As an avid listener of Unlisted, I assume you love the theme song.

Well, I have good news for you. You can now hear it with vocals.

It’s from a studio project called Northeast Regional. I recorded the music with some friends in April 2019. We released a 6-song EP this August and I hope you check it out and enjoy it. I say it sounds like a harder Lemonheads.

To help celebrate the release, I interviewed the man who recorded the music.

Steve Roche runs Permanent Hearing Damage, a recording studio in Philadelphia, PA. He has played in a number of bands, including but not limited to Off Minor, Amateur Party, and None But Equals.

We had a fun, lengthy conversation. I ended up editing out about 15 minutes related to Off Minor and stuff “back in the day” (once you start debating whether The Crownhate Ruin or Regulator Watts is better, you’ve gone too deep) but I did leave one Easter Egg in the recording.

We talk about recording, prepping a project, when to step in as an engineer, and where individuals interested in home recording can start as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. We even got to talk briefly about healthcare! Steve at one point helped run a health clinic.

Speaking of healthcare, be sure to check out A Health Podyssey from Health Affairs.

Thanks and enjoy.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magnetcoilmedia.substack.com

Hello and welcome to Unlisted, a Magnet Coil Media podcast.

On today’s episode, we chat with Rachel Ford Hutman, Founder of Ford Hutman Media, a media relations and communications firm based out of San Diego, California.

Rachel started her own firm in early 2020 after working many years with IBM Watson Health. Little did she know when she started the company that the COVID-19 pandemic was about to change the fabric of American life.

We talk about the challenges and realities of launching a new company during the pandemic and how she knew she was ready to go out on her own, pandemic notwithstanding.

We also touch on why she thinks conferences won’t be as big of a deal after 2020, why relationships matter, and how storytelling can be a differentiator in the healthcare industry.

Substack isn’t the only place you can find this podcast:

Apple Podcasts

Stitcher

Spotify

Google Podcasts

Please leave a review to help audiences find us. If you’re interested in chatting, my email is [email protected].

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magnetcoilmedia.substack.com

Hello and welcome to Unlisted.

Chris L. Terry is an author based out of Los Angeles, California. His second novel, Black Card, will be published in paperback this August. It was released about a year ago in hardcover.

Author photo by Jacob Boll

Black Card is a story about a young mixed-race punk rock musician in Richmond, VA who explores his identity. The book has been reviewed and featured in NPR, Pitchfork, among other publications.

Black Card is Chris’s second novel. In 2013, he published the young adult novel Zero Fade.

Before relocating to Los Angeles, Chris spent some of his youth in Richmond, VA. He and I were in the same English department at VCU and played in a punk band together.

I spoke with Chris a year ago when his novel was first being published. I wanted to repurpose that interview for this publication/project but, with the paperback to be published on the eve of the novel’s first birthday, I thought it might be a great time to catch up with him to see how the response to the book has been.

Our conversation was recorded on July 14, 2020.

We talk about the dangers of nostalgia, why racism is a public health issue, and his perspective on the Richmond Confederate statues coming down.

Substack isn’t the only place you can find this podcast:

Apple Podcasts

Stitcher

Spotify

Thanks for listening. If you’re interested in chatting, my email is [email protected].

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magnetcoilmedia.substack.com

Welcome to Unlisted, a healthcare and/or culture newsletter and/or podcast.

On today’s episode, I chat with Stephanie Wierwille, VP of Content at ReviveHealth. It was recorded on July 7, 2020.

But first, a fair amount of work I helped with went live last week. Check it out:

For Clear Skye (identity governance and admin tech):

* About Us / Company Overview Page - This project was a lot of fun as I got to add some levity to a company’s story.

* Customer Success Stories (Gated)

For Healthify, two (2) blogs:

* How data sharing and interoperability will evolve after COVID-19

* Podcast Recap: Transforming SDoH services in the age of COVID-19

I would love to chat about any content projects you may have. Email me at [email protected].

Healthcare marketers are living in “The No Normal,” according to ReviveHealth.

Stephanie Wierwille, VP of Content at ReviveHealth, and I worked together during my time at Revive in Music City, USA. I always enjoyed discussing influencers and pondering life’s big questions with her, like how effective is snarky fast food Twitter marketing. I learned a lot from her and she was great to work with.

I wanted to speak with Stephanie about what she’s seeing in 2020 from a healthcare marketing perspective. We hit on a lot of topics including health inequity, digital transformation, and how healthcare organizations are adapting to messaging as the COVID-19 pandemic affects their communities and finances.

We also talk about the Facebook boycott and how marketers are discussing the movement. I mention a A Media Operator essay about the subject wherein I butcher Jacob’s analysis. Apologies all around but it’s worth a read.

Substack isn’t the only place you can find this podcast:

Apple Podcasts

Stitcher

Spotify

I would love to hear feedback on these episodes and the newsletter in general. Are you enjoying it? Any guests or topics you’d like to hear about? I’m all ears. [email protected].

Thanks for listening and see you next time.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magnetcoilmedia.substack.com

Welcome back to Unlisted!

Last week, a perspective brief I co-developed with Healthify was published. It was written for payer audiences to learn more about measuring the effectiveness of SDoH interventions. You can download it here.

On this week’s podcast, I talk with insurance broker Josh Viles.

Josh lives here in Richmond, VA and was on the ground level as an insurance broker at the start of the ACA marketplace.

Josh and I spoke about how the markets look different now than six years ago and what would happen to the insurance industry if and when the U.S. moves to a centralized government health plan such as a single payer or Medicare for All program.

If you can believe it, it’s an election year. It’s likely the ACA and insurance markets may come up again during the debates. Just in the not too distant memory of June, President Trump argued to strike the ACA.

Josh believes there would be five to ten years of pain if the U.S. moves to a M4A or single payer model as it’s difficult to decimate an entire industry.

John clearly has a mission statement to help people. If you’re new to the health insurance conversation, Josh helps frame what you can expect from the ACA marketplace and managing the uncertainty unemployment can create during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If you’re a healthcare industry veteran, I hope Josh’s perspective as an insurance broker offers a somewhat fresh perspective as compared to the high level, thought leadership pieces that circulate from time to time.

Thanks for listening. You can find Viles Insurance online here.

Substack isn’t the only place you can find this podcast:

Apple Podcasts

Stitcher

Spotify

Subscribe at magnetcoilmedia.substack.com

Hello and welcome to Unlisted. If you’re new here, thanks for joining. Consider subscribing below.

Like the new logo up top? My friend Matt Leech made it. Check out his design work here.

On today’s episode, we have Megan Poinski, Senior Reporter for Food Dive. We talk about plant-based meats.

I was really excited for this conversation. I’m a pescatarian but have been vegetarian off-and-on since I was 16 years old, largely influenced by the punk and indie rock subcultures of the late ‘90s. As I got older, I began to play music myself, eventually jumping into a van to play 20 minutes of music to crowds of 5-45 people on any given night across the country.

That old band, Light the Fuse and Run, recently re-created an old shirt if interested. All profits go to The Movement for Black Lives.

The years: 2002 to 2003. To be honest, I can’t remember the diets of everyone but I was definitely a vegetarian and remember another member was vegan. In the early aughts, the number of cheap, fast vegetarian food was hard enough to find, much less vegan food.

There was Taco Bell. Burger King had launched a veggie burger in 2002. Subway had the Veggie Delite. And that was it. Those were the options.

Now, plant-based meat is relatively easy to find. Burger King has upgraded to a deal with Impossible Burger while Carl’s Jr., Dunkin, Del Taco, White Castle, and more are all promoting plant-based meat options.

Because I am out of touch, I don’t know how vibrant the punk DIY touring community is currently, but I can say with certainty that if I was doing that today, I would be thrilled to have all these meat alternative options.

But I also wondered where all these options were two decades ago. Veggie burgers existed. Boca Burgers and Morning Star burgers were all available during that time.

And I realized, these plant-based meat products are not strictly for subcultures. They’re intended for mass consumption. Someone decided there was a mass market for these products and then convinced others of its viability.

I talk with Megan about this in addition to why the term “plant-based” is preferred to “vegan” when promoting these products, what the future looks like for plant-based alternatives, and whether they are actually healthier than the real thing (Spoiler alert: more research is needed).

Here is some of the recent coverage from Food Dive on the plant-based protein movement:

Tracking the plant-based protein movement

Is plant-based meat really healthier than the real thing? (Here’s the link to the JAMA article it cites)

For further reading/listening:

Impossible Foods Impact Report 2019

Animal Rights as Media and Pop Culture Punchline (Citations Needed Podcast)

Is this a healthcare podcast or a culture podcast? Not really sure but I hope you’re enjoying the ride.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magnetcoilmedia.substack.com

Hello and welcome to Unlisted. If this is your first entry point here, please consider subscribing.

On today’s episode, we have Luke O’Neil, author of the Welcome to Hell World newsletter and the book Hell World: Dispatches from the American Dystopia. The discussion was recorded on May 14th, 2020.

I have been a Hell World subscriber for about a year to a year and a half. I believe I found it through Luke’s Twitter account coming up in my feed every so often before I hit “follow.”

Luke’s voice and the Hell World publication overall captivated me. The voice has a fresh perspective but it can undoubtedly take some getting used to as you wade into a mixture of journalism, personal essay, interviews, poetry, and random musings on the Deftones.

Most of the pieces describe how Americans struggle with daily life in the face of capitalism. As an example, a recent piece collected thoughts from service workers about their view into “reopening” America in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

I admire Luke’s work and appreciate the time he spent with me discussing journalism and his views on the healthcare industry.

Hell World is also one of the first newsletter success stories on the Substack platform. “Newsletters” have been getting a fair amount of press recently. It’s not surprising.

Reports have estimated that more than 37.2 million Americans could be out of work, according to a data round-up of unemployment claims (Axios). Many of those layoffs have occurred in media, including The Athletic, The Atlantic, TheSkimm, and more.

Some writers may turn to Substack platforms to pursue financial and creative freedom. With Hell World, O’Neil — who has been freelance writing for two decades — said it was one of the most creatively fulfilling decisions he’s made and, because of that decision, he finds himself more financially stable.

"It’s uncomfortable to actually not be panicking over when my next $300 check is going to get here, which is a situation that any freelance writer will be all too familiar with,” O’Neil said.

Newsletters also are helping to create better relationships with readers. It’s a topic that I spoke about with Out of Pocket’s Nikhil Krishnan last week.

Substack is offering support in exploring what’s possible for any writer recently laid off. A number of Substack writers — including Luke — have volunteered to offer advice calls. Check out the Substack Blog for more information.

Thanks for listening. Get in touch at [email protected].

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magnetcoilmedia.substack.com

“….Everyone knows there’s a villain but no one wants to admit they’re the villain.”

Hello and welcome back to Unlisted.

I took a break last week in observance of the protests in response to the death of George Floyd.

On today’s episode, I chat with Nikhil Krishnan, the man behind the online community-building project Get Real and author of the Out of Pocket newsletter, a publication at the intersection of healthcare business and comedy. This interview was recorded on May 11, 2020, and it’s more of a lighthearted conversation.

Nikhil wrote an informative essay in response to the protests on race and healthcare last week. Read it here.

Here are some related relief & support funds. Please consider donating if you can:

* Black Lives Matter DC Legal Support Fund

* Richmond Community Bail Fund

* Mutual Aid Disaster Relief Richmond

* NAACP

Nikhil and I chat about a viral tweet. This is that tweet. We talk about his new ventures, Twitter, and, specifically, the results from a viral tweet.

He recently wrapped up an article series on the various stages. The final installment can be found here.

Connectedness is a central focal point to Nikhil’s work — alongside public learning. Here’s his gameplan for Out of Pocket. I spoke briefly about social connectedness with The Jasper’s Brandon Peck two weeks ago in relation to COVID-19 and the roles that bars and restaurants play. On the other end of the spectrum, Nikhil is emphasizing the possibilities that new digital ecosystems can offer.

Thanks for listening and I hope you enjoy the conversation.

Out of Pocket

Get Real

As always, I can be found at [email protected].

Playlist curated Nikhil Krishnan

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit magnetcoilmedia.substack.com

Welcome to Unlisted, a new newsletter/podcast from Jeff Byers, founder of Magnet Coil Media.

Yes, I do think there’s room for one more healthcare newsletter.

For those of you that subscribed to my last newsletter, this is a bit of a rebrand (though you can still read my interview with author Chris L. Terry here). In the wake of being laid off due to COVID-19 in early April, I took some time off and decided to make a go at providing editorial services and content strategy for healthcare companies.

Currently, business is good. But, I just can’t quit the newsletter game.

Unlisted is meant to focus on the various bits of healthcare I’m interested in: access to delivery services, telehealth/preventative services, social drivers, public health/behaviors, and how messaging and communications affect and inform the industry.

Ideally, it’ll touch on culture and industry issues. You’ll hear from voices inside and outside the healthcare industry. For this first issue, I’ll write a bit about telehealth. Up top, you may have noticed a podcast episode. It’s an interview with PwC Health Research Institute’s Ben Isgur who was kind enough to chat with me about the recent healthcare industry layoffs as well as the mainstreaming of telehealth.

My hope is publish weekly — and produce a mid-length audio interview each Tuesday. I have three interviews in addition to my conversation with Ben, including an interview with Out of Pocket founder Nikhil Krishnan.

This newsletter will be free for now — but that could change. Perhaps I’ll add ads or begin a paid version with gated content. But that’s not the focus right now. Ultimately, I’m hoping to promote my editorial and content strategy services with this newsletter.

And, interviewing people is fun. I’ve found editing interviews has been an engaging activity during this pandemic.

Speaking of, I recently interviewed Dr. Erich Heneke from Mayo Clinic for Gist Healthcare to discuss PPE supply and demands for the health system. You can listen to that here.

Want to have a conversation? Have a white paper you need to produce? Shoot me an email at [email protected].

If you’re a healthcare company and can guess the band I’m referencing with the title of this podcast/newsletter, I will write you a free blog. You can guess only once. This offer is limited to one (1) correct answer/winner.

If you enjoy the newsletter, please share and/or subscribe.

16.5 million.

According to a recent PwC HRI consumer survey, that’s the number of how many Americans have possibly used telehealth for the first time in the past couple of months. The survey found 5% of respondents said they or a family member has tried telehealth for the first time during the COVID-19.

Telehealth is an overnight success story in these times of social isolation. But it isn’t a new concept. Far from it. I used to work for a health IT publication from 2009 to 2012 and tried to hunt down the old books as I was curious what I wrote about telehealth during that time.

However, I packed up my old printed magazines because I’m a very smart person that decided to move during a pandemic. Anyways, you’ll have to take my word for it that they probably said “Yea, idk, no one’s really using it and/or understands it. We’re just figuring out what a smartphone is out here.”

So, telehealth has been baking for awhile now. And it’s grown. Teladoc, one of the companies that started with a telehealth focus, is now a public company. AmWell was recently named to the 2019 Forbes Cloud 100.

But, before COVID-1, telehealth adoption had been pretty slow all said and told. In July 2019, FAIR Health released a white paper that found telehealth utilization rates of less than 1%.

Now, it seems the narrative is changing.

Insurers and providers, digital health companies, and legacy EHR companies all agree. Telehealth utilization is increasing.

Some telehealth providers are already taking advantage of less restrictive Medicare regulations for telehealth reimbursement.

Just because people are being advised to practice social distancing doesn’t mean people aren’t getting sick. In our interview, Isgur mentioned that the COVID-19 pandemic is the forcing function that will help mainstream telehealth as patients are more or less being forced to use that option.

I’m a fan of the idea of telehealth, and given the aforementioned less than 1% utilization, any increase in usage is good. What will remain to be seen is if and how this adoption continues or increases as states begin to reopen. Telehealth as a care delivery option could fade into the background for many. Or it could become a preferred choice of first-touch care.

I don’t pretend to know what the future holds but if the past tells us anything, it’s that adopting new ideas/platforms/tech can be hard if they don’t fit a current need or made simple to use. Here’s hoping the next wave of telehealth won’t take another decade to emerge.

That’s it for this edition. Here’s two articles I recently read on telehealth and a weekly Spotify playlist:

'There's been a paradigm shift': Telemedicine lobbying soars nearly 200% in push to capitalize on coronavirus pandemic and make permanent changes to Washington policy (Business Insider - paywalled)

Transforming telemedicine to combat a health crisis (Financial Times)

Thanks for reading! Unlisted is a publication of Magnet Coil Media LLC.

Got tips? Feedback? Want to hear about a particular topic or interview anyone in particular? Drop me a line at [email protected].

Subscribe at magnetcoilmedia.substack.com