Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Nicquel Terry Ellis, CNN’s Race and Equality Senior Writer and an award-winning journalist. Nicquel’s love for journalism started early as a staff writer for the high school newspaper where she covered protests on school dress code policy. Being extremely curious about what is happening in the world around her led to covering all the newsroom beats over the years. The coverage that matters the most to her, as a black woman living in America, is zeroing in on the issues of race and inequality. Today, Nicquel is the face and the voice for CNN’s race coverage. She gives voice to the voiceless. Journalism may have become harder, but it is also clear that this is an important time. Nicquel’s drive has only become stronger in today’s culture war climate where issues like DEI are being unfairly weaponized. If people are going to take a position or have an opinion, she wants them to be grounded in facts. As a black woman she is often reporting through that lens. Her reporting on the “glass cliff” talks about seeing many women being put into what might be seemingly exciting new DEI leadership positions, yet then not given the resources, the funding, or the support. Cleaning up a mess in a time of chaos leads to stress and burn out. Nicquel also discusses the intersectionality of being black and being a woman in the workplace where it is a real thing to have to work harder to earn your keep or prove your worth. Doing this hard work requires energy and stamina. What keeps her going? Finding out the truth and telling the truth. Knowing people count on her for that. And for Nicquel, the best things in life do not come by staying in a comfort zone. Guest Bio: Nicquel Terry Ellis is an award-winning journalist who serves as the senior writer for CNN’s Race & Equality team. She joined CNN in November 2020 and much of her work focuses on the intersection of race and politics, health equity and the advancement of women of color. Prior to joining the network, Ellis served as a national correspondent for USA TODAY covering race, inequality and activism. She led much of the newspaper’s coverage of the deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks, and the Black Lives Matter protests that erupted across America. In 2020, she did a one-on-one interview with the mother of Tamir Rice ahead of what would have been his 18th birthday. Ellis also spent six years working in local news at The Detroit News and the Asbury Park Press. In 2018, she wrote an award-winning story about life for residents in one of Detroit’s most dangerous zip codes. For CNN, Ellis led coverage of the fall of Roe v. Wade in 2022 and its impact on Black and brown women. Her stories have also shed light on missing people of color and the fight to get more attention on their cases. As the nation slowly reopened following the Covid-19 pandemic, Ellis covered the disparities in healthcare access that were laid bare. And in the summer of 2022, Ellis traveled to Jackson, MS where she covered the historic water crisis that left the majority-Black city without clean drinking water. In addition to writing for CNN Digital, Ellis has made appearances on various shows including CNN New Day, CNN Newsroom and Early Start. She has also hosted podcast episodes for the CNN Political Briefing and Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction. Ellis is a five-time winner of the NABJ Salute to Excellence awards including an honor in 2022 for an interactive project on the maternal health crisis facing Black women. Ellis has been awarded twice by the New Jersey Press Association. Ellis holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University. She lives in Atlanta with her husband Andre, daughter Harper and dog Chase.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Naomi Allen, CoFounder and CEO of Brightline. This is the finale episode of this Inspiring Women collaboration highlighting several of the extraordinary women leaders in the 7Wire family. Naomi is no stranger to building and scaling companies and her experience includes near seven years working in the area mental health on the adult side. IT was when her son had a mental health crisis, that her passion turned to pediatrics. Recognizing there was a market gap, she launched Brightline. Initial feedback was that no one really cared. But that was then and in just four years, a LOT has changed. Brightline today is a notable category leader providing pediatric mental health services across the nation. Hear Naomi talk about: Today it would be hard to find someone who does not see the need for pediatric mental health services given significant attention to this crisis issue. Naomi is very optimistic about where we are headed. A silver lining of all the reporting has resulted in stigma reduction. She also notes how resilient kids are where serious issues can manifest as early as fourteen, and if detection, treatment, interventions can be provided at the right time, they are often very successful. Meeting the need, focusing on the care delivery model and working on the important change component of payment is where she is focused. Meeting demand when mental health professionals are scarce. Three key areas – measuring progress against evidence-based treatment plans (noting that <20% of professionals are using these guidelines); providing innovation around the care delivery model like a library of online resources, screening tools, and coaching which can meet many initial needs; and very importantly, focus on payment reform so that families do not need to wait. Being a woman founder and CEO – the landscape is changing with more women serial entrepreneurs who have a track record. Also, an ecosystem of women investors who are writing bigger checks….this can’t be done with small $$. Advice for other women founders includes how to tell the category story, not just the company story. Noting that some investors (7Wire noted as a leader here) are very focused on founder market fit. If you are trying to break into a new area, that larger vision of the category and how as a founder you relate to it is what will resonate. Naomi closes this conversation with a reflection about how being an entrepreneur is a selfish act. She is lucky to have a support system where her schedule can come first. When things get very hard, this is where she goes to reset, “I chose this.” Finding small moments of connection with her kids, even staying hydrated, are today’s focus to provide balance in an otherwise very busy life of this CEO. Guest Bio: Currently Co-Founder and CEO at Brightline. Brightline is building the world’s first technology-enabled Behavioral Health Home for children and their families. Entrepreneur with 20 years of hands-on experience developing high growth health tech companies. Advisor to startups, world traveler, mom to 3 amazing kids. Board member: Bright Health. Frequent speaker on healthtech, behavioral health, and entrepreneurship. Former Chief Growth Officer @ Livongo, co-founder @ Castlight Health, leader @ McKinsey, Microsoft, Deloitte, Stanford GSB.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Dr. Robin Berzin, Founder and CEO of Parsley Health. This is the next episode of this Inspiring Women collaboration highlighting several of the extraordinary women leaders in the 7Wire family. A third of this country, ~100M Americans, have two or more chronic conditions which also equates to about seventy percent of the cost of care in this country. Robin quickly draws our attention to the fact that the majority of these conditions are risk-adjustable – which means, that people can get better. But today’s healthcare system is optimized to triage, refer, refill … handling symptoms but not optimized to make patients well. So in 2016, Robin tried a new approach and began the pioneering journey of Parsley Health focusing on root cause medicine. This includes a very deep dive clinical history (any first visit is an hour), smart diagnostics and a deep review of social determinants of health including understanding stress levels, what are you eating, how are you moving. Several years later of connecting the dots using the body as the ecosystem, and evidence to back it up….. a lot of improved outcomes and lower total cost. I admit to asking Robin A LOT of questions about Parsley, because well, the approach was just different. And so promising! As Robin discussed building the company, she also didn’t sugar coat her reality. The experience of a previous start up did not make it that much easier. Back in the day, it seemed like everyone was raising $100M on just ideas (Not her!). Two years in, not taking a salary, being the Chief of Everything Officer (IT/Ops/Billing/Doctor..) was hard. What kept her going was taking her passion and pouring it into a proof of concept. That gave her the confidence and needed resilience to weather what was ahead. Her advice to other passionate entrepreneurs is to disregard the noise, the press, the comparisons and focus on YOU and YOUR metrics. Because that is what matters most. Guest Bio: Dr. Robin Berzin is the Founder and CEO of Parsley Health, America’s leading holistic medical practice designed to help people overcome chronic conditions. She founded Parsley to address the rising tide of chronic disease in America through personalized holistic medicine that puts food, lifestyle, and proactive diagnostic testing on the prescription pad next to medications. Since founding Parsley in 2016, Dr. Berzin has seen 80% of patients improve or resolve their chronic conditions within their first year of care, demonstrating the life-changing value of making modern holistic medicine accessible to everyone, anywhere. Parsley is available online nationwide. Dr. Berzin attended medical school at Columbia University and trained in Internal Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Her book, Prescription for Happiness: How to Eat, Move, and Supplement for Peak Mental Health, was published by Simon Element in January 2022.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Jennie Shulkin, Founder and CEO of Override Health at HLTH 2023. This is the next episode of this Inspiring Women collaboration highlighting several of the extraordinary women leaders in the 7Wire family. Jennie joined forces with her father, Dr. David Shulkin, former US Secretary of the VA to address to create Override and to address chronic pain. Why? Two traumatic brain injuries left her with complex chronic pain and seeking treatment was not just hard, it was near impossible. Today, one in five people live with some sort of pain and solutions do exist for more simplistic targeted pain issues. But chronic pain requires a team-based approach and a more wholistic solution, queue up Override! Hear Jennie talk about: Her journey from competitive athlete to criminal law to health entrepreneur. Growing up with her father, she wanted to avoid being in healthcare. Her frustrating lived experience with chronic pain pushed her to find solutions and not just for herself. How Override works: Pain physicians, coaches, physical therapists working as a team with a virtual platform to give everything a patient needs in one place. Functional, cognitive, and physical progress does take time and commitment. Override patients need to opt into the program. Those that do have excellent satisfaction. Jennie speaks with pride about patients who have now been discharged from the program or the woman who was bedridden for months, finally able to fulfill a dream goal of getting to the beach. The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Jennie talks about building a company and what it means to have high standards of excellence (not a surprise when you consider her athletic career and Harvard Law training) coupled with the balance needed to build teams and deliver results. Her advice to other aspiring entrepreneurs? Do not seek to make yourself in the mold of others, being yourself matters! Jennie Shulkin, JD Co-Founder & CEO CEO and Co-Founder Jennie Shulkin was a nationally ranked tennis and squash player and a student at the University of Pennsylvania when she suffered two head injuries within a year-and-a-half of each other. Soon after, she developed a complex chronic pain syndrome affecting multiple parts of her body. As best she could, Jennie continued living her life – pushing through Harvard Law School and building a career in law. All the while, she carried the burden of the agonizing, time-consuming, expensive, and both physically and emotionally painful journey of seeking pain relief. When each medication, intervention, and various other treatments failed, the treating providers shrugged, sent her away, and often told her she was “out of options.” Adding to the frustration, many of the doctors, physical therapists, and psychologists Jennie consulted treated her chronic pain no differently from acute pain and were therefore ineffective. Additionally, most had little interest in or time to communicate with other providers working with Jennie. The result was fragmented care, inconsistent messaging, and contradicting plans of action. ‍Jennie wanted a better way. Joining forces with her father, she began creating a solution that she and others in pain needed but did not exist elsewhere: a comprehensive, team-based approach to care that is implemented by providers who really understand chronic pain. Jennie lives with pain every day. But she has learned to stop cure-seeking – to stop putting life on hold until a pill, procedure, or doctor brings about the magic fix – and has found more effective ways to interact with the pain and build a fulfilling life.

Kicking off this Inspiring Women collaboration highlighting several of the extraordinary women leaders in the 7Wire Ventures family. As a seasoned healthcare executive, entrepreneur, and previous government servant, Lori is familiar with the need to address healthcare problems at scale. Given the tsunami of need, Lori created Caraway to redefine healthcare for an entire generation, the GenZ population. Caraway is focused on healthcare delivery of this population with an approach that makes sense for this first generation of digital natives. Bringing together a virtual approach of on-demand care where “no question is too small”, Caraway is bringing evidenced based solutions to this population. Hear Lori talk about: Why Gen Z? Not just the first fully digital population, but also the one that is the largest, most diverse, as well as socially minded group. In 2030, GenZ will make up 30% of our workforce. Reproductive rights and now uncertainty. This is also the population that has fewer reproductive rights than their mothers. When discussing the devastating Dobbs decision, Lori is quick to point out the impact to individuals in all A tsunami of need. A generation that should be at its healthiest and happiest simply is not. Mental health issues have become front and center as GenZ lives have been radically disrupted due to the pandemic. The importance of being bold: Addressing large scale issues and populations requires bold actions and a very aspirational vision. Lori suggests to all women entrepreneurs to not forget that reality. Guest Bio: Seasoned healthcare executive with 25+ years of experience in healthcare and health tech as an entrepreneur, operator and government leader. Lori is the CEO and co-founder of Caraway, a women’s+ digital healthcare company taking on the societal and medical imperative of caring for college students by providing integrated mental, reproductive and physical healthcare. Previously, she was co-founder and president of HealthReveal, a clinical artificial intelligence (AI) company dedicated to combating chronic disease, which was recently acquired by Accolade (NASDAQ: ACCD), a personalized healthcare and benefits company providing millions of people and their families with exceptional healthcare. Previously Lori held a series of leadership positions with growing health tech firms: (President, GSI Health acquired by Medecision)(CEO, ActiveHealth Management, Provider Solutions acquired by Aetna/CVS Health)(Director, CareScience, previously NASDAQ: CARE now part of Premier healthcare informatics (https://www.premierinc.com/transforming-healthcare/healthcare-performance-improvement/). Additionally, Lori is known for bringing her entrepreneurial spirit and deep industry expertise to the government realm as senior advisor to nation’s first health IT Czar and New York state’s first deputy commissioner of health IT transformation, NYS Department of Health. Lori currently serves on the board of Sanctuary for Families, a human rights organization dedicated to addressing domestic violence, sex trafficking and other forms of gender violence.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with the Inspiring Women co-founders of Iron Health at HLTH 2023: Stephanie Winans, CEO, Kristina Furlan, Chief Product Officer, and Susanna Wiborg, Chief of Staff. This is the finale episode of this Inspiring Women collaboration highlighting several of the extraordinary women leaders in the Redesign family. Each of these founders came to Iron Health to improve equity, access, and outcomes across women’s health. And to raise the bar. In the US, women have worse outcomes than in any other developed country. Primary care is part of the issue. Only half of US-based women see a primary care physician regularly. Growing mental health issues also play a factor as are the severe shortage of healthcare professionals in these areas. The bright spot (and opportunity) is that most women see their OBGYN for an annual checkup. These specialists are now becoming the go to resource for women to handle their broader primary care needs. Additionally, they are handling mental health issues. 84% of OBGYNs are now prescribing psychiatric medications. Enter Iron Health, the virtual practice extension of an OBGYN. This company came out of stealth in March of 2023 and in just six months is working with over 50 OBGYNs across four states. Early feedback is positive for both patients and providers. Stephanie, Kristina, and Susanna also talk about what it means to build a purposeful leadership team, mostly women, who have not worked together before. Energy; excitement; leading by example; not having to compete for the one available seat at the table were some of the comments from this “Badass” team. Their closing advice? Ask for the informational interview. Surround yourself with allies. And this call to action: If we are going to close the gender gap in leadership, Stephanie asks all women leaders to find a woman and mentor her. Guest Bios: Stephanie Winans, CEO Stephanie Winans is a seasoned healthcare entrepreneur passionate about applying creative problem solving to deliver better outcomes for patients and providers. She possesses diverse experience spanning both B2C and enterprise healthcare, media, and technology. Prior to Iron Health, Stephanie was the Chief Growth Officer at BioDigital, and led two successful healthcare exits at The Wellness Network (acquired by WebMD) and Bundoo, a maternal and infant health startup (acquired by Wafra Partners). Stephanie received her MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School and holds a B.S. in Marketing and Psychology from Spring Hill College. Kristina Furlan, Chief Product Officer Kristina Furlan is a driven business leader with over 16 years of experience developing and commercializing digital health solutions. Prior to Iron Health, Kristina led two successful internal startups at Philips and held product leadership roles at Stryker and St. Jude Medical. Kristina has a Masters in Science and Bachelors in Science from Texas A&M University. Susanna Wiborg, RN, MBA, Chief of Staff Susanna Wiborg is an innovative leader with a diverse background having worked as a nurse, hospital administrator, consultant, and in data/tech. Prior experience includes leadership positions at Penn Medicine, Lumere, Sg2, and Northwestern Medicine. Susanna received her MBA from Kellogg School of Management and holds a BSN and BSE from the University of Pennsylvania.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Kathy Kaluhiokalani, Founder and CEO of Pip Care at HLTH 2023. This is the next episode of this Inspiring Women collaboration highlighting several of the extraordinary women leaders in the Redesign family. Pip Care was launched out of the Redesign process to address support for patients before, during and after surgery. Kathy has such a clear vision and leads with purpose and intensity, coupled with perspective and a sense of calm that she attributes to this NOT being her first rodeo as the Chief. Hear Kathy talk about: Career inflection points. Kathy has led at very large healthcare organizations and she has done innovation. Her view is that the highest impact for innovation is with startups that can then implement in health systems. A pandemic inflection point led her to think seriously about startups again. How can we improve the surgical process? And it has nothing to do with the clinical aspect of surgery – it’s all those important surround things – did I follow the diet and exercise instructions correctly? Where do I park? Is my insurance covering all the folks involved in my surgery? Kathy describes the purpose of Pip Care to provide a patient partner as an extension of the surgery team. Why is she excited about the company? The data – reducing length of stay, or post-op ER visits and readmissions – backs up that the solutions are working. Kathy was also excited to talk about new clients like UChicago which she was announcing at HLTH. Bringing along the next generation of women leaders. Kathy expects of herself and other women executives to make room for others and to bring women with her. And for Kathy, this “responsibility” is not only important, well, it is also quite fun. Guest Bio: Kathleen Kaluhiokalani has been characterized as a leader with “flawless execution, innovation, and grit, who approaches obstacles with a vision of sustainable, long-term success in mind.” Her distinguished career is in steering healthcare business organizations to their next level of success. This is accomplished through explosive growth, performance turnarounds, business and culture transformations, corporate rebranding, and restructuring organizational matrix. Her expertise is in vision and execution, being able to see the big picture and immediately identifying the path to reach the objective, while building and empowering top-talent to partner and capitalize on the opportunities presented. She develops strategies that drive revenue and fuel profit growth, navigating complex business challenges and delivering effective solutions, and leveraging people, process, and technology to achieve key business outcomes.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Rachael Jones, Founder and CEO of Syntax Health at HLTH 2023. This is the next episode of this Inspiring Women collaboration highlighting several of the extraordinary women leaders in the Redesign family. Syntax Health was launched out of the Redesign process and Rachael could not be more excited to talk about the company, how data and analytics support the industry’s move to Value Based Care. And then of course, what it really means to be part of the 1% club…. meaning, the few African American women who are also CEOs. In this episode you will hear Rachael talk about the move to Value Based Care, true value based care. The importance of understanding all of this data means the opportunity to determine, up front, best fit delivery models to achieve best clinical outcomes. It takes all of seconds to hear Rachael’s depth of expertise and excitement about data analytics, understanding how to use data to reduce time to provider contracting and to provide a much better understanding of how the finances will work in VBC. Today, the move to VBC (imperative in her view) is that it is too complicated. She doesn’t have simple answers. but she does have the tooling and understanding to do dynamic negotiation of contracts at the most effective stage – the beginning. When talking about her own ascent to leadership, Rachael took the step to CEO with a clear vision of her why. Wanting autonomy to scale her grand vision, building her own team, and leaning into a clear strength of hers – having significant impact and leaving a legacy. There is no better space for this than in healthcare. When Rachael shares her leadership journey, it has the appearance of a smooth trajectory to the top (haha). She shares a bit of behind the scenes of what it took to get here. This includes a strong core of support. For her, it’s family first that provides grounding and an escape when needed. Professional groups are valuable, supportive, help expand perspectives. But there is nothing more valuable than the lived experience of very tough moments. The times when the heads-down, just work “twice as hard” approach was a miss in terms of reading the room when leadership changed (and so did support for her project). And with great challenge, Rachael also knows this is the calling of leadership. She calls it the need for Grit and Grace. She adds (importantly), and a little bit of “SuckItUpNess”. Best advice for other women leaders? Claim credit. And if that does not feel natural (and very often, it does not), write it down in your own personal Win log. Guest Bio: Rachael Jones is the Co-founder and CEO of Syntax. Syntax is a SaaS-based enterprise tool that helps payors and providers model out their value-based care contracts. Rachael is an award-winning healthcare executive, bringing over 20 years of experience transforming healthcare through strategic leadership, operational oversight, product strategy, P&L management, and data-driven analytics. Rachel joins Syntax after serving as SVP of Performance Analytics & Quality at Cotiviti where she led a team that updated, refreshed, and delivered industry-leading, flagship healthcare analytics tools and AI solutions. She also held several leadership positions at Anthem, HealthFirst and the TriZetto Group. Rachael is passionate about paving the way for a smoother journey to value-based care by allowing health plans to transition from simply reporting quality measures to driving the purchase, delivery, and utilization of higher-value healthcare.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Brenda Schmidt, Head of Enterprise Growth at Redesign Health at HLTH 2023. In collaboration with Redesign Health, Laurie is speaking with several of the extraordinary women leaders in the Redesign family. This first collab conversation is with Brenda Schmidt. Brenda joined Redesign after a substantive career in healthcare as an executive, builder of companies, venture studio chief, board member….the list goes ON. She self describes as an “INTRApreneur”, a hand raiser when it came to opportunities along the way that allowed her to learn. The consistent career thread is curiosity. And with all that learning, comes the desire to give back, share with others and work with companies to accelerate their opportunities for growth and impact. Hear Brenda talk about: What’s a venture studio? If you have seen one, you’ve seen one. And Brenda has seen She believes that Redesign Health has “the model right for what young entrepreneurs really need to build successful companies.” A different approach at Redesign starts with internal ideation with smart teams who understand healthcare business models and then (and only then) they look to build the founding team. RH provides initial valuable capital and supporting resources to aid the company more like a slingshot and not a crutch. Brenda also announced how RH is newly providing this model to other companies. Innovation is a spectrum. Value can be created at every stage. The core is business process improvement…help me do my job better. The Adjacent is looking at different markets to drive revenue growth. And the Disruptive is entirely new ideas but this is really only about 10% of innovation. At the same time, ensuring that innovation is focused on the largest problems in healthcare is imperative, and that starts at the beginning. The best CEOs know how to sell. This means listening intently to what the potential customer is saying. Brenda’s rule of thumb is talking more than 30 or 40% of the time is TOO MUCH. She also invests time helping CEOs bolster those skills with workshops and role-playing scenarios. A look into the future means expecting many more partnerships, public/private, government funded and other interesting models. Brenda’s closing advice for aspirational women is to surround yourself with those folks who can help you, forget about the imposter syndrome, and become resilient to hearing no…no is just a pathway to yes! Guest Bio: Brenda Schmidt, Head of Enterprise Growth, Redesign Health Brenda is a proven innovation leader focused on go-to-market speed and growth of healthcare technology and technology-enabled services startups. Brenda founded Viridian Health and Solera Health to create new models for whole-person care. She also led Coplex, a venture studio partnering with health systems to validate, design and launch new healthcare companies.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Chelsea Clinton. What an honor to speak with Chelsea Clinton at the HLTH 2023 conference in Vegas. Despite thumping music and flashing lights, Chelsea didn’t miss a beat to focus on the important space of healthcare and use her platform to address inequities. Hear Chelsea talk about: Maximizing time requires an amazing team + a robust calendar To be the professional that she wants to be, focus, being regimented, accountable, and surrounding herself with a strong team are the keys to maximizing impact. And do not underestimate the power of partnerships. Metrodora Ventures Her early-stage health and learning investment fund backs founders from places of lived experience with deep empathy for those they intend to serve. When we talk about innovation, many gravitate to the “bright, shiny object” types of opportunities. Yet, durable solutions (and perhaps the most impactful) are often those “unsexy challenges” addressing the complex connective tissue areas in healthcare. The less than 2% of funding being awarded to female founders It’s a thing and are we really surprised when less than 2% of venture funds are led by women? When pressed on “what should women founders do?”, Chelsea was UNYIELDING in her response. It is unacceptable to expect those on the other side of inequity to bear the responsibility of convincing others to acknowledge and address their bias. It is the responsibility of those with power, with platforms, and with voice to lead the change. Her aspirational vision for healthcare (next 5 years?) Where everyone has the opportunity to receive a high standard of care; where dignity and respect is afforded always; where we are not timid and lean into the major societal issues of guns and substance abuse; where we spend time holding ourselves accountable for decarbonization; and more broadly, where we spend more and do more for kids. On being a mom If nothing else, this has only made her more intense in her approach to work. Looking at issues through the lens of our youngest. And a few other fun facts…. like the color blue…like a love for the Barbie movie (parents, bring your sons too!). ….and one last special shout out to my very own daughter Chelsea. To Chelsea Clinton, thank you for this conversation.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Lisa Suennen, veteran healthcare leader and commentator. Also, founder of CSweetner, now a part of HLTH supporting the advancement of women in healthcare. Kicking off HLTH 2023, Lisa provides her views on 5 key topic areas at the conference – what’s exciting and where we might be a bit more skeptical. Hear Lisa’s Hot Takes on: Stand-alone technology is useless Pay attention to the important convergence of technology with services or medical devices. Today, addressing important areas (workforce burnout; administrative overhead). Still key to making it all work: Interoperability and workflows. AI, the 60 y.o. overnight sensation, needs to stay in its lane (today that is) AI in practice is limited but still promising. Reducing burdensome admin overhead on very busy clinicians; detecting fraud; streamlining scheduling – start there. HOLD UP on clinical applications until we gain confidence in what is more “sketchy” data today. That said, in 25 years, expect AI to be ubiquitous and not a stand-alone thing. Mental Health – the new thing that’s not at all new Lisa sees promise in solutions targeted to specialized or unique populations. Opioid addiction is very different than teen depression or loneliness. She is quick to point out that a more holistic approach is still needed v point solutions.. Big Tech and Healthcare ….and Impacting the Quadruple Aim Quadruple aim is just not the business model of Big Tech v quarterly earnings. Lisa sees Microsoft as ahead of the pack today, yet she remains skeptical that the impact will match the marketing. That doesn’t mean she is not hopeful that it will! Weight Loss and Food as Medicine A very promising area with misaligned incentives today. A multidimensional approach is needed, and we simply MUST do something about our food… Of course, we had to close out on the state of play for women in healthcare. I forced Lisa to choose something positive to highlight. Harder than it should have been! The pockets of progress are there , but she was quick to point out that women have still lost more of the jobs of late and recent reports on the state of funding which show further declines in progress. Sticking with the positive though, Lisa highlights the new focus and investment in Women’s Health. Promising indeed!! Thank you Lisa for sharing these views and pointing out some of the key topic areas for HLTH 2023. Guest bio: 30+ Years of Healthcare and Team Leadership – living in the center of the Venn diagram between healthcare, entrepreneurship, and technology. Very comfortable coloring outside the lines. I love to lead and work alongside creative, exceptional talent to build high value healthcare enterprises that thrive in a transforming world. I have worked in and/or with all sides of the healthcare continuum (digital health/health IT/payer/provider/ health services /medical device/pharma); I have also worked on multiple sides of the business equation (executive/operations leadership, venture investor, strategy consultant, board member). As such, I think of myself as having a sort of Rubik’s Cube of healthcare knowledge that I can apply to new situations in a highly flexible way. From a practical standpoint, it means that I have an unusually broad perspective on the interplay among the different healthcare disciplines, the economics that drive them and the incentives that make buyers/decision-makers pay attention. I combine that knowledge with a broad skill set in executive and operational leadership, strategy/BD, sales & marketing, partnering, and fund-raising to deliver results, whether it’s launching a new company or product, developing new go-to-market and partnering strategies, building a team and ensuring esprit de corps, accelerating growth in existing and/or new markets or raising capital. I’m keenly aware of the need for balancing strategy with the pragmatic realities of money and markets – a need that applies across early stage, growth and established companies. I draw energy from things that are new, different, transformative but also actionable. What I’ve Done: Executive/Operating Leadership, Venture Capital Partnership (Corporate Venture and Independent Funds), Strategy Consultant, Board Member, Advisor to companies large and small Other Activities: Advisor to Startup Companies, Venture Valkyrie blog (http://venturevalkyrie.com), Faculty at UC Berkeley/Haas, Frequent public speaker. Founder, CSweetener.org

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Elisabetta Bartoloni, a Heidrick & Struggles Partner and leader of the Americas Global Markets Practice. In our post-pandemic workplaces where opportunities to advance to leadership have changed, who better to speak with than Elisabetta Bartoloni from Heidrick & Struggles to understand the 2023 state of play for women in the workplace and the opportunities (and headwinds that remain) for advancing to leadership. Leadership opportunities for women align with the key skills for today’s most successful leaders – empathy and inclusivity. These styles tend to be more female forward and are harder to learn. There has been a lot of investment in unconscious bias training and focus on honing these skills – but it simply has not worked. Research also indicates that CULTURE has moved to the top slot for the drivers of performance (above strategy, operating model, and talent). Also (and perhaps not surprising), companies with the highest scores on culture (where employees feel a sense of belonging….ability to show up as their authentic selves…), these companies financially outperform other by 2x. Elisabetta points out that there has been progress of women advancing in leadership. The missing link remains in advancement to positions that own P&L’s. Her advice to others is to jump at those opportunities to have responsibility for the financial performance of a business, project, or unit. Elisabetta also walks the walk with her efforts on the internal company Women Inspired Network and other external organizations that support girls seeing a path for themselves into leadership. We continue to have a LOT of work to do to address gender parity in the workplace. Starting early with girls, providing a company culture of support, community and advocacy, and leading by example – all so very important. Thank you Elisabetta!! Guest bio: Elisabetta Bartoloni is a partner in Heidrick & Struggles’ New York office and sector leader of the Americas Global Markets Practice. She also co-chairs the firm’s Americas Women Inclusion Network (WIN). Previously, she led the Americas Investment & Corporate Banking Practice. She has more than 20 years of experience in executive search. Elisabetta’s executive search and advisory practice spans from managing directors to functional roles, including CEO and board positions, across investment banking, global and capital markets, and asset management. In addition to working with global financial institutions, Elisabetta has worked extensively with boutique and middle market investment banks and other investment management and fintech companies. Before joining Heidrick & Struggles, Elisabetta was a managing director at Westwood Partners focusing on investment banking and asset management in the Americas and responsible for the firm’s Latin America executive search practice. Prior to joining Westwood, Elisabetta was a director at J.H. McCann & Company, a boutique executive search firm exclusively serving the financial services industry and a senior associate in the global financial services practice of another global executive search firm. Elisabetta began her career in the financial services industry, having worked as a data research analyst in investment banking at Goldman Sachs.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Deepthi Bathina, CEO and founder of RhythmX AI and Healthcare Partner at SAIGroup. Deepthi’s interest in healthcare is personal. She lost her grandmother early due to complications from diabetes. What Deepthi remembers was the lack of understanding of how diabetes could be controlled. And the suffering, not only in her family but across many other parts of the world. And she wants to do something about it. As a teen, she discovered coding – simply magic!! Which is how she feels today about AI and the endless possibilities. She has recently launched her new company, RhythmX AI. A generative AI-native health company driving a paradigm shift in hyper-personalized care. Deepthi talks about what it means to provide whole person care. Using enormous amounts of data to fill in gaps and then provide information within the workflows of clinicians. Importantly and using her background as the chief product person at a large payor, a key aspect of the platform will be to understand the benefits or gaps in benefits of the patient to address the access and affordability of healthcare. As we talked about her leadership journey, Deepthi reflects on working with iconic leaders like Jack Welch early in her career and today, Dr. Romesh Wadhwani, founder and CEO of SAIGroup and recently honored on the inaugural TIME100 AI list. From Jack Welch, she has embraced extreme candor and transparency. And from Dr. Wadhwani, knowing that the journey of 1000 miles begins with incredibly important first steps. Also, she knows the problems they intend to solve at RhythmX AI are extremely complex, so the advice to get to the 4mm level of the problem is key. But advice on networking (pick up golf!!!!), raising a family (take them on the road with you!!), that didn’t work for her, so she did it her own way…. which has seemed to work out just fine. Deepthi closes our conversation with advice for leaders, and for women leaders in particular. Simply put, take risks. Push yourself and aim high. Deepthi Bathina | CEO and founder of RhythmX AI and Healthcare Partner at SAIGroup Deepthi Bathina is founder and CEO of RhythmX AI, a new health AI company driving a paradigm shift in whole-person primary care. The innovative Rhythm AI-powered platform is helping physicians pioneer a new era of hyper-personalized patient care. RhythmX AI is owned by the private equity firm SAIGroup (Symphony AI and Concert AI), one of the largest and fastest-growing Silicon Valley firms focused on enterprise AI. Bathina is chair of the board of the Kerry Murphy Healey Center for Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Babson College. She is the former chief product officer at Humana, a Fortune 50 healthcare firm, where she led product development and management of all healthcare solutions for the entire company and led customer success functions across Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial segments. Before Humana, Bathina was general manager of operations for the $1 billion Healthcare Technology Division of Nuance Communications. She is the former head of global operations for the clinical decision support division (UpToDate) at Wolters Kluwer, leading global customer operations in 170 countries.

Inspiring Women and Boulder, Colorado is stop # 9 on the HIT Like a Girl Pod Road to HLTH 2023. It was planes, trains, and automobiles for founder Joy Rios who journeyed across the country, visiting innovative health tech hubs and speaking with women about some of the most pressing problems in healthcare today. Along the #RoadtoHLTH23, the ideas flowed freely, as did the laughs, networking and idea sharing. In Boulder, Colorado, our day began with an early morning and very gorgeous hike, some stretching, and then a joint podcast with Inspiring Women and HIT Like a Girl. In this special episode, hear Laurie McGraw and Joy Rios talk about: The magic that happens when women can be in nature and let their guards down. A seemingly new and exciting trend with women leaders who are actively bringing others with them and making more room at the leadership table. There’s power in a pack! Ways to combat the imposter syndrome or other struggles with confidence. Joy provides some PRO Tips on ways to use AI to serve as a sounding board or coach. Some of the healthcare trendlines heard along the Road to HLTH such as houselessness, mental health issues and how these are impacting all communities but in different ways. Innovation in healthcare, all of which is exciting, but pressing on how these potentially innovative solutions can actually impact severe trendlines of cost, access, or outcomes. May this lively conversation lead to many others on the Road to HLTH!!!!!

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Marta Ronquillo Newhart, longtime Chief Communications and Brand officer to Fortune 100 companies. When Marta tells her “how did you get here?” story, it begins and then comes back to her roots, her family. Marta comes from the family Ronquillo. She talks about her renowned grandfather Rosalio Ronquillo married to her grandmother Virginia (pronounced viahinya) Bermudez Ronquillo. Her grandfather was a storyteller. A businessman. An entrepreneur. And a caring community and government leader. The influence and connections of storytelling to business, innovation and leadership have become core to Marta’s own success. At age 13, Marta’s mother delivered some sobering news. You are different. You will need to work twice as hard and then they will see you only as half as good. Was it because of being a woman? A Latina? Marta was never concerned about that. Rather, she took it as her reality and set her expectations. It meant working harder to get that recognition, but it never took away any of her ambition. Today, Marta is focused on her work in the boardroom. She discusses the transition from operator to Director. How she had to learn to be “Nose In, Hands Out” and the importance of managing risk in the boardroom. Also, how diversity in the boardroom leads to better decision making. All of this and a whole lot more in this excellent Inspiring Women episode! …………………………….. About Marta Ronquillo Newhart C-Level/Former Westinghouse CCO & Brand Officer Boulder, Colorado A Chief Communications and Brand Officer to Fortune 100 companies with the business acumen to drive value creation and bottom-line results. Deep domain expertise in crisis and risk management, corporate strategy and reputation, digital transformation, and brand equity. Experience leading through high profile industry-changing mergers, acquisitions, major crises, ESG, and brand evolutions for one Dow Component, three Nasdaq companies, and one startup company. Considered one of the foremost communications thought leaders in corporate America today. Recognized for creating impact-driven communication strategies that transform brands while increasing investment and driving revenue, employee engagement, and industry influence. Builds purpose within companies and demonstrates how it lives at the intersection of company strategy, values, and mission. Approaches CCO role as Chief Counselor to CEO, Board, and Leadership Team. Marta was a 50/50 Women on Boards 50 Women to Watch for Boards finalist. 50/50 Women on Boards (50/50WOB) is the leading global nonprofit education and advocacy campaign driving the movement toward gender balance and diversity on corporate boards. Since 2010 the campaign has published its 50/50 Women on Boards Gender Diversity Index directory and research reports to track the gender and racial diversity of Russell 3000 company board directors. Educational programs and advocacy efforts produced by 50/50WOB include its annual Global Conversation on Board Diversity, year-round board training programs for individuals and corporate groups, and the Networking Hub for alumni to connect to experts and corporate directors in support of their board journey. For more information visit, www.5050wob.com.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with the very inspiring Congresswoman Diana DeGette, now in her fourteenth Congressional term representing Colorado and the nation. Congresswoman DeGette reflects on her life of public service as well as some of her signature legislation over her near 25 years in Congress. When she started in Congress, a mere 12% of the US Representatives were women. Today, that number has more than doubled but remains under 30%. She is quick to point out the many leadership positions women hold in the House and how diverse perspectives impact legislation. Congresswoman DeGette was hard pressed to pick a favorite of her many legislative wins but given that she is a leading voice on healthcare issues, we focused there. She offered thoughts on drug pricing (as well as making insulin, in particular, affordable for all), the disastrous Dobbs decision and the path needed to turn back the clock on fundamental rights (it will require a national law), mental health issues affecting young people (we are not going to legislate our way out of this), and the opportunity with AI (the potential exists to get to cures fast, with great attention needed to patient privacy and ethics). And if public service does not sound like the opportunity for you, Congresswoman DeGette provides some advice that may in fact change your mind! …………………………….. About Congresswoman Diana DeGette Rep. Diana DeGette is a fourth-generation Coloradoan who has dedicated her life to serving the people of Colorado’s First Congressional District. Now in her fourteenth term, DeGette is recognized as a leading voice in the nation’s health care debate. As a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, DeGette has played a leading role in overseeing the nation’s health care agencies and the nation’s overall response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She’s also led numerous efforts to ensure the nation’s environmental laws are being properly enforced, lower the cost of insulin for millions of Americans and take on the climate crisis. As the top Democrat on the committee’s Energy, Climate and Grid Security Subcommittee, DeGette is responsible for helping shape the nation’s energy policies. She has led numerous efforts to hold the nation’s oil and gas producers accountable, reduce America’s overall emissions and expedite our transition to cleaner forms of renewable energy. In fact, one of the first bills President Biden signed into law after taking office was legislation DeGette authored to drastically reduce methane emissions from drilling sites across – a move climate scientists praised as critical to combatting the climate crisis.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Women Morgan Diaz, VP of Strategy, Operations and Partnerships at athenahealth. In her day job, Morgan has responsibility for the largest, most connected marketplace in healthcare with over 400 partners connecting data to the core athena EHR system. Morgan talks about the data flywheel this creates with interoperability at the core. And the innovation is impressive. No one company can do it all. Physician practices today are looking for specialty specific product extensions or ways to meet the ever-increasing expectations of their patients. Morgan began her career in retail operations but had a career inflection point with the birth of her first child. Her pivot to healthcare began at CVS where she caught “the bug”. Morgan is motivated by purpose and operates best when she is pushing her comfort zone. Along the way, female mentors have been a consistent thread in her own success. Because of this, supporting other women and emerging leaders is something deeply personal and important. She also provides practical advice for professionals to keep them calibrated to their team and their customers in a world of hybrid work. Morgan’s Pro Tips: Make sure you are heard so that when you are not in the room, others know your value. Be consistent in checking in with your leader so they also see the small work being done. Document your journey along the way. Be brave and curious and a source of inspiration for others. And be proud to stand out! …………………………….. About Morgan Diaz VP, Strategy, Operations and Partnerships at athenahealth An entrepreneurial-minded, charismatic and top-performing executive skilled in business planning, product strategy, development and execution. Demonstrated experience building entirely new health verticals, working collaboratively across matrixed organizations to create differentiating patient experiences that deliver brand loyalty and sustainable revenue growth.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Women Carolyn Starrett, CEO of Flatiron Health. Carolyn Starrett grew up wanting to be a judge. Over time and through early jobs, she found a love of technology and a strong desire to work on important problems with a great team. Today, she has found that at Flatiron. She loves the cancer care focused mission but it’s the innovation that is coming that excites her. Day to day, Carolyn focuses on four key pillars that you might expect from a CEO. Vision and strategy, people, systems and processes, and then the intangibles of culture. Her biggest learning thus far as CEO is no surprise…. it’s lonely at the top. Having mentors helps. Carolyn also dives into the complexity of cancer care. She doesn’t see any single silver bullet, rather, involving a broad array of stakeholders is required to move faster and do more. The rally cry of the Cancer Moonshot is very exciting to her. Carolyn also discusses areas of innovation such as moving from retrospective real-world data to being able to generate evidence with improved clinical trials. Her strategic approach includes international expansion and making clinical trials more accessible and representative – moving them from academic medical centers to out in communities. As she reflects on her leadership trajectory, Carolyn emphasizes that being focused on and known for results was absolutely critical. However, it was when she allowed herself to be more vulnerable that she was able to establish and build those critical trusted relationships that led her to CEO. About Carolyn Starrett CEO of Flatiron Health Carolyn oversees Flatiron Health’s community oncology and research businesses and all corporate functions. She previously led Flatiron’s community oncology business, and succeeded Co-Founder Nat Turner as CEO on April 16, 2021. Prior to joining Flatiron in 2016, Carolyn spent 10 years in senior strategy, product and operations roles at data and technology companies, and five years consulting with healthcare and technology companies at Boston Consulting Group. Carolyn holds a BA in economics and literature from Brown University and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Women Priya Bathija, Jhaymee Tynan, and Phoebe Yang at the WBL (Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation) Annual Summit. A consultant and two lawyers walk into a room. What happens? They leave as friends with a renewed commitment to DEI. This conversation centers DEI discussions with a focus on business excellence. It must start there. This powerhouse trio is not interested in simple, cursory discussions or performative company efforts regarding DEI. Rather, they discuss how diversity around the leadership table can impact the speed to attain and impact of results. They provide practical approaches for how to address those leaders may nod their heads in agreement to DEI objectives, yet sabotage in sometimes subtle and sometimes not so subtle ways. In making the case for diversity in leadership, you will also learn from Priya, Jhaymee and Phoebe, the importance of friendship. Having your “tribe” along with you when you do hard things, take risks, put yourself out there, and oh yes… succeed. About WBL WBL (Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation) is a nonprofit organization housing the premier network of women executives across the healthcare industry. With 1200+ active members, WBL offers unparalleled opportunities for networking, professional development, and executive education while fostering a welcoming community of peers committed to supporting and advancing one another. About Priya Bathija Founder/CEO Nyoo Health Priya Bathija, is a nationally-recognized healthcare leader, attorney, and policy expert. With 20 years of experience working for, in, and with hospitals, she has led the design, implementation and growth of initiatives that make the health system work better for everyone. Previously, she was at the American Hospital Association where she led policy efforts and strategic initiatives on value, health equity and maternal health. She started her career as a health care attorney and served as in-house counsel and a member of the leadership teams at ProMedica and MedStar Health. About Jhaymee Tynan Principal, Healthcare Services Korn Ferry Founder 100×2030 Author Inclusive Sponsorship, A Bold Vision to Advance Women of Color in the Workplace Jhaymee Tynan provides executive search and leadership advisory services for senior executives of healthcare services, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences organizations. Previously, Jhaymee was Enterprise Assistant Vice President, Integration at Atrium Health (now Advocate Health), an academic healthcare system where she led multi-billion-dollar post-merger integrations for health system mergers and acquisitions (M&A) across the Southeast. She was also a Manager at Deloitte Consulting, focused on business model transformation in healthcare and a Consultant at Egon Zehnder. About Phoebe Yang Fortune 2 Executive (Amazon) Board Director (GE Healthcare, Doximity, CommonSpirit) Phoebe L. Yang is a trusted C-suite executive, board director, and advisor across digital media, healthcare, technology, and consumer industries with some of the world’s most valued and admired companies. She is inspired and driven by the mission of enabling access, affordability, convenience, and excellence through digital transformation. Recognized as a digital transformation and global expansion operator, thought leader, and investor. Having served in two Presidential Administrations in technology and international diplomacy, she is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Tuyet DesJean at the WBL (Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation) Annual Summit. A daughter of immigrants, an infant refugee whose parents went from the boat to the camp in pursuit of something better. Every day Tuyet looks at that family picture by her desk, herself as an infant, her young parents (17 and 21 at the time) and she is reminded. And she is grateful. And what she knows today and knows deeply, is that she is more than…. What her parents dreamed for and then also, so much more. Humble beginnings served as the fuel to her desire for making an impact and for creating change. Becoming a lawyer may have been a surprise to her parents, but being excellent was never a doubt. Ask for the tough projects, gain experience, become more efficient along the way. Tuyet proudly discusses her work at the AMA, its impact on making healthcare better, her love for the profession and her expertise in intellectual property. Today, Tuyet has a growing young family. On being a “Power Mom”? “Having children has made me a better lawyer.” Efficiency and effectiveness are the priorities so that she can be present with her family. Her advice? It’s OK to ask for help, to delegate, and to not be trapped by artificial guilt for not doing it all. She expects more. She is grateful for more. Tuyet DesJean is more. ***************************** About WBL WBL (Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation) is a nonprofit organization housing the premier network of women executives across the healthcare industry. With 1200+ active members, WBL offers unparalleled opportunities for networking, professional development, and executive education while fostering a welcoming community of peers committed to supporting and advancing one another. About Tuyet DesJean Associate General Counsel, American Medical Association Solution-oriented and experienced attorney with sophisticated experience and in-depth knowledge of the AMA’s existing goals and emerging opportunities in health care, with focused attention on legal and regulatory matters concerning intellectual property, medical terminologies, content licensing, and advances in technology with potential to disrupt the practice of medicine. Tuyet is a well-respected member of the Office of General Counsel team with more than ten years of legal experience at the AMA. As the lead attorney for the Coding Solutions and Transactions practice area, Tuyet currently focuses on legal issues related to the maintenance and licensing of the CPT code set and initiatives to further CPT as the uniform terminology to describe medical procedures and services.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Dr. Katherine Saunders at the WBL (Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation) Annual Summit. Dr. Saunders is an obesity medicine specialist and recent entrepreneur, cofounding Intellihealth with the physician who inspired her to pursue this specialty. Ten years ago, obesity was recognized as a chronic condition. Yet only 2% of the staggering 74% of overweight or obese Americans seek treatment. Katherine provides a brief pathophysiology lesson to dispel the all-too-common myth that obesity is just a lifestyle problem. Treatments do exist and Katherine is focused on democratizing care. She is excited about the new, safe, effective drugs that are receiving a lot of press recently but recognizes these simply cost too much for most. She looks forward to the many new medication options that are in the pipeline. As WBL members, we know to always ask “How can I help you?”. So, I did!! To this, Katherine responded: Help combat the bias surrounding obesity. Know that it is a complex, chronic condition with effective treatments. And she would love to speak with interested investors as well as employer groups. About WBL WBL (Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation) is a nonprofit organization housing the premier network of women executives across the healthcare industry. With 1200+ active members, WBL offers unparalleled opportunities for networking, professional development, and executive education while fostering a welcoming community of peers committed to supporting and advancing one another. About Dr. Katherine Saunders EVP/CoFounder Intellihealth Dr. Katherine H. Saunders is a physician entrepreneur and a leading expert in Obesity Medicine. She is on the cutting edge of effective and compassionate obesity treatment. Dr. Saunders is on faculty at Weill Cornell Medicine, where she teaches and precepts. Dr. Saunders received her undergraduate degree Phi Beta Kappa/Summa Cum Laude from Dartmouth College and her medical degree from Weill Cornell Medical College, where she became a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. She completed her internship and residency training in Internal Medicine (Primary Care) at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, where she served as ambulatory chief resident. Dr. Saunders was the first clinical fellow in Obesity Medicine at the Comprehensive Weight Control Center at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Saunders is a diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She hosts the Weight Matters podcast with Dr. Louis Aronne, she regularly speaks at international conferences, and she publishes extensively on Obesity Medicine and weight management. She has authored more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. Additionally, she has been featured in multiple national media outlets, including Women’s Health, USA Today, Medical News Today, and NY Post. Dr. Saunders also makes frequent guest appearances on a variety of podcasts and radio shows. Dr. Saunders’ recent awards and recognition include the Women at Weill Investment Competition, Brown Brothers Harriman 22 Women to Watch in 2022 and Medika Life Top 30 Influencers Transforming Wellness in 2023.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Mary Flipse at the WBL (Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation) Annual Summit. Mary gives us a view into the life of a start up after spending the first part of her career in large companies. As Chief Legal Officer and a stint with five CEOs in five years, board activists and more, it was time for a career break. Through the power of relationships, this led to PreferCare. We all know the startup drill – high energy, hard work, major highs often coupled with major lows. Mary has found that her years of executive experience has served her well while in startup mode. She knows how to find the right answers when she needs them. Her biggest surprise? The tremendous generosity of people willing to help. In this episode we also discuss some of the signature programs of WBL. Mary has been involved with the Board Program since the beginning. The best part? The accountability. And a support network that will find and make the connections you want. That is how she found the CEO of her current startup! Mary also discusses the new WBL Boundless Campaign where WBL aims to support the next generation of women leaders. About WBL WBL (Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation) is a nonprofit organization housing the premier network of women executives across the healthcare industry. With 1200+ active members, WBL offers unparalleled opportunities for networking, professional development, and executive education while fostering a welcoming community of peers committed to supporting and advancing one another. About Mary Flipse President, CoFounder PreferCare PreferCare is a healthcare startup that aims to build clinical partnerships in America’s smaller cities with independent primary care practices. PreferCare equips partners with the tools, expertise, and on-the-ground extended care teams for successful value-based contracting in Medicare. She served at publicly traded Tivity Health and its predecessor Healthways in various roles over nearly a decade, most recently as chief legal and administrative officer and corp secretary. Earlier in her career, she served as assistant general counsel and vice president at Pfizer and practiced international law in Asia. She received her bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University and her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center. She is an active member of Women Business Leaders of the US Health Care Industry Foundation and the Council Fellows Alumni Association. Mary serves on the boards of Renewal House and Alive Hospice and on the advisory board for SerenityDTx, a startup using digital therapeutics delivered through virtual reality and binaural beats to address dementia in seniors. Mary is the Co-Chair of the WBL Boundless Campaign.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Tesha Montgomery at the WBL (Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation) Annual Summit. As a registered nurse, Tesha spent years delivering patient care. That experience has served her well. Today, as a senior executive at a large health system, she sees how easy it is to become disconnected. Her direct clinical experience has always kept “why we do what we do” front and center. Her job today requires transforming a large health system to make it easy for the patient. I think we all know that is easier said than done. Tesha is excited about her organization’s different approach to innovation – the senior executives responsible are also operators who need to implement the ideas. This breaks down barriers and increases adoption speed. As Tesha has moved up in her career, she is quick to share some things she has learned – like running her own race and not having to take on everyone else’s priority as her own. Tesha has been a WBL member since 2014 and from the beginning she has considered this an investment in herself. Being a lifelong learner is self-care and for Tesha, WBL is an important part of that. About WBL WBL (Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation) is a nonprofit organization housing the premier network of women executives across the healthcare industry. With 1200+ active members, WBL offers unparalleled opportunities for networking, professional development, and executive education while fostering a welcoming community of peers committed to supporting and advancing one another. About Tesha Montgomery LeTesha Montgomery, RN, MHA, FACHE Senior Vice President, System Patient Access, Houston Methodist In her new role as senior vice president of patient access, Tesha is responsible for creating a seamless experience for patients and consumers who need to access care across the 300 different hospital and clinic locations throughout Houston Methodist. Tesha relies on digital technology, innovation and a broad understanding of core operations to drive needed changes and improvements. She also has direct oversight of referral management, access optimization and scheduling teams, and is a member of the Houston Methodist Center for Innovation, an interdisciplinary team leading organizational transformation through technology enablement. Prior to transitioning into this role, Tesha was the vice president of operations and access for the Houston Methodist Physician Organization, which has more than 1,000 employed physicians and 1.8 million patient visits annually. In this role, Tesha played a critical part in the organization’s pandemic efforts, leading the system’s roll out of virtual care and its operation of eight system-wide vaccine clinics, making Houston Methodist one of the nation’s top provider of the vaccine. Her team leveraged technology to auto-schedule boosters, outreach via text, create seamless online scheduling and transformed operations to accommodate patient needs. Before Houston Methodist, Tesha served four years as the vice president and chief operations officer for the Memorial Hermann Physician Network and Accountable Care Organization, where she was responsible for one of the largest clinically integrated physician associations of 4,000 members. Prior to that, she spent 11 years as an operations leader at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She is board-certified in healthcare management as an ACHE Fellow and is a licensed Registered Nurse. In her spare time, Tesha enjoys spending time traveling with her husband, Ted, and their two daughters, Charity and Faith.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Women Sara Ratner and Sarah Richardson at the WBL (Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation) Annual Summit. These senior executives give us a window into how they build their network. And it’s not that complicated at the WBL Summit when you start with things you have in common. Professional objectives to serve vulnerable populations at scale; thoughtful career choices to work on only what is relevant; shared beliefs that leadership means responsibility and paying it forward. In this episode Sara and Sarah discuss career journeys that include major pivots – from hospitality to healthcare, from legal to operator – and how both feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to make thoughtful choices along the way. Like most female executives, they have had their share of challenges along the way – from being criticized for clothing choices (you can NOT be serious!!! And yet, this is a true story…) to losing your identity when a job ends up not working out. These challenges become defining career moments and lead to finding a new level of confidence and redefining identity around career with personal purpose. Sara and Sarah close out our discussion with advice that has served both well along the way. Being the leader that others want to emulate; planning for your own succession; and staying true to being nice and being kind. About WBL WBL (Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation) is a nonprofit organization housing the premier network of women executives across the healthcare industry. With 1200+ active members, WBL offers unparalleled opportunities for networking, professional development, and executive education while fostering a welcoming community of peers committed to supporting and advancing one another. More information on the partnership here: www.wbl.org/inspiring-women-podcast-with-wbl About Sara Ratner President, Government Programs at Nomi Health An innovative leader, entrepreneur, and corporate board director in the healthcare industry, Sara is known for creating innovative strategies, services, and products amidst government scrutiny and regulation, understanding its’ viability, scalability, and sustainability to ensure health equity. Sara is the Founder of Proximal Health, a new supplemental digital health insurance company that drives high-quality hospital-based care. Previously the CEO of HealthEHR where she helped venture-backed organizations develop Medicare and Medicaid new program strategies for program development, performance, and expansion as well as other executive positions – SVP at RedBrick Health, President at NeoPath Health, and General Counsel at CVS Caremark (MinuteClinic division). Sara is an advocate and champion for changing the mental health paradigm with a resolve and commitment to treating mental health akin to physical health. In her spare time and to foster her competitive spirit, Sara actively trains and competes as a triathlete, racing in international distance triathlons to Ironmans. About Sarah Richardson SVP, Chief Digital and Information Officer, Tivity Health Richardson is a transformative, innovative, and results-driven healthcare and technology executive with experience in large-scale healthcare environments. Through comprehensive, human centered design, she enables digital and organizational transformation of multiple organizational domains utilizing proven methods of engagement resulting in improved experiences across the continuum. Prior to joining Tivity Health, Richardson served as Vice President of IT Change Leadership for OptumCare. Richardson also has significant health system experience, serving as CIO of NCH Healthcare System in Naples, FL and as a Division CIO with HCA Healthcare. Richardson is an active member of CHIME as a Certified Healthcare CIO (CHCIO), board and faculty member, and fellow. She regularly publishes industry relevant content on her website at www.conciergeleadership.com. She is an Associate Certified Coach with the ICF and Distinguished Toastmaster, as well as the chair for members in transition for the SoCal Chapter of the Society for Information Management (SCSIM). Richardson holds a BS from the University of Nevada -Las Vegas, and an MBA from the University of Phoenix.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Ulya Khan at the WBL (Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation) Annual Summit. Ulya found her tribe when she attended her first Summit in 2016 and has been an active WBL member ever since. Describing WBL as the best kept secret where her sense of belonging comes from being with women who are at her level (Ulya has been a C suite executive at global organizations for 25+ years and is now an investor). In this episode, Ulya talks about how she reached the C suite in record time. This meant not playing it safe and taking smart risks. And how, when she wanted to make the career switch to healthcare, her advisors originally laughed at her. For Ulya this simply meant she needed new advisors and then a plan to make her intentions known. It all paid off. In addition to career stories, Ulya shares excellent advice for women seeking investments. In short, stop underselling. Captivating the imagination of an investor means telling a bigger story and setting loftier goals. And oh yes, please do be your authentic self, not just a shinier version of someone else. About WBL WBL (Women Business Leaders of the U.S. Health Care Industry Foundation) is a nonprofit organization housing the premier network of women executives across the healthcare industry. With 1200+ active members, WBL offers unparalleled opportunities for networking, professional development, and executive education while fostering a welcoming community of peers committed to supporting and advancing one another. About Ulya Khan Operating Partner, Virgo Investment Group + Angel Investor, Golden Seeds Ulya Khan is a dynamic leader who mixes the sharpest business skills with a great sense of vision to help organizations and individuals reach their goals. Her experience comes from 25+ years in major corporations covering many roles across the globe, with a focus on healthcare over the last 10 years. Presently, she is an Operating Partner at Virgo Investment Group and also an active Angel Investor, via GoldenSeeds, in a personal capacity. She has been a member in WBL since 2016.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Dr. Jen Peña. It has been a few years since she left the White House. So many firsts…..the first Latina physician in this office …the first from Puerto Rico. Two administrations (Obama and Trump) and physician to the Vice President. A deep honor. A tremendous privilege. And your sworn duty. One that tested the very core of what you signed up for when you took the Hippocratic Oath. Personal beliefs sometimes severely tested and kept to oneself. At the end of the day, you are just the help. And then it ends. Her work was not done. She was wronged (publicly) on the way out. The scars linger. But today, a brighter, stronger light shines on her enormous pride for a job well done. For staying true to ethical and moral principles. And in the words of her mentor – she showed them “how the skirt fit on the way out.” Fierce. Today and recently, Dr. Peña has moved home to San Juan. She is on a mission to address the healthcare gaps and access issues that exist in Puerto Rico. Over 10,000 physicians left the island in recent years, making challenging issues only worse. Innovation with digital platforms and tools are keys to a better future, but this requires an understanding of culture to make them really work. Dr. Peña is bringing her disciplined army background with boots on the ground to deliver what matters most – quality outcomes. ***************************** BIO Dr. Jen Peña served as White House physician under both the Obama and Trump administrations, and Physician to the Vice President of the United States. A former US Army combat veteran of 15 years, she is a digital and telehealth expert, clinical leader, board-certified internal medicine physician and directs the Vidalús free clinic of the Boys and Girls Club of Puerto Rico. Chief Medical Officer of Medaica, a digital diagnostics platform company. A fellow of the American College of Physicians (ACP) and member of the American Telemedicine Association’s Advisory Group to Eliminate Healthcare Disparities and Inequalities. BS-Yale University. MD-University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Residency-Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Featured speaker and medical contributor for several TV and radio networks, and at various national, international, and virtual conferences on digital and telehealth, COVID-19 and Veterans affairs.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Inna Plumb, CoFounder and COO of MedArrive, a company bringing healthcare to the home through both and EMT workforce and a connected platform. Inna conceived of this company when she was one of the original team members of ReDesign Health. Building out a de novo company idea like this may seem obvious today in a post pandemic world, but at the time, we were well before digital health tools were at the level of adoption they enjoy today. Making the leap to launching this company was a risk. Just as the leap from her “cushy” but comfortable job in finance before she made the leap to a different start up (Blue Apron). For Inna, risk taking is a familiar friend. She came to the United States at age seven and often reflects on what it means to not have a safety net and starting from scratch. But she was brought up in a family where her greatest inspiration was her grandfather. He was said doing well at something was simply not enough. It was important to actually do more, be better, be different. That meant taking risks and ensuring you had an impact. For Inna it also means being cautious and calculated in that risk taking. Inna brings that mindset to MedArrive. She considers delivering care to be a privilege and a serious responsibility. The company started with straight forward use cases, vaccinations, and then added episodic wellness visits. With their latest funding, significant growth is on the horizon. This includes adding new services such as delivering maternal care through their partnership with Ouma Health. In 2023 as Inna works towards these large objectives ahead, she is also trying to be gentler with herself if everything is not perfect. Her advice to younger women is to go for it….you are indeed enough and there are many people here to support you. ***************************** BIO Inna Plumb, co-founder and COO of MedArrive, an end-to-end platform that connects health plans, healthcare providers, Field Providers, and patients to bring hands-on care to the home. Before MedArrive, Inna was a founding partner at Redesign Health, where she helped to build a variety of companies across the healthcare industry and led the Venture Building team. Prior to that she held leadership roles on the Supply Chain team at Blue Apron, where she was responsible for national procurement and sourcing. She started her career in finance, first as an M&A banker at Evercore, and subsequently as an associate in the private equity group at Soros Fund Management. She’s always had a strong desire to build things from scratch – she’s happiest when she can have a direct impact and create something new. She was working on a variety of ideas in early 2020 and the more she dug into the opportunity to help humanize healthcare, the more it struck her. She was overwhelmed by the unfolding global health crisis and deeply worried about its impact on her family, in particular her aging grandparents. The more she learned about the EMS space and saw an opportunity to tap into this underutilized labor force and enable them to treat patients safely in the home, the more it felt like absolutely the right thing to be doing. Not only was this a great idea pandemic or not, but it could have a powerful impact on the lives of people like her grandparents and help them feel safer and live healthier lives. She dove in with all of her energy, and she says it’s been an incredible journey ever since.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with three Inspiring Women CEOs and Founders coming out of Hashed Health. Molly Moore, (Bramble Health), Leigh McCormack (Platypus), and Raelyn Wilson (Peer Supply). At the Vive 2023 conference I had the opportunity to speak with three CEOs and Founders who have all participated in the Hashed Health venture studio. Their companies have all been incubated in the Hashed Health venture studio. Even though they were on day two of pitching, pitching, pitching…they had the energy (maybe some exhaustion?) to sit down with me and discuss what they are finding in their current CEO roles. Is funding really that hard? (spoiler alert….it’s hard). What are the hard things about hard things? Even if you are expert, confidence can still be a thing. And yes, it IS lonely at the top. But they also surprise themselves. Areas where they might have agonized over a NO, today serves as just useful information as they move onto whatever is next. These incredible women are NOT particularly excited about being in a smallISH club. They aim to plow through the current numbers (ONLY 2.4% of available funding is going to women CEOs and Founders). The sooner this is yesterday, the better. They will also ask you to come along on this journey with them. Get out of your own head!! Just do it, please do it!! And recognize the resources and comradery (like they have with each other) is available. And through it all – the hard work, the chaos, the balance of trying to have it all… comes EQUANIMITY. Putting on the calm, no matter what comes crashing at you. You will enjoy this energetic, fun, and very informative episode!!! ***************************** BIOs Raelyn Wilson is the CEO and Founder of Peer Supply which is on a mission to transform the healthcare supply chain by unlocking the value of data and collaboration. Leigh McCormack is the CEO and Founder of Platypus which leverages the collective power of data and knowledge to democratize healthcare analytics. Molly Moore is the CEO and Founder of Bramble Health which provides a transparent provider marketplace. And allows you to configure and create networks instantly.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Leanna Clark, CEO of Girl Scouts Colorado who paved the way for the first ever Girl Scouts DreamLab. When you think about the Girl Scouts, what do you think about? Maybe your favorite cookie? (Thin Mints anyone?). But then in February of 2023, the CDC published a devastating report on US Teen Girls with 3 of 5 experiencing sadness or hopelessness. And then in March, the Girl Scouts, the oldest and largest girls’ organization in the US did something remarkable. They opened the Girl Scouts DreamLab. A first of its kind physical space built for girls, designed by girls where you can experience everything it means to be a Girl Scout. What does it mean to be a Girl Scout? It means pushing limits, building resiliency and confidence, learning skills in key areas like STEM, in a supported and supportive environment. This space is meant to build the leaders of tomorrow. We need solutions for the health and well-being of girls. And we need more Girl Scouts and more DreamLabs. And don’t forget to get your Thin Mints. Hear Leanna talk about: Her Career Journey Like a Girl Scout actually –many instances of really stretching for that next objective while armed with skills, confidence, and a sisterhood of support. Not your typical CEO background – POWERFUL but often under-appreciated skills of relationships that build partnerships and effective communication are foundational for a CEO Girl Scouts: More than just Cookies….. …and campfires and crafts. It’s a premiere leadership organization. To be a Girl Scout means pushing limits, building resiliency and confidence, learning skills in key areas like STEM, in a supported and supportive environment. DreamLab Ribbon cutting March 2023 in Denver. The First but not the last. A space where you can experience everything it means to be a Girl Scout. A place for Girl Scouts to meet and troops to gather. Also open to the public. It’s hard to be a girl: 3 of 5 teen girls feel sad or hopeless (CDC) Girl Scouts can be one of the solutions and for the different stages a girl may be in. Recognizing a “rainbow of feelings”; what do healthy relationships look like; focusing on positive body image and providing the support of a community that is bigger than yourself. Her absolute favorite thing: Spending time with any one of 1 million Girl Scouts in the US or 2 million across the globe ***************************** BIO Leanna Clark is CEO of Girl Scouts of Colorado, the preeminent leadership development organization for girls. GSCO is a statewide nonprofit with 125 full-time employees, more than 22,000 members and 10,000 adults dedicated to building girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place. As CEO, Clark sets organizational vision and strategy, oversees all operations, and works to expand visibility and create opportunities for strategic partnerships. Leanna has more than 25 years of business experience, including 12 years as a small business owner of one of Denver’s largest marketing and public relations firms, as well as roles in Denver’s corporate, foundation and nonprofit communities. Most recently, Leanna served as Vice Chancellor of University Communications for the University of Colorado Denver. In this role, she served on the senior leadership team of an institution with more than 7,000 employees and 17,000 students, directing strategy and overseeing a team all internal and external communications and marketing as well as spearheading development of key community and business partnerships that advanced the university’s mission. Before joining CU in 2010, Leanna founded and led PhilanthroTravel, a major division of the international nonprofit Project C.U.R.E. that works in more than 120 countries nationwide. In this capacity, she drove fundraising and designed and led nearly 20 trips to Cuba, Panama, Mexico, and Belize with U.S. business and community leaders, designed to help them experience travel to developing nations in a way that helps them give back. She also directed communications and led the foundation for IMA Financial Group, one of the nation’s leading risk management companies. Previously, as principal and co-owner of marketing PR firm Schenkein, she ran one of the largest agencies in the Rocky Mountain Region, helping client organizations elevate their brands and protect their reputations, on a local, national, and international scale. She began her career as a Denver radio reporter and a TV reporter and anchor for an ABC affiliate in Nebraska. Leanna currently serves on the boards of directors for the Denver Public Schools Foundation, the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce, Women’s Forum of Colorado, the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation, the Colorado Music Hall of Fame, and the RISE Society. She has served on a variety of other boards, including the Red Cross, Colorado Public Radio, and Public Education and Business Coalition. Leanna has been recognized One of the Top 25 M

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Deb Bubb, a strategic HR leader who spent decades leading the talent function at large, high growth, technology companies. Her interest in human transformation began where she started, growing up in a single parent household where her mom was consistently making moves or taking jobs to gain a slightly better advantage for her and her brother – being closer to their school, a little more pay…. This upfront and personal view into “a grit and growth mindset” showed her what it looks like when you are out there competing with others who have different backgrounds, advantages, and privileges. Given adversity, why do some people thrive, while others do not? This central question led to her commitment to making work work better for people. Hear Deb talk about: The jobs landscape Tech talent scarcity still exists despite recent big tech layoffs. Employees: Look at the congruence of what your organization is saying v doing Is loyalty dead? “Loyalty is EARNED”. Talent strategies for companies need to include: Empathetic leaders Inclusive behaviors Investing in career growth for people Allowing people to do their best work still means: investing in leadership, culture, and providing the context for diverse, inclusive and equitable conditions Remote Work The enormous experiment was successful. And now, we need to make thoughtful choices. Remote Employees: Intentional connection needs to be a priority (for promotion seekers). . Career advice: Being talked over: Physically stand up and take the floor (among other strategies). $$: 1). Educate yourself. 2) Set/align expectations with your manager (and more!) Mid-career women professionals: The road ahead is long. Stay in it. Make your impact. ***************************** BIO Deb Bubb is a deeply experienced, human-centered executive HR leader. Today, she is advising SucceedSmart, a talent platform company disrupting traditional executive search, and the Neuroleadership Institute, as well as functioning as the associate editor of HR People + Strategy. Previously, she was the chief people officer of Optum, where she led all aspects of human capital, including talent management, leadership and employee growth and development, rewards and recognition and organization development. She also served as chief talent officer for UnitedHealth Group, where she was responsible for developing and driving end-to-end talent strategy and ensuring the readiness of talent pipelines to support the growth of the business. Prior to joining UnitedHealth Group, Bubb was vice president of leadership, learning and inclusion at IBM. She also served 16 years at Intel where she held strategic business partnership roles and led organizational and leadership development, as well as learning and HR operations. Bubb holds a Bachelor of Psychology from Stanford University and a Master of Social Work from Smith College. She is married to Howard Bubb, and parent to 14 year old twins.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Andrea Belk Olson, a Behavioral Scientist, Customer Expert and Change Enabler. Prolific writer and author of three books, the most recent one, of What to Ask: How to Learn What Customers Need but Don’t Tell You which aims to discover those unmet customer needs and turn them into innovations. Andrea discusses why and how it is possible for her to be holding down and succeeding at a dozen different ventures at any one time. She provides some previews from her book(s) as to how to use client insights to build better products and businesses. She also shares perspectives on emerging technology and how that will and will NOT change the industry. Hear Andrea talk about: Is there anything new REALLY when it comes to marketing? Let’s start with NOT being so obsessed with ourselves and our best previous ideas Understanding client context, critical, means shifting your mindset ‍ Standing out in a very crowded digital market Differentiation (Spoiler alert: Spray and pray is NOT a winning strategy) (Your voice needs to have true value to your audience) Reaching them where they are. (Requires a detailed view of micro communities). 𝌡 Technology change (AI specifically) There will be casualties, sure. But where and to what extent? Unique voices and perspectives will always continue to stand out and break through Career choices – Everything, Everywhere, but NOT All At Once: Secret #1: SLEEP Secret #2: Pacing Secret #3: Satisfaction means variety. Oh, and with a heavy dose of high-risk tolerance. Advice to her younger self: Chill out!! And have a lot more patience, the road ahead is long Being a better leader, ***************************** Behavioral Scientist, Customer Expert & Change Enabler Trained as a behavioral scientist, differentiation strategist and customer-centricity expert, she teaches executives the art and science of strategic differentiation through understanding customer behavior and serves as a fractional CMO for select multi-billion dollar companies. Andrea is the author of What to Ask: How to Learn What Customers Need but Don’t Tell You and an ongoing contributor to multiple major publications including Harvard Business Review, Entrepreneur Magazine, Chief Executive Magazine, and Rotman Business Magazine (University of Toronto). She is also literally a world traveler, having worked in over 12 different countries throughout her early career. Andrea also serves as an instructor for the University of Iowa Venture School, and Business Coach for the Tippie College of Business Startup Incubator.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Dr. Suchi Saria, Founder and CEO of Bayesian Health and prominent AI/ML healthcare expert. With the tremendous excitement surrounding AI/ML, Suchi describes how to look behind the curtain to separate real solutions from just marketing. Her road to healthcare came after years of solving hard complex problems. After proving she could do hard, she wanted to move to something important and very impactful. Healthcare is it. With AI/ML, in just a few years she believes we should see measurable clinical impact in time to diagnose and treat, fewer diagnostic errors, more time back to clinicians all of which will remove a lot of waste in healthcare. As Suchi continues to break new ground in healthcare, let’s all hope that she is right. Hear Suchi talk about: Why Bayesian Health? Smart humans make decisions based on new incoming data and historical knowledge. In healthcare, with vast data available in just the last several years, Bayesian aims to operationalize that decision making by surfacing data in an easy and usable way to augment clinicians who are doing more with less, treating sicker patients, and often feeling burnt out. State of play of AI/ML in healthcare: Digital tools adoption and ChatGPT has led to a lot of excitement but also hype. Behind the curtain (and the marketing) of AI/ML solutions: Look for teams that have deep expertise in both the technology and the domain. Expect reproducible results – clinically validated; financially validated; and stakeholder approved. This is really hard. Progress will not happen overnight. But the opportunity is real. This means putting one foot in front of the other every day. Finding her compass – healthcare: Meant moving from doing what was very hard to doing what was very important and meaningful. It’s personal. Losing her nephew to sepsis fueled the urgency and her focus “to solve this”. Professional growth and where she spends her time: Every moment of growth has come from a moment of crisis. She may have a brutal schedule, but work is play and play is work. Early mornings start with just thinking and often end watching comedy. Living in NYC, every day can be an adventure. Future opportunity with AI/ML in healthcare: Expect an explosion of diagnostic software tools that can aid clinicians in real time with patient specific risk assessments. Expect to see measurable clinical impact in the areas of: Early detection Timely improvement in outcomes Reduction in diagnostic errors Time savings for clinicians Overall reduction in healthcare waste ***************************** BIO Suchi Saria is the Founder and CEO of Bayesian Health, the John C. Malone Associate Professor of computer science, statistics, and health policy, and the Director of the Machine Learning and Healthcare Lab at Johns Hopkins University. She has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles with over 3000 citations and was recently described as “the future of 21st century medicine” by The Sloan Foundation. Her research has pioneered the development of next-generation diagnostic and treatment planning tools that use statistical machine learning methods to individualize care. At Bayesian Health, Dr. Saria is leading the charge to unleash the full power of data to improve healthcare, unburdening caregivers and empowering them to save lives. Backed by 21 patents and peer-reviewed publications in leading technical and clinical journals, Bayesian leverages best-in-class machine learning and behavior change management expertise to help health organizations unlock improved patient care outcomes at scale by providing real-time precise, patient-specific, and actionable insights in the EMR. Dr. Saria’s work has received recognition in numerous forms including best paper awards at machine learning, informatics, and medical venues, a Rambus Fellowship (2004-2010), an NSF Computing Innovation Fellowship (2011), selection by IEEE Intelligent Systems to Artificial Intelligence’s “10 to Watch” (2015), the DARPA Young Faculty Award (2016), MIT Technology Review’s ‘35 Innovators under 35’ (2017), the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship (2018), and the World Economic Forum Young Global Leader (2018). In sepsis, a life-threatening condition, her work first demonstrated the use of machine learning to integrate diverse signals to make early detection possible (Science Trans. Med. 2015). In Parkinson’s, her work showed a first demonstration of using readily-available sensors to easily track and measure symptom severity at home, which can serve to optimize treatment management (JAMA Neurology 2018). Dr. Saria has traveled worldwide to conduct lectures and keynotes and most recently was an invited speaker at TEDMED 2020. In the past, she has given invited keynotes at several prestigious meetings including at The Royal Society, TEDxBoston, the International Conference in Health Policy and Statistics (ICHPS), the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Annual Meeting, the Montreal AI Symp

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Joanne Mizell, Chief Operating Officer of the Phoenix based Banner-Aetna Payvider joint venture. Decades as a healthcare executive still did not prepare Joanne to navigate the system when her husband was diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully, his health has improved but care delivery remains complex. When presented with the opportunity to lead a new model of care delivery, Joanne leapt at the chance, leaving retirement behind. Hear Joanne talk about: Banner|Aetna: A joint venture where the payer and health system align with shared goals and interests. Changing from an adversarial approach to collaborative teamwork required significant investment in culture change. Eliminating a pain point – simplified billing: Why is billing so complicated anyway? Reducing the middleman means fewer touchpoints and a better experience for patients. Her career journey to healthcare: Strong role models gave her opportunities by empowering her. You can learn a lot from leaders that you do not want to emulate. Who inspires her today: Those who challenge or expand her thinking when seeing things in a very different way. Closing Advice: Watch and emulate those that you respect and admire, but be genuine. ***************************** BIO Joanne Mizell joined Banner|Aetna as Chief Operating Officer in February 2018, with over 20 years Aetna experience and nearly 30 years in the Employee Benefits industry. In this role, and as a member of the executive leadership team, Mizell will oversee operations of the organization and support the execution of the strategic goals set by Banner|Aetna’s Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer. Mizell is a proven leader who has consistently delivered growth to various organizations and market segments by developing strong teams, crafting creative strategies and fostering deep community and client relationships. As Chief Operating Officer of Banner|Aetna, Mizell leverages her experience and well-established network in Arizona to execute the organization’s mission of helping employers improve the health and well-being of their workforce, while simplifying the coverage-to-care-to-payment of health care for its members. Mizell started her career in Orange County and Los Angeles, California before relocating to Arizona in 1998. Mizell’s previous roles at Aetna Included building sales and service teams for large employers, managing the growth, client satisfaction, and profit & loss for a four state market that included Arizona. Mizell also led the creation and build of a new product portfolio for Aetna’s National Accounts segment, simplifying the selection, purchasing and administration of voluntary products for Aetna’s largest clients. Outside of Aetna, Mizell was a broker/advisor at an international insurance brokerage firm, where she served as lead health care and benefits design strategist for larger, complex clients. Mizell has also worked in both paid and volunteer leadership roles for several humanitarian and animal protection organizations. She continues to be actively involved in formal local and state advocacy aimed at improving lives through proposed legislative and policy changes in Arizona and in the United States. Prior to beginning her career at Aetna, Mizell studied Business Administration at California State University at Fullerton, while working full-time in the employee benefits department of Hughes Aircraft Company. Making lives better by delivering best-in-class employee benefits has been her career journey ever since. Mizell’s role at Banner|Aetna takes that experience and passion to the next level.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Women Kiernan McCarthy and Natalie Studt, who both came to Montana from New York seeking an outdoor way of life and professionally, a focus on service. Today, they are staff at Wellness in Action (WIA), a non-profit organization providing mental and behavioral health resources for local residents. Big Sky Montana is a beautiful a tourist destination for many, but for full time residents, accessible and affordable resources can be challenging. Also, representing the “younger generation”, Kiernan and Natalie acknowledge that they think about work differently, but please do not misunderstand – their work is very important to them!! Hear Kiernan and Natalie talk about: Wellness in Action (WIA): Big Sky, MT based non-profit that provides mental and behavioral health resources for residents. Scholarships and a sliding fee scale increase access and affordability. COVID changed everything: As a recent college grad, Kiernan found herself needing to move back in with her parents. Grateful, absolutely. Also, um…. stifling. Montana, here I come! Natalie was “an essential worker” which made her rethink her life and focus. Gaining new skills, thinking longer term, and pursuing alternatives became her priority. Gen Z / Millennials think about work differently than their parents. Older generations always misunderstand younger generations’ approach to work. 60-80 hr work weeks….when your life is your work… mental health strain… No thank you! INSTEAD – Wanting to live their WHOLE life now. Which includes being engaged at work. Quiet Quitting (Give me a break!!) Don’t confuse work life balance with NOT being serious about work. Closing Advice: Kiernan: Keep trying new things and take risks. Natalie: Trust your gut ***************************** BIOs Kiernan McCarthy Mental & Behavioral Programs Manager Kiernan moved to Big Sky in November of 2021 to enjoy the slopes of Lone Peak. She holds a BA in Psychology and a minor in Spanish, from Geneseo. During college, she worked at DOROT, a non-profit in New York City that aided socially isolated older adults. As a community services intern, she would help social workers with local outreach events, meet with clients during home visits, and assist them with daily tasks such as grocery shopping or getting to appointments. After working seasonal jobs post-college, she has first-hand experience with the workforce and the needs of that population. She is deeply interested in contributing to the community and building connections to further local access to resources. In her free time, she can be found hiking, camping, or skiing Natalie Studt Operations Manager Natalie Studt is the Operations Manager for WIA. She moved to Big Sky from NYC in May of 2019 and fell in love with Montana. After graduating from The City College of New York with a B.A. in Economics and a B.A. in Philosophy, she worked in the New York City service industry for a couple of years before moving west. Natalie worked at Big Sky Resort for her first summer in Big Sky, followed by the Hungry Moose Market & Deli. Natalie has a long held passion for community welfare and public service. Her desire to help the people of Big Sky led her to WIA, where she can implement her varied skills and training for a cause she wholeheartedly believes in.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Rachel Snyder Good, who finished her time as a Senior Policy Advisor in the Leadership Office of the 117th United States Congress at the end of 2022. Rachel began her work in Congress, she expected to be there just two to four years. This grew to over nine after receiving multiple opportunities. Rachel began 2023 facing the work of finding a new job which included spending a lot of time networking and learning to take her own advice that she freely gives to others – creating the muscle memory of ASKING. Hear Rachel talk about: Congress taught her many things: The difference between policy and politics. Politics helped her to get things done. How to deal with power and powerful people, even when you are naturally confident. And importantly, governing is Deciding when it’s time to leave: Deciding how much is enough. And the importance of making a clean break. Advice she gives to friends (that she is learning to take herself): It is hard to ask….AND ….you need to ask. What she has learned while networking: People who want to help you will surprise you. Rachel’s closing advice to other women is what she advises to her friends – when looking for a new job – show up as your authentic self. Culture fit is important and, for Rachel, a key criteria for where she intends to be next! ***************************** BIO Rachel Snyder Good most recently served as Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of the House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer. Over her nine year tenure with Congressman Hoyer, she was responsible for legislation across many policy areas, including health care. Previously Rachel worked as a Legislative Aide for then Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD). She is a graduate of the University of Baltimore School of Law and The University of Michigan. She currently lives in Baltimore with her husband, Jordan.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Adimika Arthur, the Founding Executive Director of HealthTech for Medicaid (HT4M). As a social entrepreneur, a relentless and passionate advocate, and an epidemiologist, Adimika is committed to making meaningful and measurable progress. Don’t confuse her “toxic optimism” with her dogged resolve to make this world a better place. HT4M is now into its fifth year with big plans to DISRUPT. This includes determinants, designing with dignity and ensuring that there are dollars behind the needed innovations to support quality, equity and access to all Americans on Medicaid. Hear Adimika talk about: Medicaid Primer: 57 years old and serving the needs of 80 million, or one out of five, Americans. Medicaid is the largest insured population, provided in 56 different ways based on the State Ceiling and Federal Floor funding dynamic. Also, the first radical act of access to care. Proudest accomplishments to date for HT4M: Humanizing Medicaid through storytelling, myth busting and showing the faces of Medicaid. Sea Change of interest due to the pandemic, the racial reckoning in the US and new regulations. Where she finds inspiration: from all kinds of people that she meets anywhere, e.g. in the Starbucks line …. or at the food pantry where she volunteers. But also reading. Recent finds include the polymer composition of cement (you read that correctly!) and the economic levers for ESG programs. Mantras she lives by: Faith, family, and waking up every day knowing that she intends and expects to leave this world a better place. For herself, her family, and for her ancestors who helped build this country. ***************************** BIO Founding Exec Director: HealthTech for Medicaid (HT4M) Healthcare executive with significant leadership commitment to serving vulnerable populations. I am a visionary and strategic business thinker who partners with colleagues, teams and businesses to create and drive value, optimize performance and inspire high-growth companies to serve those most in need. Trained as a clinical epidemiologist, turned successful health care administrator with a proven record of developing innovative strategies to improve the delivery and quality of health services, increase access to care, and stabilize struggling organizations. Dynamic thought leader with progressive experience providing insight in the fields of public health care. Adept at analyzing existing health care operations and implementing necessary strategies and formal business practices to strengthen the safety-net. Board member, advocate for women’s leadership and clearinghouse for connecting people and process. Affectionately known as “Madame Medicaid” for being able to turn any conversation into one about the health program that serves more than 79 Million people nationwide. Specialties include healthcare cost containment, revenue cycle enhancement, budget and leadership development. Particular expertise in outpatient services, patient and employee satisfaction.

Inspiring Women with Laurie McGraw is now available on YouTube! Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Dr. Carladenise Edwards. Known for her thought leadership stemming from a thirty+ year executive career which has included three tours of duty as a chief strategy officer at various prominent health systems. In 2023, Carladenise kicks off this year with an optimistic outlook. “We need to claim joy” and “use this year to inspire our best selves.” What this means for Carladenise is prolifically writing. As a surviving sibling, she is putting words to page to capture the story of her brother. And as a healthcare professional, she is also writing a manifesto, or rather, a vision for a new system of healthcare that is sustainable, effective and efficient and can serve the needs of all – those with means and with privilege and even those without. Some of her ideas hark back to the first hospital ever formed in the 1400s in Barcelona. Hear Dr. Edwards talk about: Confidence came early (thanks Dad): As the daughter of a US Marine, an Integration Officer whose job moved from place to place and was to be the only African American at differe Be courageous, be fearless, own your space Manifesto Health Equity Career knock downs and recovery Most recent learning BIO Dr. Carladenise Armbrister Edwards has thirty years of professional experience ranging from Assistant Dean at University of Pennsylvania to government official at the state and federal level. She is an accomplished healthcare executive, most recently served as Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy Officer for Henry Ford Health, a $6.8B integrated health care delivery system headquartered in Detroit, MI where she was responsible for M&A, innovation, government relations, planning, technology transfer, and system transformation. Prior to that she led strategy for Providence St. Joseph Health, a $24B health care company headquartered in Seattle, Washington where she also served as Chief Contracting Officer and Chief Administrative Officer for Population Health. Dr. Edwards has proven success achieving revenue growth exceeding $3.4B and helping health care companies achieve operational efficiency on the provider and plan sides of the business, not to mention her successful career as a fundraiser. Her academic background, and professional experience in the fields of medical sociology, epidemiology, marketing & business development, health information technology, and healthcare financing make her a highly sought-after advisor, speaker, and director. In 2022, she was recognized by Modern Healthcare and Becker’s as one of the top Women Leaders in Healthcare and she was named one of the 50 Women of Excellence by the Michigan Chronicle and elected President of the cohort by her peers. She most recently joined the board of Clover Health [NASDAQ: CLOV] where she serves on the Compensation and Governance Committees. She is also a strategic advisor to Parsley Health, 4L Data Intelligence, and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics. Dr. Edwards and her husband, Herman Edwards have started two endowed scholarships, one at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Nursing and the other at Johnson C. Smith University in support of African-American students seeking higher education. She is most proud of her service to the community including serving on Heluna Health’s Board of Directors, where she serves on the Finance Committee and Chaired the Advancement Committee. She also is a board director for the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) serving on the finance committee and a board director for Rand Health, as well as Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). Dr. Edwards received her BA and MS.Ed from University of Pennsylvania and her Ph.D. from the University of Florida. She is enrolled in Harvard University’s Adaptive Leadership Initiative as a fellow. Dr. Edwards is currently devoting her time to community and corporate board service. When she is not working, you can find her reading and spending time with family.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Women Alyssa Jaffee, Partner at 7wireVentures. When you listen to this episode, you will hear clearly that Alyssa is passionate about her work, which she finds addicting. Healthcare has become her calling. Every single day she believes she has the opportunity, and responsibility, to change healthcare for the better. And that is a long game. She feels the gravity of this while also being energized. Her commitment to making a difference with her work does not get in the way of being very committed to her family – in her perfectly imbalanced life. Alyssa is a strong advocate for other women leaders. Her best advice….. Remember that you are not alone, your community is here, so reach out and use it. A rising tide lifts us all. Hear Alyssa talk about: Success requirements in Venture: Pickers v Makers: At 7wire, the team is made up of operators. Alyssa spends half her time working with her portfolio companies. This means more than just making introductions – it’s getting on planes, being in the meetings and helping to close deals. 7wire companies often sell to the same organizations, so continuing to build those relationships is key. Vision and conviction: Alyssa believes that the job also requires being a thought leader. She spends considerable time in the industry and sharing her observations externally. Consumer Directed Healthcare: it is the vision and the current 7wire companies focus on the informed connected health consumer. Alyssa also talks about the cycles in venture and areas they are currently revisiting such as cardiac health or personalized medicine. #1 Strength: WOO. Winning Others Over. Insatiable curiosity ….love for learning. That’s Alyssa. She loves convincing others to be as excited about something as she is, which means a lot of WOO! Managing Balance: There is no such thing as balance for women at work, in fact, the act of being unbalanced IS balance!! Alyssa penned THIS article for Fortune,– please stop asking us about balance! We don’t have it!! ***************************** BIO Alyssa Jaffee is a Partner at 7wireVentures where she focuses on investments in digital healthcare and technology-enabled services that empower consumers to be better stewards of their health in today’s changing healthcare ecosystem. Alyssa sits on the board of Ayogo Health and is a board observer with MedArrive, Brightline, Zerigo Health, NOCD, and Jasper Health. Alyssa’s prior experience in venture capital includes her time as an investor at Pritzker Group Venture Capital where she led investments in Bright.md and Tovala as well as worked closely with Apervita, Mingle Health, and AiCure. Additionally, she worked at Hyde Park Angels (HPA), one of the Midwest’s largest angel organizations and Healthbox, an early-stage healthcare innovation firm, supporting their accelerator program called the Studio. Alyssa is also a Co-Founder of TransparentCareer, a 2016 NVC winning company focused on helping people make more data-driven career decisions. Prior to business school, Alyssa worked as the Senior Director of Performance Technologies for the Advisory Board Company. There, Alyssa was charged with expanding new business through the sales of technology platforms. With an extensive travel regimen, Alyssa met with hundreds of hospital executive teams to understand their strategic needs and recommend various solutions. She has copious amounts of experience in launching new products and thinking about go-to-market strategies. Alyssa holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago – Booth School of Business. You can follow Alyssa on LinkedIn.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Women Sara Vaezy, EVP and Chief Strategy and Digital Officer of Providence Health. Sara believes that healthcare is a human right. Her career journey has always been directly in or adjacent to healthcare and her expertise is the digital space is widely recognized. While digital strategies for large scale health systems are both imperative and obvious today, they were less so pre-pandemic. Having been in the Chief Digital Strategy role for several years now, she may have been more prepared than others. However in today’s environment with fast moving macro changes, it is a work in progress! Sara is both excited and skeptical at times of the digital solutions available today. Importantly, she remains focused on how we are generating value with digital – both improving the patient experience and addressing affordability. This means working on solves for disconnected solutions, changing the value/profit distribution and addressing key issues with digital solutions. Today that means less about the technology itself and more focus on people, process and payment issues. Hear Sara talk about: Digital as a transitional phase: We do not currently have a fully digital native population, but someday we will and we should plan for that. Her seat at the table: early on she was asked to “jump in with both feet” at Providence. Her mentor (also sponsor) brought her to the decision tables where risk-based trade offs were made. She knew this was an opportunity and made sure to leverage it. Side hustle: Sara is certainly an accomplished healthcare executive, but still finds that her family craft hot sauce business sustains her “whole being”. Spending times at farmer’s markets, being part of the maker community keeps her fresh and energized in different and important ways. Inspiring Women Listeners Want to Know: Pants or pajamas? (what do you wear when you work at home): Sweatpants, always sweatpants. First promo – did you ask for it? I did ask for it!!! Saw a need, gathered data, made a proposal. Do you still seek new mentors today? Yes, different people for different reasons. And some best advice…never be afraid of being fired. In 3-5 years, if you are not doing what you are doing now, what are you doing? Either an Entrepreneur or Public service ***************************** BIO Sara Vaezy is Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Digital Officer for Providence where she is responsible for system strategy and digital innovation for the integrated delivery network (IDN) which includes 52 hospitals and 1,085 clinics and serves over 5 million unique patients. Sara brings deep experience to the organization in both digital and enterprise strategy development and leads system strategy, the ongoing development and evolution of Providence’s integrated strategic and financial plan and cross-collaboration of the Providence councils as Providence continues to advance toward and design the system of the future. Sara is the architect of the Providence digital innovation model upon with the Digital Innovation Group (DIG) was founded, resulting in company partnerships and incubation of technologies that deliver value for Providence as well as other health systems. The model has resulted in the commercialization of three incubated technologies into independent companies from within DIG—all of which are supporting Providence in delivering on its mission and vision of health for a better world. Her framework for building and maintaining deep organizational relationships with stakeholders across the industry has resulted in partnerships with over 150 health system digital and innovation teams, venture capital organizations, industry analysts and influencers, and digital health organizations. Before Providence, she was at The Chartis Group, a health care management consulting firm, where she advised clients on enterprise strategic planning, payer-provider partnership, and the development of population health companies. Earlier in her career she worked at the intersection of health services research and health policy with the Office of Financial Management, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, and the Health Care Authority in Washington State. Sara is active in the broader healthcare industry serving as an NCQA Board Director, as a member of inaugural class of the Frist Cressey Ventures Collective, a Harvard Executive Education Faculty Member, a Health Evolution Forum Fellow, World 50 Digital 50 member, a Forbes Business Council Member, and a board observer for DexCare. She has won numerous awards and has been recognized as a Business Insider 30 under 40 Transforming the Future of Healthcare (2019), Catholic Health Association Tomorrow’s Leader (2019), a Becker’s Rising Star in Health IT (2020), and a Becker’s Women to Watch in Health IT (2020 & 2022). She holds an MHA and an MPH in Health Policy from the University of Washington School of Public Health and BAs in Physics and Philosophy f

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Women Dr. Geri Landman. She filled her lifelong dream when she became a pediatrician. And then, life changed when Lucy, her third child, was diagnosed with a rare gene disorder. A missing PGAP3 gene. How rare? 50 other children worldwide. With a prognosis of severe disability and seizures and without a cure, therapies, or treatment, Dr. Landman took on new roles. Researcher. Entrepreneur (Moonshots for Unicorns). Fundraiser. Advocate. Mom first. “They teach you in medical school, when you hear hoofbeats, think horses not zebras”. Persistent parental questions led to – first – a feeling that she was overreacting as a parent. Fortunately, there was a neuro geneticist on the team. After many tests and exams – it was that call of “let’s talk in an hour” that changed the course of their lives forever. Geri and her husband had never heard of the PGAP3 gene, let alone what it meant to be missing that gene, as is the case with their young daughter Lucy. The prognosis included no cures, no therapies, and a difficult future of severe disability and seizures. The missing PGAP3 gene – a rare gene disorder – affects 50 other children worldwide. They gave themselves a week to absorb, to think. Deciding they couldn’t cry forever, knowing they were in the Bay Area – a valley of science and world class medical centers – Dr. Landman and family began the daunting journey of finding a cure in the promising world of genetic science. Hear Dr. Landman talk about: The promise and reality of genetic science: three scientific approaches for rare gene disorders. 1) the supplement route; 2) drug repurposing and 3) gene therapy – both the most expensive but the most promising Needed: Pharma Business models: Pharma wants to help but needs 1000, maybe just 500 patients, to build a business model worth pursuing. Only 50 children have been diagnosed worldwide with a missing PGAP3 gene. Yet 1% of the worldwide population suffers from a single missing gene – over 10,000 of them. Addressing single gene disorders. With $3-7M of research needed for every missing gene, patient advocacy groups are needed. Which is why Dr. Landman created Moonshots for Unicorns. This patient advocacy nonprofit has been working with Nationwide Children’s in Ohio to begin the gene therapy work. They also have been testing for drug repurposing with potentially promising results. Keeping it all together. Landman describes being tired and energized all at the same time. As this evolves, her happiest days can be her lowest days. Yet they proceed. What listeners should know: As moms, when you know something is off, advocate persistently for your child. And if the diagnosis is the difficult single gene disorder, patient advocacy groups are key today. Access and affordability are important missions of Moonshots for Unicorns. How to get involved: Moonshots for Unicorns. ***************************** BIO Dr. Geri O. Landman is a pediatrician in Berkeley, California and is affiliated with Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital Stanford. She received her medical degree from University of California (San Francisco) School of Medicine and has been in practice between 11-20 years.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Women Lita Tomas and Jean Marie McNamara, a mother/daughter duo who have just published their memoir: Lita & Jean: Memoirs of Two Generations of Military Women. Hear Lita and Jean talk about: Lita: Breaking new ground: a divorced woman in the 1970s was not allowed to join the military nut Lita found a way to provide stability for her young daughters. Many firsts including becoming a mechanic and being in one of the first gender integrated units. Jean: Service was always a calling: joining the Army National Guard as a medic felt important and the learning about various health conditions was a dream. A devastating injury ended her military career early though. The road to recovery is long and requires advocacy: Jean has been in a long recovery and is still in it. But the care she needed was not readily available. Lita became Jean’s strongest and most vocal advocate. Today on their podcast, PodcastDX, Lita and Jean talk about how to advocate for yourself/a loved one when receiving treatment. Why the Lita and Jean Memoir? finding so many similarities between their service stories first led Lita and Jean down the path to a memoir. But the memories of how hard it was to get the care for Jean and other incidents were very painful and raw for both. They share this to heal but also to advocate loudly for change. Harassment: Lita and Jean close out this conversation with strong advice on harassment. Seeing it, you need to speak up. Experiencing it, you need to speak up (and keep records). Harassment of any kind is unacceptable. Recommending military service: Both Lita and Jean are strong advocates for military service while at the same time being very open regarding its flaws. They strongly believe that service to others is a lifelong journey. Whether that means the military or just finding ways to help others does not matter. But service does. ***************************** Lita Tomas: Lita Tomas is the co-author of Lita & Jean: Memoirs of Two Generations of Military Women. An Army tank mechanic turned global logistics manager, Major Lita Tomas enlisted as an E-1 with the U.S. Army in 1977, the first-year women were integrated into regular units. With a master’s degree in recreational therapy, five years in the Air Force, and a lifetime of fighting injustice, taking on everyone from the Catholic church to Congress, she’s whom you want on your team. When not feeding the ducks, chickens, dogs, and cats on her youngest daughter’s farm or cheering on her grandchildren, you can find her working on her informational patient advocacy podcast: PodcastDX. Lita currently resides in Downers Grove, Illinois, with young-onset Alzheimer’s disease, her two rescue dogs, and her one remaining undonated kidney. Jean Marie McNamara: Jean Marie McNamara is the co-author of Lita & Jean: Memoirs of Two Generations of Military Women. Like her mother, she has a passion to help others and enlisted in the Illinois Army National Guard as an E-1. She has worked as a medic, NBCR Officer, and as the Deputy Director of her local ESDA. After an injury, Jean retired as a 1LT and explored the challenges of recovery and endurance, working to claim new pathways of service and meaning. As a co-host for the Award-winning PodcastDX, she loves to research diagnoses to feature. Her wry sense of humor has been bolstered by bureaucracy. Their book: Lita & Jean: Memoirs of Two Generations of Military Women from Masterwings Publishing can be found HERE.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Dr. Kim McKay, practicing physician, chief medical officer of PeriGen and clinical vice president of the OB/GYN service line at Avera Health in South Dakota. Dr. McKay’s life work has been focused on improving the health of moms and babies, as a practicing physician in a rural area, a health system leader and now, a leader at an innovative technology solutions company. Maternal health outcomes in the U.S. are extremely poor when compared to other industrialized nations. Dr. McKay speaks to the why – wide ranging issues such as gaps in care and coverage; access to early pre-natal care; biases in medicine (a mother experiencing tachycardia may be told they are “just being anxious” when there can often be an underlying medical condition); disparities in treatment. Solutions for improving outcomes with maternal health that show promise today include reaching into and really understanding the needs at a community level – e.g. providing community health workers, providing wrap around services like transportation and family care but also having those services speak to each other. She also points to technology improvements and finding the levers in the workflows – making it easier for providers to use technology as having great potential. But make no mistake – larger policy issues and payment reforms are needed. Dr. McKay views maternal health as the ultimate population health and she never wants to hear again that maternity care is a lost leader. Hear Dr. McKay talk about: Love of science which began when she won the state science fair in 8th grade (ask her about chickens!!). Winding journey to medicine. Thinking pediatrics would be her calling but kids don’t talk and parents can be…well…intense. She credits an important mentor, Dr. Burnett, who gave her the confidence to change course by pulling her aside and telling her that she had “good hands”. There were not many women in surgical subspecialties then and his words at that point in time made a major impression on her. Physician burn out: COVID was rough and having to fight for PPE was a moral injury. She has put great focus on what gives her energy which includes: helping solve problems for physicians; mentoring other women or physicians moving into leadership positions; and her family. She had to learn to put FOMO (the fear of missing out) aside to ensure she was making time for them. Dr. McKay’s closing advice to younger women is to just say yes. Some of her greatest professional opportunities have come from going to those meetings that she otherwise thought twice about attending. Treating them as opportunities has been important for her career growth and impact. ***************************** Dr. Kimberlee McKay, PeriGen Chief Medical Officer An innovative specialist in the field of obstetrics and gynecology, Dr. McKay brings over 20 years of experience to the PeriGen team. In addition to her role at PeriGen, Dr. McKay currently serves as the Clinical Vice President OB/GYN Service Line at Avera Health and has held an adjunct position at the University of South Dakota, where she also earned her degree. Dr. McKay adds to the PeriGen team a hands-on experience that support the initiatives of PeriGen as an organization. Her extensive expertise in patient safety and quality, healthcare equity, rural maternity care, and remote patient monitoring are critical to the continued innovation of PeriGen solutions. She is a long time advocate and user of PeriGen solutions and her position is critical to PeriGen’s continued commitment to remote patient monitoring, physician engagement, and emerging primary care opportunities. You can follow Dr. McKay on LinkedIn.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Kathy Ford, chief product and strategy officer at Project Ronin, a company founded in 2018 by Larry Ellison and Dr. David Agus with a moonshot objective to transform cancer care. It has been a “short thirty years” in healthcare and Kathy has been focused on launching healthcare solutions globally. She describes being raised by big companies – first falling into it, then falling in love with it, and today, being absolutely driven to have a large impact on the clinical outcomes in healthcare. While Kathy has spent her career bringing health tech solutions to market, she describes her work at Ronin as perhaps the most impactful. And this excites her. Did you know that 50% of cancers are preventable? I didn’t. As her PSA, Kathy also implores all listeners who may today or someday face a cancer diagnosis – get a second opinion on that pathology report. From her work she states this particular area is still equal parts art and science in medicine – and while AI may change that in the future – today the second opinion could be life altering. Hear Kathy talk about: How she has chosen when to move to a next career opportunity (spoiler alert, the answer comes down to learning and also thinking about opportunity for impact). What has changed over the years with technology. The advancement of the data science toolsets today is phenomenal. The question remains as to how this can shorten innovation adoption cycles. Her optimism in how data tooling and patient focused solutions can actually impact patients – better patient communication, real time communication with physicians. And with the potential to both prevent adverse events today – with promise to move to prevention. You can follow Kathy on LinkedIn. ***************************** Ford is responsible for the ideation, development and commercialization of Ronin, a provider of cutting-edge clinical intelligence software and AI services that helps clinicians understand the context between data points for patients undergoing oncology treatment. Ford has a long history in leading and bringing innovative technology to market at Rhinogram, GE Healthcare, Siemens Medical, McKesson and NantHealth.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Brittany Barreto, PhD, a geneticist who has focused her career on FemTech (that’s not fintech, it’s femtech, which should just be called healthtech, but for now, let’s stay focused..). Her company FemTech Focus aims to raise awareness on this $1.1T industry and to support the community of over 1000 founders in this space.. This is done through her podcast, virtual communities with >2000 members; events to support growth in this field and then very importantly, through ground breaking market research. Brittany’s extroverted and passionate energy come through in this terrific Inspiring Women episode! Hear Brittany talk about: How she found her home not in the science lab but when finding a group of entrepreneurs drinking beer, eating pizza and wearing jeans. How women have been excluded from science, research, value hypotheses for every dimension of health care/device/science and delivery. It is changing now, but slowly. The gap in funding for femtech companies – which is not at Series A but rather at the seed stage. Perhaps due to a lack of caring from people these issues do not impact. Her best advice is actually a grand audience question – when you walk around the world, just ask yourself if sex was considered in making this? More often than not the answer will be NO. But asking the question and seeing the opportunity to create a world where it is normalized is very exciting to Brittany. What will we see in the years ahead for FemTech? Answer: “So many exits…so many new leaders…” and very hopefully, many more men participating in the innovation and launch process. You can follow Brittany on LinkedIn. ***************************** Brittany Cliffnotes: I am a geneticist who launched the world’s first DNA-based dating app (Pheramor). The company ultimately closed but I sure did learn a lot! Then I launched in a career in venture. I was Senior Venture Associate at Capital Factory, the most active venture fund in Texas. I was tasked with opening their Houston branch and had a blast doing it. In 2019 I discovered an industry called FemTech and I learned about the grave inequalities in women’s health. In March 2020, during the covid-19 lockdown, I started a FemTech podcast and gained international traction overnight. Now I talk about vulvas full time via my 501c3 non-profit, FemTech Focus! I co-founded a FemTech venture fund, Coyote Ventures, and consult companies on female-centered healthcare. — I got my footing as a CEO while finishing my PhD in genetics, that’s when I co-founded Pheramor, the nation’s first DNA-based dating app and also launched a secondary product called WeHaveChemistry for couples. We successfully raised over $1.3M and won dozens of awards. Although Pheramor and WeHaveChemistry did not become the unicorn I hoped for, I earned my entrepreneurial stripes and pivoted to become a Venture Capitalist. My role at Capital Factory as a Houston-based Senior Venture Associate was to evaluate startups, mentor founders, and assist in deal flow and review for the Fund. As the first associate to be based in Houston, my role was to establish the Houston branch through outreach, growth, and forming partnerships. Under my leadership, our Houston accelerator portfolio has grown by 205%. I am frequently requested to consult startups, as well as deliver keynotes and workshops that highlight my areas of expertise which are: FemTech, going from science to entrepreneurship, and fundraising. Now I’m on a mission to advance the women’s health and wellness community through my latest world-changing venture – FemTech Focus. I am host of the FemTech Focus podcast which has over 150 episodes, 40K downloads, and subscribers in 107 countries. FemTech Focus has assisted hundreds of femtech founders to build, launch, and succeed through their events, resources, and market research reports. Additionally, I am the co-founding partner of Coyote Ventures, an early-stage femtech investment firm and femtech special advisor to Goddess Gaia Ventures, a growth-stage women’s health fund in the UK.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Elizabeth Kirk, a senior vice president at Strata Decision Technology. Liz has spent her career at the intersection of healthcare process automation and optimization to deliver significant financial returns. Working across teams on complex issues remains a passion. Personal tragedy, a health diagnosis, and major job changes – Liz has had to face several incredible inflection points. These all shaped her outlook on work and have led to strengthened resolve and commitment to making a difference. What you will hear in this episode: The sudden death of Liz’s fiancé was life altering. Throwing herself into work was Liz’s coping mechanism. In a job she loved, Liz had an unexpected meeting with GE’s CEO Jeff Immelt. That gave her critical information as to what she thought might be possible with her division. She learned it was time to make a move. Meeting other incredible life moments. Like being fired for being pregnant. Hard to imagine that this can happen (it’s illegal BTW…) but it happened to Liz. And dealing with her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Healthy today, Liz is thankful for some early time with her daughter. As challenging as this may be, Liz believes this has led to an even deeper connection and commitment to the impact of her work on healthcare organizations. It is very important to Liz to get up every day to a job she loves. And what she loves most? Seeing and then fixing problems and doing this by working cross-functionally. You can follow Liz on LinkedIn. ***************************** Liz Kirk is the Senior Vice President of Strategic Services at Strata Decision Technology. With over 15 years of experience working with healthcare providers, both as a hospital administrator and a consultant, Liz’s role includes leadership of Strata’s Client Services team, as well as work in product and strategy for the company. Liz’s work in developing the Continuous Improvement application at Strata was recognized with the prestigious Chicago Innovation Award in 2014 and has recently been recognized by Becker’s Healthcare as one of the top “Female Health IT Leaders to Know” and one of the top “Female Vendor Financial Management Leaders to Know” in 2018. Prior to joining Strata, Liz was responsible for cost reduction and revenue improvement at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, IL where she successfully led an enterprise-wide project to reduce $220 million of operating expense while improving clinical performance. Liz was instrumental in developing revenue cycle consulting and technology services at Accretive Health and in starting the Revenue Cycle and Financial Improvement practice at GE Healthcare Performance Solutions. She began her career at Deloitte Consulting working with both payers and providers. Liz is a certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and a Master Change Agent. She earned a MBA and MHA at the University of Minnesota and a BS in Finance at Trinity University in Texas.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Julia Chang who lives in Taiwan and is a Senior Sales Director at Skyworks Solutions. Julia became interested in technology at a very early age, encouraged by her father and inspired by science fiction superheroes that could fight aliens and solve problems with science! With a background in engineering, she found that she loved the sales process, which includes a deep technical understanding but also psychology, working with people to find win-win solutions while also closing deals. Julia never felt gender differences in her career pursuits even though she saw that there were fewer women in the areas she studied or where she worked. Involvement in the semi-conductor industry and its global supply chain, being in Taiwan, and recent US legislation with the CHIPS and Science Act all impact Julia’s life. Geo-political tensions have been a constant as long as Julia can remember and that is true now, but the impact she feels is probably less so than the news from abroad may make it appear. Of the various pivotal points in her successful career, Julia gives tremendous credit to her husband. His support of her, encouraging her to pursue her current career at SkyWorks, as well as their support for each other with their family, Julia views him as an invaluable partner. Today, Julia suggests to all women that they do not accept gender limitations but rather, do your best work to reach your human potential. ***************************** Julia Chang Sr. Sales Director at Skyworks Solutions in Taiwan Country Manager/Regional Sales Director 思佳訊思佳訊. In Charge of Taiwan ODM/OBM and WLAN customers

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Dr. Ivor Horn, health equity expert and Chief Health Equity Officer at Google. For Dr. Horn, her journey to being impactful in medicine began with her father’s care where she saw what it looked like to not be respected. Early on, having impact led her to academics with an intent to educate physicians on how to deliver culturally competent care. Dr. Horn noted seeing technology integrated into patients’ lives but NOT integrated into the health journey of a patient. Understanding the opportunity for change and impact, this galvanized her into the tech space. In this episode you will hear: Early on, how far did we have to go with health equity? A LONG WAY as Silicon Valley did have an understanding of health disparities across communities and there was low appreciation for any financial value in addressing inequities Fast forward to today, where there has been quite a bit of progress. Use of technology is the norm to support someone’s health journey just as technology is integrated into all of our lives. Discerning hype around health equity from meaningful work comes down to views on the long game versus looking for a PR moment. Health equity work means sustained changes in infrastructure, process and accountability to weather ebbs and flows of support or resource commitment. The importance of the bottom-line impacts of health equity which are key to sustained support beyond health equity focus due to its moral imperative. Cautious optimism about the future for health equity!! Dr. Horn is seeing organizations building more educated teams, that appreciate nuance. We MAY be seeing a next wave of resources in the world of health equity. Also key for the long-time experts to avoid burn out given the magnitude of the work. What is possible five years out? Global companies that have health equity built into their plans in the same way that sustainability is embedded in board conversations today. There is no health without health equity. Dr. Horn also provides some words of advice regarding finding balance in her busy life. Family, friends and exercise!!! She also highly recommends a good therapist to remind you that what you are thinking is real and a coach to help you to then navigate! Dr. Ivor Horn Chief Health Equity Officer Google Dr. Ivor Braden Horn has over 20+ years of experience as an executive in health systems, academic, and venture-backed entrepreneurial environments. She is a sought-after advisor for health technology companies and has served on advisory committees and boards for several academic, philanthropic, government and for-profit organizations. As a strategic leader, Ivor has demonstrated expertise in driving organizational change within technology and product innovation and implementing efforts to drive quality improvement and stakeholder engagement. Ivor has a track record of implementing programs to improve health outcomes, reduce regulatory compliance risk and establish partnerships with community-based organizations to better serve at-risk populations. You can follow Dr. Horn on LinkedIn or her WEBSITE

In this episode you will hear: That point in time when this mother/daughter changed their relationship to mentoring and the focus on professional advice v. just parental advice Why a healthy respect for boundaries for Jolene has been important to her in her support for Kate’s growing career. Kate’s reaction to unsolicited advice (not good) and how Jolene practices restraint in giving it! For Jolene, she began an entrepreneurial career later in life and how she looks to her daughter for both support and advice. Not only is it helpful, for Jolene, this is a source of pride and joy in her daughter. What advice do they have for each other as both mom and daughter forge their career trajectories? Jolene has strong belief that Kate will be a woman of impact but also is supportive and excited about the ride ahead even if it remains unclear. She wants to ensure that if Kate needs something, that she is not afraid to ask for it. Kate can’t help but show tremendous pride in her mom for exploring new challenges and having the courage to build this new business of life coaching. Go for it Mom!!! What will you hear in this episode? Love. Support. Pride. Jolene Atkinson Jolene Atkinson is licensed in Iowa and Illinois as a Clinical Social Worker in private practice at Psychology Health Group in Davenport, Iowa. She is a Certified Life Coach and owner of Lifewell Coaching. As a graduate of the University of Iowa with a master’s degree in social work, Jolene trained as a therapist and an advocate for others. She is a certified life coach, CEO and entrepreneur. Whether through therapy or life coaching, Jolene specializes in supporting individuals to live their best lives. Early in her career, Jolene worked with nonprofit agencies serving children and parents in the foster care system, provided advocacy and therapy to survivors of sexual abuse and domestic violence, was a residential counselor in a group home for teen moms, and a therapist in a mental health clinic. With over 20 years’ experience in her private practice, Jolene has helped individuals and families with mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, and trauma. She has supported couples with marriage, divorce, and custody issues. She has provided individuals with life skills, career exploration, identity awareness and parenting strategies. Jolene has specialized in utilizing play therapy to work with children and teens. Jolene’s coaching practice prioritizes goal setting, personal growth, and emotional wellness. She is passionate about helping people realize their highest potential. Kate Kruse VP, Executive Podcast Solutions and Producer, Inspiring Women Kate is a Class of 2020 graduate from the University of Iowa with a B.A. in Enterprise Leadership. Kate joined Executive Podcast Solutions in October of 2019 and has loved helping several clients develop and produce their shows. Outside of podcasting, she enjoys spending time with friends, traveling, and reading.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Woman Anita Lynch about changing company cultures and having that sense of belonging even when you are one of few, or only, in leadership. Anita’s love for data, technology, and leadership started early. She demonstrated executive presence “on the playground” and learned to code at age ten when her father brought home a TRS-80. Beyond her parents, she had other early role models. The first black person CEO she ever knew was in fact her Aunt Caroline. Over the years while assuming greater and greater leadership responsibilities, she did not ignore the reality that she was one of few, or often times only in these positions as a data/technology executive. She had learned to transcend by finding ways to connect with others as peers. If you are at the table, you are peers, so Anita advises to be aware and not try to fight the differences but to seek opportunities to connect with your peer colleagues. Learning how to drive culture change in large scale organizations also comes through learned experience from launching significant digital and data initiatives at Yahoo, Amazon and Disney. Leading company tectonic shifts of collecting, aggregating and then activating data also afforded her the opportunity to work with and learn from other inspiring executives. Anita advises that inclusive cultures start by making people feel like they belong. This means recognizing and celebrating differences and starts with ensuring employees feel safe and cherished. You cannot feel cherished without feeling safe. Anita describes tactics for how to allow for those differences, whether it is age, gender, race or other. Anita’s closing advice to women is that we are a community and need to be supportive of each other. Significant career decisions can be broken into a series of smaller decisions so that in fact women optimize their careers over time and in fact have it all! Anita Lynch is dedicated to making life better and business more resilient through technology and data. Her expertise includes implementing digital transformation, finding positive solutions that benefit all stakeholders to mitigate risk, and increases shareholder value. A technophile at heart with an intuitive sense of systems and processes, she has an innate ability to bridge technology and business with diverse perspectives. She identifies smart investments that protect and leverage data to maximize profitability, and ultimately adds value to corporations at all stages. Ms. Lynch most recently served as Chief Data Officer at New Relic (NASDAQ: NEWR), a provider of data-driven enterprise software. She is among the first African American women to serve in the c-suite in this role for a public company. Beyond the c-suite, Ms. Lynch plays a leadership role in vital community programs and has served on non-profit boards supporting education initiatives for urban youth with Chicago Youth Centers and Silicon Valley Talent Partnership in the San Francisco Bay area. Ms. Lynch also volunteers with Harvard Business School Admissions, Harvard Business School Alumni Board and Harvard Alumni Association. Anita Lynch has been recognized for trailblazing and leadership. In 2022, she received a Culture Shift Award for Technology, Innovation and Social Impact in Silicon Valley. In 2020, she was named in the San Francisco Business Times ‘Top 100 Most Influential Women in Business’ and a featured keynote speaker in Snowflake’s 2020 Data Cloud Summit. Ms. Lynch has been recognized as an innovator and technology inventor with patents for her work on trading systems at the Chicago Board of Trade in 2004. A native of Chicago, Ms. Lynch now resides in Oakland, CA.

Laurie McGraw is speaking with Inspiring Women Drs. Paneez Khoury and Parker Ruhl, physicians, researchers, public servants who work at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. They are also friends and peer mentors which they view as a professional must have given the dearth of women leaders. In this episode, we discussed the “leaky pipeline” issue given that women medical students have eclipsed the 50% mark several years ago. Paneez and Parker are clear – the system is not set up so that women have a fair shot ascend to leadership. While there are things women can do to bridge the gender gap in medicine through self-advocacy, taking leadership training opportunities and cultivating mentorship relationships, until the structures are changed. The fertility window directly overlaps with the time periods needed to secure funding, when you are first becoming scientifically independent. If those who set up these structures had to think about their fertility window – it just wouldn’t be set up this way. Changing the process should NOT mean lowering the requirements, just adjusting not having to do these all at the same time during that important fertility window which creates sometimes impossible choices. Paneez and Parker also discuss how they have partnered aiming to impact culture change, a long slog without a clear path. Finding ways to level the playing field for women in medicine, being heard, having representation on editorial boards, hiring and promotion committees, and looking forward to that day when a woman physician can say she is pregnant and not have to hear…Oh, I’m sorry….. are just some of the things that they are pushing for. They have an action oriented approach and rely on the support of each other to “be the change”. Dr. Paneez Khoury BIO: Paneez Khoury, M.D. is an associate research physician at NIAID. She has been involved in translational research in eosinophilic disorders since joining the Human Eosinophil Section in 2012. She received her M.D. from University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. She completed an internal medicine residency at the Ohio State University followed by a fellowship in allergy and clinical immunology at NIH. She also holds a master’s of health sciences from Duke University. She is board certified in internal medicine and allergy/immunology and is a fellow of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). At NIH, she serves as the chair of the Scientific Review Committee of the Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases. She sits on the graduate medical education (GME) committee, including the policy subcommittee, and is a member of the staff clinician council. Her external committee activities include involvement in the food allergy and eosinophilic disorders committee, the program directors assembly, and the leadership institute of AAAAI . She serves on the board of the International Eosinophil Society (IES) and is the social media chair for the society. Dr. Parker Ruhl BIO: Dr. Parker Ruhl is an Associate Research Physician in the Physiology Unit of the Laboratory of Malaria and Vector Research (LMVR), National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases with a joint appointment in the Pulmonary Branch, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Dr. Ruhl serves on the NIH Pulmonary Consult Service and routinely sees patients in the NIH Sickle Cell Program. In the Physiology Unit, LMVR, Dr. Ruhl leads clinical research efforts within a translational research group focused on the impact of genetic variants of globin proteins, affecting both alpha and beta globin, on vascular function in human physiology and in disease states such sickle cell disease and malaria. Dr. Ruhl is active in the professional community. She serves as Chair of the NIH Staff Clinician Council and Chair of the Staff Clinician Professional Development Committee, which serve to support physician professional development within the NIH Intramural Research Program. She serves as Vice President and an executive board member of the Metropolitan DC Thoracic Society. Dr. Ruhl joined the Office of Intramural Research (OIR) as a Senior Advisor to Dr. Michael Gottesman, Deputy Director of Intramural Research (DDIR) in 2022 and is currently working on several matters related to the NIH Staff Clinician community. Dr. Ruhl supports Dr. Janice Lee, Deputy Director of Clinical Research (DDICR) in performing the Staff Clinician title designation review process. Dr. Ruhl has worked closely Dr. Carl Hashimoto, Director of Faculty Development, OIR, to broaden access for Staff Clinicians to professional development opportunities across all ICs within the NIH Intramural Research Program. Dr. Ruhl attended the University of Virginia School of Medicine and completed internal medicine training in the Osler Medical Residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital. She completed a combined fellowship in critical care medicine at the NIH Clinical Center and pulmonary medicine at the Jo