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James Quarles says he wasn’t necessarily looking for a healthcare role.

After previously serving as CEO of Strava, the social network for athletes, Quarles is now a venture chair at Redesign Health, which has launched 50 healthcare startup companies in less than six years.

In the latest episode of Data Book, a podcast from 

, Quarles talks about what healthcare startup companies should be doing as they try to bring new solutions to market.

“We build healthcare companies,” Quarles says. “That is what we're in the business of doing. And we don't do devices. We don't do molecules. I think everything that's in the middle of enabling clinicians, payer, provider tech-enabled services, that's where those 50 businesses largely lie.”

He says his time as CEO of Strata helped prepare him for his current role. “That was just a very neat place to learn about digital wellness,” he says.

Health tech companies need to design products with equity in mind

In a lively conversation, Quarles talks about the ingredients of successful startups, what founders should be doing, and some common mistakes that should be avoided.

Quarles stresses the importance of having a narrow focus and not attempting to bite off too much in the development of a young company.

“I always say startups die actually of indigestion, not starvation,” he says.

Quarles outlines the continued challenges for funding for digital health startup companies, and the importance of developing solutions that can be scaled. He highlights the need for designing technology that can be integrated into healthcare solutions and designed for very specific uses. Echoing other healthcare business leaders, Quarles says 

some tech solutions aren’t being designed with clinicians in mind

Quarles also sheds light on how Redesign Health decides when a company is worth backing. The company researches proposals and then helps recruit founders to launch health tech companies.

“It's this art honestly, combined with science, and trying to figure out when do we have enough signal to say it's a big market, and we think we can make a difference to it,” Quarles says.

While the concept of disruption is popular in business, Quarles says there’s a need to work with hospitals and payers in overcoming their challenges.

“I think there's great problems to solve with incumbents who just are in the system,” Quarles says. “Big health systems have lots of problems and challenges. The payers have large challenges. And so, for as much as there's this concept of disrupting the system, I think we all like to build with the system.”

The former CEO of Strava is now a venture chair for Redesign Health, which has launched dozens of companies. He talks about the ingredients for success and some all-too-common mistakes. 

James Quarles of Redesign Health talks about starting healthcare companies | Data Book podcast

Adrienne Boissy focuses on empathy and values.

“I’ve got a big fire in my belly for reducing suffering and creating more joy,” she says.

Boissy is the chief medical officer of Qualtrics, a software company that helps organizations learn more about their customers in order to build better experiences. She’s a neurologist who takes care of patients with multiple sclerosis at the Cleveland Clinic, where she worked for years as the chief experience officer.

In the latest Data Book podcast, she talks about the importance of organizations living their values. As she notes, hospitals can cite empathy as a core value, but they must demonstrate that to their patients and workers.

“As healthcare tries to differentiate itself, in today's world, with a lot of different competitors, and a lot of different models of care, you're seeing people double down on experience as a differentiator,” she tells 

She also talks about the importance of demonstrating empathy to patients, which includes ensuring they are able to get appointments with doctors without waiting for months.

Health systems also show empathy by ensuring patients can get the care they need and aren’t foregoing treatment because they can’t afford it or they’re worried about medical debt. 

One in three patients postponed care because of the costs

, according to a recent Qualtrics survey.

In a wide-ranging interview, Boissy discusses the need to treat employees well to improve patient care and the bottom line. She talks about the dangers of toxic leaders, who can siphon the joy out of workers and the impact on patient care. And she talks about the growing desires for consumers to have the same convenience in healthcare as they get from other industries.

If hospitals and health systems want to create a better experience, Boissy says leaders must drive that change.

“I think it starts with the values of the organization,” she says, “and executive leadership being crystal clear about: Who do you want to be?”

The chief medical officer of Qualtrics, Boissy talks about organizations living their values, improving access, and how empathy provides a great return on investment.

Adrienne Boissy of Qualtrics talks about the patient experience | Data Book podcast

Sanjeev Agrawal says hospitals can no longer view efficiency as a luxury item.

Hospitals are going to need to become more efficient and excel at operations in order to stay afloat, said Agrawal, the president and chief operating officer of 

“I believe hospitals are facing in 2023, the 1999 moment that airlines faced, where you've got to become operationally excellent, or you either will get acquired or worse, you might not survive,” he says. “I understand why hospitals are so far behind because they're so under invested in what is the key driver of competitiveness in every other industry.”

In the latest episode of the Data Book podcast, Agrawal talks about the need for hospitals and health systems to turn to technology. LeanTaaS provides software solutions for hospitals to expand their capacity to schedule more surgeries and serve more patients. LeanTaaS works with more than 175 health systems and 625 hospitals, and about 5,000 operating rooms.

“Think about LeanTaaS as a company that helps hospitals optimize the use of constrained capacity.”

, a company that provides automation solutions for health systems. And he discusses why hospitals need to embrace technology, and how they serve more patients and reduce stress on their staff.

In our latest episode, the president of the healthcare technology company talks about the need to embrace technology so hospitals can survive.

Sanjeev Agrawal of LeanTaaS says efficiency is a 'requirement' for hospitals | Data Book podcast

Chanda Hinton has devoted her life to improving care for individuals with disabilities.

It’s a very personal mission. When she was nine years old, Chanda suffered a spinal injury when she was accidentally shot in the back of the neck.

 in Denver, she spoke about her work in the latest episode of the Data Book podcast from 

. The center works to improve care for those with spinal cord injuries, brain injuries and other injuries and disabilities.

She also wants to counter the narrative that she hears from too many physicians who don’t understand that individuals with disabilities can live productive and healthy lives.

“That's a problem,” she says. “I mean, I'm 41, I've got a spinal cord injury, but I can be healthy, I can be well, I can be productive.”

Hinton says health leaders and systems who want to improve care and treatment for those with disabilities should be “proactive with i.”

“Make it a part of your mission in a true and genuine way. Don't be doing it because you have to based on compliance … do it, because it's the right thing to do,” she says.

Check out a very interesting conversation. 

Reminder: You can subscribe to the Data Book podcast virtually everywhere you get your podcasts.

In this episode, Chanda Hinton, founder of the Chanda Center for Health in Denver, talks about her journey, her center and how the healthcare industry can offer better care.

Data Book podcast: Chanda Hinton and improving care for those with disabilities

Medical debt is an enormous problem, as more than half of all U.S. adults have gone into debt because of medical or dental bills, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

In our latest episode of the “Data Book” podcast, we talked about medical debt with Ryne Natzke, the chief revenue officer of Sphere. Sphere is a technology company that works with health systems on patient billing systems.

Ryne discussed the difficulties for patients. And he says medical debt could be considered a social determinant of health.

“Medical debt is the largest overall contributor to personal debt,” Natzke says.

We also talked about the challenges for providers. Healthcare providers, which are facing tremendous financial pressures in the pandemic, also need to collect as much as possible from patients, Natzke adds.

“Hospitals don’t love having all this money sitting out there uncollected,” he says.

We talked about how health systems can sustain their operations without leaving their patients with catastrophic debt. He talks about the need for health systems to use technology to help determine which patients may be facing financial hardships due to their medical costs, and how to help them. 

But systems also need to give patients the human touch, and allow them to reach a person when they truly need assistance.

Reminder: You can subscribe to Data Book on Apple, Spotify, Google, iHeart Radio and virtually everywhere you get your podcasts.

In our latest episode, Ryne Natzke of Sphere talks about how providers need to take different approaches to ensure they are getting paid without leaving patients with heavy debt.

Data Book podcast: Medical debt and the impact on patients and providers 

On this episode of Healthy Bottom Line, we spoke with Mark Spinner, CEO of AccessOne, a patient financing solutions company that conducted a survey on the needs and concerns patients have regarding healthcare financing. We discussed some of the results from this survey as well as how hospitals and health systems can address the issues that were mentioned by patients. We also talked about the importance of having clear communication and price transparency between providers and patients.

To read more about AccessOne’s recent survey, click 

Mark Spinner, CEO of AccessOne, discusses some of the financing concerns that patients expressed in a recent AccessOne survey as well as some solutions that hospitals and health systems can implement to improve communication and price transparency.

Healthy Bottom Line: The Critical Need for Better Communication, Price Transparency in Healthcare

In this episode of Healthy Bottom Line, we spoke with Joe Polaris, senior vice president of product and technology at R1 RCM, a revenue cycle management company providing technology-based solutions to improve the patient experience and the financial performance of healthcare organizations. We discussed the effect that concerns over healthcare costs can have on patients’ willingness to seek out care and how price transparency can help. We also talked about CMS’ recent hospital price transparency rule as well as other avenues health systems can take to address cost concerns.

Joe Polaris, senior vice president of product and technology at R1 RCM, discussed how price transparency can increase hospital revenues and address patient concerns regarding exorbitant healthcare costs as well as the impact that CMS’ new price transparency rule could have on hospitals.

Healthy Bottom Line: Why More Price Transparency Is Needed to Address Healthcare Cost Concerns

On this week's episode of Data Book, Chief Healthcare Executive spoke with Ira Tauber, president of Triose, which works with health systems and hospitals on supply chain solutions. We discussed the supply chain issues that emerged at the beginning of the pandemic and how they were addressed, as well as potential upcoming supply chain issues at hospitals and health systems with an aging U.S. population.

Ira Tauber, president of Triose, discussed the supply chain issues that emerged at the beginning of the pandemic, as well as potential upcoming supply chain issues as hospitals and health systems care for an aging U.S. population.

Podcast: Setting Up a Supply Chain Strategy for Success

On this episode of Healthy Bottom Line, Barry Sample, PhD, director of science and technology at Quest Diagnostics, discusses the rise in drug positivity rates among healthcare professionals over the course of 2020 and the consequences of drug use among employees in healthcare settings. He also talks about the role that marijuana legislation has played a role in this increase as well as some solutions to reduce positivity rates.

Barry Sample, PhD, director of science and technology at Quest Diagnostics, discusses the rise in drug positivity rates among healthcare employees, the reasons behind the rise, and what can be done to combat them.

Healthy Bottom Line:  COVID-19 and Marijuana Laws: Why Employee Drug Positivity is on the Rise in Healthcare

On this week's episode of Data Book, Chief Healthcare Executive™ spoke with Peter Urbanowicz, managing director and co-head of Alvarez and Marsal’s Healthcare Industry Group. We discussed the FDA’s recent shift in priorities to address supply chain issues, device shortages, and the backlog of drug approvals as well as how technology can help. We also talked about how hospitals are handling these issues and what they can do as they wait for the FDA to catch up.

Peter Urbanowicz, managing director and co-head of Alvarez and Marsal’s Healthcare Industry Group, discusses the FDA’s new focus in addressing supply chain and device shortages posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and what hospitals should be doing in the meantime to adjust.

Waiting for FDA to Catch Up: What Hospitals Can Do to Address Supply Chain and Device Shortages

Prostate cancer cases have increased after years of decline. Evan Goldfischer, president of LUGPA, talks about the need to increase awareness and outreach.

Pushing for more men, and more Black men, to be screened for prostate cancer

Fitch Ratings cited continued losses and a low amount of cash on hand. The Pennsylvania-based system says it’s making progress toward profitability.

Tower Health suffers rating downgrade as it strives to recover

Physicians, and tomorrow’s doctors, are struggling with their well-being, a new study finds. Experts call for changes to encourage doctors, residents and students to get the help they need.

Doctors aren’t the only ones battling burnout. Many medical students are hurting.

The think tank ranked the hospitals that fared best in opening its doors to all. The institute also identified metro areas with high segregation.

These are the 10 most racially inclusive hospitals in America, Lown Institute says

The voluntary program is designed to help hospitals curb their emissions and expand their work to combat climate change. Leaders also point to potential cost savings.


Joint Commission offers hospitals certification for sustainability

 - After three years of the COVID-19 pandemic, hospital leaders must focus on their workers, Rick Pollack says.

Pollack, the president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, sat down for an interview with 

 this week. He talked about the industry’s challenges in a discussion during the 

American Hospital Association’s Leadership Summit

. Many healthcare workers who have made it through the past three years are struggling with burnout. 

“You have to strengthen the workforce,” Pollack says. “Without a viable workforce, hospitals and the healthcare system will simply collapse.”

“We’ve got to make sure we’re caring for our caregivers,” he says.

Pollack also stresses the importance of hospital executives connecting with their state and local lawmakers. He says it’s a critical way for hospital leaders to draw more attention on the impact of insufficient federal aid and other challenges, such as prior authorization.

“A second thing I would really focus on is developing relationships with your legislators at every level,” Pollack says.

“At the end of the day, Medicare and Medicaid are a source of a lot of funding for hospitals and health systems,” he continues. “The regulatory process has a significant impact on everything we do.

“I think it's really important now that we're past COVID to have everybody be visiting their hospitals and inviting their legislators to visit, so they really have an understanding of what we're facing and the challenges that we're facing, so they can be better informed in making the policy choices that they're faced with.”

Dartmouth Health CEO Joanne Conroy outlines rural hospital crisis

Futurist Amy Webb warns of seismic changes ahead for hospitals

The president and CEO of the American Hospital Association, Pollack urges health system executives to focus on caregivers and build connections with lawmakers.

Rick Pollack offers advice for hospital leaders

There are significant risks when hospitals pay the ransom in a cyberattack, security experts say.

Hundreds of hospitals and health systems have suffered cyberattacks in recent years

, and many have agreed to pay the ransom. Federal authorities and most cybersecurity experts advise organizations against paying ransom demands, arguing that they encourage additional attacks and reward criminal groups.

 interviewed several leading cybersecurity experts about the dilemma.

Experts acknowledge hospitals face hard decisions if ransomware gangs have locked up their electronic health records or stolen private patient data. While paying a ransom to protect patients may be the only option for some health systems, cybersecurity experts say hospitals must be aware of the potential problems.

“Even if you pay the ransom, it is not a guarantee that you're going to get the data back and it's going to be successful," says Crane Hassold, a cybersecurity consultant.

Ransomware gangs could ask for more money even after a ransom is paid, experts say. Hassold and other experts say even if the ransom is paid, it could take weeks to recover data and restore systems.

Patterson Cake, a cybersecurity consultant for Avertium, says, “I hate to reward the villains.”

Cake says there are circumstances where it’s understandable that some systems make the call to pay the ransom to protect patients. But he says he’d rather hospitals focus on building their defenses.

, the senior principal of cybersecurity and privacy for HIMSS, says she doesn’t advise health organizations to pay the ransom. Still, she says, “Different organizations are in different places in terms of whether they need to restore things in a hurry, whether they have really good backups where they can rebuild.”

Paying a ransom “ultimately is a business decision,” Kim says.

But she adds health systems should develop robust response plans, and even consider getting negotiators on retainer to deal with ransomware gangs.

Steve Cagle, CEO of Clearwater, says hospitals should strive to reduce their risks of major disruptions in a cyberattack.

“We do want to be in a position where we can recover, we have good backups in place, we have good procedures, we've tested those procedures, and if we've done all the right things, then we should be in a good position to not have to pay the ransom,” Cagle says.

In our special report, experts tell Chief Healthcare Executive that health systems should avoid paying if possible and focus on improving their defenses.



Cybersecurity experts weigh risks of hospitals paying ransom demands

If hospitals want to reduce the odds of major disruptions from ransomware attacks, 

Cagle, the CEO of Clearwater, a cybersecurity company, recently spoke with 

. He says hospital boards and their CEOs must be engaged in cybersecurity, and that healthcare organizations must engage in an ongoing effort to improve their defenses.

Scores of health systems and hospitals have been hit with 

 and incur enormous costs, both financially and to the reputation of an organization.

“And at some point, there's a line that has to be drawn somewhere,” Cagle says. “How much risk are we willing to accept?”

Health systems looking to bolster their cybersecurity defenses are likely going to have to invest more money, and Cagle acknowledges that can be a difficult choice for hospitals.

Hospital leaders need to ensure that cybersecurity is an organization-wide priority, and it can’t be relegated to information technology departments, Cagle suggests.

Hospitals need to do more than implement tools to deter cyberattacks, Cagle says. They need to test those defenses.

“We see a lot of controls, a lot of tools that have been put in place,” Cagle says.

“What we haven't seen enough of is actually testing those putting those to the test to see if they work,” he adds.

Cagle calls for continual testing of cybersecurity tools and training of employees.

“That's how organizations will get better, is understanding where where the high risks are, focusing efforts there, putting the controls in place, testing the controls, making sure that you're raising awareness throughout the organization, so that people are aware of those situations that get through right, the phishing email, the social engineering, and just leveraging all the resources in the most optimal way to to reduce risk,” he said.

Cybersecurity in healthcare: Even with progress, vulnerabilities remain

Healthcare organizations have demonstrated a greater awareness of the risk of cybersecurity in recent months, although they still have work to do, Cagle says. He’s especially encouraged by the greater focus on the risks of cyberattacks to patient care, including the disruption of electronic health records and other critical services.

“It's really a positive thing to see that we are getting that recognition of how important cybersecurity is and how much it is directly linked, not only to financial harm, but also to potential patient safety, and harm to patients,” Cagle says.

Hospitals and cybersecurity: The government is giving greater attention and scrutiny

Hundreds of hospitals and healthcare organizations have suffered cyberattacks. Cagle stresses the importance of the engagement of top leaders and understanding vulnerabilities.

Clearwater CEO Steve Cagle discusses reducing risk of ransomware attacks

When The Leapfrog Group examined hospital complications to see where disparities existed, there were a number of disturbing findings.

Black and Hispanic patients were more likely to develop sepsis and respiratory failure

 after surgeries, according to the study released last week. Missy Danforth, the vice president of health care ratings at The Leapfrog Group and a co-author of the report, said the findings were “sobering.”

But she said she was most surprised to see substantial differences in outcomes among payers. Patients who relied on Medicare and Medicaid were most likely to suffer serious complications than those with private insurance. In fact, Medicare and Medicaid patients had a greater likelihood of complications in 10 of 11 areas studied.

“I think one thing that probably jumped out at us that hasn't gotten quite as much attention, actually, were the payer disparities,” Danforth told 

“I think what was a little bit interesting and different about this particular paper, what we're seeing is that, in some cases, the disparities in terms of your risk of harm are even more pronounced based on who you have for health insurance,” she said.

“And so I think it speaks to this sort of complex problem. And the layers to this particular problem, and we look at some of the increased rates of harm to, for example, Medicare, Medicaid patients, that was pretty alarming. And there's not been quite as much attention to that.”

Danforth says it’s difficult to draw conclusions on the significance in the disparities based on coverage, but she says it’s worthy of further study.

“We would, I think, like to see just a little bit more research in this particular area,” Danforth said. “You know, I think with this paper, we were really trying to elucidate some of the issues and hope to spur additional research around some of these topics. So I don't think we want to conjecture, but I do think we want to encourage others to really dig into this and see what else is there.”

Leapfrog Group’s spring hospital safety grades find ‘dramatic’ rise in infections

Patients with Medicare and Medicaid were far more likely to have complications than those with private insurance.

The Leapfrog Group's Missy Danforth on ‘alarming’ disparities in care based on coverage

Michael Dowling, the president and CEO of Northwell Health, offers an interesting perspective on the top threat to healthcare organizations.

The longtime head of the New York hospital system says leaders should constantly raise the bar. 

Management

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