Participatory medicine as a new kind of magic — and whythe future of care may depend on turning information into collaboration, not control.

Welcome to the ⁠⁠⁠North of Patient⁠⁠⁠ podcast —conversations on health[beyond]care — where we paint aninspired landscape of healthcare’s future through dialogues with creative and unconventional thinkers from around the world. For a summary of the episode,visit the ⁠⁠⁠blog post⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠North of Patient⁠.

Today’s guest is Dr. Danny Sands, primary carephysician, clinical informaticist, and pioneer in participatory medicine who has spent his career reimagining the relationship between patients, clinicians, and technology.

In this episode, we dive into the evolution of digitalhealth — from early electronic health records, clinical decision-support tools, patient portals, and email communication, to the rise of LLMs and AI-driven care. Danny shares how his early fascination with magic shaped the way he thinks about medicine and why healthcare works best when patients andclinicians collaborate as partners. We also explore information asymmetry, physician burnout, the future of primary care, and how intelligent systems might restore time, wisdom, and human connection to medicine.

Key stamps from our conversation are below:

00:21 – Meet Dr. Danny Sands: From Childhood Magician to Physician02:55 – The Magician and the Healer: Why Trust Is Central to Medicine04:21 – Discovering the Limits of Memory-Based Medicine06:00 – Finding Medical Informatics and the Promise of Better Clinical Tools09:31 – Building Early Health Technology at Beth Israel12:48 – Designing Tools Clinicians Actually Want to Use14:06 – From Clinical Calculators to Early Electronic Health Records18:15 – Patient Portals, Email, and the Birth of Participatory Medicine23:18 – E-Patients, Dave deBronkart, and the Society for Participatory Medicine26:50 – Why Healthcare Should Be a Collaboration, Not a Car Wash31:00 – Burnout, Bad EHRs, and Human Connection in Medicine41:00 – Information Symmetry: How Patients, Physicians, and LLMs Are ChangingCare52:19 – Scaling Primary Care with AI, Autonomous Agents, and Human Wisdom

Data sovereignty, the risks of AI centralization, and why our heartbeat may hold a key to protecting our digital identity in a rapidly shifting world.

Welcome to the ⁠⁠⁠North of Patient⁠⁠⁠ podcast - conversations on health[beyond]care - where we paint an inspired landscape of healthcare's future through dialogues with creative and unconventional thinkers from around the world. For a summary of the episode, visit the ⁠⁠⁠blog post⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠North of Patient⁠.

Today’s guest is Krista Kim, contemporary digital artist, founder of the Techism movement, and one of the most visionary voices at the intersection of art, technology, and human healing.

In this episode, we dive into art as a healing tool, meditation as ancient technology, and how the design of our surroundings shapes mental and physical well-being. Krista reveals how immersive tech and sound create sanctuaries for reflection and presence, while also advocating for data sovereignty and exploring the risks of centralized AI.

Key stamps from our conversation are below:00:00 – Welcome to Episode 19!02:30 – Heart Space: AI biometric art installations in Barcelona, Amsterdam, London & Seoul03:20 – From political science to digital art: McLuhan’s influence on Krista’s worldview07:24 – “Light is the new ink”: the birth of the Techism Manifesto08:30 – Meditation, martial arts and connecting to higher purpose20:13 – Growing Up in a Healing Household23:59 – Facebook and the Inspiration for Techno-Feudalism28:21 – Art + Healthcare: Aesthetics, Empathy, and the Healing Environment32:16 – Digital Sovereignty: Your Heartbeat as Your Password45:06 – Mars House: Building Immersive Virtual Environments for Healing50:00 – Exploring 3D digital assets, Architectural Innovation, and AI-Powered Ownership.58:15 – Sound Healing & Theta Waves: Creativity and Emotional Recovery01:02:00 – Looking Forward: Krista’s Advice for Health Leaders & What’s Next

Open-source AI as a tool for self-reflection—and why mistaking machines for minds could be our biggest blind spot.Welcome to the ⁠⁠⁠North of Patient⁠⁠⁠ podcast - conversations on health[beyond]care - where we paint an inspired landscape of healthcare's future through dialogues with creative and unconventional thinkers from around the world. For a summary of the episode, visit the ⁠⁠⁠blog post⁠⁠⁠ on North of Patient.Today we sit down with Dr. Nick Sahar– a digital health entrepreneur, AI researcher, and medical doctor passionate about using artificial intelligence to elevate human well-being. He is best known as the co-founder of Semantic Health, an AI startup launched out of medical school. He has worked at the intersection of medicine and AI since 2017, contributing research to early transformer architectures through the Vector Institute and serving as a reviewer at leading machine learning conferences including NeurIPS and ICML. In this episode, we explore how AI can be used to foster personal growth, the dangers of anthropomorphizing AI, and the potential of open-source development.Key stamps from our conversation are below:00:00 - Welcome to Episode 18!02:07 - Meet Nick Sahar: From Med Student to Startup Founder09:42 - A Toothbrush That Detects Stress? Early Startup Experiments11:35 - Discovering the Bottleneck: How Medical Coding Sparked the Idea for Semantic16:44 - Why Nick Chose Systems-Level Healthcare Over the Clinic19:34 - Semantic’s Journey: Founding, Scaling, and Innovating AI in Healthcare Data Coding28:04 - The “Last Mile” Challenge: Balancing AI Autonomy and Human Touch in Complex Tasks31:02 - Exploring Mental Health, Bias, and the Future of Human-AI Interaction41:58 - Personalizing Mental Health AI and Navigating the Risks of Anthropomorphized Intelligence43:45 - Neuralink, Telepathy, and the Dystopian Black Mirror Future of Brain-AI Connections46:19 - The Urgent Need for Open Source Solutions Amidst Social Disconnect and Global AI Power Struggles53:04 - Physicians Must Partner with AI, Not Be Replaced by It01:03:00 - Making AI Your Smartest Intelligence Upgrade Yet01:05:00 - Yoga, Nature, and the Radical Power of Logging Off

Reimagining primary care through digital-first thinking, clinician-guided AI, and radical service design.

Welcome to the ⁠⁠⁠North of Patient⁠⁠⁠ podcast - conversations on health[beyond]care - where we paint an inspired landscape of healthcare's future through dialogues with creative and unconventional thinkers from around the world. For a summary of the episode, visit the ⁠⁠⁠blog post⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠North of Patient.

Today we sit down with Dr. Jay Parkinson, MD, MPH – a physician turned product visionary. Known for co-founding Sherpaa, inventors of Virtual Primary Care, Jay spent the last two decades redefining what healthcare could look like. Over the past 18 years, he's built online healthcare companies that have served more than 500,000 patients from major companies like Apple, Amazon, and Microsoft, and now leads Automate.clinic to help make AI in healthcare safer and more reliable.

In this episode, Jay unpacks what it means to approach healthcare as a service, explores what large language models are doing well—and where they fall short—and shares insights into his latest venture

Key stamps from our conversation are below:

00:00 Welcome to Episode 1701:57 - Meet Dr. Jay Parkinson

04:01 - How Flickr, photography and the iPhone kickstarted Jay’s Journey

07:40 - Launching Hello Health: Early Days of Virtual Primary Care

13:24 - Using Tumblr to Build Planned Parenthood’s Digital Sex Ed Strategy

16:47 - Can You Use ChatGPT as Your Personal Therapist?

21:19 - Designing Healthcare Systems Amid Bureaucratic Barriers

26:03 - Establishing Continuous Care with Sherpaa’s Asynchronous Model

28:34 - Building from Scratch Versus Navigating Big Company Complexities

32:08 - Automate.clinic: Where Doctors Don’t See Patients – They Train AI Models

42:35 - Talking Less, Saying More: The Power of Asynchronous Communication

48:24 - The Growing Professional Depression Among Family Physicians and How Automate.clinic Is Making a Difference

53:00 - Hope and Optimism in a World Overwhelmed by Digital Noise

Shaping the future of health through speculative design, ethical AI, and the power of human-centred innovation.

Welcome to the ⁠⁠⁠North of Patient⁠⁠⁠ podcast - conversations on health[beyond]care - where we paint an inspired landscape of healthcare's future through dialogues with creative and unconventional thinkers from around the world. For a summary of the episode, visit the ⁠⁠⁠blog post⁠⁠⁠ on North of Patient.

This week’s guest is Nina Maturu — an innovation strategist, seasoned designer, and futurist. Nina recently wrapped up her term as a White House Presidential Innovation Fellow, where she advised on bold innovations at ARPA-H and led future-focused strategy at NASA, helping the agency explore emerging technologies and trends that could shape human life through 2050.

Join us as we explore topics such as the ethics of data usage, the need for restraint in an accelerating AI landscape, and what it genuinely means to embed human-centered thinking into some of the most complex and technical corners of healthcare.

Key stamps from our conversation are below:

00:00 Welcome to Episode 16

02:42 Meet Nina Maturu: Innovation Strategist, Designer, and Futurist

03:33 Groundwork in Global Community Organizing & Participatory Design

06:36 Translating Human-Centred Design into Corporate Innovation

08:18 Integrating Community and Corporate Experience to Drive Social Change

09:40 From ARPA H to NASA: Nina’s Impact as a White House Presidential Innovation Fellow

14:10 The Role of a Designer at ARPA-H: Desirability, Viability, and Feasibility

19:46 Designing for the Distant Future with NASA

23:09 A Dual Lens Approach: Integrating Generalist and Expert Views in Design Consulting

26:26 Partnering with the United Nations Foundation: A Public Health Initiative in Haiti

30:02 Centering Lived Experience in Medicine

31:28 The Promises and Perils of Affectionate AI

37:06 Designing Restraint in a Rapidly Evolving AI Landscape

44:13 Anticipating AI’s Long-Term Effects on Society and the Environment

45:59 AI Persuasion Experiment: Can AI Bots Outperform Human Experts?

48:35 Determining Liability when AI Causes Harm

51:42 Beyond Doomsday: How AI Pushes Us to Imagine a New Future

58:10 Embracing Diverse Perspectives to Shape an Unpredictable Future

Pushing the boundaries of health through bio-design, ultra-contemporary art, and reimagining the human form.

Welcome to the ⁠⁠⁠North of Patient⁠⁠⁠ podcast - conversations on health[beyond]care - where we paint an inspired landscape of healthcare's future through dialogues with creative and unconventional thinkers from around the world. For a summary of the episode, visit the ⁠⁠⁠blog post⁠⁠⁠ on North of Patient.

In this week's episode, we sit down with Amy Karle—an internationally acclaimed ultra-contemporary artist, designer, and futurist. With exhibitions spanning the globe, and even reaching space, Amy pushes the boundaries of art, science, and the future of our existence.

 Join us as we dive into some of Amy Karle’s most groundbreaking projects—from bioprinted bone scaffolds to a revolutionary archive of life being stored on the Moon.  Amy also shares her insights into the role of generative AI in healthcare, the risks of data opacity, and why she believes that true innovation requires us to stay grounded in empathy, ethics, and the human story.  

Learn more about Amy’s work.

Key stamps from our conversation are below:

00:28  Meet Amy Karle: Artist, Designer & Futurist

08:48  Evolving Medical Accessibility in the Digital Age

10:56  The Perils of Drowning in AI Agents

15:14 Merging Art, Technology, and the Quest for Human Enhancement

20:21 Using Fine Art to Enhance Medical Training

21:28 Beyond Art: Convincing People of the Technological Impact on Humanity

24:47 Navigating the Challenges of Displaying Bioart

26:07 From IBM to Bauhaus: Influences Shaping Amy’s Artistic Vision

30:22 Regenerative Reliquary: Could Biodesign Lead to Longer Lifespans?

33:54 The Symbiotic Relationship Between Art and Science

36:14 Reimagining Life's Mystery

37:03 Balancing Innovation with Caution

43:12 The Heart of Evolution

46:56 The Philosophical & Ethical Implications of Redesigning Life

57:34 Sending Art to the Moon: Echoes From the Valley of Existence

01:15:17 An Intricate Balance: Enhancing Care Without Replacing Human Touch

The transformative power of peer support, patient-centred innovation, and grassroots movements that reshape the healthcare landscape.

Welcome to the ⁠⁠⁠North of Patient⁠⁠⁠ podcast - conversations on health[beyond]care - where we paint an inspired landscape of healthcare's future through dialogues with creative and unconventional thinkers from around the world.For a summary of the episode, visit the ⁠⁠blog post⁠⁠ on North of Patient.

 This week's guest is Susannah Fox, author ofRebel Health. Susannah brings a wealth of experience from her time as Chief Technology Officer for the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, where she led innovative projects in open data and technology.

In this episode, Susannah shares stories from her career, illustrating how patient-led innovations often emerge from the margins. Join us as we explore the ways in which empowered patients are bridging the gaps in the traditional healthcare system themselves.  

Learn more aboutRebel Health.

In this episode, we discussed the research priorities of Parkinson’s patients. If you're interested in exploring the study further, check it out here:

Deane KHO, Flaherty H, Daley DJ, et alPriority setting partnership to identify the top 10 research priorities for the management of Parkinson's diseaseBMJ Open2014;4:e006434. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-006434

Key stamps from our conversation are below:

00:27 Meet the Guest: Susannah Fox

02:04 Susannah’s Career Journey 

04:13 Navigating Career Crossroads & Spotting the Future Through Tech Shifts

06:56Rebel Health: Insights from the Book

12:06 The Movement to Democratize Health Data

15:21 Overcoming the Challenges of Healthcare Innovation

18:39 Middle Management’s Role in Sparking Innovation

21:40 Major Milestones: Susannah’s Achievements as CTO 

25:25 Ensuring Continuity in Healthcare 

31:25 Empowering Patients Through Data Control

34:42 Battling Misinformation in the Health Space

44:55 The Future of Healthcare with AI Integration

55:31 Closing Remarks: Final Thoughts and Key Recommendations

Developing humanoid robots, unravelling the complexities of AI, and the mysteries of consciousness.

The art of "Impossible Journey", AI as a creative partner, and the power of analog in a digital age

Welcome to the ⁠⁠⁠North of Patient⁠⁠⁠ podcast - conversations on health[beyond]care - where we paint an inspired landscape of healthcare's future through dialogues with creative and unconventional thinkers from around the world.

For a summary of the episode, visit the ⁠blog post⁠ on North of Patient.

This episode’s guest is Daniella Schuarts, a nutritionist turned visionary storyteller and one half of the Brazilian creative duo, “Yuca”. Danielle's work draws from a life lived adventurously, shaped by travels to the furthest corners of the globe and a passion for the visual arts. Whether through live action, animation or photography her storytelling is fresh, evocative and deeply rooted in themes of social engagement, culture, and human experience.

In this episode, we'll actually get to showcase one of her recent projects, one called "Impossible Journey", a short film that explores racial inequality in the healthcare system of the United State through metaphorical storytelling. Our conversation also involves Daniela sharing her thoughts on AI's growing role in storytelling and filmmaking in general. For her AI is both a tool and a challenge, a way to expand creative possibilities while also asking questions about authenticity, emotion, and human agency in the art of storytelling, and how this can be use to help our understanding of the varied narratives around our health.

Key stamps from our conversation are below:

02:40 Transition from Nutrition to Filmmaking
08:15 The Journey Through Africa
10:25 Founding YUCA and Early Projects
11:35 Healthcare and Filmmaking Intersection
16:03 Impossible Journey: Concept and Execution
18:46 Short Film: "Impossible Journey"
29:26 AI in Storytelling and Filmmaking
39:38 Future of Filmmaking and Healthcare
47:43 Upcoming Projects

Welcome to the ⁠⁠⁠North of Patient⁠⁠⁠ podcast - conversations on health[beyond]care - where we paint an inspired landscape of healthcare's future through dialogues with creative and unconventional thinkers from around the world.

https://open.substack.com/pub/northofpatient/p/episode-11-kim-bellard-deeply-curious

If you have been following insightful and intersectional writing on healthcare in the United States in the last 10-15 years, it’s likely you’ve come across the work of Kim Bellard. Kim is a former health insurance executive, who, amongst many other things, pioneered one of the first fully online health insurance products in the US in the 90s, and went on to become the editor of Tincture Health, a bold online publication discussing critical conversations around improving healthcare in the US.

Kim’s career journey was not traditional by any means. From math graduate to healthcare policy leader, his bold ideas and curiosity led him to propose healthcare reforms at Prudential and Blue Cross Blue Shield, setting the tone for a lifelong pursuit of innovation. Our conversations covers everything from life in Cincinnati to the peculiar decisions that locals seem to make regarding where they get their health, to exploring the origins of complexity in healthcare delivery in the US, to talking about the incredible potential of the microbiome.

Key stamps from our conversation are below:

01:38 Healthcare in Cincinnati
04:46 Challenges in American Healthcare
06:21 Innovations in Health Insurance
12:10 Digital Healthcare Revolution
14:13 Tincture Health and Writing
20:14 Barriers to Healthcare Transformation
29:08 Future of Healthcare with AI
31:45 The Future of AI in Healthcare Licensing
32:48 AI's Role in Reducing Healthcare Bloat
34:28 Virtual Care and AI Doctors
37:08 AI in Medical Documentation and Empathy
39:29 The Role of Physical Exams and AI
41:26 The Impact of AI on Medical Treatments
50:43 The Microbiome and Future Medical Revolutions
54:15 The Problem with Prescription Benefit Managers (PBMs)
59:45 The Future of Healthcare and AI