The Business of Healthcare Podcast

This episode features language-access experts Esther Diaz and Manuel Higginbotham. They join host Dr. Bob Kaiser for a discussion about medical interpretation and translation and its impact on the healthcare industry. Diaz is language-access advocate and co-founder of the Texas Association of Healthcare Interpreters and Translators. Higginbotham is language-access manager for The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and president of TAHIT. They discuss training and certification, legal requirements, staffing issues and other complexities related to providing interpretation and translation services for patients who need access to healthcare services. Links to websites discussed during the episode and other useful links: The 13th Annual TAHIT Educational Symposium (Sept. 13-14, 2019 in Houston) American Translators Association (Arlington, Va.) Metroplex Interpreters and Translators Association (Dallas-Fort Worth) Houston Interpreters and Translators Association Austin Area Translators and Interpreters Association (Austin, Tex. Location) National Council on Interpreting in Healthcare (Washington)

Dan Klein, president and CEO of Patient Access Network (PAN) Foundation, joins host Dr. Bob Kaiser to discuss how the charity he helms helps underinsured people pay for out-of-pocket expenses. Prescription medications that can treat life-threatening, chronic and rare diseases are often very costly. Klein discuss how PAN has put together a robust network of patient advocacy groups to link patients with resources and support to help defray those costs.

Andrew Thorby, CEO of Care Continuity, joins host Dr. Bob Kaiser to discuss the challenges the healthcare industry faces as it grapples with aligning financial incentives with quality incentives. They also discuss a LinkedIn article Thorby wrote about the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).

Heidi Rasmussen, chief operating officer of freshbenies, joins host Dr. Bob Kaiser to discuss her company's innovative approaches to healthcare benefits that help consumers save money and become smarter healthcare consumers. Rasmussen, a UT Dallas alumna who earned a bachelor's degree in business administration from the Naveen Jindal School of Management, co-founded freshbenies with her husband, Reid.

Michelle Podlesni, RN, president of the National Nurses in Business Association, joins host Dr. Bob Kaiser for a discussion about how nurses can benefit from learning business skills. They also discuss her book, UnConventional Nurse: Going from Burnout to Bliss! They also touch on ways nurses can acquire business skills, such as attending the NNBA Conference and entering the NNBA Shark Tank Competition.