The Health Pulse

Caitlin Donovan is the Global Head of Uber Health. In this role, she’s responsible for figuring out how to fix logistical issues in health care. Caitlin begins by sharing why she’s so inspired by her role at Uber Health. Coming from a variety of health care executive roles, Caitlin observed that all too often what goes wrong in patient care isn’t clinical—it’s what happens when they aren’t in front of their provider. Maybe they don’t have transportation to an appointment, their prescription didn’t arrive or they don’t have access to the food they need. At Uber Health, Caitlin focuses on connecting the dots through data and analytics to solve these challenges. Much of what she does is aimed at helping population health experts address social determinants of health. Uber Health started in 2018 with a focus on providing a HIPPA-secure delivery platform to improve access to care and benefit patient populations. The platform uses data and predictive analytics to intervene earlier to ensure that patients get the care they need by allowing population health case managers to securely order services for patients. This approach improves compliance to patient care plans by solving logistical problems before they derail care. Finally, Caitlin shares her thoughts on the biggest health care challenges that Uber Health will tackle next.  

All presentations represent the opinions of the presenter and do not represent the position or the opinion of SAS.

Dr. Dawnté Early (she/her) is the Chief of Research and Evaluation for the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission in California. Dr. Early joined Greg for a chat about whole person care, and she shared that her love of sports (she played college basketball and coached her children’s teams) instilled a desire to give back to her community. In her current role, Dr. Early supports the Commission’s mission is to transform the mental health system so that everyone who needs care in California receives high-quality and culturally competent care. A big part of her job is bringing together mental health data at the individual level with data from different agencies, such as criminal justice, education, quarterly wage, and death and birth data, to identify social determinants of health and uncover disparities. The commission also plays a key role in engaging with other agencies and systems to help support early intervention and care. Greg asks about the challenge of overcoming stigma in mental health, and Dr. Early shares that having conversations that normalize and contextualize mental health needs is critical, as is using humanizing language around mental health. The Commission plays role in ensuring these conversations are taking place and that the community is engaged throughout the process—in determining what questions to ask the data and by giving input on how data-driven insights can impact effective policy. Lastly, Dr. Early shares her vision for the Commission’s role in connecting data to policy to community to outcomes in order to drive more early intervention and prevention in mental health for the betterment of individuals, families and communities. 

All presentations represent the opinions of the presenter and do not represent the position or the opinion of SAS.

On this episode, Greg is joined by Herman De Prins, Global CIO of UCB. UCB is a mid-sized global biopharma company focusing on immunology and neurology. Herman describes UCB’s journey into artificial intelligence (AI) projects aimed at treatments for epilepsy. Herman also shares how UCB promoted data literacy and AI among its staff of more than 8,000 people. The programs UCB has put in place have been very effective in driving enthusiasm for data-driven decision making throughout the company. In fact, Herman shares that their challenge isn’t around internal resistance to AI, it’s prioritizing the many potential projects brought forth by the team. UCB also has a process for evaluating projects based on the strength of the business cases behind them. Herman emphasized that there is value in AI across the pharmaceutical value chain, particularly in R&D and commercial. For example, last year UCB teamed up with Microsoft on the Moonshot Initiative where they used AI to conduct research on potential treatments for COVID-19 and reduced the time typically required for that research from six months to three days. Greg and Herman conclude their chat by discussing the future of AI and Herman’s thoughts on the potential opportunities and pitfalls in a world where AI will increasingly be embedded in technology products all around us. 

All presentations represent the opinions of the presenter and do not represent the position or the opinion of SAS.

Peter Muhoro has a front row seat for the ongoing energy transition, so the VP of strategy and technology at Rappahannock Electric Cooperative is the perfect guest to talk with host Sal Gill about what it will require for utilities to start building tomorrow today. On the Season 2 finale of Electrifying AI, Peter and Sal discuss how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the expectations of electricity consumers, how the business model for electric utilities could be in for a massive change, and how data and analytics are primed to help utilities shape the future of energy — if those utilities can overcome entrenched cultures and legacy systems. At the end of their conversation, Peter makes his pick for our Electrifying AI playlist on Spotify and throws in a bonus viral video to be on the lookout for! Listen to his suggestion here, then make your recommendations for a song by tweeting @TheElectricSal. We just might include your selection and send you some Electrifying AI swag to say thanks. Learn more at sas.com/utilities and check out additional episodes of Electrifying AI at sas.transistor.fm or on your favorite podcast platform. Thank you for a stellar second season of Electrifying AI! We’ll be back with Season 3 after a summer break.

Here are some of the resources we mentioned during the episode:

• Connect with Peter on: Twitter | LinkedIn
• Connect with Sal on: Twitter | LinkedIn
• Learn about Sal’s expertise
• Visit Rappahannock Electric Cooperative’s website
• Electrifying AI Spotify playlist
• SAS Energy & Utilities on the web
• Our new Electrifying AI landing page

Check out additional episodes of the Electrifying AI podcast series at sas.transistor.fm. 

• Subscribe to the Electrifying AI podcast so you never miss a future episode.
• Did you know that you can watch Electrifying AI too? Find our episodes on YouTube here.
• If you’d like to be a guest on a future episode, have an idea for a future topic or would like to share feedback about our Electrifying AI podcast, send us an email to [email protected]. 

About our guest:

• Peter Muhoro is the vice president for strategy and technology at Rappahannock Electric Cooperative, a member-owned utility that provides electric service to almost 170,000 connections in portions of 22 Virginia counties. Peter has more than 15 years of experience in the energy industry, including roles at the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, and leadership positions at co-ops in Texas and Virginia. He’s a board member for the Smart Electric Power Alliance and has earned a bachelor’s degree from Hampton University, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.

About our host:

• Sal Gill heads digital strategy and market innovation for SAS Energy & Utilities. He has worked for major energy companies and seen firsthand how electricity transforms lives, from bringing power to remote communities to pioneering innovations that will accelerate renewable technologies. As the global community continues to seek alternatives to satisfy its appetite for energy, Sal is constantly searching for new ideas that take advantage of both the electric grid, known as the largest machine humans have ever built, and the greatest enabler of our time, data analytics.

All presentations represent the opinions of the presenter and do not represent the position or the opinion of SAS.

On this episode, Greg talks with Dana Bernson, epidemiologist and Director of Special Analytic Projects at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, about her work to use data and analytics to guide public health planning and crisis response. Dana shares insights from the department’s initial effort to link data sources across state government to get more contextual information to help address the opioid epidemic. Not surprisingly, one data set often gives us a piece of the puzzle, but linking multiple data sources at the individual level tells a bigger story. For example, the department discovered that the risk of overdose following a release from incarceration is 120 times higher than the risk for the general population. Data linkage is critical to understanding social determinants of health to inform effective policy and intervention. This is also true of the COVID-19 pandemic, where Dana’s team is exploring the impact of the pandemic on underserved populations including communities of color, the homeless, people who have been incarcerated, people with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders, and pregnant and postpartum women. Finally, Dana shares an update on what has become known as the Public Health Data Warehouse project, which is a research tool that enables analysis of public health priorities and trends, including substance abuse, and maternal and child health. The warehouse establishes the infrastructure to link 24 data systems, covering 98% of the state population. Dana is hopeful that following the coronavirus crisis, public health will receive more consistent and sustainable funding for projects like hers that ultimately support a more complete and proactive approach to health.

All presentations represent the opinions of the presenter and do not represent the position or the opinion of SAS.

Ahad Esmaeilian is helping drive us toward the electricity system of the future. The director of business development for Avangrid, Ahad has earned a Ph.D. from Texas A&M and holds master’s degrees from universities in both the U.S. and his home country of Iran. And while Ahad’s daily focus is to work across the industry to advance clean energy through the interconnection of wind, solar and other utility-scale renewable energy resources, his academic and professional careers have largely focused on digital grids. That means he and host Sal Gill have plenty to talk about in this technical chat around how utilities can build an even greater grid. Join them for a discussion about the business of clean energy, the importance of peeking behind the meter and how to harness the power of analytics, AI and machine learning to prepare the platform of the future. At the end of their conversation, Ahad gives us some insight into the songs he sings while driving around in his car through his suggestion for our Electrifying AI playlist on Spotify! Listen to his pick here, then make your recommendations for a song by tweeting @TheElectricSal. We just might include your selection and send you some Electrifying AI swag to say thanks. Learn more at sas.com/utilities and check out additional episodes of Electrifying AI at sas.transistor.fm or on your favorite podcast platform.

Here are some of the resources we mentioned during the episode:

• Connect with Ahad on: LinkedIn
• Connect with Sal on: Twitter | LinkedIn
• Learn about Sal’s expertise
• Electrifying AI Spotify playlist
• SAS Energy & Utilities on the web
• Our new Electrifying AI landing page 

Check out additional episodes of the Electrifying AI podcast series at sas.transistor.fm. 

• Subscribe to the Electrifying AI podcast so you never miss a future episode.
• Did you know that you can watch Electrifying AI too? Find our episodes on YouTube here.
• If you’d like to be a guest on a future episode, have an idea for a future topic or would like to share feedback about our Electrifying AI podcast, send us an email to [email protected]. 

About our guest:

• Ahad Esmaeilian is the director or business development for Avangrid, a diversified energy and utility company that boasts $30 billion in assets, and operations in 25 U.S. states and dozens of countries. Ahad earned a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tehran, a Master of Business Administration from Clarkson University and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University. His resume includes prior roles at the Smart Grid Center (TEES) and the New York Power Authority.

About our host:

• Sal Gill heads digital strategy and market innovation for SAS Energy & Utilities. He has worked for major energy companies and seen firsthand how electricity transforms lives, from bringing power to remote communities to pioneering innovations that will accelerate renewable technologies. As the global community continues to seek alternatives to satisfy its appetite for energy, Sal is constantly searching for new ideas that take advantage of both the electric grid, known as the largest machine humans have ever built, and the greatest enabler of our time, data analytics.

All presentations represent the opinions of the presenter and do not represent the position or the opinion of SAS.

On this episode, Greg chats with SAS EMEA life sciences sales director Jonathan Riches about digital transformation in pharma. Jonathan argues that while buzzword technology like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning get a lot of attention, it’s really culture and change-management that determine an organization’s success with digital transformation. Why? The life sciences industry is highly regulated by necessity, and many pharmaceutical companies have been around for one hundred or more years. So, while change is challenging for any organization, it is especially challenging for pharma. According to Jonathan, life sciences organizations must back up their analytics evolution with ample training, empowerment around individual growth and C-level commitment to data-driven decision making. Greg points out that we see this in health care as well, where most medical providers don’t go to school to be data scientists, but they are evolving in their roles to use data and analytics more. And in pharma, Jonathan points out that we’re seeing more recruiting from other sectors such as retail, CPG and banking in order to leverage learned experiences from those industries. For the past decade or two, pharma has been using analytics and statistics to prove the efficacy and safety of drugs in order to obtain regulatory approval. There is now recognition that pharma can go much deeper by leveraging real world evidence in clinical development or forecasting analytics in demand planning. This kind of evolution requires changes and new skills to job roles within pharma. Greg and Jonathan also discuss the complexities of supply chains in pharma where specialty therapies often need to be produced near the patients they will treat. Jonathan offers his advice for pharmaceutical companies who want to accelerate digital transformation. The projects need to be led by the business and business challenge with collaboration and support from IT. Start slow and design data and analytics platforms to the business challenges they need to solve.  Finally, Jonathan offers his predictions for the future of transformation in supply chain, digital engagement with health care providers and even patients, real world evidence, devices, personalized medicine, and collaboration and data sharing across the value chain. 

All presentations represent the opinions of the presenter and do not represent the position or the opinion of SAS.

Dawn James is a violinist, a geoscientist, a mom and a technology solutions professional. She could even help you understand how fluvial sedimentology works! But those descriptors only scratch the surface of the experience and expertise Dawn brings to her role as the U.S. director of sustainability and environmental services at Microsoft. On this episode of Electrifying AI, Dawn joins host Sal Gill to examine how analytics, artificial intelligence and cloud technologies are playing a role in the ongoing energy transition — and how players in the electricity industry can utilize them to ensure that no one is left behind. Plus, she shares her insight on why a tech company such as Microsoft, which is a strategic partner with SAS, is so invested in an equitable energy transition. At the end of their inspiring conversation, Dawn offers Sal her stirring suggestion for our Electrifying AI playlist on Spotify! Listen to her pick here, then make your recommendations for a song by tweeting @TheElectricSal. We just might include your song and send you some Electrifying AI swag to say thanks. Learn more at sas.com/utilities and check out additional episodes of Electrifying AI at sas.transistor.fm or on your favorite podcast platform.

Here are some of the resources we mentioned during the episode:

• Learn more about environmental sustainability at Microsoft
• Dawn James on: Twitter | LinkedIn
• Connect with Sal on: Twitter | LinkedIn
• Learn about Sal’s expertise
• Electrifying AI Spotify playlist
• SAS Energy & Utilities on the web
• Our new Electrifying AI landing page

Check out additional episodes of the Electrifying AI podcast series at sas.transistor.fm. 

• Subscribe to the Electrifying AI podcast so you never miss a future episode.
• Did you know that you can watch Electrifying AI too? Find our episodes on YouTube here.
• If you’d like to be a guest on a future episode, have an idea for a future topic or would like to share feedback about our Electrifying AI podcast, send us an email to [email protected]. 

About our guest:

• Dawn James is the U.S. director of sustainability and environmental sciences for Microsoft, and she has a track record of excellence that includes prior work at Halliburton and the U.S. Geological Survey. An energy industry veteran, Dawn studied geology at Franklin & Marshall College and California State University, Northridge, as well as data science and big data analytics at MIT. Dawn is a violinist, a geoscientist, a mom and a technology solutions professional.

About our host:

• Sal Gill heads digital strategy and market innovation for SAS Energy & Utilities. He has worked for major energy companies and seen firsthand how electricity transforms lives, from bringing power to remote communities to pioneering innovations that will accelerate renewable technologies. As the global community continues to seek alternatives to satisfy its appetite for energy, Sal is constantly searching for new ideas that take advantage of both the electric grid, known as the largest machine humans have ever built, and the greatest enabler of our time, data analytics.

All presentations represent the opinions of the presenter and do not represent the position or the opinion of SAS.

We’ve moved! Find us at https://reimagine-marketing.transistor.fm/ as we continue to ponder the future of customer experience.

The Reimagine Marketing podcast explores how marketing organizations are re-inventing themselves in the age of the digital consumer. This episode features two of our global co-hosts, Wilson Raj and Steven Hofmans, as they review Season One episodes and guests, explore some of the hot topics facing marketers today and share some of the potential topics we’ll unpack during Season Two. 

This podcast covers: 

• Recaps of  
  • Episode 2: Butcher Shop as Math House – Connecting with Tomorrow's Digital Consumer, Today 
  • Episode 8: Ethical AI Meets Privacy – Avoid the Paparazzi Effect 
  • Episode 9: Digitizing Southern Hospitality 
• Potential topics we’ll cover in Season Two, including: 
  • Fan experience 
  • Marketing planning in the digital age 
  • The evolution of CX and how to make it more participatory. 
  • AI-powered marketing – the balance of artificial intelligence and human intelligence. 

We’re excited to share that you’ll now find us on our own dedicated channel – so go search for Reimagine Marketing on your favorite podcast platforms. Subscribe today for show notes, to hear previous episodes and to catch Season 2 content as it drops later this summer. Don’t forget to join us when we return with more personalities, paradigms and practices on the future of marketing and CX. Thank you for listening! 

Check out additional episodes of the Reimagine Marketing podcast series at reimagine-marketing.transistor.fm. 

• Subscribe to the Reimagine Marketing podcast so you never miss a future episode. 
• Visit sas.com/reimaginemarketingpodcast to learn more about our guests, upcoming episodes and more. 
• If you’d like to be a guest on a future episode, have an idea for a future topic or would like to share feedback about our Reimagine Marketing podcast, send us an email: [email protected]. 

About our guests: 

• Wilson Raj is the Global Director of Customer Intelligence at SAS, responsible for the marketing of SAS’ AI-powered marketing solutions. He has been a marketing leader at Fortune Global 500® companies such as Microsoft, Medtronic and Philips, and advised C-level executives about digital strategy while at award-winning agencies Publicis Groupe, VML/Young & Rubicam and Wunderman. Wilson is often featured in keynotes and in major media publications such as Adweek, CMSWire, CRM Magazine, Forbes, InformationWeek, MarketingProfs, ZDNet, and more. 
• Steven Hofmans is a customer experience advisor on a mission to make every citizen a happy customer. Steven believes today’s customer experience needs to be personalized, zero effort, frictionless, proactive and about the customer. He helps marketing, sales and service departments to explore how they can revolutionize their marketing processes in order to reach that customer experience of the future. Using inspiring presentations and practical examples, he wants to show what proactive customer experience could look like. 

All presentations represent the opinions of the presenter and do not represent the position or the opinion of SAS.

On this episode Major General Elder Granger, M.D. US Army (retired) joins Greg to discuss health care and the military. Dr. Granger currently the President and CEO of THE 5Ps, LLC, a health care, education, and leadership consulting organization. He also serves on the board of directors for CignaHealth, Cerner and Defense Logistics Health. Dr. Granger’s interest in medicine started young with a high school science project on sickle cell anemia. Dr. Granger also participated in a summer program for the Arkansas National Guard in high school and later joined the National Guard, which began his military career. Dr. Granger became an active duty army medic before college and participated in ROTC throughout college and medical school. Greg begins by asking how medicine in the military is different from the private sector. Dr. Granger explains that in the military you learn to provide good medicine in challenging environments. For a condition like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), screening is critical and service men and women are routinely screened pre-deployment, during deployment and post-deployment. The private sector has a lot to learn from the military on screening and treatment for PTSD, and this can be applied to patients struggling with trauma from the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid epidemic and other events. Dr. Granger emphasizes the importance of removing the stigma around mental health and improving access to mental health services. He shared insights from a new study by Cigna on building greater resilience to reduce the health impacts of stressful circumstances. https://cignaresilience.com/  He also shared that telehealth can play a key role in improving access to care moving forward. Data from electronic health records (EHRs) can be used to get a more holistic view of patient health and identify early warning signs for mental health challenges and addiction. Data and enabling technology such as AI will play a pivotal role in the next big innovations in health care, including a future where Dr. Granger predicts we’ll be able to address social determinants of health head on to improve health and health care for all. Finally, Dr. Granger shares his best advice for the current administration on how to improve health care in the United States. 

All presentations represent the opinions of the presenter and do not represent the position or the opinion of SAS.