Podnosis

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

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In this episode of Podnosis, Chris Hayden from Fierce spoke with Micheal McComber, Principal Solutions Architect at TTEC Digital, about how AI is transforming healthcare by enhancing patient and provider experiences. TTEC Digital specializes in optimizing patient interactions with digital solutions that ensure first-call resolution and streamlined provider support.

McComber highlighted three major challenges in healthcare: rising costs, data security, and workforce shortages. He explained that AI can address these issues by automating routine tasks such as patient scheduling, insurance verification, and predictive analytics. One notable example includes AI bots integrated with Epic systems that authenticate patient records, schedule appointments, and even notify patients about prescription updates.

Another success story involved a diabetes center using AI to manage recalls for insulin pumps. Automated outbound calls notify patients of recalls and guide them through the replacement process, ensuring patient safety and peace of mind.

McComber emphasized that AI-driven efficiencies reduce contact center handling times, offering significant cost savings and enhancing patient satisfaction. As healthcare organizations seek to optimize operations, AI offers a proven path to improved outcomes and streamlined workflows.

Listen to this compelling podcast.

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There is no shortage of startups and new entrants popping up in healthcare. But what do these young companies need to know to set themselves apart from the pack? 

That’s one key focus of the team at Healthworx, a Blues plan-backed investment firm and accelerator that seeks to turbocharge the latest innovations. 

Senior Writer Paige Minemyer sat down with Soo Jeon, the head of the accelerator at Healthworx, to dig into how the team works with burgeoning startups and what results they’ve seen so far. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Fierce Healthcare Fundraising Tracker—Proscia picks up $50M; Brain.space nabs $11M for brain data platform
• Better Health raises $14M to deploy expanded payer partnerships
• What’s next for digital health investing in 2025?
• Top health tech companies by VC funding: A look at 2024 and the past decade

This episode is sponsored by Optum Rx. Learn more.

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Dual-eligible beneficiaries are among the most expensive and complex patients out there. The costliest 5% of dual-eligibles drive more than 40% of Medicare spend. But addressing their medical, behavioral and social needs is far from simple. Community-based organizations could use extra help. 

From coordinating billing to telemedicine to care navigation, Pair Team claims to offer just that. It does so through California's Medi-Cal Community Care Hubs model. To break this down, Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya talks to Nate Favini, Pair Team’s chief medical officer.  

Then, she connects with Christian Curby, executive director of Turlock Gospel Mission, a nonprofit in California’s Central Valley partnering with Pair Team to support people without housing. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Policy report on improving care for disadvantaged youth in LA stresses collaboration
• Socially Determined's platform now stratifies social risks for minors
• New Unite Us-driven payments pilot to reimburse social service organizations in Brooklyn

This episode is sponsored by Optum Rx. Learn more.

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Fierce Healthcare unveiled its seventh annual Fierce 15 earlier this month, introducing the 2025 class of 15 companies bringing innovation and bold ideas to healthcare. Executive Editor Heather Landi and Senior Writer Paige Minemyer sit down to chat about the evolution of the Fierce 15 project over the past seven years, how it has become more competitive and how the virtual care boom during the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a new generation of companies. Telehealth seemed novel in 2019 but has now become mainstream. 

Paige and Heather also dive into Fierce Healthcare’s collaboration this year with the New York Stock Exchange and Senior Writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya’s interview with NYSE TV on the trading floor. What companies will make the list next year and what trends will define the market? Stay tuned next year for the 2026 class of the Fierce 15. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Fierce Healthcare's Fierce 15 of 2025
• Fierce Healthcare's Anastassia Gliadkovskaya presents Fierce 15 at NYSE
• Fierce Healthcare's Fierce 15 of 2024
• Fierce Healthcare's Fierce 15 of 2023

This episode is sponsored by Optum Rx. Learn more.

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In a sponsored episode of Podnosis, host Chris Hayden speaks with Dr. Steven O’Day, chief medical officer at Agenus, about the latest advancements in immunotherapy. With more than 30 years of experience in oncology, O’Day discusses how immunotherapy is changing cancer treatment and providing new hope where traditional methods, such as chemotherapy and radiation, often fall short.

Unlike conventional treatments that directly attack cancer cells, immunotherapy strengthens the body’s immune system—particularly T-cells—to recognize and destroy cancer. While this approach has led to significant breakthroughs in treating melanoma, challenges remain in tackling “cold” tumors, such as colorectal cancer, which the immune system struggles to identify.

Agenus is working to address this issue with its experimental therapies, botensilimab and balstilimab. The treatments aim to activate and sustain the immune response, showing promising results across multiple hard-to-treat cancers.

What’s next for immunotherapy? O’Day believes the field is entering a second revolution, with the potential to expand life-saving treatments to a broader range of cancers.

Listen to the full conversation on the latest episode of Podnosis.

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It’s no secret that health insurance is among the most complex parts of healthcare. With many parties involved, and evolving approaches to plan design, patients today are often confused and frustrated by their billing experience. 

Some health tech companies, like Inbox Health, help providers communicate more proactively with patients about what they might owe and what repayment options are available to them. To explain the current trends in patient billing, senior writer Anastassia Gliadkovskaya chats with Inbox Health’s co-founder and CEO Blake Walker. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Consumer Financial Protection Bureau shake-up leaves medical debt reform in limbo

• Why one New York health system stopped suing its patients

• Federal watchdog warns medical debt collectors off illegal tactics 

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Digital health venture capital funding cooled off in 2024 following the fever pitch of investment from 2020 to 2022. But investors still see bright opportunities for the sector.

Digital health startups banked $10.1 billion in venture funding in 2024, down from $10.8 billion in 2023 but higher than 2019's funding total. Several key trends shaped digital health investment in 2024: a handful of large, more established players dominated healthcare innovation headlines and heavyweight investors drove sector dealmaking. Investors focused on earlier-stage funding and pulled back on later-stage check sizes, according to Rock Health’s year-end report.

Executive editor Heather Landi sits down with Sari Kaganoff, chief commercial officer at Rock Health, to discuss the digital health sector's performance last year and the trends that will shape venture funding in 2025. 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• Digital health venture funding hit $10.1B in 2024 as investors focused on earlier-stage dealmaking
• Fierce Healthcare Fundraising Tracker—Zoom invests in Suki; Bicycle Health nabs $16.5M
• Digital health leaders bracing for capital investment boom in 2025. Here's how execs view the economic outlook
• 2024 a mixed bag for health tech venture capital: HSBC report
• General Catalyst teams up with AWS to co-develop, deploy AI-driven solutions

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Health tech experts and leaders descended on Nashville last week to discuss the biggest challenges and opportunities facing the digital health sector. 

Senior Editor Heather Landi, Senior Writer Paige Minemyer and Staff Writer Emma Beavins were on-site for several days of panels, meetings and deep dives. This week, they sit down to take a look back at the trendiest topics from the show floor. (Hint: It’s AI, of course). 

To learn more about the topics in this episode: 

• ViVE 2025 roundup: Lumeris unveils AI tech for primary care; DoseSpot's latest Rx transparency tool
• ViVE 2025: Where Humana's CenterWell team is exploring the promise of AI
• ViVE 2025: Cleveland Clinic rolls out Ambience's AI for doctors after testing scribe technologies
• ViVE 2025: Abridge scores $250M, adds new AI tool to streamline 'billable notes'
• ViVE 2025: Highmark taps Sword Health for pelvic health program
• ViVE 2025: MultiPlan unveils rebrand as it shifts focus to data assets, tech for providers, payers and employers
• ViVE 2025: UPMC Enterprises has AI on its radar as it launches new testing environment for developers

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