supply chain early so departments avoid hidden costs and lost leverage.

The team unpacks a practical playbook for voice of customer in medtech. Learn how to recruit across the real buying committee, ask intent questions that forecast adoption, and focus on operational ease so your product clears the bandwidth barrier inside hospitals. Walk away with first steps to build buyer personas, create an internal champion, and keep a non-sales conversation running in the market.

Key takeaways:

• Do not generalize one cohort’s feedback across the committee
• Test intent with do oriented questions instead of nice to hear statements
• Operational simplicity is a decision driver when staffing is thin
• Build a champion and arm them to speak for finance and operations
• Keep VOC continuous to prevent point in time blind spots
• Use associations and local chapters to reach hard to access roles

In this episode of the Women in Medtech series, host Colleen Patterson is joined by Linda Lybert, founder and executive director of the Healthcare Surfaces Institute, for an eye-opening conversation about the unseen role that materials and cleaning practices play in patient safety.

Linda shares how a simple sales visit led to a decade-long mission to improve the way hospitals think about surface disinfection and design. From launching global task forces to breaking down silos between infection prevention, facilities, and manufacturers, she explains how collaboration and persistence are essential to driving change in healthcare environments.

Listeners will gain practical insight into how surface selection, training, and communication across departments can reduce healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), extend product life, and protect brand reputation.

Key Topics:

• Why surfaces matter for infection prevention and patient outcomes
• The hidden costs of material damage and improper disinfection
• How collaboration between clinicians and manufacturers creates safer environments
• Strategies for overcoming “no” and building momentum for change
• The global effort to standardize cleaning, testing, and education

In this episode of the Value Analysis Expert Series, Jenell Robinson, Terri Nelson, and Barbara Strain discuss how Unique Device Identifiers (UDIs) are transforming value analysis. From recall management to data-driven product evaluations, UDIs provide a common language that helps hospitals and suppliers align on outcomes, cost, and operational impact.

Learn how UDIs:

• Improve traceability and safety during recalls
• Enable more accurate product comparisons and evaluations
• Connect clinical, financial, and operational data for better decisions
• Support retrospective reviews and continuous improvement

Whether you are a medtech supplier preparing for product evaluations or a healthcare leader working to streamline decisions, this episode shows why UDIs are more than codes — they are a foundation for credible, patient-centered decision making.

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Our 100th episode is a look back and a look ahead. Skender Daerti is joined by Barbara Strain, Colleen Patterson, Scott Alexander, and Mike Spurduti to reflect on how the show began during the Great Isolation and what four years of industry change have taught us.

In this episode you will hear:

• How inside sales, digital marketing, and virtual education reshaped commercial models in medtech
• Why listening to the real world through voice of customer, human factors, and market research beats build it and they will come
• Provider side realities from supply shortages to today’s financial pressures and operational efficiency needs
• The rise of Women in Medtech and why representation changes how decisions get made
• What is next for the industry, including data and AI in outcomes and sales, private equity’s growing influence, rural health challenges, and the impact of policy and tariffs

Takeaways: change is constant, execution matters, and the companies that adapt with clear value and real customer insight will win the next four years.

Featuring

Skender Daerti

Barbara Strain

Colleen Patterson

Scott Alexander

Mike Spurduti

If this conversation helps you see the forest and not just the tree, subscribe for the next 100.

Host Scott Alexander sits down with Barbara Strain and Mike Sperduti to cut through the AI noise and focus on where it truly delivers value in the medical device world. Rather than debating models, the panel shares real use cases that speed decisions, strengthen commercial execution, and reduce costs.

What you’ll learn:

How AI shifts us from data rich and information poor to faster, better decisions for providers and suppliers

Practical sales applications like customer prep, role play, and building sharper decks without sounding generic

Using AI for innovation and IP work alongside expert legal review

Why prompt “chunking” beats all-in-one asks, and how to validate sources before acting

Provider-side examples including RFP review in minutes and cleaning surgical preference cards

When not to use AI for content creation, and how to keep originality and copyright control

The real advantage in the AI era: curiosity, judgment, and assembling the pieces into something new