That's Unusual

Almost two decades ago, Michael O’Neil lay on a hospital bed awaiting chemotherapy having just recently been informed he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma. He had more questions than he had answers, and had no where to turn at the bedside to get informed and be engaged.br /

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That was the genesis for his rapidly growing and global company called Get Well Network - designed to educate, inform, and engage the patient throughout the course of their medical management.br /

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At a time when Google was just an infant, Facebook had not been conceived, and smart phones were just a futuristic vision…Michael charted into unknown territory and not only beat the odds in defeating his cancer, but also grew Get Well Network into a behemoth of company busting through walls as a pioneer in the patient engagement space.br /

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On this episode, Michael shares it all...from how his experience of being diagnosed with cancer prompted the idea for Get Well Network, to the hurdles he had to overcome along the way, to where he believes the market has evolved over the past 20 years. All this and more on today’s episode.br /

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Now, That’s Unusual.br /

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Visit www.thatsunusualpodcast.combr /

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ABOUT MICHAEL O’NEILbr /

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The healthcare tech industry chose Michael O’Neil in 1999 when he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was 28-years-old, completing his graduate work at Georgetown when he received the diagnosis, and the experience of having the tumor removed and enduring four cycles of chemotherapy led him to envision a more connected environment where a patient was empowered with access to information at the point of care.br /

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O’Neil founded GetWellNetwork in 2000 with the intention of partnering with hospitals to improve outcomes through patient engagement. The leading provider of interactive patient care solutions, the GetWellNetwork patient engagement platform is exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association and the DAISY Foundation for Nursing. The company works with 500 hospitals and 300 clinics to incorporate its Interactive Patient Care model across the continuum of care. Last year alone, four million patients were admitted to a GetWell bed and a million and a half patients came through a GetWell clinic.br /

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GetWellNetwork has been named to the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 and Inc. 5000 lists as one of America’s fastest growing private companies. In addition, O’Neil was named EY Entrepreneur of the Year for 2016 in the health category for the Mid-Atlantic region. He is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization as well as Mindshare, a group of high-tech CEOs who seek to foster entrepreneurship in Washington DC.br /

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To read all show notes and resources for this episode please visit: www.drgautamgulati.com/ep034

Everyone can agree that our current healthcare model is broken. But the question is, can we fix it from the inside? or do we need to start from scratch?br /

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My next guest, Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle believes in order to best address the looming crisis, we need to reimagine health care from the ground up, and build new primary care models from scratch. He is the founder of Iora Health, a next generation primary care practice designed to restore the humanity in healthcare.br /

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In recent weeks, we have seen similar primary care models like Qliance and Turntable Health fold under unsustainable business models. By what makes Iora Health different and successful to date?br /

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On this episode, Dr. Fernandopulle will share his secret sauce to success, what he believes is broken in primary care, what the future holds for quality medical care, and the inspirational backstory that led him to start Iora Health. All this and more on today’s episode.br /

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Now, That’s Unusual.br /

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ABOUT DR. RUSHIKA FERNANDOPULLE br /

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Dr. Rushika Fernandopulle is a practicing physician and co-founder and CEO of Iora Health, a healthcare services firm based in Cambridge MA whose mission is to build a radically new model of primary care to improve quality and service and reduce overall expenditures. In 2012 he was named an Ashoka Global Fellow, and is also a member of the Albert Schweitzer and Salzburg Global Fellowships. He was the first Executive Director of the Harvard Interfaculty Program for Health Systems Improvement, and Managing Director of the Clinical Initiatives Center at the Advisory Board Company. He is co-author or editor of several publications including Health Care Policy, a textbook for physicians and medical students, and Uninsured in America: Life and Death in the Land of Opportunity. He serves on the staff at the Massachusetts General Hospital, on the faculty of Harvard Medical School, and on the boards of Families USA and the Schwartz Center for Compassionate Care. He earned his A.B., M.D., and M.P.P. (Masters in Public Policy) from Harvard University, and completed his clinical training at the University of Pennsylvania and the Massachusetts General Hospital.br /

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To read all show notes and resources for this episode please visit: www.drgautamgulati.com/ep033

Did you know that only 4% of venture capital funding goes to women entrepreneurs? Did you also know that in 2016, there were over 11.3 million women-owned businesses in the U.S. that employed nearly 9 million people and generated over $1.6 trillion in revenues?br /

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So why the disconnect? But more importantly, what would you do if faced with experiencing this social injustice?br /

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In steps Vicki Saunders.br /

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With her globally recognized company called SheEO, serial entrepreneur Vicki Saunders is on a crusade to disrupt and reimagine the venture funding model for women-led companies around the world using a philosophy she calls radical generosity. How does it work? Up to 1,000 women in each region contribute $1,000 which creates a one million dollar fund. The money is then loaned out to up to 10 women-led ventures at 0% interest, paid back over 5 years and reinvested perpetually. Vicki's big-picture calculation: a billion dollars going to 10,000 female entrepreneurs every year, in perpetuity. Take that Sand Hill Road.br /

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On this episode, Vicki shares her purpose filled journey leading up to this point, why venture capital and traditional funding models have mostly failed women, an inside look at the sheEO strategy, several success stories from her portfolio, and even key principles from her popular book, Think Like a SheEO. All this and more on today’s episode.br /

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Now, That’s Unusual.br /

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Visit www.thatsunusualpodcast.combr /

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ABOUT VICKI SAUNDERSbr /

Vicki Saunders is the founder of SheEO, Inc., a global initiative designed to radically transform how we support, finance and celebrate female entrepreneurs who are creating a better world. SheEO provides a platform in which generous women Activators act as advisors, early customers, suppliers, connectors and follow-on investors to set up emerging female entrepreneurs for immediate and accelerated growth.br /

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Saunders is a serial entrepreneur, award-winning mentor, and leading advocate for entrepreneurship as a way to create positive transformation in the world. She has co-founded and run four ventures in Europe, Toronto and Silicon Valley, including Zazengo, The NRG Group, and Impactanation. Saunders was selected as a Global Leader for Tomorrow by the World Economic Forum, and she speaks regularly at events such as the Women of Influence Series in Canada, the Tallberg Forum, and the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurs.br /

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Saunders is passionate about designing new forms of financing to support businesses building a better world, and she has been a committed mentor to over 1000 businesses over of the course of her career.br /

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To read all show notes and resources for this episode please visit: www.drgautamgulati.com/ep032br /

While we are all too familiar with YouTube sensations like Gangnam Style, Justin Bieber, and laughing babies that have spawned viral phenomenons, only one Youtube sensation can claim to have forever changed the landscape of digital health. On this episode, Inventor extraordinaire, Dr. David Albert shares the founding story of AliveCor - the first FDA approved portable EKG device that is operated through your smartphone. Since its approval, the device has been attributed to saving countless lives.br /

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Dr. Albert reveals the how a home produced YouTube video changed the course of his career, what inspired him to invent AliveCor, what it's like to disrupt a largely incumbent and resistant industry, how his device was used to save a life while 35,000 feet in the air, and he even shares the story behind his signature clothing attire. All this and more on today’s episode.br /

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Now, That’s Unusual.br /

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Visit www.thatsunusualpodcast.combr /

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ABOUT DR. DAVE ALBERTbr /

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Dr. Dave Albert is the founder, CEO and CMO of AliveCor, a company that leverages machine learning techniques to enable proactive heart care. Their signature product, the FDA-cleared Kardia Mobile, is the most clinically validated mobile ECG solution on the market. AliveCor was recognized by Fast Company as one of 2017’s most innovative companies in health.br /

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Dr. Albert began his career as a ‘mad scientist’ and inventor as a student at Duke Medical School. After his father suffered a heart attack, Albert commissioned an engineering graduate student to build a portable heartrate monitor for his dad. When that grad student failed to deliver, he made the decision to take a leave of absence from medical school to pursue engineering and build a device himself.br /

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Albert left academic cardiology in 1984 to start his first company, Corazonix, followed by Data Critical Corp in 1991. He spent four years as GE’s Chief Scientist before founding Lifetone Technology, a startup that developed home safety and health monitoring technologies. In 2011, he became a YouTube sensation via a video demonstrating his landmark invention, the AliveCor Smartphone ECG. He has 55 issued US patents, and he has authored 70-plus scientific abstracts in the cardiology space. As a physician, maker, and serial entrepreneur, Dr. Albert is on a mission to save lives, one invention at a time.br /

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To read all show notes and resources for this episode please visit: www.drgautamgulati.com/ep031

We’ve all heard of the infamous Tupper Ware parties. But have you heard of the CPR Party? My next guest is Laura Metro who was inspired to create the popular CPR Party originating from a near-death drowning incident of her son. Turning adversity into opportunity, she imagines a world where every neighbor is empowered to become a citizen paramedic. One house at a time, she is democratizing access to affordable CPR training with the hope that no one ever has to suffer the hard-ship she endured with her son.br /

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On this episode, Laura shares with us the horrifying moment of almost losing her son to a preventable drowning incident, what sparked her to create CPR Party, and why she believes CPR training is a global imperative. All this and more on today’s episode.br /

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Now, That’s Unusual.br /

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Visit www.thatsunusualpodcast.combr /

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ABOUT LAURA METRObr /

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On June 18, 2011, Laura Metro’s life was rocked.br /

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She and her husband went on a run with the family dog on the Delaware shore, while friends watched her two small children at the neighborhood pool. Her three-year-old son, Clay, fell in the deep end and silently sank. He was unconscious in a matter of moments. A bystander performed CPR until paramedics arrived, and Metro and her son were rushed to Wilmington via Medevac. After two days in a coma, Clay awoke to make a miraculous recovery, much of which was attributed to the efforts of the ‘citizen paramedic’ who performed compressions until first responders reached the scene.br /

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Devastated by the incident and driven to make sure no other parent would ever have to experience that kind of grief, Metro leveraged her background in PR and marketing to develop CPR Party, a model that mirrors the in-home shopping party concept. The program provides a CPR instructor to conduct an informal course, and every individual has the opportunity to do compressions on a mannequin and experience an AED demo during the one-hour session.br /

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CPR Party is program of Metro’s CLAY Foundation, which seeks to teach CPR, promote water safety and drowning awareness as well as advocate for FloatFirst swim curriculums. The overarching goal of the foundation is to empower people to save lives through prevention and emergency first response.br /

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To read all show notes and resources for this episode please visit: www.drgautamgulati.com/ep030

My next guest is an old college friend of mine who has pursued her childhood dreams of becoming an actor. Nina Mehta is an actor, writer, and creative dreamer who turned her passion into her profession. As an ensemble member of the renowned theater and film production company, The Collective, she has appeared in numerous media productions, including being a regular cast member of The Amy Schumer Show.br /

On this episode, we discuss her unlikely journey from being an environmental studies major to hustling her way into theater by following her dreams. We also discuss the challenges of being an actor as a minority, why artistry has always been in her family blood, and what it takes to break into a highly competitive industry. All this and more on today’s episode.br /

Now, That’s Unusual.br /

Visit www.thatsunusualpodcast.combr /

ABOUT NINA MEHTAbr /

Growing up in northern New Jersey, Nina Mehta loved the creative arts. She was actively involved in theatre in high school, but stepped away from acting in college to pursue Environmental Studies at The George Washington University in Washington, DC. Mehta returned to New York after graduation and worked a ‘regular job,’ but the voice in her head kept calling her back to the performing arts.br /

Mehta studied acting professionally under Terry Knickerbocker at the William Esper Studio from 2003-2005. She completed the two-year program in the evenings while working for Time Inc. With the economic downturn in 2008, she was laid off from her marketing job at Time – and serendipitously connected with The Collective NY, a newly formed performance ensemble comprised of other Esper Studio graduates. She began attending the group’s Collective Monday workshops, and became an official member of the troupe in March of 2009.br /

Mehta’s first film, Finding Priya a Prom Date, won several short film awards on the 2008-2009 festival circuit, and she also appeared in The Call Center, an official pick at the 2009 New York Television Festival. She has played several roles on the sketch comedy show Inside Amy Schumer, and most recently appeared on Girls. Mehta continues to work with The Collective NY, serving as a writer, director, producer, and member of the permanent ensemble.br /

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To read all show notes and resources for this episode please visit: www.drgautamgulati.com/ep029

We are all patients, but only one has come to be recognized as the face and voice for a growing community of activists encouraging the rise of participatory medicine. My guest today is a cancer survivor and patient advocate, Dave deBronkart, better known as e-Patient Dave.br /

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The evolving field of health medicine has many challenges, but having patients pro-actively participate in their medical decision-making shouldn’t be one of them. As an industry that has historically relied on the one-sided expertise of physicians, technology and the internet have fundamentally changed the game. Patients have much greater access to information than ever before.br /

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So why then is it still so difficult to get patients to take charge of their health? As it turns out, e-Patient Dave believes there is a science to patient engagement and behavior change that is not too different from how we describe the mechanism of action of a drug. On this episode, Dave shares what this means, what he has learned in his own personal journey on battling the ugly “C” word, what he believes is the fundamental difference between a patient and consumer, and what we need to do going forward so that patients play a more central and active role in their care.br /

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I found this conversation to be both inspirational and informative as I hope you will too. e-Patient Dave is an inspiring human being who believes the voice of the patient needs to be heard around the world. All this and more on today’s episode.br /

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Now, That’s Unusual.br /

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Visit www.thatsunusualpodcast.combr /

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ABOUT “e-Patient” Dave deBronkartbr /

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Dave deBronkart, better known as e-Patient Dave, was diagnosed with Stage IV kidney cancer in January of 2007. The best information gave him just 24 weeks to live, and with tumors in both lungs, several bones and muscle tissue, the prognosis was grim.br /

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Lucky enough to be connected with an academic medical center, Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess, he received superior care that leveraged the best available research. Once it was clear that he had beaten the disease, deBronkart became an activist, seeking to open the healthcare information system directly to patients on an unprecedented level, thus creating a new dynamic in how information is delivered, accessed and used by the patient.br /

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Dave is the author of the highly rated Let Patients Help: A Patient Engagement Handbook and one of the world’s leading advocates for patient engagement. After beating stage IV kidney cancer in 2007 he became a blogger, health policy advisor and international keynote speaker. He is today the best-known spokesman for the patient engagement movement, attending over 500 conferences and policy meetings in fifteen countries, including testifying in Washington for patient access to the medical record under Meaningful Use.br /

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A co-founder and chair emeritus of the Society for Participatory Medicine, e-Patient Dave has appeared in Time, U.S. News, USA Today, Wired, MIT Technology Review, and the HealthLeaders cover story “Patient of the Future.” His writings have been published in the British Medical Journal, the Society for General Internal Medicine Forum, iHealthBeat, and the conference journal of the American Society for Clinical Oncology. In 2009 HealthLeaders named him and his doctor to their annual list of “20 People Who Make Healthcare Better,” and he’s appeared on the cover of Healthcare IT News and the Australian GP magazine Good Practice.br /

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To read all show notes and resources for this episode please visit: www.drgautamgulati.com/ep028

What is life? Even though we don’t quite answer that question, I feel like my next guest, Joshua Cogan, and I cover off on just about every other philosophical question there is. If you don’t know Josh, you should. He is quite possibly one of the greatest photojournalists of our time who has won more awards than one can count. As a true citizen of the world, Joshua’s thirst for curiosity, wonder and exploration have taken him to the hidden corners of the earth to capture the stories of indigenous cultures through photography. br /

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On this episode, Josh and I talk about his unusual journey as a self-taught photographer, how he hustled his way at National Geographic to fame and recognition, the mental process he takes to capture rare emotions through his photos, what he has learned over the years in his photojournalistic career, the future of photographic storytelling and even his most vulnerable life moments. Throughout our conversation, Josh and I go off on various philosophical tangents that I am sure you will enjoy. This was hands down one of my favorite conversations to date.br /

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So join me today while Josh and I go deep into the meanings of culture, life, passion, resilience, work, happiness, and much more. All this and more on today’s episode.br /

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Now, That’s Unusual.br /

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Visit www.thatsunusualpodcast.combr /

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ABOUT JOSHUA COGANbr /

Joshua Cogan is an Emmy Award-winning photographer and anthropologist whose work has taken him to 40 countries and 5 continents to produce his unique brand of ethnographic storytelling. Using his passion for culture, ecology and imagery, Cogan has consistently produced work across print, motion and web platforms. Recognition for those projects has come from standard bearers of journalism such as The National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences as well as SXSW and the Webby Awards for his partnerships creating new approaches to storytelling and cultural exchange.br /

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Growing up in the suburbs of Atlanta, Cogan craved adventure. This idea of seeking ‘something more’ grew into an interest in archeology and anthropology, as he was drawn to understand different notions of community. After graduating from the University of Maryland, College Park, with a BA in Anthropology and Art History, Cogan did some traveling before moving to DC with the intent of pursuing work at National Geographic, perhaps as a researcher or writer. Unfortunately, the magazine industry was experiencing massive transition and there were few jobs to be had. At the suggestion of his grandmother, he visited the volunteer office at Nat Geo, and convinced them to allow him to help in the photo lab.br /

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A self-taught photographer, Cogan pursued his first story alone, covering a Jewish community in southern India. He has grown into one of the most sought-after journalists of our time, capturing the stories of indigenous cultures through photographs as well as film. His most recent production is a feature length documentary of New Delhi’s last magicians’ ghetto, Tomorrow We Disappear. Widely published and exhibited, he has done work for the United Nations, the World Health Organization, the Smithsonian Institution, The New Yorker, and many others. He is committed to capturing the way cultures operate and evolve via visual media.br /

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To read all show notes and resources for this episode please visit: www.drgautamgulati.com/ep027

Lets face it. When it comes to addressing education, the medical profession is a bit behind the ball. While the field of medicine is innovating at exponential rates, the way we train doctors is still moving at a snails pace. My esteemed guest today, Dr. Margaret “Maggi” Cary, is a world renowned leadership coach who knows a thing or two when it comes to the required attributes to become a successful (and happy) physician in a rapidly evolving industry.br /

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On todays show, Maggi and I attempt to define the role of the future physician, what attributes are necessary for success, and why leadership is a critical skill that has historically not been taught to medical professionals. Maggi also explains why coaching is in high demand within the health profession, and even shares a few of her own professional techniques on how to lead.br /

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Join me today while Maggi and I go deep into exploring how we can create leaders out of doctors to meet the future demands of an ever-changing profession. All this and more on today’s episode.br /

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Now, That’s Unusual.br /

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Visit www.thatsunusualpodcast.combr /

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ABOUT DR. MARGARET CARYbr /

Dr. Margaret Cary is a passionate educator with a physician's mind and a friend's heart. As a leadership coach she blends a scientist's thinking with a caregiver's empathy. She is a ferocious learner and serial focuser with a lifelong passion for sharing what she's learned. She is an inspirational motivator, occasional humorist, and excellent listener and storyteller. She is internationally known as an engaging speaker who translates the latest research in leadership development and adult learning into entertaining and highly interactive presentations. She is a graduate of Georgetown University's Leadership Coaching Certificate program, an author, trainer, facilitator and professor (Georgetown University School of Medicine). Her clients include physician leaders at MedStar, Mayo Clinic, University of Massachusetts Medical School, American Medical Informatics Association, Samueli Institute, Association of American Medical Colleges, Harvard Medical School, Dubai Medical College, Bon Secours and others.br /

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She is passionate about her work with medical students and, with Jack Penner, the medical student she is coaching, has created a program for A Whole New Doctor. Learn about Jack and Maggi's work with Millennial medical students.br /

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To read all show notes and resources for this episode please visit: www.drgautamgulati.com/ep026

Do we have healthcare backwards? Many seem to think so, including my next guest, Whitney Bowman-Zatzkin who is the Director of a new movement and initiative called “Flip the Clinic”. Founded by Thomas Goetz and inspired by Sal Khan’s ‘flip the classroom’ initiative, it can be argued that - similar to education - we too need to reverse engineer our health delivery models.br /

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After all, clinic visits today often function as mere qualitative and quantitative data collection visits leaving only seven minutes of precious patient-physician interaction time. With advances in technology, we can flip this experience and optimize the time allowed for discussions around detailed treatment plans. Wouldn’t that ultimately create better outcomes on all triple aim measures? To date, the data certainly seems to support a flipped model.br /

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Join me today while Whitney and I go deep into exploring the ramifications, inspirations, and implications of flipping the clinic. All this and more on today’s episode.br /

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Now, That’s Unusual.br /

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Visit www.thatsunusualpodcast.combr /

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ABOUT WHITNEY BOWMAN-ZATZKINbr /

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Whitney Bowman-Zatzkin, MPA, MSR is the director of Flip the Clinic, an initiative to reinvent the healthcare experience funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The project originated when Thomas Goetz, the first entrepreneur-in-residence at RWJF, learned about the ‘flipped classroom’ model of education. Much the way a flipped classroom seeks to make the best use of class time with a simple shift in practice, Flip the Clinic encourages the implementation of simple ‘flips’ – bold new ways of approaching the healthcare encounter – that optimize time and improve the process.br /

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Bowman-Zatzkin got her unofficial start in healthcare as a small child, going on rounds with her physician father. Fifteen years ago, she began managing her father’s OBGYN practice, and during her tenure there, she launched the clinic’s electronic health record and got involved in state-level advocacy efforts.br /

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After graduating from the University of Connecticut with a master’s in both survey research and public administration, Bowman-Zatzkin moved to DC and entered the policy world, where she spent five years working with the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy. She went on to manage the TEDMED Great Challenges Program, an initiative to encourage conversations among members of an online community about the most challenging health issues through Google+ hangouts. In her role with TEDMED, Bowman-Zatzkin learned about Goetz’s work with Flip the Clinic and secured an interview.br /

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When Goetz contacted her several months later with the offer to work directly with Flip the Clinic, she seized the opportunity. She has served as director since July of 2014. Bowman-Zatzkin is passionate about connecting the dots within the healthcare system to provoke positive change for the greater good.br /

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To read all show notes and resources for this episode please visit: www.drgautamgulati.com/ep025