A conversation with RJ Kedziora

“In the near future, it’s going to be irresponsible to not use AI.”

As co-founder of Estenda Solutions, RJ Kedziora is an expert in leveraging data for healthcare organizations, with over 25 years of experience improving patient outcomes.

He is a passionate advocate for the AI-clinician partnership: lightening administrative workloads, deepening patient connections, and spotting data patterns to highlight the bigger health stories that lay beneath.

As he says, AI doesn’t get tired. It knows the research. And it’s time we adopt it to realise the potential of American healthcare.

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We spoke about  the history and the evolution of AI in healthcare, how AI can improve patient outcomes, and what patients should know about advocating for better technology in their care.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

A conversation with Ariana Thacker

We’re living through the 1918 flu pandemic all over again.

But this time, it's silent. 

Here to shed light on the staggering scale of mold related illness is Ariana Thacker - venture capitalist, former chemical engineer and Founder/CEO of MoldCo.

After battling mold toxicity, Ariana realised just how little modern American healthcare knew about mold - it’s barely even taught in our medical schools.

Her journey into healthcare wasn’t by choice, but it’s what this podcast is all about: identifying problems and building solutions that place patients first.

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We spoke about the systemic neglect of mold toxicity in mainstream healthcare, the estimated financial impact, the need for structural healthcare changes to address environmental illnesses, a vision for nationwide preventative care, and some practical, research-backed steps for patients.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

A conversation with Sahil Diwan

The future of healthcare is proactive.

And that can start from the smallest of treatments - as simple as getting your ears cleaned.

Enter Sahil Diwan, Co-Founder and CEO of SafKan Health, the medtech company behind OtoSet, the first FDA-cleared automated ear-cleaning headphones.

Sahil and his brother have designed a product with mass appeal - it’s regularly going viral on social media with millions of views. 

With people queuing up to try it out, Sahil takes us through how this evolution in ear care is transforming an often-neglected personal hygiene procedure - for patients and providers.

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We spoke about how OtoSet was created, the process of FDA approval, the connection between neglected ear care and health issues, and why consumer-led, tech-enabled proactive care paints a positive future.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

This episode is a collaboration with Doctors for America. 

“ It's our turn to step up and speak out.”

In another special episode of the Pursuit of Health podcast, Dr. Eric Fethke collaborates with Doctors for America to reflect on the impact of the 4th July tax bill, and the extent of its threat to our healthcare system.

Calling on former guests to contribute, and through resharing pertinent snippets from previous episodes of the show, Dr. Fethke presents the stark reality of the impact these cuts will have on patients, communities, hospitals, employers - the entire ecosystem of people in America.

It’s time for action, to fight back, raise the alarm and demand better from our government.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

A conversation with Neal Shah

The healthcare insurance system is on the cusp of collapsing.

Enter former Wall Street hedge fund manager Neal Shah, who channelled personal experiences of managing care for family members into a mission for transforming our entire system.

As CEO of social enterprise and health tech platform CareYaya and Chairman of Counterforce Health, Neal is dedicated to spearheading a revolution: bringing direct relationships to the forefront and bypassing huge corporations.

With costs rising, health statistics worsening, a workforce tiring, a population ageing - the time is now to act for change.

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We spoke about concepts from his new book Insured to Death, the systemic failures of health insurance in America, how patients can use AI and advocacy to challenge claim denials, and what it will take to build a more humane, transparent system that serves us all.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

A conversation with Ryan Johnson

Healthcare is a game of moving targets.

No one knows this quite like Ryan Johnson, an ER nurse turned CEO and co-founder of health-tech innovators Float.

Float are in the business of helping hospitals free-up needed capacity, empowering patients through home treatments, paying nurses fairly for their work, and easing staffing pressures.

The result? Reduced costs, better patient outcomes, and a mission that reconnects healthcare with its human purpose. This is the innovation that American healthcare needs!

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We spoke about why chronic-care patients are still forced into emergency departments and hospitals for routine care, the definitions of specialist terms such as facility fees, infusion centers and gig work, the barriers that remain for FloatHealth to become widely adopted, and why the biggest cause of harm to our system is inaction.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

A conversation with Dr. Yousuf Zafar

Each patient has a 'sphere of life'.

And according to Dr. Yousuf Zafar, it’s critical we do everything we can to understand it.

As a gastrointestinal medical oncologist, Adjunct Professor at Duke University, and Chief Medical Officer at cancer data innovators AccessHope, he knows exactly what it takes to strive for the best patient outcomes.

Through data, personalized case reviews, subspecialist recommendations, and collaboration, AccessHope connects local oncologists with expertise, to improve health outcomes and apply the concept of precision care to the patient experience.

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We spoke about  financial toxicity in oncological care, the importance of a second opinion, how data-driven solutions can boost both patient outcomes and economic value, and how we can improve access for patients and physicians across America.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

A conversation with Rob Andrews

“A rising tide lifts all boats.” - President Kennedy

Channelling the heart of this message in his words, actions, and distinguished career, is former Congressman and CEO of the Health Transformation Alliance (HTA), Rob Andrews.

As one of the original authors of the Affordable Care Act, Rob has set his sights on driving value-based healthcare reform through data, analytics, and employer-led innovation.

To Rob, our healthcare system isn’t poor - it just sits upon an irrational infrastructure. It’s time to fix that infrastructure!

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We spoke about his lessons from inside Congress, his work with HTA, the meaning of value-based care, numerous analogies of successful value-based systems, and why fixing American Healthcare requires both political vision and market-based action.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

A conversation with Dr. Megan Morris

How do we define quality of life? And how do we provide quality healthcare?

These are key questions in the work of Dr. Megan Morris, a health services researcher, speech-language pathologist, and Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine at NYU Langone Health.

Dr. Morris is focused on addressing structural and interpersonal ableism in the American healthcare system - today she reveals just how far behind we are in the journey toward equity and accessibility.

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We spoke about how ableism impacts patient care, why documenting disability status is crucial in our mission to improve quality of care, some of the changes occurring within the system, and what it would take to make healthcare truly inclusive for everyone. 

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4

A conversation with Dr. Yoona Kim

Medication mismanagement is a massive issue in American healthcare.

Setting her sights on solving this problem is health economist, pharmacist, and CEO/co-founder of Arine - Dr. Yoona Kim.

Dr. Kim realized that identifying problematic medication plans can move the needle on clinical and economic outcomes, and her AI-enabled company is proof - cutting costs and saving time for providers across the country.

For patients, their work is saving lives - reducing hospitalizations, identifying potentially fatal prescriptions, and teaching the American people the importance of active involvement in their healthcare.

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We spoke about how misprescribed medications affect patient experience, how these errors happen systematically, how AI is making a difference at scale, and why the use of AI in healthcare must be synergistic with human-human interaction.

Follow me on Instagram and Facebook @ericfethkemd and checkout my website at www.EricFethkeMD.com.

My brand new book, The Privilege of Caring, is out now on Amazon! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CP6H6QN4