In this episode of the Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show, host Michael Stamatinos sits down with Michelle Zimmerman, CEO and cofounder of Previvor Edge, for a rare look at the future of cancer prevention, early detection, and personalized risk management.

Michelle brings a uniquely human and deeply informed perspective. With a strong family history of cancer and years of experience building the cancer genetics program at Sema4, she has seen both sides of the problem: the emotional weight families carry and the structural gaps that prevent people from taking action early.

Michelle shares two powerful truths in this episode:

“All we do is talk about cancer. We never talk about what happens before cancer.”

“We should do for cancer what we did for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.”

This conversation explores why most high-risk individuals never know they are at risk, why the prevention system remains fragmented, and why clarity before diagnosis matters more than most people realize. Michelle explains how family history, genetics, lifestyle, and environmental factors all shape cancer risk—and why the current healthcare model has no specialist or coordinated pathway to address them.

Previvor Edge is changing that by creating an integrated, clinically rigorous approach that brings internal medicine, genetics, oncology, and lifestyle medicine together in one place. The goal is simple: help people understand their risk, make informed decisions, and take action long before cancer develops.

Key themes in this episode include:

* The origin story behind Previvor Edge

* The gaps in the current early detection landscape

* How genetics, oncology, internal medicine, and lifestyle medicine can work together

* The emotional and psychological side of cancer risk

* What proactive prevention truly looks like

* The human stories that shaped Michelle’s mission

* Leadership lessons from building a prevention-focused movement

Learn more about Previvor Edge:

https://www.previvoredge.com/

Connect with Michelle: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zimmey/

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If this conversation moved you, challenged your thinking, or sparked an idea, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe for more episodes with healthcare leaders who are not just thinking differently, they’re building differently.

About the Show

The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show is hosted by Michael Stamatinos, a nationally recognized connector, strategist, and advocate for innovation with purpose. Each week, Michael interviews healthcare leaders who are driving meaningful change—highlighting stories of access, resilience, equity, and transformation.

The AHI Show started with the idea of wanting to highlight stories of what healthcare innovation truly looks like in action. Our mission, highlight real people who are really innovating within healthcare. Guests include healthcare entrepreneurs, providers, payers, and professionals from the investment community. We showcase little wins as well as valuable lessons learned from setbacks through these interviews. The real innovators in healthcare are often the ones in the trenches doing the work with razor-sharp focus. We find these innovators and bring their stories to light.

🔗 Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstamo

🎧 Subscribe for more episodes that move beyond theory and into the heart of what’s really possible in healthcare.

Join our group, Advancing Healthcare Innovation Forum on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7056196/

In this episode of The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show, Michael Stamatinos sits down with Zaw Thet, CEO of Exer Labs. Exer is one of the most interesting companies in the AI and healthtech space today. They use computer vision and AI to turn any camera into a motion coach. With a simple phone or tablet, clinicians can evaluate gait, tremors, balance, strength, mobility, and recovery in a way that is fast, accurate, and deeply human.

Zaw brings a rare blend of experience to this conversation. He started his first company at 19 during the early days of Silicon Valley. He later helped build 4INFO, one of the pioneering companies in mobile advertising. He was recognized by Business Week as one of the mobile barons, invited to join the United Nations Foundation Global Entrepreneurs Council, and eventually made his way back to health and movement through a desire to create technology that supports dignity and care.

Michael and Zaw explore the full arc of his journey. They talk about his childhood as the son of Burmese immigrants, what it was like to drop out of Stanford to start a company, and how a short season as a monk taught him more about stillness than any leadership course ever could. They walk through the early days of Exer Labs, the challenges of bringing AI into clinical environments, the long road of research and validation, and the breakthrough moments when clinicians began using Exer as part of their daily workflow.

This episode covers the big themes shaping the future of healthcare. Motion intelligence. AI at the edge. Clinical workflow. Patient outcomes. Human centered design. And the purpose behind building tools that make care more personal and more precise.

If you care about innovation in digital health, the future of physical therapy, the role of AI in clinical settings, or what it takes to build a long term healthcare company, you will get a lot out of this conversation.

Timestamps

00:00 Welcome to the Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show

01:40 Zaw’s early life and the influence of his immigrant parents

07:00 What becoming a monk taught him about stillness and discipline

13:00 The origin story of Exer Labs

17:45 How on device AI using any camera actually works

22:30 Turning skeptics into believers inside health systems

27:00 Why long term research became Exer’s competitive engine

31:20 What a future clinic might look like with motion intelligence

35:30 Rapid fire questions and closing thoughts

Learn more about Exer Labs:

https://www.exer.ai

Connect with Zaw: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zawthet/

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If this conversation moved you, challenged your thinking, or sparked an idea, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe for more episodes with healthcare leaders who are not just thinking differently, they’re building differently.

About the Show

The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show is hosted by Michael Stamatinos, a nationally recognized connector, strategist, and advocate for innovation with purpose. Each week, Michael interviews healthcare leaders who are driving meaningful change—highlighting stories of access, resilience, equity, and transformation.

The AHI Show started with the idea of wanting to highlight stories of what healthcare innovation truly looks like in action. Our mission, highlight real people who are really innovating within healthcare. Guests include healthcare entrepreneurs, providers, payers, and professionals from the investment community. We showcase little wins as well as valuable lessons learned from setbacks through these interviews. The real innovators in healthcare are often the ones in the trenches doing the work with razor-sharp focus. We find these innovators and bring their stories to light.

🔗 Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstamo

🎧 Subscribe for more episodes that move beyond theory and into the heart of what’s really possible in healthcare.

Join our group, Advancing Healthcare Innovation Forum on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7056196/

What if access to money was access to health?

In this powerful episode of The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show, host Michael Stamatinos sits down with Sabrina Lamb, Founder and CEO of Wekeza and World of Money, for a deep conversation about how financial inclusion is the next frontier of public health.

Sabrina is a force for access and equity. As the first Black woman to launch a global investing app for the African diaspora, she’s breaking centuries-old barriers that have kept entire communities locked out of the financial system. Through Wekeza, users can invest in U.S. markets starting with just one dollar, while learning in their native language, from English and Swahili to French, Haitian Creole, Hausa, Wolof, and Zulu.

But Sabrina’s work goes far beyond money. It’s about dignity. It’s about agency. It’s about giving people the tools to reclaim their power, build generational wealth, and improve their overall health.

This episode explores how financial health is inseparable from physical, emotional, and community health — and why access to education, housing, food, and opportunity all shape the future of care.

Together, Michael and Sabrina unpack the psychology of money, cultural narratives that shape financial behavior, and how language and storytelling can dismantle fear and build trust. You’ll hear about Sabrina’s journey from comedy stages to congressional recognition, from teaching in Nairobi to launching a global fintech company — and how humor, purpose, and resilience are her secret weapons for impact.

In This Episode:

* The link between financial access and health outcomes

* How Wekeza is redefining financial inclusion for the African diaspora

* Why financial literacy is a public health intervention

* How trauma and cultural conditioning shape our relationship with money

* The role of language, humor, and culture in teaching financial empowerment

* Why access to capital, food, and education are as critical as access to care

* What the future of financial health innovation looks like

About Sabrina Lamb:

Sabrina Lamb is a celebrated founder, speaker, and advocate for financial inclusion and cultural empowerment. She is the CEO of Wekeza, a multilingual investing platform designed for the African diaspora, and the Founder of World of Money, a nonprofit that has educated over 15,000 youth across the U.S. and Africa.

A Techstars and Y Combinator alumna, Sabrina has been honored by Congress and recognized by NBC News, Essence, and The Grio for her impact. Her award-winning work has earned her the Silicon Harlem C-Better Grand Prize, and her bestselling book Do I Look Like an ATM? continues to inspire families worldwide.

🌐 Learn more: https://www.wekeza.com/

🔗 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sabrina-lambceo/

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If this conversation moved you, challenged your thinking, or sparked an idea, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe for more episodes with healthcare leaders who are not just thinking differently, they’re building differently.

About the Show

The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show is hosted by Michael Stamatinos, a nationally recognized connector, strategist, and advocate for innovation with purpose. Each week, Michael interviews healthcare leaders who are driving meaningful change—highlighting stories of access, resilience, equity, and transformation.

The AHI Show started with the idea of wanting to highlight stories of what healthcare innovation truly looks like in action. Our mission, highlight real people who are really innovating within healthcare. Guests include healthcare entrepreneurs, providers, payers, and professionals from the investment community. We showcase little wins as well as valuable lessons learned from setbacks through these interviews. The real innovators in healthcare are often the ones in the trenches doing the work with razor-sharp focus. We find these innovators and bring their stories to light.

🔗 Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstamo

🎧 Subscribe for more episodes that move beyond theory and into the heart of what’s really possible in healthcare.

Join our group, Advancing Healthcare Innovation Forum on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7056196/

Anthony DeSena, CEO and Co-Founder of Pax Health, joins Michael Stamatinos on The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show to share the remarkable journey of how a physical therapist from Brooklyn built one of the Northeast’s most dynamic behavioral health platforms.

This is a story about discipline, compassion, and conviction.

Anthony began his career treating patients one-on-one in a small physical therapy clinic. Over time, that single clinic evolved into a multistate rehabilitation network, known for its outcomes, its culture, and its human touch. As COO and Chief Development Officer, Anthony led the company through rapid expansion, private equity investment, and an eventual exit to a hospital system...learning hard-earned lessons about leadership, integration, and staying grounded in purpose through every phase of growth.

Today, he’s leading Pax Health, a platform created through the merger of three behavioral health organizations backed by HCAP Partners and Hamilton Lane. The mission: to expand access for Medicaid patients, injured workers, and underserved communities, and to build a system that values both care and caregivers.

In this episode, Anthony opens up about how to scale without losing your humanity, how culture becomes the real moat, and why leadership is less about managing and more about meaning.

Whether you’re a healthcare founder, investor, or clinician, this conversation will challenge how you think about growth, purpose, and what it means to build something that lasts.

What You’ll Learn:

* The early story behind Anthony’s first clinic in Brooklyn

* The unseen realities of scaling in healthcare

* How to navigate private equity deals without losing your mission

* Why culture, accountability, and truth-telling drive sustainable success

* The future of behavioral health innovation and the growing role of technology

* How Pax Health is redefining access for underserved communities

Chapters:

00:00 – Welcome & Episode Introduction

03:00 – From Brooklyn beginnings to building a rehab powerhouse

06:00 – The patient story that changed everything

08:00 – Lessons learned from scaling and scars that stay

10:00 – The truth about private equity and life after the deal

14:00 – The formation of Pax Health and merging three cultures

17:00 – Building unity in a telehealth-first organization

21:00 – How Pax Health helps clinicians feel valued and connected

23:00 – The future of behavioral health and tech-enabled care

27:00 – Quick-fire round with Anthony DeSena

30:00 – Final reflections and takeaways

About the Guest:

Anthony DeSena is a licensed physical therapist turned healthcare executive and the CEO of Pax Health, a behavioral health platform transforming care delivery across the Northeast. Under his leadership, Pax Health is pioneering new approaches to access, culture, and clinical integration while expanding care for communities often left behind.

🌐 Learn more: https://www.paxhealth.net

🔗 Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/pax-health

📣 LIKE, COMMENT & SUBSCRIBE

If this conversation moved you, challenged your thinking, or sparked an idea, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe for more episodes with healthcare leaders who are not just thinking differently, they’re building differently.

About the Show

The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show is hosted by Michael Stamatinos, a nationally recognized connector, strategist, and advocate for innovation with purpose. Each week, Michael interviews healthcare leaders who are driving meaningful change—highlighting stories of access, resilience, equity, and transformation.

The AHI Show started with the idea of wanting to highlight stories of what healthcare innovation truly looks like in action. Our mission, highlight real people who are really innovating within healthcare. Guests include healthcare entrepreneurs, providers, payers, and professionals from the investment community. We showcase little wins as well as valuable lessons learned from setbacks through these interviews. The real innovators in healthcare are often the ones in the trenches doing the work with razor-sharp focus. We find these innovators and bring their stories to light.

🔗 Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstamo

🎧 Subscribe for more episodes that move beyond theory and into the heart of what’s really possible in healthcare.

Join our group, Advancing Healthcare Innovation Forum on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7056196/

In this episode of The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show, host Michael Stamatinos sits down with Timothy Nobles, Chief Product Officer at Integral, to explore one of the most misunderstood topics in healthcare: how compliance can actually accelerate innovation rather than slow it down.

Tim shares his fascinating journey from professional musician in Nashville to leading commercial strategy at Integral, a company that is changing how healthcare and life sciences organizations securely manage sensitive data. Together, they unpack the balance between compliance and creativity, showing how ethical data use, privacy, and risk mitigation can unlock new possibilities for AI, predictive analytics, and research.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• Why compliance doesn’t have to kill innovation, it can safeguard it.

• How healthcare organizations can protect data while maintaining fidelity and utility.

• What “expert determination” means and how math can creatively drive data governance.

• Real stories of how Integral helped launch a virtual nurse and accelerate research pipelines.

• The biggest myths healthcare leaders get wrong about data privacy.

• How to include compliance early in product design and innovation cycles.

• What Tim learned from working with health systems, payers, and product teams across the country.

Michael and Tim also talk about the parallels between music and innovation, what it means to be at “track three” of a company’s journey, when it’s all about energy, rhythm, and collaboration.

Whether you’re a healthcare executive, innovator, or data leader trying to build responsibly with AI, this episode offers fresh insight into how privacy and progress can coexist and even amplify one another.

About Integral:

Integral helps healthcare and life science organizations safely manage and de-identify sensitive data so they can innovate faster. Their platform automates compliance while maximizing data utility, making it easier to use healthcare data for research, AI, and analytics without compromising privacy.

Connect with Timothy Nobles:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/timothynobles/

Website: https://useintegral.com

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If this conversation moved you, challenged your thinking, or sparked an idea, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe for more episodes with healthcare leaders who are not just thinking differently, they’re building differently.

About the Show

The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show is hosted by Michael Stamatinos, a nationally recognized connector, strategist, and advocate for innovation with purpose. Each week, Michael interviews healthcare leaders who are driving meaningful change—highlighting stories of access, resilience, equity, and transformation.

The AHI Show started with the idea of wanting to highlight stories of what healthcare innovation truly looks like in action. Our mission, highlight real people who are really innovating within healthcare. Guests include healthcare entrepreneurs, providers, payers, and professionals from the investment community. We showcase little wins as well as valuable lessons learned from setbacks through these interviews. The real innovators in healthcare are often the ones in the trenches doing the work with razor-sharp focus. We find these innovators and bring their stories to light.

🔗 Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstamo

🎧 Subscribe for more episodes that move beyond theory and into the heart of what’s really possible in healthcare.

Join our group, Advancing Healthcare Innovation Forum on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7056196/

What if the key to innovation, leadership, and opportunity isn’t technology or capital, but people?

In this episode of The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show, Michael Stamatinos sits down with Pat Hedley, investor, advisor, and author of Meet 100 People, to explore how genuine connection, curiosity, and trust open doors that most people never see.

Pat spent nearly 30 years at General Atlantic helping high-growth companies scale globally by focusing on people first. Today, as Founder and CEO of The Path Ahead, she continues to invest in leaders who are building companies that create lasting impact. Her message is simple but powerful. Opportunity shows up through people.

This conversation dives into:

* The story of how one spontaneous encounter changed the course of Pat’s life

* Why showing up in person still matters in a digital world

* How to build relationship equity that compounds over time

* What curiosity and access have to do with innovation in healthcare

* The most common mistakes people make when trying to build real connections

If you’ve ever wondered how to create opportunity without compromise, this episode will challenge how you think about relationships, leadership, and growth.

Subscribe to the channel for weekly conversations with leaders who are advancing healthcare, access, and innovation.

Leave a comment sharing one connection that changed your life.

Connect with Pat Hedley

Website: www.meet100people.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/pathedley

TEDx Talk: Meet 100 People – TEDxDartmouth

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If this conversation moved you, challenged your thinking, or sparked an idea, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe for more episodes with healthcare leaders who are not just thinking differently, they’re building differently.

About the Show

The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show is hosted by Michael Stamatinos, a nationally recognized connector, strategist, and advocate for innovation with purpose. Each week, Michael interviews healthcare leaders who are driving meaningful change—highlighting stories of access, resilience, equity, and transformation.

The AHI Show started with the idea of wanting to highlight stories of what healthcare innovation truly looks like in action. Our mission, highlight real people who are really innovating within healthcare. Guests include healthcare entrepreneurs, providers, payers, and professionals from the investment community. We showcase little wins as well as valuable lessons learned from setbacks through these interviews. The real innovators in healthcare are often the ones in the trenches doing the work with razor-sharp focus. We find these innovators and bring their stories to light.

🔗 Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstamo

🎧 Subscribe for more episodes that move beyond theory and into the heart of what’s really possible in healthcare.

Join our group, Advancing Healthcare Innovation Forum on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7056196/

In this episode of the Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show, host Michael Stamatinos sits down with Dr. Matt Cybulsky, PhD, a clinical psychologist by training, an Eagle Scout by foundation, and the Co-Founder of Tessellate, a platform designed to give physicians back clarity, control, and voice in their careers.

The conversation weaves together Matt’s journey from psychology to entrepreneurship, highlighting how empathy, service, and innovation come together in his work. More than a founder story, this episode is a reminder that healthcare transformation begins with people, purpose, and the courage to reimagine what’s possible.

Viewers and listeners will hear:

* Psychology as a foundation for innovation: How years of studying human behavior and decision-making gave Matt a unique lens for building platforms and organizations. He discusses why listening in the silences reveals truths about healthcare culture that are often left unspoken.

* The influence of Scouting and service: Matt reflects on his experience as an Eagle Scout, where he learned lessons in discipline, resilience, and community, lessons that continue to shape his leadership and outlook today.

* The Tessellate origin story: Born out of late-night conversations and shared frustrations, Tessellate has grown into a physician-first platform that is more than early-stage ideas. Matt explains how it is already functioning as a live system, aligning physicians with opportunities that match their values, skills, and goals.

* The balance of empathy and data: As both a psychologist and an entrepreneur working with AI, Matt unpacks the tension between human intuition and algorithmic decision-making — and where those two worlds collide or reinforce one another.

* AI hype vs. reality: From “AI toothbrushes” to overblown promises of curing chronic disease, Matt offers a grounded view of what artificial intelligence can realistically deliver in healthcare, and where its most immediate impact might be felt.

* Relationships as the driver of innovation: Matt shares how relationship equity has shaped his career, including a pivotal moment at the Harvard Club that redefined how he builds networks, communities, and opportunities.

* This conversation highlights the threads of Matt’s life — psychology, scouting, entrepreneurship, and innovation — and shows how they converge in Tessellate’s mission to empower physicians and reshape healthcare’s future.

🔗 Learn more about Tessellate: https://www.t8health.com

📌 Connect with Dr. Matt Cybulsky on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cybulsky

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If this conversation moved you, challenged your thinking, or sparked an idea, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe for more episodes with healthcare leaders who are not just thinking differently, they’re building differently.

About the Show

The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show is hosted by Michael Stamatinos, a nationally recognized connector, strategist, and advocate for innovation with purpose. Each week, Michael interviews healthcare leaders who are driving meaningful change—highlighting stories of access, resilience, equity, and transformation.

The AHI Show started with the idea of wanting to highlight stories of what healthcare innovation truly looks like in action. Our mission, highlight real people who are really innovating within healthcare. Guests include healthcare entrepreneurs, providers, payers, and professionals from the investment community. We showcase little wins as well as valuable lessons learned from setbacks through these interviews. The real innovators in healthcare are often the ones in the trenches doing the work with razor-sharp focus. We find these innovators and bring their stories to light.

🔗 Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstamo

🎧 Subscribe for more episodes that move beyond theory and into the heart of what’s really possible in healthcare.

Join our group, Advancing Healthcare Innovation Forum on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7056196/

On this episode of The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show, host Michael Stamatinos sits down with James Wallace, innovator, executive, author, and senior researcher at Harvard Business School for an in-depth conversation about the future of healthcare, the rise of precision medicine, and the role of AI in reshaping how we deliver care.

James has built a career at the crossroads of science, technology, and healthcare, and his work spans multiple industries. He is the Founder of The Wellesley Group, a senior researcher at Harvard Business School, and the former CEO of DecisionRx, a company that integrated pharmacogenomics, lab data, and patient engagement into a single precision medicine platform. He is also the author of Precision Medicine: AI and the Science of Personalized Healthcare, a book that blends compelling patient stories with rigorous analysis to show how personalized care can address the healthcare system’s triple crisis of cost, access, and quality.

But James’s story doesn’t stop there. His career has also included leadership roles at AmeriLife, TWG Capital, and Anthem, along with a remarkable detour into aerospace as Vice President of Business Development at SpaceX, where he managed a 52-mission launch manifest during a pivotal growth phase. Today, his research and advisory work extend across five continents through the GENiE Group, influencing how healthcare policy and delivery models are evolving worldwide.

This episode is not just about frameworks or technology. It’s about the people behind the change. James shares stories from his book including patients like Michael, Jennifer, Emily, Amy, and Susan that bring the concepts of precision medicine to life. These narratives reveal what’s at stake for real people, while offering a roadmap for leaders ready to move beyond “one-size-fits-all” medicine.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

* The personal journey of James Wallace: from Bain & Company to Anthem, to founding The Wellesley Group, to leading DecisionRx, and even a chapter at SpaceX

* Behind the book: why James wrote Precision Medicine: AI and the Science of Personalized Healthcare, and the patient stories that made it unforgettable

* How precision medicine is uniquely positioned to solve healthcare’s cost, access, and quality crisis

* The promise and pitfalls of AI in healthcare...what’s real, what’s hype, and what leaders need to focus on now

* Lessons from private equity boardrooms on scaling healthcare innovations without losing sight of impact

* Insights from global healthcare systems and what the U.S. can learn from models that are already working overseas

* Why policy conversations matter just as much as technology when it comes to making precision medicine real

* Leadership lessons James carried from SpaceX into healthcare and how thinking like a rocket company can help health systems move faster

* The one challenge James issues to healthcare leaders, innovators, and investors what he believes they should do tomorrow to create ripple effects across the system

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If this conversation moved you, challenged your thinking, or sparked an idea, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe for more episodes with healthcare leaders who are not just thinking differently, they’re building differently.

About the Show

The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show is hosted by Michael Stamatinos, a nationally recognized connector, strategist, and advocate for innovation with purpose. Each week, Michael interviews healthcare leaders who are driving meaningful change—highlighting stories of access, resilience, equity, and transformation.

The AHI Show started with the idea of wanting to highlight stories of what healthcare innovation truly looks like in action. Our mission, highlight real people who are really innovating within healthcare. Guests include healthcare entrepreneurs, providers, payers, and professionals from the investment community. We showcase little wins as well as valuable lessons learned from setbacks through these interviews. The real innovators in healthcare are often the ones in the trenches doing the work with razor-sharp focus. We find these innovators and bring their stories to light.

🔗 Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstamo

🎧 Subscribe for more episodes that move beyond theory and into the heart of what’s really possible in healthcare.

Join our group, Advancing Healthcare Innovation Forum on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7056196/

What if patients paid $0 out-of-pocket and everyone still won?

In this powerful episode of The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show, host Michael Stamatinos sits down with James Millaway, Co-Founder and CEO of ZERO Health (formerly The Zero Card, Inc.), to unpack how a radically different healthcare model is quietly transforming the way employers and employees access care.

They explore how a radically transparent, $0 out-of-pocket model is disrupting the traditional benefits ecosystem from the inside out.

Drawing from his background across every layer of healthcare—payer, provider, consultant, and employer—Millaway breaks down why the system isn’t broken. It’s functioning exactly as it was designed. And that’s the problem.

This conversation demonstrates real-world healthcare innovation in motion. Zero theory. No jargon. Just hard-earned insights and practical wisdom from one of the most respected names in employer-led benefits transformation.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

* The real story behind the $12,000 ear procedure that launched ZERO Health

* How bundled, direct contracts are negotiated with providers across the country

* Why transparency is more dangerous to the legacy system than disruption

* How ZERO Health achieves 30–50% savings for employers while delivering care at no cost to members

* Why removing financial barriers improves both outcomes and trust

* How healthcare systems are designed to push patients to the highest-cost setting

* What employers need to understand about their role in fixing healthcare

* The one mindset shift every health entrepreneur needs to make before they build

About James Millaway:

James is a nationally recognized leader in healthcare innovation. Formerly an executive in integrated health systems and regional HMOs, he has been named one of Forbes' “Most Innovative Benefits Leaders” and was selected as a “Top 40 Consultant Under 40” by Business Insurance.

He co-authored early frameworks for Health Rosetta, contributed to the “95 Theses for a New Health Ecosystem,” and has been featured in books like Cracking Health Costs and The CEO’s Guide to Restoring the American Dream.

His company, ZERO Health, delivers a bundled, tech-enabled benefits model that restores alignment between cost, quality, and access. With an NPS of 94 and growing adoption across the U.S., ZERO is proving that the future of care is simple, human, and transparent.

Website: https://zero.health

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-g-millaway-96161311

Episode Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro

03:10 – The $12,000 moment that changed everything

10:00 – How to negotiate bundled pricing with providers

14:20 – Member stories that prove patients will change behavior

17:00 – Building a data-first company before building a healthcare company

22:00 – The truth behind PPO discounts and fake “savings”

28:00 – How benefits signal company culture

32:00 – What James would do if he ran HHS for 48 hours

34:00 – Advice for the next generation of healthcare entrepreneurs

#employerbenefits #healthcareinnovation #valuebasedcare #TransparentHealthcare #bundledpayments

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If this conversation moved you, challenged your thinking, or sparked an idea, share it with someone who needs to hear it. Subscribe for more episodes with healthcare leaders who are not just thinking differently, they’re building differently.

About the Show

The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show is hosted by Michael Stamatinos, a nationally recognized connector, strategist, and advocate for innovation with purpose. Each week, Michael interviews healthcare leaders who are driving meaningful change—highlighting stories of access, resilience, equity, and transformation.

The AHI Show started with the idea of wanting to highlight stories of what healthcare innovation truly looks like in action. Our mission, highlight real people who are really innovating within healthcare. Guests include healthcare entrepreneurs, providers, payers, and professionals from the investment community. We showcase little wins as well as valuable lessons learned from setbacks through these interviews. The real innovators in healthcare are often the ones in the trenches doing the work with razor-sharp focus. We find these innovators and bring their stories to light.

🔗 Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstamo

🎧 Subscribe for more episodes that move beyond theory and into the heart of what’s really possible in healthcare.

Join our group, Advancing Healthcare Innovation Forum on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/groups/7056196/

What does it really take to lead with courage, clarity, and conviction...especially in one of the most overlooked sectors of healthcare?

In this episode of the Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show, Cristina Negrón-Oliveri, MHA, joins host Michael Stamatinos for a powerful behind-the-scenes look at what operational leadership looks like in the real world of community health.

Cristina serves as the Chief Operating Officer at Bucksport Regional Health Center, a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) in rural Maine. Her leadership spans across primary care operations, population health, clinical systems, and patient access. But what sets her apart is how she executes—quietly, consistently, and with deep empathy for the teams and patients she serves.

This episode is a must-listen for healthcare operators, innovators, FQHC executives, and leaders in rural care delivery.

Topics Covered in This Episode

* The operational reality of running an FQHC in rural America

* How Cristina navigates complex team dynamics and cultural transformation

* What real innovation looks like when resources are limited

* A behind-the-scenes look at referral workflows, data-driven decision-making, and change management

* The role of empathy in conflict resolution and high-stakes leadership

* How Bucksport Regional is addressing patient access, care delays, and provider shortages

* The truth about adopting technology in rural healthcare settings

* When and how to say no to grants, vendors, or “shiny object” solutions

* Building operational trust through peer-to-peer leadership and strategic delegation

What You’ll Walk Away With

* A clear understanding of how to lead change in community health settings

* New ways to think about team culture, patient access, and care delivery innovation

* Real-world examples of data use, process improvement, and referral management that you can apply in your organization

* A renewed respect for the quiet leadership it takes to run healthcare systems from the ground up

* Insights into how to balance empathy with execution, especially in rural and resource-constrained environments

Connect with Cristina & Bucksport Regional Health Center

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crisoliveri/

Organization Website: https://www.bucksportregionalhealthcenter.org

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About the Show

The Advancing Healthcare Innovation Show is hosted by Michael Stamatinos, a nationally recognized connector, strategist, and advocate for innovation with purpose. Each week, Michael interviews healthcare leaders who are driving meaningful change—highlighting stories of access, resilience, equity, and transformation.

The AHI Show started with the idea of wanting to highlight stories of what healthcare innovation truly looks like in action. Our mission, highlight real people who are really innovating within healthcare. Guests include healthcare entrepreneurs, providers, payers, and professionals from the investment community. We showcase little wins as well as valuable lessons learned from setbacks through these interviews. The real innovators in healthcare are often the ones in the trenches doing the work with razor-sharp focus. We find these innovators and bring their stories to light.

🔗 Michael’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelstamo

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