Speaking Of Show & Making Healthcare Work for You

Discovery of Covid Biomarker, & How Lipidomics Research Could Shape Medicine: Interview with Dr. Besim Ogretmen, Med. Univ. of S.C

Dr. Besim Ogretmen of the Medical University of South Carolina recently discovered a Covid Biomarker through lipid research. 

 

Dr. Ogretmen and his team typically focuses on cancer research, but they pivoted their efforts during the pandemic. 

 

They discovered that a person’s level of lipid biomarker sphingosine had more than a 90% accuracy rate of determining if the person would have an asymptomatic or symptomatic case of covid-19. 

 

He says the studies might also be useful to predict people who would still get covid-19 symptoms after vaccination with antibody and lipidomics detections.

 

In this interview Dr. Ogretmen shares information about his research, the discovery, as well as incredibly fascinating information about the field of Lipidomics - and how increased focus on the field could help transform medicine. He also says MUSC is a world-class Lipidomics center.

 

Dr. Besim Ogretmen is the Prof. Of Biochemistry,

Assoc. Dir. For Basic Sciences at the Hollings Cancer Center, and Assoc. Dean For Research at the College Of Medicine the Medical University of South Carolina.

 

Learn more about the Medical Univ. of South Carolina: https://muschealth.org 

Learn more about the MUSC Children’s Hospital: https://musckids.org 

 

Topical time codes:

00:00 - Interview starts

1:05 - Research findings

2:30 - Helping identify those most vulnerable to covid-19

4:12 - Determining how lipid biomarkers can help 

6:43 - How Lipidomics could work together with genomics & help early disease detection

8:33 - About the sphingosine lipid 

10:27 - Those with sphingosine levels above the normal range had better outcomes dealing with covid

11:49 - Ability of lipids to help with cardiovascular and other conditions, as well as medications 

13:39 - Lipid research has many applications and is gaining attention

15:43 - Passion for research

19:04 - Desire to help during the pandemic

22:03 - Science is cumulative work, a collective community

Harnessing the Power of Data to Gain Insights & Drive Personal Connections: Interview with Minal Patel, CEO/Founder, Abacus Insights

Minal Patel is the mission-driven CEO & Founder of Abacus Insights, a company that enables data by breaking down data silos to help health plans make sense of their data.

As a former physician, Minal says the driving reason behind great, connected data is ultimately about people and their health.

Minal knows first hand how the insights revealed through data analysis can be used to help patients get better outcomes.

The clean and accurate data from Abacus allows health plans to make information available to people, allowing those people to make better healthcare decisions.

Check out the interview with Minal to learn more about his intense passion for his work at Abacus.

Connect with Minal: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/minalkumar-patel-a657576/  

Learn more about Abacus Insights: https://www.linkedin.com/company/abacusinsights/ 

Topical time codes:

00:00 - Video begins

00:59 - Transitioning from Physician to CEO

2:24 - Working with health plans to help them enable their data

4:00 - How connected data helps patients 

5:19 - How Abacus helps w/ automation

7:00 - Examples of how Abacus’ data helped the end consumer

8:57 - Using data to help health plans identify those at high risk for covid & other health conditions 

13:37 - Intersection of innovation of tech and discipline of medicine

14:47 - Advantage of having a background as a physician & emphasis on the mission

18:28 - Personal passion behind the mission 

21:07 - Proudest accomplishment

From Pharma To Health Tech Ceo: Using Data To Overhaul The Specialty Drug Industry Interview with Pramod John, CEO, Vivio Health

Driven by a personal passion to change healthcare and “the obligation to do the right thing for the good of every American,” Pramod John, CEO of Vivio Health, is on a mission to overhaul the specialty drug market.

He and the team at Vivio - founded by a leaders previously working in Pharma - want to use data to help people get the right drug, at the right time. 

Pramod says medications are the most frequent intervention a physician will make, and that specialty drugs are the fastest growing segment of healthcare globally. 

Yet, he also says that many of the drugs aren’t widely effective. 

The team of Vivio sees opportunity for change and is working to improve things by using and analyzing real-world drug and patient data - analyzed separately from the FDA.

Learn more about Vivio Health: https://viviohealth.com 

Connect with Pramod: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pramod-john/ 

Topical time codes:

00:00 - Video starts

00:58 - Creation of Vivio Health

2:28 - Specialty drug market

5:15 - Endorsement of specialty drugs by influencers and celebs

8:04 - Lack of time to analyze drug trial info of every new drug

12:08 - Too much info for physicians to keep up with in practice, no infrastructure to help 

14:56 - Using computers to keep up with data doesn’t mean human replacement - they’re good at different things 

17:26 - Switch in thinking to allow change and let people work at their highest level

20:56 - Using technology more often and using it better

23:36 - Personal passion for change

Development & Findings of the Global Women’s Health Index, A Globally-Comparable Metric for Women’s Health: Interview with Priscilla Standridge, Research Director at Gallup

For two years, the teams at Gallup and Hologic worked in partnership to develop the Hologic Global Women’s Health Index. 

We talked to Priscilla Standridge, Research Director for the Global Women’s Health Index at Gallup, and she shared the fascinating details about:

• The index-creation process
• How they decided what was areas to measure
• Considerations while collecting the data
• What the data revealed
• And much more!

There are five key areas that the index measures, and they’re directly related to a women’s life expectancy:

• Preventive Care
• Emotional Health
• Opinions of Health and Safety
• Basic Needs
• Individual Health

Don’t miss this awesome behind-the-scenes look at this monumental new index that will help shape the global health of women.

Read the report: https://hologic.womenshealthindex.com/Hologic_2020-Global-Women%27s-Health-Index_Full-Report.pdf 

Connect with Priscilla: https://www.linkedin.com/in/priscillastandridge/ 

Hope, Compassion, & Incredible Results: Interview with Mental Health Champion & Expert, Leon Evans

For decades, Leon Evans has been a relentless champion of mental health improvement. 

 

He is the former President of the Center for Healthcare Services, has received the American Psychiatric Assoc. Gold Award, was named a CNN Mental Health Warrior, and has testified before Congress.

 

Thanks to his innovative, mission-driven, and hope-based, bottom-up approach, Leon has made incredible strides in many areas of mental healthcare. 

 

He has created and been part of many innovative programs including: 

 

• The Restoration Center in Bexar County, TX, where people can get mental healthcare, help with substance abuse and more  
• The Mommies program, which helps heroin-addicted pregnant women get proper prenatal care and helps them get off of drugs
• Working to get the mentally ill treatment for their illness, instead of continuing the cycle of incarceration
• Training law enforcement officers and other first responders in soft skills to help de-escalate situations
• Reducing homelessness by targeting the mentally ill through a peer-based program with incredible success

 

Leon says giving people hope is one of the keys to success.

 

Connect with Leon: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leon-evans-ba2bb618 

 

Topical time codes:

1:08 - Entering the mental health field in 1966

2:41 - Ground-up, not top-down approach

4:35 - Giving hope

5:07 - Tri-County Industries litter abatement program - hiring the mentally ill, giving them hope, purpose, benefits, and good pay

9:21 - Mommies program and the Restoration Center

13:47 - Using a peer-based program to help the homeless

15:10 - Success of collaboration between providers/law enforcement/first responders

18:13 - Scaling the personal connection and compassion (listen, and include family)

22:55 - Getting buy-in for the programs

24:24 - Training law enforcement in soft skills 

Role and Benefits of Participatory Medicine for Patients and Providers: Interview with Dr. Danny Sands and Dave deBronkart

Since the early 2000s, Dr. Danny Sands and his patient, Dave deBronkart have been working collaboratively on Dave’s care - breaking boundaries of the old standard of care and communication between doctor and patient. 

Together they co-founded the Society for Participatory Medicine.

Dr. Sands is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at The Harvard Medical School, and practices primary care at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. 

Decades ago, he started emailing with his patients, and has since innovated many tools to help his patients get the best care - firm in his belief that working together benefits both patient and provider. 

Dave deBronkart, also known as “e-patient Dave,” is an advocate for participatory medicine, and cancer survivor. Years before his own kidney cancer diagnosis, he wanted to be an engaged and informed participant in his medical care. He sought out a similar-minded doctor and that’s how he met like-minded ally, Dr. Danny Sands.

Check out their interview to hear their story, learn about Dave’s cancer journey, and how together he and Dr. Sands created the Society for Participatory Medicine. 

Connect with Dr. Sands: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drdannysands/ 

Connect with Dave deBronkart: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epatientdave/ 

Learn more about the Society for Participatory Medicine: https://participatorymedicine.org/manifesto/ 

See Dr. Danny and Dave Sing - around the 55 minute mark

https://www.epatientdave.com/2019/06/19/nehimss-2019-teaching-patient-clinician-partnership-with-role-play-and-a-song/ 

Topical time codes:

1:01 - About Dave and Dr. Sands 

6:15 - Working with Dr. Sands collaboratively

11:32 - Connecting with patients

16:00 - Dave’s kidney cancer diagnosis and online support

22:58 - Society for Participatory Medicine 

27:07 - Culture change in healthcare 

37:36 - Society for Participatory Medicine Manifesto

Improving Prevention, Early Intervention & Access Through Physician-Led Approach: Int w/ Dalia Haroune

Dalia Haroune is the President of Intersect Health. Intersect Health helps healthcare systems improve prevention, early intervention and access to care.

Dalia says Intersect approaches transformational change through a physician-led approach. 

She says more than 40% of physicians are burned out, and to make change, it’s imperative to have a clear strategy, physician buy-in, and aligned incentives. 

Another important factor is finding technology that will make the lives of physicians easier, so they can focus their time one what’s most meaningful to them. 

Check out Dalia’s interview to learn more about how Intersect is making an impact and is helping to create healthier communities. 

Connect with Dalia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daliaharoune/

Learn more about Intersect Healthcare: http://www.intersecthealth.net 

Topical time codes:

00:33 - About Intersect Health

1:20 - Population Health

3:38 - Keys to transformational change 

6:03 - Helping to reduce burnout 

8:00 - Allowing physicians to focus time where it’s meaningful 

12:54 - Trust and communication 

14:27 - Re-energizing people 

15:55 - Personal passion 

Engaging the On-Demand Healthcare Labor Force Through Technology and a Unique Approach, Interview with Craig Allan Ahrens, SVP of Growth and Strategy at CareRev

CareRev is focused on unique labor marketplace technology solutions to connect health systems with healthcare providers, helping their customers engage people who never would have considered working on demand before.

 

This solution creates a flexible and resilient workforce. In this interview, Craig Allan Ahrens, SVP of Growth & Strategy at CareRev, shares details about how CareRev uses technology and a unique approach to source local, latent talent to fill current healthcare needs within the community. 

 

CareRev taps into the local, latent how and when they want to be reached, and even provides details they want to know about, down to scrub color, and what it’s like working on a particular unit. 

 

From start to finish, CareRev’s technology provides consistency, quality, and reliability.

 

Connect with Craig: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigahrens/ 

 

Learn more about CareRev: https://www.carerev.com 

Importance of Covid-19 Vaccination in Pregnancy - A Conversation with Dr. Rebecca Wineland, Medical University of South Carolina

Dr. Rebecca Wineland, Medical Director of Labor and Delivery & Associate Professor of Maternal Fetal Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina has a stark warning for pregnant women: get vaccinated or risk serious consequences from covid-19. 

 

Dr. Wineland says that just 23% of pregnant women in the US are vaccinated, and yet even healthy pregnant women who get covid are much more lineally to end up in the ICU or die. 

 

The message of Dr. Wineland and her colleagues is that the vaccine is safe, has been heavily scrutinized, it doesn’t increase the risks to the pregnancy, but it absolutely can save lives. 

 

Check out our interview to hear more.

 

Learn more about Dr. Wineland: https://muschealth.org/MUSCApps/ProviderDirectory/Wineland-Rebecca 

 

Learn more about the Medical Univ. of South Carolina: https://muschealth.org 

 

Learn more about the MUSC Children’s Hospital: https://musckids.org 

ACA, ICRAs, & Exchanges, Oh My! The Marketplace - From Usage To How It Could Change The Insurance Plan Landscape Interview W/ Shandon Fowler, Founder Of Four8 Insights & Policy Expert

If you have any questions about the Exchanges, how they work, what the patient experience is like, or how the exchange might impact the future of employer insurance plans, you can’t miss this interview! 

 

We talked to Shandon Fowler, who is the Founder of Four8 Insights, a policy expert in the ACA, and benefits, and he is also a user of the Exchanges. 

 

He shared so many amazing insights about how the exchanges work, provided tips to those who are preparing to shop on the exchange, how these plans are changing the benefits landscape, and so much more. There is something in this interview for everyone!