When providers work together, patients are more likely to get their needs met at the right place and the right time. This leads to better health outcomes and lower healthcare costs. 

In outpatient behavioral health, a certain subset of patients need intensive or specialized care. But referrals to higher levels of care are often inefficient and risk patients dropping out of treatment altogether.

Grow Therapy, a hybrid mental health provider, has launched a coordinated care program to help oversee such referrals. Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya chats with Cynthia Grant, PhD, LCSW, head of clinical excellence at Grow, about how the program works and what Grow hopes to get out of it.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Mental health tech startup Grow Therapy snags $88M, builds out measurement-based care tech
• Thriveworks launches free provider booking platform to streamline mental health referrals
• HCA Healthcare rolls out in-EHR referrals to Talkiatry's telepsychiatrists

This episode is sponsored by Optum Rx. 

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AI is racing into healthcare, but most organizations are still stuck at the starting line. 

A new report from Bessemer Venture Partners, Bain & Company and Amazon Web Services offers a view of AI in healthcare, drawing on a survey of more than 400 leaders across payers, providers and pharma. The findings reveal a stark contrast: more than 80% of respondents believe AI will transform clinical decision-making in the coming years, yet only 30% of pilots make it to production.

This week on "Podnosis," Fierce Healthcare Executive Editor Heather Landi talks with Sofia Guerra, vice president at Bessemer, to explore why adoption is falling short and what it will take to scale.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• The talent behind health tech unicorns: A look at the builders and how AI will shape the next generation
• ATA Nexus: The next wave of digital health and AI investment amid a cloudy economic outlook
• The rise of AI scribes: What’s the real-world impact?
• Fierce Healthcare Fundraising Tracker—Kaiser backs AI supply chain startup; Persivia nabs $107M
• 2025 outlook: What's next for AI scribes and virtual care
• The biggest opportunities for healthcare AI and the hurdles that stand in the way: Bessemer report
• Early evaluation of AI scribes finds decreased burnout but limited financial ROI

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The healthcare industry is preparing for significant regulatory change in the latter half of 2025, and much of the conversation on the first quarter earnings calls was about setting the tone for those complications. Tariffs, Medicaid cuts and the likely end of the enhanced ACA subsidies all have major implications for payers and providers, and industry behemoth UnitedHealth Group is headlining those trends with an unusual miss and the departure of its CEO, Andrew Witty.

This week on "Podnosis," Associate Editor Dave Muoio and Senior Writer Paige Minemyer sit down to take a look back at the first quarter earnings season and forecast what’s ahead for these industries. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Elevated medical costs continued to drag insurers in Q1 2025. Here's a look at how the major payers fared
• UnitedHealth Group CEO Andrew Witty steps down, company suspends 2025 outlook
• Flu volumes, payer battles, policy uncertainty take center stage during CHS' Q1 earnings
• UnitedHealth Group shares plunge, CEO calls out 'unusual and unacceptable' Q1 results
• HCA Healthcare reaffirms 2025 guidance, beats on Q1 earnings
• Elevance Health execs seek to ease Wall Street's concerns about elevated MA costs
• Molina Healthcare sees opportunities for more acquisitions
• Cigna's Evernorth unveils 2 new programs aimed at GLP-1s
• Backstopped by Q1 overperformance, Tenet Healthcare will stay aggressive amid policy uncertainties
• Centene CEO London weighs in on state of Medicaid cuts, enhanced ACA subsidies on the Hill
• Universal Health Services waves off Q1 behavioral volume stumble, Medicaid supplemental payment uncertainty
• Why Humana is focusing on 'diversification' as it shores up MA business
• Aetna to exit the ACA exchanges in 2026
• Alignment Healthcare grows Q1 revenue to $927M, hires former MultiPlan CFO
• Clover Heath raises guidance, revenue jumps 33% with net loss trimmed to $1M
• Ardent Health on the lookout for M&A, JV deals following strong Q1 performance
• Oscar Health hits $275M profit, decries proposed shortened enrollment window

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AI scribes have seen rapid growth in the healthcare market over the past year, but reliable data on their actual performance is still hard to come by. Much of the available information comes from vendor claims, leaving a gap in independent, real-world assessments.

In this episode of "Podnosis," Fierce Healthcare's Emma Beavins sits down with Caroline Pearson, executive director of the Peterson Health Technology Institute, which recently released one of the first reports examining how AI scribes impact provider burnout, after-hours work, and their return on investment. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Early evaluation of AI scribes finds decreased burnout but limited financial ROI
• 2025 outlook: What's next for AI scribes and virtual care
• Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare Delivery Systems: Early Applications and Impacts

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Human-centered design is crucial in healthcare—but it’s often invisible. Rooted in systems thinking, it considers the broader ecosystems that shape patient needs.

Design can make or break a patient’s experience. Yet many organizations don’t fully understand what this approach involves or how to implement it effectively.

CannonDesign works across sectors, including healthcare, to help organizations design smarter. Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya speaks with Abbie Clary, principal and co-director of CannonDesign’s global health practice, about the firm’s design philosophy, its importance to health equity and how healthcare organizations’ approach to design is evolving.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Designing with neurodiversity in mind
• Industry Voices—Why redesigning healthcare requires a human-centered approach
• Inside the plans to build a health innovation hub in New Jersey’s SciTech city

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In a recent episode of Podnosis: The Pulse of the Healthcare Industry, Jeff Smith, CEO of Bamboo Health, sat down with host Heath Clendenning to tackle one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare today: how to effectively serve high-need, high-cost patients—particularly those with behavioral health conditions.

Smith explains that around 20% of patients drive nearly 60% of healthcare costs, and many of these individuals face compounding behavioral and physical health issues. To address this, he advocates for integrated, proactive care models that leverage real-time data, care navigation and AI-driven insights to reduce hospitalizations and improve quality of life.

Through compelling examples and forward-thinking strategies, Smith paints a vision of a healthcare ecosystem built on coordination, shared information and continuous, personalized support.

Listen to the full interview on Podnosis.

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About 1 in 10 people have diabetes, and 1 in 5 don’t even know they have it. Preventing and managing diabetes is only possible when you know where to start.

Yumlish provides nutrition literacy to Medicaid and Medicare populations in a culturally diverse way. This week on "Podnosis," Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya speaks with Yumlish founder and CEO Shireen Abdullah about the outcomes Yumlish is seeing and how federal budget cuts risk making diabetes prevalence worse.

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Food as medicine got a boost after RFK Jr.'s nomination—will it last under Trump?
• Instacart launches AI-backed tools to make it easier for users to find healthy foods
• Tia, Nourish partner to expand nutrition counseling, women's healthcare access
• Virtual diabetes care providers score legislative win, turn focus to full passage

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In a recent sponsored episode of Podnosis, Claritev executives broke down the company’s rebrand from MultiPlan, its legacy of payer-provider engagement, and the growing role of data transparency in employer-sponsored health care.

David Murtagh, vice president of Product Management for Data & Decision Science, said the shift to Claritev reflects the company’s expanded focus beyond payers to include providers, employers, consultants and government entities. “We’re trying to open [the brand] up to all health care stakeholders that have a common interest in affordability, quality and transparency,” he said.

Transparency, according to Murtagh, goes well beyond regulatory requirements. Claritev’s BenInsights platform aims to unify fragmented health benefits data—claims, pharmacy, biometrics, and more—into one actionable ecosystem. The goal: help employers identify care gaps, predict risks, and better evaluate costly trends like GLP-1 weight-loss drugs or musculoskeletal conditions.

By synthesizing large data sets into accessible insights, Claritev hopes to empower HR professionals and consultants without requiring deep technical expertise. “It doesn’t require a small army of analysts,” Murtagh said. “It just takes engagement once all the data is there.”

For a deeper dive into how Claritev is helping employers make smarter benefits decisions, listen to the full episode of Podnosis.

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Nearly 30 million Americans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime. Unfortunately, there aren’t enough providers who know how to treat these complex conditions. What care is available is largely inaccessible, often for financial or geographical reasons. 

Equip, a virtual provider of eating disorder treatment services, recently ran a survey of nearly 500 people who have been in or are currently in treatment. To understand the striking findings, Fierce Healthcare's Anastassia Gliadkovskaya talks with Jessie Menzel, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and VP of clinical programs at Equip. They also chat about why the current system fails patients and how cultural competence plays a key role in eating disorder treatment.  

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Equip nabs additional investment to expand virtual eating disorder treatment services to adult patients
• Most doctors get limited education on eating disorders. This online training helps fill the gap
• Equip taps healthcare exec Nikia Bergan as new president to scale up virtual eating disorder treatment services

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The use of wearable devices continues to rise, and as consumers become comfortable with the array of wellness features they offer, these companies are turning their eyes to healthcare. 

The team at Oura, which offers a smart ring that tracks sleep and physical activity, has built relationships with health plans by digging deeper into the connection between sleep habits and chronic disease. 

In this week's episode of "Podnosis," Senior Writer Paige Minemyer sat down with Jason Oberfest, vice president of healthcare at Oura, to discuss how the company is approaching its push into healthcare. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Oura closes $200M round, boosting smart ring maker's valuation to $5.2B
• Smart ring maker Oura picks up $75M series D, inks strategic partnership with Dexcom
• HLTH24: Essence Healthcare to give MA plan members free Oura ring for health tracking
• HLTH23: Headspace, Oura partner to bring a high-tech approach to tackling stress, mental wellness

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.