The Health System Fix

I am honored to share this special episode on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2026. Dr. Rodney G. Hood is my guest on the 23rd episode of The Health System Fix podcast.

Dr. Hood is a prominent physician and national authority on health disparities, medical history, and the impact of systemic racism on healthcare. With over 50 years of experience in internal medicine, he is currently the Managing Partner of the Careview Medical Group and President of the Multicultural Health Foundation in San Diego. 

Dr. Hood was the first African American to graduate from the University of California San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine (1973). He served as the 101st President of the National Medical Association (NMA) and also as its board chairman. His contributions have been recognized with the AMA Foundation Pride in the Profession Award and the UCSD Alumni Award for Excellence. He is also the author of a remarkable paper published in 2025, titled, An American Story of a Health System Dilemma: The Slave Health Deficit and Post‑Traumatic Slavery Stress Disorder (PTSSD)

Website: https://mhfwellness.org/

MUST-READ PAPER: An American Story of a Health System Dilemma: The Slave Health Deficit and Post‑Traumatic Slavery Stress Disorder (PTSSD)

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I am very excited to present the 21st episode of The Heath System Fix podcast and the first one in 2026. Please like, subscribe, and share with your network.

I spoke with Flow Health cofounders Sriram Muralidharan, CEO & Anirudh Perubotla, CTO. Floe Health is an enterprise AI platform that delivers predictive intelligence, closing the loop on every referral in healthcare.

Sriram is a builder who’s been in the room when real systems get made. He started his career at Tesla, where he helped build the first Model X.  Later at Commure, Sriram led enterprise AI initiatives, working directly with large health systems to align product strategy with real operational needs, sitting at the intersection of product, AI, and healthcare economics. At Floe Health, Sriram brings that same systems-first mentality to healthcare coordination. Building infrastructure that actually holds up under scale, regulation, and reality.

Anirudh is a product leader obsessed with adoption at scale. He’s a Forbes Under 30 honoree and was a Founding PM at Levels FYI, where he helped build the platform into the leading tech compensation platform. At Commure, Anirudh led the Ambient AI Scribe team, building one of the fastest-growing AI scribes in healthcare. At Floe Health, Anirudh focuses on turning complex healthcare workflows into systems that work in the real world, at a national scale.

Website: https://www.floe.health/

The Health Systems Fix podcast is now releasing its 20th episode. Please like, share, and subscribe wherever you listen to the podcast.

Deepa Iyer is a South Asian American writer, strategist, and lawyer. Her work is rooted in Asian American, South Asian, Muslim, and Arab communities where she spent fifteen years in policy advocacy and coalition building in the wake of the September 11th attacks and ensuing backlash. Currently, Deepa leads projects on solidarity and social movements at the Building Movement Project, a national nonprofit organization that catalyzes social change through research, strategic partnerships, and resources for movements and nonprofits.

She hosts the *Solidarity Is This* podcast. 

Deepa is the author of three books- her first book, *We Too Sing America: South Asian, Arab, Muslim, and Sikh Immigrants Shape Our Multiracial Future* received a 2016 American Book Award. In 2022 she published a guide based on the social change ecosystem map that she created, called Social Change Now: A Guide for Reflection and Connection.  Her debut children’s picture book, We Are The Builders!, was released in the fall of 2024.

Work: www.solidarityis.org

Books: We Too Sing America; Social Change Now; We Are The Builders! 

Website: www.deepaiyer.com

The Health Systems Fix podcast has survived 2025 and is now releasing its 19th episode. Please like, share, and subscribe wherever you listen to the podcast.

I am humbled to share this incredible conversation with Dr. Sanjeev Arora.

Dr. Arora is the founder of Project ECHO and the Director of the ECHO Institute. Dr. Arora is a Distinguished and Regents Professor of Medicine (Retd.) in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center. In 2019, Dr. Arora was the Lifetime Recipient of the New Mexico Governor's Public Service Award, and in 2021, he received the Brock Prize in Education Innovation.

Dr. Arora is a pioneer in democratizing specialized medical knowledge for the good of humanity. His idea for Project ECHO was grounded in his personal experience as a liver disease specialist practicing in New Mexico, whose patients were in geographically isolated communities and suffered transportation, financial, and caregiver burdens, in addition to their health crises.

The ECHO Model has since been used to train providers in more than 70 other disease areas and is being applied around the globe, partnering with the World Health Organization and the CDC. ECHO topics have expanded beyond health care to include K-12 education, climate change, public safety and more. In 2007, Project ECHO won the Ashoka Foundation’s Changemakers Award, an international competition recognizing programs that are changing the paradigm of how medicine is practiced. 

Website: https://projectecho.unm.edu/

I am incredibly excited to share the 18th episode of The Health System Fix Podcast with my friend Elizabeth C. Morrison PhD, LCSW. 

Elizabeth is the CEO of EM Consulting, a company dedicated to enhancing the human connection within health and social care. Her focus areas include developing integrated care systems, implementing trauma-informed practices, and elevating the importance of skillful, empathic communication and relationship-based care practices. 

She is the co-creator of The Lay Counselor Academy (LCA), a course designed to equip individuals without behavioral health degrees or licenses to provide mental health counseling. This initiative aims to expand the behavioral health workforce and ensure that high-quality mental health counseling is accessible to everyone in need.

Elizabeth holds a PhD in Social Psychology, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, and possesses a Master's in Addiction Counseling. With more than 30 years of clinical practice, she has extensive experience providing therapy through video, phone, and text-based modalities, maintaining a practical perspective on mental health services.

Website: https: https://www.emorrisonconsulting.com/services/lay-counselor-training-academy/

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I am very excited to share the 17th episode of The Health System Fix podcast with Dr. Richard Markell.

Dr.Markell is a mission-driven driven experienced doctor in Veterinary Medicine, an opinion leader and a consultant in the animal health industry. His areas of expertise include veterinary clinical practice, pharmaceutical, educational, medical device, and legal expert witness. An exceptional communicator who helps companies with strategy, leadership, and marketing to develop and deliver value to customers, business, and the animals we care for. He led the launch of Butterfly, a human medical device (Butterfly) into the global veterinary market, culminating in their NYSE entry (stock ticker: BFLY).

He served for many years as a veterinarian for the United States Olympic Showjumping Team.

He is an Advisory Board Member and Course Trainer for The National Conflict Resolution Center. He is a philanthropist and 23 23-year volunteer for the largest therapeutic riding program in the US, the Shea Center. 

Website: https://www.illuminxconsulting.com/

The Shea Center: www.sheacenter.org

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I am excited to share the 16th edition of the Health Systems Fix podcast. 

Aaron Byzak is Chief Strategist & Lead Consultant for Galvanized Strategies, a strategic public affairs and fractional leadership firm supporting an array of healthcare and nonprofit clients. He recently served for 9 months as Interim CEO of Grossmont Healthcare District, helping the District achieve more than a dozen goals, and currently provides public affairs and strategy consulting for notable local organizations. 

With over 30 years of experience in healthcare management, EMS, health policy, and nonprofit leadership, Aaron is a recognized changemaker in the region. He has also led award-winning public health and advocacy campaigns, created workforce development initiatives, shaped regional crisis responses, and advised organizations at every level. 

A four-time Emmy Award-winning writer and producer and a dynamic public speaker, Aaron is also a sought-after mentor to emerging healthcare leaders throughout San Diego. He holds an MBA in Healthcare Management and Policy from UC Irvine, a BA in Social Science from Chapman University, and executive leadership certificates from UCLA and Cornell University. 

Happy Holidays & Happy New Year!

I am very excited to share the 15th edition of the health system fix podcast with my guest Assembly Member Dr. Darshana R. Patel. She represents District 76 in the California State Assembly and was elected to represent the 76th Assembly District in northern San Diego County in November 2024.  

Dr. Patel is a research scientist, former school board president, and dedicated community leader, and brings a unique blend of expertise and compassion to public service. As the daughter of immigrants, she experienced firsthand the challenges of building a new life in California. 

In 2016, as the Poway Unified School District grappled with financial mismanagement, Dr. Patel ran for the school board to help restore trust and effective governance. Elected as a Trustee, she focused on stabilizing the district’s finances, and rebuilding governance structures, all with a focus on student success and future readiness. She was reelected in 2020.

She has also served as President of the San Diego County School Boards Association, member of the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs, member of the San Diego Police Department Northeastern Division Captain’s Advisory Board.

She earned her Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of California, Irvine, and launched a successful career in biotechnology research before transitioning to community leadership.

I am very excited to share the 14th episode of The Health System Fix [THSF] podcast. Veronica Dela Rosa is the Executive Vice President of Operations for San Ysidro Health. She provides key oversight on strategic initiatives of Clinic Operations, Information Technology, Population Health and Performance Excellence, Compliance, Human Resources, Pharmacy Operations, and Belonging initiatives. Veronica has over 25 years of healthcare experience. She spent 20 years as a healthcare administrator for Kaiser Permanente, where she oversaw the medical group’s Primary

Care Services Division focusing on quality, access, and innovative health care delivery services to over 600,000+ patients. 

I am very excited to share the 13th episode of the Health System Fix Podcast with Lucy Marrero. Lucy is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), Certified Professional in Healthcare Quality (CPHQ), and community psychologist currently serving as the Director of Behavioral Health at Gold Coast Health Plan, the Medi-Cal Managed Care Plan for Ventura County, California. She is passionate about promoting seamless, high-quality, safe care through partnership and collaboration. 

She serves on the Medi-Cal Voices and Vision Council, which provides insight into local health plan and member experiences to inform state policy. 

Lucy is also a Patient Safety Champion with Patients for Patient Safety US and draws on her lived experience as a patient and caregiver to inform her work.